Hi snowkiters ‘round the world.
Kiter : Johann Civel ripping with the OZONE Summit 12m.
Here is the issue #17 of «White Kite Sessions» and it’s all about the 10th Snowkitemasters in Serre-Chevalier, France. What a date ! Ten years of outstanding freestyle contests since the beginning. Think that some say the level was better ten years ago... I mean, those who stop to come tell this reason. We can understand through this sentence that we spent really amazing SKM issues all along the ten years. For the other ones, who are still here at the Lautaret Pass to fight against the conditions, they know that all is getting harder and harder. The tricks are more technical for sure, the judgement is made as a severe manner now, the heats have to be competed anyway even if the wind, terrain, and light are getting super difficult. Everything gets harder nowadays, and not only the snowkiting level. Setting up such a great event requires an incredible amount of work during the monthes before the D-date you know. When it was quite easy to get some sponsorships in 2004, the financial worldwide crisis makes it nearly unreachable now. Régis and Wareck have to struggle strongly, sometimes near to give up in autumn when step by step lot of people stop their partnership or participation. So, we can realize how lucky we are to live once again this kind of unforgettable week at one of the best snowkiting spot in the world. A full week of sport, frienships, happy-hour at the SKM bar, endless parties for the real warriors, spreading out worldwide image and story communication every day to show what snowkiting is like. Sincerely, I want to THANK everyone who was part of this 10th anniversary here at the Lautaret Pass. Kiters, organizers, staff, federation, sponsors, medias, resorts, all passionated people who make our dreams coming true with the best snowkiting event ever. Impossible for a poor photo-journalist as me to produce a real complete magazine without missing some of you guys on the pictures or story. So, sorry to the friends who are not on these pages. I hope you’ll enjoy this issue #17 anyway. Thank you for reading :-) Cheers, Pascal Boulgakoff
Front-cover pic : Didier BOTTA with the 2014 RAPACE Condor 12m.
Click onto the text, it’s getting larger, so easier to read, browse along the chapter. When finished to read, click again and the page gets back to the normal size. Same if you want to check out the details on any picture :-)
whitekitenews@orange.fr
Every Snowkitemasters issue saw real winter conditions here at the Lautaret Pass along the ten past seasons but we can assure you that this year, we’ve been really well served with difficult moments. Three days of snowstorm with fog and flat light coming after two wonderful blue sky days without wind at all... We can
add to this situation a special day with North wind blowing 15 minutes to some direction, stopping half an hour, then suddenly blowing 20 minutes to the opposite direction, and so it was along the competition on the Day#4. That’s the reason why you’ll see lot of pics looking taken near the night. But it was during the day actualy :-)
Laurent Sublet, Handlepass with the new HQ Montana 8.
Kari Schibevaag, during her first Flat-3 ever. OZONE Reo 12m.
just training and This is the tra- the event is not dition here on the already On. But that might be the days just before the event : I mean only one good weather window the kiters are coming for training. of the week... Some are arriving Another point : the kiters are very from really far excited to meet countries so they prefer to enjoy the together and they journey as more as were waiting for possible. Well, the this moment since so long time, that two days before they’re perforthe SKM kick-off ming strongly. As are definitely not every free-sesto be missed. Of sion, it’s always a course, depending lot easier to take of the years, these nice pictures here days have been than during the great or not, often competition when because of the only two kiters weather. And soare allowed to go metimes, we don’t on the snowpark. know yet how These two photos lucky we are to are showing the have a real great jam-session on session. Because january 10th. in our mind, it’s
The Snowkitemasters Race competition has been launched for the first time about 2010, I recon. That was a very good idea. By this way, every snowkiter can now compete and this occasion serves to be part of a challenge against the
best top-riders which is not so often. This year, MOOD Collection was the main partner of the Race. We’ve been lucky enough as the wind was blowing from South so the competition area could be perfect.
www.yourmood.net
couldn’t have his famous «full speed start» with the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go as the Well, what can be said about the starter said softly «OK guys, you can World SKM MOOD R ace ? go.» After saying ten times at least As many people don’t agree with every 3mn : «Start in one minute». each other... So, here is We all asked : «Can we go ?» and only my opinion. First, the Rac e compethe starter answered : «Yes.» Then, tition is always a great moment. on the racing track, so many people So nice to see all the ki ters on the were sitting, landing kites, crossing starting line going full speed to to take pictures, that was amazing. the first pole. But, of co urse, many But, this is competition way of life. people were complaini ng. Because And even if the track was short, it organizing a Race is ne ver so easy. was strong. Do people look only at During the SKM, a ve ry lot of the marathon during the Olympics kiters are coming to th e spot, many and not at the 100m because it’s too of them are here only to look at the much short ? Of course they really show, and they are crui sing around, like the 100m. And so it was for this which means hundreds kites in the Race. The winners have been the air everywhere. So, the organizers most inspiring. The show was really are often deciding to se t the Race intensive. My friend Ronny crossed on a very small area. Ev ery year, his lines with mines at the start, we the Race area is getting smaller and had to clear our kites while all other smaller. That’s life. A nyway, it is kiters were rushing, then I passed still the best kiters who are winall the competitors along the track ning. No mistake allow ed on such except one and ended 2nd. Eveshort track. Every kite r can win, rybody has his own story about this or can end at the last po sition. It’s Race. Especialy Murphy who didn’t really a question of luck . understand 5,4,3,2,1,Go as that was For example, the winne r of the last said in french... So he rushed at 2 SKM Race crossed his lines with (Thinking 3,2,1,Go), had to stop, another kiter at the star ting kick-off going back, and re-start :-) so didn’t end the race. The organiThat was a cool day sation was so sketchy than the best anyway !!! Race competitor from Switzerland
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.jaz/
Since the beginning, the Snowkitemasters event is entertained with big sound music. This is part of the SKM spirit. On the picture, here is Stephen «Jaz» setting fire every year during the SKM week. Stephen is bringing all his music
gear to the snowpark or SKM outdoor village all the day, mixing super sharts and so he is doing early evening at the pub Le Frog during the Happy Hour. «Afroman Production» is the label you can check out for cool sound.
Kiter : BenoĂŽt Miquel.
Freestyle snowkiting is for sure the soul of the SKM event. This is the goal the SKM was organized from the first year for. No other competition in the world is producing so good snowkiters and great freestyle show. Once again, the kiters
gave some unbelievable performance and level. Their motivation had to keep strong against the very difficult wind conditions this week. Two snowparks were set up with rails, rainbow, sliders, kickers. Awsome.
Kiter : Johann Civel
Kiter : Anton Uzhegov
The Snowkitemasters freestyle days are separated between two main moments. The competition where only 2 or 3 kiters can perform on the park, and during the breaks waiting for the next heat, there are the free-sessions and these moments are always really impressive. Some kiters are coming to the event, although they are not competing, and show terrible moves as well. It’s not the case of the competitors who prefer
keeping their b secret for the fi the sequence a is Johann Cive big kicker (not kiters were cra to jump on it a showing a smo grab air-cross. five, six or mo graphers and fi are shooting du trick then the p sent straight in ning around th media websites
Kiter : Alex Robin
best tricks finals. On above, here el on the t so many azy enough actualy) ooth mute Always ore photofilm-makers uring each pictures are n the evehe worldwide s.
Full metal contest
http://www.andreastoverud.com/
Kiter : Andreas Toverud. Winner of the Race Snowboard.
The competition life can offer great moments but unfortunately disapointing ones as well. It’s mainly a question of luck although every body is giving his best. On the picture, here is Andreas Toverud from Norway, and this is
(my own opinion) one of the best freestyle kiters in the world. But depending of the difficult wind and weather conditions, the heats and the situations around, the final result can be good or not. Contest rule is hard.
http://kite-unit.com/
So, beside the unlucky guys, other can have a heavenly week. This is the case for our friend Alex Robin who managed everything he tried along this week. First, Alex won the Race and this is a very great performance. Then, during the five days about freestyle competition, once again Alex organized his heats in order to be always at his best level at the right time. Look at the list below of his main freestyle tricks which made him winning the competition : -Double backloop kiteloop Mute (10m high). -S.bend 5 pass Surface. -Backroll to blind. -Combo : Slide One foot on the tube # 3.6 Flat on the rainbow. -Frontloop kiteloop Mute. And so many other easier like Flat.3 or kind of basic grabs but bringing high scoring points when coming all in one. Alex can as well speak about his strategy. Of course, each snowkiter has got his own one but here is Alex’ idea : «I’m trying to start with a huuuuuuge move in the first seconds, right next in front of the judges, more spectacular than difficult actualy, in order to impress the kiters around and the judges, and get high score, leading immediately. Then, all along the heat, I will keep a look at my sparing partner competitor and I will make the same tricks, I even try to produce them better, so normaly at the end my score might be tje higher for sure.» Alex is as well strongly involved in his own project «Kite for everybody, everywhere» with the label KITE UNIT. Check out the website above the story block.
For the ten past years, the GIRLS freestyle competition was always raging strong. Nowhere else than at the Snowkitemasters event, you’ll see so high level by the girls coming from all over the world. Competing with snowboard or skis, they are full part of the SKM show. Here on the picture, from left to right : Kari Schibevaag, Céline Rodenas, Estelle Lambelet. If Céline is quite newcomer, Kari and Estelle are here for many years and their level is increasing every winter. Of course we would like to see more girls here at the Lautaret Pass during the week but this is nice to have such cool smiles all the time on the park. We probably don’t have so many snowkiting girls but at least we have the prettiest ones :-) Both are high-level kiters on water and jump on the podium competitions all along the years.
Gi rls pag e
Kiter : CĂŠline Rodenas.
Kiter :Estelle Lambelet. The freestyle judgement is the same for girls and boys. The points for scoring are : speed, high, newschool tricks, basic tricks, grabs, rotations, upsidedown moves, combos, creativity on the park using all the modules, general fluent attitude. Each trick has to be
landed properly, otherwise it’s bringing no points at all, even if the rest of the move was awsome. Experience is a very important skill for the kiters and here on the rainbow, Estelle Lambelet is one of the most creative and smooth heat maker.
We are always happy to meet some famous snowkiters coming especialy during the SKM week, although they aren’t competing. Here is Bruno Gagne from center of France, and his board custom repaired with P-tex parts from old gear. Bruno is producing incredible videos on his home spot. For sure a real hard-core kiter. Check out his Vimeo page. You won’t believe it :-)
https://vimeo.com/brunogagne/videos
So many hours spent as waiting for the heats. No wind, too much flat light, so the kiters try to compete anyway :-) Romain Barchko and Laurent Sublet are getting high on poker. It seems that the rules were changing all the time depending of the cards in the hand...
Snowkiting sport will survive only with the newcomers during further years. Rémi Borgioli here with the kids of the Serre-Chevalier Vallée just back from a snowkiting course for free given by the KITE LEGENDE school as partner with the Snowkitemasters event. It was on wednesday and this day is the one especialy booked at Kite Légende for the kids. Don’t hesitate to give a try !!!
http://www.kitelegende.fr/
https://www.facebook.com/marek.m.zach?fref=ts
Murphy Punk is the SKM winner for the second time. As written on the A. Toverud page before, the final result can be good or not, even with maximum motivation and performance from the kiters. So, after winning on 2009, Marek here on
the slider, had some unlucky SKM weeks in the past. But this super funny guy and crazy competitor never came down and got this year the title once again. Big Up Murphy. You are the best (in our heart) !!!
http://www.kitenews.fr/
http://www.rap
pace-kiteboarding.fr/
4- FLYSURFER boss : Ramon Schoenmaker Well, here are the and Nicolas Lelarge. captions for the picAlways on the spots, tures from top left to supporting their teambottom right. kiters strongly, high 1- Manu Morel, senior level kiters which is photographer at Kite- great for such big comsurmag and above all pany managers. Nosuper nice guy. Thank thing would be possible to Hugo chief redacwithout their developtor at Kitesurfmag ment and efforts. for huge report about 5- The RAPACE team SKM every year. from Les Estables. 2- KITENEWS webBoss Titi is missing on site crew : Jeff Valet, the picture but we got Aurélie Tépard, Chris- the soul of the brand tophe Salvaing. Kiteanyway: Crazy and news was keeping the cool attitude. readers up to dated 6- Wareck Arnaud about the event every and Régis Labaune. evening with great The god-fathers of the photos and videos. Snowkitemasters event. 3- A few kiting brands They created it. They are partners with the managed to keep it Snowkitemasters. All rocking along the years are here as cool and against the difficult enthousiastic crews points of the snowsetting great atmoskiting life. We shall phere along the week. never thank them both Not so easy to have enough for the increall on the pictures. So dible spirit and motivaI’m happy to show tion. And always joking here at least the FLYaround while working SURFER gunners and hard. BIG UP !!! team-manager.
Marek MURPHY Zach. 2014 SKM freestyle winner.
Benoît «La Mouette» Miquel. Getting better and better every year.
Anton Uzhegov. The bear from Ural, on the SKM podium every time.
J茅r么me GG Josserand. For sure the son of the wind !!!
http://www.le-frog.fr/
THE place to be after snowkiting, Pub Le Frog at Villeneuve La Salle, here with managers Xavier & Didi holding the Snowkitemasters 10th birthday cake during the price-giving ceremony. Cosy and warm atmosphere, high level gastronomy. Go for it !
OK guys, I know that the snowkitemasters event is mixing greatest snowkiting level and hot parties at Le Chazelay, right next to the pub Le Frog. I’ve been told about terrible nights there by the kiters, and we can understand it in the morning when looking at the face of some of them. But, sorry, no photos as during the night, I’m sleeping...
http://www.chazelay.com/
Normaly, the Snowkitemasters week is fully dedicated to the Freestyle and Race contests. But, every year, we get a snowshower for two or three days and it’s taking a while to the staff before clearing the snowpark. So, it’s been a real great moment during all SKM issues to
have a big powder session. This year it was just beside the park and the kiters could keep their attention on the green flag while slashing the fresh snow. But I remember some years when everybody went to the summits around and forgot the competition...
Kiter : Kari Schibevaag
Half a second before entering under the snow (page before) Kari was kiting on it actualy.
https://www.facebook.com/schibevaagclothing
p o be u t t n a w If you ediately in d imm e daily to date ing about th t live ec en the ev , or even dir pots ns iting s k sessio w o n n’t he s from t he world, do hitet W around to join the « cefa e hesitat » group on low be ws kitene ick the link ur o Cl book. welcome to el and fe de crew !!! i worldw au tenus e r t te ê r Pou nowki s s o f n t des i fois en couran nnes, ou par tout ts ie quotid puis les spo , de de direct u vaste mon re le d joind e r autour à s News» tez pa i e s t i é h K ’ e n «Whit liquez sur e p u o C gr book. s et alors e c a f r su sou ci-des enus au n e i l v le s bien nowkite :-) e l z e s soy l’info e d r u coe
http://www.facebook.com/groups/Whitekitenews/
Kiter : Romain Barachko.
www.kitetracker.com
ons» is using si es S e it K e it h W « p for live GPS ap R E K C A R T E KIT e snowkiting recording along th ega database now routes or tracks. M d kiting spots aroun about every snow handy. the world. Super
to a new moun o g to n la p u o If y TRACKER E IT K n o k c e h tain, c l, the path to fo m o fr rt a st to where le. points reachab low, the highest ow rse. Available n u o c f o , e e fr ’s It ndroid. for IOS7 and A ttom left, and o b t a k n li e th Click me for sharing a rn se u r u o y r registe s. winning goodie tracks, photos,
Kite-tracker : Dominik Zimmermann. Spot : Lautaret Pass, Jardin Alpin. Kite : O
OZONE Frenzy Ultralite 13m.
www.rossignol.com
www.fly
ysurfer.com
J’ai dessiné cette affiche pour la 2ème étape des Championnats de France Valcivières au Col des Supeyres organisée par la KAF de Lyon. Toutes les infos et inscriptions sur le lien ci-contre :
http://cfsk.kafkite.fr/
www.snowkitemasters.com
Kiter : Etienne LHOTE.
Kiter : Anton Uzhegov.
www.snowkitemasters.com
Skier : David BRUN. Brin-Brin. Or Fakie Brown.
Kiter : Alexandre Robin. 2014 SKM winner skis. Race & Freestyle !!!
New Aeros brochure
Spot : Le Connest, France.
http://madmagz.com/magazine/286445
www.aerospara.com
http://www.flysurf.com
Kiter : Laurent Sublet. HQ Montana M8. Somewhere, over the rainbow.
Un grand merci au de leader des sites web kite FLYSURF.COM pour sceller un partenariat avec «White um, Kite Sessions». For ions News, Shop, Occas garanties, Reports : clickez le lien cii !!! dessous et c’est part Pour faire court : la . bible du kite, en fait
http://issuu.com/whitekitesessions
Vous lisez le numéro #17 de «White Kite You’re reading the ions» magazine ss Se te hi «W of 7 #1 e su is e. L’hiver derlin on e lin on » ns io ss Se Kite 13 numéros sont , er ni ase st La . ne zi web ut au long de to s ru pa t en w es su is son 13 l’hiver. Le numéro out along the winter #1 dès fin septembre, monthes. Starting puis un numéro à from the first sessions chaque voyage, seslate september here sion, événement, en in France, and keeFrance ou à l’étranping the readers up to Si vous en avez r. ge p tri y er ev r te af d te da qué certains ou si an m t en ev ol co or , ad ro ab débarquez tout us vo . ce an Fr in i à WKS, n’héic e st ju of e m so s is m u If yo pas à les retrouz te si w ne re u’ yo if , them , avec photos, us to r ve S, K W at re he comer infos, liens, portraits, you can have a look at vidéos, bref, tout ce the stories, the photos, qui constitue notre infos, links, details, petit monde du snowtips, portraits, well, kite. Cliquez le lien en everything which is haut à gauche. part of our snowkiting sport. Click the link up left.
www.powerkites.de
Ki La ter : Su uren ble t t.
http://poiskite.free.fr/
Congratulations to Wareck, here struggling in the snowstorm to set up the SKM snowpark from West to South area for the day after as the wind was changing direction. Wareck keeping positive spirit and unbreakable motivation to make
the 2014 SKM issue a real success !!! Managing to organize every detail and making the video production at the same time. But, hey Wareck, when you ask me to take a portrait of you, look at the lens, not at the flash I’m holding aside ;-)
www.snowkitemasters.com
Kiter : Johann Civel. OZONE Summit 12m.
All xts, This is the end. The photos, te next issue will come ons, out right after my next capti trip to Abruzzo, Italy. s: n g i s e d s. de du ed So stay tun Don’t hesitate to share this mag if you like it. Thank you very much. Cheers.
f f o k a g l u o B l a Pasc
Short SKM results list Girls : 1-Kari Schibevaag 2-Estelle Lambelet 3-Céline Rodenas Boys Race Snowboard : 1-Andreas Toverud 2-Didier Botta 3-Laurent Guyot Boys Race Skis : 1-Alexandre Robin 2-Pascal Boulgakoff 3-Jérôme Josserand Boys Freestyle Snowboard : 1-Marek Zach 2-Laurent Guyot 3-Andreas Toverud Boys Freestyle Skis : 1-Alexandre Robin 2-Anton Uzhegov 3-Benoît Miquel
whitekitenews@orange.fr
Complete results on the Snowkitemasters webpage.
www.flyozone.com
Check out the 2014 event page :
www.ozonesnowkitemasters.com