Sommaire pour Summer 2021 de Kiteworld Magazine

Around a year ago we were still looking down the long barrel of the covid shotgun. Most countries were either locked down or had recently released from lockdown. In truth, I suspect many of us believed the sorry tale would be over after that first wave. For the kiteboarding industry (actually, watersports in general), the situation was very unclear. The travel and holiday sector looked set to take a big hit but theories on what would happen to the general kiteboarder abounded. Would the reduced work situation result in equipment sales drying up, or would the extra time at home make riders more motivated to go out? Or potentially worse - would the governments around the world not allow riders to practice their sports at all? One year on and…

KITEBOARDING PHOTOGRAPHER YDWER VAN DER HEIDE WAS SURF FOILING NEAR HOME AT NOORDWIJK IN THE NETHERLANDS IN EARLY MARCH WHEN HIS FOIL HIT THE GROUND AND HE WAS THROWN FORWARD. LANDING ON HIS HEAD HE CRUSHED THE C6 VERTEBRA IN HIS SPINE. UNABLE TO MOVE IN THE WATER HE WAS RESCUED BY THE FRIENDS HE WAS SURFING WITH AND RUSHED TO HOSPITAL BY PARAMEDICS WHERE HE WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN INTO THEATRE. AFTER A DAY ON A VENTILATOR AND TWO DAYS WITHOUT IT ON ICU, THEN THREE MORE DAYS ON A NEUROLOGY WARD, YDWER BECAME RESIDENT AT A SPECIALIST REHABILITATION CENTRE, HELIOMARE IN WIJK AAN ZEE, WHERE HIS TREATMENT HAS CONTINUED FOR THE PAST 12 WEEKS. HERE’S AN UPDATE ON HIS PROGRESS, IN HIS OWN WORDS, AS TOLD TO HIS FRIEND,…

TEST TEAM NOTES: Looking at the shape, I had in my mind the Infinity would develop a lot of power and could be a handful in anything close to 20 knots. In fact, the unusual two-strut design and high-aspect shape really helps the Infinity manage what are comparatively strong winds for foiling. Although there is a little canopy ruffling through the faster down turns or rapid sheet-out movements, we have to say that the canopy tension is really good in this delta-bow platform and often much more solid than many single struts across the same varied conditions. Our first session was actually very light, hovering around 12 knots. The Infinity, however, felt pretty stable overhead and, as our test sessions went on, we’d end up being really impressed by the…

“RELEASE THE CHICKEN-LOOP AND WRAP-UP THE ENTIRE SAFETY LINE FIRST. MAKE SURE YOU PULL THE SAFETY LINE ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ENSURE THE KITE IS AS DEPOWERED AS POSSIBLE. NEXT WRAP ALL THE LINES MAKING SURE THAT THE SAFETY LINE IS TAUGHT AND THE REST ARE NOT UNDER TENSION AS YOU WRAP THEM UP.” SELF-RESCUES (AND HELPING OTHERS) How to self-rescue when you are kitesurfing: some of us have done many, some of us none. Everyone has an opinion (and often their own method). Why is it such a confused topic with kiting? I started thinking about this and comparing to other sports I do / have done. When mountain biking I carry a tube repair kit because I’m short on time and don’t want to walk miles in…

SUBJECT: RELEASE F-ONE ’s legendary BANDIT comes back for a 14th edition in an improved version offering the best riding experience no matter the conditions. + Outstanding upwind efficiency + Optimized effortless bar feeling offering a clear and precise steering feedback + Homogeneous wind range, the new BANDIT is remarkably effective from low to high wind + Reduced lateral pull, the quest for a ride without drag continues and has reached new levels + Power and generous lift for sensational kiteloops + Impressive stability for a comfortable and safe feeling no matter the conditions INST. @fonekites FB. @fonekites…

AT HOMERS: HANNAH WHITELEY – UK As an athlete I’m used to pushing out of my comfort zone, but I’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions in the last year. In the beginning I enjoyed the novelty of slowing down and having a break from travelling, packing and unpacking, shooting, competing and always being on the go. It can all be quite exhausting, but I soon missed being busy and travelling. My anxiety was high, especially going into winter time in the northwest of England. My sessions have been frosty and short! Lytham St Annes is on a huge beach and is my home spot. The tide travels far and creates some really fun lagoons. Within a 30 minute drive I can find a spot to kite in every wind…

TEST TEAM NOTES: In the last few seasons the only criticism we’ve really been able to angle at Duotone’s Neo is that it has been quite forgettable because of its total reliability. It has almost been too good. Overlooking the Neo’s dominance on the men’s GKA Kite World Tour since 2016 is, however, impossible and if you’re heading out at a new spot, or into more difficult conditions, it’s the sort of trustworthiness you want. NO ORDINARY NEO While you can still buy a ‘standard Neo’ with the same Dacron material as previous models, we were testing the Strong, Light, Superior (SLS) model, made with Duotone’s own Penta TX material that replaces the Dacron on the leading edge and struts. Adding more airframe stiffness and being lighter in weight obviously…

Realistically, how much of a problem is the sun’s glare for our eyes and how much worse does it become when combined with water? The core risk to eye health is from UV radiation. Most of us are aware that the sun’s ultraviolet rays are completely invisible yet damage the skin and can lead to sunburn and skin cancer. It’s why we use sunscreen to block out these harmful rays. The eyes and the skin around the eyes can also be damaged by exposure to UV radiation. It’s the main (but not only) reason we wear sunglasses. ‘Glare’ (or reflections of visible light (and UV) from a surface like water), is something very different. It is the loss of visual performance when too much visible light enters the eyes and…

(NOTE: Watch the free video that accompanies this feature in issue #110 at magazine.kiteworldmag.com) It doesn’t matter what beach you go to in the world, throwing a respectable kiteloop (and eventually, megaloop) will lead to instant credibility. To avoid being the over-excited rider that bombs out right near the shoreline, taking out swimmers and other water users in the process, follow this guide. KEY POINTS TO BEAR IN MIND FROM THE BEGINNING: - It is vital that you have a good, consistently landed, straight boost technique, with a minimum jump height of ten metres. Looping the kite will generate a lot more energy than a straight jump, so your reactions and landing skills must already be on point. - Timing is extremely important. No matter what level you’re at, looping…

ELEVEIGHT We were excited to receive news of the latest V5 release of the highly successful and versatile Eleveight RS kite – a firm freeride favourite amongst the KW test team. The new model is lighter for even more responsive handling, even in light or gusty winds. Thanks to the delta-hybrid design the Eleveight RS V5 boasts a broad wind range, ensuring you’ll be amongst the first to hit the water and one of the last back to the beach. Also recently launched, the Master is a high-performance twin-tip aimed at advanced riders. Whether you are focused on blasting full speed and launching massive jumps, or mastering slick lagoons for some advanced freestyle action, the advanced 3D shaping of the Master V4, combined with superb build quality, is bound to…

“FOLLOW YOUR HEART, FOLLOW THE SUN, THE WAVES AND THE WIND AND YOU WILL HAVE A HAPPY TRIP.” Tell us about the van. I became an ambassador for Hymer at the start of this year and we had the Free 540 Blue Evolution, a very cool model for people like me who like to live spontaneously. It has a modern, spacious interior, so was perfect to go anywhere, being totally free and independent. Take us through your trip. Travelling with all my toys, from kitefoiling to wings, freestyle gear and bike, I was able to ride everywhere, no matter the conditions. Our trip started at home in Cádiz, Spain in early January and took us more than 10,000 kilometres, right round the Iberian Peninsula until the end of February. Our…

TEST TEAM NOTES: You’ll come off the Moto thinking, ‘That’s the kite for me!’, but then Cabrinha go and make the 01 Switchblade more manageable in stronger wind conditions for more riders! If you love twin-tip riding, the Switchblade could be your weapon, and it still delivers to bigger riders in a unique way. The Switchblade is now one of the longest running kite models in the business, having been delivering super smooth low end performance and benchmark park and ride ease of use for well over a decade. You just can’t argue with it for general kiting conditions. When we have riders who are over 90 kilos coming up and asking which kites we recommend for them (especially if they don’t want to have to size up to a…

CABRINHA CONTRA 9M TESTED IN ISSUE #109 Newly released as a single strut in sizes of 11 metres and below, the Contra’s awesome stability and stunning steering connection at all times makes for excellent light wind performance. Our mouths water at the prospect of flying a smaller size in stronger wind on a foil / surfboard... The Contra is going to bring about an interesting question for riders looking at Cabrinha products: “Could I be making more of the opportunities in lighter winds – be it on a foil or surfboard (or even twin-tip) by switching away from a trusted three strut set-up?” The Contra 9m is a session saver and is a really fun twin-tip freeride kite, it also opens up the possibilities for very light wind wave…

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 OUTER BANKS KITING Avon, NC jay@outerbankskiting.com +1 252-305-6839 www.outerbankskiting.com 4 GOOD BREEZE KITEBOARDING Cocoa Beach, Florida info@GoodBreezeKiteboarding.com +1 (321) 252-5483 goodbreezekiteboarding.com 5 MIAMI KITEBOARDING Miami, Florida info@miamikiteboarding.com +1 305 345 9974 www.miamikiteboarding.com 6 PROKITE SOUTH PADRE South Padre Island TX +1 541-490-6872 +1 855-774-5483 info@prokitesouthpadre.com www.prokitesouthpadre.com 7 EXOTIKITE KITEBOARDING SCHOOL Baja, Sur Mexico info@exotikite.com +521 624 165 2612 www.exotikite.com 8 COME KITE WITH US El Cuyo, Yucatan, Mexico info@comekitewithus.com +1 347 4072 588 www.comekitewithus.com 9 KITESURF ROATAN Camp Bay, Honduras kitesurfroatan@gmail.com +50 432 525 891 (also WhatsApp) www.kitesurfroatan.com 10 SA BARRA Maceio, Brazil info@sabarra.it +39 328 428 8407 www.sabarra.it 11 VILLA MANGO KITE CLUB…