Innholdsfortegnelse for #47 i TheKiteMag

The reward

With any sport which is dependent on the weather the fact is, to coin a phrase: “if you don’t go, you won’t know…” How many times have you headed to the beach on a 50/50 forecast and ended up scoring? (And how many times have you got skunked and had the rest of your day ruined? Okay… but let’s focus on the positives here people…) That goes for me too – you spend an hour frantically clicking between tabs checking the wind and staring at webcams, and then realize you had might as well have just gone to the beach… Things have got a little easier recently because, as with the rest of the planet, I’ve been doing more (whisper it) winging over the last few months. Mainly as the…

The reward

ON THE LIST ON THE LIST Pallas, Finland

ON THE LIST ON THE LIST Pallas, Finland

Pallas is in a national park in Lapland, Finland, north of the Arctic Circle. In my opinion it is one of the finest snowkite spots in the world. You will find yourself surrounded by low-level rounded mountains, shaped as if they were designed especially for snowkiting. The playground is located mainly above tree level, so you can kite from one mountain to the next without having to land your kite. With favorable winds you can tour nine nearby mountain tops without stopping and even further if you’re willing to hike through a small strip of forest, which opens up 40 more kilometers of kite-able natural reserve. The vast open mountain terrain offers variety for kiters of all levels. Beginners can take their first steps into the sport on the flat…

LOVE LETTERS TO KITEBOARDING

10 Th ings You Didn't Know A bout Tom Bridge Colin had a break last issue; we thought this might give him time to propagate a literary spectacular, perhaps challenging our very comprehension of the sport as it exists. Instead, we’ve ended up with a slightly dribbly list, which reeks of over intimacy with Exmouth’s enigmatic, but on paper, fourth favorite son. Tom probably doesn’t approve or isn’t even aware of this little exposé, but we’re banking on him not adhering to traditional forms of media, and being too busy at the skatepark to sue us for defamation. We therefore indulge Colin to paint a deeper picture (I daresay almost a life drawing) of the be-helmeted freestyle crusader. 1. HIM AND HIS KITE ARE MATES. Usually, if you go for…

LOVE LETTERS TO KITEBOARDING

MIKAILI SOL AND FABIO INGROSSO

MIKAILI SOL AND FABIO INGROSSO

MIKA, YOU’VE CONTINUED TO DOMINATE IN THE COMPETITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE PANDEMIC. WHAT HAS KEPT YOU MOTIVATED? Keeping yourself motivated might sound easy but that isn’t always the case. The Covid pandemic has caused shock waves through society and diminished the motivation in a lot of athletes due to the lack of competitions. What I’ve learnt is that a huge part of staying motivated is the constant urge to get better and be ready for competition resuming. Competition has always been a huge part of my life; I am naturally very competitive regardless of what I’m doing. My goals are changing as I get older, but one thing always stays the same – the drive and motivation to be better, and to inspire more…

ARCTIC MONKEYS

ARCTIC MONKEYS

ANNABEL: The week could be described as a never-ending adrenaline rush! Moving from one mind-blowing adventure to the next, it was a week that kept on giving. The main goal of course was snowkiting and the feeling of having your kite pull you through fresh powder was indescribable. The freedom is unlimited as you kite up mountains and fly back down. Somehow going upwind is much more efficient than on the water, so you can reach different mountains, valleys and natural kickers between the trees in an instant. We experienced all possible conditions. The week started with mellow cruising days on my 12m Reach, then we had a combination of lighter and stronger wind, and high and low visibility. As the local crew explained, there are three factors in perfect…

Threescore

Threescore

Welcome to Peniche, Portugal, the peninsula that always delivers good conditions when there are stars showing on the Windguru forecast. In the Portuguese winter season, the best spots for wave riders are Baleal, Supertubos and Consolação, right by Peniche. Baleal works with southerly wind, which generally arrives with low pressure and means bad weather. The Baleal bay is a huge U-shaped bay that actually works in most wind directions, but if you are after side-off sessions you must aim for southeast to southwest wind. The waves are easy and unless you make a long tack you will always be in a safe area if you drop your kite in the water. With northerly wind and strong swell, Portugal becomes epic because then Supertubos and Consolação work, and generally the northerly…

BIG THE PICTURE

CAN YOU SUMMARIZE WHO THE RS, XS AND WS KITES ARE AIMED AT? Eleveight kites are developed with a distinctive performance vision, which links to a specific target market for each product. The RS is an all-round powerhouse for limitless freeride performance. It is extremely versatile and ultra-stable in all conditions and is most suitable for freeriders wanting to perform across all disciplines. The Xtreme Series XS is a delta hybrid five-strut design for stability in serious Big Air boosts. It is more aimed for the extreme freerider wanting raw power, combined with a ton of explosive lift and some forward momentum that delivers the most powerful megaloops. Our Wave Series WS is our dedicated surf kite. The Open-C hybrid three-strut design has exceptionally swift pivotal turning characteristics that enable…

BIG THE PICTURE

TELL ME ABOUT IT CABRINHA SWITCHBLADE 02

HOW HAS THE SWITCHBLADE BEEN UPDATED AND WHO WILL WANT TO RIDE IT? The new 02 Switchblade has had a bridle re-work to liven up the bar pressure and feeling, and give the option to increase the turning speed. It’s such a versatile kite and these tweaks will really enhance its performance, whether you’re a beginner or a Big Air fanatic. It provides the perfect platform for a range of different riders to improve and push your boundaries, with faster steering and control for jumping. ANNELOUS, WHAT MAKES THE SWITCHBLADE STAND OUT FOR YOU? What really makes it stand out in my opinion is the perfect blend of being a high performance kite, but still really easy to use. This amazing characteristic will give you a lot of confidence throughout…

TELL ME ABOUT IT CABRINHA SWITCHBLADE 02

TELL ME ABOUT IT FLYSURFER RADICAL7

WHAT TYPE OF RIDER IS THE RADICAL AIMED FOR, AND HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE OTHER BOARDS IN YOUR RANGE? The RADICAL is our all-round performance twintip, made for anyone looking for accessible performance. Compared to the FLOW, the RADICAL7 jumps better and gives more control at high speed. It cushions hard landings and allows riders to regain control immediately, plus carving in the waves with the RADICAL is pure pleasure. The FLOW goes upwind better, planes a little earlier, and is more comfortable to ride. Compared to the TRIP, the RADICAL7 is more playful. Its lighter design and medium flex make the RADICAL more comfortable, and its flat bottom curve makes it easier to plane and go upwind. When it comes to packing size, the TRIP wins! HOW…

TELL ME ABOUT IT FLYSURFER RADICAL7

TESTED

Cabrinha Moto 2022 ALL-ROUNDER TEST Cabrinha’s Moto has always been a benchmark in versatility. The genre-spanning, three-strut jack-of-all-trades has always been a bit of a test team favorite, so we were eager to see what had been updated and improved for 2022. This year the Moto receives a series of tweaks and build revisions to extend its range, increase its durability and improve its tactile and fun nature. Build-wise, we’re looking at a very clean and rounded leading edge arc, which Cabrinha have coined Pure Arc Segments. This minimizes drag and increases the structural integrity of the Moto across its span. The canopy segmentation is also painstakingly cut and designed to smooth airflow, and there are some revised and intelligently placed lightweight reinforcements in high stress areas to keep the…

TESTED

THE LIST

Planning your next trip? Check our list of the very best travel providers on the planet, and get booking… SCHOOLS AND CENTERS 1 SURF AND KITE THEOLOGOS Theologos / Rhodos, Theologos 851 06, Greece info@surfandkitetheologos.com +30 694 345 1381 www.surfandkitetheologos.com 2 SURF CLUB KEROS Keros beach,Kaliopi, 81401, Limnos island, Greece bookings@surfclubkeros.com +30 6980776064 www.surfclubkeros.com 3 HANG LOOSE BEACH Via Pescee Anguille, 88048 Gizzeria Lido CZ, Italy lucahlb@gmail.com (+39) 3389511693 www.hangloosebeach.it 4 NOMAD KITESURF SCHOOL Corredor Mar de Cortez, La Ventana, B.C.S., Mexico info@nomadkitesurf.com +52 612 177 9097 www.nomadkitesurf.com 5 OCEAN VAGABOND LASSARGA Lassarga-73,000-Dakhla reservation.lassarga@oceanvagabond.com +212 6 71 01 03 01 www.oceanvagabond.com 6 DAKHLA SURF HOTELS 11 Avenue Al Moukawama info@dakhlasurfhotels.com (+34) 629 048 618 www.dakhlasurfhotels.com 7 OCEAN VAGABOND ESSAOUIRA Boulevard Mohamed VI-The beach-44,000 essaouira@ion-club.net +212 524 78 39 34 www.oceanvagabond.com…

THE LIST

FOCUS

FOCUS

RIDER ALBY RONDINA PHOTO JAMES BOULDING LOCATION COLOMBIA JB: For the first time in a few years due to Covid, we held a big Cabrinha dealers meeting, in Cartagena, Colombia. It was an amazing vibe to have our team and partners together in one place again… I was in the water shooting a fun wing slalom competition we had setup due to the very light wind, but the next minute I heard a whistle and Alby flew past my shoulder working a big kite. I snapped a quick few shots in the dying light. After sunset can be a magical but tricky scene to shoot, but I’m glad I pointed the camera towards Alby who always just flows so smooth regardless of the conditions. RIDER GIANMARIA COCCOLUTO PHOTO MARIANA RODRIGUEZ…

Appletree Surfboards Klokhouse and Klokhouse Noseless

Appletree Surfboards Klokhouse and Klokhouse Noseless

BOARD DIMENSIONS: 5’6 and 5’0 (Noseless) // RIDER WEIGHT: 60kg // RIDER HEIGHT: 174cm I have been riding the Appletree Klokhouse for two years now. It comes in two models – the standard Klokhouse and the Klokhouse Noseless. The Klokhouse has the pointy nose that we recognize on most classic surfboards and the Noseless version is shorter, with a stubbier and wider nose, but its shape for the rest of the board remains the same. The Noseless is the best option for small to medium waves in my opinion, while for overhead waves I go for my Klokhouse 5’6. Both versions have a squash tail and gently rounded outline, so feel lively. They have a generous rocker in the nose, flattening out in the tail, which makes the boards plane…

AIMING HIGH

AIMING HIGH

“It was my first time visiting, and I can conclude that I don’t like Colombia… I love Colombia!” I am known for being a freestyle rider and have been competing in freestyle for almost 10 years. But there are a lot of Big Air events coming up, so last year I started focusing on training Big Air as well and improving my talent in that discipline, and I’m really enjoying it. Last year was the first GKA Freestyle World Cup event in Tarifa, where I finished in fifth position. I’m so excited to go back again this year, because instead of being freestyle it will be a Big Air format. So while I am still training freestyle, I now need to focus on Big Air more and more. So it…

GKA FREESTYLE WORLD CUP COLOMBIA

GKA FREESTYLE WORLD CUP COLOMBIA

Salinas del Rey on the northern coast of Colombia made its debut as a stop on the GKA Kite World Tour, playing host for the first Freestyle event of the 2022 season. This new location really delivered and will surely grow as a potential kite-trip destination over the coming years. The winds built throughout each day and a relentless consistency of inshore kickers were attacked at full speed by the world-class riders, all hungry to make a positive start to their 2022 World Championship campaign. In total 22 men and six women, representing 10 countries competed at round one, including 2021 defending champions, Arthur Guillebert who claimed his first men’s title last year, and Mikaili Sol who made it four back-to-back crowns in 2021. However, from the start of this…

Hail Mary

Hail Mary

Four years ago, in Dakhla, I had a life-threatening accident while I was kiting. Luckily my mindset is really strong, so every day I spent recovering was one day closer to going big again, and my motivation was still there. My focus has always been on freestyle but recently, just for a change, I started to combine Big Air and freestyle. It is loads of fun and gives me a rewarding feeling. Last year, watching the Red Bull King of the Air competition gave me an even bigger impulse to keep doing it. Also, living in Tarifa with strong Levante wind most days helps me to train this discipline as much as I can; I’m learning the ropes very fast. Meanwhile I had the chance to join the Airush Kiteboarding…

THE Island

THE Island

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been to Greece, but I keep coming back for more. And I seem to arrive earlier every year. The 20th of March is a gamble since there is still snow on the mountains, and overnight temperatures drop to around 3 or 4 degrees Celsius. It feels like the normal Greek summer is still far away. A couple of days before my trip to Drepano, the forecast was starting to take shape, and it looked okay though nothing close to what it is usually in summer. I decided that if the forecast held we would do a road trip down south. Even after coming here for so many years I have never been to the southern Peloponnese region. We drew up a…

LIEUWE

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE ECOBOARD CERTIFICATION MEANS? An ECOBOARD is a high-performance, sustainable board with the same technical performance attributes as any modern watersport board, but with reduced environmental and toxic impacts, through the use of more sustainable manufacturing processes and materials sourced from responsible supply chains. The Gold Level is given to boards that have a measurably reduced carbon footprint, are made from renewable, recycled and/or up-cycled material inputs, and use materials and processes that reduce toxicity during manufacturing. WHAT DID YOU SPECIFICALLY HAVE TO DO TO GAIN CERTIFICATION? We have to use ECOBOARD ‘Qualified Materials’ in our board construction – firstly a core with at least 25% recycled or plant-based content, or wood constituting at least 50% of the board by weight, so with our boards it…

LIEUWE

TELL ME ABOUT IT CORE NEXUS 3

WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FOR THE THIRD VERSION? This year, we’ve taken things even further by implementing a lighter, stiffer and vastly strengthened leading edge material into the Nexus 3 design. And we’ve done it with the development of a proven material at very little additional expense for the customer. Combined with our highly refined CoreTex 2 canopy cloth (previously seen on the XR7, Section 4 and XLITE 2), we’ve accelerated the development of lightweight performance and dynamic handling, as well as improving the core strength of the Nexus 3. IS AN ALL-ROUNDER KITE MORE COMPLEX TO DESIGN AND BALANCE THAN A DISCIPLINE-FOCUSED MODEL? Yes definitely. With any discipline-focused model, like our Section for pure wave performance, the XLITE for foiling, or the Impact for wakestyle, our kite…

TELL ME ABOUT IT CORE NEXUS 3

TELL ME ABOUT IT ARMSTRONG CF FOIL RANGE

CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE CF STANDS FOR AND WHO THESE FOILS ARE PITCHED AT? Carving Freeride. These foils are all about stability and ease of use, increasing comfort while retaining our unique feeling of freedom through turns. The two smaller sizes are a delight to carve and freeride for all kite foilers. The V2 CF Foils are especially amazing for anyone in their first year of foiling with confidence-inspiring stability. For more experienced riders the CF950 makes you push your progression confidently in critical situations. WHO WAS INVOLVED IN TESTING AND DEVELOPING THE CF RANGE? HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT TESTING THE FOILS WITH COMPLETE NOVICES? Myself and Rob Whittall develop all our foils with a diverse team of foil, CAD and CFD experts developing and fine-tuning key…

TELL ME ABOUT IT ARMSTRONG CF FOIL RANGE

Jesse Richman TANGLED LINES LEGENDS

Jesse Richman TANGLED LINES LEGENDS

KEAHI DE ABOITIZ In my opinion, you’re one of the best multi-discipline riders in the sport which always makes it fun to watch whatever you’ve been up to. Do you feel like you have a favorite discipline and has that changed over the years? Thanks buddy! Over the years, my excitement in kiting has evolved; I love finding fear and feeling progression. I encounter fear when the elements are wild, usually with Big Air or big waves. We can all feel the energy shift when the wind rips and the waves are pumping; it’s so palpable that the risk has just gone way up. The only way to responsibly ride in these elements is to be hyper-focused. I can’t say that I prefer a particular style over another; it’s the…

KITE BEACH CAPE TOWN

KITE BEACH CAPE TOWN

MY BEACH WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR FIRST SESSIONS? I first heard about kiting from my Dad when he started doing it. After that I was super keen to try it and learn a new sport. So about two weeks later I went for my first lesson and have been hooked since that day. What I remember most from when I started was getting smashed by the big shore break in Durban! WHO ELSE DID YOU RIDE WITH? Mostly my dad because when I started in Durban there was no one my age kiting. Now I have a few mates that I always kite with and we are always pushing each other to send it higher and harder. I also end up kiting with pros like Ross-Dillon Player who…

FOLLOW THE WIND

Not long before writing this, I came back from three months staying in the Mother City, Cape Town. While back in my hometown, I enjoyed catching up with family and friends. But as the days passed, the temperature, and more crucially, the lack of wind got to the point where I started becoming a bit anxious. Every day I checked the forecast in Holland, but day after day I saw that the wind reached no further than the Mediterranean Sea. The deadline of the video entries for the Redbull Megaloop got closer and closer. I still needed some big clips and I also needed to train for the Lords of Tram in France, the first stop of the Big Air Kite League world tour. One day I became so anxious…

FOLLOW THE WIND

STUFF we like the look of

1 // CORE Nexus LW The new Nexus 3 LW in sizes 15 and 17m is specifically optimized to perform in light winds. Its new material mix of an ExoTex Light frame and CoreTex 2 in the canopy not only make it stronger and more robust, it also feels lighter and more agile. The wingtip geometry is also perfectly tuned to sync with the dynamics of the larger three-strut frame sizes, so you can get out in the lightest of breezes… 2 // Duotone Evo The most user-friendly all-rounder in the Duotone line up, the Evo is perfect for freeride, hooked freestyle and playing in waves. Beginners will enjoy the forgiving easy-to-use nature, while more advanced riders will enjoy the enormous hooked boosting capabilities. Now featuring exclusive TRINITY TX 3x2…

STUFF we like the look of

TAXI

TAXI

Cape Town has a special place in my heart – it’s my home away from home. When winter in Europe starts, I always try to get out of there as soon as I can as I know that is when Cape Town is at its absolute best with warm weather, strong winds, lovely people and countless activities to do. There is wind nearly every day, maybe not in the same place, but if you have a car and are willing to drive then you can basically kite every day. With so much coastline and remote spots to kite it is a unique place. I have been visiting for quite some years now and know quite a few spots around the Cape but there are always more places and little gems…

Getting barreled

Getting barreled surfing is one thing, but kiting definitely opens up a new can of worms that makes things a little trickier. It is something that can be learned, but if you have any surf experience getting barreled, that will really help with some of the board technique. There are definitely some positives but also added danger and techniques that are always worth thinking about. Although this might not be for everyone, I wanted to put down a few words and techniques for those looking to push it a little harder in the waves and achieve that next step! First things first, it’s all about finding the right kind of wave for it. It doesn’t have to be specifically these conditions, but finding a nice side offshore wave, preferably a…

Getting barreled

AIRUSH HO’OKIPA FABRIC

AIRUSH HO’OKIPA FABRIC

SO, A PIONEERING NEW FABRIC ON THE MARKET! GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF IT. Developed in partnership with Challenge Sailcloth, the Ho’okipa Ultra PE leading edge and strut composite material is 25% lighter and 10x stronger than traditional fabrics. As a base material, Ultra PE is up to 32x stronger compared directly to polyester, with the Ultra PE fiber being 15x stronger than steel at the same weight and 2x lighter than carbon fiber. Ultra PE fiber is so light that it floats on water. Once integrated into Ho’okipa’s unique woven structure, a high amount of material in the composite is structural, allowing us to optimize all areas of the construction. AND WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL BENEFITS? The biggest combined benefit of using Ho’okipa is the ability to run high…

TELL ME ABOUT IT SLINGSHOT UFO V2

HOW DID YOU REACT TO THE UFO V1 WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT? The SST used to be my bread and butter, and did everything I thought I wanted while foiling. If you’d asked me in 2019 whether I would ever ride another kite for foiling, I would have looked at you and laughed. This was until I rode the first UFO prototype in early 2020 and since then I have not foiled with anything else. Don’t get me wrong, the SST is still great for foiling, but the UFO is on a whole other level. It has more lift so helps with my tricks… like the Around the World trick [Ed: which you saw in the Focus section]. HOW ELSE HAS IT HELPED YOU BECOME THE FOILING WIZARD THAT…

TELL ME ABOUT IT SLINGSHOT UFO V2

TELL ME ABOUT IT RRD FREERIDE RANGE

WHAT KIND OF RIDER WILL WANT TO USE THE NEW VISION AND PASSION? Both kites are part of our freeride program. The Vision Y27 provides a versatile, easy-to-use, responsive, and predictable kite that will allow an effortless progression in all disciplines. The overall turning speed and movement throughout the window identify this kite as a fast yet respectful machine, able to lead you to the apex of your progression, whether in freestyle, wave, simply stylish freeride or foil riding. The direct feel on the bar together with its consistent power and stability will make you feel totally in control and linked to the kite in no time. The Vision is recommended for those who want to tackle their first rides, jumps and spinning in full comfort with the right bar…

TELL ME ABOUT IT RRD FREERIDE RANGE

THE COMMITTED

THE COMMITTED

Tell us about your early days of kiting. I started kiting 20 years ago, the plan being to have a sport to do during the summer, as I loved snowboarding at the time. But it didn’t go to plan and I’ve ended up kiting all year round! Equipment was very different back then – I used a directional sort of windsurf board, which I think I still have somewhere. And we had two-line kites with no depower or quick-release. We used to be just two guys on the water. When I look back, I always remember feeling invincible if we managed to come out of the water after a session incident-free. It is crazy to think about how much the equipment has evolved from that time and how much safer…