Table of contents for #81 June - July 2016 in Kiteworld Magazine

It’s really worth the wait you know? It really is. You’ve questioned your devotion and whether your memories are fooling you into just how much you love it. Your partner has probably moaned about the space that all your gear takes up, with hurtful comments like, “When are you ever going to use this again?” For a moment, you too have questioned your devotion; whether it’s really who you are? Being locked up isn’t good for the mind. It’s for criminals, not kitesurfers. This issue is for all those tortured souls who have endured long, dark periods of time and who now find themselves wanting to make up for lost time. Between these 164 pages you’ll find useful features, created to help you find your feet again as quickly as…

“WHEN JASON SLEZAK TOOK A CORNER IN HOOD RIVER SO VIGOROUSLY THAT IT THREW HIS FOIL FROM HIS PICK-UP TRUCK, IT LANDED HEAVILY ON THE ROAD, BUT SURVIVED UNDAMAGED!” It has probably not escaped your attention that foiling is blowing up at the moment. Strictly speaking though, it’s not actually a new discipline, although it is experiencing something of a rebirth in recent years due, in part, to the increasing accessibility of the discipline; it’s now not just for the committed elite with the cash to spend on a full custom design. Even just a couple of years ago foils were extremely expensive as the majority were designed to provide peak performance to advanced riders who had already mastered the art of foiling. The gear gave no concessions to average…

How and when did the GKA start and what were its initial aims? The GKA was founded in August 2014 by the most well known kitesurf brands who decided it would be good to coordinate their activities and to speak with one clear voice to help steer the sport in a positive direction for both professional and amateur athletes. The three main goals are: • Advocating that the sport of kiting can be done in harmony with nature in all countries. There are legislators in Germany, Denmark, Holland and the US trying to restrict, and in some cases even prohibit, kitesurfing by law because of alleged environmental safety reasons. The GKA is fighting such intents. • The GKA aims to ensure a successful, sustainable and attractive professional kitesurfing tour. •…

CABARETE (LA BOCA), DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Widely appreciated for the open, ‘bump ‘n’ jump’ conditions of its main beaches and some epic wave riding out on the reef, if you head a few kilometres up the coast, you’ll find yourself at La Boca, one of the most photographed flat water spots in the world, often frequented by the likes of Andre Phillip, Susi Mai, Jake Kelsick (pictured) and the hot local Cabarete riding crews. It’s really not huge though and looks a little bigger on camera (with space further reduced by the slider in the water) but it’s butter flat, there’s a cool bar for refreshments in-between sessions and it’s just a short downwind ride back to town. It’s not ideal for many, but it’s classic butter, hence all the photos!…

AIRUSH RAZOR 9M TEST TEAM NOTES: The Razor has been around for six years now as a traditional C kite that has displayed unquestionable freestyle and wakestyle prowess, helping riders like Alex Pastor win a world title. Quite simply, it looks mean and it means business. The build quality is impressive with Airush’s Dyneema load frame helping to form a very solid, durable canopy which translates to crispy, positive feedback between the rider and the kite. It’s evident that the Razor will withstand some very aggressive riding. Upon launch you immediately feel very connected at the bar, typically of a C-kite with no bridle - you can directly feel everything that the kite’s doing which freestyle riders will really like. The connection between you and the kite is constant and…

KNOWING YOUR EQUIPMENT If you’ve had a winter on the sofa then you may need to pull soggy wet kites out of the shed and prep them for the season ahead. If you weren’t able to check your gear over the winter then it’s well worth giving it an inspection before heading out. Ben Thomas from Flag Beach in Fuerteventura has stacks of experience in explaining what you should be looking out for: Choose a windless day to roll out your kite, patch up any pinpricks in the canopy and check over the bridles to make sure none of them have frayed or pulled apart. If your canopy is starting to resemble tissue paper and that lovely crisp crunchy feeling has gone, it’s probably because moisture got to it over…

01 - Travelling the world is the best education I have ever had. 02 - I’ve learnt to pray for the best but always be ready for the worst. 03 - Commitment, dedication and discipline have given me success. 04 - Try to maintain motivation for the things that you love. I have lost motivation for kiting a few times. When that happens I take a break and do other things. It doesn’t usually take long to realize how much I love kiting and my motivation soon returns even stronger than before. 05 - Timing is key in almost everything. Being good will really help, but having a good understanding and feel for timing will help you more. 06 - Let your performance speak for itself. 07 - Always take…

SPARK. N. 1. EXCITE, FUEL, INSTIGATE. 2. PROVOKE, SPARK, STIMULATE. 3. STIR UP, TRIGGER, WHIP UP.…

F-ONE F-One have a diverse range of foils and a patented system which allows you to use boards like the Mitu surfboard with your foil if you so wish. www.f-onekites.com LIQUID FORCE The first brand to come up with an entry-level production aluminium foil, they’ve now built on that success to offer a range of modular options so you can upgrade bit-by-bit as you improve or when you want a different feel. www.liquidforcekites.com LEVITAZ Dedicated high-performance foil manufacturer, now with an extended range for first time foilers as well as elite professionals. www.levitaz.com SHINN Shinn know boards inside out and are making their first forays into production foils with the El Stubbo and the Shinnster – both cross-over boards, to be also used as a wave board or skimboard. Comes…

This month I’m NOT going to surprise you by NOT wasting these precious few inches talking about competition kiteboarding. I’m NOT going to talk about foil racing, NOT going to talk about freestyle and I’m most certainly NOT going to talk about big air competitions. ‘Why’ you may ask? Well, it seems to me that the vast majority of kiteboarders are now so bewildered by the endless acronyms and backronyms (ha! guess you didn’t know that word, did you? A backronym is in fact an acronym made from an existing word; kind of like a forced acronym. In fact they may be created with either serious or humorous intent and can also be the result of false or folk etymology), the pointless and confusing press releases and the general lack…

“We wanted sponsors to have a reason to be stoked that their riders were coming to help grow this side of the sport on an island in the middle of nowhere. Essentially we just wanted to build rails, have some parties, have some bands and really just try to bring people to an area to foster the growth faster together.” How important was Hatteras to you as a rider in your early years? I’ve been visiting there since I was four or five years old with my family, so it’s been a special place nearly my whole life. As a teenager I always knew I wanted to live there. I was landlocked at home, maybe eight hours from the coast, but I was always obsessed with surfing. When I moved…

Ninh Chu Bay is located near the city of Phan Rang, in the south central province of Ninh Thuan - directly in the middle of Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, and Dalat. Voted one of Vietnam’s nine most beautiful beaches with ten kilometres of, clean, crescent-shaped sands. There’s no riptide, so the beach is safe for swimming and watersports and, except for December and January, the waves aren’t going to be too big for most people. Unlike Mui Nei, the bay is protected and has no erosion problems. You can kite in all wind directions at some point around Ninh Chu Bay, making it an all year kiting location, ranging from a placid 15 knots to a challenging day out in 35 plus. Stunning coastlines unfold into mile after mile of…

AIRUSH WAVE 8 & 10M TEST TEAM NOTES: The Airush Wave is developed right there on the Western Cape, so we were testing it on home soil! Airush offer a couple of kites that work well in the waves up to a point, but the Wave is the dedicated option. Refined for 2016 with an increased leading edge diameter in the smaller sizes for stability in gusty winds and when being steered quickly, the eight and ten metre models are new sizes in the range. Airush build-quality is particularly noteworthy with the Dyneema Load Frame and Technoforce D2 canopy material combining to make the Wave as strong as possible without adding any extra weight. Overall, the layout looks very neat. Minimalist and bad ass in graphic options; choose from the…

NEW KITEWORLDWIDE CENTRES The new KiteWorldWide kite school is open in Tatajuba, the small fishing village to the north of Jericoacoara. Head there early season (which is from June) for 20 knot winds and flat water in the river mouth... and space! This spot is far away from mass tourism and offers suitable conditions for kiters at all levels. The tour operator has also opened a new school on Los Lances beach in Tarifa. VDWS licensed instructors ensure kitesurfing lessons in a relaxed atmosphere, exclusively for KiteWorldWide guests. www.kiteworldwide.com KITE BABES ARE BACK! For the fourth year running, HangLooseBeach in Gizzeria, Italy will host Kite Babes 2016, a camp just for women between the 4th and 7th of August which is being run in conjunction with multiple World Wave Champion…

“QUITE OFTEN THE UNIQUE SELLING POINT IS SO HIDDEN THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE CUSTOMER SOMETHING THAT’S OPTICAL THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO.” 15 Various kite harness models, covering everything from freestyle, wave, freeride, race and beginner designs in both waist and seat categories. 11 Different windsurf harness models. 4 Drysuits, including a half-dry to full-on arctic production. 7 Men’s winter wetsuit models, covering different applications and construction for windsports, surfing, wake and SUP. 5 Models are available as summer suits with thinner materials and short arm and leg options. The women’s range covers the same sports and water conditions. 21 SUP clothing products, from neoprene long johns and tops to quick-dry tops and lycras. 26 Products in the neoprene boots and shoe ranges. 15 Float vests for various…

“In general the locals are down-to-earth and well-rooted; useful attributes when there’s a real risk of actually getting blown away, it seems.” I’ve become good friends with German Ozone distributor, Sanja, after organizing and running some of my kitesurf wave camps with her over the last couple of years. The first time she set off to spend the majority of the winter in Ireland I was a bit confused and felt kinda sorry for her. Why would you go so far up north for the winter instead of heading south? The closer to the equator the better: at least that used to be my resolution. Sure, I’ve seen pics and videos of Ryan Coote, my fellow Ozone team mate, who regularly shows the kitesurfing world how good it can get…

For the last two seasons we’ve largely used our testing time in Cape Town to wring the neck of the new highly adaptable all-round freeride kites and boards. The step-up in their application and ability in these recent years has been immense. As we’ve stated, most people will find all the performance they’ll need from freeride products, but we’re only human, and when you’re presented with the opportunity to ride gear that designers have worked hard to excel in various specialist styles of the sport, well... we’d be mad not to experience those, right? So, over the next 24 pages you’ll find products designed to excel in all corners of the kiting universe. Don’t be scared though, even the C kites aren’t the rabid monsters they once were and can…

AIRUSH COMPACT 5’9’’ We rode the Flytech model, which is the most basic construction that this board comes in, featuring a lightweight EPS foam core with high-density veneer reinforcements underfoot, making it both light and durable (but not as light as the more expensive Active carbon options). The honeycomb fins and low key graphics alongside the matt, almost brushed carbon-esque finish, exude quality. Two testers had quite contrasting experiences because the Compact is a very full shape, designed to be ridden a couple of inches smaller than a normal board. Jim is light at 70 kilos, whereas Matt is over 90, and in the windy Cape Town conditions Matt was much more comfortable on the 5’9’’. Skipping around a bit underfoot in bigger, windy waves for Jim, he found the…

MOVE: AIR REVERSE RIDER: KEAHI DE ABOITIZPHOTOS: JOHN BILDERBACK I’ve always loved the feeling of this air when surfing, but with a kite I can get much more height with much more control. It may be one of the harder tricks to learn, but if done right, especially if you land back onto the wave, the feeling is hard to beat. You will essentially be riding blind when you land, so already being comfortable with that on a twin-tip will make things much easier. Practice some more basic strapless tricks and gain a good understanding of how to pop without using the kite too much for help. Initially it’s easier to do off small chop or flat water, but if you’re already comfortable with the rotation, start trying to work…

WORLDWIDE SCHOOLS & SHOPS EVEN MORE LISTINGS AT WWW.KITEWORLDMAG.COM SCHOOLS THE AMERICAS 1 Aerosport Canada Magdalen Islands & Oka Quebec, Canada info@aerosport.ca +1 866 986 6677 www.aerosport.ca 2 Aqua Sports Maui Wailukui, Hawaii kiteboardingmaui@mac.com + 1 808 242 8015 www.mauikiteboardinglessons.com 3 Captain Kirks Kiteboarding Long Beach, LA & La Ventana info@captainkirks.com +1 310 833 3397 www.captainkirks.com 4 Exotikite Kiteboarding School Baja, Sur Mexico info@exotikite.com +521 624 165 2612 www.exotikite.com 5 Good Breeze Kiteboarding Cocoa Beach, Florida info@kiteboardingcloseouts.com +1 321-252-5483 www.goodbreezekiteboarding.com www.kiteboardingcloseouts.com 6 Hatteras Island Surf & Sailing Waves, NC +1 252 987 2292 www.hatterasislandsurfshop.com 7 Kiteboarding School of Maui Kahului, Maui, Hawaii mschale@ksmaui.com +1 808 873 0015 www.ksmaui.com 8 Kitty Hawk Kites Nag's Head, Hatteras mail@kittyhawk.com +1 252 441 0265 www.kittyhawk.com www.khkiteboarding.com 9 KGB Kiteboarding Baja Mexico & California info@kgbswag.com…