TheKiteMag #29 - English

TEAHUPOO:

YO U N G G U N S :

CITY SESSIONS:

Perfection with Keahi

Who to watch in 2019

Scoring Rio de Janeiro

£4.85 ISSUE #29

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C OV E R : It’s been a lifelong (well a few years at least) but the Kite Mansion park is in action. Here’s Annelous Lammerts in the awaiting the arrival of the KPL riders with a nice sunset boost...

P H OTO : Andre Magarao H E R E : Here is cold-water kiting in Russia. Does it look that appealing? We can’t work it out – but it seems to be working for Ocean Rodeo’s Vovan Voronov…

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T H E F E AT U R E S 78 // Magic Moments It must be pretty tough for guys like Keahi being able to plan their travel to pretty much anywhere in the world based on what Windguru and the charts are showing. Hmmm. This time round it looked like the stars were aligning for a Teahupoo trip… Mission on.

86 // Star Players Craig Cunningham had been to Puerto Rico. He had liked it very much… He told his friends and they decided it would be a good plan for a trip. The only downside? They had to stay in a 6* resort. I know. Unbearable.

96 // Young Guns No, I’m afraid you can’t live forever and – as hard as they may try – the frontrunners of today will soon have to hang up their harnesses… With that in mind, we had a hunt for the most promising prospective podium-topping players currently on the scene.

104 // Seasonal Flavors Does Kari Schibevaag ever sleep? Pretty much every week we get a fresh tale of cold and/or snowy wonders… This issue we just couldn’t decide what to run. So you get a double bill…

118 // The Dream Lagoon Annelous Lammerts and Alex Maes stumbled upon their own slice of kiteboarding perfection and – not being selfish souls – they decided to share it with the rest of the obstacle-loving kiteboarding world… We sent Andre Magarao along to investigate.

130 // City Session There are few more recognizable cityscapes than Rio de Janiero, so when Toby Bromwich was in town and some funky wind conditions meant that they could get to use the cityscape as the backdrop for a surf shoot: they were all over the city session…

THE REGULARS 35 // Tangled Lines with Moona Whyte 40 // On the List… Cabarete 42 // My Beach… Joshua Emmanuel 54 // I’m On It… Jesse Richman 62 // Gallery… WKC Dakhla and Brazil 138 // Technique with Set Teixeira and Lucas Arsenault 142 // Tell Me About It… Manera Eclipse + Ocean Rodeo Soul 150 // Tested 156 // Kite Hacks… Trick trees 160 // Wrapping Up… Sensi Graves

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THE CYCLE OF [KITEBOARDING] LIFE Editorial

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hen you’ve been around the kiteboarding block a few times (and I’ve been kiting for 17 years and working on kite magazines for 10, so a windburned and haggard character I am) you’d have to be pretty dim not to notice that the global gaze of the kiteboarding masses follows an annual course which is almost as dependable as this planet’s slow orbit around the sun.

(Note: this is not particularly surprising as the placement of the planet and the heat of the sun does of course dictate the seasons and thus the wind. Physics lesson over).

The kiteboarding year generally starts in Cape Town. Although the first signs of life from the beating-heart of the kiteboarding world may begin in November, it is only once the excesses of Christmas begin to be forgotten that you check your [insert social media brand of choice] feed TheKiteMag.com

and suddenly all of the pro riders, brands, and probably a few of your mates, are all lording it up in Cape Town. In bed until 11 every morning, downwinders every afternoon, and braais and beers every night. Blah blah blah. And then of course kiteboarding’s Blue Ribbon event takes place in February: the King of the Air. It’s the ultimate way to kick off another kiteboarding year and gets everyone amped. While in the northern hemisphere you may still be struggling to de-ice your boots before each session, the sight of those warm South African beaches is a taste of what’s to come…

As we shift into spring, the boots come off and the shots start filtering through from European shores… Greece, Sardinia, Portugal and – of course – Tarifa… The Euro season is in full swing so a lot of you guys who spend eight months of the year imagining the water is warm, the

nights are long, and summer never-ending get to live-the-dream for a few months… All is good with the world.

Then, as the evenings start to dim, those first post-session shivers kick in, you start thinking about a hot coffee after your session rather than a cold beer, and the gaze of the kitesurfing masses shifts again. And where to now? Well you only need to sift through the first few pages of this issue for it to be pretty obvious: Brazil. Always a popular migratory destination, for a few years it was almost surpassed by Australia as the ‘all the pros are there’ autumn spot, but the pendulum has truly swung back and Brazil has never before enjoyed such popularity… Not only are all the pros and apparently half the northern European kitesurfing population there, but also the contest world. And not just one, but THREE contests within a two week period... An unmatched achievement by any other global destination.

But wait a few weeks and all will once again be quiet in Brazil, as the gaze shifts once again, and another kiting year is complete…

So as we finish off another year of TheKiteMag, thank YOU for taking the time to read our magazine. We work hard to continue bringing you the very best kiting content we can, and we look forward to guiding you through kiteboarding’s cycle of life again in 2019…

Enjoy the issue, Alex

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THEKITEMAG IS… WATER BORN Published by M E D I A in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Advertising enquiries: advertising@thekitemag.com. All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

THE TEAM: Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Art Director: Jody Smith Assistant Art Director: Emma Hegarty

SUBMISSIONS: Online: If you have a clip or would like to get something on the website please send it over to us: media@thekitemag.com.

In the mag: TheKiteMag welcomes both written and photographic submissions.

Photography should be submitted in both RAW and edited format. Please note that the publication of written content is generally dependent on the provision of high quality photography, so in the first instance please send photographic samples and a 150 word synopsis of your writing to: checkmeout@thekitemag.com

YOU CAN FIND THEKITEMAG ON: CONTRIBUTORS: Ben Thouard, Samuel Cardenas, Benjamin Geislinger, Rene Gramme, Joanna Boelen, Chris Curran, Alex Schwarz, Lukas Pitsch, James Boulding, Tracy Shaythorn, Hervé Photograff, Toby Bromwich, Svetlana Romantsova, Nik Ganderton, Laci Kobulsky.

This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production of this brochure and the manufacturing process are FSC® certified. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognised environmental standard.

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RIDER: SAM LIGHT LOCATION: BRAZIL Photo: Andre Magarao SL: This photo was taken by Andre Magarao during my time with the World Class Kiteboard Academy in September, where I spent one week coaching with them in Brazil. We arranged for Andre to drop in for the last few days of the trip to give the students an opportunity to get proper photos and help teach them how to work with a photographer to get the money shot! This is one of our ‘go to’ moves I was showing the students that looks good in flash photos. Such a big tweaked tail grab front to blind.

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MG: After four years I decided to return to Brazil this winter, to build my level of riding and confidence in the water with my new equipment from Nobile. I am happy to be part of their team again and I’m pleased with my progress. At this spot the wind never fails, and there are always more pro riders to train with. We have almost the same daily wind conditions with a constant flat area inside the lagoon. On my trips, I always carry with me two types of boards: the 50/Fifty, which is the one I use for my freestyle training, and the NHP Split as it hardly takes up space in my suitcase and is a very comfortable board for the days I want to cruise around, try some Big Air and play in the surf. This trick is a 313 grab with 10 meter lines. It’s early in the morning because at that time of day there aren’t many people in the lagoon and it’s a great time to kite…

RIDER: MAXI GOMEZ LOCATION: CAUIPE, BRAZIL Photo: Samuel Cardenas

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RIDER: ADRIAN GEISLINGER LOCATION: SUGAR COVE, MAUI, HAWAII Photo: Benjamin Geislinger AG: After a morning surf on the other side of the island, it was time to go for a kite session. With reefs close to the beach and gusty winds, Sugar Cove can be a stressful spot to get out. Especially with winds up to 30-35 knots. My brother decided to take his camera and swim out, and with the 6m Soul and Cruizer Foil it worked out surprisingly well and it was a fun session.

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RIDER: ALEX NETO LOCATION: CAUIPE LAGOON Photo: Rene Grammer AN: This shot basically shows how easy going I am this year as I’m not competing on all of the tour – only the stop at my home in Brazil. Many times I go down to the lagoon where all the pros go to train, and also where Carlos Mario lives, just to play around and work on these kind of moments instead of going for a hardcore training session. It doesn’t mean that I’m not training at all but I’m pretty happy with my riding at the moment and I’m enjoying moments like these!

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RIDER: LIAM WHALEY LOCATION: BRAZIL Photo: Andre Magarao TKM: Nobody likes being out of action, and Liam’s been recovering from an injury he picked up at the GKA event in Tarifa back in June (although on the plus side, he is now pretty unbeatable at FIFA 18). He’s been pretty stoked to get back on the water though, and here he is shaking off some of the frustration from being laid up for a few months…

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RIDER: RALPH BOELEN LOCATION: MAURITIUS Photo: Joanna Boelen RB: I love getting out there and trying to figure out which moves will make my tricks more stylish… Here’s an example of one of my grabs. I believe every sport can have some ‘art motion’, you just need to find it…

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RIDER: WILLOW RIVER-TONKINS LOCATION: CAPE VERDE Photo: Marlin Janßen TKM: Sometimes you look down the line of a wave and realise pretty quickly that it’s not going to happen for you… If you’re surfing you have to kick your board out and take a hammering, if you’re kiting you have the ‘eject’ option.

As demonstrated here to great effect by Willow.

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made for some fun jumping. After watching him during the session, it is definitely going to be a battle for anyone who wants to take his throne in the 2019 KOTA…

BP: I linked up with the 2018 Red Bull KOTA Champion Kevin Langeree in Cape Town. He had only just arrived in South Africa’s mother city and looked as sharp as ever on his 9m Pivot. The conditions were really good, with a steady 30 knot south easter’ blowing, and the swell was pretty solid which

RIDER: KEVIN LANGEREE LOCATION: CAPE TOWN Photo: Brendan Pieterse

RIDER: ERIK FRANG LOCATION: CANADA Photo: Chris Curran I had seen this day coming on the long range forecast, but I knew it would change over the week so I tried not to froth too hard. As the week progressed and the forecast was holding I scheduled a day off, then the night before the ‘Froth Group’ thread was pinging nonstop on my phone and I stayed up way too late only to sleep in and show up late! Several guys were already out so I wasted no time getting my hack on with the Jester and my Roam until I could hardly walk up the beach at the end of the day!

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RIDER: OLLY BRIDGE LOCATION: WARNEMĂœNDE, GERMANY Photo: Alex Schwarz OB: This shot was just before the European Foil championships. We were shooting some photos and testing some gear close to the event site in north Germany. This session we found some cool reeds, the wind was a little gusty but I managed to get some nice slides and drags across the reeds and luckily Alex was in the water doing his thing!

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RIDER: BRUCE KESSLER LOCATION: HOCHWANG, SWITZERLAND Photo: Lukas Pitsch LP: When the winds from the south are crossing the Alps, the little paradise called Hochwang offers perfect snowkiting conditions with a diverse playground, stable winds and stunning weather. And I would guess there are not many people in the world performing kiteloops on snow as perfectly as the young Swiss talent Bruce Kessler who I captured here!

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When it comes to epitomizing pure ‘surf style’ there are only a handful of riders where you think that you could airbrush out the bar and they could be surfing… If you narrow it down to female riders then there is one rider who has grown up in Hawaii and seems to have a true affinity to the waves and that pure surf style: Moona Whyte.

Photos: James Boulding

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n o o M JOHN BILDERBACK Q | Moona, what’s been your scariest Backyards moment?

Almost every session at Backyards is scary… The time I crashed and got my line wrapped around my hand and my bar for a few moments. The time I didn’t come in early enough and got stuck going back and forth on the outside with big sets and no wind to get back to the beach. Every time I’m on the inside with no wind and a big set is coming. I’ve gotten washed in and had to swim/starfish over the reef so many times. But I’m pretty comfortable at that point, it’s more the anticipation of crashing that scares me!

TKM Q | When did you start riding waves – has it always been part of your life?

My dad started pushing me into waves when I was five. But I didn’t really fall in love with it until I started kiting when I was 14. I learned on a surfboard and went straight into the waves, because that’s what everyone else was doing. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with riding waves kiting, and learned shortboarding, longboarding, SUPing, and now foiling.

JALOU LANGEREE Q | Where do you see yourself in five years’ time – what are your goals?

That’s a hard one! I’ve been just going with the flow, pursuing kiting, and following opportunities that have come to me, and I’m happy with how it’s turned out so far. So I’ll keep doing that, see where competitive kiting goes, hopefully do more wave-chasing and exploring trips, and some girls trips. My goals right now are to absorb and learn everything I can from traveling, and inspire others to live healthy and more sustainable lives.

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na JAMES BOULDING Q | Moona, you’re one of the most humble, talented, kind hearted human beings I know BUT if you had to save the life of a turtle, dolphin or whale which would it be and why?!

I would have to choose the whale because they’re so magnificent. But, we can save them all everyday by choosing plastic free options! Carrying reusable bottles, utensils, and containers, using beeswax wraps, and eating only line or pole caught fish.

Q | Also, seriously, you’ve been at the forefront of female kitesurfing for some time and it’s amazing to see more and more women getting out there and killing it on a surfboard in the waves. What advice would you give someone who wanted to crossover from riding a TT to a surfboard and start chasing waves?

Definitely go for it. It’s a whole new world of kitesurfing! I would say to start in small waves (something you feel comfortable swimming in), practice doing lots of downwind turns on flat

water, and once you start getting the hang of it, try different boards to find the right size and shape for you.

TKM Q | There are some days when Keahi will go out but you don’t – do you both have your limits and how do you know where these are? Do you ever say that the other one should or shouldn’t go?

Keahi has no limits… At least it seems that way!

It’s mostly about the wind for me. If the waves are big but the wind is steady and predictable, you can always go out and play it safe. If it’s really gusty or light, there’s a good chance you’ll drop your kite and be swimming or sitting out there on your 5’ something kiteboard. If I’m not comfortable with that best-case scenario, I won’t go out. Keahi is really good at light to no wind kite control. The sessions you see him out by himself, it’s not just that the waves are big and heavy, it’s that the waves are big and heavy and the wind is really bad. That happens a lot at Backyards, which is why I stay away from some sessions out there! Keahi only told me

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to not go out one time – at big One Eye. The wind was light, and since it was big there were no rescue boats. I didn’t want to be told what I couldn’t do, so I went out after him, and learned my lesson!

PATRI MCLAUGHLIN Q | How do you feel about strapless freestyle? The GKA only had one wave stop this year (due to the conditions). Are you still motivated to compete in this discipline?

I like it as a side but not as the main. I hurt myself doing it, and although it’s great when it’s flat, I’m way more motivated to kite waves! I will say that our tour is still alive because of the addition of strapless freestyle, and it has also pushed the women’s side of the sport. Being forced to do it helped the girls overcome a lot of self-doubt. And although we have a long way to go, it was cool to see everyone break out of their comfort zones and I think that practicing any new discipline will make you an overall better rider in the long run… Some guys and girls love it, but I’m a surfer at heart.

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OLIVIA JENKINS Q | Moona you’ve traveled all over the world for kiting.

What’s your favorite wave and why?

I want to say my home spot on Oahu because it’s a right hander. I know it so well, and I can time it when nobody is out. But I guess everyone loves their home spot on its best days… I haven’t gotten Ponta Preta good, but I could see its potential so that might be my favorite if I got it on a good swell!

TKM Q | Do you also paddle surf on the North Shore?

Yes, I love paddle surfing as much as I love kiting. I guess the North Shore is known for its heavy surf, and the waves are a lot more powerful than some places, but there are also mellow waves.

I live at a surf spot called Lanis so I surf there all the time, and it’s pretty mellow and they even do surf lessons there when it’s small. The only thing is that it gets really crowded on the North Shore, and you’re lucky to find an empty wave. I almost always use my 5’3 Omni by Firewire. It’s a level one certified ecoboard which means it uses recycled materials and is more sustainably manufactured, and it’s the best board I’ve ever ridden!

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MATT ELSASSER Q | What do you think we need to do in the industry to get more female kiters on the water?

There are lots of things we can do. Post and publish more content of women ripping online and in magazines. Have more girls-only kite camps. Encourage women to compete. The GKA is making a good effort with this, they are more equally distributing the prize money based on number of applicants, and we are seeing more female competitors. Also, give girls real sponsorships. The top female athletes who are putting in as much time and effort as the top male athletes should be paid fairly. Then we’d see more girls’ trips, more content, and more women on the water.

MATCHU LOPES Q | Have you thought about riding Jaws? If yes, what would be the right day for you to have your first go?

I’m not really an adrenaline junkie, so I’ve never had the desire to go and search for the biggest waves, but if the opportunity arose, I wouldn’t say no! It would have to be a day with good wind and I would need someone on a ski or kite watching out for me for safety.

ANNELOUS LAMMERTS Q | When you come from a place like Hawaii, is it difficult to leave and travel to places that might not be as good as home?

I’m not gonna lie, I’m definitely spoiled by home. But I’m grateful to have the opportunity to travel to other places around the world.

It’s always a good experience whether it’s hanging out with other kiters, seeing a different culture, or finding new waves. I’m always happy to go on a trip, and it’s especially exciting to go somewhere new. But maybe it’s easier knowing Hawaii will always be there waiting for me…

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So if you’re into good vibes, warm water, and finding your new best kite friend, pack up your stoke, your best Spanglish, and head over to Cabarete.

If you fancy a fresh perspective of the island and want to take a day trip then travel an hour or two (or three!) in any direction. The north coast has a bounty of secret waves, hidden lagoons, breathtaking waterfalls, deep diving caves, and a lush backdrop of mountains. The tourism board of the Dominican Republic got it right when they coined the marketing tagline, ‘DR has it all!’ For kiters, it really does. To maximize your fun, be sure to invite local riders along. In fact, mingle with the locals as much as you can. They are warm and friendly, but more importantly they know how to have a good time!

Then Cabarete Bay is the center of town, and this is where you will find the hotels, bars, and shopping. The accessibility makes this beach the most popular for visitors. Then around “the point” there is Kite Beach, which earned its name because, well, it’s arguably the best beach for kiting in Cabarete. That said, as with everything in life, there is always a little give and take. So although Kite Beach may have better conditions, there is less space than in the bay. Heading downwind is Playa Encuentro, one of the most consistent beaches in the Caribbean for waves. And that is the Cabarete set up... The proximity of these beaches and a fun shore break also makes for epic downwinders, and challenging little upwinders.

Each of these kiteboarding legends calls Cabarete home and was practically born with a bar in their hand, thanks to the perfect side-onshore winds that blow 15-20 knots nearly every day. There are essentially two seasons in Cabarete, winter (December through April) and summer (June through September). Winter churns out the waves and summer pumps out the trade winds. The few oddball months of May, October, and November also offer some epic and generally quiet sessions, and mean that foilers have a wide-open training ground, perfectly suited for lightwind training. And even though Cabarete spans only about 15km from end-to-end, Mother Nature managed to cram in four radical kite spots. Starting at the far eastern end is a flat water lagoon called La Boca. It used to be a secret spot until a steady stream of international pros began to make videos here. Thanks YouTube!

CABARETE IS ONE OF VERY FEW PLACES ON THE PLANET WHERE KITEBOARDING STARS ARE BORN, BRED, AND TRAINED. UNLESS YOU’RE A NEWB, YOU’VE UNDOUBTEDLY HEARD OF ICONIC DOMINICAN FREESTYLE RIDERS LIKE ARIEL CORNIEL, LUIS ALBERTO CRUZ, ALEX SOTO, AND ROBINSON HILARIO. AND IF YOU ARE LONGER IN THE TOOTH YOU’LL REMEMBER RED BULL SPONSORED SUSI MAI, LUCIANO GONZALES, AND WILSON TAVARES BACK IN THE DAY. IF YOU’RE UP TO SPEED ON CURRENT KITEBOARDING DEVELOPMENT THEN YOU KNOW THAT THE OLYMPICS IS CHANGING THE KITING GAME AND YOUNG DOMINICAN RIDER ADEURI CORNIEL IS DOMINATING THE YOUTH OLYMPIC CIRCUIT. N OR WHICH IS JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP HIM BUSY WHEN S H AY H HE’S NOT STOMPING DOUBLE HANDLE PASSES ON THE FREESTYLE TOUR.

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STAYING THERE: You can live like a local or live like a baller.

There is a price point for every budget. Staying directly on the beach will, of course, cost more.

But even if you stay off the beach, you are never far away and you can either walk or take cheap and easy public transportation to the beach.

The best way to find accommodation is joining the local Facebook Groups.

GETTING THERE: Puerto Plata (POP) is about 20 minutes away from the center of Cabarete. You can also check the airport in Santiago (STI) because often it is cheaper. The cab ride from the airport will set you back two hours and $100, but it could save you a few hundred on the ticket. You can also consider flying into Santo Domingo (SDQ) for a three hour ride at $200.

LEAST LIKELY TO HEAR: Bored, bored, bored.

Que Lo Que (What’s up!)

MOST LIKELY TO HEAR:

BEER: $2.50

RUBBER: What’s that?

NOT IN THE BAG: Your fancy stuff. Cabarete isn’t the type of place where you wear stilettos and flash your Rolex. The more low key, the better.

IN THE BAG: All of the gear! Seriously, bring whatever you can jam in your bag. The conditions change throughout the day, and you will find the perfect time for small kites, big kites, foil, directional, twintip.

cape town

By Joshua Emmanuel

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IF THERE IS ONE RIDER WHO EPITOMIZES THE RESURGENCE OF THE WORLD OF BIG AIR AND THE 'LEAVE NOTHING LEFT IN THE TANK' ATTITUDE OF THE CURRENT CROP OF HARDCORE BIG AIR RIDERS, THEN IT WOULD HAVE TO BE JOSHUA EMMANUEL. RELATIVELY UNKNOWN UNTIL A COUPLE OF SEASONS AGO, HIS INSANE HEIGHT AND COMMITMENT PUT HIM ON THE RADAR AND CORE WERE QUICK TO SNAP HIM UP. JUMP FORWARD AND HE HELD THE GLOBAL WOO HEIGHT RECORD FOR A RECORD AMOUNT OF TIME, AND CONTINUES TO PROVE HIS BALLS-TO-THE-WALL SKILLS AT THE VERY HIGHEST LEVEL WITH HIS EYES ON THE KING OF THE AIR PRIZE FOR 2019...

PHOTOS: Brendan Pieterse

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST RECOLLECTIONS OF KITING? I was very fortunate as a kid as we used to live 20m from the beach. So my first recollections of the beach would be going down with my friends to go for shorebreak sessions bodysurfing after school, around the age of six or seven.

Kiting first began for me in 2004 in Durban.

CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST CAPE TOWN SESSIONS? When I first got to Cape Town I had heard about it, but hearing was nothing…

When I actually got to ride here I couldn’t believe the power in the wind and how high you could go. Five years later I am still here and super stoked to now be living here. Every summer brings new adventures and boundaries to be pushed.

WHO DID YOU GROW UP RIDING WITH AND WHO DO YOU RIDE WITH NOW? When I started there were four of us groms at the time: myself, Lorenzo, Bryce and Stuart. We are all still riding together 14 years later. I have also got to know the Cape Town crew over the past years and it has been an absolute pleasure.

CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THE TYPICAL CONDITIONS NOWADAYS? In Cape Town if I get woken up by wind at 7am and it’s blowing 30 knots, I know I’m in no rush for the day as strong wind in the morning generally means that it will nuke even harder that afternoon. Wind in Cape Town will blow in the morning and drop at midday, it will then start picking up again around 2, and by 6pm we generally have around 30 knots plus.

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HOW'S THE SET UP AT THE CAPE TOWN BEACHES CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? Beaches have for sure got smaller over the years, but other than that there are lots of new faces and there has been huge progression over the years. That would be the biggest change for me.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT DAY? My perfect day would firstly have to be in Cape Town with the south east wind blowing around 40 to 50 knots, 4 to 6 foot kickers, out on my 8m GTS5 on 20m lines with my Carved board.

TALK US THROUGH ONE SESSION THAT STANDS OUT FOR YOU THERE? A session that stands out for me would be the one when Ruben, Ross and myself went to Misty Cliffs last season. I have probably only scored this place like this twice ever. It was about 50 knots, I was out on my 8m and got to throw down some of the biggest megaloops I have ever thrown. It’s sessions like this that I absolutely just thrive on!

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WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT AFTER A SOLID LOOPING SESSION? Jerry’s is always a good option… they got loads of tasty burgers and beers.

DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY IF CAPE TOWN HADN'T BECOME YOUR HOME SPOT? I would definitely say moving from Durban to Cape Town played a role in creating some exposure for myself. Cape Town is one of the biggest hubs for kiting and everyone comes here in season. So if you can throw it down and know how to send it, you will slowly build a name for yourself in the sport.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ANOTHER SPOT THAT YOU LOVE BUT THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Mauritius would have to be my choice, as it is just an incredible place with amazing people and the sickest waves to ride. Big Air means a lot to me but riding waves is also a big part of who I am. I love getting shacked or hitting the lip as much as sending a big fat megaloop.

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mmi u S e t i B2B K

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The crew

Imagine if you could combine a business networking convention with a trip to one of the best kite spots on the planet... Sounds tempting, right? Good news, it’s not fiction, it’s reality… It’s the B2B Kite Summit, where 200 entrepreneurs hooked up in the middle of the Western Sahara. Anja Fuchs went to Dakhla to find out more and to see what doing business in boardshorts really looks like...

Photos: Hervé Photograff To be honest, when I started my trip to Dakhla I had no idea what would await me there.

I had been at lots of kite events before – World Cups, national championships, Olympic qualifications... but a business summit where network meetings, lectures by international companies, speakers and things like these should be combined with kiting? That was something completely new for me – I couldn’t imagine how a big event like this (200 people!) would be organized and what the participants would be like. So I was super curious: would the atmosphere be super stiff and serious? And in terms of kiting: would it be total chaos with those 200 people on the water?

Well, sorry for the early spoiler, but everything turned out completely different to how I expected! From the first morning of the summit, when the participants met for the initial breakfast, I immediately felt a super positive, relaxed vibe within this mixed group of entrepreneurs from various sectors – from pilots through to real estate managers, app programmers, hotel owners, social media experts, and then the speakers who included people from former freeskiing Olympic champion Edgar Grospiron through to F-ONE founder Raphaël Salles and his crew. All of them prepared for three days full of networking, 1-to-1 meetings, keynotes, parties in the evening and of course a lot of kiting! And, as all of the participants are ‘off the clock’, you don’t know what they do for their day job as they are all in beachwear…

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Laurent Houitte, organizer of the B2B Kite Summit and the king of beach business

Former Olympic freestyle ski champion Edgar Grospiron and Laurent Houitte on stage

Participants are mainly French, and many of them are members of Kite & Connect, a French kitesurfer and entrepreneur’s club which was founded by Laurent Houitte, organizer of the B2B Kite Summit.

A businessman and passionate kiter for 12 years, I asked Laurent how the idea for the club and the summit evolved?

“Due to kiting, I have been on holidays in a lot of countries. Everywhere you meet people and get connected, and there is also a group of business people who kite and maybe they don’t know each other. At this time, I had a marketing company and no time to push it. And I was always thinking: beach business would be a great thing because you don’t have to be serious to do things seriously! You can do business in shorts, not being too formal and still you can make good connections, and find and share input and inspiration. I talked to a friend on the beach and told him I wanted to create something about kitesurfing and entrepreneurs and he told me about Bill Tai and his Mai Tai events. Although I had never heard of this before I called Bill and asked him about this kind of business. After that I was sure that I could do something similar here in Europe, with lots of entrepreneurs from different industries getting involved.

philosophy behind the B2B Kite Summit which was open to everyone who wanted to be part of it. Although 200 places sounds like a lot, the event sold out quickly. “Of course it was a challenge to organize everything for 200 people – from people with no kitesurf experience up to pro riders,” Laurent admits. “With regard to the venue, we were looking for a place with good connections, not too far from Europe and with accommodation directly on the spot. So Dakhla Attitude with its new partner hotel PK25 on the other side of the lagoon was perfect. I met the owner, Driss, before – and I immediately felt a connection from the outset.

We have the same philosophy on life and many similar values. So we said ‘Let’s do it and take some risk’. And of course an event of this size was quite a big risk for us all! But we had a vision and we followed it.”

You don’t have to be serious to do things seriously!

“Currently Kite & Connect links around 250 people who come together at regular meetings, parties and start-up contests in Paris or other French cities, but there are also groups in Spain, and even California. Nobody cares about the size of your company or your kitesurf level – there are no VIPs, no privileges. The idea is more how we can share something together, share a vibe.” So this is the

Usually one associates golf as the typical ‘business’ sport. Not so Laurent. “Kitesurfing is the new golf,” he says with a wink. “The beach feeling and the good vibe make kitesurfing different to other sports. And it’s a sport which is quite technical but not so physical, which makes it accessible for many people.” 25% of the participants came without any kitesurfing experience and took beginner lessons.

Laurent sees Dakhla as, “literally the best spot in the world for starting to kite! It’s like Hawaii for kitesurfing, a breathtaking place where everything is possible. You have amazing natural surroundings, you can discover kitesurfing in complete safety in the lagoon, work on your freestyle moves, go foiling or head to the coast and ride strapless in perfect waves.”

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What really impressed me was the fact that, although people had extremely different levels, the kiting part was perfectly organized; on the one hand by the Dakhla Attidude’s (huge!) Rifly Watersports Center, managed by Larbi Ederkaoui, and on the other hand by Alexis Grandemange who took charge of all the kite events and water activities for the 200 participants – from organizing lessons, a surf trip to the Westpoint spot and even a downwinder with 100 people to Dakhla’s famous White Dune. Alexis, who had managed a kiteschool in Australia for several years, explained that, “the biggest challenge was to bring 200 people onto the water and to guarantee the riding pleasure for everyone. Logistics and timing have to be perfect.”

Well, I was really surprised that there was no chaos and all the kiters seemed pretty stoked – beginners had huge smiles about their progress, more experienced kiters could explore the lagoon on their own and practice their moves in the seemingly endless space, and could also challenge each other in a Big Air contest, organized by F-ONE team rider Aurélien Pétreau, or meet the F-ONE team with Raphaël Salles and test their latest equipment. Alexis also points to the philosophy of the event: “The best thing is that it’s not only about business because on the water everyone is the same. It’s about the spirit that people share here.” And this spirit was obvious throughout the event.

Aurélien Pétreau and Raphaël Salles on stage

Logistics and timing have to be perfect.

Nevertheless, let’s not only talk about the kitesurfing aspect – because the B2B Kite Summit had more than that!

And of course there has to be a schedule to keep everything in order with so many people involved, and to guarantee that there’s enough time for business issues.

So after breakfast there was time for networking and 1-to-1 meetings (which were like ‘business speed dates’). Then after lunch there was also networking time, and in the evening there were different keynotes with the sponsors. The F-ONE team also took to the stage to answer current questions, and their team rider Aurélien Pétreau talked about how to combine a successful career in real estate with professional kitesurfing: he started his business nine years ago when he invested in one apartment, and he now owns 45! Two years ago he started to compete and also registered for the King Of The Air, where he wants to bring new creative tricks and push the limits. Overall the mix of topics, the amount of competent advice and fresh ideas and inspiration within the evening keynotes really blew my mind – I think no matter which field your business is in, you could not fail to have come away inspired.

The 1 to 1 meetings

The stoke is real

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Butter flat conditions at the famous Speed Spot

After hours…

If you are a kiter then you know the feeling of being totally empty in the evening after a great day on the water. Now imagine adding some business issues to that. Tired? For sure... But if you think that this is how the evening ends you’re wrong – there is always time for a proper party, right? At least at the B2B Kite Summit there was. There was an ‘All White Clothes’ party in the Beach Bar on the first evening, a pro riders party on the second and – definitely the highlight! – a Burning Kite party on the final evening where super crazy outfits like they wear at the legendary Burning Man festival were called for. Burning Man may be bigger, but the size doesn’t matter if the vibe is as awesome as it was on this evening in Dakhla. The dinner buffet (with huge, fresh fish and everything else you could wish for), tables and the bar were placed outside close to the beach, there was a fire-breathing show before the big fire on the beach was lit, and then the DJ got going on the turntables. All the while the bar staff were super busy creating (simply awesome!) Mojitos for the highly-motivated party crowd… It was an amazing night.

The event was a true success, so much so that dates for next year’s B2B Kite Summit are already set – the event will take place from the 25th to 29th September. And Laurent promises an even bigger summit.

“We want to increase the number of participants up to 300. This year we had mainly French entrepreneurs here, but for the 2019 event we want to have entrepreneurs from all over Europe. For this reason each year the summit will associate with a host country, so for 2019 it will focus on entrepreneurs from Germany and Austria! There will also be even more variety in the program – for example we want to offer the possibility for young pro riders to find sponsor companies within the B2B Kite Summit.”

And for me? No matter what, I have to go there again next year!

The Burning Kite party PROFILE

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Heading to the beach

Dakhla was delivering

What they said?

Jerome Maillard, Hotel Manager (Normandy, France) The best thing about the summit is having the possibility to kite as well as having time to meet interesting people. It’s awesome that the participants come from anywhere – different sports and different industries! In my business we need a reflection about the future and how the company will be run by our children. My main reason – next to networking and business – was to spend one week here with my daughter to learn kitesurfing. I did my first proper waterstart here and love the feeling of kiting! Dakhla Attitude offers beautiful natural surroundings and the people are very kind. Definitely a place to be.

Jerome Bilger, Pilot (Barcelona) I wanted to come back to Dakhla anyway because it’s a fascinating place and the perfect kitespot. So when I heard one guy talking about the summit here I decided to join... and I didn’t regret my decision! The B2B Kite Summit is a great base for people to visit and connect. What I really like is to meet new people, see different thinking to what I am used to, and being part of this community. In my job as a pilot there’s not much space for creativity, so it’s great that I can get some creative energy and inspiration here.

Karine Blanchard, Global Recruitment Entrepreneur (Australia) I came here for the summit from Australia where I live and where my company is based. The reason I decided to participate was that I wanted to mix passion – kitesurfing! – and business, as I plan to expand my global recruitment company to Europe soon and it’s good to get a snapshot about the current European situation. I love the kitesurf community, it’s pretty well matching with entrepreneurs. People are open minded and kiting is a very inspiring and friendly sport as you usually don’t go for a session on your own, you support each other – the same applies to business, you need others!

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Yes, there are some camels in Morocco

Franck Rocca, Entrepreneur, Trainer, Coach and Speaker (Nice, France) Dakhla is an amazing place to be, people are open minded and supportive, the atmosphere is positive and all in all the B2B Kite Summit is a great experience! I know how hard it is to organize such big events, and I have to say that the organization was unbelievable. I really enjoyed my talk here about the future of social media which is an important topic to share with other entrepreneurs. In short: the world of marketing didn’t change, but the internet changed everything. So we are still doing things like we did years ago, but there are different marketing channels now.

Aurélien Pétreau, F-ONE Teamrider and Real Estate Entrepreneur (Angers, France) It’s wonderful to be here with 200 entrepreneurs and having the possibility to share knowledge and experience. I got an architect diploma but after that I chose another way – I always wanted to run my own business! Combining my business with my kite career is possible for me because I work together with my brother, we complement each other.

He is in the company which is based in the west of France and I manage everything which can be done remotely. When you have a business you have to innovate all the time – and the same applies when you are a professional kiteboarder. In matters of kiting my way is to always create new tricks to be different to others, and I need an objective to push me higher! So I plan to compete in the KOTA and in the Air Games 2019.

Driss Senoussi, Owner of Dakhla Attitude This event has been really magical as it connected kitesurf lovers and entrepreneurs from so many different fields and big and small companies.

For me, that’s proof that the sport is a real link between people who have the same values and ethics. Of course organizing such a big event with so many participants who have high standards was quite a challenge for us at Dakhla Attitude. But everything worked out well, from the beginning right through to the final Burning Kite party which was very impressive, with all the crazy costumes and the all-round good vibes! In the end everybody was happy and most people plan to come back for next year’s summit…

board: NAISH Global

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| Dimensions: 5’8 | Weight: 66kg | Height: 5’4

This issue, the rider with more positive energy than the rest of the kiteboarding population put together takes us through his board of choice when conditions turn on.

I joined the Naish team in 2011 and the Global has been in the Naish range longer than that, so it is very well established. It’s always been the high-performance shortboard built for the riders that want to charge in sick waves.

The Global is built around a CNC precision-cut, closed-cell foam, with a bamboo laminate on the top and bottom, all wrapped with a high tensile, lightweight fiberglass.

The deep single concave maximizes speed and drive, as well as slicing through chop. The rocker is continuous through the board with extra kick in the tail for making tight and snappy turns in the pocket. The rails are thinned out and squared off through the tail for incredible control while carving at speed.

The Naish fins are made with real bits of baby panther, so you know they’re good. Not really. They are actually Naish’s unique Carbon Torsion Cross Fins which provide as much grip and drive as you are ever going to need.

I’ll ride the Global for freestyle as well. We tend to ride the best on the gear we are accustomed to, so if I’ve been riding the Global a lot, then my freestyle is good on the Global. Though the Skater is our freestyle board and has elements that I think make it the best strapless board I’ve ever tried, the Global does provide an excellent and stable base for all your strapless desires.

I’m confident pushing the Global and doing airs as there are additional impact resistant patches in the stance area for added durability.

I aim to kite most days but I only kite if it is definitely ‘on’. There are so many ways to physically and mentally train to be at the top of the game, and trying to ride when the conditions aren’t there isn’t one of them.

I love being involved in product development, it’s such a gratifying experience. It’s great to work with an incredible team and problem solve our way to perfection…

The Global has changed shape over the years as our technology has allowed us to achieve more with one board. The more rounded shape gives the board very playful characteristics, while still maintaining its original hold and stability through the most radical of turns.

The Global is built for the big days, the days we remember, the days that we all talk about for years. I personally love my Pivot for waves as it’s the fastest most responsive kite I’ve ever flown, so when the Pivot is paired with the Global and sick conditions, I feel limitless!

I don’t put the front pad on and go for wax instead.

Some might think waxing isn’t manly but I beg to differ.

With the Go-To, Skater and Global in the range it is great to have options to choose from. There is a time and place for each board, and the wide variety of conditions that we can shred in is one of the most beautiful aspects of our sport. I rock the Global when it’s firing, the Go-To when it’s smaller and sloppier, and the Skater when it’s onshore.

I’M ON IT - JESSE RICHMAN

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~ GALLERY ~

WKC FINALE: DAKHLA AND BRAZIL BY: GEMMA HAMAINI PHOTOS: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA

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t the start of the year there weren’t any 100% freestyle events confirmed and then – miraculously – there were three! This was great news. But what was even better was seeing the standard of riding at the events. There’s a clear step up from previous years and, perhaps more importantly, there’s a new crop of riders who are pushing hard and quickly closing the gap on the top riders… Kudos to the WKC, and roll on 2019.

Adeuri Corniel just goes so massive all the time.

He is the most focused and determined person, and still only 18 years old.

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Because the important thing is to always have fun.

Rens van der Schoot and Adeuri Corniel messing around bet ween heats in Dakhla.

Carlos Mario keeping the beach entertained as he inched closer to the 2018 title in Dakhla.

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Competitors on the water, but friends and team mates when off the water.

Adeuri gives Racca some advice during his heat.

Francesca Bagnoli is improving so much each year.

Finishing 2018 in 2nd overall is an astounding result for the Italian athlete.

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Mikaili Sol is only 14, and has proved this year that she is unstoppable.

Expect more big things from her in the future!

Our productions partners, Case, get the shot with Paula Novotnรก during the competition.

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The only Mexican athlete on tour, Anthar Racca shows so much promise...

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A very emotional interview for Carlos Mario, as he claims the 2018 World Title amongst the crowds in Cumbuco.

Erick Anderson won the Qualifier Championship, and made it all the way to the Elite finals, finishing the competition in 3rd.

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Liam Whaley made it to the finals in his first competition since his injury earlier in the year.

Pippa van Iersel made it to her first final, and finished WKC Cumbuco in 3rd place!

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Set Teixeira finished 3rd overall, and no better place to do it than at his homespot in Cumbuco.

Young Colombian talent Juan Rodriguez performed incredibly in Cumbuco, making it to the small finals.

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STUFF We like the look of...

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1. Flysurfer PEAK4

2. Mystic Majestic

3. ION Jackets

4.

Ride

Engine

APOC

Hooded If you want to get stuck in to some serious backcountry exploration this winter then you need a kite that is easy to use, quick to pack up, and offers immediate depower if conditions get sketchy. The PEAK4 ticks all of those boxes, plus Flysurfer’s unique Single-Skin concept brings the weight and pack size right down so you can easily pack two or three PEAKs for your mission…

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Not 100% sold on the hard shell harness options? Want a harness that is super stiff but not completely ‘locked in’? Then Mystic would point you in the direction of their Majestic. It has stiff horizontal support but is still able to twist and flex around your body for maximum freedom of movement. The best of both worlds? Pretty much…

Whether you’re teaching lessons, determined to manage a three session day even in winter, or just want a bombproof option if the weather comes in while you’re out walking the dog, these jackets can be worn in or out of the water and provide that all-important extra layer to keep your core temp up where it should be… Pictured here, the Neo Shelter Jacket Amp and the Neo Cosy Coat Core Women.

If you’re starting to feel the fear when the wind is in but the temperature is dropping then you probably need to find yourself some top end neoprene. The APOC is as good as it gets with its hood, fleece lining and liquid rubber seams keeping your body heat in and the cold water out.

STUFF We like the look of...

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5. CrazyFly Shorty

6. Nobile Flying Carpet Split

7. Manera Blizzard Jacket

8. F-ONE TRAX ESL

CrazyFly have shaken the foil world up with the introduction of their Up and Master foils which we have loved riding… For those less far into their foil journey, they now also have the Shorty, a full carbon all-round freeride foil suitable for beginners and intermediate riders. The shorter mast prevents vertigo when you’re learning, and the 590cm front wing has the highest lift in the CF range for early take off at low speed and maximum stability. Welcome to the world of easy foiling….

Where are you heading on your next winter trip?

Somewhere where it should be 18 knots, but it might be 8? If that’s the case then you can slot the Flying Carpet Split into your standard luggage and then unleash the beast if the wind stays light. It’s a miracle of modern engineering.

It’s immediately clear that Manera’s philosophy of not introducing products until they are 100% happy with them applies to the Blizzard Jacket. It’s a waterproof jacket, yes, but it is much more than that as well... It’s breathable, then its three laminated layers trap heat and stops the wind and – for on the water fun – there are two side pockets to feed the spreader bar through. So whether you’re megalooping or launching your mate’s kite, the Blizzard has you covered…

If you want the top tech that you’ve come to expect from F-ONE but you want to reduce the hit on your bank balance then the TRAX ESL brings the many years of evolution that have made the TRAX the powerhouse it is today, mixes that up with a few of the features from the WTF?!, and brings you a versatile and durable board for fun-filled sessions.

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STUFF We like the look of...

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RRD

Religion

MK9

For its 9th outing, the original surf kite has focused on improved range and performance in gustier conditions (with the 4-8m sizes now also having a pulley to improve stability). The Religion continues to be right at the core of the RRD range and to set the standard for other wave kites to follow.

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10. Cabrinha Drifter

11. Duotone EVO

12. Core BOLT 3

If you judge the capabilities of your kite on the things that the pros manage to do with it, then look no further than the Drifter and Keahi de Aboitiz. The king of the barrel never seems to put a fin wrong when he’s got a Drifter in the air and – although we can’t promise you overhead Tahitian perfection – the Drifter will probably make you ride waves better…

The EVO has evolved over the years and is now the ultimate all-rounder. Now with three struts, it’s lost some weight but kept the rigidity and stability that you expect from the ‘old’ EVO… Whether you want a super-predictable and dependable kite for whatever you’re in the mood for, or you’re Tom Hebert looking to huck over a 100ft sandbar, the EVO is pretty much as dependable as it gets…

Here’s the BOLT 3. We tested it last issue and were blown away by the amount of pop and performance that it had on tap, and that it was equally at home in ‘real world’ freestyle conditions as it is in the park. It’s not a board for everyone, but if you’ve got what it takes to ride it then it will definitely reward you…

There are only a handful of spots in the world that pretty much every kiter or surfer would consider – on their day – to be ‘perfect’. Teahupoo is one of them. Keahi took a flyer on a forecast and it paid off. Eventually.

Words: Keahi de Aboitiz Photos: Ben Thouard

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ahiti is a place I’ve wanted to get back to for a long time, but surprisingly this trip was actually a super last minute one for us.

Funnily enough, both myself and Reo Stevens were actually on a flight home from Fiji after a coaching gig for one of his clients when we saw the swell. After not really getting the kiting conditions we were after at Cloudbreak for ourselves, and with some time to spare, this swell looked too good to be true and before we knew it, we were lining everything up for a quick four-day mission to Tahiti. It’s rare to actually have late season swells like that in the South Pacific, but due to the time of the year, it had the potential to be empty with perfect wind for kiting so – after a quick stop back in Hawaii to top up on some gear – we were on another plane to Tahiti.

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oing into it, the forecast actually looked pretty amazing. Solid swell, three days of wind and relatively clear skies. As we found out though, Teahupoo really has a mind of its own when it comes to weather.

Even though it was mostly clear skies on the road out there, for two days we sat in the car on the point at Teahupoo battling squalls and waiting for it to clear up. That mountain range is incredibly beautiful but it really catches a lot of rain even when 10 minutes back up the road is sunny.

It’s still an amazing place to be, but man it’s frustrating when it’s so close, but not quite doing it! There’s a reason why it’s so beautiful and green out there…

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That session will still go down as one of the best I’ve had

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fter a lot of stress, thankfully it all came together in the end and for a brief window, the sun poked through, the wind was on, and it was just myself and Reo trading perfect barrels for four hours at one of the most beautiful line-ups in the world.

It’s hard to believe, but photos barely do that place justice. The waves, the water clarity and staring out of the barrel at those mountains is a view I’ll never forget.

It was inconsistent, but some absolutely perfect waves when they came through and I had some amazing waves that will definitely keep the stoke going for a while.

To top it off, to be shooting with Ben Thouard was a dream. He knows that wave so well and has captured some amazing shots over the years.

As fun as that session was, before we knew it the rain was back and our time was up. It ended up being a short window, but that session will still go down as one of the best I’ve had. Things like this always make trips tough, but in a way it actually makes those moments even more special. You only need a few good ones to make it worthwhile and I can’t wait to get back and spend some more time there next season…

M AG I C M O M E N TS

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Star PL AYER S

Noè Font and friends visit Puerto Rico and discover some five star kiting to go along with the six star living. No-one said life as a pro rider was going to be easy. photos:

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Toby Bromwich

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The idea came about during our previous team trip to Lake Baikal last year.

On our long drives, Craig Cunningham would tell stories from a trip he did to Puerto Rico a few months prior and we all agreed it was time to take our annual gathering back to the tropics (he might also have said something about a six star diamond resort which may or may not have persuaded us).

So everything was planned out and then Maria arrived. Natural disasters are a crazy thing.

One day everything is fine, and the next day you’ve lost everything. Hurricane Maria hammered the island of Puerto Rico in September 2017 leaving the country in crisis. The power was out for a very long time and a lot of people lost everything. It wasn’t easy for the local community to come back from that crisis and you can see the aftermath of the catastrophe. When I heard the news back home I thought the guys were going to back out of the trip and plan to go elsewhere, but we got in touch with our local friends on the island and they convinced us otherwise. I remember sitting at the airport lounge waiting to board my flight to San Juan and looking up to see a news channel reporting another tropical storm lining up to hit the island in the next few days. It turned out it was still a way off, so I didn’t think much of it and boarded the flight and all was good in the end.

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IT’S THE KIND OF PL ACE WHERE PEOPLE DRIVE GOLF CARTS TO THE BEACH FOR A KITE SESSION...

Teed Up On our arrival we were welcomed by Phil and Karla, owners of Good Winds Dorado. Their kite center is in the Ritz Carlton Dorado Beach Golf Resort, the kind of place people drive golf carts to the beach for a kite session. Something we later agreed to call ‘valet’ kiting.

Their location is amazing, with jet skis, foils, all the kite gear you can imagine and top class coaching.

We were lucky enough to stay right next door. It was the house next to the green on the 18th hole. We settled in and got to work right away. During our first day, the tropical storm brought rain and waves which gave us the chance to scope out the area and see the spots, then later that evening Phil convinced Aaron [Hadlow] and I to go out for a tow in foil surf on the outer reef. I’d only ever foiled with a kite before so I was a bit skeptical about the idea but I have to say it only took one wave to have me hooked all afternoon!

The island has two very different looks. The south is your Caribbean white sand beaches with crystal clear water and palm trees. Whereas in the north of the island, you’ll find a rough coastline with cliffs, rocks, black sand and waves.

We were based in the north, twenty minutes away from a river mouth with a nice little sandbar. You had to drive along a single lane dirt road at least half of the way, having to pull into the bushes to pass another car. The lane was also full of burned out cars everywhere which made it pretty moody when driving back at night.

The spot was just big enough to fit us five riding at the same time, but always keeping in mind not to crash our kites on the logs the river had brought downstream. Those sessions turned into little throw downs, doing laps with Stefan Spiessberger, Francesca Bagnoli, Aaron and Craig feeding off each other’s tricks and slowly stacking clips.

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Mixing it up Craig likes to have an obstacle on the team trips so we aren’t all just doing flat water tricks. This time he talked to a local builder about making a feature we had designed which was delivered to us at the river mouth on our second day, and was pretty impressive. As ever, riding a new feature is very exciting, choosing new lines and deciding which tricks you can do without having to put your body on the line make it so much fun. Once we had a few sessions under our belt the pressure was off and we got a bit more adventurous.

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ONCE WE HAD A FEW SESSIONS UNDER O UR B ELT T HE PR E S SUR E WA S O FF A ND WE GOT A BIT MORE ADVENTUROUS.

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Out in town Old San Juan is a very famous, picturesque spot in Puerto Rico, the colorful little houses right on the cliff make for such a unique background. Aaron, Francesca and Craig took one kite each and did about an hour upwinder through the biggest chop ever to get the gear up there. The rest of us got a boat ride upwind with the camera crew. The spot was in the open sea so the current and the waves made it super difficult for the photographers to sit in the same spot. We’d drop them and let them drift hoping they’d get a few shots before towing them back upwind. We did that for about three hours, the sun was on and off and we were taking turns on the three kites.

It was so much harder than we thought but in the end we got a few photos before driving back down. There is something about this part of the world and the way people operate behind the wheel. Is it the heat? I don’t know!

Puerto Rico (like the rest of the Caribbean) requires a very special set of skills to survive on the road. Ideally you need at least four eyes and very fast reflexes… It was no surprise to find people driving with their hazard lights on going 100mph on the highway.

Since we’d arrived, the locals had told us about this spot called ‘La Praguera’.

A reef off the south west of the island surrounded by mangroves and all shades of blue water. You need a boat to get there which filters out the crowds and makes it a very unique spot to ride at. We set up our gear in knee deep crystal clear water and then slashed around in the mangroves or kited the flat waters behind the reef. That place has it all and it’s truly beautiful. We kited until we couldn’t hold on to the bar any longer for three days straight. Once we were finished there we headed back up north for our last days of the trip.

We had kited every single day and had gotten so much out of the first days that we decided to take a break and visit San Juan for a night. We had dinner, drinks and found some loud music, but we were done... None of us had enough energy left to make it past 10pm!

We had found the warm winds, luxury living and good times as Craig had promised, and we left Puerto Rico amazed by the potential the island has for kiting. It’s great to see that you can still find a slice of paradise for yourself without going too far away. We’ll be back for sure.

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ng guns

Here at TheKiteMag, we’re lucky enough to get the heads up on burgeoning ultra-talent in the kite scene from pretty early on. It comes with the territory. But as kit has become more accessible and our sport continues to garner a wider allure, we’ve recently noticed an explosion in highly talented youngsters taking to buttery or wave-stacked waters around the world…

There are some young rippers who are already absolutely killing it in the competition scene and who you’ve no doubt already heard of (step forward the likes of Adeuri Corniel, Mikaili Sol et al) but, sitting in the wings, there is a groundswell of talented young riders who are steadily emerging into the media and competitive spotlight.

Here are 13 Young Guns you should definitely be taking note of right now…

Mark Cafero I’M RIDING: 2019 Slingshot FUEL, 2019 Slingshot Refraction, 2019 Slingshot RAD boots BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Sam Light.

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Kiteboard, film videos, wakeboard, explore and develop software.

I’M CURRENTLY…

NAME: Mark Cafero

LISTENING TO: Portugal The Man

AGE: 18

WATCHING: The Office

MAIN SPONSOR(S): Slingshot, Ride Engine, RAW Elements

READING: TheKiteMag

HOME SPOT: Jupiter, Florida ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 2014 WindVibes Turks and Caicos Winner > 2016 TRIO Cayman Junior Winner > 2018 Hood River Junior Jam Winner

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MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A lion.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: On the water somewhere! Not exactly sure where, but there will definitely be a board under my feet. @markcafero

Osaia Reding I’M RIDING: F-ONE Bandit, F-ONE WTF!?

GIRL BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Gisela Pulido IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Have fun with my friends skateboarding.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: All sorts of music…

Reggae, Brazilian funk, Reggaeton WATCHING: Kite videos to give me some inspiration, and some series on Netflix because I’m a Netflix addict!

NAME: Osaia Reding AGE: 14 MAIN SPONSOR(S): F-ONE, Manera, La Barraca do Kite, Mojacar, Mood Swiss Ring HOME SPOT: Mojacar, Spain ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > Vice Junior World Champion 2016 > Junior World Champion 2017 > Vice Junior World Champion 2018 > 5th Overall GKA Air Games

READING: After by Anna Todd, I’m also reading books for school but they are less fun to read...

MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A bird, I’d love to fly to escape and feel the freedom.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: I’ll be old, haha! I hope I’ll still be competing because I love it.

I hope I’ll continue to travel, meeting new people and experience different cultures. I will do my best to make my dreams become reality. But who knows what my future will really be like… @osaiakite

Theo Demanez NAME: Theo Demanez AGE: 19 MAIN SPONSOR(S): Cabrinha, NP HOME SPOT: My home spot is Orient Bay on the island of St Martin in the Caribbean, a little piece of heaven for watersports.

Warm and beautiful all year long, in wintertime it’s an amazing playground, with the north swell and the trade wind blowing.

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: Being able to do what I love, every day. I’ve had the chance to see a lot of different cultures and places around the world thanks to kitesurfing!

I’M RIDING: I ride all different types of board with the Cabrinha Moto Kite, although I used to ride every different kite shape in the Cabrinha range, depending on the conditions and the riding style. What I like the most with the Moto is that in the waves you have the fast turning and drift like the Drifter, lift like the Switchblade in jumps, and the depower and loopy feeling of an FX. And it doesn’t matter if you have a twintip, surfboard, or foilboard under your feet,

this kite feels amazing. Now I can travel with only one kite that excels in every discipline.

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Kai Lenny. He is such an outstanding athlete, one of the best in so many different water sports.

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Be in the ocean, and also stay on the beach flying the drone, taking photos and videos of my mates on the water.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: Yultron - Ride With You WATCHING: Riding Zone (French TV) READING: ‘How to become fluent in Spanish’ MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A fox, it has the awareness to get the most out of any situation… responsiveness is a key quality to succeed in everything.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: I want to have a world title, doing some product development in kitesurfing and foiling, and be based in Hawaii or maybe live on a sail boat. @theo_demanez

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Antoine Mermet 2017/2018 > Vice World Champion Juniors Freestyle 2016 > New Caledonia Champion Freestyle Open 2018 I’M RIDING: My kite setup for freestyle is the new Naish Torch. It’s a very good kite for freestyle, the slack is so good and the power is perfect with the Stomp 135. For Big Air, I love the Naish Pivot because it has big hangtime and you can go so high with it.

NAME: Antoine Mermet AGE: 16 MAIN SPONSOR(S): I’ve been sponsored by Naish and Vakarm shop from the beginning.

They believed in me and, thanks to them, I’ve made some great progress. I am also supported by Rip Curl.

HOME SPOT: I ride everywhere in New Caledonia. For freestyle I go to the Méridien, this is my home spot. This is a very flat spot and we have 15-20 knots every day in the summer.

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > World Champion Juniors Freestyle

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: My biggest inspiration is Jesse Richman, I love his crazy riding, he is a waterman and he pushes the boundaries of sport.

READING: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A ram because when I have an idea, I have so much drive for that.

I am also a little obstinate.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: I would like to become a waterman. Travel around the world with my girlfriend… it’s very important to me that we need to meet new people, new places, new cultures for improving our mind. I would like to work for myself, build my own company. @antoine.mermet

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Surf at the reef in New Caledonia. We have some good waves, and I’m addicted to going downwind on my Naish foil and SUP. During the summer the conditions are very good in our lagoon for it, we can ride for a very long time.

I’M CURRENTLY: LISTENING TO: 50 Cent and Eminem, it’s so good for daily motivation WATCHING: The WSL at Nazaré, I have so much respect for these guys

Photos: Antony Farina

Charlie Wise > 2nd Western Australia State Titles, 2017

and running amock with my mates.

I’M RIDING: 2019 Airush Converse and Comp surfboards, Airush Wave kite

I’M CURRENTLY…

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Muhammad Ali would have to be my inspiration. His quotes are priceless and watching his fights back in the day are insane. He inspires me through his strength and determination.

I’ve actually got a Muhammad Ali picture in a frame hanging above my bed that my parents won at an auction – so the big man protects me at night!

NAME: Charlie Wise AGE: 18 MAIN SPONSOR(S): Airush, Ride Engine HOME SPOT: Yallingup and City beach, Australia ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 1st Australian Junior Nationals 2017, Merrimbula

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IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: When I’m not kiting I’m usually working on my clothing brand I just started up. It’s called ‘Listen’ clothing. It’s my dad’s old brand from the 70s that I started back up. It’s been super fun and had so many learning curves, I’m really excited for what’s to come. Other than that, I like playing a bit of tennis

LISTENING TO: ‘Little Lies’ by Fleetwood Mac WATCHING: Shameless READING: Breath by Tim Winton MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: If I were to be an animal, I’d definitely want to be a little chimpanzee. Just because they’re so cheeky and always seem to be so happy. I sometimes end up just watching heaps of videos on YouTube of them, so bloody funny.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: A billionaire that doesn’t have to work another day and travels the world kiting. @charlie1wise

Young guns

Fred Hope

For me, competitions aren’t as valuable as they are for a park rider. I specialize in what you would call ‘strapless freestyle foil’, something that doesn’t really have any competitions that include it. I really just enjoy being out there with friends and exploring. Going fast is fun too, but it tends to hurt a lot when you fall!

NAME: Fred Hope AGE: 18 MAIN SPONSOR(S): Slingshot/Ride Engine HOME SPOT: Hood River Event Site and in front of Baja Joes in La Ventana ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > Kiteboard for Cancer Derby – 1st place in a team for the last couple years. > 1st place in the Blowout this last summer. > 3rd place in the La Ventana Classic on a surfboard (I watched Reider Decker throw down a double front in front of me!)

I’M RIDING: The 111 Ghost Whisperer with the 590 wing. For the board, I have the new Micro Dwarf Craft. For the harness I use a medium Carbon Elite because I like the larger surface area in addition to the hard shell factor. For kites, I use the SST when I’m foiling, and the Rally when I’m riding the surfboard. For surfboards, I really like the Angry Swallow.

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: My biggest inspiration is probably the guys at Slingshot. Tony Logosz, Alex Bloechinger, and Matt Gustafson especially. I spend a lot of time in the office with them and they are always giving me ideas to implement when I’m kiting.

university… If it’s not windy, I’ll go for a bike ride or pump foil off the docks by the water.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: Bruce Springsteen Radio WATCHING: Rake, the Australian lawyer/ comedy show on Netflix READING: My University booklist MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A flying fish.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: If I knew that I probably wouldn’t be struggling to figure out my major right now… @fredhope17

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Definitely have kiting on the top of the list for this one! Up in Seattle right now studying at

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Joris Herrewijnen I’M RIDING: Duotone Vegas with the Duotone Gambler

AGE: 15

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Ever since my brother started kitesurfing, I wanted to too. We always sailed together on the lake behind our house and I wanted us to be on the water again together. At our homespot we are known as the Slufterbro’s… always in for some crazy stuff! In Cape Town, when we kite between the competitors/ legends of the King of the Air, I just want to go bigger and higher. So, beware… I am coming! As I am 15 I am not allowed to compete yet as apparently I’m too young!

So for now I just keep rocking and having fun on the water with my brother, dad and friends.

MAIN SPONSOR(S): Duotone Benelux, ION Benelux, Boardguru

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Wakeboard and mountain bike.

HOME SPOT: Slufter/Maasvlakte, Rotterdam

I’M CURRENTLY…

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 2nd European Youth Championship 2016 > 2nd OZK, June 2016 > 2nd OZK, June 2017 > 1st Alternative Youth Dutch Nationals 2017 > 1st OZK, November 2017 > 2nd Belgian Youth Championships 2018 > 2nd Dutch Youth Nationals 2018

LISTENING TO: Various artists, mostly rap music

NAME: Joris Herrewijnen

IN 2028 I WILL BE: A regular competitor in the Red Bull King of the Air and other international championships. @joris_herrewijnen

WATCHING: Netflix and YouTube READING: School books… I am not that in to reading MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A lion.

Kacper Lepicki I’M RIDING: CrazyFly Bulldozer 135cm, CrazyFly Tango Kite BIGGEST INSPIRATION: In the kiting industry, it’s Carlos Mario Bebe. In everyday life I just want to be known as someone that inspires others to chase their dreams no matter the obstacles ahead.

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Do lots of different sports such as football and wakeboarding, spend time with my family and my friends, and travel.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: SICKO MODE - Travis Scott

NAME: Kacper Lepicki AGE: 12 MAIN SPONSOR(S): CrazyFly, SURFLO Waterwear, Maafushi Dive & Watersports Center HOME SPOT: Bintan, Indonesia ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 2016 Junior World Champion, U11 > 2018 Junior Vice-World Champion, U14

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WATCHING: YouTube and Vimeo wakeboarding and kitesurfing edits

READING: Inferno by Dan Brown MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: The Tiger as they are strong and they are known to be the leaders of the pack. This inspires me to do better and be better in kitesurfing as well as school, in order to show others that anything is possible if you put enough effort into it.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: I hope to become the freestyle world champion, hopefully multiple times, and I also want to help the world’s plastic pollution problem.

I also hope that in the next few years I will be able to combine my education with training as I feel like both are very important, but also not easy to do at the same time. @kacperkite

Young guns

Claudia León Martínez

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Since I was 10 years old, I’ve always wanted to be like Gisela Pulido. She’s an amazing example for me and for other girls who want to kite.

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: I really like hanging out with my friends, listening to music, editing videos and playing the ukulele.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: Queen, Nirvana and a lot of other rock bands and songs.

NAME: Claudia León Martínez AGE: 17 MAIN SPONSOR(S): Duotone, ION HOME SPOT: Mar Menor, Murcia (Spain) ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 4x Junior World Champion, > 3x Spanish Champion, and I’m currently competing in the World Kiteboarding Championship’s Elite League.

I’M RIDING: Duotone Vegas kites, Team Series 134cm board and Duotone short Click Bar

WATCHING: I’m a film enthusiast, so I’m constantly watching films and series… I couldn’t choose!

READING: My high school notes and books, haha!

MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: The lion, as it is the elegant and strong king of the savannah.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: I will be working for a kite brand editing their promotional videos or I will be directing films (yes, I have high hopes, but one day I’ll manage to achieve at least one of them!) @claudialeonkitesurf

Photos: Svetlana Romantsova

Kuba SPEEDY Jurkowski I’M RIDING: Nobile Board with Mike’s Lab Foil, Ozone Foil Kites and for fun Nobile 2HD + Nobile T5 kite

NAME: Kuba SPEEDY Jurkowski AGE: 14 MAIN SPONSOR: NOBILE HOME SPOT: Rewa, Sopot, and Kuźnica (Poland) ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 2017 - European Championships (TT:Race) Gizzeria, Italy - 3rd U14 > 2017 - Polish Cup (Formula Kite) Puck, Poland - 2nd U19 and 4th open > 2018 - Polish Cup (Formula Kite) Puck, Poland - 1st U19 and 1st open > 2018 - European Championships (Formula Kite) Warnemunde, Germany - 7th U19 > 2018 - KiteFoil Gold Cup (Formula Kite) Cagliari, Italy - 5th U19 and 1st U16

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: I’m still looking for my biggest inspiration! But seriously, without any doubt my parents and my friend Jasio Koszowski inspired me in to this adventure. I remember my beginnings... I began kitesurfing about four years ago, and I started seriously training in the Kite Surf Academy with Tomek Janiak, who taught me how to kite safely and successfully! Now, during kite competitions, I can learn directly from the best kitesurfers in the world – that’s inspiring.

MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: A crazy lobster.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: 10 years older! And still loving kitesurfing. On the way to 2028 there is 2024 and an Olympic medal to take in kitefoiling in France. I’m going to fight for it and I’ll do everything I can to achieve it, it’s really important to me. Looking forward I think I could study in the USA and train kiteboarding in San Francisco… why not! @kubaspeedyjurkowski

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Kite! But when I have some free time (kiteboarding and school take up some time) I like to play Flight Simulator. When I have too much energy and I can’t kite, I like to take my bike and ride in the forest. During winter I love to ski.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: U2 and Kings of Leon WATCHING: Tom and Jerry cartoons READING: Quo Vadis - my school reading

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Noah Stelte IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Skateboard, mostly with a Carver Skateboard. I also swim, wakeboard, and enjoy photography and videography.

I AM CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: Biffy Clyro, Anderson .Paak WATCHING: John John Florence in ‘View from a Blue Moon’, and the Andy Irons film, ‘Kissed by God’ NAME: Noah Stelte AGE: 15 MAIN SPONSOR: RRD International HOME SPOT: Wissant, France / Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: I haven´t competed yet, but will soon hopefully.

READING: Pipe Dreams (Mes carnets de surf)

by Kelly Slater, ‘Professional Guide to Filmmaking’ by Bradford Schmidt and Brandon Thompson MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: English Bulldog IN 2028 I WILL BE: Running my own kite brand! @noahstelte

I’M RIDING: RRD Religion, RRD Global BAR V8, RRD Cotan 4.11, RRD Thrive Harness BIGGEST INSPIRATION: John John Florence

Maxime Chabloz I’M RIDING: F-ONE WTF board and kite.

MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION IS: Youri Zoon, because in 2008 when I started discovering kiteboarding it was his videos that inspired me and he was and will always be my biggest idol. Thanks Youri!

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Do all kinds of different action sports, and most important is just to have fun.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: The sound of the wind WATCHING: Superhero movies READING: All the positive comments and funny memes on my Instagram NAME: Maxime Chabloz AGE: 17 MAIN SPONSOR: F-ONE / MANERA HOME SPOT: Lake Uri, Switzerland ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 3x Junior World Champion > 3rd overall at GKA Air Games 2018 > Currently 3rd overall WKC 2018

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MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: An eagle.

IN 2028 I WILL BE: 27! I can’t tell you yet because I’m just going to let my passions decide it for me… @maxime_chabloz_01

Janek Grzegorzewski

NAME: Janek Grzegorzewski AGE: 18 MAIN SPONSOR(S): Core Kiteboarding, Xcel wetsuits, Dermedic, Wind Water Waves HOME SPOT: As I come from the center of Poland, my closest home spot is Rewa, but I feel that my real home is in Tarifa or in Cape Town.

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: > 2nd place Go Big or Go Home 2018 – Chalupy, Poland > 1st place Full Power Kitefest 2018 – Tarifa, Spain > Junior World Champion 2018 Shred (with team) – France

I just started competing this year with one goal in mind - to get into all the Red Bull Big Air events. My first achievement was to qualify for the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge. Unfortunately, the competition has been cancelled for 2018 but all who have qualified are going to compete in 2019. Can’t wait for that! I also took part in the Dakhla Downwind Challenge 2018.

Not a competition against other riders but it was a competition against myself, as I made 500km downwind in five days, staying in the desert, sleeping in tents, partying and supporting other riders to complete the challenge.

kiteboarding videos, especially clips coming from the best Big Air events.

I’M RIDING: CORE GTS5 and the XR5 with a Choice 135 board. Mostly riding on the 24m lines to get higher, but from time to time I like to take short lines and loop low.

MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS: According to the Chinese zodiac sign I am a dragon, but I feel like a monkey.

BIGGEST INSPIRATION: My biggest inspiration was always Nick Jacobsen.

He has the best style and the best Big Air heights. I like him because he is different to all other riders, he does things that have never been done before. Definitely the most creative kiteboarder that I know.

I also like to watch Jesse Richman, Kevin Langeree, Joshua Emanuel, Liam Whaley and Steven Akkersdijk.

I’M CURRENTLY… LISTENING TO: My kitesurfing friend’s advice on tricks that have never been done before. Sometimes I also listen to my mom!

WATCHING: Mostly kiteboarding videos but also when I’m at home I like to watch kid movies with my five-year-old brother…

READING: Ha! Sorry but not this year… I am taking a gap year!

IN 2028 I WILL BE: Running the most extreme kiteboarding company, so half of the day I will be chilling on the beach with my team thinking about impossible tricks that we will land, and the other half I will make my tricks come true by simply practicing them to perfection. @janek_grzegorzewski

IN MY FREE TIME I LIKE TO: Go to the gym, meet with my friends but also watch

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Flav ors This issue we have two instalments from the queen of the cold, Kari Schibevaag. Autumn sees her take to the ocean and on to the Faroe Islands, then as winter breaks and the temperature and wind chill reach levels that would see normal folk hiding under the duvet, Kari cracks out her 3m and heads out for some properly extreme sub zero sessions.

Photos: Faroe Islands - Ægir Expeditions Photos: Winter - Tommy Simonsen

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P A R T : 1

Faroe Islands When you wish for something for such a long time and it eventually happens, you feel as though you are the luckiest girl in the world.

The Faroe Islands have been a dream location for me to explore for a long time. For those who love nature, it has all of the elements you could ever wish for. Having studied pictures and stories of the islands for years, I imagined myself on a mountain or in the ocean, kiting through the waters, and I just knew I had to go there.

The Faroe Islands have a population of 50,000 residents, who spend their days surrounded by incredible nature. There are more sheep than people (which also explains why they are known for their quality wool) and, although you need to be lucky to get clear sky with sunshine, I leapt at the chance when I was given the offer to sail on the Agir expedition boat. Agir is a sail boat owned by a few friends from Norway who are on an epic adventure around the Arctic Ocean. They have sailed the coast of Norway, Shetland and were now on their way to Faroe, living their dream while exploring the incredible landscapes. I was stoked to be able to join them on this section of their trip.

As the boat moved with the waves and the wind blew us forward we were surrounded by huge mountains. There is something beautiful about the way the big cliffs dive straight down into the ocean, chased only by the waterfalls that fall with such grace. The incredible scenery of the mountains makes it look as though they are taken directly from the pages of a fairy tale. We were on our way to Koltur Island, where I couldn’t wait to hit the water and kite. From the map, I had highlighted that I wanted to kite around this small mass of land, with its white sand beaches and incredible hiking opportunities. On the way to the island we passed incredible places like Gasadalur, where we found ourselves sailing between cliffs barely big enough for us to pass through. It’s an indescribable feeling, the feeling of being so small next to something so immense.

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Koltur Island With only two residents on the island, we felt as though we had the whole place to ourselves. We were apprehensive that we wouldn´t have perfect kiting conditions, considering that wind and sun were hard to come by, but we were determined to give it a go. A lot of luck and a positive attitude goes a long way in the pursuit of a good kiting session when you are sailing a boat. On this island there is a strong current, and you need to try not to battle it, but work with it, even if this means spending hours waiting for the current to change so we could move on. We were patient, and eventually the conditions lined up and we scored a great session. The kiting part of the trip had begun.

Following this, we reached the harbor of Sørvagur, where we are able to go onto the mainland. It is an incredible place where – a few miles inland, away from the sea – the big lake of Leitisvaton is a perfect location for kiting, with its flat water surrounded by picturesque mountains. The fresh water also doubled as an opportunity for a shower after so many days out in the ocean! There was solid wind to do some freestyle before finishing the day with a hike for insane views over the lake. It was cool to hike up there to see where we were sailing the day before, and served as another reminder of how small we are in the grand scheme of things.

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"A lot of luck and a positive attitude goes a long way in the pursuit of a good kiting session when you are sailing a boat"

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Surf Sessions A few of the crew on the boat were surfers, and some days are easier than others when it comes to hunting down waves. On this day we tried to ride the spot by the boat but the waves and current did not allow us. So we rented a car and drove to another spot, Tjønuvik, and found ourselves to be the only two in the water with the sun setting beautifully behind us.

The days flew past with so much left to explore. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as we climbed the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, Slættaratindur. Although the skies were grey, we managed to hike through the layer of fog and witness another amazing sunset.

And so finally it was time to sail to the island of Koltur. When we got there, the sun was beating down but there was no sign of wind. We left the boat close to the beach and decided to explore the island, and shortly afterwards we felt the wind begin to pick up. We used this to its fullest potential and had a really good session. You could feel how strong the current was when you were kiting but I was going with it, making it less of a battle and more of a dance as I jumped in the water alone, kiting around the boat as we cruised with the current. The day ended with a small sail to the main city of Torshavn, where we watched another incredible sunset.

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Homeward Bound In Torshavn, it was time to prepare the boat with gasoline, food and all the equipment necessary to sail in open water. Although I have been getting used to sailing around the islands, I am still a little nervous to hit the open ocean on our way to Iceland.

Crossing the ocean was something new for me but what a feeling it was. It felt so free to be out on the ocean. Just us, the boat, and the open water. We were entertained by the whales, birds and seals that surrounded us, and we even managed to get up close with some humpback whales. They were so playful as they swam around the boat, and I really felt as though we connected with them‌ An incredible end to an incredible trip.

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P A R T : 2

Out of the dark Winter means amazing light, fresh powder, fresh tracks. And a lot of clothing. Winter to me means a lot of fun stuff to do outside. The seasons are changing – everything is white. The snow erases old tracks, life starts over in a way. I live for these changes.

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It’s a cold day. Minus 15 Celsius outside and the wind blowing 40 knots. I am in Tromsø and it is the perfect time to hit the water. It’s January, so the sun is not quite back yet, but it’s so close that you can nearly see it. The sky is red, orange and yellow. It is on fire. I am going in the water because the snow is too hard for snow kiting and I miss the sun.

It has been gone for some time now and I can’t wait to feel the first rays of sun hit my face. It doesn’t warm you up, but it is the best feeling ever. After two months of polar night season, it’s hard to explain how good those first rays of sun on your face feel…

"After two months of polar night season, it's hard to explain how good those first rays of sun on your face feel..."

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Snatched Sessions I only have a few hours of daylight before it gets dark again, so I need to get out and use it. In Northern Norway we have two months of darkness during polar night season and the sun never rises above the horizon. It says goodbye, and then to say hello again it gives us the craziest light show on the sky…

It’s cold and I can feel the wind in my face. It’s a bit painful, but after a while you get used to it. It’s crazy out there. The wind is so strong that I am out having fun with a 3m kite, but after a while I must come back in because everything is frozen. My lines, depower and wetsuit are covered with ice. It’s hard to do tricks in these kinds of conditions, but the feeling is still really special…

The atmosphere, the cold weather, the light, and the mountains covered in ice and snow. Everything is so beautiful up here. I can only do one session because when you stop, the cold temperature takes over your body. It’s all about moving. If you are moving, you are fine. But as soon as you stop, the cold gets painful.

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Quick Change The challenging part is to change out of the wetsuit, but if you are fast and put some hot water from a thermos on your feet and hands you are good to go, or if you do some running and jumping then you’re fine. Your body will adapt

A lot of people tell me that it’s too dark up north in winter.

And yes, it’s dark in the north, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do stuff. When it’s dark, it means the Northern Lights are coming, and you should be outside to enjoy it. The

to the cold. The first time is the hardest, but after that it gets easier and you can stay longer out there.

Northern Lights are only visible during the autumn and winter season and the best way to see it is outside in a dark place with no light pollution. You can hike up a mountain, stay by the ocean or just sit in a tent looking out at the aurora show.

Life is harder in the winter but in my opinion it is so much better than the hot sand, sun cream and palm trees. Not only does winter give me good conditions in the water, but it also brings crazy days in the powder snow. Snow kiting takes you to whole new places and you can reach the top of untapped mountains by using the wind.

For this first session I just cruise on my kite and look at the nice light, just jumping around, and feeling free like a bird.

This is the feeling I get when I’m out there. I also like to use the kite to transport me on longer trips. Bring my tent and spend some days outside in the wild. Life is easier with wind – and a lot more fun.

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I love winter (I think everyone knows this by now!). I love the cold days where I am out in the ocean or in the snow spending time with friends or my dog, Truls. I love freezing my ass off, I love testing my body limits: how much can it handle? I have always been like this, since I was a child.

So let’s see what else this winter will bring. I am ready for it…

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TH E L AG OO N For a winter getaway, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than Brazil. Which is why it’s become such a popular migratory option for European and North American kiters. With greatness, however, comes busyness, so a few years back when Alex Maes discovered a spot with the same conditions as the famous lagoons a little further north, but with none of the crowds, he realized he was onto something special. Alex and Annelous Lammerts returned a few years later, fell in love with the spot again, and never really left. Jump forward three years, and the perfect lagoon is now home to a slider park, and has just hosted a KPL stop. It’s been quite a journey. photos:

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Andre Magarao

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The Kite Mansion is a pousada located in Icapui, three hours south of Fortaleza. Over the last three years, it has turned into our second home... In fact, this year we actually spent more time here than at home! We couldn’t have a better place to be when the temperatures in Belgium and the Netherlands – our respective homes – start to go down.

The amount of time we spend here shows, as every year we’ve been building rails and adding features to our park. This year we can claim to have a proper kite park, with three rails and a kicker. And amazingly the final tour stop of the Kite Park League happened here.

We never imagined that could happen when we came here for the first time together in 2015 and filmed our first Triple S wildcard on our sketchy homemade features.

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It's crazy to look back at this amazing journey...

S o, h ow h as it co m e a b o ut ?

A le x: It all started 10 years ago when my parents organized their first kite trip to Icapui with our kite shop, Matos. A Belgian friend of my dad’s was managing a hotel in Icapui at the time and helped us discover this beautiful place in the south of Ceará, Brazil. We had some amazing holidays over there with wind every day. Once we arrived back home, my dad told Sam and Nico that this was one of the most amazing places to set up a pousada. They booked a flight a few weeks later to check it out and they never came back! The Kite Mansion has come a long way and it’s crazy to look back at this amazing journey.

A n n e lo u s: The first time I came to the Kite Mansion was three years ago. Alex and I were in Uruau for two months and Sam, the owner of the Kite Mansion, asked Alex when we were going to visit them since it’s only a two hour drive from Uruau. In Uruau there were some arrangements between the locals and the kiters which meant we could kite in the lagoon during the week but not during the weekends.

This gave us the perfect opportunity to go visit Sam and Nico. I had never been to Icapui and also Alex hadn’t been there for a few years. We went to visit and while Sam was showing us around we came across an amazing lagoon that appears at low tide and is only 10 minutes away from the pousada. We went back to Icapui every week from then on – the lagoon was so good that we didn’t want to leave.

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At the time we were also just getting into park riding and we decided we wanted to build some rails and a kicker to film a wildcard video for the Triple S. Sam and Nico were motivated to help and it wouldn’t have been possible without them. We went to the hardware shop with a design of the rail we wanted and we built a sketchy kicker and a handrail on wooden legs. We didn’t expect the handrail to be so heavy and we needed at least four people to move it! But we had made our first rail project happen and we promised Sam and Nico to come back the next year.

We came back as promised and decided to spend all our time at the Kite Mansion. Over the years we had seen enough of the famous lagoons and we couldn’t wait to ride our empty lagoon again. During

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the off season, the Kite Mansion had completely changed, with all new bungalows and rooms, and with a pool with a view right on the kite spot. We couldn’t believe all the work the guys managed to get done and they had turned it into a world class kite destination. Also, we found out that we could put the metal rail that we built the year before in the lagoon. The rail was so heavy that we could just put a buoy on it and leave it there when the tide comes up.

A le x: The good thing with heavy handrails is that they sit on the bottom and don’t move at all. If you have big tides at your home spot then having a floatable rail can be a nightmare, but with these heavy rails you only have to flip them back up, figure the right angle and you are ready to go.

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We have managed to realise our dreams and create our own little

paradise here...

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A n n e lo u s:

Last year, together with the Kite Mansion crew, we built the first proper kicker in Brazil. We were lucky to have the help of Xavier Decour, a good friend of ours and owner of La Source cable park in France.

The first design of the kicker we drew looked pretty good in our eyes, but when we got the dimensions to Xavier we found out we made the kicker way too steep with way too much kick! We changed the dimensions and the first session we had on it was just unreal. We realized we had made a proper kicker and it turned out that we actually made the best kicker we have ridden on with a kite so far. We definitely learned a lot from last year in terms of storing the kicker and making different anchor points. Now we have anchors set up on the right, on the left and on the place where we store the kicker.

Here we are now, the best park riders in the world are lapping in our kite park and we’ve got a stop here for the Kite Park League. So we started from zero and have had plenty of setbacks along the way, but with an amazing crew we have managed to realize our dreams and create our own little paradise here‌

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sessions Sebastian Ribeiro is something of a wave riding veteran... He was one of the first Brazilians to join the wave tour in 2012 and prove that you could make a living out of kitesurfing. Where he began, many Brazilians have now followed, with the windy Brazilian afternoons also providing good options for surfers looking to maximize their water time and work on their air game. Sebastian’s kitesurfing journey began in Rio, so when he found himself back there and got a call to say that the city’s main beach Ipanema was ON, he was all over it…

PHOTOS: TOBY BROMWICH

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A

s you may know, Rio is one of the most popular places for tourists in the world. But what regular tourists don’t know about is the city’s epic kitesurfing options. This day was one of those typical days in Rio. It was 40˚C with a clear sky, a lot of people on the beach, and with waves and wind. This isn’t a usual kite spot – in Rio we have specific spots that you can kite by law, and Ipanema is actually not one of them. So if the cops caught me kiting I could lose my equipment and get a fine. But for this session it looked really good, so I was happy to take the risk! Kite days at Ipanema only happen when the wind is blowing southwest which is not a common wind in Rio, when it does blow the wind gets stronger on Ipanema’s beach because of the format of the hills

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resulting in a wind channel.

The day began when photographer Toby Bromwich called. He was staying in a hotel right in front of the spot and he called to say that it looked pretty sick right in front. So I grabbed all my stuff and went straight to Ipanema to meet him. We only had two hours to shoot before he headed off to the airport but we made the most of the time… Toby had always wanted to shoot there since the first time he saw the set up, because of the background of the hills and high-rise buildings providing a different contrast. When I saw the photo for the first time I was crazy excited! It’s such a pretty scenario and I was glad for the opportunity – which was mainly down to the fact that Toby can be pretty annoying when he wants to try something!

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eeing the photo and my home city reminded me of how I got to be here.

I was born in Rio in 1992 and I started to surf when I was young; around six years old.

Because of this, in 2004 my parents decided to move to Florianopolis in south Brazil which is probably the best place to live in Brazil for surfing and kiting. It was in Florianopolis that I had my first contact with kitesurfing. I was going to surf but actually I came home earlier because it was too windy, and when I crossed by the lagoon I saw some kites flying, that just made me wonder about the potential of ‘kite plus waves’. A few weeks later I met probably one the most important people in my life, Roberto Veiga. He was looking for a kid to teach and train. Back then we didn’t have many kids learning how to kite so I was incredibly lucky, and it’s something I will do myself one day, to give a kid the opportunity I had. .

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A couple of years later I signed to my first kitesurf contract and it helped me to grow as a kitesurfing competitor, especially for the opportunity I had in 2012 when I competed in my first KSP World Tour event in Peru as a wildcard. I remember it like yesterday, my first heat against one of my idols and best friend today, Mitu Monteiro. I won that in a pretty close heat… After that, everything just started to happen fast, I started to compete on the wave tour and got third place in the final ranking in 2013 and 2015, and then became a North rider, traveling and discovering new places to shoot.

I also managed to keep studying and so have now graduated with a marketing degree. I’m still competing on the world tour, training my body, and getting some good results – especially on the wave stops. I am also working closely with Duotone and Sky Solbach, developing wave boards, and I’m also addicted to sports like snowboarding and surfing.

So, this session was a good reminder of where I have come from and where I have got to a few years down the line!

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Heart Attack 7 Rider: Set Teixeira Photo: Svetlana Romantsova

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The Move The Heart Attack 7 is one of the most technical tricks for me, because to land it you need to have the kite in a good position and to have a good height. It’s a new school trick and is one of the hardest to do – but the feeling when you land it is fantastic! It is also a great one for competitions as it scores high.

The STEps Come at it with speed to go high to maximize your time in the air, and your chances of landing it.

When you are high, go for the first handlepass moving your legs around quickly.

Have your kite at 12 and then move it down and do a solid pop.

After the first handlepass, don’t think about anything else and just go for the second handlepass as fast as you can!

Begin an S-Bend with the bar close to your body.

Grab the bar and cushion your landing with your knees.

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Boardslide 720 Rider: Lucas Arsenault Photo: Nik Ganderton

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The Move This is a very simple entry level trick for anyone looking to ride rails. It’s called a board slide front 270 out. When riding rails, what’s most important is the maneuver you do getting onto the rail and what you do coming off it. The goal is not necessarily to add spins, more so properly locking into a press when you’re grinding the rail.

The STEps Ride at a good speed with the kite at 45 degrees or lower.

Unhook a good distance from the obstacle and bear off downwind towards the rail.

Switch your stance toe side. (You can choose to do this step prior to unhooking depending on what is more comfortable to you).

Ollie a safe distance before the rail, normally around a meter.

Hop on the rail and turn your body and board 90 degrees forward.

Line up the rail on your front foot and press on that front leg.

Hold the press throughout the rail.

At the end of the rail, do a small ollie and begin your frontside 270 rotation.

Pull your arm in like a normal handle pass to spin your body around.

Fully rotate and land wrapped.

After landing, pass the bar and ride away.

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MANERA

An all-new harness from Manera. First things first: it looks the business…

Second thing: what was the plan with the Eclipse? We caught up with Manera’s Julien Salles to find out.

Hey Julien, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. So there is a new harness in the Manera line up – the Eclipse. Can you talk us through the main features and where it sits in the line up?

Hey guys! Yep, our new baby is born. It took three years to develop, it was quite frustrating as we were already ‘almost perfect’ one year ago, so we spent the last year working on details, construction…

The Eclipse works the same way the Union and EXO did, we have a frame called ‘Adaptive Shell’ on the back that takes the pressures and distributes them evenly for a good support. Only this frame is stiffer than

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on the other models. Thanks to its stiffness the harness gives a better support, which allowed us to make a lower profile, so the harness is quite small around the waist for better freedom of movement. Then we have a new ‘gel foam’ that provides pillow-like comfort, and we still use our proven technologies like the Tuckflaps and Down Hold System that prevent the harness from riding up. In terms of where it sits in the line up, our goal is to build and offer a clear harness range: for our European customers the Eclipse is €299, the EXO is €249 and Union €199. The philosophy of all the harnesses is the same, but the higher the price, the higher the stiffness of the harness and lower the fit.

Adaptive shell

Adaptive shell Hold down system

So the Eclipse isn’t a pure ‘hard shell’ harness but it does offer a lot of similar qualities. How does it work exactly?

Well after the EXO we saw the ‘hard shell’ fashion emerging and we got curious, so we tested the different models available to make up our own mind about it. Both the F-ONE and Manera R&D teams tested them and we didn’t really like them. We felt the advantages, but it was too stiff and our back didn’t feel comfortable.

So we started to develop a shell that would have the advantages of the hard shell without being 100% rigid. On a hard shell it is hard to avoid the harness compressing your body sideways when the kite pulls, but this hardness can hurt you if the harness does not fit you perfectly, or if it twists a bit around your back. So here are the main things we did to implement anti-compression in a harness that is not 100% rigid: 1. Each size Manera harness comes with a spreader bar that is as wide as your hips, so the pull of the kite is parallel to the body, and the harness does not compress your waist.

Tuck flaps

2. The spreader bar is directly connected to the Adaptive Shell through the straps and locked with the Tuckflaps.

3. Coupled with the long spreader bar, the Adaptive Shell’s stiff center-belt provides enough anti-compression to kite in full comfort.

These three things ensure that your back is supported by an adaptable harness while still providing the ‘anti-compression’ qualities that a hard shell can provide.

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Did you consider producing a 100% hard shell?

No. Our philosophy is to sell what we ride, and as we didn’t stick to the full hard shell concept, we won’t sell it to other people. We are a family brand and money is not the key, I see it as a real advantage as we can take as long as we want to develop our products and sell stuff that we believe in.

How do you develop the Adaptive Shell to ensure that the load is evenly distributed?

Our process is always the same: we make samples until we find the perfect product. Our testing team spends a lot of time on the water and they are as eager to test as we are eager to develop! So first we needed to know which material we wanted to work with, as we wanted a shell that is stiff in the center with flex on the outline, so we thought that nylon would be a good fit. We could then tune the stiffness thanks to the thickness: the thicker the part is,

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the stiffer it will be. The whole Adaptive Shell works like this: the elevations (the ridges) you can see on the back are not here for style, they regulate the stiffness of the frame. They are thicker on the center-belt and thinner on the outline… stiff where you need support and soft where you need adaptability.

We needed a way to satisfy our appetite for samples without ruining the company (a mold to produce a piece like the Adaptive Shell is worth $12,000).

So we started to 3D-print frames in nylon and assemble them into harnesses, it allowed us to test a few dozen different curves, outlines, thicknesses and stiffnesses coupled with different constructions. The quality of the 3D-prints were impressive and we could kite for months with a sample without damaging it, that was a completely new tool for us and it allowed us to perfectly balance the Adaptive Shell.

The harness has a lovely ‘velvety’ feel to it – what’s the material used here?

We only use premium neoprene, because the feeling is good but also because it resists better to UV rays, tearing and fading. The entire harness is built with premium neoprene so there is no stitching or bumps against the skin.

Then the Adaptive Shell is coated with a silicone layer that gives the extra soft touch you are talking about, this is mostly for aesthetic reasons! We felt like people were a bit afraid of putting something stiff against their back, so instead of going for the carbon ultra-stiff look, we took the opposite way and made a ‘soft looking harness’ that you want to cuddle!

Which harness are most of your team riders using now?

Definitely Eclipse! Only a few team riders remain with the Union or EXO, most of the time because they want a harness that can turn around their waist.

The Eclipse stays pretty much in place, so it doesn’t work so well for them.

Have you considered offering a surf-style sliding spreader bar?

Yes! It just arrived in shops… It is built with a Kevlar construction, special anti-abrasion ropes and a front leash attachment. Check out our website for more information.

So, a couple of years ago you had one harness, now you have three – are there any more on the horizon?!

I don’t think we will have a bigger range in the future… We like to keep a small range to be able to improve our products each year. Having too many products will only confuse the customers and will block our team’s creativity.

Our main goal now is to improve actual models, and it is the most interesting and challenging part of the job!

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SOUL DRYSUIT

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There’s being a committed kitesurfer, and then there is being a committed kitesurfer… If you want to be seriously getting excited about a session when there may be snow on the beach then you need the right kind of kit. Which means a drysuit.

Ocean Rodeo wrote the book on kitesurfing drysuits and here the Ocean Rodeo crew take us through their flagship drysuit: the Soul.

Before we talk more specifically about the Soul, what can you tell us about Ocean Rodeo’s background in the drysuit industry – when did you make your first drysuit?

We were making drysuits since day one! With our commitment to being on the water here in frigid Canadian waters we knew that we had to do something to eliminate excuses and to make a suit that was sport friendly.

Common problems were always about how bulky suits were, how they weren’t really too breathable, and how much of a pain they were when you weren’t on the water.

Being based in Canada, was developing drysuits a necessity and what difference does a good drysuit make to when you can ride out there?

A good drysuit is what makes kiting a 365 day a year sport in locations with cold waters like Canada. Mobility when kiting is a must. Proper insulation and breathability is a must. The ability to cool off between sessions and not stay in full drysuit mode was a must. Through kiting we were forced to innovate and create a suit that is not just for kiters but is for the avid outdoor enthusiast. The Soul can be used on a stand up paddle, for sailing, and much much more. The suit moves without feeling heavy. Taking off the neck seal for standby mode allows for you to stay comfortable between sessions. And the difference between this and a thick wetsuit is that you’re always in comfort. In wetsuits, the warmth is only there when you’re in the water. Changing in your van in freezing conditions is never fun and just frustrating to do. You’re wet, you’re cold, overall it’s miserable. In a drysuit you’re never wet, simply change back into your usual outerwear and be on your way.

I guess that unlike a wetsuit you have to get it 100% right. If a drysuit leaks then it is not doing its job (and is dangerous) – how do you test a drysuit to be confident that it’s 100% fit for purpose?

The testing is rigorous and for us at Ocean Rodeo, the part that we take the most seriously. Our suits are put through a number of stress tests to test that our suit works, not for a season, not for a year or two… the suit works. We have customers who have bought suits when the company first started and are still using them, 100% satisfied.

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So looking at the Soul, what are the key features that make it stand out from the competition?

Ocean Rodeo’s standby mode is the difference-maker to our competition. Take the neck seal off between sessions and re-zip up the jacket component to air out, but to stay warm at the same time. The Soul has always been praised as an athletic drysuit due to its light weight in combination with its ease of mobility.

Breathable materials allow for comfort and when worn and in the moment you never realize that it’s there. We’ve built the suit to be durable with reinforced parts in high wear places, and have included precise placements of zippers, pockets and more to allow for kiters to never feel uncomfortable and to avoid any snagging or pressure when wearing a harness. The Soul is streamlined to work with your kiting gear, and not to just be a drysuit.

What does the ‘jacket’ do aside from making the suit look less like a drysuit?

The jacket allows for the suit to be re-zipped up in standby mode. Wearing a neck seal and being sealed in the suit when fresh off a session can mean that riders aren’t ventilating air as much as they would like.

Simply go into standby mode and stay warm by zipping back up.

Would you wear usual wetsuit boots and gloves along with the Soul?

For the cold water definitely! One challenge of our Western Canadian shores are the rocky lines that we have. Wetsuit boots are worn by most out here and having a suit with ankle seals as opposed to socks allows for a direct feeling from a rider’s foot to the board, allowing for no interference, and no compromise on comfort.

What do you think the coldest session has been with someone wearing a Soul and what is it best to wear under your drysuit when it gets really cold?

With our suit we’ve seen some amazing feats. Temperatures well below freezing are a regular and we’ve seen use out of Iceland, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Russia to name a few. We’re proud to say that our drysuit lives up to our company mantra of being locally tested and globally approved. Under the suit it’s important to stay warm. Ocean Rodeo’s no zip fleece liner is a great place to start, enabling you to stay warm and dry in the cold conditions.

Who buys the Soul apart from kitesurfers?

Outdoor adventurists! The SUP community loves the Soul for its mobility and ability to keep adventuring whatever the conditions.

Are there any dangers to wearing a drysuit – if it gets a tear and lets water in for example?

Drysuits aren’t dangerous as long as they’re well maintained and taken care of. Ensuring that your seals are properly looked after in use, when out of the water, and in storage over the warmer times of the year will ensure that your suit can last for years on end. Tears are highly unlikely and if they do occur in a drysuit it’s important to seek professional help to ensure the integrity of the suit.

Drysuits are a big part of the business at OR. You have some pretty exciting sounding other suits including the MSOS (Maritime Surface Operation Suit) which can only be sold to members of NATO! As well as kitesurfers, are you really kitting out ‘black ops’ James Bond kind of people?! And what applications and features do these kind of suits have?

Ocean Rodeo’s MSOS suit is our offering to those who engage in keeping the world at peace, in humanitarian efforts and much, much more. We’re proud to not just offer our products to those who want to adventure out in the water, but to expand that to those who are protecting them. These suits are built to be tough and durable, while allowing further application for those who need to further add on to the suit (think utility belts, streamlined pfd’s and more). James Bond can only wish he had one of these!

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Talking to the team at OR who are – understandably – big advocates of the Soul, they say that a drysuit isn’t just for the depths of winter and those sub-zero days. What are the advantages of choosing a drysuit over a wetsuit for general use?

Drysuits make a quick session count! Think about the luxury you have when showing up to a session and instead of changing into water wear or a wetsuit etc., to be able to just put on a drysuit, go kiting right up until you’re out of time, get out, take off the drysuit and leave! Make every moment count this way by skipping out on drying off, changing and dealing with being cold during the fall and spring seasons where the weather is neither too warm or sub-zero. This suit for general use might not be the best term, as in the dog days of summer it’s still much more comfortable to be in a wetsuit. But for those days where the weather might have kept you in and worried about mid range temperatures that feel much colder when you’re out of the water, the Soul is a dream. Simply put, we’ve eliminated the excuse of it being too cold to go kiting!

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DUOTONE SELECT The Select is Duotone’s super accessible freeride option.

Not for newbies but for pretty much everyone else. It’s been a dependable workhorse – with that extra bit of flair – for the last couple of seasons, so how does it stack up under the new Duotone colors? We tested the standard version, and it’s relatively light, 3.85kg loaded to be exact with a noticeably low swing weight. There’s also a durable matt finish which will take sand scratches, being thrown in the back of a van, or overly aggressive baggage handlers in its stride. The Entity pads and straps are quite complex to fit and adjust but, once you get them right, are very snug and comfortable. Hidden under the footpads are interchangeable inserts built in to adjust how much shock absorption you want in the heel area. This is an intelligent way to make sure the pads suit varying rider weights. The stance is very tuneable on the now familiar track system. On the water and straight away the Select planes early and is a very comfortable board to ride. The slightly tapered but boxy outline hammers upwind with ease. Couple this with a soft and friendly flex pattern and the full length stepped concave makes light work of ironing out the chop. The abundance of grip and flex then allows you to build power, and edge and release easily giving you a brilliantly consistent initiation to your tricks. These attributes also transfer perfectly over into the boosting. Once you’re fully stacked, the Select can store up a considerable amount of power and maintain speed once things get bouncy. You can then release this very simply and cleanly and get some decent airtime. For landings, the board is relying more on flex than shape, being relatively low rocker and flat based, so if you come in hot, you need to be positioned perfectly to stick it clean. Considering its mid-table position in the Duotone range, it’s an extremely capable board which will suit all but the most advanced freestylers, who will want a bit more channel and rocker to smooth out fast and harsh landings from technical tricks.

IN A SENTENCE: If you ride predominantly in straps then the Select is an absolute diamond – forgiving, accessible and high performance all at once…

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F-ONE TRAX HRD LITE TECH If first impressions count, then the 2019 Trax gets off to a flying start. The Lite Tech version is opaque with the futuristic Lite Tech giving it a very visually pleasing sparkle. From a lineage spanning at least a decade, the Trax is F-ONE’s freeride all-rounder and has evolved markedly over the years. What we’re now presented with is an exquisitely honed product. The highly tailored HRD rail shape is like no other currently on the market. Essentially you have a thin tapered tip – to enhance grip and flex characteristics – then the rail thickens under the footpads, with a rounded, almost scaled down surfboard shape. This is designed to displace the water outwards and prevent bounce. This thickness continues to the center of the board, but the rail shape then goes squarer again, increasing grip. The result when riding is quite striking. The Trax is very playful and skatey and extremely smooth through the chop and carves a great big rooster tail on the turn. The stepped concave, a common feature on freeride boards, does a great job of planing early and sending you upwind effortlessly. Normally with a board that feels loose, you would struggle to hold power, but the rail design means the Trax provides incredible edging control and speed. The overall flex is definitely a little stiffer than other boards in this class, and it relies upon shape rather than soft flex to smooth out heavy landings, which it does well. All that rail thickness translates into a mid-weight board coming in at 4.48kgs fully loaded. The carbon version would, of course, trim this down. Board hardware is up there with the best on the market. The fin system is F-ONE’s own design which is very sturdy and spreads the load well over the tip of the board. The Platinum bindings are well designed ergonomically, easy to adjust and will fit a multitude of feet. Then there’s a good sized toe grip which enhances the secure feeling. For taller riders the Trax might benefit from a slightly wider stance option, especially as it rides a little bigger than its size. At 6’2” I would never normally choose to ride a 136cm but found myself reaching for this whenever it was over 20 knots. It’s a boosting machine! Like most products from F-ONE, the Trax has a bit of finesse and personality; it strays well away from more safe, generic designs in the marketplace TW IN TI and stands out from the crowd with great P performance attributes. It somehow achieves feeling both skatey and grippy simultaneously.

IN A SENTENCE: All in all the Trax is a futuristic masterpiece of twintip design, and we are intrigued to see how they can develop it further!

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IN A SENTENCE: The YO is a minimal, light, and uncomplicated affair, with bags of power and at an attractive price point – an encouraging first entry to the market.

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IN A SENTENCE: It’s pretty simple, if you’ve got a foil then you need a foil kite for low wind days, and for us the SOUL is the clear stand out right now.

ODO YO A new player boldly enters what’s becoming an increasingly mature kite market. Meet Odo Kiteboarding from Italy, with a boxfresh two kite range. So how will it weigh up against the establishment? The YO has a generous dash of traditional delta built into the design, and is aimed at wave, foiling and general freeride use. The build incorporates three core ripstop and a lightweight Dacron. This overall low weight translates into early flying and a decent low end. The bridling is minimal and low drag, with anodized sliders working well to minimize wear on the front, and the trailing edge has a scalloped antiwear design. The Quick Vario bar system feels well-built and functional with relatively simple ingredients combined well.

Several of the components are titanium, which shows more commitment to light weight. Depower range on the bar stroke is fine, and a sliding stopper means you can trim a little for shorter arms. The ever dependable Clamcleat does a great job of smooth trimming, as it does with many brands. The EVA grip is particularly nice, with the narrow diameter feeling refined in the hand. The safety line runs parallel to one of the front lines for approximately eight meters, which feels a little untidy but works well enough. The chicken loop is a simple push release with a pin and is very functional and safe, with a decent spinning mechanism on top to deal with line twists. Testing in some fairly varied and unpredictable wind conditions, the YO proved extremely stable throughout its wind range and was genuinely difficult to overfly. The leeward drift capability is, without a doubt, excellent. It has a high amount of grunt and ground pull, but, unlike a traditional delta, flies in a nice straight line with little inside line pressure required.

As a wave kite it relies almost completely on excellent drift and stability to stay in the sky, rather than maneuverability.

This will do well in side shore conditions, but makes things a little more challenging when onshore. It will turn, but it ALL needs a little persuasion. Powered on a twintip, the grunt and lift and more sedate turning transfer into some lovely controlled flight and transitions with no surprises. The light weight, early flying and more moderate turning speed also make it a great option for foiling.

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FLYSURFER SOUL The SOUL is the latest (and probably most advanced) in the current trend of super easy to use performance foils on the market.

With the increased popularity in hydrofoils over recent years, more freeriders realize the limits in the low end of LEI kites, and start looking at foils for those sub 10 knot days which can be pretty daunting with a LEI kite. Which is where the SOUL comes in.

From a practical perspective, foil kite bridling doesn’t get a great deal simpler on the SOUL than on a more high performance foil kite, so you need to read the manual (and check out some YouTube clips). But once you have unpacking and packing dialed then it is actually much quicker to get on the water than with LEI kites. A quick check over for any seaweed and bridle tangling before you launch, a bit of a pre-inflate, and off it goes. It takes a little while to fill compared to other foil kites on the market, but this means it’s also extremely hard for the air to escape if you bin it in the drink. We tested this theory on a mistimed jibe and think you would be hard pressed to sink it.

The kite holds its shape extremely well for a foil, and T TES TE I reverse launched like an absolute charm. From a K IL O build point of view, the Flysurfer SOUL is a beautiful work of engineering and – with all of those cells – you can only begin to imagine how many man hours go into each one. So in terms of materials and R&D: you can see where the hefty price tag comes from. On the water and the low end of the SOUL, as you would expect, is extremely good. For one session we tested with a relatively large surface area hydrofoil in six knots, and the SOUL provided smooth, reassuring power delivery and an unbelievable stability even at this minimal wind strength. The canopy is so light that, if the wind does drop below what was foilable, the kite still flies overhead patiently and it was very easy to limp home. The power delivery with the SOUL is so smooth it’s much like being towed around by a friendly cloud. Turning speed on a 15m foil kite is never going to be comparable to a LEI, but the SOUL does an admirable job of shifting that huge canopy around.

We tested it on 20m lines, Flysurfer suggest coming down to shorter lines for a quicker response with foiling. On a twintip in a little more wind, the SOUL provides a ridiculous amount of power and float. A feeling we can only describe as kitesurfing in slow motion. We’ve also witnessed its crossover potential on snow, where the low wind ability is staggering with the correct piloting. The SOUL is really going to suit the low wind hydrofoil use, it’s as easy as foil kites currently get and it’s super easy to make the transition from a LEI.

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IN A SENTENCE: An easy to fly kite with fantastic build quality and with a dirty secret: it wants to send you into orbit!

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IN A SENTENCE: Some good evolutions add extra refinement to the Slash, which is perhaps the most maneuverable and responsive surf kite on the market right now.

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CRAZYFLY HYPER The new CrazyFly Hyper opens up a new flank at the brand’s own European kite production facility with the Hyper aimed very specifically at the ‘high performance freeride’ sector. First of all, let’s get build quality out of the way; how does it measure up against twenty years of Asian kite manufacture? The answer is extremely well. The LE seam is beautifully tailored so that it sits underneath the canopy to improve aerodynamics in the center of the kite and allow a little more room on the valves. A Dacron load frame is placed on the upper half of the canopy leaving the load bearing underside very clean aerodynamically. Overall, it’s a moderately heavy build, with plenty of reinforcement and unique green Kevlar patches, and having the factory on their doorstep is clearly giving them a lot of advantages in terms of quality control.

The air frame is extremely rigid for a kite with so much span, which translates into some decent stability and reassuring feel for such a high aspect beast. Five struts keep the canopy super tight with zero flapping going on at any angle of attack. You may need to make some adjustments to your flying technique if you come off a more mainstream, all-round model. Being high aspect, it handles a bit more like a foil kite, meaning your turning is done with the bar out, and the kite is quite pivotal and trim-sensitive when sheeted in. It takes a little effort and technique to generate your initial speed with, and it isn’t just going to drag you along, which means that it absolutely trucks upwind. Once up to speed, sending the Hyper results in a high level of controllable lift and a gentle descent.

This lift is extremely easy to access, even going into a jump without commitment it was surprising how much height it would achieve.

10m+ WOO scores were achieved without a huge amount of power in the kite. The Sick bar is a refreshingly clean affair with the safety line running up a PU tube, avoiding the usual wear points which will give everything longevity. There’s an easy to use un-twister for the frontlines above the chicken loop. Again all this is made in-house, and is well conceived; all the quick release plastics feel reassuringly sturdy. The lines are a high grade of Dyneema from Liros, although a little color coding in the line material wouldn’t go amiss for when things go wonky. In a way it’s nice to see such an extreme design come to the market, with a lot of brands playing it relatively safe with their booster model, this skinny beast has a serious amount of usability and has the potential to give anyone a knee-wobbling case of vertigo.

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NAISH SLASH The Slash is into its third year in the Naish lineup – the Pivot had proved itself a good option in the surf but the arrival of the Slash allowed the Pivot to move more into the center of the lineup and for the Slash to take up the 100% surf slot.

The Slash has stepped up to the plate and for the last couple of years has been a stand out kite for us in the surf. For 2019, Naish have reduced the diameter of the leading edge and also reduced the bar pressure throughout the wind range.

Additional material changes include a new ‘HT Plus’ thread in the LE bladder which increases strength and allows you to confidently pump it up as hard as your guns will let you, and ‘Bladder Lock’ to ensure that the bladder ends are TE KI secure and can’t move or slip around. As ever E V with Naish, they are constantly focusing on the refinements and little things which contribute to a final product that gets full marks for build quality and attention to detail. We rode the Slash with their Torque Below The Bar (BTB) control system. The first thing to note is that the Torque – following its revamp – continues to be one of the stand out bars on the market for us, with excellent build quality and flawless functionality. This was the first time we had used the BTB version and we have had some issues with this before, but the Torque BTB edition is easy to use and the cleat is well designed to make adjustments relatively easy. It is very much a personal choice – it is great having the ‘cleanness’ a below the bar depower offers, but it does take some getting used to. On the water and the Slash is nimble and responsive to fly. We had the 8m on the stock settings and were impressed by how quickly it flew while keeping a tight arc and consistent power. So in lower wind or onshore conditions you could confidently take a size smaller and, with the right piloting skills, generate all of the oomph you need. For prime cross or cross-off conditions, the Slash comes into its own – there is the maneuverability and power to get you onto a wave and then the driftability is very impressive, you can sheet right out and lose all power but still have the control to make subtle steering inputs if required. For downlooping, the tight turning arc and control really enable you to do this with confidence and once you have this skill mastered you can add another dimension to your waveriding and really power onto the next section. We rode the 8m on some 25 knot+ days and the top end is also very manageable with the Slash still delivering consistent power and not overflying even when fully depowered. For onshore conditions the responsiveness and maneuverability really make the slop your playground, and it’s one of few surf kites that can really cut it in doubleoverhead crossshore perfection as well as chest high windslop…

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TRICK TREE #1. HOOKED IN

By Laci Kobulsky For the last few columns we’ve looked at various kite hacks with your gear. For the next couple I’d like to look at something much more valuable, something that can improve your kiteboarding way more than any equipment tweaks. And that is ‘how to progress from one trick to another’.

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WHICHEVER TRICK YOU’RE DOING YOU SHOULD… #1 TAKE A BIG KITE AND SET IT UP FOR FAST STEERING I know that you go learning your Big Air tricks in strong wind with a small kite. That’s cool, but for sure it’s harder and more risky. Try going out in normal wind but take a bigger kite, so instead of a 9m take an 11m. Your kite will be slower and will give you more height and time to try your tricks.

#2 JUMP IN THE SAME PLACE You have to be fully focused on your tricks and limit distractions. Instead of jumping randomly all over the place, choose the best spot and always jump in the same place. This way you’ll be more focused on your pop and getting your head around the trick. And help out other riders by giving them space before they jump.

#3 FIND THE FLAT In order to develop the best speed and to have an easy and clean pop, find the flattest water you can. Trust me: once you go flat, you never go back…

#4 POP HARD AND FAST So you feel the power but lack the height in your jumps? Do you think your kit is not good enough? Think again. The technique of your pop is absolutely crucial in order to get the most out of your jump.

Three things affect how high you’ll jump.

1) Having speed before you pop; 2) Sending your kite smoothly; 3) Edging hard into the wind before you pop.

#5 LAND DOWNWIND Land your tricks riding downwind. A common mistake is to lean against the kite after landing, which gives power to the kite and makes you more likely to crash. Keep going downwind until you regain control of your kite and then ride off like a legend…

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LEVEL #2

LEVEL #3

LEVEL #4

THE HOOKED TRICK TREE MEGALOOP

Board flip

One foot with front or backroll rotation Board off

Loop during strong wind while still flying up

Double frontroll, Tantrum - Inverted frontroll with one hand

Double backroll

Deadman, Stiffy, Table Top & else, Multiple grabs during jump, One foot jump

JUMP WITH THE GRAB

Different grabs during the jump, easier ones are with your back hand

Backroll with grab, Backroll 540 landing toeside

Frontroll with grab

BACKROLL

JUMP

LEVEL #1

Jump with the kite movement

POP

Basic jump without moving the kite

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FRONTROLL

Kiteloop - loop in the air

Jump with a downloop for landing

Darkslide with grab, Jesus Walk

Transition Jump with grab

Backroll handdrag transition

Frontroll handdrag transition

Backroll transition with kiteloop

Frontroll transition with kiteloop

Backroll transition

Frontroll transition

Darkslide, One foot slide

Toeside Jibe with downloop, Jibe with downloop

Hooked blind ride

BUTTER SLIDE

TRANSITION JUMP Jump and change direction

UPWIND TURN

ride on your board’s tail (easier without fins)

TOESIDE JIBE

Downwind turn from your toeside to heelside

JIBE

Downwind turn from your heelside to toeside

SWITCH RIDE Ride on your toeside

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D O P R O

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With Sensi Graves

Did you have heroes growing up? Posters of Kobe Bryant or David Beckham or Jürgen Klinsmann on your walls?

Did you spend hours on the playground imagining you were them? Sports stars and professional athletes have a certain allure. They can be larger than life and inspire entire generations. They break barriers, smash records and push themselves to the limit. Professional kiteboarders are no different and push the limits of what’s possible every day.

Yet, pros can be seen in both positive and negative lights.

You can either view a pro as inspiring and motivating, or they can be seen as too cool for school and spoilt. In my opinion, professional kiteboarders are necessary for the growth of the sport for two primary reasons. Number one, they push the upper limit of the gear and demand development within our niche. Number two, they push what’s seen as possible within kiteboarding and are invaluable to a brand’s marketing initiatives.

What is a professional kiteboarder? The Merriam Webster definition of a professional is someone participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs. The number of actual professional kiteboarders is tiny. Pro riders are at the upper echelon of the sport. Whether you’re talking about Nick Jacobsen who stretches himself with big airs and sends off huge obstacles, or Jalou Langeree who continues to ride bigger and better in the waves, these athletes are working hard to advance themselves and kiteboarding. And in doing

so, they demand gear that keeps up with them. They test the upper limits of kiteboarding and enable barriers to be broken.

But pros do things the average kiteboarder won’t, making their performances seem ‘out there’ and ‘next level’. Yet that’s precisely the reason we need players such as Jesse Richman. Jesse demands a high performance quiver. Just a few years ago, he did a 240 meter tow-up in the Columbia River Gorge. This was a stunt and no normal kiteboarder would attempt such a thing, but it’s just this kind of dedication and determination to propel the sport that demands the progression of our kites, bars, lines, boards and everything in between. If we don’t have the Jesse’s of the world breaking lines, making innovative shapes and effectively testing our gear, we won’t have performance breakthroughs that benefit all of us.

Another such character that pushes development within the sport is Brandon Scheid. One of Liquid Force Kites’ first line of testing is having Brandon see if he can break a board or not. Personally, I’ve never broken a board (unless you count that one time I didn’t strap my board down properly and it flew off the roof of the car and smashed open on the road) and the ‘average’ kiteboarder probably won’t break many boards either, but the extra testing and reinforcement that Brandon provides ensures that every board meets the absolute top end of its limits.

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With that top end ever increasing as riders continue to push themselves, we have a natural evolution of the gear along with it. This trickle down effect serves to create advancements in our gear from pro riders that make everything we use for kiting better.

The second primary reason professional kiteboarders are important to kiteboarding is the inspiration they provide. Bruna Kajiya was the first woman to land a double handle-pass (backside 315) and just recently one of the youngest professional kiteboarders ever, Mikaili Sol, was the first woman to ever land a double heart attack in competition. By advancing what’s possible, they’ve created an opportunity for other riders to come up behind them.

Professional kiteboarders push the limits of their beliefs and simultaneously break the beliefs within the sport as a whole. By seeing someone do ‘the impossible’, it instantly becomes more accessible.

This was precisely the case with the four minute mile for running. For years, no one could get under four minutes, then as soon as Roger Bannister did it, a whole slew of racers did it within the consecutive few years. It was this first act that changed the belief of what was possible within running.

The same belief applies to kiteboarding and oftentimes it’s the pros that are the first to do something. Take a second and imagine how hard that is. You’ve not only trained so much that you’re at the absolute top of your game but you’ve imagined what hasn’t been done before. You try and try and try and try and finally, maybe one day, you succeed and burst the bubble of what’s seen as possible. It creates a certain type of mind and body to do this.

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Professional kiteboarders are invaluable to the progression of a sport.

They demand and develop gear that will keep up with them. They push the sport from the inside, creating a trickle down effect which makes the average riders’ gear better. If you don’t have people pushing the top end of what their gear can do, you won’t have breakthroughs in performance.

And that’s where the crux of the importance of pro riders lies. Not only that but they break barriers of what’s seen as possible within the sport, effectively changing our mindsets around kiting and serving as inspiration for us all. The pros work day in and day out to become the best at what they do. It’s their dedication and drive to progress that create breakthroughs in the sport and influence what’s seen as possible. Maybe you don’t aspire to be like the pros or don’t care about the pros or don’t pay any mind to who’s a pro, but you’ve certainly benefited from each one out there, and for that we can all cheer ‘em on. 

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