THE EGYPT SESSIONS Karolina Winkowska and friends
HEADS EQUALS JAWS First solid Maui swell
THE NEW KID Carlos ‘Bebe’ Mario interview
£4.50 | issue #9
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COVER Everything perfectly aligned for Karolina Winkowska. Could this shot be framed any better? Photo: Toby Bromwich HERE A crab. Minding its own business. On a beach. In Mauritius. Photo: Toby Bromwich
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The Features 050
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS A bunch of pros with no particular plan apart from getting out of town and scoring some dependable wind, sunshine, and maybe a few cheeky kicker hits along the way… Toby Bromwich takes us through it.
FRESH TRACKS In the surfing world Josh Mulcoy is something of a legend. He’s surfed in some of the most full on and isolated environments on the planet. The kind of places where crowds are rarely a problem, but bears might be. The good news: he also kites.
070 HEADS EQUALS JAWS They’re pretty chilled out these Hawaiians. So when it’s a difficult call as to whether or not they should take on a sketchy looking mega-swell at Jaws, or go and score some more dependable barrels on the other side of the island, they toss a coin… It came up Heads.
086 THE NEW KID: CARLOS ‘BEBE’ MARIO Not a bad year for the young Brazilian – second on tour during what has been widely acknowledged to be one of the toughest years in terms of the number of top-class riders at the top of their game. All the more remarkable when you find out a little more about Bebe’s background…
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In 30 Words…. What are you watching?
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I’m On It… Dylan van der Meij
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Tangled Lines with Aaron Hadlow
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On the List… Fehmarn
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Technique with Youri Zoon
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In the Pipeline with RRD
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Tell me about it… North Surfboards with Sky Solbach
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Behind the Clip… Indonesian Reflections
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Meteorology with Tony Butt
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The Dark Room with Stephan Kleinlein
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5 things you wouldn’t know about this shot with Jason Keller Hudson
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E D I T O R I A L HERE’S WILLOW-RIVER TONKIN WITH NO INTENTION OF HEADING TO THE TOP OF THE WOO LEADERBOARD, BUT HAVING A BLAST NONETHELESS…
GETTING TO THE TOP... For the first 15 years of kiteboarding’s rapid evolution, assessing the ‘best’ freestyle kiteboarder was essentially a subjective assessment. Like surfing (or gymnastics, or diving) competitions have been assessed against certain criteria by ‘judges’. So criteria are agreed upon and – unlike the 100 meters or a game of football – the winner is the person who other people agree performed the best. Not the person who could be indisputably proven to have ‘won’. Then – a few months ago – a little blue device arrived on the kiteboarding scene: the WOO. And suddenly our sport was quantifiable. You could indisputably prove that you had gone the biggest, spent the longest in the air, or done the most jumps in a session. You could top leaderboards and gain some kudos – whether you were riding on your own on a desolate beach in Ireland, or mixing it up with the masses. The WOO’s arrival was also spookily well-timed to coincide with the revival of Big Air. Which suddenly was a little bit cool again. It was a match made in heaven and WOO began to take over the world... So much so that you’ll now find a lot of the ‘cool crew’ not heading to the beach until it’s topping 35 knots and they have a chance of boosting bigger than their mates. How times change… Just when you thought our sport couldn’t morph itself into anything different – we have another ‘sub’ discipline that’s appealing to the masses and adding yet another dimension to the fantastic world of ‘doing stuff with kites’. Is there a more diverse sport on the planet than kiteboarding? I challenge you to find one… 16 | TheKiteMag
Anyway, when you’re not trying to smash the 25 meter mark on the WOO leaderboard, there are plenty of other things to be getting up to with kites. As you’ll discover this issue… We catch up with a formidable collective of pros enjoying some soulful sessions and quiet training time in Egypt. Toby Bromwich documents the trip. Then we have some exclusive shots and angles from the well-publicized mega swell that saw Kai Lenny, Patri McLaughlin and Jesse Richman scoring some of the biggest waves (and the biggest YouTube numbers) from Jaws. We also catch up with Aaron Hadlow where a star studded collective of pros put their questions to him in Tangled Lines, we hear from Carlos ‘Bebe’ Mario about how he came from a poor Brazilian upbringing to finishing #2 on the World Tour, and we have a tale from the one-man frontier finder, Josh Mulcoy… Enjoy the issue. Alex
AND HERE’S FLYSURFER’S DYLAN VAN DER MEIJ EXPLORING ANOTHER LITTLE NOOK OF THE AMERICAS… . PHOTO: ANDY TROY
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S UBSC RIBE TO THE K IT E M AG SEVEN ISSUES P ER Y EAR (that’s more than any other kiteboarding magazine)
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to you before it gets in the shops
F REE
top quality tee and 36KNOTS beanie!
The Team: Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Senior Correspondents: Toby Bromwich, Jason Keller Hudson, Brian Wheeler, Graham Howes Art Director: Jody Ward Assistant Art Director: Louise Kelly Contributors: Toby Bromwich, Bianca Asher, Christoph Kutz, Robin Christol, Tom Magne Jonassen, Uwe Hasubek, Benjamin Ginsberg, Simon Lamusse, Adam Lapierre, Mark McInnis, Dylan van der Meij, Sky Solbach, Roberto Ricci, Reo Stevens, Jason Keller Hudson. TheKiteMag is…
BORN Published by WATER M E D I A in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Advertising enquiries: advertising@thekitemag.com. All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.
Submissions: Online: If you have a clip or would like to get something on the website please send it over to us: media@thekitemag.com. In the mag: TheKiteMag welcomes both written and photographic submissions. Photography should be submitted in both RAW and edited format. Please note that the publication of written content is generally dependent on the provision of high quality photography, so in the first instance please send photographic samples and a 150 word synopsis of your writing to: checkmeout@thekitemag.com You can find TheKiteMag on:
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IN 30 WORDS
TOM CO URT STAYIN G CL EAR O F T HE SUN LOUNG ERS... P HOTO : TO BY BR O MWICH
IN WORDS
Life as a pro kiter isn’t all about 8-hour days on the water punctuated only by energy gels and video-debrief sessions with your coach. Sometimes you get to chill, and then it’s ‘praise be’ for big hard drives and Netflix… So, what are they watching?
Alby Box-set? Entourage… too funny! Favorite film? Too many. Cool Runnings is definitely up there though! Clip of 2015? The job Anders and James did on the half hour Cabrinha edit Disguise the Limit was pretty awesome I thought! Eric Rienstra Box-set? Narcos Favorite film? The Dark Knight Clip of 2015? X-Games Real Wake – Chris Abadie
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Jake Kelsick Box-set? Casey Neistat’s Daily Vlogs (youtube.com/user/caseyneistat) Favorite film? Ooo, that’s a tricky one. But I’m going to go with The Grand Budapest Hotel. I was mainly a big fan of how the film was shot. Clip of 2015? This may sound a bit biased but I’m going to go with Cruise Mode. I feel like it’s a clip that we will all be able to look back on years from now and get why we are all still kiting. Alex Lewis–Hughes Box-set? I don’t really watch series/ box-sets. I usually just read/watch random scientific things (Tesla, Space etc.) or tune in to the cascade of skate videos released every week on the internet. Favorite film? Idiocracy / American Beauty Clip of 2015? Ewan Jaspan - Allow It?
Tom Court Box-set? The Man in the High Castle on Amazon – crazy series about an alternative ending to WW2. Favorite film? Has to be The Fifth Element, I think this film single handedly got me through both GCSE and A-level exam revision... Clip of 2015? I think it has to be the drone shot of me gapping the sea wall in Indonesia and landing on a sun lounger. It was a total mistake and I was literally so far from the nearest hospital it wasn’t worth thinking about. Jason Wolcott captured it on his drone! Rob Kidnie Box-set? House of Cards Favorite film? Pulp Fiction Clip of 2015? Keahi de Aboitiz – Teahupoo
IN 30 WORDS
Dimitri Maramenides Box-set? Game of Thrones Favorite film? Because of all my kiting crashes, I only remember the most recent one which is The Martian. A must see. Clip of 2015? Fearless Noè Font Box-set? Not watching any at the moment. But maybe I should start Game of Thrones soon… Favorite film? Forrest Gump. Weird and funny! Clip of 2015? I really enjoyed watching Nick Jacobsen’s ‘Fly me to the Moon’. I think it’s hard to make such a long movie by only doing simple things like jumps and kite loops but Nick kept it entertaining until the end. Big up to them! Youri Zoon Box-set? Game of Thrones Favorite film? Gladiator Jerome Cloetens Box-set? Game of Thrones / Narcos Favorite film? Good Will Hunting Clip of 2015? Inspire by Light Bros and Acqua Mario Rodwald Box-set? Lilyhammer / Fargo Favorite film? Ali Clip of 2015? There have been too many clips... some insane tricks, but still waiting for a high-end edit this year. Steven Akkersdijk Box-set? Narcos / Game of Thrones Favorite film? Hard one, there are so many. A few are: Fight Club, Ted, The Last Samurai Clip of 2015? Cruise Mode - such a chilled vibe! Chris Bobryk Box-set? Just YouTube funny stuff… Favorite film? Anchorman Clip of 2015? Distinction
Tom Hebert Box-set? Narcos / Game of Thrones Favorite film? Matrix (the first one) Clip of 2015? Tom’s Kitchen of course… #NewCalStyle! Craig Cunningham Box-set? Banshee Favorite film? Happy Gilmore Clip of 2015? Ewan Jaspan - Allow It? Victor Hays Box-set? Funny… when you asked me this question I was in Brazil with a bunch of other pro riders and we were all watching Narcos. Pretty sick series! Right now I’m watching ‘How to get away with a Murder’. Pretty intense. Favorite film? Hard to choose only one but let’s say The Intouchables. A superb story about disability and the color of your skin. Must watch this again. Clip of 2015? I saw couple of good ones. But right now I must say Patrick Wieland is the best video maker in the industry, he’s made some sick clips the past few years. My favorite is The Getaway: Kiteboarding in Paradise, closely followed by Acqua, A Kiteboarding Film. Stephan De Figueiredo Box-set? Walking Dead Favorite film? The Abyss Clip of 2015? Hi Life: Sivan Oz / Blade Kiteboarding Colleen Carroll Box-set? At the moment I don’t have a series on the go but I am reading Andre Agassi’s autobiography called ‘Open’. It was suggested to me by Bruna Kajiya and is one of the best books I have read in a long time! Favorite film? Hard to say for ‘all time’ but I’ve probably watched Zoolander about a hundred times and it still makes me laugh. Clip of 2015? The one that jumps out at me right at this moment is Nick Jacobsen’s ‘Fly me to the Moon’. I think I laughed through the entire thing and was glued to the computer for all 13 minutes of it!
Patri McLaughlin Box-set? I just started watching this show called Gotham. It’s about Batman’s life as a child. It’s way too addictive. I watched 12 episodes in three days. Favorite film? That’s a hard one, I watch a lot of movies. I like movies that make you think though. The Matrix is one of my favorites, and I liked Inception as well. Clip of 2015? I really liked the freestyle clip that North Kiteboarding put out this year called Beyond.
Nick Jacobsen Box-set? Dexter Favorite film? Batman Clip of 2015? Ruben´s series ‘10 days with LEN10’
Sensi Graves Box-set? Narcos. I love historicallybased films. This series is really interesting, informative and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Favorite film? Avatar. Or The Lion King. Clip of 2015? I loved the interaction between Nick Jacobsen and Keahi de Aboitiz in the Cabrinha film ‘Disguise the Limit’. Keahi is on his surfboard and Nick is trying to mimic Keahi’s moves on his twintip. It’s a surprisingly entertaining part of the video. Kai Lenny Box-set? Gotham Favorite film? The Godfather IV Clip of 2015? Naish Bash: Grom-sitting with Jesse Richman & friends Tobias Hölter Box-set? Suits. I had to rewatch the whole series with Rienstra even though I’ve watched it before… Favorite film? Wolf of Wall Street Clip of 2015? My team mate Nick’s video at the beginning of the year! Abel Lago Box-set? House of Cards Favorite film? The Gods Must Be Crazy Clip of 2015? C.J. Hobgood: Get Barreled in Tahiti with Samsung Gear VR
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W W W . T H E K I T E M A G . C O M / D I G I T A L
T H E K I T E M A G
D I G I T A L
Latest issue available now... in SEVEN languages.
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SCAN ME!
Introducing the NEW 2016 AXIS Kapua. Born from the desire for a feather weight surfboard that can stand up to the punishment of kiting. In an industry first we built this board using a high performance polypropylene fibre called Innegra which has outstanding impact and compressive strength properties. This results in a surfboard that is strong but light, so light that we named it ‘Kapua’, a Maori word meaning cloud. Each board is hand laminated with pigmented epoxy resin, so no two boards will ever look exactly the same. The Kapua also features a carbon fibre patch to further reduce compression under your front foot, which we’ve covered with a trippy white pattern to stop the black carbon melting your wax on a sunny day. Our global surf team have been testing, tuning, breaking and refining this family of shapes until we can’t think of anything left to improve. If strapless kite surfing is your thing, we designed the AXIS Kapua range to be the best thing you can put between your feet and the water. SIZES 6’0” x 18½” x 2¼” 25.3 ltrs Thruster 3 5’11” x 19¼” x 2 /8” 28.1 ltrs Quad 1 5’9” x 18½” x 2 /8” 23.6 ltrs Quad 5’7” x 18¼” x 21/8” 22.6 ltrs Quad 5’4” x 17½” x 2” 19.7 ltrs Quad
www.axiskiteboarding.com
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FOCUS
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RIDER
AND
WORDS
:
GRAHAM
HOWES
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PHOTO
:
BIANCA
ASHER
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LOCATION
:
BIG
BAY
After a killer winter in Cape Town with great swell, lots of surfing and no kiting for six months, summer just kicked in with not much warning... Not that I would be one to complain about this but my body is certainly complaining. I’ve got into this habit of waiting all day for the wind to pick up to its maximum before heading out – if we’re lucky, by 6pm it will peak at over 30 knots. On this particular day I left my WOO on charge at home by accident which actually gave me a chance to bust out some old school tricks again and take out a more favorable kite size. Most days now I’m out on my 9m in 30 knots holding on for dear life trying to hit the 20 meter mark and stay above my mates on the leaderboard! So when I saw Bianca in the sand dunes getting sand blasted with her long lens… I just couldn’t help but throw a few board offs and 1 footers! And it turns out I actually love board offs.
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FOCUS
RIDER AND WORDS : FINN BEHRENS | PHOTO : CHRISTOPH KUTZ | SPOT : BROAGER, DENMARK Christoph and I wanted to test his new flash for a few sunset photos, and this small harbor in Denmark seemed to be perfect. We had been kiting on the other side of the harbor many times but I´ve never tried to kite right in the harbor. The water is super muddy and there’s not a lot of space to kite because of all the small boats, docks and sticks in the water! We chose one of the small docks and I tried to do some tail taps. It was a bit sketchy because a half meter away there were a few metal sticks showing out of the water which you definitely wouldn’t want to land on. It took us a few times to get the flash firing at the right moment and me in the right position, but after a few scary crashes everything was working and we got the shot we wanted.
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FOCUS
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RIDER AND WORDS : KARI SCHIBEVAAG
| PHOTO : TOM MAGNE JONASSEN
| LOCATION : GEILO, NORWAY
This was the last day of summer and the sun was actually working (a little bit). The wind was blowing and everything was looking perfect for a nice session. There was just one tiny problem: the ice had arrived and when I jumped in I had to break it up with the board (it is a good job I have a strong board). After a few runs back and forth I had a nice little spot to kite in. There were a few mini-icebergs floating around but it was great... Although I think this was the last session for 2015 at this lake – now it’s time for my skis!
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RIDER
:
MIKAILI
SOL
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PHOTO
:
UWE
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LOCATION
:
PREA,
BRAZIL
Mog, Kitesista: This image was shot by wildlife and landscape photographer Uwe Hasubek and, although not his usual subject matter, it is strangely appropriate for anyone who has spent any time with the current Female Junior VKWC champion Mikaili Sol. ‘Wild Life’ only begins to describe the energy and talent of this future star. If the power and control of an 11-year-girl old throwing down a slim-chance is not humbling enough, having spent time with her we can bear testament to the fact that this is done in the very strong winds and choppy conditions of her home spot in Brazil, and mostly on a 5m kite. This girl has talent, beauty, brains and brawn so current champions beware: the bar is being raised!
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RIDER AND WORDS : ALVARO ONIEVA | PHOTO : TOBY BROMWICH | LOCATION : TARIFA, SPAIN This shot is taken at Los Lances beach which is alongside the Rio Jara river in my hometown of Tarifa. It is my favorite place to kite and it was great to shoot here with my friend Toby Bromwich. This day the wind was around 17 knots Poniente and I was riding the new 11.5m ManiaC and the brand new 138 Joke. In this shot I’m pulling a Railey Crail Grab. TheKiteMag | 33
FOCUS
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RIDER : ANTOINE FERMON | PHOTO : ROBIN CHRISTOL | LOCATION : BRITTANY, FRANCE When it comes to choosing spots for the all-important product shoot, team riders normally begin to get a little bit excited... Which tropical idyll will they be heading to? Which 5 star resort will they be at – kiting all day and drinking mojitos around the pool all night? This is the lifestyle they have dreamt of and worked hard for. Then the call comes in… And you are heading to Brittany?! Thankfully they scored some gold and the shots from their trip are epic. Who needs palm trees anyway?
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B O A R D : F LY R A D I C A L 5
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DIMENSIONS: 138X42 FOR BOOTS / 134X40 FOR STRAPS
The Radical 5 is an ‘all things to all men/women’ kind of a board. Dylan van der Meij has been at the core of the board’s development and has been riding and helping to develop it since V2 in 2010… The Radicals have an asymmetrical outline with the toeside outline rounder than the heelside outline. This increases control and comfort while cruising toeside, but you still have great performance for pop and the upwind performance on your heelside: the best of both worlds! We increased the rocker this year for more control during landings, and for comfortable riding in choppy conditions, but the central part of the rockerline is flat. This helps a lot for lightwind riding and upwind performance. This version is based on a prototype with more rocker which I remember riding the first time and I loved it! Landings were more controlled and softer. I remember launching off a wave with my kite low and I braced for impact, since I thought it was going to be a big landing, but with this proto it wasn’t bad at all. On the base of the board we have a channel on the heelside for more grip and for setting your edge more effectively before you jump. If you are overpowered this channel will help you keep your course to aim for the perfect take off. I’ve been riding several different boards the last two years with different rockers and stiffness. I believe we have found the perfect combination. I’ve been riding for Flysurfer since 2010 and back then we had the Radical 2. That was my first sponsored board and I’ve been on every Radical since. The board changed a lot between the Radical 3 and 4 when we added the heelside channel. For this we tested several depths of channels – too thick means the board loses its playful character, and too shallow wouldn’t be as effective. The highest loads on a kiteboard are on the heelside edge, meaning they have to be strong and robust. This is
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why the Radical’s heelside edge is woodcore. However, a foam core is used on the toeside in the longitudinal direction which is strong enough to hold the loads but results in a big reduction in the board’s weight. Boards can get heavy, especially in combination with bindings and I don’t like having a heavy board – it makes it much harder to get your board up while you flip. The lighter the board, the easier it is for me to perform my tricks. But – despite the light weight – the durability is amazing and I have never broken one! The Radical 5 is the real all-rounder in the range. Then we also have the Splitboard in two sizes which is ideal for traveling and – as Flysurfer are known for their low wind performance – we also have the Flydoors which are specifically designed for light wind. The final model is the Razor, this is a freeride directional board, great for lightwind cruising or a good intro to a formula board. I like to mix things up in a session so maybe a freestyle session with bindings, then after that some old school rotations and then board offs with straps. Flysurfer’s pads and straps have been super comfy for as long as I can remember. For the newest adjusting system of the straps we went ‘back to basics’. The Velcro straps will always work and they cover a big part of your feet, which makes you feel secured and not scared to lose the board in midair. The new Space pads give you more grip and comfy landings and locks in my feet enough not to lose control during a high speed take off but loose enough to get out of the straps when boosting out a board off. The Click ‘n’ Ride fin system allows you to put on your fins in seconds without a screwdriver. Click in the fin and lock it, that’s it. To be completely honest, in the beginning I had my doubts about the
AGE: 20
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W E I G H T: 7 0 K G
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H E I G H T: 5 ’ 9
durability of this system, but after sliding over the beach, jumping on wooden docks and hitting reefs with it for the past year, I’ve never broken it. The best thing about the Radical 5 is its versatility with straps or binding in any kind of conditions! The board has a great overall performance and no matter the riding style or age, everyone I let try it likes it! At my home spot you will see a lot of Radicals – the ‘older’ generations love the easy upwind ability and its comfort in all conditions, and a lot of my friends are flying with it on the stormy days then landing the unhooked tricks on the calmer days.
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TA N G L E D
L I N E S
AARON HADLOW
THE BRITISH FIVE TIME WORLD CHAMP GETS THE FULL C R O S S - E X A M I N AT I O N T R E AT M E N T F R O M A P R E T T Y PRESTIGIOUS GROUP OF PEERS…
Q
Tom Court After years of competition riding, what motivates you more – freeriding for filming or dropping your tricks in a seven minute heat during an event?
A
I like to show my highest level of riding to the world and I think video is the best way to show that. I like it because you can ride in the conditions you want and when you are feeling it. In competitions if you win you prove your level automatically against the rest or the world but don’t necessarily show your riding directly, but the rush is greater. For me the motivation for both are the same, the goal is progression and trying to be the best kiteboarder you can be, which works hand in hand for both. The feeling whilst you exercise them is different and the adrenaline and pressure of a heat pushes me one step further than any other situation.
Q
Craig Cunningham Where is kiteboarding at as a sport from your point of view? On the right track or still finding its way?
A
I think it is still finding its way in terms of structure but each discipline is on the right track. Kiteboarding to me is no longer one sport, it is divided into many now. There was a time when one kiteboarder could dominate it all but now each discipline is so specialized that you have to fully focus on one to be the best at it. Also, nowadays it is possible to make it as a freerider, it is nice to see wakestyle combined with media and video. The competition scene needs to be sorted out, but a new generation of talent is coming through and the level is really high now. Wave riding has become much more respectable at a high level and Big Air is making an impact. So I would say that the sport is making its way still, but in a good direction, although the potential for this sport is unlimited and I feel it is possible it has a long, long way to progress if the right ideas and funding comes along one day.
Q
Ruben Lenten From day one I have always seen you trying stuff nobody else tries. What’s your drive and where do you get your inspiration to keep innovating and finding these new rotations and grabs?
A
I feel like it is because of the past that I still want more. I was lucky to be so dominant and lead the way for freestyle/wakestyle moves for so long that the feeling is almost embedded in me. In the past the sport was so wide open I felt anything was possible and I got in a routine of progressing each trick. Quite a bit of inspiration comes from wakeboarding these days but it takes adapting to make it work with a kite. One thing that motivates me more than anything is that feeling of accomplishment. To innovate or progress and execute feels good to me. I crave that.
Q A
Q
Toby Bromwich You are superstitious about wearing green on the water. Why is that?! And do you have any other things you do before a competition or session to be in the perfect mindset?
A
I am not so superstitious about green any more, I think I had a poor run of form whist wearing a pair of board shorts once and sometimes found myself in a green rash vest after losing a heat but now I am with North green is a lucky color! Mindset plays a huge roll in competitions, I find nowadays that I am very distant and block out any distractions on a competition day. I think about how I prepare for the day a bit more but mainly make sure I have warmed up well and have everything ready on the beach so I can take the right equipment for the conditions.
Q A
Being the young gun back in the day that all the old guard struggled to keep up with, how have things changed now as you have transitioned into being the veteran of the game with your contenders being a generation younger than you? Mentally you get so much stronger but physically it is hard to keep up. I can understand my riding and use my experience but pushing my body to the limit takes its toll. The hardest thing I find is my recovery time and the amount of time I can spend on the water.
Q
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Winning five titles in a row is quite an accomplishment already. It seems like you’ve done it all, but is there
What does your dream project look like? A realistic project that is not too far out of reach would be to create a really good video. I know times have changed and moved on because of social media but I still feel kiteboarding is missing some DVD type movies. I would like to film the four areas of kiteboarding I love most, Competition tricks, Kicker tricks in waves, Obstacles and Big Air. Find the best spots around the world for each and spend some time really working on each trick and section. Thinking outside the box I have always had this crazy idea of ‘multi-level’ kiteboarding but on a huge scale. There is no restriction with a kite so it can be as high and as big as you like with all sorts of fun obstacles, not only rails and kickers but like a massive playground for kiteboarding!
Youri Zoon
A
anything else that would be on your list to win or to do? The main thing on my list is to win the freestyle title again. That’s what I have tried to do for the last few years. You more than anybody know the difficulties of injury and people probably underestimate what you have achieved with the bad luck you had along the way. If I was able to do that one more time I would feel complete but time is running out! Arghh! Haha! (I would also like to make a really nice video whilst I can still bust some decent tricks!)
Q A
Alex Pastor
You have been to all of the best kite spots in the world, why did you choose Tarifa as your new home?
Once I came back to competition I knew I would have to spend a lot of time on the water. Once I arrived back in the UK I often found long periods of time that I would not be able to kite regularly. Tarifa was relatively close, very windy and has a high level of
Q
riding. Also as time has gone on I found myself more comfortable around people that share sport in common. Many Brits are active (and love
the things you like most about working with
London does not share the same attitude. It was nice to surround myself with people that share the same passion.
A
A
Everything has gone so smooth since I first joined the team, even before my contract commenced I felt like I was part of the family.
more when you’re training solo or out with your competitors?
everyone is proactive and puts in 110%. Things
on tour aren’t out training – do you find that you push yourself
I love working with everybody at the company,
In the past I really kept myself to myself but that was when the sport
get done. For me it is great as I really get to focus on my riding once again, when I was with Flexi
was young and there was room to land new tricks on a regular basis.
I really learnt a lot about the whole business but had to focus a lot of time off the water in
on my own. Nowadays it’s different, the level is so high and the top
products and marketing etc. That I can now
five or six are divided by very little. I get much more motivation to
focus on the content and the marketing of me as
ride with you or Liam in Tarifa (or whoever is in the same place as
a rider is amazing. The audience is greater and
me around the world) as it makes me push myself that much more.
I feel I am still growing in the sport through the
Maybe I am still learning when is the best time to kite in Tarifa, that’s
help of North.
why I miss the sessions with everybody!
A
the North Kiteboarding team?
It seems like you often prefer to practice when your direct rivals
I found it better to do that alone and try to keep ahead of the game
Q
You´ve been working together with North
Kiteboarding for two seasons now. What are
kiteboarding too) but the average person living in a town around
Q
Philipp Becker (North marketing)
Ralf Groesel
Q
Having been with Flexifoil for so many years, what have been the main differences with the R&D process at North Kiteboarding?
It feels quite different at the moment because I would evolve my kite in the past and have total control on its direction and whole process,
Jaime Herraiz
You’ve become one of the best ambassadors in the
history of our sport, both on and off the water. What
A
including materials and details, graphics etc. At North there are more
would be your advice to new athletes?
Things have really changed since I was young, but I think the same concept applies. When I was young I was getting my dad to video me, then I could see my tricks
factors to consider, the Vegas has a wider audience to keep happy,
but also try to make a video (on moviemaker!) also I
you (Ralf ) have a good feeling for the kite and can understand the
learnt to make my website and evolved with technology
kite well with your level, as well as (obviously) a good opinion on
to market myself. I think it is harder now and there are
the direction of the technical side of things. It is a new challenge to
many groms with a good level but if you get a good grip
work on the Vegas and I receive refreshing information by working
on ways to get yourself out there you have a good chance
with a different designer. I think the communication is quicker and
to make it. The only other thing would be to surround
the structure (and timing) to get prototypes is amazing. Other than
yourself with high level riders, watch videos, and push
that the actual practice we use to try to improve a kite is similar.
yourself to the point you can enter the competitions. This gets you noticed.
Q
Sam Light
Competition formats and judging have changed over
the last few years, how do you like the current format
A
on tour and what would be your ideal format?
Q
transparent. I feel that only doing five tricks is constricting in terms of overall riding (you can tell who is a competition rider
your “ring harness”. Can you tell us a bit about this and are there any plans to use it again as
I would say the actual format is really good now. Conditions are challenging in the spots we visit and rules have to be
I’m afraid some of us will never forget about
A
these days) but it is the only way to see quality riding in a heat instead of many average tricks. It also pushes progression (although mainly only on a certain amount of tricks). I think the scoring system needs some work, it’s really complicated and difficult to get right when you take a look into it and will take time but it’s going in the right direction. I have always been lured towards wakestyle events, freeriding, kicker tricks, video sections, etc. For me the best format would be some kind of slope style
you grow older?!
Haha, I was only young! I’m glad most people have no idea what you are on about! Maybe it was the secret to my success. Well this handle passing aid might come in handy in a few years. I’m just hoping technology gets to the point when I can replace parts of the body instead! But if you see me making a comeback and landing 1440’s in the Masters division then you know what’s going on.
format, but the conditions have to be perfect, the rails have to be good, and a format like this would probably not work for something like the world tour.
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STUFF
S T U F F W E L I K E T H E L O O K O F
Wainman Joke It’s exciting times over at Wainman with the release of their spanking new 2016 twintip collection, and they’ve clearly been working hard on updating their highly respected portfolio of boards. Pictured here is the new Joke which is lighter and slightly stiffer than its previous incarnation, and also has deeper channels and doubledeck contouring for maximum responsiveness. And this is Wainman: badass graphics come as standard.
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RRD Religion MK6 With a very well timed launch for one of the windiest and wave lashed north European autumns in recent memory, the latest Religion has arrived. With some tweaks for MK6 to improve its speed through the air and to improve the overall range of the kite, it’s certain to continue to meet the needs of its many devotees.
Liquid Force Echo The Echo is a board that has been atop many a podium and is the pet project of Brandon Scheid and Jimmy Redmon. It has the top-end competitive credentials and is designed to perform on the slick as well as in the park, but it is also a pretty accessible board to ride for regular guys too… And, man, it is looking pretty fine for 2016…
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STUFF
CORE Bolt The Bolt forms part of the new Specialized range that CORE have introduced and – as the name suggests – is focused at those who know exactly what they want from their kit… This is a pure wakestyle/ park twintip with bombproof construction throughout and with a repairable PTEX base – snowboard style – so you can fully commit in the park without worrying that you’ll be hit in the pocket if you go too hard out…
Peter Lynn Impulse Be warned: these trainer kites can be a bit too much fun. The Impulse is a 3-line trainer kite perfect for spreading the kiteboarding love to friends and family. Easy to fly but still giving you those essential ‘wind awareness’ skills you need to embark on your kite flying career. Plus the three line set up enables you to easily launch and land so you can fly it confidently even when the breeze picks right up and not scare the bejesus out of someone on their first session…
Crazy Fly Travel Bags Often on a trip it’s all about getting the small things right. So if you know where your tablet, your headphones and your sunnies are then you can rest easy. Crazy Fly know this. Which is why they have released a very well-conceived range of baggage. Pictured here the Carry On, Backpack and Single boardbag…
AXIS Billy A board that needs no real introduction, Billy Parker’s signature model has been delivering what wake and park purists truly want for a few years now… A tight collaboration between Billy and one of the most experienced shapers on the planet, Adrian Roper, ensures that this is a well thought out board which delivers exactly what it promises: bombproof top-end wakestyle performance. Billy wouldn’t accept anything less.
Ozone Zephyr In a world of ‘easy access’ big kites, the Zephyr makes no bones about being a highly refined big kite with the construction and credentials to hold its own and still perform once you move out of ‘really light’ territory. We tested it and loved it last summer and it’s definitely the kite of choice for light wind performance fun…
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Slingshot Screamer As an evolution of the T-Rex which was brought to us a few years back and played a significant part in the current explosion in popularity of the stub-nosed breed of boards, the Screamer is one to take note of. If you want a bit less going on up front for your aerial maneuvers, but still want a solid surf outline that can cut it in serious waves then look no further…
F-ONE Acid HRD Girly First impressions count, and another gallery-worthy graphics effort from F-ONE gets your attention. Delving a little deeper and you’ll find all of the requisite qualities for top-end wakestyle performance, then the HRD stands for “Helical Rail Design” and is a truly fresh innovation from F-ONE which provides a different profile on different parts of the rail to provide exactly the degree of grip you need at different stages of your maneuvers…
RINT EXTRADO
PANTONE 312 C + PANTONE 382 C PRINT > SAME PRINT FOR 10/12
WHITE PRINT > SAME PRINT FOR 10/12
BLACK PRINT
WHITE PRINT
CANOPY COLORS
PANTONE 312C PANTONE 1785C PANTONE 382C PANTONE 2726C
WHITE + RED PANTONE 185 PRINT > SAME PRINT 10/12
WHITE PRINT
DACRON COLORS PANTONE 185 C BLACK
RINT EXTRADO
PANTONE 312 C + PANTONE 382 C PRINT > SAME PRINT FOR 10/12
RINT LEADING EDGE
WHITE PRINT > SAME PRINT FOR 10/12
BLACK PRINT
WHITE PRINT
CANOPY COLORS
PANTONE 312C PANTONE 1785C PANTONE 382C PANTONE 2726C
WHITE + RED PANTONE 185 PRINT > SAME PRINT 10/12
WHITE PRINT
DACRON COLORS PANTONE 185 C
RINT EXTRADO
BLACK
PANTONE 2726
RINT LEADING EDGE
RINT EXTRADO
PANTONE 312 C + PANTONE 382 C PRINT > SAME PRINT FOR 10/12
WHITE PRINT > SAME PRINT FOR 10/12
BLACK PRINT
WHITE PRINT
CANOPY COLORS
PANTONE 1785 PANTONE 312C PANTONE 1785C
RINT EXTRADO
PANTONE 382C PANTONE 2726C
WHITE + RED PANTONE 185 PRINT > SAME PRINT 10/12
WHITE PRINT
DACRON COLORS PANTONE 185 C BLACK
PANTONE 2726
RINT LEADING EDGE
PANTONE 1785
RINT EXTRADO
PANTONE 2726
PANTONE 1785
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ON THE LIST F E N H M A RN I S H O ME TO CO RE KI TEBOA RD I NG SO THE Y K N OW T HE I R WAY A RO UND TH ES E WATERS PRE TTY WE LL.
O N
TH E
LI ST
FEHMARN ISLAND, GERMANY The news arrived a few weeks ago that arguably the biggest ‘event’ in the kiteboarding world was moving home. The Kitesurf World Cup has long set a fine example of the potential of a well-organized and executed kiteboarding event, and has succeeded in drawing kiters in their thousands for a week of demos, top-end competition and a (little bit) of partying. Having clocked up a highly respectable 10 years as World Cup host (and in recent years its fair share of controversy as well), St. Peter-Ording has hung up its pump, and the baton has been passed across Germany from the North to the Baltic Sea, and to the island of Fehmarn. So – has it got what it takes?
Cool – a new spot to book in for the summer holiday/party. So, is it really an island? Actually, yes it is. It’s Germany’s third largest island, and is just over 185 square kilometers of 100% sea-surrounded Baltic real estate. The population is only around 12,500 but this balloons in the summer when the masses arrive (both ‘kiteboard loving’ and ‘general beach loving’) and take the island over for three months. Remember that Germany doesn’t have a whole lot of coastline compared to, say, France, so this is prime German beach territory. What can I expect to see, aside from beach-loving tourists? Fehmarn is a popular stopping off spot for migratory birds, so is a hotspot for ‘ornithologists’ keen to catch sight of continent hopping birdlife. Indeed there are over 200 different bird species in the Wallnau conservations area on the west coast. So if the wind’s not in you can grab your binos and off you go. 46 | TheKiteMag
Any other factoids? Here’s one you won’t have seen coming: Jimi Hendrix played his final concert here at the open air Love & Peace Festival in 1970. You can have that. Great, thanks. So, on to the main event: how’s the kiting? Well, the great things about islands – especially ones that are only 20 kilometers across – is that there’s no shortage of options: Fehmarn has beaches aplenty! There are long sandy beaches, tucked away coves and even a couple of secret spots. If you ply one of the locals with enough beer you’ll probably get the inside line. The biggest plus is the multitude of wide, shallow beaches. It is here that the sport of kiteboarding truly took hold in Germany and spawned a generation of superkeen German kiters.
FEHMARN ISLAND, GERMANY
Dependable wind?
THE BRIDG E . . .
Indeed, Fehmarn has kiteable wind most days in spring and autumn – when the temperature is pretty pleasant – and you get plenty of windy days in summer, as well as some serious winter weather systems through the darker months. Consequently it’s no surprise that a lot of Germany’s finest kiters as well as a lot of brands are either based here or spend a lot of time testing up here. Although a lot of them decamp to warmer climates for the winter months… Fair enough. So, on to the Kitesurf World Cup. Surely quite a result for the island? Indeed, this is perhaps the most prestigious event in the kiteboarding calendar. So a real score for the island and for the kiteboarding community. Has it got what it takes? We’ll see but Südstrand, where the event will be held, is a wide sandy beach with plenty of space for the kitesurf-worshipping masses, there should be wind and – unlike SPO – tides and North Sea swell will be less of an issue… There are, however, quite a few groynes running the length of Südstrand – so they could be an issue and… For the event itself organizers are promising plenty of camping right on the beach and easy access to the event site so that the ‘all in one place’ vibe which was a real plus of the SPO event should still be there. And what about the parties….? Well, in truth, that will probably be a bit more low-key… But parties there will be, and the main town of Burg has plenty of great places to eat, drink and to head to after-hours… So it’ll be less of a rave up, but that German beer pretty much guarantees a bit of headache so that familiar ‘World Cup’ vibe will be there. Are you going? Of course, TheKiteMag will be there to cover the event, check out what the brands have to offer and to enjoy a stein or two… Excellent. See you there…
V ITAL S GETTING THERE: This is Germany. Expect efficiency. You can fly to Hamburg, hit the A1 and gun your way to the Baltic Sea within an hour and a half. From elsewhere in Europe just get to Germany, pick the appropriate autobahn, and put your foot down. IN THE BAG: The truth: you probably need it all… You might need that 5m for some early autumnal frontal mayhem, or you might need the 17m for some sun drenched thermal action… NOT IN THE BAG: You might get some chunkyish windswell but you can do without your pintail down-the-line lip slayer. RUBBER: A 3/2 should do you. Or if you’re a Brazilian pro, a 6/5/4, boots and a hood. BEER: €3 / $3.20 / £2.10
M O S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : Well, this is a pleasant change… L E A S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : Where’s the Jimi Hendrix concert?
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-the-
egypt sessions There are few things in life that are certain, but when you pack a load of the finest kiteboarders on the planet off to one of the best freestyle destinations and then chuck Toby Bromwich into the mix. Well, that’s as close as you get to a dead cert for premium photographic consequences‌
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
Egypt is renowned for its incredible flat water, consistent winds and warm temperatures. Easy to access from Europe, this makes it the perfect location for kiteboarders of all levels looking to improve their game in prime conditions. I had been in contact with Karolina as she had been planning a trip, and she invited me to join her along with several friends training in Soma Bay. Arriving at night into a full moon, I took a short one hour transfer from the airport to arrive at the Breakers Resort. I had been to Soma Bay a few years previous for a competition but had been on the other side of the bay, so it was nice to see it from a different perspective.
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The next morning after breakfast we took the transfer to the kite center to check out the spot. The wind comes across the desert so the water is always butter flat. The wind seemed to be at the strongest during the morning so we made no hesitation and got straight out on the water. After a good morning session the wind started to drop around midday so we came in for a well-earned break to take some lunch and catch up with the online world in Beaufort 7 restaurant / chill out area. Alex Lewis Hughes had been working on a slider and a kicker during his last few trips and these were now completed, so after lunch we headed out to set them up. The day’s wind picked back up towards sunset and as it turned out this was the best sunset session we had. Karolina’s agent was on hand to be my flash assistant and we shot until dark. With a great day in the bag we took a short transfer back to Breakers and met at the restaurant for a traditional Egyptian buffet with live belly dancing entertainment!
The remaining days of the week continued in the same fashion, with Egypt delivering similar wind pretty much every day. This one day off allowed us the opportunity to go directly in front of the hotel to one of the many live reefs Egypt has on offer with crystal clear water combined with incredible colors of both the live coral and the fish that inhabit it.
Spending time with friends and progressing our riding was the aim of the trip and – with Karolina having Egypt as one of her main sponsors – it allows her the perfect setup for her season’s training and enables her to bring along an entourage of friends and co riders to share it with and feel right at home.
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
bEst thing about the trip? The people and the vibe. Just great friends and family, not worrying about anything but having a good time. No comps, no politics, no toxic people, just getting back to the roots of what we all enjoy about the sport and having plenty of time to relax! Couldn’t ask for more.
Good conditions? Yes. Egypt is windy all the time! Haha! It sometimes drops later in the day, but if you’re down there before lunch you will usually get a session in every day you’re there.
AnY new moves? To be honest not really! I think we were all just busy having a good time and enjoying ourselves, I tried quite a few new things but nothing worth writing home about just yet.
Person who had the worst experience? Helena [Brochocka]. She hurt her knee so she couldn’t get out there and shred with us!
PhoTographer Bromwichwhat’s he like to work with? He’s cool. I’ve known Toby for quite a while now so he’s pretty used to seeing me get pissed off when I can’t get the shot, or do the trick I’m thinking of. Toby understands and that helps keep you grounded. Best of all is he listens, if you have an idea he will help make it happen, something many media crew don’t really get. He also has lots of his own cool ideas to get new angles and perspectives on things, some of which are now pretty commonplace in kite related media and you wouldn’t even realize he basically pioneered them. Love and respect, Toby is the man.
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Alex Lewis Hughes
Toby I’m personally not much of one to hang out on forums but I often find myself defending “Rowdy’s” often outspoken online character to people who have never met him. I think it’s the Aussies ‘tough love’ approach to constructive criticism that has rubbed some the wrong way. Alex has been kiting since the beginning and riding at a high level, and growing up on the east coast of Australia was heavily influenced by wakestyle,
where the kids learnt to kite on wakeboards with boots from day one, and where style, grabs, and correct execution came before adding another rotation. He has a good knowledge of not only kiteboarding but many boardsports which has landed him as a respected judge on the tour for many years and also heading up the team on many Australian national events. TheKiteMag | 55
THE EGYPT SESSIONS
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
Katarzyna Lange
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bEst thing about the trip? Riding every day with two World Champions - Karolina Winkowska and Christophe Tack!
Good conditions? Yes, we couldn’t complain. We had plenty of wind, flat water, and obstacles, and every day something different.
AnY new moves? We’ve focused mostly on pictures and filming on this trip, but I’ve learnt loads of new moves on a kicker. It was great fun, and a nice extra angle.
Person who had the worst experience? Helena! It was upsetting when she crashed and hurt her knee... All the rest was positive to the maximum!
PhoTographer Bromwichwhat’s he like to work with? Genius! He knows the moves of a kiteboarder and predicts everything! The closer the photographer can get the better, and he’s always in the right place…
Toby Poland’s second biggest export behind Karolina, Katarzyna has a hunger to progress. Making progress as a professional rider is no easy feat and that can often be harder as a female rider. Katarzyna balances her riding between running and operating a kite center back at her home on the Polish seaside but manages to get away for events and trips for a good portion of the year. Again she is very humble and just quietly gets on with the job. I’ve worked with her the least out of these riders but she was extremely motivated and we got some good results.
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
bEst thing about the trip? I was mainly stoked to hang out with the crew and share good times on and off the water. The season has been the weirdest ever and we all just wanted to freeride, focus on riding and getting some images. Then when the kicker came into play it made things even better.
Good conditions? We had a few light days, but in general we had amazing conditions: transparent blue flat water and constant wind. Combined with the whole crew, it was pretty sweet!
AnY new moves? I popped/ollied a Mexican Roll to blind from the flat, and a seatbelt heelside frontside 360. But I mainly focused on going as big as possible and adding grabs while landing clean.
Person who had the worst experience? Helena broke her ACL. That was annoying, great job from her haha! I tried carrying her around on my back the first day, then my back got sore. Guess that’s love?
PhoTographer Bromwich - what’s he like to work with? Toby is the best! As I come from a competition kind of riding style it doesn’t always show well on photos so Toby just tells me if something doesn’t look good or what tricks would look great on photos. He’s also super motivated nonstop to shoot and has original ideas. Besides shooting he is a thoughtful guy, and it’s always interesting to hear his views and ideas on various topics.
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Christophe Tack
Toby I have known Christophe for a long time. He has been attending competitions for many years, but only within the last 4 years would I say that something changed in his riding, heat planning and focus, and you could see him put together all the pieces needed to be at the top of the game. He’s very involved with the progression of the sport and with all the uncertainty on the tour his focus is moving onto projects where he can showcase his riding and push the limits of the sport.
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
Karolina Winkowska
Toby Karolina is a very laid back person who is always excited to get on the water, she was the first to the beach and first out every day. I’ve had the opportunity to work with her throughout the years of being on tour. She is always quietly focused and lets her riding do the talking. She’s easy to work with and when you explain what you’re after we usually get it within a couple of tries. She’s constantly trying to push the level of women in the sport and also puts back in, motivating and pushing her fellow female riders.
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bEst thing about the trip? All my best friends riding with me! Including Alex, Hela, Kasia, Kiczka, Christophe, Kuba, Marcin and Toby! Nothing better than having fun with your buddies
Good conditions? Egypt always delivers perfect conditions, and once again we had a trip full of wind. September/October is probably my favorite time to go there as it’s not as hot any more (but still bikini weather) and there are a few less people on the spot.
AnY new moves? Yes! I actually started to learn wakeskating, and I learned a shoveit and an ollie. And for me, as I never skated, this was super cool!
Person who did the most annoying things on the trip? All my friend are pretty chilled, and they probably thought that I was annoying because I always had to be the first at the spot! Which in Egypt is 8am, and I always rushed with the breakfast to catch the first bus to the beach.
PhoTographer Bromwichwhat’s he like to work with? It’s always a pleasure to work with him as he is so relaxed and professional at the same time. He knows the kiteboarding tricks, he knows what’s good and what’s not. He loves shooting different angles and at different times of the day, which gives him a wide range of shoots from one location.
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THE EGYPT SESSIONS
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Heads
Jaw What do you do when you’re 50/50 about whether to tackle one of the fiercest waves on the planet on a supersolid swell at the start of the season? Toss a coin of course. Us? We’re pretty stoked it came up heads. We hear from the protagonists, Patri, Kai and Jesse, in a moment, first up here’s photographer Benjamin Ginsberg on his first session shooting kiters. 70 | TheKiteMag
I recently traveled from California to Maui chasing the big wave season opening swell at Jaws. Initial reports predicted waves around 25-30ft. By the next morning the forecast models exploded off the charts, suddenly showing 45ft+ waves barreling down on the island. A few phone calls to confirm this wasn’t a fluke and my mind was set. It took less than 24 hours to make the call and book the trip.
equals
ws By the time I hit the ground in Maui a day-and-a-half later, the swell was downgraded and pushed back by about 12 hours. Instead of peaking during the day it would now peak overnight, and be closer to the original predicted size. These things happen, but what I didn’t expect was the wind. Tuesday morning at dawn I awoke to rain and feral roosters crowing in the streets. Ho’okipa was big but closing out across the entire bay. The wind was so strong I had to make calls from inside the cover of my Jeep.
I had planned on meeting some surfers to shoot a paddle session, so I initially thought the trip would be a bust. The waves were still building but the wind was howling. A handful of big name surfers came, left, came back again, and finally left for good, aiming for the west side of the island. But I stubbornly stuck it out on the cliffs overlooking the bay waiting to see if things would change. And then I met the kiters… So I spent the second half of the day shooting them ripping the biggest waves of the swell… TheKiteMag | 71
HEADS EQUALS JAWS…
Patri
McLaughlin
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I often let a coin make decisions for me. When Jesse and I were on the fence about heading out to Jaws we did just that. We first looked at it from the cliff in Haiku. The swell wasn’t quite filled in yet, but we knew it was rapidly rising through the day. There’s another secret spot that works on the same swell, and it’s a perfect barrel for kiting. After looking at the wave from the cliff for an hour we were torn. Get barreled, or mission out to Jaws..? We decided to flip a coin. The rule when flipping a coin is you have to commit to the coin’s decision. So Jesse flipped and I called “Heads equals Jaws.” Boom, Heads it was and we were out there. It takes a couple hours to get to the wave after getting the gear and the Jet Ski all sorted. By the time we got up there it was pumping. The swell had filled in and the wind was cranking. I launched a 7m Neo and tried
to get a smaller wave to warm up. There’s an incredible amount of nerves when you’re chasing that first massive lump of water to the reef. Then after you get a wave or two you begin to relax and push it a bit more. It’s tough for me out there. I’m goofy footed, but the wind angle is so offshore that I’m forced to ride switch to keep an edge in. I love being goofy, but when I’m out at Jaws I wish I was regular. To make it even more challenging there were at least 15 windsurfers out there. Jesse, Kai and myself were the only ones kiting and we got a ton of waves. Jesse got a solid barrel and came skipping out on his back – I think he’s the first kiter to get barreled on a wave that big. Riding Jaws is such an addictive thing. I can’t wait to get back out there, and look up at a mountain of water again.
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Kai
Lenny
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The first Jaws swell of the season finally graced our shores on Maui after a long summer of south swells. I was more eager than ever to get back out there and get thrown in the mix, so I came out with 5 sports ready to go for whatever the conditions had to offer. It just so happened that out of all the sports that day, kitesurfing was the best choice. For a change the wind wasn’t so offshore, allowing us to really drop in rather than edging down the face. And I think my favorite thing is that – if you are too deep – you have the option to eject skyward over the white water and avoid an unnecessary pounding! It was a pleasure to be out there with Jesse and Patri especially, those guys fire me up to kite at my best. Hopefully we can score more sessions out there like that very soon.
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HEADS EQUALS JAWS…
Anything can happen in a single moment. First it takes a while to recognize these moments as they come our way, then it takes a good bit of time to understand that they are there for us, lastly it takes a lot of guts and commitment to act in these moments to actually try and capitalize on the situation… If you commit then I believe you have won. If you go for it then you are progressing, you are learning, and you’re not holding back. That’s what life is about, make it or not you need to go for it. One way or another you will make it and be happy that you gave it your all… The only way to go backwards is not to try, if you don’t go for it then without a doubt you will never make it. I have had about ten waves at Peahi in the last few years where I thought I could get barreled, most of them were at the beginning of my sessions and I hesitated to pull in for many reasons: it’s huge; I don’t want to get pounded, and I don’t want to break all my gear and end the session… Mainly it’s just hard to look at where you need to be and put yourself on that line because it’s terrifying. Same thing as going and talking to the smoking hot chick: you know what needs to be done, you know you can do it, but for some reason you’re stuck and can’t move... It’s a weird and hard place to be, but for me this day was different. I saw where I needed to be and I was done waiting. I felt ready to get smoked by this wave if that’s what I had coming, and I wasn’t going to let another Jaws barrel opportunity pass me by, so I picked my line and – without any hesitation – I went for it... That’s actually the challenge that I love overcoming and the moment that I will remember. Surprisingly enough, I made it into a Jaws barrel, and for a moment I had the best view of my life. I was in shock that it had worked… I was in pure bliss. 76 | TheKiteMag
Jesse
Richman TheKiteMag | 77
HEADS EQUALS JAWS…
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It was amazing but short-lived. As the wave got steeper, my line got higher and I saw my exit disappear‌. Now I was in the air, falling backwards, I kicked my board off, hit the lip and got pulled up and out by my kite. It was awesome, flying into the channel I was so stoked, totally fine and felt like I had won. Thanks to Toast on the Jet Ski I got my board back and was sitting there simply shocked: I went for it and it worked, I got eaten but was totally fine‌.. And nothing can compare to the satisfaction of going for it with 100% commitment.
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Josh Mulcoy has traveled to some of the most extreme and isolated places in the world in search of perfect waves. He realized a while ago that having a kite in the bag was a no-brainer for doubling his water time‌ Here he takes us through a quick hit and run mission up the coast to score some wind and waves.
WOR DS: JOSH M U L COY
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P H OTOS : M A R K M C IN N IS
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FRESH TRACKS
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iving in California there are many options of driving for wind and surf. If you think about it you can walk down the street, hop on a bus and end up in Chile or Alaska or anywhere in between. My favorite road trips since I learnt to drive were those heading up north to the Pacific Northwest. I sometimes joke how my truck only likes to go north and won’t
drive down south. I have been traveling this way before I started kiting but kitesurfing has opened up so many new spots as well as spots I have surfed for many years. My favorite time of the year to go is in the fall, usually the first northwest swells are arriving and the weather is the nicest it gets all year. When heading north you
have to be very prepared for the cold (as well as the warm, if you get very lucky). For this trip I made plans with photographer Mark McInnis to meet him up at his house in Oregon.
We ended up having a good surf and then the wind came up but very light so we didn't get a chance to kite. That evening we checked the forecast and realized there was a slim chance of some wind up the coast the next day, and I always say “you never know until you go…” So we packed up and went north a few hours to another amazing camp spot.
I drove straight up to Oregon from Santa Cruz – which is a 12 hour drive – and hooked up with Mark for an early morning surf. We met up at the campsite (and campsites in the Northwest are some of the best in the world) and woke the next morning to a frosty day and the view of a nice swell with offshore winds and sun. Just to see the sun up there makes me feel like I have already scored and had a good trip… it rains a lot up there!
The wave we had in mind is about an hour and a half hike. I have surfed it in the past and always thought about how much I would love to kite it. There is a huge cliff that made me worry that it would never happen – that and the fact that I have never seen it with wind! But the forecast looked okay so we figured why not give it a try. If nothing else we should get some fun surf in the morning. So we packed up the gear – just going for a hike with your surf gear and food for the day can be a lot in these regions, but thank god I wasn't a windsurfer! We made our way through the forest trying to get a look at the ocean but that wasn't happening with the thick tree and fern-lined lush vegetation.
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FRESH TRACKS
inally we made it to the surf and at first I was disappointed; you always hope to walk out of the trees to see perfect surf and sometimes all that anticipation makes you feel like you are going to walk up to some of the best waves of your life. I hate to say it, but in all my travels it is so very rare for that to happen. Once we got down to the beach and I came back to reality it actually looked really fun. I suited up and paddled out and ended up only getting a few waves in the shifty beach break conditions. Then, once I came in, I noticed the wind line out the back and I realized it might actually be on... But then I thought about how many times I’ve sat on a beach with a wind line out the back but it never fills in... This time conditions were on my side though and, after a few hours, it actually filled in – a very warm wind which I have never felt in the Northwest. I ended up getting a 3 hour kite session with some fun surf, but what was the best was all the scenery: huge cliffs in the background and the tree lined beach. There was no one else on the beach except my wife and Mark, which made the experience that much better. There’s something about kiting a new spot and a spot which I doubt anyone has ever kited before and I wonder if I will ever get it again. I feel like there are so many surf spots in this world that I have surfed and wondered if it gets good for kiting and if so how insane must it get. I have been very fortunate to travel to many places in the world where people haven’t surfed and that we found and surfed for the first time.
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The New Kid:
CARLOS MARIO 17-year-old Carlos ‘Bebe’ Mario has been nothing short of a phenomenon. He could have written the book on ‘bursting on to the scene’ and - amazingly finished second in this season’s World Tour. Adam Lapierre takes up the story.
PHOTOS // SLINGSHOT
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INTERVIEW: CARLOS MARIO
At the onset of the 2015 World Championship season, Carlos “Bebe” Mario did not have a specific strategy for winning. “No pressure,” he said. “Just train hard, have fun and go big.” A few months later and that lackadaisical strategy seems to be paying off in a big way.
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The 17-year-old freestyle prodigy and Slingshot team rider finished second in the world rankings and, if his performance in the events that were held are any indication and the tour had been completed, Mario would have had a legitimate shot at becoming one of the youngest world champions in the history of the world tour. So let’s go back to the beginning of the season. After exploding out of the gates in the qualifiers in Dakhla, Mario had to withdraw from the event due to a tweaked shoulder. He finished ninth in that event for a scratch score, but went on to finish fifth in Venezuela, first in Tarifa, first in Fuerteventura and third in Germany which propelled himself to a close second in the overall rankings behind Spanish rider Liam Whaley, and ahead of Aaron Hadlow, Christophe Tack and Youri Zoon. For Mario, this breakout year has been a wild ride. The son of humble fishing parents in coastal Brazil, Mario says he never imagined being in the international limelight. Like most in his small town, Mario’s family didn’t have much money, so he grew up living a simple life: playing soccer with his friends, fishing with his family, attending the modest school he had access to, and enjoying life in the small ocean side village of Lagoa do Cauipe. Mario’s fate changed with the explosive growth of kiteboarding in the 2000s. By the time he was ten, Cauipe lagoon had been discovered as a flatwater paradise for kiteboarding. Mario’s uncle learned to kite and started teaching tourists as a way to make some extra cash. And in his spare time, he taught Mario and his brother using borrowed gear. Mario learned tricks by watching others and doing what they did. Using gear borrowed from friends and tourists, Mario progressed quickly, and before long he was kiting at a level far beyond anyone else in the lagoon.
We caught up with Mario to hear more of his story first hand.
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INTERVIEW: CARLOS MARIO
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WHAT DID YOU DO IN BRAZIL BEFORE YOU BEGAN KITING? Before I started kiting as a professional I was a normal child – simple and humble. I loved to play football before I learned to kite, and windsurfing was the first wind sport I did. I was always with my family, sometimes we spent all day fishing and only left the sea after the night fell. My family was poor, my mother worked as a cook in a beach shack and battled hard to support our family. I thought a lot about building a house for my mother and making a better life for my family.
AND WHEN DID YOU FIRST SEE KITEBOARDING? I was about six-years-old when I was at the door of my house in Lagoa do Cauipe, where kiteboarding was very popular. I did not think about becoming a professional, or even learning to ride a kite at that time. Then I learned when I was eight. My uncle, who everyone knows by the nickname ‘Goaiaba’ taught me and my brother, Carlos Madson, using the equipment he used for teaching tourists.
HOW DID YOU IMPROVE SO QUICKLY? I don’t really know how it happened because I had no kit and only kited when my friends and the people who kited in the lagoon lent their gear to me. I was always sitting in the lagoon though watching the people kite, so I think that made my progress really quick.
CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST CONTEST? The first event I attended was an amateur contest in 2007, and that was with much difficulty because I had no equipment and no sponsorship or support. The only thing that helped me were my friends and family.
SO HOW DID THINGS DEVELOP FROM THERE? The main thing was meeting my manager. I was home eating lunch and a man named Reginaldo Silva appeared with Kaka Moraes, a great friend of mine and an athlete sponsored by him. Kaka introduced me to Reginaldo and explained what he did and the plans he had. He told me he wanted to assemble a team of kiteboarders to participate in the championships and he asked me to kite in Lagoa for him to see. After he saw me kite he promised me equipment to train. At first I was doubtful – because it wasn’t the first time I had been promised support – but we talked and after a few months the equipment that he promised came to my house! That day I started to train hard, and in 2013 he took me to the Brazilian championships where I ended up being well placed in fifth. After that he continued investing in me and I finished the year as the Brazilian champion and with it won the chance to participate in the final stage of the World Championship in Argentina. In the first round of the World Championship I was 15 years old. I finished first and earned global prominence by being the first Brazilian to win a title at the event. I went back home very happy, grateful to God and to Reginaldo for all the support. TheKiteMag | 91
INTERVIEW: CARLOS MARIO
HOW DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SLINGSHOT BEGIN? A few months after I returned from Argentina some brands sent proposals to Reginaldo. Slingshot was one of them, and offered the best opportunity. Initially I needed some time to adapt and in 2014 I didn’t get on very well at the world championships because I was using different equipment. But this year I have the perfect fit with the RPM and technically everything is perfect for me. I always use the same: RPM, Asylum and boots. This year the new IRS bridle is a great improvement because it helps the movement of the kite and makes my moves better as the kite is less disturbed. I’m very happy to make it to the top of the rankings with Slingshot.
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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE WITH THE LIFESTYLE OF A COMPETITIVE KITEBOARDER? It’s very difficult to be an athlete. Even with sponsorship and support, it is very challenging and participating in all stages of the world championship is very expensive. It is also very difficult for me to be away from family, home, friends and the Cauípe Lagoon in my back yard!
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND DURING HIGH-PRESSURE COMPETITION SITUATIONS? I get no stress! I just go into the water and have fun as if I’m a child. I’m doing what I love to do on the best beaches in the world: there’s no need to be stressed!
WHAT WOULD WINNING A WORLD TITLE MEAN TO YOU? It would be a dream come true and I could further improve the life of my family. It is very gratifying for me to be known as one of the best in the world. I know that I am inspiration for many people and I never imagined I would come even close to where I am.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUNG ATHLETES WHO COME FROM SIMILAR SITUATIONS AS YOU? My advice is to continue studying, practicing, believing and having faith that good things will happen. Stay away from vices and try to have a healthy life. I have seen many young people and friends who got lost on this journey.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE HAD? Many people have given me the same advice: believe in your dreams and have faith that they will come true.
I’m very happy to make it to the top of the rankings with Slingshot.
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BUYER’S GUIDE
BUYER’S GUIDE
Winter Wetsuits
Neil Pryde – Edge Wind
Patagonia – R2® Yulex®/Nexkin® Front-Zip
Xcel – Drylock TDC
Fact: this is a suit for windsports. It combines warmth and wind-chill protection with stretch and durability. The “Armor-Skin” neoprene is a hybrid neoprene that combines the warmth and wind-chill protection of a mesh wetsuit with the durability of a double-lined suit, then on the inside you have the Fireline insulation which is a light, stretchy and super-warm layer of insulation. The brushed surface of this absorbs moisture which is then heated by your body creating a warming greenhouse effect inside the suit as well as having a ‘wicking’ effect to help the suit to dry quickly and get you back on the water in double time…
Patagonia are at the cutting edge of wetsuit – and particularly neoprene – development. For the R2 they have taken last year’s “Wetsuit of the Year” and “Environmental Product of the Year” and made some improvements. The R2 is made with 60% plant-based Yulex natural rubber to reduce dependence on conventional ‘non environmentally friendly’ neoprene, then they have added an all-new asymmetrical entry and new patterning with fewer seams for better seal and stretch. All wrapped up in their durable and windproof Nexkin coating on the torso. Stay warm and do your bit…
Xcel’s most advanced wetsuit now features even more of their TDC Thermo Dry Celliant, their warmest lining ever. You can find it in a plush ‘wave pattern’ high pile in the front and back torso, and in an ‘infrared print’ low pile in the upper body and lower legs. TDC’s technically proven Smart Fiber Technology recycles your body heat for maximum warmth and enhanced performance. The Drylock also has a 100% waterproof zipper, stitchfree FusionWeld seams, and full waterrepellent Quick Dry Fiber exterior. It’s also packing a two-part SmoothSkin hem seal, Thermo Dry seam tape, and an innovative magnetic zip closure. For refined wetsuit top-tech you need look no further.
$469 | €349 | £279.90
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$529.00 | €580 | £500
$580 | €499 | £420
WINTER WETSUITS
Prolimit – Mercury
ION – Strike Select
The Prolimit Mercury 6/4 freezip features a unique design and has tons of technical features. The Mercury is 100% neolight neoprene which provides incredible warmth and flexibility. The triple glued and blindstitched construction, in combination with FTM seams, ensures a durable, watertight and flexible wetsuit. Freezip construction, an innovation which Prolimit introduced 23 years ago, provides the perfect entry system, and the Zodiac lining will keep you warm and comfortable through the darker months...
The Strike Select is one of ION’s topend winter suits. This latest version sees less panels and less seams, with the Power Seam – an ultra slim external seam – giving great stretch and better durability. The Plasma Plush lining maximizes heat retention, has fantastic stretch characteristics and dries super quick. Then there is the Water Gate 3D which has been updated with an extra seam to ensure a body-specific fit around the neck. All of the ingredients you need to see you grinning your way through those icy February sessions.
€299 | £219
$485 | €460 / £370
Ride Engine – Apoc
Manera – Meteor Magma
Ride Engine have developed the Apoc series in close collaboration with athletes who know exactly what they need from their equipment. The Apoc is their warmest, fullysealed, fleece-lined suit. It is designed with the utmost attention to detail to keep users warm and comfortable as they pursue their water-bound passions. All suits in the Apoc series are front-zip and feature internal neck gaskets to reduce flushing, then the 5/4 and 4/3 suits have internal poly-fleece lining for added warmth and water retention. All Ride Engine suits are made from limestone-based neoprene.
Relative newbies to the world of wetsuits, it’s fair to say that Manera haven’t pulled any punches when it comes to creating a top quality wetsuit to challenge the top of the market… Their Triplex Magma neoprene is made up of three different layers: the Magma fleece, the V Foam and the Re-Flex skin. Each layer is premium quality and ensures maximum performance. Also present are Mesh Panels which has insulating air chambers to keep the heat where you most need it and to maximize your session time. Aside from all of the tech, they’re also some of the stealthiest and smartest looking wetsuits on the market…
$459 / €430 / £305
$490 | €465 | £330
Mystic – Legend
RRD – Celsius Pro
The warmest wetsuit in the Mystic range is the Legend. It’s Mystic’s flagship winter suit and features a unique quick dry lining, which will not only dry faster but also keeps the water out for longer, helping to maintain your body temperature through creating an insulating shell. On top of that the M-Flex 2.0 neoprene provides the flexibility for you to keep on your game even when it’s subzero, and the Polygiene lining will keep your wettie as fresh as your moves…
Aside from adding a bit of color to your life, RRD also add a great bit of wettie tech. Intelligent pattern design is combined with the best available superstretch limestone neoprene currently available. The Celsius Pro has less panels than any other wetsuit in our collection. And less panels mean more flexibility. Add to this the fact that the Pro is double blind stitched and then fabric taped only on the seam joint areas, and you have an incredibly flexible wetsuit which enables you to bust out your biggest moves with no restraint.
$599 | €419 | £329
$375 | €354 | £250
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TECHNIQUE
TECHNIQUE
T H E
THE BAC KGROUND
We have been doing KGBs and KGB 5s for a long time and they are a pretty standard trick nowadays. So the KGB 7 is the next step from that. I first landed a KGB 7 back in 2012, but I’ve never had one on camera. This time I was lucky because Simon was there to capture it. It’s such a nice trick to land – a really good feeling. Next up a Grabbed KGB 7!
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RIDER: YOURI ZOON
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PHOTOS: SIMON LAMUSSE
KG B T HE
“ HOW
7 TO”
The KGB 7 is basically an extra rotation after your KGB 5
What makes this trick hard is that you really need the height in the movement, so focus on getting up high enough, otherwise usually you kind of fall into the KGB 5 If you have got enough height then make sure you don’t over-rotate Start your second pass a little earlier than you would for your KGB 5 Make sure you keep pushing your right leg to ensure you make the heel side landing Easy as that!
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IN THE PIPELINE
IS T H E R E A B U S I E R M AN I N T HE WAT E RSPO R TS I N D U STRY? PR O B A B LY N O T. R O B E R TO RI C C I IS ‘ F UL L P O W ER ’ 2 4 /7 AN D I S T R ULY HA N D S O N W I TH A LL E LE M E N TS O F HI S R R D BRA ND. WE C A U G HT U P W I T H T HE M A N HI M SE LF A N D A C O U PLE O F HI S M A I N R &D TE A M P L AY E R S , AB EL L A G O AN D W E RT HE R C A STE LLE TTI . It seems like RRD has a lot of exciting products hitting the market right now. Has it been a particularly busy year for you with R&D? RR: Yes, we have had very exciting developments! We’re always moving at full power forward with all of our departments. It doesn’t make any difference how busy we are, we like to develop more and better products nonstop, and it’s a continuous flow for us. For the kite department I have Abel as main tester and Werther as kite designer who (with guidance from myself ) have been responsible for the R&D for many years. As well as that we have people all over the world who test our gear year-round and give their feedback. We have a full range of kites and boards that are constantly under research and development, combined with all the accessories that you need in the water, such as harnesses and wetsuits. Together with our SUP and windsurf products, and our technical clothing line, this makes us the most complete brand in the market.
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Abel: Since Werther and I started working in the R&D for RRD, the company has never stopped growing. Our responsibility was greater every year, and the job got bigger so we are very used to handling these responsibilities and we normally spend the whole year testing in different spots around the globe, timed with dealer meetings and production deadlines. You tend not to work with strict ‘annual cycles’ only bringing out new gear during the year when you think that it is significantly better than the previous model. Do you think you will ever bring out the perfect kite that doesn’t have to be changed anymore?! RR: Of course, perfection is a tendency, never a goal… This is a philosophic approach to the product making. The kite in the market that gets as close to perfection is the one that fits a specific rider’s needs the most. For me, the kite that gets the closest to perfection is the Religion, because that is what I love to do – ride waves. But the riders that love to ride twintips can have the Obsession as the status quo kite for him or her. So for
every type of riding style and discipline we developed a kite that can be perfect for one’s needs: Religion, Obsession, Obsession Pro, Vision, Addiction, Passion and the Emotion. We’ve been working for 16 years now on producing kites and I am not shy to say that we have a perfect kite for every type of rider in our collection. The Obsession has received a lot of attention. Can you explain to us what you have done with it and why? Werther: The Obsession was the main kite for RRD for years. Customers asked us to keep the same shape and not to make big changes. But this year we decided that it was time for a big step forward and make it lighter and faster, so for that we took out two struts and developed a new pig tail system with an elastic rope that makes the kite really stable so we can focus more on the performance. That’s the reason that we can go more aggressive with the shapes now, because we know that the kite will be stable anyway.
RRD
TH E N EW ‘ BA C K TO TH E F UT URE ’
WERTH ER A ND RO BERTO AT WO RK
KARI AT WORK. . .
One of the boards we have been most impressed with is the POP Ltd. It’s very light! Can you explain how you have achieved this? RR: We have always been building boards from composites, from around 1988, and to me the surfboard for kiteboarding should really be built the same way as a classic surfboard. This really is something I believe in. And to me the polyester resin, the polyurethane foam with the wood stringer and the bamboo deck are just what it takes to ride waves anywhere around the world. However, going into the extremes and being able to build boards with
composite technologies, involving the use of lightweight materials such as EPS cores instead of PU cores and epoxy resin versus the polyester is definitely something we keep in mind when we shape boards. So the POP is made so light by using the latest technologies in this field, which also keep the flex and the resistance of the board, the flex being especially important. The other materials often don’t have flex and this kills the fun of riding a surfboard, especially when you kite and hit chop all the time. The POP in particular represents a board that is mostly used in freestyle wave riding. It’s a super short board that is great to use on flat water with small waves, where
you can still crank some proper turns, even when the conditions are really marginal. Also from head high to knee height this board’s shape performs really well. The LTD version of the POP adds another level to flat water riding… In fact I would say it’s even more enhanced for freestyling on flat water and light wind riding in general. You can also use the board as a freeride board when it is really flat out there, to do some jumps or upwind/downwind racing. Loads of guys that don’t want to ride twintips anymore ride this board in the summer when they are stuck at a spot without waves.
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IN THE PIPELINE
YUP , T HE P O P LT D I S PRETTY L IGH T...
And all of your surfboards have got lighter every year for the last few years – that must be quite satisfying? Abel: After so many years of surfing history, they’ve realized that polyester boards are the best! What we do is work with a traditional surfboard company to make a surfboard with some extra reinforcements so it can be ridden with a kite. RR: Yes, I have always been trying to tweak the PU boards in terms of different technologies, shapes and details and this resulted in a very good balance between performance, durability and feel on the water. This is the difference with our boards, and there are hardly any other boards that are built the way we build them. You can feel the difference on the water. To me, our boards are the boards that you want when you surf with a kite. It feels like a real surfboard that reacts when you pump the board with your feet without the use of the kite, but it is strong enough because of the reinforcements and the bamboo deck to handle the extra forces that you create when you kite, combined with the right flex for when
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you hit choppy water. So yes, the best of both worlds; a light board that is still strong enough to last you at least three to four years. The new Religion MK6 has just been released – can you tell us what’s new here? Werther & Abel: Our feedback from previous years taught us that when a kite works, it is better not to change it too much, so this is what we did in the new Religion MK6 – just ‘placing the dots on the i’! We kept a similar kite shape with a new design in the distribution of the spinnaker panels to make it even stronger for the heavy, big wave crashes and a new bridle position that gives the kite a bit more bar pressure to make it more predictable and also quicker when you need it. But we kept all the other good factors of the Religion, like speed, stability and response in down-the-line wave surfing. It’s generally the perfect kite for all conditions in the surf kite style. Also, we worked with a slightly different
kite shape on the 12, 10’5 and 9m to make the kite fly better in lighter wind. We also changed some of the material to make the kite lighter. This shape makes the kite fly faster, move quicker in the wind window and helps it to go upwind better. It also gives it a bit more stability. And the Vision has also had a reboot – what are the main innovations here? Werther: The new Vision is more of an overall kite, a bit more speed especially on the bigger sizes, more stability thanks to the new elastic pig tail, extra Dacron reinforcements on the leading edge and a new, shorter bridle to avoid tangle.
RRD
A B E L T UC KING I N TO A ‘ T E S T I NG’ SESS I O N
New kites and also a new bag…. We like a good bag! What are the main features of your new one?
You also have a new Global Bar which has seen some changes – what can you tell us about these?
for instance. With the new connection system the board feels like a normal board and is not heavy.
Abel: The new functional bag is fantastic, I love it, especially for covering my car seat in the winter so I can drive back home with my wetsuit on. But you can use it for many other things, such as a changing mat in which you can store your wetsuit and harness. Then you can zip it right up when inside out and the bag will have no loose webbing or buckles anywhere, so it’s the perfect kite bag to be checked in as luggage. No other bags on the market look as good, are built as tough and have so many possible variations of use!
Abel & Werther: The new V7 is one of the big surprises we have for the season. You can find very good kites and boards everywhere in the market, but not a good, safe bar that won’t need any adjustment for years and gives you a direct feeling like our bar does. Most kite lines don’t break anymore, but we are one of the only brands that has lines that don’t stretch because of our exclusive and unique RRD Rigid Thread Lines.
As a brand you are also very active within the Windsurf, SUP and surf markets. Which is your biggest market at the moment?
You have also introduced a split board. Can you tell us about this? Abel: Fifty/Fifty is a fantastic toy for those who don’t want to pay for extra luggage on the plane, or just want to travel with more ease, while riding a bike
RR: It’s between kitesurfing and windsurfing. The windsurf market is slightly bigger because we’ve been in that market for a long time, with SUP being the fastest growing market at the moment. But we do want to focus on all these markets at the same time, that’s why we work with different product managers for every type of sport. But I am mostly involved with kitesurfing and windsurfing in particular, as those are my main passions that I have been doing for most of my life.
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HE A D S H A P E R, AURE L I O VE RD I
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RRD
How much crossover is there between the sports in terms of technology and materials? RR: A lot. We are always looking at all the different sports and learning from the different materials that are being used and trying them out in other sports, from composite to inflatable. If you’re always looking at just one way of producing a product you get stuck. We like to stay open-minded and work with new technologies and materials. When we are working on a new kitesurfing product we are always analyzing what is happening at that moment with those materials in the other watersports such as surfing, wakeboarding, SUP and windsurfing. We try to integrate the different approaches in all water– related sports into our products, from board designs to fin set-ups to finishing systems, it is actually endless and always interesting to learn from each other. A good example is the C.O.T.A.N. (Cut off tail and nose) shape that started within the surf shapes and is now very popular in kite, windsurf and SUP as well. This also applies to the inflatable boards that are the future in SUP and Windsurf.
What do you have lined up next for release? RR: Lots of things in the pipeline! I can’t tell you everything, but there’s a lot of development at this moment. We are busy with some new technologies for inflatables for the SUP market and in windsurfing we’re always developing the fastest boards, which was proven last month: Antoine Albeau set the World Speed record and became the World Champ in slalom on our RRD boards. In the kitesurf department we are busy developing a hydro-foil. This is the future, especially for light wind conditions. We also have some new technologies for our twintip boards. In general we are trying to enlarge our range of different boards, both in twintips and in surfboards. And for all sports we’re obviously always busy with new shapes for waveriding which is at our core, but also in surf, SUP, windsurf and kite. We will launch an asymmetrical kitesurf board soon… The prototypes are here. I can’t show you any pics yet, but stay tuned!
And you are moving in to the “South African development phase” at the moment – what are you working on right now?! RR: Getting ready for South Africa! Wrapping it up here in Italy, sending the full product range down in containers, and spending a lot of time there with the team to test and develop the new gear and to do photo and video shoots. I am very excited about it, we have a lot of new products to finalize and this year we are way ahead with testing time, so there will be plenty of time to just enjoy the amazing conditions. The main RRD products will still be available with Grant Ross in Big Bay, but we will also open a little RRD shop in Scarborough. This is a beautiful little village where I have a house close to Cape Point. Conditions there are fantastic and more and more kitesurfers and windsurfers come to that side of the mountain to enjoy this.
RRD’S ICON IC OBSE SSION . N OW ON TO M K8 AN D STILL G OIN G STRON G . . .
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T I U S R THE PU S S E N I P P A H F O E LY A N E N TI R IT IO N S IS RD COND G TH E A N H TI IN LA U G E “ R ID ING A M E , IT ’S A B O U T C A LC E M TO SE A G IN G TH NEW JI YA LL Y M A N A K TA A N N E U M D – BR R IS K S A N TA K E IT . ” YO U C A N H O W FA R
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The pursuit of happiness and the perfect conditions is of course objective. Many of us dream of butter flat lagoons and constant, forgiving winds, whilst others dream of perfectly formed barrels and offshore magic. There are even some who like nothing more than a 40 knot storm and raging seas… Lunatics. No matter what we dream of at night, one thing is for certain: our waking realities do not always match those of our midnight slumber. Shore-breaks, gusty winds and chop are generally more likely to be our kiteboarding realities. You might even be surprised to learn that even for those who have the good fortune to travel the world to the best kiting destinations Mother Nature has to offer, this is still not a guarantee of finding the session that you are after on any given day. Should we feel disappointed, annoyed, downcast, frustrated and depressed? Of course not. However, what we must learn to adjust are our expectations and what we can achieve on any given day. You see, making the most of the conditions you have been given will enable you to squeeze every possible moment of fun out of your session and that – after all – is what it is all about. We are going to have a look at some of the preparation, choices, tricks and tips you can have in mind to help you do just that. And we’ll also hear from some of the girls about their experiences in less than favorable conditions. PREPARATION
Of course preparation is key, but how do we apply this to something we have very little control over: the conditions. Our advice is to take your time and keep your options open. So when you arrive at the beach prepare your kite but also prepare your mind. As you are getting ready, use those moments to check out what other people are riding, how the wind is treating their kites. If there’s a shore dump then see if you can launch somewhere where the wind’s not completely onshore, and if the wind is coming and going with the clouds or rain then work out what’s coming your way and the effect this will have on the conditions and plan accordingly. EQUIPMENT
So, you spent a few minutes seeing what size kites other people were on and how they were riding; you have chosen the best kite size; you looked up and saw the lobster-faced rider who forgot their sunscreen so decided to apply another layer yourself; you tested the water with your foot and realized it was glacial, so decided it was time for the neoprene hat, gloves and booties; you saw everyone on twintips – and especially those in boots – struggling to stay upwind so you grabbed yourself a surfboard. You get the picture. There is so much choice in kiting these days and making the correct kit choices can be the difference between a ‘happy’ and a ‘not happy’ drive home…
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CHOOSE YOUR STYLE AND TRICKS
Yes you want to unhook and be a freestyle hero, but it is 30 knots, you only have a 9m and if you want to leave the water with your shoulders still in their sockets, maybe this is the time to work on your high jumps and grabs? This is one of the most common problems we see with a lack of customer satisfaction from the product of kiteboarding. Riders going to the water having decided what they need to do and having very limited flexibility and imagination to get around the conditions. You create your own frustration and you are the key to removing it. Stop worrying about ticking off the prewritten trick list and rewrite it on the water instead. It is during sessions like these that you can master that extra tweak on a grab, go for a different grab or, better yet, try something entirely new… To give an example: recently, in less than favorable conditions where nothing was working, it was pointed out that after ten years of kiting we had never actually
bothered doing a backroll-to-toeside (a staple styled trick in our repertoire) going left. Yes, seriously, no idea how that one slipped us by. So we busted one out. It worked. The sense of satisfaction of a ‘new trick’ was there even if it was essentially a trick we had probably done a few thousand times. This rule does not have to apply to when the conditions are not working for you either. What if your reactions are just not working for you in the conditions? Just today we were kiting in the main lagoon in Cumbuco and watching a young Brazilian star of the future having no luck on the unhooked trick he was trying. What did this wiser-than-his-years kid start doing instead? He switched up his style completely, hooked in, and started doing front rolls followed by some kind of magical half cab back flip inversion that put a smile on both his face and ours. Just remember that there are rewards to be had in every corner of kiteboarding, but you have to want to find them.
“ S T RO N G W I N D , WAVES O R C H A L L ENGING CO N D I T I O N S M A KE I T I NTERESTI NG. ” – PAUL A N OVOT NÁ
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE Now we hand over to a couple of the girls in the know as they give us their thoughts on kiting in challenging conditions. First off Paula Novotná who even goes out 108 | TheKiteMag
of her way to find difficult conditions from time-totime to help her be ready for competitions, then Polly Crathorne on why she has chosen to kite in some of the most unlikeliest places on the planet.
PAULA NOVOTNÁ
There are so many different places and spots I travel to. Sometimes the conditions just can’t get any better, but there are also places that I find very difficult to kite. It can be choppy or very gusty, also very cold or the worst case scenario – full of people! As I love to kitesurf I always try to make the best of every session. But if I am not enjoying it and I find it really bad I just stop. So I always try to find the best time in the day to go out, with less people and better wind. If you know the spot and know how it works, you can really plan your perfect session. It’s also different to do tricks at different spots. First I learn them in very easy conditions and then I try them in difficult conditions. That means stronger, gusty wind or choppy waters. That’s what my training looks like: most of the time I travel to places with flat water and
stable wind and then I spend some time in places that are difficult to kite. Most of my kite destinations are warm locations, because if I am cold and freezing I am just not enjoying it… I hate to be cold. One of my favorite places with challenging conditions is Cape Town. The wind is strong and gusty, the water is cold, but the climate is warm. You can have the best session ever but you can also have the worst session of your life. But always when you go out, the conditions are very challenging. And for me as a competitor, I should train in all conditions, because the conditions we are competing in are never perfect. Also, to be honest, kitesurfing on flat water is amazing but boring after a long time. Strong wind, waves or challenging conditions make it interesting. People say if you can do your tricks in Cape Town, you can do them everywhere. That’s why I go there to spend some time every year.
“ I GUE SS A PPREC I ATI NG TH E SURRO U N DIN G S IS KE Y TO M A KI NG TH E MO ST O F A L L CO ND I TION S. ” – P O L LY C RATH O RNE
POLLY CRATHORNE
In a way, isn’t that what the whole sport of kitesurfing is all about? “Making the most of all conditions”. As kitesurfers we get to enjoy all that windy weather that most non-kiters think of as a nuisance. I like to think of each session as important for progression regardless of whether new tricks are landed or not. Like my father always says, ‘time on the water is never a bad thing’, and knowing how to cope with different conditions is invaluable. Whether it’s gusty, choppy, you are overpowered or – worst case scenario – underpowered. I have a bit of a thing for kiting on water that hasn’t been kited before. And often there is an obvious reason why
nobody has kited somewhere before: the conditions are tough. Lake Karakul, for example, lies at 13,000 feet above sea level which threw all sorts of challenges in my way during the first Roof of the World Regatta in Tajikistan in 2014. The unreliable mountain wind, tricky launch spot and freezing temperatures didn’t deter me from returning the following year with the rest of my family to compete in this crazy event. I guess appreciating the surroundings is key to making the most of all conditions. The remoteness of the area, the wild backdrop of the snowcapped mountains and the local people from Karakul lining the shores put the extreme wind and cold to the back of my mind.
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At the recent North dealer meeting in Mauritius, TheKiteMag took some time out to talk to head honcho in the North surfboard design department, Sky Solbach. There have been some true innovations for the 2016 range and we were keen to find out more… TKM: So Sky, it’s time to start looking at a new range of boards, what’s your first step? Sky: Well the first steps in designing the board are starting with the shapes and then developing these with the team riders, especially this year with the two new models... We’ve got the Pro Surf, which is like our high end, all round performance board which is something that the team riders wanted to have in the range, and we’ve also got the Pro CSC which is an evolution of last year’s pro series board. These boards both have a brand new construction which we’ll get to in a minute. Then as far as just prototyping the shapes, I’m able to do that in Maui at home, and that involves CNC cutting the cores and doing all the hand lamination. Then I take those prototypes to a point where we’re really happy with the performance and the shape, and then we move into the construction part which takes place in China at our factory over there. TKM: So you decide which shapes are going to be in the range based on how the previous year’s boards were received and that kind of thing? Sky: Yeah of course, I mean we gather feedback not only from our team riders and customers but at functions like this in Mauritius, and we have open discussions about it with all of our dealers from all over Europe and all over the world so, yeah, we get feedback from a lot of different places and just try and incorporate that into the next year and make sure that we’re making the right changes to really have the right boards to target the type of customers that want to buy those boards. TKM: How does the shaping process work on Maui?
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Sky: Well I’m actually doing all the glassing now and I’m working at a facility there that has a CNC machine, so it’s really cool actually because I’m able to design everything on a computer, have it CNC cut, then I can hand laminate it myself, ride it, test it, and once we go through that whole process with several protos, which can take anywhere from 6 months to a year – or even longer with some of these boards – all that information is contained in that file, so it’s just a CAD file that I’m then able to send to our factory and we can reproduce it in the exact same shape, down into the finest little detail.
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TELL ME ABOUT IT
TKM: So you’ve got the protos done and you move onto testing... How does that work, who’s involved in the testing and how do you go about it? Sky: With most of the testing I kind of start out doing a lot of it myself until I get the design dialed in to a point where I’m pretty happy with it and it’s ready for the team riders and for some of my other people that test and give me feedback. I’m a pretty heavy rider and some of our team riders like Patri and Airton and guys I regularly test with are a bit smaller than me, so at that point – when I’m happy for a design that works for my weight – I’ll scale that down to be a size that Patri or Airton can ride and then they’ll give me feedback on that and then we continue that process until we are 100% happy with the shapes. TKM: So, moving on to the boards which are new in the range this year: the Light Team Construction. We can confirm that they’re very light, and they also have no warranty – was that a tough decision for North? Sky: Yeah, it’s always kind of finding that compromise because the team riders want to have super light boards, they’re not really that concerned if they’re gonna break
because they’re just gonna get a new one next week! Whereas our customers and the brand don’t want a lot of warranties, we want to have a board that’s strong. So it’s always about having to find that balance between what the team rider wants and what the customer wants. So I feel like this year, with our new Light Team Construction, we’ve managed to find a really nice balance between those two polar opposites. So what we’ve ended up with is a board that the team riders are really loving, it’s really light and lively and has really good flex, but the new construction technique is also really strong, and they’re holding up really well. TKM: Do you just want to talk us through the ins and outs of the construction, so the layup and the use of the carbon? Sky: Yeah so on the base of the board we were able to remove quite a large glass reinforcement in the center of the board which
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is there to prevent the board from buckling and snapping in half. We basically removed all that which is weight saving and we replaced it with a carbon beam that you can see down the center. Then something that you don’t quite see at first glance is two additional strips of bamboo underneath this bamboo layer. This makes it really strong and really resistant to buckling and breaking and gives it a really stiff linear flex, but still allows the board to have a nice soft torsional flex which is great for dampening and feeling through the water. TKM: And how else have you saved the weight? Sky: Well these boards come without footstrap inserts – they’re specifically designed for strapless riding so we were able to remove quite a bit of reinforcement on the deck. Then we were able to remove about 30% of the cork shock absorber on the deck that is in the classic construction. Then we focused on adding strength reinforcements along the rails – basically the reason we’re able to do that is because when you’re riding strapless, most of the time you’re landing out near the rail, it’s not that often that you’re landing with full force in the center. So by focusing on just adding reinforcements and weight in the key areas where you really need it we brought the weight right down. TKM: And you’ve changed the fin boxes for this year? Sky: Yeah so we have a brand new fin box for this year, it’s called the Multibox, and it’s a bit of a combination between a Future Fin compatible box and the FCS system with two side screws. The reason we did that is that we feel the Future system is strong, but for fin fitting we found that having two set screws gives us a wider tolerance so the fin fits in really easily and you can tighten it down with two screws. It’s pretty bullet proof.
I S CO M I NG O FF TH E TO P O F A SET WAVE AT O NE EY E MO RE SATIS FY ING I F YO U S H APED TH E BOA RD ? P RO BA B LY.
TKM: And the sizes of the boards this year, have they come down?
A M AN WHO IS CON FIDE N T IN HIS SU RFBOARD RAN G E
Sky: Yeah, especially in this range, the Pro CSC and our other board, the Whip, which are compact surf concept boards, they’ve got a little bit smaller, especially the small and medium size have gotten smaller because we found with this style of board –because you have so much effective surface area that you’re using – you can actually get away with riding a much smaller board so we’ve scaled some of the sizes down for 2016. TKM: And obviously thinking a little way ahead but I’m sure you’ve started looking at 2017 by now – are more exciting things around the corner for the North boards? Sky: I probably shouldn’t say too much yet! But, yeah, I’m always developing something so working on some new ideas. You know, I’m working on refining these designs even further and especially with the layup and construction that we’re doing, I think we’ve found a really magic combination with our team construction so it’s going to be great to get feedback throughout the year and figure out ways we can even improve it for next year. TKM: And finally, what have you been riding when you’ve been out here in Mauritius at One Eye? Sky: For most of this trip I’ve been riding the Pro Surf. It’s designed for small through to pretty big waves. On the biggest day – when it was probably like a solid 10ft out here – it was starting to get a little bit topped out so I probably maybe should have gone
to the next step which would have been the Kontact. But I was riding the Pro Surf for most of the time and I was really happy with it. Then on less full-on days I’ve also actually been riding the Pro CSC board which is pretty much my go-to board whenever the waves are smaller. TheKiteMag | 113
SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TESTS!
H E R E ’ S A L I T T L E TA S T E R O F W H AT T H E K I T E M A G ’ S TEST TEAMS HAVE BEEN UP TO. Remember, these are summaries of the tests, and you can find the full results at TheKiteMag.com/tested PETER LYNN FURY
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The Fury is designed to deliver solid, dependable power and refined performance. Aspect Ratio is high and in the air it has a ‘racy’ look to it. There is a five point bridle keeping things in check and the L ROUND Fury has plenty of reinforcements AL E BO R O where you would expect to ST IN find them although the headline news for 2016 is that the Fury has lost a lot of weight… The bigger sizes have always been popular with the Fury, so to see these lose a few ounces is good news as well. The Navigator bar has had a rework and has been simplified, so the ‘flag out’ is now the default setting and the bar itself is uncluttered with a classic clam cleat set up. On the water and the Fury has that incredibly crisp power delivery that only a five strut kite can deliver. ‘Power on’ is immediate and you feel nicely tuned in to the kite. Bottom end is good and you notice immediately that the Fury generates a lot of power. If you are used to tamer kites then this might come as a shock! The kite snaps through the window and that power is immediately transferred to you. So you can really drive the kite hard and it will hold the power and really truck you upwind – which is good news if you’ve just traveled halfway down the beach after a monster boost. This is the other department the Fury excels in: boosting. You can really load up and, when you release, the Fury pounces into the air and you’ll need to hang on. This definitely isn’t a kite for everyone, but if you want a ‘performance’ kite then – in the right hands – this is quite simply a 5-strut powerhouse.
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F-ONE TRAX HRD LITE TECH One of the longest serving twintips currently in existence, the Trax has had a big visit from the design department for 2016. The new Lite Tech feature is in evidence and provides an undeniably cool cut out along each rail which lets a little bit of light through. Functional? No. Nice to see? Yes! Aside from this the HRD stands for Helical Rail Design and is a ‘staged’ rail profile which offers different levels of grip as you move from the center toward the step. Riding the new Trax and you immediately know that you are on an F-ONE board. They just always deliver a quality ride. The feel is snappy and responsive but still relatively forgiving – so you can cruise around without feeling it in your knees but when it’s time to load and pop the Trax has plenty to offer. The bottom concave-to-channel also allows the board to plane early and point upwind exceptionally well, and the HRD Rail undoubtedly contributes to the smooth ride and ability to ‘turn on’ when required, and also gives the feeling that the board is riding ‘above’ the water. We were testing this during a pretty stormy patch in the UK and it just destroyed choppy conditions – you feel completely comfortable in 35 knot wind and at high speeds. The Trax also delivers fantastic grip which in turn gives you confidence to load that rail in high winds and boost. Then there is also plenty of pop for wakestyle tricks and the bottom shape results in relatively forgiving landing. For intermediate to professional level freestylers the Trax is a superb board.
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If you are a fan of the original Underground boards then look no further than Axis’s very impressive range. We always expect high quality and innovative products from Axis, and all boards are designed by Adrian Roper who has a wealth of knowledge and oversees the production process from start to finish. The Vanguard is 100% freestyle focused and designed to deliver in all freestyle conditions. Compared to last year’s Vanguard the 2016 model has stuck with ARD BO the winning formula in terms of rocker, outline and the channel distribution. The main E T L development has been in the rails and the arrival of the new FAT rail. Basically the Y EIGH W mid-section between your feet has been fattened up then the width tapers out as you move towards the tips. As soon as you get on the water you immediately feel the effect of this: the ride is very soft and smooth and it sucks up chop – it feels more like riding a surfboard with a more rounded rail shape. The real joy is that the new rail shape had not dulled down the speed or pop of the new Vanguard, it is still a very responsive and well-tuned freestyle machine and will keep everyone from beginner through to hardened pro happy. For us the graphics don’t have the same wow-factor that you get from the Billy Pro or from the Axis surfboards for 2016, but with the new rail profile, riding this board is more like riding a magic carpet so you’re probably not going to notice.
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The Roca is an all new kite from Best, and it steps into the Best range as the Kahoona bows out… So is it a ‘rebranded’ Kahoona? No! It really isn’t. It will appeal to a similar element of the market but we felt that it had a lot more to offer as well. Let’s start at the top. The Roca has three struts and a mid-aspect ratio. Construction – and the overall weight of the kite – is light. There is less Dacron in evidence and Best have countered this through battens along the trailing edge and also their new ‘vibration dampening system’ which sees the addition of slim foam triangles to distribute the load across the entire canopy and eliminate flutter on the trailing edge. RO UN BO So, this is definitely not a reworked Kahoona and Best have put some thought into what they want from the O ST D Roca and how to deliver this. Getting the Roca in the air and onto the water and first impressions are that IN bar pressure is relatively light and the low end is excellent. You really pick up speed quickly and the broad canopy delivers plenty of grunt. We had the 9m on test and were out on a few marginal days and you could keep on trucking easily when other guys had changed up to their 12s. For boosting the Roca is a real ‘up, up and away’ machine. You can hold a lot of power and – when you release – you are really fired up. It’s then a lively floaty kite with a whole heap of drift. You wouldn’t be surprised to see the Roca heading up the WOO airtime tables in the near future. Range is good – the Roca doesn’t mind being stacked. Turning speed is good but not exceptional so if you want a really snappy kite this probably isn’t for you. But if you are looking for a very accessible and easy to fly kite with plenty of low end and exceptional air time then this is one for your list.
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When it comes to having a solid range of boards RRD do not mess about… As with the rest of their kit, when it comes to surfboards you have plenty to choose from. The POP sits at the ‘lightwind/onshore/ freestyle’ end of the scale. There is also a POP Ltd edition which is the same shape but has all sorts of trickery going on to shave some weight off. However, it has to be said that the ‘standard’ POP we tested was very respectable in the weight department. The plan shape of the POP is wide throughout with a fat tail and a snub nose. So don’t be fooled by the length. The 5’2 comes in at 34 liters so has more volume than some boards a foot longer… The fin set up is quad and the tail comes in to either a narrow ‘fish’ or a wide ‘swallow’ depending on your perspective! Getting on the water and the POP delivers an insane amount of grip from the off. The volume gets you going and keeps you going even in marginal wind and the quad set up, low rocker and relatively straight rail line enable you to power upwind. Riding in onshore conditions you can really snap the POP around – the combination of the tail shape and the quad set up delivers a really enjoyable ‘skatey’ vibe and you can spin around off the tail and really get around to the next section in onshore conditions. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the POP though is that it is actually very good fun in more solid waves. We rode it (and paddle surfed it) in some decent waves and the grip it offers means that you really can commit and ride with confidence.
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The Angry Swallow follows on from the groundbreaking T-Rex and diversifies the snubnose concept. The Angry Swallow provides the true ‘onshore/marginal’ option while its sister board, the Screamer, has a pinnier tail and is geared more towards ‘all round conditions’. As ever with Slingshot their surfboards just look awesome. They have found a winning combination with their construction and they have stuck with it… Their boards are light, strong and have great graphics. This year sees the five fin boxes replaced by three. The industry as a whole seems to be moving in this direction – personally we like having the option of riding this type of board as a quad but appreciate that if the majority prefer the thruster set up then the reduction in boxes saves some weight and some expense. On the water and the Angry Swallow provides the characteristics you would hope for. It gets up to speed quickly and – with the more parallel rail line – really powers upwind. The construction provides enough flex to prevent any ‘ping’ and it’s a pleasure to cruise around on. On a wave and you can be confident with putting plenty of power through the tail. The swallow tail RFBOARD SU and the thruster set up provides BUIL D TE S Q U a whole heap of grip. The IN A F L lighter weight also keeps the Angry Swallow lively under your feet and helps prevent you from getting bogged down when a section shuts down on you. Overall Slingshot have come up with another innovative evolution of this genre of board.
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The Neo went through a pretty serious revisit for 2015 and was generally recognized as one of the top tier wave kites on the market. So what was the plan for 2016? Thankfully first impressions are that not too much has been changed. Following on from his work looking at one-strut kites, designer Ken Winner decided to trim down the end of the struts to increase the movement of the kite here whilst still keeping the stability and rigidity that the struts provide. The ‘idiot proof ’ Lazy Pump is also present and it’s hard to see where this can be improved… In the air and the Neo has that same distinctive feel to last year. The low end is once again impressive – this isn’t such an issue in cross or cross-off conditions, but you realize what an asset it is when you ride a kite with a poor low ST end in onshore surf and miss the ‘on/off’ power you need to really keep your riding fluid. So the T EI T Y L E I Neo delivers across the ‘waveriding spectrum’ (just remember to take it a size or two smaller!). V RSAT Turning speed is snappy and intuitive, and for getting around the lineup the Neo is a great cruising kite. Coming on to waves and for 2016 the depower throw feels a little shorter and tighter. You can let the bar out and the kite will sit back and let you get on with your riding. There is no tendency to sit too far back in the window or to drift down, it places itself very nicely and is ready for action when you next need it. Relaunch is excellent (we flew this with Airton and you would be surprised how often he puts his kite down – but it always popped straight back up). Overall the Neo continues to be a very solid choice for wave riding and continues to deliver in all departments.
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Whilst developing the Naish Pivot a couple of years ago, Naish kite-design-don Damien Girardin had a realization: through increasing the Aspect Ratio of the kite and with some clever tinkering with the bridle configuration he could improve the steering and general ‘feedback’ from the kite whilst still keeping the key flying L ROUND characteristics. When it was AL E BO R O ST time to revisit the Park (having IN also applied his thinking to the Torch) Damien found that he could increase the AR whilst still keeping that accessible Park feel, and the result (he felt) was a kite which felt like it was flying in High Definition. Aside from this relatively major change, there were also tweaks to the wingtips to ensure the load was distributed evenly, and the Park flies on the new Fusion ATB (above the bar) control system which is a definite improvement for us. In the air and the Park HD immediately feels very ‘connected’. We have always felt that the Park was a very well-tuned kite, but it now feels significantly ‘crisper’ and clearly responds to even very subtle inputs. We rode it in the surf first and it was very easy to place the Park HD exactly where you wanted it and it had supreme drift in down-the-line conditions. Then for onshore conditions the low-end and ‘on a dime’ turning mean that you can switch the power on when you need to and forget about the kite when you don’t, which is exactly what you need on those kind of days. For freestyle and the ‘super-tuned in’ feel remains – for boosting you always know where the kite is and there is plenty of lift and hangtime if that is what you want, then for unhooked riding the slack line is impressive and there is a real ‘Torch’ feel to it. Overall it’s great to see such a positive evolution of a well-established kite and it’s great to see that it’s not just HD hype: it’s reality…
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CORE CHOICE The Choice is CORE’s nod towards the wakestyle masses – it is a more aggressive evolution of the Fusion 2 and can be ridden with or without fins making it a true park crossover board. There are also 2 fin options, with 42mm and 28mm fin sets available. So something for everyone. Graphics wise the CORE yellow is present then the rest of the board has a nice ‘techno’ vibe to it – we liked it. Construction does, of course, make good use of CORE’s Cartan carbon. This is laid up over a Paulownia core, with 2 channels running the length of the board and an additional 4 ‘mini channels’ providing additional grip at the tips. The Diamond 3D shape helps to distribute the load at the front and back of the board and the inserts have additional reinforcement to keep the board bombproof even when booted up. On the water and you instantly feel at home on the Choice. It just accelerates into life and the stiffness of the carbon really gets you flying along. There is bundles of grip which give you the confidence to just let rip. When it comes to throwing down some wakestyle moves, you can load up with confidence and the Choice really explodes when you release. If you are just boosting some old school freestyle, then the Choice is keen for this and the exceptionally light weight is obviously a real plus in this department. For a relatively ‘all round’ board with plenty of performance when you need it, this is certainly a good ‘Choice’.
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Reo Steven’s recent ‘mini documentary’ charted his experiences over the last decade when he has made an annual pilgrimage to Indo. We caught up with him for some more of his Indonesian Reflections. When did you first head to Indo? I first went there in 2006 to meet up with John Bilderback, Felix Pivec and Will James. It was my first international trip where I traveled by myself. I fell in love with the idea of going there after I saw Space Monkeys 2. What were your first impressions? Chaos! It was pure and utter chaos from the time you got off the plane until you closed the door in your hotel room. Indonesia is a developing country in Asia and, aside from not being able to drink the water, that means parts of it are over populated and impoverished. And you rely on motorbikes for transportation! Coming from the western world, the chaos on the streets left me “white knuckling” the arm rest in the first 5 minutes of the taxi ride to the hotel. And was the trip all about barrels? I really didn’t know what to expect my first trip, I was simply going to meet up with my friends to have a good time and try and kite some good waves. Indonesia has a 6-7 foot tidal range that changes the wave’s characteristics dramatically throughout the day. So depending on what the tides are doing when the wind comes up, you might not be able to even get a barreling wave.
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Have you really been every year since that first trip?
Any tips for anyone planning their first trip over there?
I’ve been every year except the year before last (2013). Then I was lost in French Polynesia on the Cabrinha Quest.
Go with an open mind and the ability to go with the flow. One thing is for sure in Indonesia, nothing will go according to plan. I can’t remember the last plane that arrived or departed on time in that country. Wind is never guaranteed, so bring a surfboard, or be willing to learn. If your girlfriend/boyfriend doesn’t surf or kite, leave them in Bali at the poolside sipping on fresh fruit juices while you chase a forecast. They’ll be much happier there than at some makeshift surf camp with greasy food.
Sketchiest moment? There were a few in the beginning before we realized that we should be using board leashes. The wave when it barrels breaks on an exposed reef, so when you lose your board it gets washed onto the dry reef. Mis-timed bodydragging up onto the reef to retrieve the board caused a few concerns in those early years… Obviously the kit has changed so much in the last 10 years, how much difference has this made to being able to score barrels. The main thing that changed and that made it a lot easier was a kite that depowered and still had steering control. The ability to slow down on command and still steer your kite was a game changer. And the main spot that everyone goes to – you must have that pretty worked out? I personally feel I have that place wired. It’s not a mechanical wave and does have a lot of imperfections, but I’ve been for so long now that I know what a good one looks like and which ones to go for.
Could you ever see yourself getting bored of Indo?! I never get bored of it, but I do get burned out. If you’re there on a good forecast it will wear your body down. The first day you get there, you’re amping on a morning surf, scarfing down a late breakfast just in time to get back out for the afternoon kite… A few days in, you’re skipping the morning surf and waiting for the wind… At the end of the trip, your body is tired, your skin is sunburned and your eyes are completely fried (this past trip I was left unable to open my eyes for 12 hours as I fried them so bad!). You leave excited for the plane ride home just so you can get some rest. But after you recoup, you always find yourself wondering why you left so soon, and wishing you were back there.
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METEOROLOGY
METEOROLOGY WITH TONY BUTT
PHOTO: CARLOS TORO W W W.W H I T E WAV E S . E U
WIND CHILL I’ve just come back from a trip to Iceland. Despite its name, Iceland isn’t a really, really cold place, not like, say, Siberia or northeast Canada. Temperatures often stay above 0°C, even in winter. But Iceland is really windy, which makes it feel a lot colder. One day on the north coast, for example, the thermometer was reading +3°C and the wind was around 40 knots from the north. Needless to say, getting out of the car and into the sea took a bit more effort than it did in Spain where I’d just come from. The reason was because the wind-chill temperature – in other words the temperature that it felt like when I was standing outside with my face to the wind – was around -5°C.
to equalize the temperature of the two objects. In this case, from your skin to the air. If there is no wind, we can assume that heat will flow from your skin to the air by simple conduction. As the two temperatures try to equalize, your skin cools down and the air warms up. Once your body detects this cooling it attempts to generate more heat. And this is what sends a signal to your brain giving you the sensation of cold.
If you live in the northern hemisphere then winter will be fast approaching as you read this, so I thought it might be interesting to have a brief look at wind chill and how it works. The wind doesn’t actually make the temperature of the air cooler. What it does is increase the rate of heat loss from your skin, which makes you feel colder.
As the air next to your skin warms up, a thin layer of warm air called a boundary layer develops, which then begins to insulate your skin against the cold air. With this boundary layer in place, the rate of heat transfer away from your body slows down and then stabilizes. That is why you initially perceive a shock of cold when you first step outside, but then after a while you seem to get used to it.
Let me explain further. Your skin and the adjacent air are effectively two objects touching each other, each at a different temperature. In this case, your skin is at a higher temperature than the adjacent air. Basic thermodynamics tells us that heat will flow down the temperature gradient – from the higher temperature object to the lower temperature one – in an attempt 126 | TheKiteMag
Now, along comes a gale-force wind. This time, as soon as your body tries to warm up the air next to it, that air is blown away by the wind and replaced with more cold air. So a boundary layer never gets a chance to form. Your body has to work twice as hard to keep warming up new air arriving at the surface of your skin.
Therefore, the rate of heat loss from your skin increases and so does your sensation of cold. The first people to coin the phrase ‘wind chill’ and to perform a simple experiment to measure it were Antarctic explorers Paul Allman Siple and Charles Passel in the late 1930s. They measured how the freezing rate of water varied with windspeed by mounting a small bottle of water next to the anemometer on the roof of their Antarctic hut, and noting how long the water took to freeze. The experiment was repeated many times for different winds, so that a relationship could be drawn up of freezing time as a function of windspeed. But really you need some kind of formula that will convert the ‘real temperature’ into ‘perceived temperature’ or windchill temperature, as a function of windspeed. So, after many intermediate attempts throughout the years, an almost universally accepted method of calculating wind-chill temperature was established in 2001. This was developed by a group of scientists called the Joint Action Group for Temperature Indices (JAG/TI), and is based on a model of heat transfer from the human body to its surroundings. Importantly, the model specifically uses a human face model (not the entire body), and transforms the wind measured at 10m height to the corresponding windspeed at 1.5m. This is the basic JAG/TI formula:
Twc = 13.12 + 0.6215Ta – 11.37V0.16 + 0.3965TaV0.16
-10°C, increasing the windspeed from 10 to 60 kts increases the wind chill by 8°C. In other words, the effect of the wind becomes more noticeable at colder temperatures. This is really important for Antarctic explorers or other people who have to deal with temperatures like -50°C, but perhaps not so important for most of us.
Wind chill temperatures (in blue) as a function of air temperature and windspeed Of course, one factor not considered in the JAG/TI formula is moisture. The formula was derived assuming that the skin is dry. But if you are wet, there is an additional heat loss from evaporation of the water off your skin. Clearly, if you are kiting, windsurfing or surfing, any part of your body not covered in rubber will be continually wet, so if you feel even colder than the temperatures in the table, that’s probably the reason why...
Where Twc is the wind chill temperature [°C]; Ta is the air temperature [°C], and V is the 10-m windspeed [km/h]. Note that this equation only works for temperatures between -50°C and +5°C and for windspeeds of more than 3 km/h. If you don’t like equations, I’ve drawn up a table showing values of wind chill temperature for different values of air temperature and windspeed. I’ve converted the wind from km/h into knots, which should be more familiar to most readers. Having a quick look at the table, you can see that at relatively high temperatures, say +5°C, increasing the windspeed from 10 to 60 knots increases the wind chill by 5°C; whereas at much lower temperatures, say
Tony Butt holds a PhD in physical oceanography and is the author of Surf Science, an Introduction to Waves for Surfing (2014) and The Surfer’s Guide to Waves, Coasts and Climates (2009). Tony is also a big-wave surfer who spends the northern winter in a forgotten corner of Northwest Spain, and migrates to Southwest Africa during the southern winter…
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T H E DA RK RO O M Pa rt 8:
POST PRODUCTION
PART 2: IN DEPTH PHOTOGRAPHIC WIZARD RY WITH S T EPHAN KLEINLEIN
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THE DARK ROOM
So last issue we looked at basic editing and storage techniques for your shots once you are off the beach and back at your computer. With the basics now done we can focus more closely on the fine tuning of each image. There are tons of different techniques, tips and tricks which can be applied, and you can spend hours researching and trying different things, and learning what works best for you. It all depends on the image and how good or bad the original photo is, and what you want to achieve with the final shot. Here I am going to show you a few techniques that I have applied to improve or to change the focus of the shot.
1. This guy was riding right in the sunlight so he became a dark silhouette on the flat RAW image After the basic adjustments, the colors become more vivid. Now by boosting the Shadows level all the dark objects become lighter, and details which have been in the shadow become more visible. Be careful here, by boosting the Shadow level too much the images become more grainy, this can be compensated by adjusting the other levels under Tone, and also when you go down to Detail and look at Sharpening and Noise Reduction you can bring the Noise Reduction Luminance level up to counteract this.
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2. Another way to lighten only particular areas in an image is by using the Adjustment Brush Tool. Lightroom already has some preset brushes, or you can design your own brush and name it (such as a “No Color” brush which will take all the colors out wherever you use the brush). The brush can be activated by the button “K” on your keyboard, and you can also adjust the intensity of the brush. Then, when you’ve used the maximum of the brush’s adjustment power, turn the brush off and on again by double clicking the keyboard button “K” and you have the same power of the brush again and again. Take it easy at first! Here are some standard brush intensity settings I use:
3. Sunset Shot. After your basic adjustments you can boost or even take out particular colors in your image to give that photo a special, more dynamic feeling by adjusting the main colors which make your photo shine under the Saturation tab.
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4. Darken certain areas around the main object on your image to bring out the ‘main actor’, then the viewer’s attention will be steered exactly where you want it to be.
5. Playing with the dark and lightening brush are very effective ways of giving the image a special warm feeling, for example on this Ozone image for a catalogue shoot. The darker sky and darkening the water around the half round circle beach almost turns the image into a 3D effect, with much more depth of field.
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6. Here this flat RAW shot becomes an incredible play of turquoise ocean colors by adjusting the lights differently inside the barrel, and in particular through darkening the sky behind the white spray, and the water in front of the barrel.
7. Split shots half under and half above the water line. By lightening the underwater part of split shots – maybe taking a bit of the green/aqua color out with a customized brush – and darkening the blue of the sky, this image becomes far more interesting!
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8. Landscape action shots come to life by boosting contrast and saturations. Bringing out the water reflection and the orange of the kite, plus lightening the shadowed mountain in the background turns the flat RAW image into a beautiful photo.
After the editing is done it is important to find new keywords for your image. This will make it much easier to find them if you look, for example, for a WAVE, MAURITIUS, SUNSET, KEAHI shot. Also giving your images stars, so 5 Stars is a top shot and 4 Stars is very good etc. Then save your finished images at least two times and upload them onto the internet so they never get lost! Photo editing is an art-form in itself and takes time to master. You never stop learning and you can always discover new tricks. I love this part of the whole photography experience, even if it can take hours and hours on the computer. Only when I have been through every single photo that I wanted to edit and spent
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enough time to be satisfied with my edit am I completely happy with my day’s work. Going through older images from years ago and back to the images I edited today, I can see a huge progression in my work. What I did years ago in the editing process I often wouldn’t do these days. Sometimes it is new knowledge accrued by gaining more experience, sometimes it is the new trend in magazines, sometimes it is what customers like to see in their images, and sometimes it is just the mood you are in! Have a break when the work gets too much and continue another day. You will see that only when you enjoy the editing part of the whole photography process will your frozen moments become shiny diamonds!
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Best rider Brandon Cordina grew up just down the road from me in Charleston, SC. Rather than shoot at his home break of Sullivan’s Island, we decided to travel a couple thousand miles to shoot on the outer reef in Cabarete, DR.
THI NGS YO U WO U L DN ’ T K NOW A B O UT T HI S S HOT JASON
KELLER
H U DSON
The north east swell made for super rampy conditions. Heading out with speed made for easy boosting on the small wind swell. I nearly took one on the head when he landed. Keeping positioned with the break and trying to predict the rider’s line takes a lot of work on the best of days. With the washing machine conditions, I misjudged Cordina’s route by a tad and found myself downwind out the back – right where Cordina and three fins wanted to be. There is a fine line between being in the “right spot” and the “worst spot imaginable” when shooting surf in the water. Shooting at the reef is super tricky. You have to walk out past the jagged dry reef way down the beach, then swim over the razor sharp shallows. I ripped my shirt twice on shallow reef. Then, I got smoked by the incoming tide. Like swimming on a treadmill, it took nearly an hour and a half to swim out. But, linking up with Cordina a few times made it worth it. Cabarete is windy (enough) 250 days a year with persistent afternoon trades… So, it is safe to say it’s probably windy this very second: get out there!
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