PROFILED
Photo Mike Sproul
TIPS:
• Give your gear plenty of attention and maintenance so that it doesn’t fail while in use. • If you are a kid, make sure that you have all the proper safety equipment like a helmet, life jacket, and good line knife. You are lighter so things can happen faster. • When trying new tricks, always exercise extra caution because there are many unique ways you can get bonked or slammed. • Remember that just because you get better does not mean that the sport gets safer. Stay safe.
Emmet Sproul AGE: 12 HEIGHT: 5’1” YEARS KITING: 3 FAVORITE SPOTS: Maui, Oahu, Skyline, and Strawberry Park SPONSORS: Ozone, DaKine, CrazyFly, Coloradokiteforce
GEAR
BOARDS: CrazyFly Raptor Pro 127, Slingshot Pit 5’2”, Scud Skimboard, Icelantic Scout Skis KITES: Ozone REOs HARNESS: DaKine Pyro A skier since the age of five, Emmet’s first introduction to kiting was on the snow when he was nine years old. Now with three years of experience under his belt, he is shredding on flat water, waves, and the snow. When asked what he likes the most about kiteboarding, Emmet said he loves the other world kiting takes him to as well as how all the varieties of kiting allow him to express himself in different ways. But the best think about kiteboarding to him? It took his family to a whole new level of ‘funology.”
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When, where, and why did you start kiteboarding? I learned to snowkite first in Breckenridge, Colorado, with Anton Rainold and Coloradokiteforce. I started because my dad kites a lot and my mom wanted to start kiting also, so we thought it would be fun if
we could kite together as a family. I started on a 3m training kite and played with that for a long time. After that I went to a 5m SLE kite. The very first thing I learned was how to use the safety release. When starting young, it is extra important to use the correct size kite for the wind because we are so light. Lighter people and kids have to be careful because they have less of a wind range on each kite and can get overpowered fast. Do you have any plans to compete? I ride for Ozone USA, DaKine, CrazyFly, and Coloradokiteforce. I am also an ambassador for Ozone to help get more kids and families into kiting. I plan to compete again in snowkiting this winter at the Dillon Snowkite Open and other snow events and also in the Naish Race Series next summer in Maui. I enjoy competing and really like racing. Kite racing is possibly the highest performance type of sailboat racing ever. How does your family schedule kite trips around your academic responsibilities? I’m in the sixth grade and most of my traveling is done in the summer or on school vacations. I’m a straight-A student and when I do travel during school I ask my teachers for any work that I may need to complete while I’m away. I try to do all of it in the first day or two to get it out of the way. I would like to homeschool to be able to kite more. My parents said I may be able to do that in the future but not yet.
What is your favorite style of riding? It depends on the conditions. On a clear day with waves I like to ride my strapless surfboard. That’s probably my favorite. I also really like high winds on my twin tip to work on my jumps, rolls, and jump transitions. My dad won’t let me unhook yet so I won’t hurt my shoulders. What do you think will attract younger riders like yourself into the sport? I think the fact that you can do everything that you can do on a snowboard, wakeboard, and a surfboard on a kite will attract more kids. The feeling of jumping and hanging in the air feels so cool that I just think they will love it if they give it a try. They need to understand that it’s not about being rad and shredding. It’s about the feeling of kiting. What is something you do outside of kiteboarding that most people wouldn’t know? I have a sewing machine and I like to sew. I like to make bags out of old kites and stuffed animals. I also play classical piano and play the organ and clarinet. I like to play fun jazzy songs. Any words of wisdom you want to share with our readers? When you plan a kite trip, make sure there are plenty of things to do in that place if it’s not windy while you are there. There is always a chance that even in a windy location there may be no wind. Then it can still be a fun trip, even if you don’t get to kite.