Table of contents for Issue #102 December 2019 - January 2020 in Kiteworld Magazine

When I was covering a GKA Kite World Tour event at Sotavento two years ago, I sat on the judges tower after everyone had left at the end of the day and watched Airton Cozzolino and Matchu Lopes tear a small shorebreak to bits. They were best of friends but biggest of rivals and the only competitors still out. I must have sat there for half an hour, mesmerised. After hours of competition it seemed they still had energy to burn. They both really do just love to ride. It’s a shame that session wasn’t streamed — watching two masters at play in a small wave slash-up and seeing how they were starting to mix strapless freestyle performance into the small waves in riding conditions that most of us face…

ANOC BEACH GAMES 2019 DOHA, QATAR: 12 - 16 OCTOBER The first World Beach Games, tipped as ‘The Olympics for Beach Sports’ took place in Doha, where 40 selected men and women used registered Formula Kite equipment to contest numerous close races over the course of the week. Despite the 40 degree air temperatures, German Florian Gruber and American Daniela Moroz took the foil racing golds. Gruber’s win was especially tight and his post-race back roll celebration, despite not quite sticking it, was well deserved after a gruelling podium race against Nico Parlier (2nd) and Guy Bridge (3rd). The racing was broadcast live all around the world with the sort of high level production that you would expect from full Olympic coverage, giving a flavour of what Paris 2024 will…

“HYBRID IS A WORD THAT IS PART OF THE KITESURFING STORY AND TODAY THE WORD IS STILL RELEVANT IN DESIGN. THE SPORT OF KITESURFING IS ACTUALLY A HYBRID OF MANY SPORTS WHICH HAVE COME TOGETHER IN A SPECTACULAR WAY.” PETE CABRINHA Pete Cabrinha, Laird Hamilton, Kai Lenny, Dave Kalama, Robby Naish, Paige Alms, Albee Layer, Dakine Hawaii, Cabrinha, Naish, Jaws, Honolulu Bay, Ho’okipa and Kite Beach... These are but a few of the internationally known names of athletes, brands and places that are synonymous with the island of Maui. What makes this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific play such a significant role in the wide world of surfing? Read on. MAUI ON THE MAP It’s no secret that Maui holds a mythical standing among high-level watersports athletes…

“I REALLY LIVE TO EXPLORE NEW TERRAIN IN THE MOUNTAINS; TO JUST FOCUS ON KITING / SKIING AND BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT. THERE ARE ALSO SO MANY ASPECTS TO THINK ABOUT TO OPTIMISE PERFORMANCE AND COMFORT WHEN YOU DO DISTANCES; IT’S NOT ABOUT A ONE DAY PERFORMANCE.” Although she also loves to kite in the water, Marie-Eve Mayrand chooses to live in Calgary in Canada because of the winter snowkite opportunities. She has managed to develop a flexible, remote-working lifestyle and frequently frees up time to visit the Canadian Rockies for more challenging snowkite terrain. Her sessions can often last all day because it might take a few hours to skin up to a launch spot, but she sees it all as part of the rewarding experience. Winning in 2016, Marie also…

This is one of the first moves I learned on a strapless board and it’s a trick that I still love to do. Getting this move cracked is also useful because you can then switch from heelside to toeside just before you hit a lip or when you want to find a new way to switch your feet before carving a gybe. Beyond that this move will also provide a good basis for all the grabbed tricks that you’ll go on to learn. • Start with the kite at 45 degrees and ride in with a good amount of speed. • Steer the kite up towards 11:30. • As the kite hits 11, carve a short and explosive edge in to the wind to generate tension in the lines. •…

AIRUSH Airush’s completely redesigned quick release IQR system allows for a singlehanded release and easy reset. Click in and go: Airush have kept it simple on the outside but what lies within is a complex engineering design that enables the release to know when it is and isn’t engaged. They have also improved the swivel and, for those that unhook, the suicide mode has been drastically improved so that the leash sits out of the way of the chicken loop. Hook back in and ride away… www.airush.com CRAZYFLY CrazyFly’s answer to the dreaded last minute packing problems comes in the form of the handy and compact ‘Backpack Lite’. Designed for everyday travel, it’ll play host to your laptop, travel documents, sunnies (in the special microfiber compartment) and everything small-but-heavy that…

KING OF THE AIR 2020 VIDEO ENTRY NEWS This is a busy time of year for the guys at RedBull ZA - sifting through the copious 2020 KOTA video entries to determine which 14 lucky riders will get a place in the qualifiers. These 14 riders will be accompanied by the four satellite competition winners, the last of which is about to take place in Taiwan, from 21-25th November. The change in competition format means that megaloop A-listers (including the likes of Aaron Hadlow and Marc Jacobs) will have to submit entry videos or win a satellite competition in order to just be able to queue up in the qualifier event like everyone else, which is a new innovation (and open to women) and will take place the week before…

“SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT; THE EXTREMELY BRIEF HISTORY OF SURFBOARDS UNDER A KITE. WE ALL STARTED STRAPPED AND A LARGE NUMBER OF RIDERS NOW SHUN THEM. THE BIG QUESTION IS WHY?” After last issue’s ‘Foil or Tube Kite’ commentary, I’m going to swiftly move on to another hot topic in kiteboarding – whether thou shalt ride waves strapped or strapless. It’s another question that seems to induce certain factions of the kiteboarding population into zealous over-excitement. This topic recently hit the limelight again after Kevin Langeree finished third at the Cape Hatteras Wave Classic event in the US... with (cue surprised gasps and horrified looks)... footstraps! Let’s start with a small history lesson and then we’ll refocus on the current nitty gritty. Since the beginning of kiteboarding riders have…

The rotor blades reverberated with a familiar ‘whop-whopwhop’ as the helicopter touched down on the dull, grey, frozen surface. Polar guide Carl Alvey bundled out with his two clients as snow crystals filled the air, blasted into a frenzy by the downdraft. After hauling equipment from the belly of the aircraft, they crouched next to their sledges as it manoeuvred upward, away from their drop point near Narsaq, the most accessible southerly point of the Greenland Ice Cap. The hulking sheet of ice smothers all but the fractured and mountainous coastline of the world’s largest island. Most of Greenland’s small population live along the western coastline, away from the barren interior which is largely the playground of curious adventurers. Less costly than the poles due to its greater accessibility, Carl…

If you’re looking for smooth, comfortable progression, you’ve found the right location. You’ve probably seen alluring action videos from many pro riders and teams that were shot here, but the TCI’s (Turks and Caicos Islands) are especially ideal for beginner to intermediate kiters who want the rush of kiting, without the fuss or danger. You’ll usually be riding your ten to 17 metre kites with your twin-tip, so this is usually bigger kite riding, but so many people enjoy that. The main spot is at Long Bay beach — a three mile long, soft white sand strip, lined with beautiful accommodation and water conditions that are suited to all levels of kiter. So, how does it work? Favourable kitesurfing conditions in the Turks and Caicos come from a combination of…

As with other extreme races, one of the hardest decisions to make for VAKE was choosing the right kites to pack. They add to the weight of the sled, so it’s important to choose strategically while staying light. This was difficult as I was so used to having all sizes of kite on hand. But ultimately this was a test of skills, navigation, teamwork and problem-solving. My teammate Frøydis Sjøvold and I are quite different weights so we decided to share kites and take different sizes between the two of us. I ride Ozone kites so had my 13 and 9m R1V3 race kites as well as a 4m Ozone Explore (single skin). Frøydis had a 15m Flysurfer race kite as well as an 8m Soul. We thought that kite…

SCHOOLS THE AMERICAS 1 ADVENTURE KITEBOARDING Muskego, Wisconsin sales@adventurekiteboarding.com +1 414-367-9283 www.adventurekiteboarding.com 2 KITTY HAWK KITES Cape Hatteras, NC kbschool@kittyhawk.com +1 252 987 2297 www.kittyhawk.com 3 HATTERAS ISLAND SURF & SAILING Waves, NC barton@hatterasislandsurfshop.com +1 252 987 2292 www.hatterasislandsurfshop.com 4 OUTER BANKS KITING Avon, NC jay@outerbankskiting.com +1 252-305-6839 www.outerbankskiting.com 5 GOOD BREEZE KITEBOARDING Cocoa Beach, Florida info@GoodBreezeKiteboarding.com +1 (321) 252-5483 goodbreezekiteboarding.com 6 MIAMI KITEBOARDING Miami, Florida info@miamikiteboarding.com +1 305 345 9974 www.miamikiteboarding.com 7 PROKITE SOUTH PADRE South Padre Island TX +1 541-490-6872 +1 855-774-5483 info@prokitesouthpadre.com www.prokitesouthpadre.com 8 EXOTIKITE KITEBOARDING SCHOOL Baja, Sur Mexico info@exotikite.com +521 624 165 2612 www.exotikite.com 9 VELA BAJA Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico info@velabaja.com +52 1 624 1379781 www.velabaja.com 10 COME KITE WITH US El Cuyo, Yucatan, Mexico info@comekitewithus.com +1 347 4072 588 www.comekitewithus.com 11 FORT MORGAN…

GKA KITE WORLD CUP MOROCCO CONFIRMS THE 2019 KITE-SURF CHAMPIONS DAKHLA, MOROCCO: 9 - 13 OCTOBER After the GKA Kite World Cup Morocco, Airton Cozzolino (CV) and Carla Herrera-Oria (ESP) were confirmed World Champions with one round still to go in Brazil (as we go to print). Their consistent domination throughout this year’s tour stops means they can ride freely at the GKA’s ultimate 2019 event, while the remaining competitors will battle it out for second and third places. This will be hotly contested, with James Carew and Mitu Monteiro excelling in the men’s, while Charlotte Carpentier, Johanna Catharina-Edin and more are all hungry to finish on the women’s end of season podium. MIKAILI SOL - WORLD CHAMPION FOR A THIRD TIME GKA FREESTYLE - DAKHLA, MOROCCO: 4 - 8…

“AS WE WALKED TOWARDS THE SEA I NOTICED THAT ALL THE KITERS HAD GATHERED IN A CERTAIN PLACE ON THE BEACH. MANY OF THEM WERE HELPING EACH OTHER GETTING THEIR KITES IN THE AIR. THAT SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS IN SPORT SEEMED SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME AND VERY UNIQUE!” Mees called me up one night in late July and asked if I could join him the following day as the weather was going to be perfect for shots. I picked him up after work and we drove from the city to the 2nd Maasvlakte, which is a familiar spot in the kitesurfing scene. Eleven years ago, the Maasvlakte area was nothing but sea. The Dutch have been experts in reclaiming land by dredging since the 1300s. Cities like Dubai and New…

“MY FAVOURITE COMPETITIONS HAVE STRONG WINDS AND IF THERE ARE BIG CROWDS ON THE BEACH THEN MY MIND GOES CRAZY. I JUST WANT TO DO THE SHOW, NOT TO SHOW OFF, BUT TO SHOW EVERYONE SOMETHING SPECIAL.” Born in 1994, Airton is now 25, but was just nine when he first held a kite. When an Italian guy who owned a kite school in Cape Verde came into his life in 2004, Airton’s future pathway opportunities changed. Libero saw a kid rich with talent and energy but poor in opportunities. I can only imagine what Airton was like at that age, but having first met him in 2014 at a Red Bull event in Sardinia, three further world championship titles haven’t gone to his head since. ‘AI’ always seems so…

Fast forward six months after documenting my first week as a fledgling foiler... and I am afraid to say that very little progression had occurred. Why? Well, I got stuck pondering what foil set-up to buy and it seems I wasn’t yet confident enough to go solo, which brought back memories of the hurdles I overcame in learning to be an independent kiter. I eventually took the plunge, accepting my clinic leader Rob’s advice, deciding on an IC6 850 wing from F-One, and then a custom mini foil board from my friends at Appletree, who are based up the road from where I live in Lisbon, Portugal. ‘Black Betty’ (Bam-ba-Lam) was finally born and I was excited and ready to take my progression to the next level. Or so I…

Do you consider yourself a relatively skilled kiteboarder? Are you ready for some new moves but not really sure where to start? Here are ten of our favourite tricks that look and feel great, but are surprisingly easy and achievable: 01: DOUBLE BACK ROLL The simple back roll is probably the first trick you learnt, so why not double it down? Multiple spins were what kiteboarding was all about in the early days, but now we value execution over numbers. Having said that, a nicely performed and powered double rotation with the kite lower and landing at speed looks and feels sick! It’s even better if you can add a grab and get compact while in the rotation. PRO TIP: When learning, start with your kite higher in the…

I built every part of the conversion myself — you can teach yourself anything on YouTube! I literally started with no knowledge but went from zero to hero, learning isolation, carpet lining, carpentry and electrics. In my experience you need to be prepared to make lots of mistakes and for everything to take at least five times longer than you estimate. The total time to completion, taking it from a being a simple panel van, was around 250 hours. Among my favourite modifications is the insulation made with acoustic foam and lined with easy stretch carpet liner. The van stays nice and cool even after three hours of direct morning sun, facilitating the all important lie in. I also really like the dashboard desk extension for remote working at the…