The Kiteboarder Magazine December 2010

THEKITEBOARDER.COM

Alaska

Road Trippin’

+

Saving Access

at Your Local Kite Beach

How to Stick a 313 and Back Mobe

24

New Products to Check Out

photo: E.Aeder

Ian Alldredge, Global 6’0”, Bolt 7

naishkites.com

Pacific Boardsports LLC - (509) 493 0043 - info@pacificboardsports.com

Explore the Possibilities “I traveled this year with a quiver of Bolts and the 6’0 Global. Basically the best travel setup.”

“The Bolts were sick in all conditions and were super predictable so I could really concentrate on surfing.”

“The 6’0” Global is the first board I’ve ever ridden that can perform without compromise from dredging outer reef monsters to shorebreak airs. Its got the grip and control when you need it in the big stuff, and can generate the drive and speed needed for small waves. Its my all-time favorite board and has replaced the whole quiver of boards I used to need for different conditions.”

- Ian Alldredge

Custom Global

Waveriding perfection 5’0”, 5’4”, 5’7”, 6’0”, 6’2”

Bolt

Versatile - Stable - Predictable 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.5, 12, 14, 16

thek i teboarde r. com 1

2 t he kiteb oa r d e r .c o m

thek i teboarde r. com 3

6 t he kite b oa r d e r .c o m

Eric Reinstra on track to another day on the water.

Photo Lance Koudele

Features LAUNCH

THEKITEBOARDER.COM

Pros & cons of selling online: Road TRippin’

at Your LocaL Kite Beach

How to Stick a 313 and Back MoBe

24

Alaska selling KiteboarDing TailgaTe alaska and Thompson pass wiTh The aka Boys

Saving acceSS

New Products to CheCk out

12

When it comes time to sell yo are better solutions hawking street. Photo Scott Edwards

Tips on how to unload your used gear.

Alaska

+

Zach Kleppe entertains the crowd with a particularly good wipeout.

Rick Jensen slides with style in Hood River.

Photo Jon Malmberg

24

by alexis rovira

By Obadiah Jenkins and Tom Fredericks

Way up north in alaska, there’s a little toWn Where the Wind bloWs across vast glaciers and up mountains so large that simply calling them big doesn’t do them justice. they make big seem small and the snowfall is measured in feet instead of inches. the place is valdez and like many other Alaskan fishing towns, it lives by the motto “we’re a drinking town with a fishing problem.” nestled between the chugach mountains and prince William sound, valdez is also home to something very special, a mountain festival like no other. Each spring, the town comes alive with incredible talents of world-class athletes similar to the winter Olympics, except we have kegs, reggae music, far fewer cameras, and much less stress.

gear online Snowkiting Valdez, Alaska:

Now that much of the new 2011 kiteboarding gear is on the market, it’s time to think about upgrading your old busted gear to something new and shiny. With any kiteboarding upgrade, the big question everyone asks themselves is “What am i going to do with my old gear?” We’ve all been faced with the dilemma of how to get rid of old gear and most of us that have been kiting for awhile have a pile of gear stashed away that is no longer being used. the most efficient way to sell your used gear is to post it online, but if you’ve never done it, it’s a little overwhelming to decide where to start and what website to post it on. here’s a quick overview on how to effectively sell your gear online along with some tips and the pros and cons for the most common sites to use to sell your used kiteboarding gear.

The AKA crew road trips to the Tailgate Alaska Festival.

Do Your research

Road TRippin’

First, do your research. Check around to see what similar gear (brand, condition, and model year) is selling for to give you a realistic idea of what you should expect to get for it.

PreP for Your aD

Take good photos and take way more than you think you need. You can always delete the ones you don’t use. If you’re selling a kite, take photos of it inflated.

Make sure the gear you are selling is clean and looking good. No one likes to buy

38

1 2 t h e ki t e b oar d e r . co m

2 4 t h e k i t e b oa r d e r . c o m

How to prevent a ban:

sandy or dirty gear. Do a thorough inspection of the gear and repair or replace any parts that may need to be fixed. If you are planning on selling your gear asis, take close-up photos of the areas that need repair or replacement and make sure that you list them on your advertisement.

Describing Your gear

When writing your ad, stick to talking about the condition of your gear.

Include how long you’ve had it and if any part of the gear has been damaged, is in need of repair, or has been repaired. Be completely honest about the condition of what you are selling. No one needs to know all of the tech specs as this information is widely available online and chances are buyers have already read the info if they are considering purchasing your gear. Keep your descriptions simple and concise. 2,000 word descriptions are overkill. If you have to ship the gear, make sure you are very clear and on how you will be shipping it to the buyer and what the cost will be in addition to the selling price.

Website breaKDoWn

Now the last step is deciding what website to sell your gear on, whether it is on an auction site like eBay, a classified site like Craigslist, or the buy and sell section of a forum like iKitesurf or your local kiteboarding forum. Here are a few pros and cons of each:

t he k it e b oa r de r .c om 25

Success stories to help keep your local beach open.

70

to Advanced How Keep Your instruction: Beach open

The 313 and Back Mobe: The next tricks after you nail your first handlepass.

There is no doubT ThaT kiTeboarding beaches geT more crowded every season.

Kiteboarders have faced issues regarding launch access since the earliest days, but as more and more riders show up at the beach conflicts between kiteboarders and other beachgoers will become more common. Unfortunately for us, kiteboarders are still in the minority at most sites, and this means that if we are viewed as a problem by authorities; the easiest solution for them might be to simply ban kiteboarding.

Beach access is something we should all be concerned about if we want to be able to freely kiteboard as the sport expands. To keep our beaches open for kiteboarding, it’s up to us to do something about it, but luckily there are already a few examples about how to go about preserving access that can serve as role models to beaches that might not have had to deal with the issue yet.

3 8 t he k it e b oa r de r . c om

Back MoBe Words and Riding by Julien Hosp Photos Jacqueline d’Entremont

Departments

By definition, the back mobe is a back roll with a 360 frontside handlepass. If you want to learn the back mobe, you should be comfortable with simple handlepasses such as a 313 or blind judge and you should know how to do unhooked back rolls in your sleep.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

32 Close Up

Enter the move with speed and unhook.

To initiate the back mobe, throw an inverted back roll.

In the middle of the back roll, press the bar to your back hip.

Look over your back shoulder and keep rotating.

Pass the bar and finish the rotation.

Spot your landing and try to get your second hand on the bar to gain control of your kite.

Flexifoil’s Sean Mertens and Nobile’s Jannicke Stav profiled.

70 thekiteboarder.com

36 Backwoods Travel

Exploring Tobago Cays with Zenith Ocean Voyages.

56 Designer’s Corner

What changed and what’s new on 10 new 2011 kites and boards.

66 Analyze This

TKB team puts four new products to the test.

74 Workbench

Pushing the limits of your chicken loop. thek i teboarde r. com 7

S By

We on sim as de

We mo wi •

• • •

THINK We Are All Jerks At the end of the annual AWSI trade show in Hood River, the TKB crew was looking a little worse for wear. Alexis Rovira and I had been on the road for two weeks, and we were showing it. A few other members of the staff were looking a little rough around the edges, so Marina invited over Laura Maher, who besides being an awesome person and kiteboarder is also a dynamite hair stylist. Laura’s duty was to make us all a little more presentable, a daunting task when you take into account my DIY haircut I got in my bathtub at home before hitting the road.

Just a few days after having a blast at Sherman Island with Jeremie Texier, we heard about an altercation that led two cool people to think the other was a jerk. Photo Paul Lang

1

8/19/09

While taking turns under Laura’s scissors, we spent the time catching up with Laura and hearing about her endless travels. Sherman Island came up as a topic, as Laura had been there recently and it had been our last stop before hitting Hood River. “There was this guy there who was a complete jerk,” said Laura. “I think his name was James or John or something. He rides North kites and a wakeboard.” “Do you mean Jeremie?” Alexis asked. “”Yea, that’s it, that guy cut me offAM so many times. I had to have a talk with him in the parking lot,” said Laura.

7:52:32 Well, there’s nothing new about this conversation, as we all know it’s common for kiters to complain about problem riders all the time. What surprised us though was that Alexis and I know Jeremie. We had just ridden with him at Sherman Island and slept at his apartment in San Francisco! He rode in the child-sized back seat of my truck out to Sherman and we both knew him to be a stand up guy. He’s a great rider and a really nice person. It struck me as really strange that two really cool people and good riders, Laura and Jeremie, would have an altercation where they probably both walked away thinking the other was a jerk.

How could this happen?

After a little thought on the matter, it’s actually really easy to understand how people that would otherwise become friends end up as enemies. Out on the water, it’s easy to get so focused on learning a new move or scoring the next wave that we all develop tunnel vision. We start to ignore the other riders around us and the truth is, at one time or another, we’ve probably all been jerks out on the water.

We’ve probably all stolen someone else’s wave or been overaggressive when throwing tricks around others and we’ve definitely all been on the receiving end of someone else doing the same.

The problem is that this sport is too small for us to be jerks to each other. If we’re going to be able to band together to do things like help preserve beach access, we’ve all got to learn to live with our fellow riders. Next time you’re out on the water, try to keep your head up and pay a little more attention to the other riders around you. Instead of competing amongst ourselves for the space we share, we should all be cheering one another on. Remember, the wind will always continue to blow and the waves will keep coming. We’ll never run out of either!

8 t he kite b oa r d e r .c o m

thek i teboarde r. com 9

Paul Lang, Editor paul@thekiteboarder.com Marina Chang, Publisher marina@thekiteboarder.com

Ryan Riccitelli, Executive Editor ryan@thekiteboarder.com

Shana Gorondy, Art Director

Gary Martin, Technical Editor

Alexis Rovira, Editor At Large

Peter Grendler, Web Advisor

SENIOR WRITERS

Marina Chang, Paul Lang, James Brown, Gary Martin

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS

Neil Hutchinson, Stefan Ruether, Rick Iossi, Toby Brauer, Brendan Richards, Matt Sexton, Will Caldwell, Kevin “Irie Dog” Murray, Kinsley ThomasWong, Members of the Central Coast/ Santa Barbara CKA

CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Schenck, Obadiah Jenkins, Tom Fredericks, Alexis Rovira, Franz Schitzhofer, Dimitri Maramenides, Momi, Raphael Salles, Rick Iossi, Martyn Hogg, Litewave Dave Turner, Max Blom Jr., Evan Mavridoglou, Tony Logosz, Amery Bernard, Damien Girardin, Greg Drexler, Julian Hosp, Brendan Richard, Peter Schiebel

PHOTOGRAPHY

Lance Koudele, Gavin Butler, Wainman Hawaii, Stephen Whitesell, Scott Edwards, Palapas Ventana, Wind-Adventures, Pascal Boulgakow, www.benwilsonsurf.com, Litewave Dave Turner, Gary Martin, www.zenithoceanvoyages.com, David G. Tran, Marina Chang, Phil Morstad, www. seethroughboards.com, Eric Yeung, Epic Kites, Dixie Buckley, Carol Bolstad, Jessica Kimbriel, Jon Malmberg, Jen Whiteman, Brian Caserio, Scott Semon, Gavin Butler, Obadiah Jenkins, Steve Carr, Dan Slater, Klaus Shulz, Rick Iossi, Scott Winer, Helen Trotman, Gilles Calvet, Richard Boudia, Elaine Turner, Mystic Boarding, Sharkeeye/Reload Productions, Jacqueline d’Entremont, Brendan Richards, David DeVries, Rob Buell, Mark Karels, Erin Loscocco, Danny Alvarez, Hugh Breslin, Gaii Conti, Charles Ash Thanks to all editorial and photography contributors for supporting this magazine!

Visit us on:

www.thekiteboarder.com www.twitter.com/the_kiteboarder www.facebook.com/thekiteboardermagazine www.theringmedia.com

ADMINISTRATIVE/ADVERTISING OFFICE 1356 16th Street Los Osos CA 93402 (805) 459-2373

EDITORIAL OFFICE

The Kiteboarder Compound 14610 Villa Maria Isabel Corpus Christi, Texas 78418

SUBSCRIPTIONS

subscriptions@thekiteboarder.com store.thekiteboarder.com (805) 459-2373 Have you got an idea for an article you would like to see in The Kiteboarder Magazine?

Send your submission to editor@thekiteboarder.com The Kiteboarder Magazine is a subsidiary of The Ring Media Inc. Copyright 2010 by The Ring Media Inc. All rights reserved.

PRINTED IN USA

10 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

NEW 3 STRUT

OPEN DELTA C x Enhanced delta shaping x Core DNA from RPM and Fuel x Huge jumps with lofty hangtime x Responsive pivotal turning x Direct drive bridle – no pulleys x Legendary Slingshot bomber construction x Lifetime Rider Hotline support

RIDER: KAROLINA WINKOWSKA

PHOTO: @SHARKEYE/RELOAD PROD

REVOLUTIONARY CROSSOVER TECHNOLOGY

FLAT-WATER, SURF, AND SNOW

SLINGSHOTSPORTS.COM

COMSTICK control bar

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi

thek i teboarde r. com 1 1

LAUNCH

Zach Kleppe entertains the crowd with a particularly good wipeout.

By Alexis Rovira

Selling Kiteboarding

Gear Online

Now that much of the new 2011 kiteboarding gear is on the market, it’s time to think about upgrading your old busted gear to something new and shiny. With any kiteboarding upgrade, the big question everyone asks themselves is “What am I going to do with my old gear?” We’ve all been faced with the dilemma of how to get rid of old gear and most of us that have been kiting for awhile have a pile of gear stashed away that is no longer being used. The most efficient way to sell your used gear is to post it online, but if you’ve never done it, it’s a little overwhelming to decide where to start and what website to post it on.

Here’s a quick overview on how to effectively sell your gear online along with some tips and the pros and cons for the most common sites to use to sell your used kiteboarding gear.

Do Your Research

First, do your research. Check around to see what similar gear (brand, condition, and model year) is selling for to give you a realistic idea of what you should expect to get for it.

Prep for Your Ad

Take good photos and take way more than you think you need. You can always delete the ones you don’t use. If you’re selling a kite, take photos of it inflated.

Make sure the gear you are selling is clean and looking good. No one likes to buy 12 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

sandy or dirty gear. Do a thorough inspection of the gear and repair or replace any parts that may need to be fixed. If you are planning on selling your gear asis, take close-up photos of the areas that need repair or replacement and make sure that you list them on your advertisement.

Describing Your Gear

When writing your ad, stick to talking about the condition of your gear.

Include how long you’ve had it and if any part of the gear has been damaged, is in need of repair, or has been repaired. Be completely honest about the condition of what you are selling. No one needs to know all of the tech specs as this information is widely available online and chances are buyers have already read the info if they are considering purchasing your gear. Keep your descriptions simple and concise. Wordy descriptions are overkill. If you have to ship the gear, make sure you are very clear and on how you will be shipping it to the buyer and what the cost will be in addition to the selling price.

Website Breakdown

Now the last step is deciding what website to sell your gear on, whether it is on an auction site like eBay, a classified site like Craigslist, or the buy and sell section of a forum like iKitesurf or your local kiteboarding forum. Here are a few pros and cons of each:

When it comes time to sell your gear, there are better solutions than hawking your gear on the street. Photo Scott Edwards

eBay

Pros: A well known site that offers payment with PayPal security. eBay offers many different formats for selling your item: Buy Now, Auction, and Auction with Minimum Bid. On eBay, people fight over your stuff, making the price go up. It’s widely accepted that the best timing for selling on eBay is to post a 7-day auction on Sunday night to allow for last-minute bidding wars before the weekend ends.

Cons: ebay charges fees for posting photos and service fees for selling items. Make sure you calculate these added costs into your listing price. While a bidding war may mean your gear could sell for more than expected, a lack of interest means you could end up selling it for less than you wanted to. If you have a minimum price, make sure you set the reserve price so you don’t end up selling a perfectly good kite or board for $20.

Craigslist

Pros: Geared towards selling in specific areas or cities. Craigslist is a free, quick, and easy interface to post your ad. Transactions are face-to-face and are usually done with cash. Be very careful of people offering to purchase your gear from out of town, especially if they offer more than you are asking. These offers are ALWAYS a scam.

Cons: Lots of flakes and low-ballers that waste your time. Most people who are buying on Craigslist are looking for the smoking deal and will be trying to talk you down on your price.

iKitesurf Pros: A very direct market geared towards kiters that are looking for used gear. Free to post ads with photos and can post over and over until item is sold.

Cons: Large amount of competition when selling your gear. Payment and shipping might be a concern if you are selling to a person not in your area.

Local Kiteboarding Forums Pros: If you have a local forum for your area, chances are it has a buy and sell section. This connects you with other local kiters who might be looking for gear. Transactions are usually face-to-face at the local beach and you might even end up selling your gear to someone you know.

Cons: Local forums don’t have much reach outside of your local kiteboarding community, so if there isn’t someone interested in your gear in your area, you’ll have a tough time selling.

Although there are many different ways of selling your gear online, hopefully this information will help guide you in the right direction. Now go get your gear out of that dark corner, dust it off, post it online, and sell it. Use that money towards new gear that you will enjoy out on the water or towards that kite trip that you’ve always wanted to go on. That pile of dusty used gear in your garage isn’t doing anybody any good, so let it find a home where someone will enjoy it!

Selling Kiteboarding Gear Responsibly

By Paul Lang

We’ve probably all met someone at our local beach that shows up with outdated and abused gear who is proud of the “deal” they got on some equipment that is dangerous and basically worthless. Almost always, these are people who are completely new to kiting and simply didn’t know any better when buying used gear online. These people actually can be a big hazard for kiteboarding in general, as they probably have no clue what they are doing and might have even been told how easy and risk-free kiteboarding is by someone desperate to unload their stash of ancient gear.

We would all love to be able to sell our gear only to people we know will use the gear in a safe and responsible way, but the reality is that most kiters end up selling gear online to people they’ve never met. If you decide to sell your gear online, here are some guidelines we wish everyone would follow when selling kiteboarding equipment: • Always include a disclaimer in your ads that kiteboarding is a sport that requires instruction and that the equipment is very dangerous if not used correctly. We don’t want to scare away potential new kiteboarders, but it’s important that inexperienced buyers don’t enter the sport with unrealistic expectations. You can even go a step further and verbally communicate this to your potential buyer to make sure they understand what they are getting themselves into.

• Be very honest and realistic in your descriptions of used gear. Finding an ancient kite at the back of your garage that you hardly used and calling it almost new is irresponsible.

• If you personally think you have a kite or other piece of equipment that is not safe for a beginner to use (after proper instruction, of course), you should consider throwing it in the dumpster instead of selling it.

• After the transaction is complete, you should always refer the buyer to a kite school for instruction if they are new to kiteboarding.

A quick Google search or a look at the Kite Pages at the back of this magazine will help you find a school if the buyer lives in a different area. thek i teboarde r. com 1 3

411 The 11.5 mile island crossing is one of the main highlights of the annual Baja event. Photo Paul Lang

The Bison will be back! Photo courtesy Palapas Ventana

Up Your Game,

Demo New Stuff!

By TKB Staff

If you’re looking for a place to warm up this winter, head down to La Ventana in January for the annual La Ventana Classic and Kitexpo. A fundraiser that supports the local schools and community, the week-long event features pro rider clinics, competitions, nightly parties, and best of all, the chance to test all the new 2011 gear and accessories from your favorite brands! The 2011 event will feature early week instructional clinics January 17 through 19. To up your game, organizers have lined up racing tips and strategy with Andrew and Adam Koch, a girls only riding clinic to the island with Marie LeClerc and Laura Maher, and a trip to the coast focusing on strapless riding with Mark Bevis and Brendan Richards. Rumor has it that plans are in the works for a boot riding clinic as well sponsored by Liquid Force. Interested participants can sign up at the new website. Clinics will be held on the best wind days forecasted for the discipline with information on day, time, and meeting posted on the clinics tab on Friday, January 14.

Proceeds from the clinics all go toward helping out the cause.

January 20 marks the official start of the main event with the 11.5 mile kite/wind and SUP crossings, short course and downwind kite/wind and SUP races, and a big air/old school kite competition. A mandatory skipper’s meeting will be held the evening of Wednesday, January 19 at 7 pm at the Palapas Ventana restaurant where the competition schedule will be unveiled, based on the latest forecast. Intermediate or better level kiters can demo gear daily from 12 pm to 5 pm. Evening entertainment will once again feature the amazing sounds of K.L. Reggae with a beach BBQ, festivities at Pablo’s, a “Lucha Libre” wrestling match with a few twists, and more. Burning Bush will kick off the week’s activities on the evening of Saturday, January 15. Thanks to support from the demo 14 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

Live beach bands under a starry Baja sky. Photo Paul Lang

The 2010 Toga Party was a big hit.

Photo Paul Lang

exhibitors along with riders from throughout North America, the 2010 fundraising total with final donations and sponsors was $22,230. Organized by Palapas Ventana and The Kiteboarder Magazine with help from many dedicated volunteers, we hope to see you in La Ventana in the New Year for the event!

Check www.laventanaclassicbaja.com for complete info and updates. Register before January 15, 2011 to receive the early bird discount.

St. Martin is one of three new locations for Vela Kitesurf in 2011. Photo Courtesy Wind-Adventures

Dare2Fly Now Vela Kitesurf

Photo benwilsonsurf.com

k c a Sm

FCS has signed on world renowned kitesurfer Ben Wilson to their Global Team alongside professional surfers Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Julian Wilson, and the Hobgood brothers. The partnership will include the production of a signature FCS Ben Wilson fin designed specifically for wave kitesurfing. Richie Lovett, SHI Brand Ambassador said, “FCS is really excited to be aligning with kitesurfing pioneer Ben Wilson. As the kite scene grows in popularity, so does the demand for high quality kiting equipment and this obviously extends to fins. Ben is the best in his field and his kiting techniques are heavily influenced by contemporary surfing which is of great interest to us. Our collective plan is to offer some exciting products by combining Ben’s expertise and feedback with our knowledge of fin design.” Fin Control Systems, better known as FCS, offers surfers the ability to change their fins and customize their equipment to suit different wave conditions and board designs. The system also has remarkable travel benefits. The new FCS Ben Wilson signature fin will signify the introduction of FCS into the kitesurfing market. Ben’s signature fin is scheduled for release in 2011.

By TKB Staff

After many great years operating their kiteboarding schools and services under the name of Dare2Fly, 2011 brings a full relaunch of Vela’s kitesurfing program to demonstrate their commitment and growing passion for the sport. With 25 years of experience in windsports only travel, Vela knows how to do it right. They have been busy improving their KiteSurfari and Downwinder service offerings, plus increased their rental programs which are available at select destinations. Also new for 2011, Vela Kitesurf will have three new destinations to chose from: Vela Belize, a private-island multisport retreat sitting on the edge of one of the world’s most incredible reef systems; Vela St. Martin, a truly picturesque and amazing place to explore with a variety of conditions to challenge any level of rider; and HIHO SURFARI, a sure to be incredible adventure regatta in the British Virgin Islands including multi-island crossings while seeking out plenty of kiting spots ridden only by a handful of people. To get their spiffy new brochure or more info, see www.velakitesurf.com Chasta looks for the perfect line down the mountain. Photo Pascal Boulgakow

Winter Fun

on Snow

By Brian Schenck

There are many schools that offer snowkiting lessons and kite camps for all abilities of riders. Whether you are new to snowkiting or working on advanced backcountry skills, you can tune in with professional and experienced Instructors on any winter weekend. In addition to many local demo opportunities that snowkite schools are offering there are several regional events that attract snowkiters from across the nation. From freeride rallies that focus on soul sessions to competition- based events featuring full speed racing, there are opportunities for all snowkiters to engage in challenging terrain. For the competitive snowkiter, the racing scene is growing, with more opportunities to race in more diverse locations. From frozen lakes like Minnetonka in Minnesota to steep terrain found in the Rockies at spots like Skyline, there are a variety of venues to push your skills to the limit. For a complete event and demo calendar see www.FlyOzoneUSA.com

Photo Litewave

Winter winds have begun to blow, and if snowkiting is on your mind, there are plenty of adventures and challenges awaiting every snowbound kiteboarder this season.

A Snowkite Tour has evolved over the years in the US, offering kiteboarders many opportunities to share the stoke of snowkiting with like-minded riders. From entry level clinics to advanced kite camps and competitions that will test the mettle of any kiter, there is something for everyone this winter.

Litewave/GK is pleased to welcome a new sales rep for Florida and Puerto Rico. Carol Miranda’s role is getting the word out, doing demos, and generally spreading the stoke for the brands. Her thek i teboa rde r. com 1 5

INSIDE JOB Bruce Johnson at Crissy Field in San Francisco.

Photo Paul Lang

k c a m S

Company: Bay Area Kitesurf Job Title: VP of Operations Years in Industry: 5 Words of Wisdom: Try not to take yourself too seriously. Remember to breathe.

Years Kiteboarding: 7 Kite: F-One Bandit 4 Board: F-One 5’10” Bamboo Signature and Trax 5 TT How would you describe your job at Bay Area Kitesurf? Representing F-One through demos and expos and taking care of local vendors, customers, team riders, and kite school operations. Community support at local sites, shipping, inventory, and warehouse maintenance!

What did you do before working in the kite industry?

I started my own tile contracting business 16 years ago which is still operational.

How did you end up working in the kiteboarding industry? What led to Bay Area Kitesurf becoming a distributor? After growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, and surfing for the better part of my youth I continued this passion after moving to the Bay Area in the early 80s. Six years ago I started teaching after getting my PASA and IKO certifications. I met my good buddy and business partner Nico at a local kite spot and we found out through Arnaud of Kitemasters that F-One was looking for a new distributor for the US market. Both Nico and I decided to take our passion for the sport a bit further with the hope of a few kite adventures in the mix. We jumped at the opportunity and five years later we are on an upward trajectory working side by side with some of the bigger and most respected names in the business. Our initial plan of kite adventures has evolved into a full-time kiteboarding dream!

What is your typical day at the office like? When I get to the office I usually have a long list of items to be handled: Orders that need packing and shipping and customer care by phone and internet. We also have our local customers dropping into the shop for some F-One love! We discuss equipment, future trips, the upcoming season, new gear, and watch F-One videos. Midway through the day I head to the water for continued equipment testing and customer care at the beach or parking lot. It’s amazing how much gets done during these spontaneous meetings. At sundown I go home, answer a few more calls from our website and call it a day. There really are no typical days, but rather a constantly evolving traveling office.

Is working in the kiteboarding industry all it’s cracked up to be? I recently returned from the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean where F-One hosted their annual distributor 16 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

meeting, and I realized that our industry consists of a variety of characters sharing the same passion that come from all over the world. Being in this industry is truly a global experience humanly, geographically, and collaboratively.

How old were your daughters when they began kiteboarding? What do you think of kiteboarding as a family activity? Ella, who just started college at Cal Poly, started when she was 12 and our youngest daughter Zola started when she was 11. She is 14 now and “shreds the gnar!” Zola has been a driving force inspiring her classmates to take lessons and pursue the sport. Ella became a PASA certified instructor when she was 14 and has been teaching every summer since! Kiteboarding is highly recommended as a family activity. I could not have asked for anything more. I get to share my passion with the kids and in return they share their passion with me. Talk about quality, healthy family time! Of course without the support of my wife Sylvie, none of this could be possible.

What is the best part of your job? The worst? The best part is the travel, discovering new kite spots especially where waves are involved and meeting local foreign kiters and their culture. I also get really excited teaching kids and sharing the fun of kiteboarding with them and sometimes their parents.

The worst part is that you can’t make everybody happy all of the time, only most of the people most of the time! At BAKS we thrive on achieving our best for our customers.

What do you see as the biggest challenge to the kiteboarding industry as a whole? One of our challenges here in the US is to introduce and make our sport more accessible to the younger generation. Kite schools should consider camps/clinics for their summer program. For the industry our biggest challenge is to maintain our originality and integrity!

What advice do you have for someone that wants to work in the kite industry? As a newcomer, bring your energy to the table but remember to listen and learn from those of us who have been around for a while. Be patient and make sure to spend as much time on the water as you can. That’s where you keep your finger on the pulse of our vibrant kiting community!

Come aboard Meercat for the inaugural Zenith Ocean Voyages kite adventure. The Zenith crew is welcoming accomplished riders on their brand-new luxury 44foot dedicated kitesurfing catamaran for a special multi-island kiteboarding extravaganza starting in Marigot Bay, St Martin, on December 23, 2010 and ending in Tortola, BVIs, on January 2, 2011. The itinerary includes Anguilla, Sandy Island, Necker Island, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke for the ultimate Caribbean New Year’s Eve bash at Foxy’s Bar. In these parts, Santa is a kiter and delivers his notorious Christmas winds — a constant 15-25+ knots. Zenith Ocean Voyages will be visiting a choice of 15 kiting locations throughout the trip. Most spots are protected by a reef, offering both flat water and waves. Riders who want to perfect their moves can book coaching sessions with Zenith Master Instructor Oli Berlic. Zenith Ocean Voyages’ rates are all inclusive, with an exclusive bonus: The Zenith Ocean Films team will be videoing guests throughout the trip to produce a personalized professional kite film. http:// zenithoceanvoyages.com

Photo Gary Martin

Bruce Johnson

Photo Zenith Ocean Voyages

vibrant personality and infectious smile are hard to miss! Look for Carol at a local Florida or Puerto Rico beach near you or at a demo event. You can contact Carol at carol8miranda@aol.com

The TKB team was hard at work at the recent AWSI industry trade show in Hood River, OR, where manufacturers presented their 2011 lines. Get the scoop on new innovations and next generation products and accessories by viewing one of the 29 videos uploaded to The Kiteboarder’s YouTube channel. Interviews are short and to the point and are broken down by category: kites, twin tip boards, continued on page 20

comps

Sauble KiteJam

By Daniel Mydsky/Kiteriders.ca | Photo David Tran

Eric Reinstra on fire at Sauble. Photo David G. Tran

The Sauble Beach KiteJam event in Canada was a great success with over 100 kiteboarders registered from across North America. Top freestyle riders came to compete and put on a show for the crowd by pulling out some of the sickest moves on the three sliders and kicker set out in the water for riders to hit on kites and behind a ski. There were also numerous exhibitor booths set up along the beach providing kite gear sales and demonstrations.

Local kite flying clubs showed off their skills on the land including some wild buggy riding tricks. Many folks also got the chance to try first hand the growing sport of standup paddle boarding. Saturday night’s party on the beach had two great bands playing and then the party carried on at the Dunes bar well into the night. Spectators enjoyed some spectacular high flying maneuvers as riders attempted to outperform each other in the air and on the waves. The event concluded with presentations and free prize giveaways. The event was put on by KiteRider Canada in partnership with the Town of South Bruce Peninsula and the Sauble Beach Chamber of Commerce Summer Events Program and will occur annually.

If you get a chance to see Chasta in action, you’re in for a treat! Photo Pascal Boulgakow

Sauble Event Results: Men’s Slider Jam 1. Brandon Scheid 2. Eric Rienstra 3. Brian Smith 4. Elliot Drury Women’s Slider Jam 1. Jessica Sickinger 2. Annie Carrier 3. Claire Lutz 4. Sarah Paciocco-Lanoe

2011 US SNOWKITE EVENTS

By TKB Staff | Photo Pascal Boulgakow

According to Accuweather, the 2010/2011 winter forecast is for heavier snow in many areas of North America. Above-normal snowfall is predicted for the Great Basin region, the Northwest, and Northern Plains, while the South and Southwest will get less snow than average. Whether you’re curious about snowkiting or an avid enthusiast, there’s sure to be a great snowkite event happening near you this winter. Check one out!

Georgetown Lake Open, MT, Jan 7-9 Tug Hill, NY, Jan 15-17 Super Fly, Strawberry, UT, Feb 18-20 Kitestorm, VT, Feb 19-20 Dillon Snowkite Open, CO, Feb 25-27

Kite Soldiers, Fairfield, Idaho, Feb 25-27 Snowkite Masters, Skyline, UT, Mar 4-6 Mille Lac Crossing, MN, Mar 26 Montana Snowkite Rodeo, MT, April 2-9 Alaska Tailgate, Thompson Pass, AK, Mar 26-Apr 10

shop talk

p.com Shop Name: KitesurfPR / EZKitesurfsho tad Mors Karla Owners: Phil and Age: Phil 33, Karla 26 Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico Karla, 9 years Riding for how long: Phil, 6 years; high head and -off Side : ons diti Favorite Con How did you both get into kiteboarding and what motivated you to start a school in Puerto Rico?

Karla: I was born and raised in San Juan, which is one of the best windsurfing/ kiting spots on the island. I started windsurfing when I was 9 years old and at 15 the old 2-line kites hit the island. We had no real instruction then so I bought a Robby Naish instructional video, and my mom would help me launch and land my kite.

Phil: Growing up in Colorado, I was into sports that would allow me to push myself to the extreme. After moving to Puerto Rico to pursue my career as a pilot, and learning how incredible the conditions are for kiting there, I bought some gear and signed up for my first kitesurfing lesson. I always enjoyed being able to share with others my passion for sports and the outdoors, so when our friend Royce Reid offered us his school we jumped at the opportunity and the rest is history.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t involved in this industry? We would probably be pretty sour about all the wind we get here in Puerto Rico blowing out all our favorite surf spots.

What is the kiteboarding scene like in Puerto Rico? What do you think is the most common misconception about riding spots in your area? There is a good mix between the different beaches in the metro area. Ocean Park attracts the young freestyle type whereas Punta las Marias where we teach is more family oriented and also attracts the hardcore wave kiters because of the barrier reef. I think a common misconception about Puerto Rico is that it is a foreign country where most of the people may not speak English. In reality, San Juan can be reached by taking a direct flight from most major cities in the U.S., no passport is required, and most major cell phone providers include Puerto Rico in their 20 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

Karla revels in the warm waters of Puerto Rico. Photo Phil Morstad

What brands do you represent? North and Liquid Force.

We find that between these two brands there is something for everyone. The quality is very high with excellent customer service backing the products as well.

How do you handle lessons if there is no wind? We are the only school in the San Juan area that uses boats during lessons. This allows our students to learn in various conditions including offshore winds and/or learn board skills by towing them behind the boat. Even though an appointment is required for lessons, we only charge for the portion of the lesson/package that the student completes.

What are the lodging options in your area? There is a great variety of places to choose from that will fit any style or budget, from mega hotels to privately owned guest houses. You can find a full list of options on our website www.KitesurfPR.com What is the nightlife like? What other things are there for people to do if there is no wind or they are with non kiters? Puerto Ricans definitely know how to have fun. In just a short cab ride you can enjoy listening to some jazz while sipping a mojito in one of the lounges in the hip Condado area, you could go salsa dancing in historic Old San Juan at the Newyorican Café, or go to the rustic beachfront of Pinones for a coconut full of rum. There are many things to do besides kitebording too! Hike El Yunque, which is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System, kayak one of our bioluminescent bays at night, stroll though the town of Old San Juan, one of the oldest cities in the New World, enjoy deep sea fishing or snorkeling, or hit one of our beaches for world class surf.

What is the best way for people to check the forecast and current conditions? By checking www. wunderground.com and looking for zip code 00913.

Any words of wisdom you want to share? Next time you are putting on your wetsuit, keep in mind that if you were in Puerto Rico the coldest thing you would experience would come from a cooler.

directional boards, and accessories.

Brands interviewed include Best, Epic, Underground, North, Naish, F-One, Mystic, RRD, Slingshot, Wainman Hawaii, Ion, Nobile, and Shinn. Subscribe to www.youtube.com/theringmedia for all the latest instructional videos, gear previews, and personality interviews from the TKB team.

Photo seethroughboards.com

Kitesurf PR

Do you teach year round or seasonally?

What are your typical conditions? We teach year round however during September and October the wind is known to be less consistent and light.

Typical conditions are warm water with sideshore wind blowing 15 to 20 knots. Our beaches are protected by a barrier reef which provides ideal conditions for learning while also offering plenty of great wave riding spots to choose from. If you want buttery flat water you can take a trip to La Parguera, Guanica, or the Island of Culebra.

k c a m S

Stephane Trillaud, designer and kitesurfer, is proud to present the new Sea Through Board. As well as having a unique transparent design, these boards are high performance offering good edging and pop, excellent upwind ability, and smooth carving. The range includes travelling boards, twin tips, and wave boards, all featuring the unique design of a see-through hull. Check them out at www.seathroughboards.com

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Photo Marina Chang

national plans. When you get here you will find plenty of uncrowded beaches to kitesurf and friendly people who are happy to share their island with you.

Save the date! The 9th Annual Pismo Beach KiteXpo will be held April 22 to the 24 on the Central Coast of California.

This is a pure demo event, free to the public with lots of great swag raffled off! If you can’t make it to La Ventana, this is your chance to see and demo all the new 2011 gear and accessories and ask your technical questions to industry reps. Plans are being laid out now to move the traditional beach bonfire BBQ to a clubhouse type-setting to include a band and catered BBQ from the infamous Maui Mike of the Bay Area. The move is so we can host a fundraiser for the Kinsley ThomasWong donation fund. Kinsley is the founder of this event and was involved in a serious kiteboarding incident in July of this year. Details will start coming out in January at www.xtremebigair.com and www.thekiteboarder.com

THE 2011

WWW.FLEXIFOIL.COM

SERIES FROM FLEXIFOIL ES

SIZ AVAILABLE

rtens / Photo -

Rider - Sean Me

Brian Caserio

HYBRIDEXCELLENCE GREEN .5

The 2011 ION from Flexifoil takes the bloodline to all new levels of refinement, continuing to set the standard for hybrid kites. Improvements in construction and aerofoil precision offer the smoothest ride possible, so contact your nearest Flexifoil retailer now and find out for yourself why the ION is known as the Barry White of kites.

MSRP PRICES Ion 7.0m - Kite Only

$799

Ion 8.5m - Kite Only

$889

Ion 10.5m - Kite Only

$969

Ion 12.5m - Kite Only

$1,049

Ion 14.5m - Kite Only

$1,149

All-In-One Bar and Lines

$339

6 Strut layout Simple relaunch More than enough depower 4 or 5 line configuration Multiple line connection points: tune the kite to your requirements

/ 14 8.5 / 10.5 / 12.5

PETROL

Premium quality Japanese and European materials Improved construction techniques Unique Kevlar reinforcement patch material

8.5 / 10.5 / 12.5

RED 7.0

.5 / 8.5 / 10.5 / 12

RETAILER DETAILS

All Flexifoil retailers can be found on the Flexifoil website www.flexifoil.com

Air Padre Kiteboarding

Cali Kites

Idaho Kitesports

Kitesurf California

Jupiter Kiteboarding

South Padre Island,TX

Coronado,CA

Boise, ID

Redondo Beach, CA

Jupiter, FL

www.airpadrekiteboarding.com

www.calikites.com

www.idahokitesports.com

www.kitesurfcalifornia.com

www.jupiterkiteboarding.com

Get Kiteboarding

Rich's Boardsports

Petra Kanz Kiteboarding

Vertical Kiteboarding

Coastal Windsports

Fort Myers, FL

Madison, WI

Somers Point, NJ

Little River, SC

Brunswick, GA

www.getkiteboarding.com

www.footrider.com

www.petrakanz.com

www.vpkiteboarding.com

www.coastalwindsports.com

Watersports West

Pro Kitesurf

Air Company

Fun With Wind

California Kiteboarding

Largo, FL

Corpus Christi, TX

Mount Pleasant, SC

Lawrence, MA

Grover Beach, CA

www.watersportswest.com

www.kiteboarding.com

www.catchsomeair.us

www.funwithwind.com

www.californiakiteboarding.biz

Salt Air Kiteboarding

Live 2 Kite

Cambria, CA

Greenbrae, CA

www.saltairkiteboarding.com www.live2kite.com

http://shop.flexifoil.com

[ WEB STORE ]

www.flexifoil.com

[ WEBSITE ]

thek i teboarde r. com 2 1

send it

2

1 3

4

5

6

7 8

1. Publisher Marina Chang displays her AWSI rain hat. Photo Eric Yeung 2. Alexis Rovira interviews Kristin Boese for the TKB product videos at AWSI. Photo Gary Martin 3. The Epic Kiteboarding crew hides from the rain at AWSI. Photo Courtesy Epic Kites 4. Amanda Brill smiles for the camera in Cabarete.

Photo Dixie Buckley 5. Be careful when you park at San Carlos, you might find yourself in the middle of the airstrip! Photo Paul Lang

22 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

6. Josh Nehf lost yet another ping pong game, and the result was that he had to ride his motorcycle down the street and back in his underwear. Photo Paul Lang 7. Sky Solbach, Ben Meyers, and Dimitri Maramenides at the 2010 AWSI. Photo Courtesy Epic Kites 8. Chris and Rachel partying in the elevator. Photo Carol Bolstad 9. Jon Modica gets ready to rumble in Baja. Photo Paul Lang 10. Slawek Krauze and Jeremie Texier at Sherman Island.

Photo Paul Lang

12 13

9

16

10 14

11 15

11. In San Francisco Bay, you need to be on the lookout for the giant container ships that are always passing by. Photo Paul Lang 12. Kai Murray, Kevin Murray, and Corky Cullen are fired up after a few good days of riding in Baja. Photo Paul Lang 13. North Sport’s Doug Hopkins during the 2011 North Product presentation at AWSI. Photo Paul Lang 14. When asked who took this picture with his camera, Jim Stringfellow said, “There are many things I do not remember from that night.” Photo Unknown

17 18

15. Grom Gormley and Mark Doyle get loose in South Padre Island.

Photo Carol Bolstad 16. Brendan Richards surveys the scene above Waddell Creek.

Photo Jessica Kimbriel 17. Claire Lutz is one of the few women out there charging the rails.

Photo Jon Malmberg 18. Aaron Hadlow, Susi Mai, and Ruben Lenten stop by the All Out Kiteboarding shop. Photo Jen Whiteman If you have a photo that you would like featured in The Kiteboarder Magazine, please e-mail paul@thekiteboarder.com thek i teboarde r. com 2 3

Alaska Tailgate Alaska and Thompson Pass with the AKA Boys

By Obadiah Jenkins and Tom Fredericks

Way up north in Alaska, there’s a little town where the wind blows across vast glaciers and up mountains so large that simply calling them big doesn’t do them justice. They make big seem small and the snowfall is measured in feet instead of inches. The place is Valdez and like many other Alaskan fishing towns, it lives by the motto “we’re a drinking town with a fishing problem.” Nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Prince William Sound, Valdez is also home to something very special, a mountain festival like no other. Each spring, the town comes alive with incredible talents of world-class athletes similar to the winter Olympics, except we have kegs, reggae music, far fewer cameras, and much less stress.

Road Trippin’

24 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

Jacob Buzianis explores the possibilities in the Chugach Mountains. Photo Gavin Butler

thek i teboa rde r. com 2 5

It wouldn’t be a proper triptraveling to Alaska a little fun at the After forwithout more than 40 hours, firing range. Photo Obadiah Jenkins Marco gets his first real glimpse of Vanuatu.

Pascal Boulgakow loads up on a few Alaska-sized pancakes. Photo Steve Carr

26 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

Chasta lays it down in Thompson Pass.

Photo Pascal Boulgakow

T

he Tailgate Alaska Festival attracts the world’s best big mountain snowboarders, skiers, snowmachiners, snow kiters, paragliders, and speed riders who descend on the legendary Thompson Pass located north of Valdez to put their skills to the ultimate test. Not against each other, or even against themselves, but against the Chugach Mountains that call us all there every year.

The King of the Hill is the main event and features snowboarders from every walk of life competing in a big mountain freestyle competition that allows them to go as big as they can dream. There’s more interest in bragging rights and fueling each other’s stoke than the actual prize money. It’s quite a sight to see as the likes of Travis Rice and Shawn Farmer try to one-up each other in a game of chance and remarkable skill down a 4000’ cliff-laden mountain. This amazing game is the actual event, and it’s awesome to witness. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us), the wind was blowing during the King of the Hill, so most of us passed up the chance to watch the event to do a little riding of our own.

It’s the last week of March and Steve Carr is throwing more toys into his trailer than you would imagine could fit. A snow machine (called a snowmobile in the lower 48, but nobody here would ever use that term), paramotor and wing, arctic oven, firewood, skis and snowboards, enough kites to equip a small The King of the Hill is the main event and features army, barbeque, wind socks, and kegs; the list goes on and on of the gear he manages snowboarders from every walk of life competing in to cram in there. This is our third road trip a big mountain freestyle competition that allows to Thompson Pass this winter, and Steve has got it dialed. Our previous trip up there had them to go as big as they can dream. been overshadowed by Alaskan weather. It snowed over 80” (more than 6.5 feet!) in three days and buried our event, the Thompson Pass Snowkite Festival, Kiting in Thompson Pass is like kiting in a playground beneath the drifts. Our bonfires and firework displays unlike anything else in the world. A slim road carves its were beautifully blown around by the wind and driving way through the Chugach giants wearing hanging glaciers snow as participants huddled together upwind of the and capped with corniced ridges. Access is what makes this flying sparks and colorful explosions. place so special. Having a road through the pass and a town

30 minutes away has opened the floodgates for mountain This road trip back to Thompson Pass was called to recreationists. Every conceivable method of recreating in action on account of Nick Perata and Mark Sullivan, big mountains was in attendance and everyone was playing snowboarding legends and pioneers of big mountain hard. It seemed like we were always kiting while we were snowboarding. Nick and Mark invited the Alaska Kite there. Every day had its memorable kiting experiences and Adventures crew, AKA, to be a part of Tailgate Alaska. stories to be told around the stove in the yurt village that Tailgate Alaska is a gathering of a unique community evening. It wasn’t always under bluebird skies and the wind that spans the globe to the farthest patches of snow and wasn’t always steady, but the wind we had was memorable craggy mountains. This event and this place have brought and the powder was epic. us all together. At Tailgate, so many talented athletes from different disciplines find themselves in the same place with Living out of and traveling in an RV is the way to go in lots of Redbull and even more powder! This was the perfect Thompson Pass. An RV is also the perfect base for any place at the perfect time for us.

Alaskan kiting road trip. AKA has been leading such road trips each spring for the past few years, and we have found that the Alaska circuit is full of options matching every desire and condition. The road to Valdez alone passes so many potential kiting areas that we may never get to kite them all, but we’re sure going to try! Snow machines make the perfect supplement to any kiter’s access, as well as for safety and film opportunities, and provide a great option for down-day recreation. Of course, with a good snow machine and a good guide, there won’t be any down days!

“

”

There was a lot of kiting talent that joined us for the road trip up to Thompson Pass. Jake Buzianis and Oliver Palmers were trippin’ with us representing Best Kiteboarding. Later, the famous and talented Chasta from Ozone would join us and school us on just what can be done while kiting in big mountains. Together with the AKA crew and lots of local delinquents, we all spent plenty of time thrashing around the pass living on the wind and powder. With so many kiters and other recreationists in the same area, you would think the place would have a claustrophobic quality to it. On the contrary, the immense size of the pass allowed everyone their own zone and epic places to play relatively undisturbed.

thek i teboa rde r. com 2 7

Tom Fredericks is the human wind gauge. The further over he can Marco rotates above theyou crystal clear shallow water. lean, the smaller kite need.

Photo Obadiah Jenkins

Eric Newbury and Betsy Jo Kallenbach stop to celebrate their surroundings in Thompson Pass. Photo Obadiah Jenkins

28 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Notable outings during our 16-day road trip included Tom Fredericks’s birthday exploratory mission on the terrain-filled eastern shoulder of Loveland Peak. The solo ascents, powder turn filled descents, and big glides done on and off of Little Odyssey made for an unforgettable day. Of course, who could forget the day six of us rallied up a 27-mile-long glacier into the upper bowls of Loveland peak covering over 2800’ vertical in a matter of minutes, and then playing our way up and down over its features and powder stashes all bluebird day.

There was also some amazing blizzard kiting in extremely limited visibility, which is always fun, and some sweet gliding sessions off the hills by the DOT station and across the lake in the pass. Every time we visit Thompson Pass, we find new zones that will work in any and all wind conditions, routes by snow machines that allow access to remote places you could only dream about, and we meet more awesome and talented outdoorsy folks like ourselves, many of which are now friends and kiters.

Everyone in the pass was just trying to tap into their perfect day, to find that perfect line or natural feature.

We were all feeding on that stoke and pushing each other to go bigger or try that new trick. The stoke was flowing across many different cultures and sports. This event had its share of injury and hardship, challenge and misfortune, but it was the way everyone handled things together and with a positive attitude that kept the party alive and the people dancing. Thanks to everyone who rallied to help me when I (Obadiah) broke three vertebrae on a snow machine driving off a cornice in flat light. I guess I was lucky to have so many friends around, but maybe I was just lucky the wind wasn’t blowing and everyone had nothing else to do.

This coming spring will be similar to the many wonderful springs before it. The AKA crew will be on the road finding new places and ripping up to the old places to push our sport as far as we know how. The Thompson Pass Snowkite Festival (TPSKF) will be held again as a part of the Tailgate Alaska Festival in the beginning of April 2011 along with the King of the Hill and the World Extreme Freeskiing Championship (WESC). This spring, we are also trying to bring together the world’s best snowkiters in the first ever World Extreme Big Mountain Freestyle Snowkite Championship. From the entire AKA crew, we would love to see you in the pass.

It snows so much here that people own their own snowplows. Photo Pascal Boulgakow

thek i teboarde r. com 2 9

AKA boys Steve, Tom, and Obie load up for another day of exploration.

Photo Pascal Boulgakow

Tailgate Alaska/Thompson Pass Snowkite Festival/North American Snowkite Tour Finals

Thompson Pass

March 26- April 10, 2011

Location: Thompson Pass is located 27 miles north of Valdez, AK

An end of winter extreme sports base camp will be set up in Thompson Pass this coming spring and it’s shaping up to be a huge event. The World Extreme Ski Championships and the King of the Hill Snowboard challenge will be happening during the Thompson Pass Snowkite Festival and the North American Snowkite Tour Finals. The world’s best skiers and snowboarders will get rare and unique exposure to snowkiting. This will be a chance for the best snowkiters in the world to demonstrate the amazing potential our sport has to offer as an alternative to the normal. Big Mountain Freestyle and Big Mountain Kitercross will be featured events. Alaska Kite Adventures will be offering instruction and snow machine assistance.

Accommodations: Best Western Valdez (www.valdezharborinn.com), Mountain Sky Hotel (907-835-4445), Totem Inn (www.toteminn.com)

For More Information: www.tailgatealaska.com www.alaskakiteadventures.com www.snowkitetour.com www.driftsnowkitemag.com

3 0 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Fact File

RV Rentals (Anchorage): ABC Motorhome (www.ABCMotorhome.com), B&B Moterhome rentals (www.bnbrv.com) Airports: Ted Stevens International, Anchorage (5 1/2 hour drive east to Valdez), Valdez Airport (30 minutes south of Thompson Pass) Fly-In Service: Chaplin Air Alaska (www.chaplinakair.com), operated by snowkiter Jim Chaplin. With Chaplin Air you can reach amazing terrain that is only accessible by air.

thek i teboarde r. com 3 1

close up

tips

Once schooled by the local OGs, Sean has come into a style of his own. Photo Brian Caserio

Sean Mertens

Age: 17 Height: 5’8” Weight: 145 lb. Years Kiting: 3 Favorite Spots: Home Favorite Conditions: Side-shore winds with waves Favorite Moves: Rodeo wrap, strapless frontside air Sponsors: Flexifoil, Azhiaziam

GEAR SET-UP

By Marina Chang

Boards: 5’11” Firewire KTJ Kites: Flexifoil Ions Harness: Dakine Pyro

Growing up with windsports-addicted parents, free (and sometimes mandatory) rides to the beach whenever it was windy didn’t give Sean much of a choice. It was either learn to kite or be bored to tears. He started taking kiting in his own direction about two years ago when he was just getting good at wave riding. Most of the locals had gotten out of the water and some pumping high tide sets were coming in. Sean grabbed the largest wave of the day and as the peanut gallery watched and hooted, he charged into a big bottom turn, caught his rail, and face planted as the wave reeled off without him. The hazing he got after that continues to this day and he has never made the same mistake again.

When, where, and why did you start kiteboarding?

I started kiting in 2007 on the Central Coast of California. With my family’s dedication to the beach, it was either learn to kite or emancipate. It didn’t take long before I was just as hooked as them.

Have any other sports or disciplines helped influence your kiteboarding? Absolutely — since kiting is so young we are still playing catch up. I look at what surfers and skaters are doing and try to mimic them with a kite in my hand.

What riders inspire you? All of the guys at my local spot influence me a ton. As the younger guy out there I was always trying to do the stuff they were doing. It just so happened they were all going for waves. Watching kiters like Josh Mulcoy and Peter Trow showed me how far wave riding could be pushed.

3 2 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

What standout features do you look for in your gear? I like my kites to feel like an extension of me, not something that I have to deal with once I am on the wave. Flexifoil kites deliver everything I want. They turn well in the waves but can also be parked and keep line tension. In a board I like a lot of tail rocker, which my Firewire has. I can hit the lip at the last possible second and ride away with it.

What do you do off the water to help you on the water? I skate, even though I am not very good at it.

There are so many tricks that can be transferred over from skating to kiting. The only problem is falling on concrete hurts a lot more than water.

What are you currently working on in the water? I have been working on my strapless airs in the waves. It takes a lot of crashes before you can consistently land them. My goal is to be able to do the same stuff as the professional surfers in both turns and airs. Landing a strapless air on a wave is insanely satisfying. It’s all about pushing your riding and trying new things.

How do you think the current gear on the market can be improved? Most board manufacturers are beginning to catch on that instead of trying to reinvent the wheel they need to take the shapes that work well in regular surfing and make them stronger so they can hold up to the harsh use of kiting.

What do you think about strapped versus strapless wave riding? You can’t be blind to either. If you enjoy being powered and smacking the lip at high speeds then you probably prefer straps. If you are trying to

• I f you go strapless, wax and booties give you the most grip.

• The harder the bottom turn the better your top turn will be.

• Always give the person on the wave right of way. You’d want the same.

• Keep your kite low. Having the kite above your head will make you outrun the kite on a fast wave.

get the closest feeling to surfing then strapless is your thing. Either way can be a lot of fun as long as you are going for it.

What is something about you that most people wouldn’t know? I have seen a ridiculous amount of movies. Thank you Netflix.

What is your worst wipe out? My worst crash was putting my face into my board doing an air. I landed in the part of the wave I call the V of death (the spot where the wave breaks and the whitewater shoots out).

The wave shot the board back up at me and it broke my nose and left me needing stitches.

Where is your favorite place to kite? For me nothing beats kiting a great day at my home break. Sharing an amazing day with Brooks, Dean, Peter, Brian, my dad, and all the other locals is hard to top.

What is your most memorable kiteboarding experience? Kiting a perfect point break for a week in Baja with my dad and my friend Brian Caserio. It was so good we would be in the water from morning until dusk and only stopped for Cliff Bars and Monster Energy drinks. Our tent is still filled with Baja dust.

What are your must haves that you can’t live without? My kiting equipment, surf, and Chile Limon Lay’s potato chips.

If you could pick any place in the world to kite, where would you go? Teahupoo — by far the most beautiful wave in the world. That wave is terrifying, but I am frothing for barrels.

Any words of wisdom you want to share with our readers? If you’re not falling then you’re not learning.

Rider: Sebastian Cattelan Photo: Rachid Roussafi

Genetrix is proud to announce the North American debut of two brand new kites: the 2010 Hydra V4 and the 2010 Origin. The Hydra V4 is our flat kite concept proven on the European market since 2004, the next generation of the same kite that powered Sebastien Cattelan when he shattered the 50 knot barrier in 2008. The Origin is Genetrix’s latest creation -- guaranteed to take your freestyle to the next level.

Speed | Course Racing Massive depower High stability in strong gusty wind Single point inflation system Widest wind range on the market No middle strut, ultra flat and aerodynamic Sensational upwind ability High end Teijin T9600 canopy fabric 7m | 9m | 12m | 14m

NEW w no

Wave | Freestyle

XWYck. The d o ar in st ate bo ultim short!

Auto-relaunch Single point inflation system Wide wind range and depower Quick turning responsiveness Multi-point tuning Great low end power High end Teijin T9600 canopy fabric 5m | 7m | 9m | 11m | 13m | 15m

GENETRIXKITESURF.COM US distributor ZoneXcess LLC (888) 250-7962

thek i teboarde r. com 3 3

close up saving money for no apparent reason and investing in an apartment wouldn´t make my life more enjoyable. I started kiting at 27 and found a reason to take a bag and travel. That´s how I ended up traveling the world only with my kite bag for nine months taking unpaid leave from work. Now I’m back to “normal life” to refill my bank account, but am planning my next tour starting this winter, this time quitting my job. I´ve met lots of people on my journey who made me more open to all the possibilities for what you can do with your life living outside the box. I hope I also inspire others similarly in my travels.

What standout features do you most appreciate about your current gear? Easy one — the way the NHP board excels in less than perfect conditions. Also the pop I get when unhooking NHP kites — I just started riding them and was very satisfied after the first good day with wind.

What do you do off the water to help you on the water? Watch instructional videos and clips of riders who are above my level, and also running alongside the water somewhere feels like freedom, whether it´s a beach or by the fjord I live next to.

tips • W hen unsure which kite size to ride, pump the smaller. It will demand more from you when it comes to speed and precision in your technique to make your tricks stylish!

• If you have the chance, test gear in different conditions before you buy.

• When you go on a kite vacation, be extra careful with warming up and stretching. It will make your kite holiday even better!

• Attend kite clinics and ask other kiters for feedback on your riding style when kiting with someone.

What are you currently working on out on the water? Unhooked kiteloop with raley, I´m trying to figure out how to get the pop right. I landed the F16, but I´m struggling more with just the loop.

Do you have any plans to compete? I just started, and plan to do five out of six events on Kite Tour Asia.

I really love the vibe at the events and the organizers are doing a fantastic job to make it appealing with info, videos, and photos.

Jannicke earned the nickname Gypsy for her passion for kite travel.

Photo courtesy Jannicke Stav

Jannicke Stav Age: 29 Height: 5´11” Weight: 158 lbs. Years kiting: 2 Favorite Spots: Boracay and Seco Island, Philippines Favorite Conditions: Safe, shallow, and semi-flat Favorite Moves: F16 and double frontroll Sponsors: Nobile, Oysteins, and Sideshore.no

GEAR SET-UP

By Marina Chang

Boards: Nobile NHP 131 Kites: Nobile NHPs Harness: Flying Object Flight Control Waist

We normally focus on North American riders for our profiles, but I met Jannicke at a recent KB4Girls clinic hosted by Kiteopia at Sherman Island in Northern California. At just 29 years old, this native Norweigan’s vibrant spirit and passion for kiteboarding so inspired me that I felt compelled to share her story with others in hopes of motivating you to pursue your own dreams, share the stoke of kiteboarding, and explore the world.

When, where, and why did you start kiteboarding?

In 2003, I was studying at Berkeley outside San Francisco and went on a boat under the Golden Gate.

I had never heard about or seen kiteboarding, and when I saw it I was very fascinated and remember 3 4 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

saying to myself that day, “I´m going to do that too, right here.” In June 2010, I was back in San Francisco to kite Crissy Field.

What riders inspire you? Joy and inspiration for me comes from the beginners who come out of the water with a sparkle in their eyes and big smiles on their faces — absolutely priceless! No matter what level of riding, I like ambassadors for the sport like Kristin Boese who inspire others.

How do you travel so much as a professional clinical psychologist? What do you say to people who envy your lifestyle but say that it would be impossible for them to live it? While working I was

What is your scariest kiteboarding experience? In Australia I went with a group of five kite instructors on their day off on a downwinder in big waves. Two thirds of the way through, I got tired of jumping and decided to practice backrolls, crashed my kite, got a tear, released the kite, and started swimming to shore.

Outside with the sharks I was good, but close to the shore I was underwater for long periods and it scared me from kiting in waves twice my height.

Where is your favorite place to kite and why? For the whole package: Boracay, Philippines. The people, kite community, food, nature, wind, everything. My New Year’s resolution is to be on the water there for my 30th Birthday. If all flights go as scheduled I’ll arrive there early in the morning around the time I was born. I am hoping the wind is also on my side.

What is your most memorable kiteboarding experience? There is a sandbank on top of a reef called Seco Island in the Philippines. I went there with the Freestyle Academy from Boracay in a group of 15 people. We kited all day on glass flat, crystal clear water, ate great food cooked by the crew, slept under the stars, and swam at night with fluorescent bioluminescence lighting up around our bodies.

What are your must haves that you can’t live without? Kite gear and knowing that I have supporting friends and family, chocolate, running shoes, and noise-cancelling headphones.

Any words of wisdom you want to share with our readers? Figure out what makes you happy - and make more room for it in your life!

backwoods

NPX’s Josh Noe adds a little spice to his launch.

Resident kite instructor Oliver Berlic tests the conditions for the crew.

Tobago Cays: Jewel of the Grenadines

By Marina Chang | Photos Courtesy Zenith Ocean Voyages

Accessible only by boat, The Tobago Cays consists of five small uninhabited islands surrounded by the infamous Horseshoe Reef.

Abundant with beautiful coral formations, tropical fish, and sea turtles, the area offers off-the-hook kiteboarding in crystal clear blue-green waters surrounded by white sandy beaches. With nothing between you and Africa, it is protected as a marine park by the government and possibly soon as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Its relative remoteness is well known in the sailing world as one of the Caribbean’s best and most beautiful anchorages, but little information can be found on it as a kiting destination. We connected with Susy Scardocchia and Ged Smith, the new owners of Zenith Ocean Voyages, to find out about their new venture and what makes the Tobago Cays worthy of adding it to your kiting dream destination list. Zenith Ocean Voyages sets sail for their first trip this Christmas season. See http://zenithoceanvoyages.com for more info.

When did you first discover the Tobago Cays? What kind of riding does it offer? Ged ran charters to the Tobago Cays back in 2006. He was a fresh kiter back then but recognized its potential for space, flat water, waves, clean wind, and pristine waters. It’s a real trip kiting the Cays — there are good breaks off Horseshoe Reef and at Egg and World’s End Reefs. Behind the two and a half mile main reef, the waters are butter flat for wake and freestyle riding.

With so many options in the Caribbean, what makes it so special and why did you make it a stop on your 2011 itinerary?

The Tobago Cays are rustic and wild and tend to be windier than elsewhere in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. The kite spots are spectacular and the anchorages are stunning.

Let’s put it this way: It is Ged’s favorite spot in the Eastern Caribbean and that is why we decided to offer our guests five trips there during our 2011 season. Petit Tabac is the crescent3 6 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

shaped island to windward of the main reef. The anchorage there can accommodate only one boat and holding is tough. Kiting there is truly a unique experience. We usually have the island completely to ourselves! We also love the downwinder from Horseshoe Reef to Saltwhistle Bay on the island of Mayreau.

What is the best time of the year to hit this spot? Is it good for riders at all levels? November to June is the best time to visit. It is windy at other times but not every day. The Cays are not recommended for beginners as you must be able to stay upwind consistently. Wave riding skills would also certainly optimize a visit here.

What gear should I be sure to pack? The wind tends to blow 18-25 knots, rarely more. The water is warm, so no wetsuits required. Whatever you do, do not forget reef shoes!

What are the launch/landing areas like? On Petit Tabac you can launch off the beach and there is plenty of room. You can also launch off Petit Bateau and Petit Rameau, but the beaches are tiny. Overall, we have found it to often be easier to launch off the boat. Same applies to landing: If there’s room we land on the beach, if not we land on the water.

Petit Tabac: Paradise found — off the hook kiting!

Drift launching from the Marina dock.

Ged, Susy, and Oliver Berlic chillin’ with the local brew.

I have read that the islands are deserted but that some vendors camp out and sell stuff. What’s the real story? What happens is that in the middle of anchoring the boat, one or more rasta motorboats approach you and try to sell you stuff. It is not as annoying as it sounds, because they offer you things you actually need! Freshly caught tuna or lobster for the barbecue or even organizing a barbecue on the beach, locally baked banana bread (an absolute must), rum — and if you don’t want anything they go away without a hassle. The scene is very cool.

With no real nightlife to speak of, what is there to do in the evenings? A lot of people are happy just hanging out on the boat. Alternatively, local fishermen organize barbecues on Petit Bateau and Petit Rameau. They get the fish and provide the local flavor. Just a one hour’s sail away, Happy Island in Clifton, Union Island, is worth a detour.

It’s a little island built by the owner, Janti, out of conch shells. He lives on it and runs a bar, the most chilled out bar you will ever encounter. His rum punch is to die for.

Look for everybody’s ‘mom’ – she sells fresh okra with a smile!

Bimini offers ideal freestyle conditions in a tropical setting.

What else is there to do if there’s no wind?

The snorkeling is amazing. It’s like swimming in an aquarium. You don’t really need a dive tank because the explosion of life is just a few feet under the surface. Also, there are lots of sea turtles. If you get up early and snorkel in the sea turtle watching reserve just off Baradal, you are guaranteed to have numerous close encounters.

It is officially forbidden to ride the turtles though!

For hikers, you can climb up to the top of the little islands and enjoy the unforgettable view.

Are there any safety issues or rules I need to know about? As with a lot of the best kite spots, riders must respect the environment and follow the rules if this superb spot is to be maintained for the future. It is forbidden to launch or land on Baradal because of the turtle reserve. There is also no kiting near the main anchorage in the southwest lee of Baradal (not a great loss as it’s generally full of boats). Don’t worry though; the area is 41 square miles in size and there’s 2.5 miles of Horseshoe Reef alone, so there is plenty of room.

Are there any interesting bits of trivia about this spot? In the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, the scene where they are looking for the treasure was shot in Petit Tabac.

thek i teboa rde r. com 3 7

The SCKA is very active at Belmont and even puts on an annual kiteboarding demo to allow riders to try gear from a variety of manufacturers. Photo Dan Slater

How to Keep Your

Beach Open 3 8 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

There is no doubt that kiteboarding beaches get more crowded every season.

Kiteboarders have faced issues regarding launch access since the earliest days, but as more and more riders show up at the beach conflicts between kiteboarders and other beachgoers will become more common. Unfortunately for us, kiteboarders are still in the minority at most sites, and this means that if we are viewed as a problem by authorities, the easiest solution for them might be to simply ban kiteboarding.

Beach access is something we should all be concerned about if we want to be able to freely kiteboard as the sport expands. To keep our beaches open for kiteboarding, it’s up to us to do something about it, but luckily there are already a few examples about how to go about preserving access that can serve as role models to beaches that might not have had to deal with the issue yet.

Banding together at Photo Dan Slater

Belmont

By Paul Lang

On a busy summer weekend at Long Beach’s Belmont Shore, upwards of 150 kiters may show up to ride. As one of the most consistent spots for wind in the area during the summer, riders from all over Southern California are drawn to Belmont. The consistent wind, protected water, and huge beach make Belmont a great learning spot for kiteboarders, but this area is also used by swimmers, sailors, windsurfers, and general beachgoers. Currently, there are no looming threats to access here, but that is only due to the fact that the kiteboarding community in the area has banded together to educate riders and keep communication open with the authorities. The kiteboarding community that has been created by riders, local shops/schools, and the local kiteboarding association coming together could serve as a model for other areas that need to pull together to present a unified front to local authorities.

The Southern California Kiteboarding Association (SCKA, www.scka.org) has been very active in building a local kiteboarding community, meeting with authorities, and educating riders about the local rules. “We work very closely with the lifeguards. We have very open access at Belmont and an open relationship with the lifeguards. We meet at the beginning of the season to discuss any issues they might have,” said Dan Corbett, current President of the SCKA. At Belmont, access is open, but there are rules about kiteboarding that are enforced by the lifeguards. “There are some riders that have the opinion that we are too restrictive and that there are already too many rules,” said Corbett. “But we only educate people about the rules, we didn’t create any of them. The rules are written into the Long Beach municipal code and we work with the lifeguards to interpret them.”

There are many ways that people learn the rules when they show up to Belmont, the most obvious of which is a huge sign that explains them. Local schools set up on the beach and are very proactive in educating kiters that are new to the area. However, because there is such a strong community at Belmont, the lifeguards rarely have to get involved and the kiteboarders self-regulate when there is a problem. The SCKA has appointed lead contacts for each beach so that lifeguards have someone they can easily contact if they have a concern about kiteboarding and they do everything possible to educate riders about the rules.

As the designated contact for the lifeguards to turn to if they have an issue at Belmont, Kitesurfari’s Robert McCullough feels that having a direct and open line of communication with the lifeguards benefits everyone. “The lifeguards have a very specific contact they know will back them up when there is a problem. They have plenty to do during the summer and are happy they don’t often have to get involved because someone from the kiter community has already stepped in when there is a problem. Kiters get a number of chances at Belmont. Usually at least one experienced kiter, instructor, or Kitesurfari staff member takes the time to explain the rules. If they just can’t listen, the lifeguards are fine with stepping in and issuing a stronger warning. If someone gets fined, they really had to work to get there,” said Robert.

Belmont has a strong community in large part because of the efforts of the SKCA. The SCKA works hand in hand with the local kiteboarding businesses and even offers a discount card to members to use at local shops. Membership in the SCKA is only $10/year and they organize an annual safety clinic and a kiteboarding demo event where manufacturers bring their latest gear for riders to try. “From our perspective, the kiter community at Belmont is quite strong,” said Robert. “It’s a great mix – There are the curious who will one day be kiters, but haven’t left the safety of the beach chairs just yet, the beginners brought to the area by the different schools, the professional instructors that everyone knows, and the more experienced locals, some of them known affectionately as the Trashcan Gang.

The community is most in evidence when the wind is almost ready, the sense of expectation putting everyone in a good mood.”

Because the majority of the kiters in the area recognize the importance of being a proactive and self-enforcing group, most problems with individual kiters are never brought to the lifeguard’s attention and access is likely to be open here for a very long time as a result.

Ideal learning conditions attract a large crowd of kiters to Belmont. Photo Klaus Shulz

thek i teboarde r. com 3 9

Despite the relatively small number of riders here, Lauderdale bythe-Sea has had access issues for years. Photo Rick Iossi

town commission was considering an outright ban of the sport due to the actions of a misguided few. The FKA met with authorities in 2004, evaluated problems, and proposed solutions. The Sheriff’s office countered with a proposal to register kiters at the town hall and require flying of identifying streamers and carrying of ID cards. The area was problem free for several years, but things heated up again in 2009, aggravated by people riding inside the swimming zone buoys, causing complaints. Dozens of concerned kiters spent about 20 hours in meetings to show solidarity and support of a measured response by the town. No further action appears to be underway with regard to access at this time, but it’s certain that if complaints continue, the town will respond by restricting kiters’ privileges or banning the sport. Avoiding complaints is easy, if we try. Efforts to self-enforce and build peer pressure against problem behaviors have been underway for years with mixed results.

Matheson Hammock, Miami

Fighting for Access in

florida

By Rick Iossi

Access problems started early in Southern Florida with our first kiteboarding bans developing almost ten years ago. Concerned riders formed the Florida Kitesurfing Association (FKA) and met with authorities, identified problems and solutions, circulated rules among riders, and largely got things reopened. Problem behaviors such as showing off close to shore and near swimmers continue at times despite these efforts.

Access issues have developed at many launches throughout the state and have been successfully dealt with in many cases. Let’s look at a few specific instances.

Delray Beach

Kiting was almost banned here in 2003. Ironically, the crisis was triggered by mistaking kiters with an airborne powered paragliding voyeur ogling strippers at a pool party. Historically, kiteboarders had aggravated things by riding and throwing tricks among swimmers and flying kites on the beach in lifeguarded areas. Arguments supporting kitesurfing were made during city commission hearings by local kiting leaders. Eventually an ordinance was drafted forbidding kiting within 100 yards of lifeguarded beaches. Fortunately kiting was allowed to continue at unguarded beaches. Eventually, most local riders supported the short list of things necessary to keep kiting here and access threats have diminished.

Lauderdale By-The-Sea

There aren’t many kiters that live or even ride here, but this small town has had more than its share of access issues. A few riders have insisted upon riding near swimmers and close to the pier, jumping bystanders, and generally showing off and causing complaints to the Sheriff’s office. One rider even tried to out run deputies resulting in his arrest. The

By Paul Lang

The Opposite of a Ban: Fiji’s Surf Decree Recently, the surfing world was rocked by a big change in Fiji. Previously, it was possible to own not only the reef below the water, but also the wave that broke above it.

This led to exclusive resorts holding monopolies on the best surf breaks in Fiji. Basically, if you wanted to surf at the best breaks in Fiji, you had to stay in certain resorts.

Even if you approached by boat, you would be told to leave. As of July of this year, everyone has the right to surf any break in Fiji. There are no more exclusive waves anywhere in Fiji, and guess what? It gets windy there too.

“With the introduction of the new surfing decree the surf travel industry in Fiji is set to explode,” said Adam Yared of Triple T Industries, a travel company specializing in surfing, kiteboarding, and fishing in Fiji. For kiteboarders as well as surfers, this decree is big news. A hugely untapped resource for wind and waves has just been opened.

“There are more surfers in the water, but the numbers are now spread out among the different breaks giving everybody an opportunity to surf where they wish,” said Adam.

With most kiteboarding locations dealing with the potential of more rules instead of fewer, the Fijian surf decree is a breath of fresh air. There are more than 300 islands in Fiji, and every wave in the country just opened up to anyone who can access them.

4 0 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Matheson Hammock has been a favorite flat water kiting venue for locals for over ten years. There is a paved parking lot, a 5’ to 10’ wide beach, and a lot of shallow water.

This launch can have gusty winds and kiters standing too close to shore or in the parking lot while grabbing things out of cars with kites still flying or boosting near shore have contributed to a number of accidents. Further aggravating the situation were large numbers of instructors illegally teaching without city licenses or insurance. Kent Marikovic, Todd Greaux, and the rest of the team from Adventure Sports Miami (ASM) became concerned about losing this spot and undertook a costly and labor intensive concession concept. This was accompanied by extensive discussions with authorities. ASM requires proof of PASA or IKO Level III certification or passage of an exam at a nominal fee. Kiters must register, consent to the rules, and fly a streamer on their kite. Kiteboarding instruction is available through licensed and insured instructors. Variations of this concept are being considered at a few other congested launch venues in the region.

Hobie Beach, Miami

Hobie Beach borders a busy roadway connecting mainland Miami with Key Biscayne. The launch can have gusty winds and there have been accidents over the years which have been an annoyance for the authorities. Also, quite a few unlicensed instructors would teach here. To the authorities, this is a roadway right of way and kiteboarders are way down the list of priorities. There has been talk of banning kiting here on and off for many years. Solutions have been promoted to kiters for just as many years. A lot of pressure would come off kiting at this spot if kiters would launch and land near the swim buoys and ride beyond them, watch the weather for squalls, and not routinely ride in the swim zone. Kiting was recently halted at Hobie pending completion of major work in the area. Work is still underway, but it is uncertain if kiting will be permitted to resume after the work is done.

Protecting kiting access should be fairly easy for individual riders. Showing off close to shore may be fun for some riders but is it worth the potential loss of access? The short answer should be no! Peer pressure can be a powerful thing. Don’t let a few guys threaten your ability to ride. Get organized and get involved to be able to focus on the important stuff, getting out on the water!

Rob Born scores at Fiji’s Cloudbreak, which is now open to anyone who can get there. Photo Scott Winer

Light it up magine parking your car at night off the side of the road in the middle of the Baja California desert and then walking up a dirt road past huge Saguaro Cactus because you heard there might be a party out there somewhere. There had been no official announcement, no website to check, and most definitely no phone number to call for more information. With your mind full of doubt that anything is actually happening out here, you come over a small hill and find a few hundred people gathered around various contraptions that are either on fire or about to be lit up.

On the hill above the crowd is a giant flame thrower shooting spinning flames a hundred feet into the air. This is Burning Bush, the smaller Baja version of Burning Man and many of the people in the crowd are kiteboarders.

Ever since the first party in 2004, Burning Bush has been held near La Ventana on the second Saturday of January every year. “I’m kind of a pyro. I love making fires,” admitted Bruce Sheldon Spradley, founder of Burning Bush and a kiteboarding pioneer. Bruce also operates Sheldon Kiteboarding (http:// sheldonkiteboarding.com), which is based out of Rio Vista in the summer and La Ventana in the winter.“In Todos Santos back in 1985, we torched a 70’ long pile of driftwood. This was back when there was no one else around. It was pretty stupid, but we did it anyway,” said Bruce. Now more than 25 years after that first informal burn, Burning Bush has grown into a highly anticipated event and until recently, the only way to find out about it was through word of mouth. “This started as a beach party for friends; it was just a joke. People loved it so much that they wanted us to do it again. Now we have 40 to 50 volunteers and we just pour it on,” said Bruce.

With the amount of flame shooting around, it can look like a pyromaniac’s heaven, but Bruce does set limits about what happens at Burning Bush. “We were going to make bombs by filling up trash bags with acetylene and oxygen and throwing 42 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

them into the fire, but when I almost blew myself up testing out the idea I decided we wouldn’t allow those,” said Bruce. The fire cannons at Burning Bush were actually inspired by 17th century physicist Sir Isaac Newton’s design for an air-powered cannon. “First we pressurized it with a bike pump and blew water out of the barrel.

That evolved into filling it full of propane, and we then filled the barrel full of gasoline, but we don’t do that at the party; it’s just too insane.”

At every past Burning Bush, the art that has been displayed and then burnt down was built by Bruce and his friends using mostly scrounged materials.

“We’re always trying to dream up things we can build. We head to the dump to see what we can find. One year we cleared a blown down palapa out of someone’s yard and used the material from that.” Bruce is hoping that the event evolves into one where the people attending also bring their own artwork. “I hope someday that the people who come to Burning Bush build and bring their own artwork, but the idea is to not be too attached to it. By the end of the night, it gets lit on fire.”

Photo Paul Lang

i

Photo Scott Semon

at burning bush

Photo Scott Semon

By Paul Lang

The 2011 Burning Bush is scheduled for January 15, just before the La Ventana Classic and Kite Expo. Photo Scott Semon

Burning Bush has a theme every year, with past themes including Flower Power, 007, Fish, and Bush Goes to Mars. The theme for the upcoming 2011 Burning Bush, to be held January 20-23 with special early clinics happening January 17-19. For more information about Burning Bush, a website was just launched at www.sheldonkiteboarding.com/bajaburningbush/ All the better reason to get down to La Ventana early for the 2011 La Ventana Classic and Kite Expo, to be held January 21-24 with special early clinics happening January 16-20. See you there! If you can’t make it to La Ventana, make sure you pay attention to www.thekiteboarder.com for our live coverage, which will include Burning Bush!

For Jim Stringfellow’s video of the 2010 Burning Bush, visit http://vimeo.com/9038804 or www.jimstringfellow.com

ARUBA BAJA MAUI COCHE JERICOACOARA PUNTA SAN CARLOS CABARETE LOS ROQUES MARGARITA ICARAIZINHO HOOD RIVER NEW!

HIHO Surfari ST MARTIN BELIZE

2011 S E A S ON

COOL PLACES

FRIENDLY FACES

PRO INSTRUCTION

GREAT GEAR

TRACY KRAFT

THE PERFECT SPOTS FOR ANY SKILL LEVEL Powered by

CALL NOW! 1-800-223-5443 www.velakitesurf.com

email: info@velakitesurf.com

THE BEST OF BAJA

Guide to BajaBusinesses: LA VENTANA

DOWNWINDER INN: The newest property in La Ventana, owners

Wayde and Char Yates invite you to experience their piece of paradise with six rooms in a garden setting conveniently located near great beach launches. Each room has a queen bed, storage shelves, personal refrigerator, coffee maker, and complete bathrooms with hot showers for $65/night, double occupancy. Roof tops are available for relaxation and eye candy to enjoy the fabulous sunrises, sunsets, or just star gazing like you have never seen. A spacious outdoor community dining area provides all necessary items from the quick breakfast to a sit-down relaxing dinner. Free downwinder shuttle service available as well as wifi internet. www.downwinderinn.com

PALAPAS VENTANA: Founders of the La Ventana Classic Race, owners Tim and Jimena Hatler’s property is located upwind of the main riding area where waves often break when there’s swell or a strong El Norte.

You’ll know you’re at the property when you see the palapa roofs of their quaint casitas with large porches, each overlooking the Sea of Cortez and Cerralvo Island. Lodging includes authentic home-cooked meals (breakfast/lunch) served at the convenient restaurant/bar located just above the launch area or stop in for a killer espresso and wifi. With a central location to riding, area markets, and restaurants, Palapas Ventana’s warm atmosphere will make you feel like you have a home away from home. Sport fishing, diving excursions, and day trips to the island are also available. www.palapasventana.com VENTANA BAY RESORT: Located halfway between the main town

and the hot springs, Ventana Bay Resort offers you a choice of accommodations from beachfront rooms to private bungalows nestled in the beautiful desert landscape. Their on-site private restaurant serves delicious and healthy meals. Guests can keep to themselves on their private patio or join other guests for a cocktail at the clubhouse overlooking the bay. The Resort also offers lessons for all levels with all of the latest windsurfing and kiteboarding equipment along with a sports package with mountain biking, snorkeling, and kayaking equipment. www.ventanabay.com

VENTANA WINDSPORTS: In the middle of the action but seemingly a

world apart, Ventana Windsports offers a casual laid back atmosphere in an intimate setting with super comfortable rooms. With a large launch/land are directly in front of the property and a 2,000 gallon hot tub for soaking after your session, you’ll also enjoy healthy gourmet meals (included in accommodations), thick futons, feather beds, and fine bedding and furnishings, along with plenty of hammocks and lounge chairs for your “Baja Deluxe” holiday. Lodging also includes wifi and use of sports gear (SUP boards, kayaks, bikes). www.ventanawindsports.com

ELEVATION KITEBOARDING: Elevation Kiteboarding is headed by

Marie Leclerc and Mark Bavis. Marie, the reigning queen of the La Ventana Classic Race, and Mark, the strapless king of the beach, have been pioneering the sport on the west coast since 2002. Based out of Baja Joe’s in La Ventana in the winter and Nitinat in Canada in the summer, the school provides lessons for all levels using the most advanced teaching techniques. From radio assisted lessons with the latest waterproof radio helmet systems to watercraft assisted lessons, Elevation caters to all levels of riders and also offers girls camps, lessons for kids, island trips, downwinders, and more. www.elevationkiteboarding.com

baja businesses continued

LOS BARRILES VELA/DARE2FLY: Vela/Dare2Fly has been creating and perfecting the windsports resort experience for nearly 25 years. Whether you are looking for long tropical beaches with reliable side-shore winds, perfect flat water, or good surf breaks, Vela offers stand alone lessons or packages with gear, lessons, and lodging options at many locations around the world. Check out their website for their full offering of destinations with wind reports from their center managers, videos, and feedback from other travelers to give you a sense of what to expect. www.dare2fly.com or www.velawindsurf.com KITEBOARDING BAJA: An IKO school based in Los Barriles, just

45 minutes outside of Cabo San Lucas, Baja Kiteboarding offers radio helmet lessons in a private or group setting with boat support.

Stocked with the latest gear from Cabrinha, you can also take guided day trips to nearby riding spots and find the right place for your style and budget. www.kiteboardingbaja.com

EXOTIKITE: ExotiKite Kiteboarding School has been teaching kiteboarding in Los Barriles since 1998. An IKO certified and insured school on the East Cape boasting professional and experienced instructors, jet ski lessons and rescue, radio helmet instruction, and a guaranteed safe, successful, and enjoyable learning experience, they operate year round offering kiteboarding lessons, advanced wave riding and trick clinics, rentals, SUP tours and rentals, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, and accommodations. Visit their new store after November 20 next to Smokey’s Cantina or their school one mile north of town at kitebeach. www.exotikite.com

“...It’s a few notches above the rest in terms of the meals, the accommodations and the whole casual but deluxe vibe.”

“For beginners, this is the ultimate learning spot. And the hot tub rules.”

“At Ventana Windsports, we stayed right ON the beach, and wow is the food good. What a relaxing and windy trip! We’ll be back to kiters’ paradise!”

Ventana Windsports www.VentanaWindsports.com

48 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

S l o w ing Do w n?

Ruben Lenten has been plagued by injuries for the past few seasons and some people think his riding isn’t as aggressive as it used to be. We think this photo proves those people wrong. Photo Lance Koudele

thek i teboarde r. com 4 9

5 0 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

Is th is a Y ach t?

Nine time world champion Kristin Boese was recently nominated for the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award, the top honor in the sport of sailing. We’re thrilled for Kristin, but we had no idea that our kites and boards were yachts. Photo Gavin Butler

thek i teboarde r. com 5 1

W e ll Rou nde d Mallory de la Villemarque is more often seen tearing it up at competitions on a twin tip, but he also knows how to handle himself in the Oahu waves. Photo Stephen Whitesell

5 2 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

Fl eury o n T o ur Bertrand Fleury presses the rail at Eusidler Lake, Austria, during the whirlwind 2010 Rabbit Gang Tour. Photo Courtesy Wainman Hawaii

thek i teboarde r. com 5 3

BEST KITEBOARDING

Messenger Kite Bag

9

product watch

New Products to check out

FCS H3 Nexus Medium Tri Fin Set

The FCS H-3 Nexus features Tricoil technology, a dynamic flex pattern that effectively stores and releases energy as the surfer transitions from one turn into the next. This transition between turns is where most surfers struggle to maintain speed.

FCS believes it has solved this problem by designing a fin with a highly efficient template, material stability, minimal drag characteristics, and above all, unparalleled flex properties.

SIZES: Medium (Small and large sizes coming soon) Colors: Smoke MSRP: $110 www.surffcs.com

For riders who want more than just a kite bag, Best created the new messenger bag.

Built from PVC-free, rubberized fabric, it’s the ideal compliment to your new kite and your busy lifestyle. With a zipper-free wide mouth roll-top closure system you can pack down a huge volume of kite gear with ease. Its stylish looks and practicality will ensure it becomes your favorite piece of luggage. The large size will comfortably fit everything you need for a day’s kiting, excluding your board.

Sizes: Small and Large Colors: Black MSRP: $60 www.bestkiteboarding.com

F-ONE TRAX

The Trax is F-One’s best selling high performance twin tip in the US. It has a new outline and 3D bottom contour that has a V in the center with double concave. This new version has more carving ability and is smoother in the chop. The Trax and all 2011 F-One twin tips will also feature F-One’s new patented UniBox system with asymmetrical and very thin fin profile fins for less drag and a better overall speed. These fins have been tested and developed by Alex Caizergues in Namibia and their shapes are no longer dependent on screw size.

Sizes: 132x38, 134x39, 136x40, 138x41, and 140x45 cm COLORS: White/black carbon cross MSRP: $899 www.f-onekites.com and www.f-onekites.us

FIX MY KITE Tuff Bladder

Blanks

When it comes to replacing or repairing your kite’s bladders, make sure to use the correct materials. All kites on the market use a PU (polyurethane) bladder material to allow the kite to maintain correct design and shaping. With this in mind, FMK has manufactured Tuff PU bladders to fit every water kite on the market.

Paired with the Fix My Kite Self Stick Valves you can quickly build or repair any kite bladder on the market today. All sizes are available for struts and leading edges. Take them with you when traveling, especially to remote places.

SIZES: 30 to 90 inches (struts); 21 to 40 feet (leading edges) MSRP: $14.50 to $26.50 (struts); $45 to $51 (leading edges) www.pksdisribution.com 5 4 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

NORTH KITEBOARDING

Free Race

The Free Race bridges the gap between race and freeride. It will get you up and going in lighter wind than a surfboard without the typical constraints of a full-on race board. While the blocky tail and swept twin fin will get you flying upwind in a light breeze, the rounded outline and surfy rail shape keep things loose. The Free Race serves up a smooth, comfy ride in any conditions.

SIZES: 5’3” COLORS: Speed metal silver MSRP: $899.95 www.northkites.com

NAISH Venturi

Race boards can get on a plane in much lighter wind and point far higher upwind. The downside is race boards are best on a race course, but typically not very friendly otherwise. The Venturi is Naish’s first competitive race board in this category, i.e. it is designed for both racing and freeriding. Boards designed to win always evolve to meet the demands of the world’s most dedicated professional racers. The Venturi race board is also a light-wind weapon that is actually enjoyable to ride. Adding a board like this to your board quiver will double the number of days you can kite.

SIZES: 183 Colors: N/A MSRP: N/A www.naishkites.com

SHINN Capri GT

The Shinn Capri GT is about serious amounts of fun, big air boosting, and full rail carving. Have fun in the sun, refresh your old school tricks, refine some new school ones, ride fast, carve hard, cut deep, and fly! The Capri GT features advanced flex control for the smoothest ride imaginable, deep section memory foam pads for luxurious foot comfort, and custom shaped fins for maximum grip and drive.

SIZES: 140 x 41 Colors: Black, White, Red/Orange MSRP: $829 www.shinnworld.com

HYPERFLEX AMP AERODOME AIR

INSULATED HOODED WINTER WETSUIT

If you kite in freezing cold air and water temperatures, check out the new AMP Aerodome hooded wetsuit. Developed for surfing and kiting in brutally cold wintertime conditions, the AMP features core chest and back torso panels with limestone-based Yamamoto Aerodome® air insulating technology. Aerodome panels incorporate small perforated air chambers that insulate the body, similar to the air space in a double pane window. Other key features include: 100% AMPstretch superstretch, superlight neoprene, warm base thermal fleece core interior lining, external liquid tape sealed seams, diagonal mini-chest zip with waterproof PK Zipper, and attached hood. Ride toasty all winter long!

SIZES: XS-3XL Colors: Black, black/gray, blue/white/black MSRP: $289.99 (5/4/3mm); $299.99 (6/5/4mm) www.hyperflexusa.com

TWISTED Velocity

One of the beauties of snowkiting is that you can use any regular snowboard and it will work just fine. However it is also safe to say that snowkiters are not using the boards in the way they were designed to be used. We ride on the edge just about all the time when kiting and snowboards are designed to be turning when on edge. This means that to go in a straight line we are effectively plowing our way through the snow! Twisted has developed a specialized board for the dedicated snowkiter, designed specifically for the rigors of snowkiting.

For the past three seasons, Twisted has shown its qualities and performance.

The design allows the board to ride and feel smoother on the snow. Riding this board gives a feeling closer to kitesurfing: smoother, less fatiguing, and way more fun than a traditional snowboard.

SIZES: 164cm COLORS: N/A MSRP: $499 www.twistedkiteboards.com

RRD Domingo

The Domingo is RRD’s new freeride/wave board with a plain flat hull with slight V rail to rail configuration and a monster wide and short swallow tail along with a flat rocker with very low entry on the nose. As the name suggests (Sunday), it is a relaxed, easy to use wave board ideal for light wind conditions, learning first jibes, and less than ideal surf conditions. As long as your kite can stay up in the air, you will have a blast on this board and if the waves come up a bit, your session will be that much better! Available in Classic, LTD, and Wood technology construction, it can be used both in wave mode with two straps and the G-5 thruster fin set or in freeride mode with three straps, two side fins, and one oversize 14 cm center fin.

SIZES: 5’8” x 21” x 2 ¼” Styles: Domingo Classic (PU/HD foam heel areabottom stringers/polyester), Domingo Limited (EPS/Full Custom PVC sandwich top and bottom /glass), Domingo Wood (EPS/wood/PVC sandwich/glass/polished) MSRP: $899.95 www.robertoriccidesigns.com

thek i teboa rde r. com 5 5

de

sig

best

co

r ne

’s

e rn

r

Brand new for 2011, the Profanity is a pure wakestyle board, stiffer in torsion than any freestyle board from Best. Photo Gavin Butler

New for 2011, Best is introducing the Profanity, a dedicated wakestyle twin tip board shaped by board designer Franz Schitzhofer. We spoke with Franz to find out more about the new addition to the Best board line up.

The Profanity is constructed using a Paulownia wood and foam core. What’s so special about Paulownia?

Each different type of wood has different properties, some have dense grain, some open, some have high strength and impact resistance, some low, and some have high rebound; the list goes on. We use Paulownia in our boards for a few reasons. It has great strength in compression, fast rebound, can be sourced from managed plantations, and is particularly light. It’s about half the density of Poplar which would be used in snowboards.

In the October Preview Guide, Best said it added deep section ABS rails that are deep enough for you to sand the shape of the tips if you prefer a rounded corner. Why would a rider want to do this? The tip shape of your board has a direct effect on how the board turns and how it transitions from rail to rail as you carve. The standard tip shape on the Profanity is quite sharp giving you a definite corner point to your transition. If your riding style favors more powered flowing turns then you might want to round off the tips to accommodate this.

It’s an option for riders who really know what they want from a board that can be as unique as their riding style.

Product Name:

Profanity

Shape:

Twin Tip

Product Style:

Wakestyle

Sizes Available:

134, 138, and 142 cm

Release date: November 15 5 6 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

How should flex in a wakestyle board differ from a freestyle board? Tip-to-tip flex isn’t going to be hugely different — the Profanity sits between a wakeboard and a freestyle twin tip in terms of stiffness, maybe a touch closer to the wakeboard. The actual flex pattern isn’t very different, it’s stiffer for a little more of the mid-section pushing the flex further into the tips where you need it for landing. The real difference is in the torsional stiffness. On a strapped board you are limited in how much you can twist the board, because you can only pull up into the straps, you can’t really push your toes down in the opposite way. With bindings you can really twist across the board as you have more leverage, so you can really torque the board under your feet and this has a huge effect on how hard you can drive the board. So the Profanity is designed with this in mind and it’s stiffer in torsion than any freestyle board that we have made.

The underside of the Profanity features a large single into double concave shape, flowing into a twin channel tip. How does this design element affect performance? Adding rocker gives you control, more pop, and softer landings, but it needs more power to drive through the water. Adding a broad single concave makes the board faster and retains the benefits of the rocker. Flowing this into a double concave at the tips directs the water passing under the board through a narrow exit point and this generates lift at the tips, making the board plane earlier than it should with that amount of rocker. The channels in the tips increase your straight line grip and allow you to run smaller fins all the time and retain some grip even when you remove your fins for sessioning a rail or kicker.

Best beveled the underside of the rail on the Profanity for hitting sliders. Why? When you land on a rail you have to come in slightly biased towards your rear edge if you want to avoid catching your front edge and end up kissing the rail. The negative bevel raises the edge or your board (it’s only 1.5mm) but it allows you to come in about 8° too hot without tripping over your rail and wiping out. If you don’t ride rails then you’ll never notice it in the water, but if you do, then you’ll wish all your boards had it.

The product specs mention a vertical sandwich core construction, what does this bring to the board? The vertical sandwich core allowed the R&D team to blend the best characteristics of wood and foam core boards. We get the rebound rate and lively feel of wood with the added stiffness of foam. It also allows us much more control over the tip flex than using a single material as we can position each material for different results in different areas.

If a rider focuses on wakestyle riding but also wants a board for freestyle and waves, would you still recommend the Profanity? No twin tip is going to be your best friend in the waves, but if your bias is towards wakestyle then we think the Profanity will make a better crossover board to freestyle than a freestyle board would to serious wakestyle. Freestyle boards just aren’t built to take the abuse that we know Profanity riders will dish out to their gear.

How do you think this product stands out from what else is available in the market? There are plenty of twin tips dressed up as wakeboards in the market. The Profanity was conceived from the ground up as a wakestyle board — our new team riders demanded a pure wakestyle board to compliment their riding styles. Their feedback and Shannon’s input have enabled us to make the mother of all wakestyle boards.

desi

gn

c o r ne r ’ s er

Why is the 10m Screamer LTD not in the regular Screamer line up? We used the same plan but the profile on the 10m is totally different than the other Screamers. Actually, we use the Screamer 10 LTD as our test pilot for our next generation of kites.

So the 2011 Screamer 10 LTD is actually a preview of what could come in 2012.

Epic introduced the Screamer 10 LTD in 2010, which was positioned as an ultraperformance and super powerful kite. We spoke with Epic Kiteboarding owner Dimitri Maramenides and his kite designer Momi to find out what riders can expect from the 2011 LTD version and what makes the 10 meter so different from the rest of the kites in the Screamer line.

You promote this kite as being as powerful as any 12 meter kite on the market. Why would you recommend a rider get the 10 meter LTD versus the 12 meter Screamer? If your weight is between 145 to 180 lbs. and you are looking for a one kite quiver, then the Screamer 10 LTD is perfect for you. It’s as powerful as any other 12m kite on the market – in 15 knots you will be able to have a blast on the Screamer 10 LTD. Now you are probably wondering why not get the 12m Screamer instead. Well, the answer is very easy. The 12 is very powerful and feels like a 14 meter kite but moves like an 11.5 meter kite. So in 25 knots you will be way overpowered. The 12 Screamer is very good from 13 to 25 knots but then after that it is too much. The Screamer 10 LTD is very good from 15 to 30 knots, but the fun will start at18 knots and get better the higher the wind gets. If you are over 200 lbs., then the 12m will be the kite to get as a one kite quiver from 17 to 32 knots, or go with the Screamer 10 and 14.

have tried the 2011 10m Screamer have told us that it has more hang time. The wind range is unchanged.

Some changes were made to the canopy profile and struts.

Please explain what changed and why the changes were made. We made a few changes on the canopy to make it even better than the 2010. We also made the tips of the struts more cone-shaped in order to increase the stability of the trailing edge and give a more direct feeling from the kite. Just give it a try and you will see what we are talking about.

What is your warranty policy on the kites? If something happens to the kite, riders just need to get in touch with us. We were created for riders and will see how we can help you best.

What level of rider and style of riding is best suited for the Screamer LTD? It is more for an advanced rider that is into big air, freestyle, and powered moves. By changing the knots on the corners of the wing tips on the leading edge, it will bring the kite more towards the window or lower and will increase/decrease bar pressure. The Screamer LTD is also excellent for racing because it shoots way upwind.

For 2010 Screamer LTD fans, what will be the most noticeable changes on the 2011 LTD? The 2011 version has more reinforcements than 2010. Also, the power is more direct so you feel one with the kite, especially when you unhook. Riders that

Epic

The biggest changes on the 2011 Screamer LTD are stronger reinforcements and a more direct feel for unhooked tricks. Photo Helen Trotman

How about turning, relaunch, and unhooked ability? If you thought the relaunch on the 2010 was easy, then 2011 is even better! Unhooked performance is also something we really worked on – the kite just feels perfectly trimmed and ready for your input. The speed/turning is the same as last year.

Were any changes made to the bar? The bar is now white and the center hole in the bar is more oval to minimize the wear and tear on your lines. Also, the depower on the kill switch was increased 20 cm so now when you release the chicken loop, the kite will depower 85% instead of 75% like the 2010 model.

Anything else you’d like to add or highlight about the Screamer LTD? Yes, do not underestimate its power!

Product Name:

Screamer LTD

Shape:

Hybrid

Product Style:

Advanced performance, big air

Sizes Available: 10m only Release date: Available Now thek i teboa rde r. com 5 7

de

sig

f-one

co

r ne

’s

e rn

r

F-One’s Bandit 4 now has a new canopy shape with three struts, improved unhooked performance, and a new bar with a modified safety release system. Photo Gilles Calvet

Now entering its fourth year, the changes between the Bandit Dos and Bandit 3 were more refinements than a radical redesign. For 2011, the Bandit 4 (B4) has changed considerably with a new shape and bar. For F-One’s 2011 surf program, several new sizes were added and all boards except the Fish now feature a double concave bottom. Founder Raphael Salles helps explain what we can expect from the new B4 and F-one’s 2011 surf line.

The Bandit 4 has a new canopy shape and squared off wingtips. What did this affect? We modified the outline and went from five to three struts. Three struts gives you more freedom to work on the body. With less weight and larger square tips, you get a kite with a faster response and a lighter feeling in your hands. The bar response is immediate with lighter bar pressure so you know exactly what the kite is doing at any give time. One of the surprises is that both pro riders as well as beginners feel a definitive improvement in driving the kite with a more direct response that needs no anticipation.

We also changed the profile, the C-shape curve, and the diameter of the leading edge so almost everything has been modified except the delta which remains the same. I want to make sure readers understand this because as the kite looks closer to a C-shape because of the square tips, people think that the B4 is not a delta, but I can assure you it is. The new B4 just doesn’t have the typical look of the first generation delta with pointy tips anymore.

Product Name:

Bandit 4

Shape:

Delta C-Kite

Product Style:

All-around, waves, wakestyle

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Sizes Available: 12, 14m Release date: Available Now 5 8 t he ki t e b oa r d e r .c o m

With the new shape, please explain the difference between a delta and SLE kite. Ever since the first Bandit, we have classified our concept, now patented, as a delta C-shape. We’re the only major brand that never built a bow kite. A delta is a kite that gets a sharp angle at the center of the leading edge, giving it a new outline for an inflatable kite.

The first important thing is that you can make a 4m or a 20m with a delta and it will work perfectly, something which is not true for a SLE or a pure C-shape. This allows us to have a full range without the need of making all kind of different shapes. The delta allows full depower with a lot of stability, without the need for a long depower system. Its natural shape is ideal for auto relaunch. On a bow or SLE, they have less area in the center and more on the tips so they need to be flatter to get power, and as soon as they go more C, they lose the low end. The C-shape is the only way to get the direct perfect bar feeling so it’s an important feature on our kite design.

The previous Bandits are known for their rock solid stability.

With three struts, is the B4 as stable as previous models?

That was the challenge we had. We got a kite that can turn better and is smoother but what happens when we use it in overpowered conditions? We worked a lot on the aspect ratio and the kite balance.

Alex Caizergues, the world speed record holder, is our high wind tester. We asked him to push the 9m in 45 knots and tell us what he thought. This year, the speed team was quite surprised that we still managed to satisfy them.

What are the biggest changes that B3 riders will immediately notice when riding the new B4? I strongly believe we have gained in all aspects of the kite if we compare it to the B3. First thing you will notice is the lighter weight, not only the real weight but the moving weight. In the low end you can gain power just because the kite is easier to move and gain traction while in the high end, the control of the profile, depower, and the stability at the edge of the window give you a lot of confidence. For unhooked riding, you will benefit from the weight, the response time, and the speed in kite loops. We have also managed to get less direct boost when you unhook, so you have better control and the bar is easier to pass. You don’t need to tune your depower trim before unhooking; the kite accepts more of a middle trim. I think every rider in any discipline will feel the benefit of the B4 from its previous generation. We have put into the B4 things that cannot normally fit into one kite: Light but strong, rigid but soft, manageable but stable, powerful but comfortable, and accessible but performance-oriented.

Were any more changes made to the construction or design of this kite? We have been using our Force Frame construction since the Bandit 1, with full independent canopy panels between struts and are constantly improving it. With the Fusion strut design and the use of a lot of Dacron fabric in specific areas, our construction is rock solid.

We’ve been in close collaboration with the same kite factory for nine years so our production and quality control is based on long experience and partnership. On the B4, we have a new strut valve with no zip ties for the one pump system that allows easy replacement of bladders and also added several new reinforcements.

F-One refined its Velcro pin safety release system for 2011.

How did you modify your safety release and what do you have to say about the Velcro pin system versus the push cuff release systems? We strongly believe that a complicated quick release system with metal parts can stop working when wet and sandy, which

are typical conditions. We feel more confident with our Velcro system.

Velcro will work in any situation, from any type of sand to the snow.

Velcro does not need any maintenance and you can leave it for one year without taking care of it and it will work just fine when you need it. The only thing you need to remember with our system is which side you place the release, right or left. Riders should always try and learn their safety release before they go out. This year, we have changed the canvas loop for a molded one that is easier to catch and that pulls right at the top of the Velcro to get an even quicker release.

You also have a new molded bar for 2011, the Aerolite. How does this differ from the 2010 control system bar? We totally redesigned the bar. Any traditional bar is made out of five different parts: Center hole, two tubes, and two ends, and most of the time in different materials, with all the parts glued together. Our new concept is to have the all in one bar concept with only one monobloc aluminum piece with a molded polymer on the ends and an EVA grip.

F-One was the first company to use bamboo sandwich construction in its line of directional boards. Why does F-One believe bamboo is superior? We started promoting the bamboo technology in 2009 but we developed it two years earlier. Today, more and more factories are able to produce bamboo sandwich boards and because it’s an excellent material to build a surfboard, you will see more and more of it. The problem with a kite surfboard is that we need to build strong boards, but when you make it strong, the end result is heavy and stiff. The bamboo gives a lot of strength with regard to impacts while being extremely light because its inner resistance allows us to use a really thin envelope. On top of this resistance and strength, the bamboo absorbs the vibrations while keeping some flex, so when you ride on our board you feel a general comfort and smoothness you usually don’t have on sandwich boards.

The finish with the bamboo is beautiful and has less environmental impact due to its growing speed in a farmed environment.

The surf line is broken down into four categories: Fish, Gun, Signature, and Surf. What kind of conditions is each best for? There are so many different ways of using a directional board that we decided to have a complete range to satisfy all of them. The Fish is the best for light wind and smaller waves. The Signature is more for strapped surfing and Surf is more for strapless or strapped riding in heavy surf and can be used for paddle surfing. The Gun is a cruising board offering excellent stability at high speed.

Several new sizes were added to F-One’s 2011 surf program with all boards except the Fish now featuring a double concave bottom and new adjustable foot straps. Photo Gilles Calvet

All the new boards except the fish shapes now feature double concave. What did this accomplish? The Signature series is built with a V double concave bottom and that design is a better fit with the way we ride waves with a kite. We have more speed and power than surfers so our shapes need to be different and our position on the board is not always straight up because we often have to resist the kite. The V allows an effortless entry into a turn from rail to rail while at the same time keeping the board in check during the turns. You can easily and at any time change the radius of your turns and follow where the wave is asking you to go. The double concave gives more comfort and a quicker acceleration. With the combination of V and double concave, as well as the new outline and rocker, you will notice right after the first jibes that you can lay down much more into your turns and you will be surprised how effective these new improvements are. You can get that carving snowboarding feeling in a simple jibe.

Product Name:

Bamboo Surf

Product Category:

Surfboard

Product Style:

Light wind, smaller waves (Fish), strapped, medium wind/waves (Signature), heavy surf (Surf), high speed (Surf Gun)

Sizes Available:

5’2”, 5’4”, 5’6” (Fish); 5’8”, 5’10” (Signature); 6’2”, 6’4” (Surf); 6’9” (Surf Gun)

Release date: Available Now

There is some debate regarding what size board a rider should get. What’s your opinion? I think the program you want to cover will give you the type and size of board you should ride. I can ride from 5’2” to 6’9” depending on the conditions. Before buying your first directional you should really ask yourself what you want to do, then the choice will come easy. We have quite a few customers that have two different boards to cover different conditions!

F-One’s surf line has received very positive reviews by the TKB team for everything but the straps. Have these changed for 2011? Our 2010 straps were super comfortable and also super light but not adjustable. We have worked on a new surf strap that is now adjustable and is using the same strap lock technology as our twin tip pro platinum straps for easy mounting.

Anything else about the Bamboo Surf line you want to point out? Just one thing: We have been working on the Bamboo Surf Series for several years now and it’s not just because you put some bamboo in your board that suddenly it will be stronger and better. You also need to know how to use it.

thek i teboarde r. com 5 9

flexfoil

de

e gn

r’s

e rn

si

r

c o ar Preview Ge

The 2011 Flexifoil kite line was refined to beef up construction reinforcements and improve performance. Hadlow is also rolling out two new signature boards. Photo Richard Boudia

Flexifoil went through a number of internal changes over the last year on the administration side but design and development continued as strong as ever. For 2011, the company has refined the three kites in its line and has two new Hadlow signature boards coming out this winter. Plans are also in the works for a new twin tip board that can be attractively value priced with a kite as a beginner package. We spoke with Flexifoil’s Operations Manager Martyn Hogg to get an overview of what’s coming down the line for 2011.

For 2011, Flexifoil is continuing with the Ion, Proton, and Hadlow Pro. What changes were made to each?

From year to year, Flexifoil’s changes are mostly refinements.

Radical design changes require much more time and testing and there is a limit to what can be achieved and properly tested in the very short design cycle that this industry tries to adhere to. Flexifoil continually improves their designs with refinements and the radical prototypes happen in parallel with this refinement process until they are ready for the market. The Proton was a radical change to the Atom range and it will see some refinements based on feedback from customers. The Ion was refined in terms of accuracy of shape and benefited from the new construction techniques. Aaron tweaked the Hadlow Pro as he played with the delicate balance of forward speed and relaunch by changing leading edge diameters.

What changes will previous riders notice most on the new kites? The most noticeable change will be the construction. Flexifoil has worked hard to get a good reputation for build quality and the new construction sees an even stronger LE seam, stronger and stiffer strut to LE joints, Kevlar wear patches, and some subtle changes to the canopy construction. Ion riders will notice a kite that is even more solid in the sky and still gives an excellent freestyle pop Board Sizes Style Release Date and a predictable, stable Anarchist 134x40 Freeride, Waves Available Now freestyle ride. The Proton retains the boost from the Hooligan 134 x40 Freestyle, Wake Available Now Atom range but takes on Hadlow Freestyle 134x40; 138x43 Freestyle, Wake Winter 2010/2011 a new shape with more swept-back wingtips for an easy relaunch and more Kites Sizes Style Available depower. Hadlow riders will SLE Freestyle, Waves, Easy enjoy a stiffer leading edge Proton 5, 7, 9, 12 Available Now Relaunch that helps with relaunch and the included depower 5,5, 7, 8.5, C-Hybrid Freestyle, Wake, Ion Available Now 10.5, 12.5, 14.5 Waves bridle option gives the kite greater control for gusty Hadlow Pro 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 C-kite Freestyle, Wake, Waves Available Now conditions or wave riding.

6 0 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Can you point out the major differences between the Ion and Proton so riders know which kite would suit them best? The main differences are that the Proton has an easier relaunch than the Ion and slightly more depower and so is better suited to a beginner or intermediate rider. It still has great boost and can be tuned for freestyle so riders will not be held back once they have mastered the basics and want to start trying tricks. The Ion has a feel much closer to a C-kite in terms of turning and kite looping and if you use the slower turn settings, the Ion really does drive all the way through the turns giving it a very positive C-kite feel.

Is there a new bar for 2011? Yes, there are plans for a new bar to be released sometime in 2011. The issue we have is we believe our current bar is the simplest, most functional bar on the market and its hard to change something that works well. We regularly benchmark our products against competitors’ products and there are some fantastic looking bars out there at the moment but few of them seem to have valued simplicity as an important design feature.

What’s coming down the line for your 2011 boards? Can you summarize the major differences between each board? We have just launched the new Hadlow Freestyle Board in 138x40 and this will be followed by the Hadlow Wakestyle Board in 138x43. The only difference between Aaron’s boards and the production boards is a Red Bull logo! The Hadlow Freestyle is a very special board that is being enjoyed, surprisingly, by all levels of rider. The Hooligan and Anarchist may see a facelift on the graphics but we are very pleased with these boards as they are. The only Hooligan board to break worldwide was broken by a certain Mr. Billy Parker and I’m sure this had something to do with sliders, kickers, bindings, or just the fact that Billy rides harder than anyone on the planet! We hope to launch a beginner board for next season to be sold as a package with a kite. The challenge here is to produce a fantastic value board that a beginner will not grow out of —we are confident that we can achieve this.

Peter Trow, your North American distributor, is a wave icon in our sport. Are there any plans for him to develop directional boards for Flexifoil? There are no concrete plans for a directional board at the moment but it is a subject that crops up every year at Flexi HQ. We have been considering a number of different ways of producing directional boards and looking at all the different manufacturing methods and materials. We have even considered the possibility of locally produced boards but it’s hard to compete with the cheaper Asian boards out there. One thing you can be sure of is that when Flexifoil does release a directional board it will have the Peter Trow stamp of approval!

gn

c o r ne r ’ s er

The new Storm boards from Litewave took the DNA from the Spirit and Vision models to create his smoothest riding and biggest boosting twin tip to date. Photo Elaine Turner

What DNA did you take from the Spirit and Vision boards to create the new Storm line? We took the outline and concave of the Vision and the rocker and 3D deck of the Spirit to create a hybrid that really has nice pop and wakestyle, but goes upwind like crazy. After 13 years in kiteboard design, we’ve figured out the difference between performance and hype.

The Storm boards are new for 2011, combining the best attributes from Litewave’s 2010 Spirit and Vision boards to create the new line. Litewave Dave Turner shared with us the technology that went into the new board line and how his various design elements affect the performance and feel on the Storms in various riding conditions.

A smooth ride and massive pop were the standout features for your 2010 Spirit boards. What are the standout features for the Storm? Smooth upwind ride characteristics from the enhanced rocker line and concave stand out in my mind. You can really see how deep the single concave is in 2011 Storm and Wing boards. The single concave is a proven winner that Litewave has tested since 2002. But it is really the overall ease of use in demanding conditions that make the Storm stand out.

What style/level of rider will most enjoy this product and in what conditions? I made the Storm line to cover just about anyone that rides a twin tip. Newbies will enjoy the larger sizes and ease of upwind ability and use while experienced riders will love the control and height you can get with this board. Ample width in these boards contributes to pop and ease of use.

The torsion bar suspension on the Spirit boards was new technology introduced last year. Did you keep this design and construction element with the Storm boards and how does it affect performance? Yes, we kept the torsion bar 3D effect on the tips. This allowed us to engineer the flex so that it keeps its rigidity torsionally, allowing your fin and edge to really dig in while at the same time letting the tip flex longitudinally and smooth out your ride and ease turn initiation. A regular flat deck board that is thin in the tips will flex off when you edge the board and therefore lose grip. Litewave has eliminated this problem with the torsion bar suspension.

How do you think this product stands out from what else is available in the market? The Storm stands out because of its handling and control derived from a lineage of design refinement. You will feel the difference when you ride. Also, the graphics are great this year!

In the October 2010 issue gear preview guide, you said that the 2011 twin tips also had evolved features like tip-to-tip single-concave, parallel outline between the feet, and an ultra-thin outline. Why do you feel these design elements are important in a twin tip and what do they do? The tip-to-tip single concave adds much smoothness to the ride in choppy conditions and lets you load the edge more before a trick. The parallel outline gets you upwind better and prevents the “porpoise effect” created when you have a constant-curve outline. A thin outline is good because it lets your edge sink in for grip, makes the board lighter, and lets me control the flex with 3D features. All of these elements work together to give the rider an ego-boost in the form of improved riding.

litewave

desi

Product Name:

Storm

Shape:

Twin Tip

Product Style:

Freestyle, Wakestyle, Freeride

Sizes Available: 127x38.5, 132x40.5, 137x44, 144x46 Release date: AVAILABLE NOW

thek i teboarde r. com 6 1

desi

gn

Mystic

c o r ne r ’ s er

The Warrior III, Mystic’s top of the line harness, features softer edges and an updated clicker bar system for the ultimate in comfort, back support, and performance. Photo Mystic Boarding

Mystic streamlined their 2011 men’s and women’s harnesses and impact vests to focus on quality, comfort, and performance. Men will have three waist harness options while women have two. For impact vests, the company is offering three styles for men and one for women. Mystic’s North American distributor Evan Mavridoglou and Mystic Marketing Manager Max Blom Jr. overviewed their 2011 harness and impact vest line to help you determine what product will best suit your needs.

What are the most significant changes to the 2011 Mystic line of men’s harnesses? For 2011, we have completed the trilogy of the Warrior, the most sold waist harness in the history of our sport. In addition to the Warrior III we have a new Shadow harness and the first of its kind, the Code 01. For the Warrior III we are introducing a brand new outline, materials, and level of comfort. After years of studying and testing with our team riders we have come up with the ultimate new shape for the Warrior III. We have added incredibly soft edges around the outline. We have also updated the clicker bar, which works better than ever, and we have renewed the neoprene side pockets for the extra webbing. There are eight new colors this year to cover all tastes including a signature model

by Ruben Lenten. The 2011 Shadow features the same aggressive outline as the previous year for Product Warrior III (men)

Sizes XS to XXL

Style Most Support

Release Date Available Now

Shadow II (men)

XS to XXL

Medium Support, More Freedom

Available Now

Code 01 (men)

XS to XXL

Top Secret

Spring 2011

Warrior II (women)

XS to L

Most Support

Available Now

Hypnotize (women)

XS to L

Medium Support, More Freedom

Available Now

Force Shield Seat (women)

XS to L

Medium Support Seat Harness

Available Now

Force Impact D30 Vest

XS to XXL

Most Protection

Available Now

Force Impact Vest

XS to XXL

Medium Protection, More Comfort

Available Now

Impact Shield

XS to XXL

Floatation and Protection

Available Now

Razor Float

XS to XXL

More Floatation/Harness Compatible

Available Now

Hypnotize Impact D30 Vest

XS to L

Most Protection

Available Now

Rez Neo (women)

XS to L

USCG Approved

Available Now

6 2 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

maximum mobility and range of motion. The new Clicker Bar 2.0 has been added to the Shadow and a new signature model is now available, designed by Youri Zoon. Three new colors are now available on the 2011 Shadow in addition to the white and black. Finally, the 2011 Code 01 will be available in spring 2011. The Code 01 is very unique and the first waist harness of its kind. We will keep it as a surprise for our fans until this new harness is finalized.

Mystic launched Mystic Women in 2010. What options do women have in the 2011 line? The Mystic Women introduction in 2010 was a huge success. The 2011 harnesses will include the Mystic Women Warrior II in two colors, the Hypnotize in two colors, and the Force Shield seat harness. Together with the Mystic Women wetsuits and other accessories there is a great selection for all girl riders.

How would you recommend riders go about choosing the best Mystic harness for them, especially if a retailer is not located close by? A rider should choose if she or he wants a lot of support and stiffness or less support and a more moveable harness. The Warrior III is a perfect harness for more back support and the Shadow gives more freedom of movement. The Code 01 is the best combination of both worlds but I can’t say much about it since this is still in final development.

Are there any specific features that women should look out for or avoid? Enough back support in the lower back and soft edges are the main features women typically want in their harness; that’s why we focus so much on these two areas in both our men’s and women’s harness collection. And let’s not forget the looks. All women-specific Mystic products match the apparel and wetsuits.

Mystic has seen a big increase in its sales of impact vests. What’s coming down the line for 2011? More and more riders realize the importance of impact and float vests. Some are pushing their limits and practice more demanding tricks, others kite wider water bodies in lighter conditions with race boards. Also, the focus on riding waves creates more demanding conditions and kiters need to be prepared. Mystic has designed impact and float vests that address all styles and needs for both men and women. By adding intelligent shock absorption materials (such as D3O) and super flexible materials the Mystic vests are leading the market once again.

In 2011 the kite vests are designed to work perfectly with waist and seat harnesses, and we have even introduced wake specific vests that can work great with seat harnesses, as well at the cable or behind the boat.

What is your warranty policy on Mystic harnesses and vests?

Register your Mystic products through the warranty website and you will be covered for materials and stitching.

Slingshot

The Rally is Slingshot’s newest creation built on an open delta-C platform with three struts and an incredibly short bridle. Photo Sharkeeye/Reload Productions

desi

gn

c o r ne r ’ s er

Slingshot has rolled out the 2011 Rally, a completely new kite for the company. Where does this kite fit in amongst the Slingshot product mix? The Fuel is our original C-kite, the RPM is our Open C, the Key is our Hybrid Delta C, and the Rally is our Open Delta C. The Rally is part of our Crossover collection which caters to the majority of riders. This kite crosses over into all styles of riding from freeride to freestyle and surf.

Why would you recommend riders choose or not choose the Rally over what else is coming from Slingshot for 2011? What kind of rider is the Rally best suited for? The Rally shares the crossover label along with our RPM. They are both friendly, easy to use, high performance kites. The differentiation between the two is the platform.

The RPM is an Open C platform, and the Rally is an Open Delta C platform. What this means is that the Open C platform is more tailored towards a traditional C-kite turning radius and feel at the bar. This kite is a bit more slippery at the edge of the window, excels at unhooked riding, and is suited best for those style kiters. Contrast this to the Rally which has Delta DNA. This kite will lend itself to a tighter turning radius and more low end grunt, bigger, loftier jumps, and more depower at the bar. The Rally is best suited for the intermediate to advanced rider who wants to boost big, but also be able to shut off the kite when needed from the bar.

The new Rally boasts a three strut design. How did Slingshot achieve the same stability and performance between the smaller and largest sizes? The Rally includes the return of Slingshot’s patented Splitstrut design. The advantage of this construction is that it adds more structure and durability to the kite. We have also learned a lot about three strut designs from our previous kites. The stability and the performance of the larger sizes comes from the LE diameter and where the struts are located. The LE diameter controls the turning speed and the lift. We picked a size that was a good balance between these two. The struts are positioned in such a way that they control the balance of the kite, while also keeping the proper tension on the trailing edge through turns.

Slingshot promotes the Rally as offering the first pulley-less bridle and forum participants have commented on how short it is. Other than more simplicity and less parts to wear out, are

Slingshot’s 2011 LEI kite product line maintains is roots in the C-shape DNA. Each one of their kites has evolved from the original C-shape kite and then has been refined to meet the needs of various conditions and riding styles. Kite designers Amery Bernard and Tony Logosz shed some light on their newest creation, the Rally, an open delta C-kite. there any other benefits to it? We were able to achieve this simple and compact bridle due to the addition of the Splitstrut construction. This added more structure to the kite itself and gave us the opportunity to make the bridle what it is. This gave us a couple additional benefits. The first is a direct connection to the kite, giving the kite a solid, direct feel and response.

The second benefit is that the short bridle has no chance of tangling up on the wingtip when the kite gets rolled around on the water — a definite advantage to a kiter who is dropping their kite in precarious situations by learning new skills or taking their kite out in the surf.

Is this bridle unique to the Rally only or can we expect to see it on other 2011 kite products?

Right now, this bridle is unique to the Rally. This is due to the unique combination of Splitstrut and Open Delta C-shape. However, this shape has shown itself to be a good light wind performer, so it’s very possible to see a similar shape and bridle configuration on a future kite as well.

How do the various attachment points affect the kite’s performance? The options to tune the Rally are available on the rear line attachment points. The further forward you choose to set the attachment point, the more bar pressure and kite feedback you will get. Turning speed is not affected very much, but the bar pressure to turn will increase some. The further towards the trailing edge you put the attachment point, the lighter the bar pressure and less feedback you will get.

Product Name:

Rally

Shape:

Open Delta C

Product Style:

Freestyle, Waves

Sizes Available: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14m Release date: AVAILABLE NOW

Are there any other performance or safety characteristics you’d like to point out? Besides low end grunt, range, and big, lofty boosts, the Rally exhibits excellent upwind performance.

Also, the relaunchability of this kite is as easy as it gets. thek i teboarde r. com 6 3

d

es

e ign

n

er

The 2011 Park offers C-kite performance like the Torch but with more pivoty turns, less aggressive kiteloops, and quicker instant depower. Photo Jon Malmberg

naish

r co

r’s

In this issue, Designer’s Corner with Naish features their all-new Park kite and their next generation Momentum twin tip board. The Park is positioned in Naish’s 2011 kite line up as being a C-type kite like the Torch, but with the power control of a swept kite. The Momentum was a completely new board in 2010 and was designed with the wakestyle rider in mind. We spoke with Naish kite designer Damien Girardin and board designer Greg Drexler to get the inside scoop on the new kite and 2011 Momentum to get an idea of how each fits in Naish’s product mix and how they compare to others in their lineup regarding feel and performance.

Damien, what technology or design and construction elements were taken from the Torch and integrated into the Park? Basically, I took the platform of the Torch to design the Park, for example the profile and arc are similar. Then I cut the wing tip at the last struts, so that last strut became the wingtip elbow. In order to provide a good relaunch, I swept the wing tip so the kite could easily roll on its side when in the water. One of the main things that was taken from the Torch and that gives the Park it’s superior flying characteristics is that the bridles on the Park are pretty much recreating the Torch wing tip in order to align the tow point with the center of effort, just like on the Torch.

How does the Park compare in feel to the Torch in terms of bar pressure, unhooked performance, and turning? The bar pressure of the Park is lighter than on of the Torch but the direct feel of the kite is similar. Regarding unhooking, the Park excels here — again the tow point position compared to the center of effort is similar to the one of the Torch, so the kite flies just right unhooked. The pop is slightly less aggressive than on the Torch but it’s still plenty good enough for any high-end freestyler. Regarding turning speed, thanks to the bridles, the Park has slightly more pivoty turns and has less aggressive kiteloops.

How do the two kites differ regarding stability, low end grunt, overall wind range, and relaunch ability? The stability of the two kites is pretty similar since they share so much DNA. The Park, due to the bridle, has a more instant depower than the Torch, where you have to wait for it to shoot forward to get full depower.

Why would you recommend a kiter choose the ‘do everything’ Park over the new sigma-shaped Bolt ‘for riders who demand performance over the broadest range of conditions?’ The Bolt has unmatched stability in gusty conditions and is a great all terrain kite, so if you live in a place with gusty and shifty wind, the Bolt will definitely be your choice.

The Park is a fun kite that will take on any session whether you are learning, freeriding, waveriding, riding sliders, or throwing some unhooked moves.

Is the Universal Control System Bar used for this kite? The Park shares the Universal Control System with the Bolt. For 2011, apart from the new white leash and trim loop, we have made a new thermoformed Tahitian pattern grip that’s more durable and gives better handling, added a fixed stopper on the trim line in order to avoid the bar going too high when you let it go, and the safety line is now out of the way of the trim line for easier trimming adjustment.

How was Naish able to achieve a three-strut design with the Park versus the five-struts of the Bolt, Torch, and Charger? Does this three-strut kite offer any other advantages that the other kites don’t offer? The secret behind the three struts of the Park is actually that it is based on the Torch. C-shape kites only work if they are perfectly loaded, so the Park works with three struts and a relatively small leading because I could keep the loading throughout the kite similar to the one of the Torch. Technically, you can see that the distance between the struts is similar to the Torch, so since there is enough support on the Torch, there is enough on the Park. Regarding the Bolt, with the nature of Geo-Tech, you need struts at the angles on the Leading Edge in order to provide the tension in the canopy so Product Name: Park with only three struts you could not create a good arc for the Product Category: C-Like SLE kite. On the Torch, we have a pretty long wing tip (required to get the turning characteristics) and these long wing tips Product Style: All-around, waves, freestyle, wakestyle require some profile support (struts). Overall, the Park offers some of the best characteristics of the Torch with added Sizes Available: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14m easiness in order to appeal to pretty much any kind of rider, Release date: Available now and it ends up being lighter thanks to fewer struts.

6 4 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

The Park features Naish’s new LWR (Light Wind Relaunch) Assist. How does it work and how much time does it take to put on or take off? The LWR is a feature that allows for relaunch in super light wind conditions when regular relaunch doesn’t work.

So you only need it if you go out on a Venturi board, race board, a SUP, or a foil when the wind is just too light for regular kiteboarding.

It takes a couple seconds to install, as it’s a line that runs up to the back of the second strut on the kite so when you pull on it you have way more leverage to flip the kite and get it to get back up in the air.

How do you think this product stands out from comparable C-kite/hybrid type kites available in the market?

Compared to a regular C, The Park stands out because it can be ridden by a rider of any level thanks to easy relaunch, instant depower, and overall friendliness. Then I guess on the beach it stands out because the graphics are back to our Polynesian roots and it has some real Tahitian motifs on it designed by our tattoo artist/rider over there!

Originally built as an alternative to the Thorn CC, riders also came to love the Momentum as their go to freeride board.

Greg, can you tell us how the 2011 Momentum is different from the 2011 Thorn CC? The design and performance of the Thorn and Momentum are completely different. The Thorn has a ton of power, which makes it ideal for freestyle where you really want to load up your rail, ride light wind, and charge upwind. While the Momentum is wider, it never overpowers you. With its different geometry, most notably in its higher rocker, the Momentum rides much higher and smoother in the water. Unlike the Thorn popping off its edge, the Momentum allows wakestyle riders to pop of the rocker.

Were any changes made to construction or design? Yes and yes. Every model was reworked and the range was expanded.

What kind of rider and riding conditions is best suited for the Momentum in comparison with the Thorn CC?While the Momentum is categorized as wakestyle and freeride and the Thorn as freestyle, I think they are better considered by their different

riding characteristics and by letting individual rider preference be the judge.

Product Name:

Momentum

Product Category:

Twin tip

What are the most significant Product Style: Wakestyle changes that a 2010 Momentum board fan will notice on the new Sizes Available: 130, 132, 134, and 138cm model? Flex. Freeriders were all good on the 2010, but the most advanced Release date: Available Now wakestyle riders wanted a more aggressive flex. In the development of this for 2011 we discovered that the shaping design of the Momentum allowed us to ramp up the flex without overpowering freeriders. So now everyone is stoked!

The 2011 Momentum comes with smaller fins.

Why? We offer an assortment of fin sizes to let the rider decide if they want more grip or a loser ride.

We understand that the footstrap and pad system also changed for 2011. How and why?

Is this across the board for Naish twin tips or just for the Momentum only? Across the board.

The binding system is an area where we invested a lot of development. The most notable aspect of the new system is how the sides of the footpad wrap up the side of your feet inside the strap. There’s no edge between the bottom and the sides of your feet, so your binding shouldn’t have an edge either. The new pad design provides a smoother union between the pad and strap.

More importantly, it gives the needed support without hard materials. The more you compress the pad, the more support increases at the sides.

Anything else you want to add? We added a new size, the Park 138. While it’s in same range as the other sizes of the Momentum, its outline and construction are designed specifically for serious wakestyle performance.

Based on feedback from core wakestyle riders, Naish added more aggressive flex to the Momentum for 2011. Photo Stephen Whitesell

thek i teboa rde r. com 6 5

TESTED: 8 and 12m AVAILABLE SIZES: 4, 5.5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17m TESTED IN: Hood River and Central California, 16-22 knots, flat water and chop

FROM THE MANUFACTURER

The Taboo range represents a new concept in building the ultimate quiver of high performance kites. Each size of the Taboo is uniquely engineered to optimize performance for specific riding conditions. Every aspect of design, shaping, material selection, and construction has been tested and selected to create the ultimate ride in every kite size.

Ranging from 4m to 17m, there is a Taboo for all wind speeds and all advanced riding styles.

Each size in the range blends a different balance of ‘control’, ‘power’, and ‘flow’ allowing you to completely reinvent your riding game.

THE KITEBOARDER REPORT

Out of the Box: We tested both the 8m and 12m Taboo. The unique concept of the Taboo’s design means that these two kites are designed slightly differently. They look similar to each other and both feature six struts, a one-pump system, and a short pulley-less bridle. The rear line attachment point is adjustable to change the bar pressure and turning speed of the kite.

The Taboo ships with a very simple bag (other bag options are available) that is basically a sleeping bag style stuff sack. This bag takes up very little space and allows you to pack your kites very small for traveling.

The Redline performance bar is a very clean control system. It features an above-bar depower, multiple leash options, forged center piece, and an all-new push away quick release that has a built in line swivel. The bar is slightly thicker than others we’ve used, so it felt a little strange at first, but our testers quickly became used to it.

Tester Comments: “The Taboo is a good overall kite that’s fun for freestyle sessions and boosting. It’s fast and loops well even in lighter conditions.”

–Michael Pedone, 175 lbs., Freestyle Rider “The Taboo has excellent power, turning speed, and boost. The bar is excellent and overall the Taboo is very easy to set up.” –Gary Martin, 170 lbs., Surf Kiter and Occasional Twin Tipper

On the Water: While the 8 and the 12 both have similar flying characteristics, they definitely are slightly different from each other. On both kites, the Taboo had light-medium bar pressure, fast turning, and a very direct feeling. It seemed to us that the 12 flew farther upwind while the 8 sat back in the window a bit. This makes the 8 a little more well behaved, especially when powered up. Because the 12 flies so far forward, getting upwind is effortless, but it’s not quite as stable as the 8. With both sizes, the Taboo holds power through turns and finishes loops without any tendency to stall. The Taboo really shines when ridden fast and powered up and is a great kite for big air jumps.

PROS:

• The Taboo flies far forward in the window and is a great kite for getting upwind.

• The Taboo has good low-end power and has a snappy, direct feel to it.

CONS:

• The Taboo is not a great kite for beginning kiteboarders.

• Riders who would rather have a backpack style bag will have to fork out some extra money.

6 6 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

THE VERDICT:

The Taboo is a great choice for intermediate to advanced riders. It offers plenty of performance and the small sizes (4-9m) are especially great for wakestyle riding. Beginners should look at the Bularoo or Kahoona from Best as those kites are a little more user friendly and forgiving than the Taboo. Rider’s who liked the Nemesis NXG will really like the Taboo, as our testers thought the Taboo felt like a more refined version of that kite.

8 Pump the Taboo up really hard

Tips

analyze this

besttaboo

to get the most performance and to make relaunching easier.

8 If you are interested in the Taboo,

try to demo the exact size you want to purchase. While we found the 8 and 12 to be similar, there really was a difference in how they flew.

northrebel TESTED: 12m AVAILABLE SIZES: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14m TESTED IN: Hood River, 16-22 knots, flat water and chop

FROM THE MANUFACTURER

Whether you’re ripping apart waves, getting huge, lofty jumps, or just blasting around on flat water, the 2011 Rebel is a stylish 5-line all-terrain free-ride/wave machine that gives you an unmatched connected feel and virtually limitless performance in all conditions. The Rebel has become famous for its direct de-power, smooth, predictable turning, even when de-powered, and short bar stroke.

Improved bar feel and de-power in the small sizes means even more comfortable and accessible top end so you can keep having fun even when the wind gets nuclear.

THE KITEBOARDER REPORT

Out of the Box: One of the first things we noticed about the 2011 Rebel is the new Northexclusive canopy cloth. Known as Techno Force D2, it feels slightly different than other canopy materials and according to North offers a 40% higher breaking strength and 70% higher tearing strength. Other than the new fabric, the 2011 Rebel looks similar to the 2010 model, with the same attention to detail. The center strut floats below the canopy and is attached with a piece of cloth as opposed to being directly attached to the canopy. The fifth line bridle is very simple and there are no pulleys on the kite.

Tester Comments:

“The Rebel is easy to rig and ride, very stable, and hard to crash. It’s responsive to quick turns and loops.I liked how you could adjust the depower throw on the fly. The new canopy material feels and sounds extra crispy!”

–Gary Martin, 170 lbs., Surf Kiter and occasional Old School Twin Tipper “The Rebel is a kite that you can rig and have a blast on the water without having to worry about any adjustments.

Its stability makes it very forgiving in the waves or when learning new moves.”

–Paul Lang, 200 lbs., Surf Kiter

The 2011 Fifth Element Trust Bar is similar to last year’s model and is a very clean and well thought out control system. The amount of depower throw is very easy to adjust and we really like the Iron Heart quick release. The leash attachment gives you the option of complete depower if you drop the bar or can be rigged as a suicide set up while still allowing for complete fifth line depower if you activate the quick release, a nice feature for unhooked riders.

On the Water: Even though the 2011 Rebel looks much like the 2010, its handling has definitely been improved. Unlike last year’s model, there is no lag when initiating turns. The kite turns quickly and predictably and the Rebel is still among the most stable kites we’ve tested. The 12m Rebel we tested was surprisingly powerful, but that power was easy to manage as the Rebel remains stable and responsive when depowered.

Bar pressure is in the low-medium range. It’s light enough to not be tiring but there is enough pressure to easily feel where the kite is in the sky. We found the Rebel to be very easy to relaunch and the fifth line safety allows for complete and instant depower if you activate the quick release.

The Rebel goes upwind very well without much effort and holds its power well through turns.

PROS:

Tips

8 Like we’ve found on other North

kites, make sure that you don’t oversheet the Rebel. It’s so stable that it can keep flying when oversheeted, but the kite will feel like it has no power.

8 Take care to not fold or bend the

battens when rolling up the Rebel.

• Even when depowered, the Rebel remains very stable and responsive.

• The 2011 Rebel has fantastic low end power.

CONS:

• D espite the safety features, some riders are not fans of five-line kites and the Rebel is not designed to be flown on four lines.

• There is no longer a 16m size. If you want a kite larger than 14m from North, your only choice is the new light wind specific Dyno.

THE VERDICT:

The Rebel is North’s most popular kite and it’s easy to see why. This is a very well made kite that is very predictable and extremely stable in the air. For 2011, the Rebel has been made more responsive and the turning lag that we complained about in our 2010 review has been completely removed. This is a great kite for all-around riding that will work well for big air jumpers, freeride cruisers, and wave riders. Basically, most riders out there will be very happy on a Rebel. Wakestyle riders should look at the 2011 Vegas.

thek i teboa rde r. com 6 7

wainman Hawaiijoke TESTED: 134 and 138 AVAILABLE SIZES: 134x40.5, 138x41.5, 142x42.5 TESTED IN: Hood River and Central California, flat water to small waves, 15-24 knots

FROM THE MANUFACTURER

The Joke was designed to provide the serious rider with a blend of performance and ease of use no matter if they are hitting sliders, carving waves, or charging in the flats. A unique 3D bottom shape provides stability and enables the rider to go big with amazingly comfortable and forgiving landings. The combination of performance characteristics which include superb upwind performance, massive pop, insane turns, and stability make the Joke a board a serious contender. Additionally, the Joke can be used with wakeboard bindings or pads/straps.

THE VERDICT:

The Joke is a great board for progressive riders that want to ride with a lot of power and want a board that will ride out of awkward landings. This board performs best when powered up. The Joke is a great board to pair with boots for wakestlye riding. The smooth, predictable ride, high amount of pop, and soft landings make the Joke a great board for those who really want to push their riding. If you are looking for a board more suited for big air jumping, you might want to look at the Wainman Hawaii Blunt.

THE KITEBOARDER REPORT

On the Water: Even in heavy chop, the Joke rides very smoothly. It goes upwind very well and the edge never feels like it’s going to break free or chatter when riding. Where the Joke really shines is in load and pop wakestyle jumps. The Joke really amazed us was with its landings. You can come in hard and sideways, and as longs as you bend your knees when you land, you can ride out of some of the most awkward landings imaginable.

Tester Comment:

“I don’t ride twins very much anymore, but after riding this board for a few hours it made we want too,” -Gary Martin, 170 lbs., Surf Kiter, and Occasional Old School Twin Tipper

Tips

Out of the Box: The beautiful matte finish and bright graphics got our attention right away, but it was the Joke’s bottom shape that we really noticed. The middle of the bottom of the board is actually convex in the middle (like a bubble) and flows into a double concave out the tips. It’s unlike any board we’ve ever seen before. Attention to detail on the Joke is top notch; even the heads of the fin screws are labeled with Wainman Hawaii.

The very comfortable pads are color coded for right and left, a nice thought for those of us who have a hard time telling which strap goes where.

8 If you are planning on riding with boots, consider getting one size larger than you would otherwise.

8 W hile the Joke has great pop off of flat water, time your jump with a small wave or piece of chop to get even more height while holding your kite low.

NobileNHP TESTED: 134 cm AVAILABLE SIZES: 125, 128, 131, 134, and 137 cm TESTED IN: Central California, small waves, 15-25 knots

FROM THE MANUFACTURER

Since the beginning, the Nobile High Performance (NHP) has always been the product of evolution. Nobile’s Flagship model repeatedly wins tests in magazines and always has great feedback from riders. The 2011 Nobile NHP is the board of choice for everybody who’s looking for an exceptional big air freestyle machine without compromising on comfort and upwind performance, making it ideal for everybody who desires high power riding, explosive POP, and controlled, smooth landings.

THE VERDICT:

The Nobile NHP is a good all-around board if you want a comfortable and easy to ride board that gets upwind quickly and works very well for big-air style jumping. If you are more into wakestyle riding, you may want to look at the Nobile 50/50. The NHP works surprisingly well when underpowered and it provides a really smooth ride in choppy water.

THE KITEBOARDER REPORT

On the Water: The first thing our testers noticed was how easily driven the NHP is. It takes little power to get going and shoots upwind almost effortlessly. This board cuts through chop like butter and has a good amount of pop, especially for big-air jumps. The NHP is very comfortable and predictable underfoot and is very easy to control.

Tester Comment:

“On the first tack out I was charging upwind even in the lighter areas. The NHP loaded up and popped for unhooked and hooked in jumps very well and cut through chop comfortably.” - Mitchell Icard, 180 lbs., Freestyle Rider

Tips

Out of the Box: The Nobile NHP features bright graphics and an asymmetrical outline. The graphics feature windows that allow you to see the wood and honeycomb core and the strips of carbon used in its construction. This is a lightweight board with a fairly large amount of flex. The NHP also has a unique 3D channeled bottom in the tips and a progressive rocker line that is fairly flat in the middle. Our test board had 2010 straps and pads on it, so we weren’t able to test the 2011 ones

8 Consider not using the Nobile handle, at least the 2010 version. It isn’t really necessary and it’s massive.

8 M ake sure you set the board up correctly. The more rounded corners are on the toeside of the board.

9’2” x 31”

9’6” x 29.5”

9’6” x 30.5”

9’8” x 31”

10’ x 34”

10’6” x 31”

derry mcintyre - 9’2” x 31”

carbon glass

Introducing Caution’s new Stand Up Paddle line of boards ranging from 10’6” to 9’2” with extra width for stability, shorter length for maneuverabity and an inset handle for easy transport.

thek i teboarde r. com 6 9

SE Q U

ENCES

Words and Riding by Julien Hosp Photos Jacqueline d’Entremont

Back Mobe By definition, the back mobe is a back roll with a 360 frontside handlepass. If you want to learn the back mobe, you should be comfortable with simple handlepasses such as a 313 or blind judge and you should know how to do unhooked back rolls in your sleep.

1. Enter the move with speed and unhook.

2. To initiate the back mobe, throw an inverted back roll.

3. In the middle of the back roll, press the bar to your back hip.

4. Look over your back shoulder and keep rotating.

5. Pass the bar and finish the rotation.

6. Spot your landing and try to get your second hand on the bar to gain control of

7 0 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

your kite.

tips

• T he more inverted you go, the easier and more stylish the trick will be.

• Use your back leg to initiate the rotation.

• If you constantly crash by catching the front tip of your board on the water, try to hold the bar a little longer and pass a little later as this will give you a better position in the air.

thek i teboarde r. com 7 1

SE Q U

ENCES

313 For a lot of riders, the 313 is the second handlepass they learn after the blind judge, but it actually took me quite a long time to get the 313 stable and well executed, so now I really love doing it every session! If you want to learn the 313, first you need to be able to do basic unhooked jumps and be able to land blind or wrapped with a surface pass. The higher you keep your kite, the more difficult it will be to pass the bar, but the crashes will hurt a lot less.

7 2 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Words and Riding by Julien Hosp Photos Jacqueline d’Entremont

1. Enter the move with speed and unhook. For your first attempts, try to keep the kite between 10 and 11 o’clock to make the handlepass easier to complete.

2. Go for good pop off the water and throw out a nice raley.

3. Make sure you kick your back leg out during the raley!

4. To initiate the rotation to pass the handle, kick your back leg forward while looking over your front shoulder.

5. Keep the bar close to your back hip, pass the bar, and spot your landing.

6. Stomp the landing and ride away.

tips

• T hrow your back leg back during the raley so you can kick it forward to initiate the rotation.

• Don’t keep your kite too high, as this will make the pass really difficult.

thek i teboarde r. com 7 3

Y

ou can learn a lot about a kiter just by looking at his or her chicken loop.

This being the one part of kite equipment that requires periodic maintenance, the condition of a rider’s main depower line can give you hints about the personality of the kiter. Is the trim line clean and tidy? A little rough around the edges? Completely haggard?

Regardless of whether you weigh in as a fair-weather lightweight, a weekend warrior, or an everyday heavy, at some point you are going to have to cross that bridge: Tempt one more session or go straight to your local shop for a replacement.

If you enjoy a good self rescue every now and then, feel free to test the limits of line wear.

However, if you don’t want or need the exercise of an unexpected swim, you’ll have to find the fine line between acceptable wear and pushing your luck.

k r o w ch n e b

Peter Schiebel likes to push wear to the limit. Photo Brendan Richards

How Far Do You Push wear?

By Brendan Richards

How far you push it probably depends on some vague and unspeakable risk calculus, factoring in any of the following variables; cash in wallet, deficit of time, cost of kite repair, size of surf, degree of self motivation, and the perceived importance of the immediate session standing between you and a fresh chicken loop. When I was a student, short in terms of time, cash, and a sponsor, chicken loops were routinely ridden threadbare and almost always until broken. Even now, as a sponsored team rider where replacement chicken loops are in abundance, I still find myself on occasion riding trim loops resembling dental floss, and this is because after all these years, my guiding principle in chicken loop replacement is this quiet voice of reason in my head which is given absolutely no authority despite an almost perfect track record of predicting imminent trim loop failure. It doesn’t have to be that way, so I consulted a man much wiser than I, and here is the rule of thumb the great Peter Schiebel taught me:

It’s good to get in the habit of visually checking your trim loop each time you get in the water. If you see some fraying or irregular wear, then you should take your fingers and get a feel for the extent of wear. For the equipment hypochondriacs out there, getting fanatical about a minor amount of trim loop fraying is a waste of time, but when your minor fuzz turns into missing chunks, then it’s time for a trim line tune up.

Squeeze the trim line between two fingers and move down the length of your trim loop to get a feel for areas where the Spectra has worn thin. When the gap becomes tangible and 7 4 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

considerable between the worn and unworn areas, it’s time for some preventative maintenance. Of course, if you like swimming surrounded by balls of kite line and a giant piece of fabric, then by all means see just how far you can push your luck.

It should be noted that despite his wise advice, Peter ended this fall’s first double overhead session with a depower line so thin that he was able to floss his teeth with it.

Author Brendan Richards usually ignores that little voice in his head telling him it’s time to replace his chicken loop. Photo David DeVries

Brendan Richards

rides for Caution Kites (www.cautionkites.com), runs Santa Cruz Kitesurfing (www.sckitesurfing.com), and generally likes to avoid long ocean swims. Check www.cautionkites.com/vid/ trimloop for an instructional video on how to replace your chicken loop.

www.shinnworld.com

AOK Distribution +1 912-786-8080 info@shinnboarding.us www.shinnboarding.us

The infamous Tommy Trozera, AKA the Hair Farmer, scores down in Punta San Carlos. Photo Paul Lang

winning photo Submit your photos of “local homies” riding at your home spot and you could win a killer T-shirt from Transcend Kiteboarding! E-mail paul@thekiteboarder.com

Localhomies Local Homies is all about everyday, local riders sharing the stoke at their home kiting spots.

Sean Buell throws down near Tampa Bay. Photo Rob Buell

Using John VonTesmar’s boat, Jason Brodersen was able to get out for a unique session behind San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island. Photo Erin Loscocco

7 6 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Onno Jongman backrolls in Holland. Photo Mark Karels

Danny Alvarez finds a little time to get out between hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Photo Danny Alvarez

Slawek Krauze gives the cameraman a close look at the bottom of his board. Photo Paul Lang

Boriana enjoying herself at Sherman Island. Photo Paul Lang

There seem to be a lot of Caution Kites in Santa Cruz for some reason. Photo David DeVries

Wainman Hawaii team member Jeremy Lund grabs in Jupiter, Florida. Photo Lisa Jefferson

thek i teboa rde r. com 7 7

kitepages California

Action Watersports (310) 827-2233 Airtime Kiteboarding (818) 554-7573 Aquan Watersport (650)593-6060 Australian Kitesurf Academy (714) 955-7832 Bay Area Kitesurf (415) 573-2619 Board Sports (510) THE-WAVE Board Sports (415) 929-SURF CaliKites (619) 522-9575 Captain Kirk’s (310) 833-3397 Delta Windsurf Company (831) 429-6051 Helm Sports (650 )344-2711 Inflight Surf and Sail (562) 493-3661 Kite Country (619) 226-4421 Kitegearboxx.com (888) 411-0732

CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA

HOW SAFE IS YOUR INSTRUCTOR?

Is your instructor or school insured? Have they been through an internationally recognized, certified instruction program? While insurance and certification don’t guarantee you quality, safe instruction, they can help you better qualify your choices.

Introducing the TKB Certified Schools program. Look for the symbols by the listings!

For complete info or to be recognized as a TKB Certified School, see www.thekiteboarder.com and click on the TKB Certified School graphic.

The Kiteboarder Certified Schools

LEGEND d

Certifie

TKB Certified

Insurance

0THER OTHER

IKO

Pasa

7 8 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Kitesurfari (714) 964-5483 CA Kite Naked (209) 304-2200 CA KiteWindSurf (510) 522-WIND CA Live2Kite (415) 722-7884 CA Long Beach Windsurf Center (562) 433-1014 CA Mako Surf Skate Snow (949) 367-1300 CA Malibu Kitesurfing (310) 430-KITE CA Manta Wind & Water Sports (858) 270-7222 CA Monkey Air (310) 457-6896 CA Murrays (800) 786-7245 x23 CA Offshore Surf Co. (760) 729-4934 CA Kite School (650) 960-1721 CA Solutions (805) 773-5991 CA Soul Performance (310) 370-1428 CA Sky Kitesurfing School (925) 455-4008 CA VELA (800) 223-5443 CA Wind over Water Kiteboarding (650) 218-6023 CA Kite Island (925) 212-2915 CA Xdream Sportz (858) 481-9283 CA Xstreamline Sports (310) 518-1972 CA Xtreme Big Air (805) 773-9200 CA

Colorado

Colorado Kite Force (970) 485-3300 GAYLAN’S (720) 887-0900 GG Wind Kiteboarding (970) 389-0683 Into the Wind (303) 449-5906 Larson’s Ski and Sport (303) 423-0654 Fuze Kiteboarding (303) 683-5033 PKS (970) 376-3159 Snowkite Steamboat (970) 819-2997

CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO

Connecticut

Orbit Marine Sports (203) 333-3483

CT

Tri State Kites (800) 510-0865

CT

Florida

7 Kiteboarding (305) 664-4055 Ace Performer (239) 489-3513 Bloodline Boardshop (321) 254-4668 Big Kite Miami (305) 303-4107 East Coast Kiteboarding (954) 295-5778 Emerald Coast Kiteboarding (850) 235-2444 Extreme Kites (904) 461-9415 Extreme Sports (321) 779-4228 Jupiter Kiteboarding (561) 373-4445 Key West Kiteboarding (305) 407-6748 Kiteboarding Tampa Bay (813) 389-3683 Ft. Lauderdale Kitesurfing Co. (954) 410-5419 Island Style Wind & Watersports (941) 954-1009 Island Surf and Sail (954) 927-7002 Kiteboarding Tampa Bay (813) 389-3683 Kite Surf the Earth (888) 819-5483 Kite World (321) 725-8336 KGB Kiteboarding (904) 434-8987 1st Coast Kiting (904) 424-2721 Learn 2 Fly (386) 986-9637 Liquid Surf & Sail (850) 664-5731 KiteMare (877) 829-0015 Miami Kiteboarding Inc. (305) 345-9974 Otherside Boardsports (305) 853-9728 The Kite Shop (305) 361-0168 Sandy Point Progressive Sports (386) 756-7564 Ski Rixen (954) 429-0215 Tampa Bay Kiteboarding (727) 798-2484 Triton Kiteboarding (727) 453-9577 Water Monkey Kiteboarding (727) 481-3637

FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL

FL

FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL

FL FL FL FL FL

Watersports West (888) 401-5080 XL Kites (866) 955-4837 Xrated Kiteboarding (888) 401-5080

FL FL FL

Georgia

All Out Kiteboarding (912) 234-8260 High Tide Surf Shop (912) 786-6556 Locus Kiteboarding (404) 509-4229 Hanag20 Kiteboarding (912) 223-7856

GA GA GA

GA

Hawaii

Action Sports Maui (808) 871-5857 Caveman Kitesurfing (808) 389-4004 Extreme Sports Maui (808) 871-7954 Hawaiian Island Surf & Sport (808) 871-4981 Hawaiian Watersports (808) 262-KITE Kailua Sailboards (808) 262-2555 Kite High (808) 637-5483 Kiteboarding School of Maui (808) 873-0015 Maui Kiteboarding Lessons (808) 242-8015 Naish Maui Pro Center (808) 871-1500 Naish Hawaii (808) 262-6068 Off Da Lip (808) 255-6255 Second Wind (808) 877-7467 Vela Maui (800) 223-5443

HI HI HI

HI HI HI HI

HI

HI

HI HI HI HI HI

Idaho

Groud Zero (208) 265-6714 Fly Sun Valley (208) 726-3332

ID ID

Maryland

H2AIR Productions (302) 227-1105

MD

Michigan

Illinois

Windward Sports (773) 472-6868 Chicago Kiteboarder (312) 804-5482

Massachusetts

Air Support Kiteboarding (866) Kite-Cod MA Kitesite.net (508) 398-1333 MA Skyhigh Kiteboarding School (508) 259-2728 MA

IL IL

Broneah Kiteboarding (231) 392-2212 Detroit Kiteboarding (248) 245-5016

MI MI

SI_kiteB_ad.pdf

Grand Bay Kite Co. (231) 929-0607 Great Lakes Kiteboarding (586) 822-6511 MacInaw Kite Co. (800) 622-4655 Tawas Board Riders (989) 362-9906 Motor City Kiteboarding (586) 943-5172 Sharkless Kiteboarding (269) 639-SURF Uncle Doug’s Kiteboarding (810) 985-3732

MI

MI

MI

MI MI

MI

MN MN MN MN

Mississippi

Get Air (228) 209-1204 Gulfport Boardsports (228) 596-1936

MS

NC NC NC

NC NC NC NC NC

New Hampshire

Powerline Sports (888) 987-WIND

NH

New Jersey

Extreme Windsurfing (610) 807-9493

NJ

New Wind (541) 387-2440 Pacific Wave (503) 861-0866 Windance Boardshop (541) 386-2131

OR OR OR

Puerto Rico

Nevada

Kitesurf Vegas (702) 493-9245 Windsports (702) 220-4340

NV NV

Best Kiteboarding Center (631) 691-0793 NY Curtis Sport Connection (716) 627-2247 NY Island Riders (631) 608-0366 NY Main Beach Surf & Sports (631) 537-2716 NY Myers (716) 751-6511 NY Skywalk Kiteboarding (631) 324-4450 NY Windsurfing Hamptons (613) 283-9463 NY Rick’s Surf Shop (631 )581-9424 NY

Ohio

Red Sky Surf & Snow (419) 536-3204 River Sports (440) 333-8138

OH OH

NJ

Oklahoma

Thomasons Sports Kites (580) 796-2359

OK

Oregon

2nd Wind Sports (541) 386-4464 Air-Time (541) 387-3910 Big Winds (888) 509-4210 Brian’s Windsurfing/ Kitesurfing (541) 386-1423 Cleanline Surf (888) 546-6176 Floras Lake Windsurfing (541) 348-9912 Gorge Surf Shop (800) 957-4978 Hood River Waterplay (541) 386-WIND Kite-Line (888) 714-9849 Kite the Gorge (541) 490-4926 Lincoln City Surf Shop (541) 996-7433

Kitesurfing Puerto Rico (787) 374-5329 Velauno (787) 728-8716

PR PR

Rhode Island

New York

MT

North Carolina

Blowing in the Wind (910) 763-1730 Cape Fear Kiteboarding (910) 201-4002 Kiteboarding Hatteras (252) 995-5000 Kitty Hawk Kiteboarding Centers (877) FLY-THIS Outer Banks Kiting Certified (252) 305-6839 Real Kiteboarding (866) 732-5548 Wind Toys USA (910) 328-5483 Wind Toys II (252) 393-1300

NJ

MS

Montana

Underground Kitesports (406) 546-2709

NJ

MI

Minnesota

Scuba Center Wind/Kite (612) 925-4818 North Star Kiteboarding (612) 940-6639 Midwest Mountaineering (612) 339-3433 LAKAWA Kiteboarding (651) 428-4121

Green Hat Kiteboarding (718) 577-1256 Heritage Surf & Sport (609) 263-3033 Island Surf and Sail (609) 494-5553

OR OR OR

OR OR OR OR OR

Northwind Sports (401) 254-4295

South Carolina

Half Moon Outfitters (843) 881-9472 Catch Some Air (843) 388-9300

SC SC

South Dakota

Pro Peak Sports (605) 341-5445

SD

Texas

Air Padre Kiteboarding (956) 299-WIND Pro Kitesurf (361) 883-1473 South Coast Kiteboarding (361) 949-3278 S. Padre IslandKiteboarding (956) 245-8343 S. Padre Kiteboarding (956) 761-1434 Warming Hut Ski & Board (972) 234-6088 XL Kites, Dallas (817) 676-7842 XLKites, Houston (877) 955-4837 XL Kites, Padre Island (866) 957-2373 Zero Gravity Kiteboarding (361) 949-0266

Wisconsin

WA WA

WA WA C

M

WA

Y

WA

CM

MY

CY Adventure Kiteboarding (414) 760-1493 WI CMY Coontail Watersports K WI (715) 385-0250 Kite-Riders (608) 273-1817 WI Southport Rigging Company (262) 652-5434 WI The Board Shop (262) 248-1703 WI

Wyoming TX

Hoback Sports (307) 733-5335

WY

FOR E C N D RA INSUWIND AN TS ALL ERSPOR WAT Kiteb o Wind arding, S s Wate ur f ing, W UP, Sur f i n rskii ng a akeboar g ding nd m , ore. en na Cagxt 28 ct: Da ce.com Conta 89.4762 e rtsinsuran .8 o 6 p 6 s 1.8 agen@ Dana.c

TX TX TX TX

TX TX TX TX

TX

Utah

Cloud 9 Soaring Center (801) 576-6460 Kiteutah.com (435) 462-5303

UT UT

Virginia

OR

Southeast Expeditions (877) 943-8548

OR

Washington

OR

RI

Seattle Kiteboarding Center (206) 779-3272 Urban Surf (206) 545-9463 Wiley’s Water Ski Shop (206) 762-1300 Wind Flow (877) 211-3524 Evo (206) 973-4470 Bellingham Kiteboarding (360) 441-7577

4/9/10

VA

North by Northwest Surf Co. (360) 452-5144 WA thek i teboarde r. com 7 9

1:06:

yard sale Aldo Rossi and Calle attempt the rare synchronized double yardsale. Photo Gaia Conti

THE

TOP CRASHES IN FRONT OF THE

LENS

G ot a gr e at wip e out shot ?

Email: paul@thekiteboarder.com

Claire Lutz about to go down hard in Hood River. Photo Jon Malmberg

Collecting your twisted kite from on top of the rocks while waves continue to wash in is never very much fun. Photo Paul Lang

Dimitri Maramenides makes yet another appearance on this page with this elegant board off. Photo Charles Ash

Jon Modica attempts the reverse body surf in Baja. Photo Paul Lang What do you get when the wind dies at the starting line of a kiteboarding course race? A textbook yardsale. Photo Paul Lang

80 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

Reed Brady finds himself in an interesting situation in Hood River. Photo Carol Bolstad

yard sale Aldo Rossi and Calle attempt the rare synchronized double yardsale. Photo Gaia Conti

THE

TOP CRASHES IN FRONT OF THE

LENS

G ot a gr e at wip e out shot ?

Email: paul@thekiteboarder.com

Claire Lutz about to go down hard in Hood River. Photo Jon Malmberg

Collecting your twisted kite from on top of the rocks while waves continue to wash in is never very much fun. Photo Paul Lang

Dimitri Maramenides makes yet another appearance on this page with this elegant board off. Photo Charles Ash

Jon Modica attempts the reverse body surf in Baja. Photo Paul Lang

Reed Brady finds himself in an interesting situation in Hood River. Photo Carol Bolstad

What do you get when the wind dies at the starting line of a kiteboarding course race? A textbook yardsale. Photo Paul Lang

80 t he ki t eb oa r d e r .c o m

t h e k it e b oa r d e r . c o m 81

REBEL

RAN G E OF U S E:

F R E E R I D E WAVE

TRUE KITE BOARDING

EXCLUSIVE BY NORTH

RIDERS PH OTOS

· · · · ·

RACE

S I Z E S: 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 1 2 / 14

LOA D ED 5TH LINE CONCEPT FLOATING STR UT D IRECT STEER ING EVEN WHEN D EPOWERED SHORT A ND D IR ECT D EPOWER SMOOTH, SEA MLESS POWER STROKE

S ky S ol b a c h, T homa s Pa r is , R e no R ome u, Je r e my E l o y, C es a r P o r t a s Adam Koc h, Tr a c y K r a f t, S te p ha ne F our ne t, Ma ma t

CHECK OUT

W W W. N O R T H K I T E S . C O M