Innehållsförteckning för #42 från TheKiteMag

SHIFTING PLATES Greetings. No, we’re not talking sushi… We’re talking tectonic: the movement of those solid plates on the earth’s outer shell…A concept also often applied to significant, epoch-defining events which alter the course of how our time here on planet Earth unfolds. And when it comes to those significant plates that make up the world of windsports, there is one plate that has recently shifted much more clearly into view: wingsurfing / wingfoiling… Call it what you will. From pretty much nowhere it has become the sport of the moment, casting its shadow over the sports that came before, and from which it has taken much of its inspiration and technology… Of course, this is TheKiteMag and we love to kite but we also love to foil and –…

"THERE IS KIND OF AN UNWRITTEN RULE: KITERS RIDE AND JUMP IN A CLOCKWISE ROTATION, SO YOU JUMP AT THE FLATTEST PART AND RIDE ALL THE WAY DOWNWIND THEN BACK UP" I had noticed this kite spot a few times in Youri Zoon and Paula Novotna’s stories a few years ago, but didn’t find out where they actually were until I met a Greek guy while traveling and got all the info I needed… Drepano has become hugely popular amongst pro kiters as a training spot in Europe for freestyle and is not such a big secret anymore. While it doesn’t have the amazing ‘Greek-island-holiday-vibes’ that other kite spots like Rhodes or Paros have, it has insanely good kite conditions if you are into freestyle and want flat water to…

FRANK, YOU SEEM TO KEEP OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT! CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY IN THE INDUSTRY AND HOW YOU BECAME A KITE DESIGNER FOR CORE? I was one of the early generation kiters in Germany in 1999. Originally I worked as a toolmaker and later as a 2D artist for a PC game software company, but when kiting came into my life I wanted to do something work-wise in the sport. In 2005 Bernie Hiss from Carved Customs planned to add kites to the twintip range and he asked me if I would like to join the team. We started to work on the first Carved kite, the Unit, and I was responsible for the Carved bar. Bernie then split the kite and board business, and in…

1 // Cabrinha Moto The Moto is back with a new supercharged attitude to its time on the water. Thrust is now generated more effortlessly and the kite’s ability to ‘climb’ has been the focus. This translates into an infinitely more crisp and direct performance freeride kite with more immediate response and control. Hello Moto… 2 // CORE Fusion 5 and XR7 CORE presents the new version of their WOO loving XR, with upgraded canopy material and tougher but lighter struts, resulting in a more playful kite with increased durability and longevity. Kite weight is down and performance is up. When you have a kite as potent and powerful as the XR7, it’s mission-critical to find a twintip that can harness its prodigious capabilities. To do that CORE built the…

2021 started quietly for me thanks to my dog Truls… We had to hide on top of one of the many mountain plateaus in Norway, far away from all the noise of New Year’s Eve fireworks. If you have a dog, you probably know all about the challenge fireworks cause so we decided to just hide… But having said that, it was actually quite nice to hide away for New Year’s Eve! And what a beginning to the New Year we had, with perfect weather: sunny, cold and windy days. What more can you wish for in this crazy world? The beautiful weather had lasted for weeks. Ok, it had been very cold with temperatures down to -20 and -30 degrees Celsius, but what a magic light. I come from…

SO, LOTS OF EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS… LET’S START WITH THE BOOST – WHAT’S NEW? The BOOST is a freeride kite with power on demand, made for riders who want to push their skills and love lofty jumps and hangtime. It perfectly fits the motto #BOOSTyourself. It has a swept-back outline, a thin leading edge and a deep profile. All together the construction works best in moderate and light winds. We offer the BOOST in five sizes: 9, 11, 13, 15 and 18m. We recommend using the 9m for example in 18 up to 25 knots. HOW HAS IT EVOLVED FROM THE PREVIOUS MODEL? We have revamped the bridle line system and integrated pulleys, which has led to better bar feedback and an improved relaunch. On top of that we have…

WHAT STYLE OF RIDING ARE YOU PITCHING THE POCKET AND POCKET CARBON FOR? The POCKET and POCKET Carbon have been designed for riders looking for an easy and maneuverable foil board. Through the use of compact outlines, we have developed a complete range of boards with minimum length for maximum fun. Both boards have beveled rails, a double concave, and a foiling specific outline with the widest point well towards the front of the board. All these features make them easy and forgiving on the water. WHAT SIZES DO THEY COME IN? We offer a number of sizes so that every rider can find their ideal board. The POCKET is available in 120 x 46cm, 130 x 47cm and 145 x 50cm. All these come with a large deck pad…

CAN YOU GIVE US A SUMMARY OF YOUR NEW LINE UP? We have seven types of waist harnesses and five types of seat harnesses in our line-up. The Vapor is our hardback low profile waist harness and comes in three different versions – the Vapor with our patented pin release system, the Vapor Barloc, and the Pure Vapor female harness. The Vex is our low profile, 3D shaped, molded waist harness with pre-curve and high load optimized outline, and a comfortable neoprene inside with EVA molded pillow. Our Hawk harness with its high back support and low side support outline allows maximum movability without losing back support during your wave or freestyle session. Then we have the Vector, which, with its medium back support height, allows more flexibility during extreme…

At the end of December 2020 I signed a new two-year contract with Duotone Kiteboarding and thus started the nineteenth consecutive season with my main sponsor. Even in my wildest dreams, I would not have dared dream of such a long time as a pro kiter. This year I had big plans: a new film project, various photo shoots, and several strike missions around Western Australia… The summer in WA, where I’ve been living for 13 years, is relatively short, and January to late March is the only time with a reliable sea breeze. Thus, I had no time to lose. Due to the Covid pandemic, Australia’s borders are closed until further notice, so a kite trip abroad was out of the question. Several local photographers and film people were…

RIDER OSWALD SMITH PHOTO VINCENT SCHAAP LOCATION PORTUGAL OS: This session was completely unexpected. We were driving past a little cove on the Portuguese coastline and saw this wind line on the horizon. It was already past sunset, but you know how it goes – when it’s on, it’s on! I rode into the dusk whilst Ydwer bobbed around with his camera between the surf and Vincent stood on the beach. We were blessed with this golden ray of light, and looking back at it now, this gives me a feeling of gratitude. Take me back! RIDER RODERICK PIJLS PHOTO REIN RIJKE LOCATION DROWNED LAND OF SAEFTINGHE, THE NETHERLANDS RR: Together with pro kiter Roderick, I am working on a photo project called The Last Line – we have made…

It’s probably true to say that most kiters will have an injury at some point on their kiting journey even if it’s just damage to their ego. But Julien Leleu could probably feature high on the top ten list for ‘most critical accidents’. Two years ago he suffered a horrific back injury that put him out of action for eight months. He is now back fighting fit and ready to take on Big Air competitions and filming projects. TELL US ABOUT YOUR KITING CAREER. HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT AND WHAT WAS YOUR COMPETITION HISTORY? I started kiting when I was 12, thanks to my dad who has been kiting since the sport was born. But I really got into it at the age of 16 when I stopped…

"This year Cape Town was so chilled I absolutely loved it. There were no crowds, which meant plenty of waves to catch – this will probably never happen again!" Jalou: I did not expect to be heading to Cape Town at all this year, but then the South African government announced in February that beaches were reopening, and I heard that KLM was offering direct flights. So it was a no brainer and a perfect time to escape Europe. This year Cape Town was so chilled I absolutely loved it. There were no crowds, which meant plenty of waves to catch – this will probably never happen again! I’m already mentally preparing for a hectic busy Cape Town season in 2022. I needed to get some shots of myself on…

The Dutch autumn had begun which meant the wind was becoming less reliable and the temperature was dropping every day. Sessions without gloves became something from the past, and all I wanted was to travel to the kiting mecca of Cape Town again. At that time South Africa’s Covid-19 cases were very low and the country had re-opened their boarders to European travelers. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect and I was pumped to finally board a plane again. The first few weeks were epic with strong wind, great waves, and hardly any kiters out on the water. To make the trip even more exciting, the Red Bull King of the Air contest was confirmed to run and it was my first time being selected to compete in the…

This sequence was taken during the GKA Freestyle competition in Ilha do Guajiru, Brazil in November 2020. It is one of my favorite tricks for how natural the rotation feels. The S-Bend Pass is a frontroll with an air pass and is the next step once you learn how to land it to blind. I always perform it during competitions and sometimes add another 180 degrees to the rotation to make it a full handle pass. STEP 1 Get some speed up, have the kite around 1 or 11 o’clock, and unhook, keeping the back straight and the arms as close as possible to your body. STEP 2 Make a strong pop to a high S-bend. The faster and higher you go, the better you will perform it! You want…

YOUR CURRENT BOARD RANGE LOOKS THE BUSINESS. WHAT SORT OF RIDING STYLE IS EACH TWINTIP DESIGNED FOR? Thanks, we are really happy with the line-up! We have done our best to develop a range of boards in which every kiter can find a board to their liking. We have the Blackhawk and Hawk for freeride riding, and the Youri Pro and Pro X for freestyle, while for all-round riding, both freeride and freestyle, we have the Dimension, Dimension Valkyrie, the women’s Riptide and the Discovery. Then the Condor is aimed for light wind riding and finally we have the Blast for kids. HOW DO THE ‘ACTIVE BACKBONE’ AND ‘TORQUE EQUALIZER’ BENEFIT THE BOARDS? These two combined result in a stiffer middle section of the board while maintaining flex in the…

WHO IS THE TYPICAL RS RIDER, AND WHAT CHARACTERISTICS HAVE MADE IT SO APPEALING TO A WIDE MARKET SECTOR? The typical RS rider is the modern freerider who demands performance in all conditions. The RS satisfies all their needs! The kite is highly versatile and is designed to boost massive airs, master any spot, and tame any storm. We focused on a very stable construction with a great low end. Most RS riders are content with a quiver of just two kites to cover the entire wind range. The RS delivers an intense feeling of fun and is very easy to use, which for us is the essence of a good freeride kite. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE NEW RS OVER THE PREVIOUS GENERATIONS? Our key slogan has been…

ALL WATER SHOTS CREATED WITH LIQUID EYE WATER HOUSING SYSTEM Sometimes you are just chosen. As a sports journalist and photographer, you aspire to find your voice, and when I least expected it, I found it. I started as many do, as an athlete – you know the guy – the local pro wins some contest, gets free gear and a little money, but never makes the big time. It was the late 1980s and early 90s, and I was a pro bodyboarder, of all things. It gave me a chance to challenge the ocean and myself at some of the heaviest spots in the world. This laid the foundation and honed my abilities to swim a camera in heavy surf at close proximity to world-class athletes, as I already…

As with all sports, aspiring youth grow into amateurs who strive to attain the prestige of professionalism. Out of the already select few talents who have worked to attain their role as a representative of the sport, there are only a handful of athletes who influence the direction of progression, defining the highest standard of their sport for as long as they can sustain against the inevitable surge of youthful evolution that is building in their rearview mirror. Often, those who sustain their pinnacle status and give a new direction to their sport make a distinct imprint on the industry, carving out their own tracks before perhaps attaining ‘legendary’ status! The true originators of park riding – Andre Phillip, Jason Slezak, and more – curated the foundation for the second…

La Ventana has always had a special place in my heart. It was the destination of my very first kite trip and many more for years to follow during school breaks. When I became more flexible after finishing University, Wi-Fi was less essential and I could be away for longer stretches. As a result, I began to explore more remote locations across the world, leaving La Ventana behind. However, with the world’s current state, I found myself in a situation where La Ventana was one of the only viable options for travel this winter. This time I was traveling to La Ventana far more prepared than past trips. I brought a quiver for Big Air, foiling, winging, and of course my go-to freestyle and park setup. With all these toys…

This is one of the most technical types of slider hits out there. If you are new to jib trick names, Pretzel basically means rewind or change the direction you are spinning. The best way to prepare to learn this trick is to master Frontside Boardslide 270s and Backside Boardslide Pretzel 270s separately. I will admit this isn’t the most stylish example of this trick, but it was taken during the final at the Patagonia Hood Jam, so I was a bit more focused on just pulling it off since you only have three tries to get a score. The hardest part is popping into the gap 180 with your back turned, and landing the back board on target enough to make the rest of the slider. This setup also…

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW QUICK-RELEASE. WHAT IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND ITS DESIGN? Our goal with the new quick-release system was to make it safer, more compact, and more convenient. The inspiration was taken from standard quick-release air hose connectors, which are super easy to connect and disconnect. The new collar is ergonomically designed to make accidental release nearly impossible, and the longer stroke makes release more ‘intentional’. The overall length is greatly reduced from old designs – this was a common request from riders. The simple ‘click-in’ engagement makes it easy to re-assemble after release, even in the water. It is very intuitive, like a seat belt. YOU’RE OFFERING VARIOUS CHICKEN LOOP OPTIONS WITH THE TORQUE 2 RIGHT? Yes, the Micro loop is for everyone who doesn’t ride…