Innehållsförteckning för #56 från TheKiteMag

Angely Bouillot TANGLED LINES LEGENDS

LORENZO CASATI When did you start kiting? During summer vacations I used to go windsurfing with my family. Then when I was 15, my windsurf instructor suggested we try this new sport, kitesurfing… and from then on I would do this sport, but only occasionally for the next 10 years. KARLIE THOMA What inspired you to start kiting? I didn’t know anything about kitesurfing, it was just my windsurfing teacher who introduced me to the sport. What inspired me was discovering something new. XAVIER KAIN Was there a specific event or decision in your career that you consider a turning point, significantly shaping the trajectory of your kiting journey? The decision that put me on the map was my desire to take part in the King of the Air and…

Langebaan

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST RECOLLECTIONS OF THE BEACH? I was one year old when I moved to Langebaan. We spent a lot of time on the beach, fishing, building sandcastles, and taking long beach walks. It was always a happy place for my family. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR FIRST SESSIONS? The first time I flew a kite was when I was six years old. It was a trainer kite which I flew on a soccer field that was close to my house. A few years on we moved nearer to the beach, where I carried on flying the training kite. This then led to kite lessons around the age of 12. These were awesome and I remember my first transition so clearly, I was so stoked to get…

RENDEZVOUS AT SUNSET

We embarked on a team trip to Egypt in February, eager to capture stunning visuals of our new kite foil board range against the backdrop of the Red Sea. Our designers have been working hard on improving the range, placing emphasis on enhancing the riding experience with greater control, improved forgiveness upon touchdown or landing, and heightened maneuverability at higher speeds. This achievement is realized through meticulous refinements, such as the redesign of the beveled rails and the incorporation of a double concave bottom shape towards the nose, alongside an optimized scoop rocker line. Moreover, the new construction method utilizes a cutting-edge 50K waterproof foam core combined with a 100% carbon fiber build, resulting in boards that are exceptionally stiff and strong but also remarkably lightweight. Hence, we were eager…

2 min

Under CABRINHA The Hood

Let’s start from the beginning… Pete Cabrinha was one of the pioneers of kiting on Maui and was early to start designing kites. How did his skillset fit with running a kite brand in its infant stages? Pete is a visionary, he thinks outside the box and brought so many key skills to running a successful brand. A world champion windsurfer and XXL winning Big Wave Surfer, he was and still is a true waterman and icon in the water sports world. Maui has always been an experimental place on the water, it’s seen so many whacky ideas as well as concepts and athletes that have changed industries. Pete’s motto was always to ‘Stay Curious’ and this translated to lots of industry-defining products over the years including the Crossbow, Switchblade…

STUFF

1 // Cabrinha Nitro The Nitro is the biggest boosting kite in Cabrinha’s range, and their first kite featuring the strong, stable and responsive Ultra HT material in the leading edge. The Featherlite bladders mean an overall lighter and more aerodynamic structure, and this second edition has refined profiles to help maintain canopy support during extreme tricks, and the new, thinner, seven-point Apex bridle gives riders the support, confidence and feedback they need for stratospheric airtime. 2 // Naish Motion and Alana Nvision The Motion Nvision from Naish is their ultimate all-around freeride twintip, crafted with the utmost precision and combining cutting-edge technology and hightech materials - 3K Carbon Construction with a hybrid foam/wood core - to deliver unparalleled performance while remaining lightweight and responsive. Also check out the Alana…

Saved the Day

This year marked the second edition of a project close to my heart: Kite Park League Patagonia. It all began last year with the dream of hosting a KPL event in Argentina, set against one of the most breathtaking backdrops on the planet – a project that remains ambitious, but our passion eclipses any setbacks. Organizing a park event is no joke – just as a base layer you need to consider things such as wind and rails, riders, media coverage, judges, insurance, permits and sponsors, but on top of that, add the idea of hosting the event at a remote island in a lake in Patagonia. For those unfamiliar with our last edition, the location was Isla de la Guarda in Villa La Angostura, nestled within one of Argentina’s…

6 min

Warming up before kiting

The purpose of warming up before physical activity is to prepare mentally and physically for your activity. Warming up increases your heart rate and therefore your blood flow. This enables more oxygen to reach your muscles. A warmup also activates and primes the connections between your nerves and muscles, which improves the efficiency of movement. Additionally, your flexibility should be increased by dynamic stretching. Preparing your joints and nerves for exercise can prevent injuries and improve your performance. This is a selection of a few exercises I do before every kite session. No matter what your discipline or level in the water, you should get your body ready for kiting action. I perform each exercise 10 times or for 30 seconds. 1. STANDING CROSSOVER TOE TOUCHES – to warm up…

TELL ME ABOUT IT ELEVEIGHT RS V8

ARE YOU STILL AIMING THE RS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF RIDERS AND DISCIPLINES? Yes indeed, the evolution continues and we are in the eighth year of the development cycle for our Crossover Series most commonly abbreviated to the RS. Over the years we’ve developed many incremental changes, but the core DNA performance of the RS remains the same. It’s our all-round performance freerider that’s very versatile, with a huge wind range, used in all disciplines and for all riding levels. TALK US THROUGH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CHANGES IN THE NEW VERSION, AND THE PERFORMANCE BENEFITS RIDERS WILL FEEL THANKS TO THESE CHANGES. Version 8 has some modifications in the front bridle attachments. We still use our five-point bridle without the pulley, but we shifted the bridle slightly towards…

Kite for the Ocean

Kitesurfing is a water sport that relies entirely on natural conditions for its practice. Therefore, environmental concern is intrinsic to kitesurfers; it is ingrained in the soul of every kiter to care for their sailing locations. So I when I found out about the Kite for the Ocean (K4TO) initiative, I jumped at the chance to get involved… Last year, I chose the Kauli Seadi Beach Hotel, conveniently located beside a kite center, for a brief getaway with my daughter and husband. Kauli Seadi, three-time world windsurf wave champion, 11-time Brazilian windsurf champion, Brazilian SUP champion and Brazilian wingfoil champion, together with Nana Seadi, a captivating, versatile and skilled kitesurfer, entrepreneur and the nurturing mother of Keala, constitute the Seadi family, breathing life into the world of wind sports. Their…

Feel the Power

As you most likely know, aside from being the #1 kiteboarding print publication on the planet, we also deliver a similarly well-regarded publication covering more ‘above the water’ pursuits, Foiling Magazine. With the insights from our sister publication, I can confidently report that there is much hype right now in the world of our fiendishly sharp-fronted friends, and it doesn’t concern HA or MA foils, or the latest wing evolution, or even how much $ they have just put on credit to keep their gear up to date… No, the buzz is about the world of ASSIST. If you’re devoid of knowledge in this department, then this entails attaching a motor to the top of your foil mast, thus enabling you to power yourself up onto the foil rather than…

2 min

ON THE LIST Büsum GERMANY

If you look at a map online of Perlebucht, Büsum you will see two big lagoons by the sea, and when you hear that this is a kite spot, your heart will probably already start jumping. Be warned however, only one of the lagoons, the northerly one, allows wind sports such as kite-surfing, windsurfing and wingfoiling. The other one is for swimmers only, and during the summer season there is even a kind of bathing platform in the middle, perfect for your non-kiting friends and family. The best wind directions are westerly and southerly directions. In northerly and easterly directions the wind comes over a high dike, which makes the wind pretty much unrideable, at least for kiting. The southwesterly wind is nice and steady, and blows offshore from a…

LOVE LETTERS TO KITEBOARDING

The premise of the Road to Megaloop video series is simple – take one seasoned pro, in the form of Cohan van Dijk, and give them one hopeless kitesurfer (me, Steezy Pete, long-standing compadre of Colin Colin Carroll) to coach, coax and cajole into pulling a megaloop, the most distinctive trick in the sport and the one every new kiter has dreamed of landing for the last 20 years. If I pulled it off, Colin, orchestrator and villain of the project, would be getting hanked, à la Nick Jacobsen in Hidden Lines, by Nick himself. If I failed, it wasn’t only my hair (and dignity) on the line, but Cohan’s as well. No pressure then… 12TH NOVEMBER Dear Diary, My first Cape Town session was not a confidence-inspiring experience. It…

9 min

CHASING SUNRAYS

Norway hit a lot of cold weather records this winter so a break away was very much welcomed. The anticipation was palpable as we gathered our bags, our destination beckoning with the promise of sun-soaked days and balmy nights. Our winter coats and scarves were exchanged for swimsuits and the lightest of beachwear. As we boarded the plane, I could almost feel the chill dissipating, leaving behind a winter wonderland draped in frost and trading it for the vibrant colors of the Egyptian landscape. A week onboard a yacht and crystal-clear water awaited. Our goal was simple – to soak up every bit of warmth that Egypt has to offer, to enjoy some kiting, SUPing and wingfoiling, and to try and find and hopefully swim with dolphins. However, our journey…

RED BULL KING OF THE AIR 2023

There is no bigger event in kiteboarding every year than Red Bull King of the Air (KOTA), and somehow, this year, it felt even larger than life. The event played out over two days nearly a week apart to secure the very best wind for the 18 world-class competitors. The conditions, as they often are on Kite Beach, were challenging, with uncooperative wind and messy kickers at times. Miraculously, the Cape Doctor delivered for the final heat with gusts nearing 30 knots and perfectly timed ramps for an epic battle. While last year was a massive change-up with all newcomers on the podium, this year solidified the younger generation’s place as the best in Big Air with unparalleled talent, daring athleticism, and a complete disregard for gravity. Andrea Principi clinched…

GOING Nowhere

Patagonia is one of those idealized locations that most people know very little about. Most of you probably think about the clothing brand when the name comes into conversation. While Yvon Chouinard and crew have done a dashing job at showcasing the nature and untouched beauty of this wonder of the world, that is not all there is to it. In the middle of the southern South America continent, at the foot of the Andes mountains, lies an area so high above sea level that it is better known as an alpine destination with fantastic ski and snowboarding conditions during the winter months. With the help of some locals, we learned about the possibility of kiting here during the spring, and we went to investigate for ourselves. Traveling to an…

12 min

IMPROMPTU PLANS

While driving through Miami recently, I hit up Chris Bobryk to see if he wanted to do a photoshoot while I was in town. He owns Efoil Miami and said he actually needed some content for his products, so the timing was perfect. eFoiling is a great way to deal with windless days, but after shooting over a couple of those, we were getting anxious to kite. The forecast was looking good in the Keys, so without a concrete plan, we decided to go down there to Horseshoe and see what we could come up with. Chris called all the local gurus, one of them being Matt Sexton. Matt suggested two spots that he thought would be great for the forecast wind direction. One of those spots happened to be…

FOCUS

RIDER JASON VAN DER SPUY PHOTO CRAIG KOLESKY LOCATION ROOI-ELS, CAPE JS: This was one of those rare summer days that provided a nuking northwesterly storm. Rooi-Els is not a very known spot, but it’s one of the best and gnarliest spots in that wind direction. It was one of those 35-knot days and it was only Aaron, Lewis, Ruben and myself there with Craig behind the camera. We were all shooting in the ocean and when the high tide came in, I saw the opportunity to kite the tiny and shallow lagoon. It was sketchy, but so worth the shot! RIDER GIANMARIA COCCOLUTTO PHOTO AXEL REESE LOCATION TAIBA, BRAZIL GC: After two months of training hard in Taiba lagoon for the GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup it was time…

NAISH TRIAD

RIDER WEIGHT: 80kg // RIDER HEIGHT: 175cm Ewan Jaspan is no stranger to the podium at park and freestyle events, but is now getting into wave riding more, and as Kite Designer for Naish he has been fully involved in updating the latest Triad with this in mind… Since becoming Kite Designer for Naish and spending a lot more time on Maui, it’s a rite of passage to start riding more waves. It isn’t really the location for freestyle and park unfortunately. Every now and then I do get a freestyle session, but the conditions really need to align. I learnt to surf during the Covid lockdown period in Australia, so that has also sparked my interest more in wave riding. I really love it now, and want to explore…

Driven by the Wind

scan to watch Ever since I can remember, the ocean has captivated me. I feel a connection with it, whether it’s blowing 50 knots, is a calm foil day, or I’m simply going spearfishing. When my parents decided to relocate from France to Greece when I was 11, it felt like the biggest gift I could have. Settling into our new life on the picturesque west coast of Greece, my passion for kitesurfing deepened. Later, I knew that I needed to spend more time at one of the windiest places in Greece, Mykonos, also called “The Island of Wind”. From May to October, the Meltemi winds sweep down from northern Greece, passing through the Cyclades Islands and as far as Rhodes. Mykonos is situated right in the middle of that…

THE CREATORS. HUGH PINFOLD

HI HUGH, THANKS FOR CHATTING TO US! HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO KITING? I had been following the winters between New Zealand and USA snowboarding when a mate from engineering school came back from a trip to New Caledonia where he’d got into kiting. His sales pitch to me was how would you like to jump six times higher than you ever have in snowboarding big air, then land softly in the water. Before long we were planning a trip to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands for him to teach me to kite. Upon return, I bought my own Naish Aero 10m kite but didn’t have the finances to buy a board. My local kite store told me that we had an innovative kiteboard manufacturing company here in Christchurch,…

GKA KITE-SURF WORLD CUP CAPE VERDE

The season opener of the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour kicked off with the Kite-Surf discipline. The tour was once again back in the mythic break of Ponta Preta, on Cape Verde’s Sal island. The 2023 Kite-Surf world champions – the Cape Verde-based Italian Airton Cozzolino and the US’s Moona Whyte – were among the 24 men and 12 women from 12 nations eager to fight for glory in the perfect, peeling right-handers. Ponta Preta delivered some of the best conditions seen in competition, a two-meter swell that generated double and triple head-high faces and steady cross-offshore breezes. On day three of the competition the promised swells really kicked in. The men’s competition hit its stride among the pulsing sets. Brazil’s Sebastian Ribeiro set the bar high when he…

Strap in

Carl I’ve been riding strapless for over 10 years, and just recently I started trying out a bit of strapped-in riding. I’ve been getting a lot of mixed responses from people about this, mostly negative… Why is that? I think most kitesurfers are led to believe that riding strapless is ‘cool’ while riding with straps is ‘uncool’. And I must confess that’s something I also thought for a while, that strapped-in riding was more for the older generation. However, I think the strapped-in movement is coming back from the early days of kiting and it’s really cool. I threw my straps on for the first time in years, and was busting tricks that took me years to learn strapless! It gave me a limitless feeling of what was possible on…

A CLOSER LOOK

As Noè and I sipped on yerba mate while driving to the airport after a two-week stint in the Patagonia mountain range of Argentina, we chatted about a variety of different subjects, interests, inclinations and aspirations, all which snowballed into greater concepts or would wormhole into more niche perspectives. Amidst this conversation, we touched upon the philosophical ideology that, as humans, we have the privilege of experiencing pleasure. While pleasure can be defined and materialize as an infinite array of subjective convictions, Noè and I often find ourselves aligning on factors that make us happy and positively influence our individuality. Without much forethought or consideration, we agreed that the ability to experience, share and influence emotions are what makes our existence and presence in time so special, and throughout the…

DUOTONE EVO AND NEO CONCEPT BLUE

HOW HAVE YOU BROUGHT THE CONCEPT BLUE IDEA ACROSS TO THE EVO AND NEO – HOW ARE THEY MORE SUSTAINABLE? Duotone has successfully incorporated the Concept Blue idea into the design and production of the Neo and Evo, making them more sustainable and the first kites ever to go in this direction. They are the first kites in the Duotone lineup to feature this Concept Blue technology. To ensure ecological responsibility and a more sustainable manufacturing process, the Neo and Evo are made from undyed fabrics. This process significantly reduces water usage and eliminates the need for additional coloring, even for a white kite. In addition, the Neo and Evo feature a bio-based bladder, which reduces the carbon footprint by 29% compared to traditional bladders. Furthermore, Duotone utilizes recycled plastic…