Table of contents for Issue #96 December 18 - January 2019 in Kiteworld Magazine

We’re approaching the final frontier of 2018. Like every year, I started it positively, intending not to let as much work and admin get in the way of all the sessions I wanted to take. Then one of the strangest summer’s of lighter wind ensued and I kept hearing similar stories around the world. Here at home, the usual fluttering kites on the beach were replaced by leathery skinned Brits on deck chairs enjoying a real Mediterranean summer. However, as sales of freeriding kites and boards went down, inquiries and deposits on foiling gear went up! I often look over the issue plan and wonder, should we be reigning the foil content in a bit? But then my own enjoyment of it is reflected by the volume of designs in…

HFPT The HydroFoil Pro Tour had its final event of the year in October at Townsville in Queensland, Australia. Due to a sponsorship issue at the last minute, the event wouldn’t count towards the tour title chase, but would still play host to the final Australian National Kitefoil Championships of the year, which Mani Bischopps would go on to win for the second year running. As it was no longer an HFPT event, the tour’s top riders weren’t in attendance, so results were taken from this year’s three previous events, with Guy Bridge taking the overall win in the men’s division and the unstoppable Dani Moroz winning the women’s. HFPT 2018 RESULTS Men’s 2018 Champion: Guy Bridge (GBR) - Flysurfer, Mike’s Lab 2: Connor Bainbridge (GBR) - F-One, Manera 3:…

“IT WASN’T MY INTENTION TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE WAVES, JUST TO GET OUT INTO DEEP WATER AND ENJOY SOME LIGHT WIND FOILING BUT, AS PER USUAL, THE INVISIBLE TRACTOR BEAM THAT IS SWELL SUCKED ME IN.” It’s been a while, but for this issue I have reverted to my time honoured tradition of scribbling this onboard a plane. It’s not a tremendously exciting destination, so I won’t bore you with the details, but if my writings seem a little interrupted it maybe because my four-year-old son is sat next to me and finds flying to be one the best things EVER. The evenings are once again drawing in here in the northern hemisphere and the cold is creeping insidiously across the beaches. It’s the time when many kiters pack…

“THE SOUTH OF FRANCE IS NOT A COLD PLACE OF COURSE, BUT IN 60 KNOT MISTRAL WINDS YOU GET COLD FAST. A 40 KNOT GUST CAN SWITCH UP TO 60 IN A SECOND, SO IT’S DIFFICULT TO MANAGE, BUT WE RIDE HERE A LOT AND THE BANDIT SHAPE IS BORNE FROM THE CONDITIONS AND FOLLOWS THE DNA OF THE REGION’S BUILDINGS.” Down in the Camargue the Mistral wind is so strong and gusty that for centuries French builders have been shaping homes to best let the wind flow smoothly over their surfaces. Rounded fronts face north into wind, doors feature only on southern walls that also face the sun, while the religious crosses on the rooftops are aggressively pre-angled for least resistance. F-One have been based an hour up the…

“YOU’LL SEE A LOT OF 50 OR 60PLUS AGE GROUPS THAT ARE DOWN THERE FOR THE WINTER, HANGING OUT AT THE BEACH, IT’S AWESOME.” So, sell it to me! What is it that you love about going to Baja? Okay! Well, we mostly go to La Ventana which is a little smaller than Los Barriles as we have more connections there. They’re about an hour away from each other. My number one selling point is actually the food! I love Mexican food and the tacos are cheap. The first time I went down there I couldn’t believe it, I could get a soy latte on the side of a dirt road and I was like, what the heck? How is this possible! The prices have increased a tiny bit as…

Some time ago I embarked on a gruelling experiment for this magazine. I bought a whole heap of new gear: Naish surf-foil and kite wing, a stand-up foil board (crossover 120), and a short foil board (hover 6’0’’). I threw myself into the ocean everyday with my new toys, to see what effect it would have on my brain. The answer did not impress any neuroscientists, but it was simple and direct: it had a good effect. I enjoyed the adrenaline and I loved the frictionless glide of the foil. The physical exercise had multiple benefits; I enjoyed learning new things, I recaptured a certain enthusiastic energy about life and the variety kept me enthralled. Perhaps what I enjoyed most though was the experience of going to work after a…

TEST TEAM NOTES: For me, the Airush Wave has always ticked the key boxes for classic wave kite criteria. It’s lightning quick with pivotal turning, has a wide and very usable range and a forward flying position. There are some great wave-focused kites out there that have developed their own unique characters quite different to this, but the Wave has stayed the course as a thoroughbred, high paced performer in the surf. This year’s kite is the eighth generation and it’s been through some changes, such as an altered wingtip shape to improve stability and two bridle options that allow the rider to fine-tune the kite to their tastes. You can ride the standard pulley bridle, which makes for a smooth riding experience with finite control, even when the kite’s…

TEST TEAM NOTES: Over the last 12 years we’ve been on some wild rides when testing the various incarnations of the F-One Bandit, the original do-it-all kite. The kite was so damn agile that we reckon they’ve spent the last four years taming the bugger! The Bandit has always been one of our favourites when it comes to complete all-round performance for intermediate riders and above. If you like a kite to feel really alive so you can throw it around and make shapes, the Bandit XII is a dream and this year feels super refined. If you’re used to a five strut high-aspect kite, initially you’re going to be alarmed by the Bandit’s agility, but as this Bandit is the smoothest yet, you’ll dial into it quickly enough. Over…

EIR NYC Eir founder Jun Lee is a former art curator and extreme athlete, now an avid surfer who studied green medicine while recovering from an injury in 2013. Her first product, Surf Mud, a reef-safe clean sunblock became a fast favourite amongst her Montauk surfing community. She began incorporating the principles of herbal healing into a growing range of natural, functional skincare products. The Toiletry Kit is an all-natural assortment of organic necessities for the active traveller, including: Active Face Wash, Active Body Wash, Pitted Deodorant, Surf Mud and Cooling Lip Balm. PRICE GUIDE: £60 / $80 / €70 The Surf Mud Pro SPF 50 water resistant sun stick for your face is made from clean, food grade ingredients and is 100% biodegradable, including the packaging, which Jun says…

AIRUSH The Lithium enters a 10th generation this year and continues to further cement its credentials as an ultra-accessible freeride kite, ideal for the early intermediate or anyone looking for an easy handling, dependable kite for use across a range of disciplines. The Lithium’s smooth and predictable steering is easy to tune into while the low end remains substantial and the airframe solid, even in punchy, gusty conditions. This year the bridle has been reworked so that the steering remains super consistent even when the Lithium is maxed out and being ridden fully depowered. All of this combines for a truly progression-friendly package. SIZES: 17, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5m www.airush.com CABRINHA The FX delivers for the advanced rider who wants to do everything imaginable on…

KING OF THE EXE The first ever King of the Exe went off in Exmouth on Saturday 13th October in pumping conditions. The days leading up to the event had been so windy that there’d been speculation over whether or not it would even go ahead but, when the wind dropped down to a more reasonable 30+ knots, it was on! The competition ran in the same format as the King of the Air and UK legend Robin Snuggs landed the biggest kite loop of the event and battled all the way to the final where he took third against Guy Bridge and Oli Sweeney. Oli and Guy were going huge and pushing each other hard as the wind pumped into the estuary, but Oli was smooth and super-consistent and…

Maxime Nocher added to his haul of world titles at the climax of this year’s IKA KiteFoil World Series (formerly known as the KiteFoil GoldCup) which took place over five days of competition at the Sardinia Grand Slam on Poetto Beach, Cagliari in October. Nocher took second at the event behind Nico Parlier, but it was still enough to secure the top spot overall at the end of an impressive comeback season, which saw him win two back-to-back events in China over the summer. “I’m really happy to come back after the last year. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’ll be stronger next year. I know my weaknesses and I’ll have to be even faster.” he said after claiming his 11th World Title. There were…

“As a Hamburg citizen you can reach this spot really quickly.” rejoices Marian Hund, German Freestyle Champion. ‘Glückstadt’ is the closest kitesurfing spot, just thirty minutes west of the city and perfect for an after-work session. Perhaps surprisingly at first glance, it holds a certain industrial charm in the eyes of the locals. The river Elbe is 800 metres wide and we marvel at the huge container ships heading for Hamburg port. The view has an extra special touch thanks to ‘Brokdorf’, the atomic power plant / nuclear power station on the other side of the river. “It wouldn’t be the same without the nuclear plant.” reckons Marian on the atmosphere of the venue. The kitesurfers seem like a bizarre spectacle in front of the large pressurized water reactor and…

“WE PUSHED ON THROUGH THE WILD, RUGGED DONEGAL MOUNTAINS. THIS WAS THE IMAGE I’D HAD IN MY MIND. THE CRAGGY PEAKS CASCADED DOWN TOWARDS A COASTLINE DOTTED WITH SANDY BEACHES AND SURF SPOTS.” A four hour drive and a two hour ferry ride from home, geographically Ireland is the closest foreign country to where I live in the northeast of England. It actually takes me longer than that to reach the south coast of my own country but, until this October, I’d never been. My home county actually looks reasonably similar to Ireland and shares the same weather patterns. Perhaps because when planning a trip I instinctively look south to better known kiting hotspots. Subconsciously I seem to have been drawn to warmer climate getaways, but the west of Ireland…

“WE STAYED AT A NEW PLACE RIGHT ON THE BEACH THAT HAD JUST OPENED UP IN LOBITOS. OUR TRIP WAS WAS JUST ABOUT THE SAND, THE OCEAN AND WE EVEN HAD A PERSON WHO COOKED FOR US. THAT WAS IT! THERE’S NOT MUCH THERE, BUT IT’S SO MELLOW AND WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE ON IT’S AMAZING!” JALOU LANGEREE WRITING ABOUT LOBITOS FILTERING THREE HOLIDAY VENUES Peru isn’t generally about pretty beaches and luxury hotels (though that is changing in some locations). It’s about phenomenal kiteboarding. Gaining notoriety among the intrepid wave riding crews for it’s immensely long left handers, there’s also far more to it for intermediate riders at a number of uncrowded spots. You’ll uncover a fascinating ancient culture and join off-the-beaten-track adventures. Planet Kitesurf Holidays have been…

“FOR SOME LESS EXPERIENCED FOILERS, THE SLOW PREDICTABLE NATURE OF FOILS LIKE THE P WING WILL BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM BEING ABLE TO LEARN TO FOIL OR NEVER GETTING PAST THE FIRST FRUSTRATING STAGES.” This is part two. Last issue we looked at a scale to work out what sort of beginner you are according to your experience in other sports, learning to admit how quickly you’ve generally improved as a rider so far, assessing your kite handling level and the conditions you’ll predominantly be riding in to help you work out what sort of a set-up might suit you. We looked at some newer wing styles and pushed the importance of learning on a big wing - for however short a period that may be, and gave caution…

TEST NOTES: The first time I rode an SST was back in 2016 and I was immediately struck by how solid it felt in the sky. There were more sprightly wave kites on the market, but there weren’t any that stood as firm in the gnarliest of Cape Town conditions. My fellow KW tester Bully had remarked that if he was about to go and kite around Robben Island, he’d take a Slingshot for sheer reliability and since then the SST has retained that confidence-inspiring ride feel. Nice and direct, it’s carved a name for itself as a set-and-forget, plug-and-play wave kite. When I was deciding what gear to take on a wave mission to the west of Ireland, the SST sprung to mind. I’d heard the conditions could be…

DIGITAL EDITIONS Digital subscriptions on the sleek Zinio platforms start from just £9 / US$14 / €13. View the designed layouts or hit the TEXT button to read all our features in a neat text form on your device – ideal for any commute and the finer details! PRINT Enjoy the shiny print magazine for the ultimate read. Opt for our highlight package and get a combo print / digital subscription and we’ll hook you up with everything and also send you a free Never Come Down T-shirt. Digital: £9 / US$14 / €13 Print: £33 / US$56 / €43 Combo: £35 / US$60 / €45 The sport’s most insightful stories, advice and gear reviews, combined with the hottest images every issue, six times a year. Subscribe at:…

Patagonia came up with a world first four years ago when they implemented Yulex, a ‘bio-rubber’ made from rubber trees into their suits. It was significant because it was, and still is, the most environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional neoprene produced from petrochemicals. It took a few years for them to fully phase neoprene out of their suits, but by last year they’d done it, reducing the carbon emissions released in their production by up to 80%. They backed that up with an Ironclad guarantee, meaning they’d fix their suits if they broke and then they went on the road around the UK, Europe and the US over the summer fixing wetsuits from any brand for free at surf shops and events. That showed a commitment to the end-user and…

CAPE HATTERAS WAVE CLASSIC This year’s Cape Hatteras Wave Classic presented by Patagonia was unable to run due to Hurricane Florence tearing her way up the east coast during the event window. The contest organisers have instead decided to roll the prize purse, which is equal for men and women, into the 2018 Cape Hatteras Wave Classic Video Shootout. $16,000 is now up for grabs for the best kitesurfing videos which will be judged on 50% wave riding, 25% tricks and 25% overall impression. It doesn’t matter where a video is filmed and whether it’s in picture-perfect barrels or heaving onshore chaos. How riders perform in the conditions on hand will ultimately dictate their score. The competition is open to kitesurfers from around the world and it’s free to enter.…

YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES Kiteboarding’s first Olympians were crowned in October at the Youth Olympic Games with Sofia Tomasoni (ITA) and Adeuri Corniel (DOM) taking golds on the last day of the Youth Olympic Sailing Competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Two dramatic winner-takes-all finals saw a remarkable double silver medal awarded on both occasions, with racers in the girl’s and boy’s fleets both tying in second place. A historic final day also saw the Dominican Republic and the Philippines win their first Olympic medals in a ‘sailing’ discipline. Filipino rider Christian Tio fought hard for his medal, just pipping the USA’s Cameron Maramenides to the podium on the final day of racing and he shared second place with Toni Vodisek from Slovakia. Cabarete local Adeuri Corniel took the top spot for…

Through my years as a professional kitesurfer I have always made the point to not go to the ‘normal’ destinations, but rather spend a bit more time and effort taking that extra flight and/or boat ride to escape the crowds and try to discover something for myself. A group of almost 80 islands and atolls located about 300 miles north-east of Tahiti, The Tuamotu Archipelago is one of the most amazing kiteboarding spots I’ve ever been to. Governed as French Polynesia, this is the largest chain of atolls in the world and holds the two largest lagoons – Fakarava and Rangiroa. There’s little aside from endless clusters of coconut tress and very little mobile reception! Due to the lack of tourism in the area there is a lack of accommodation.…

COUNTY MAYO: ACHILL ISLAND Achill has three main kite spots. Keel Bay beach is the main one – a mile-long south facing sandy beach that takes a range of swell and wind directions. The prevailing southwesterly blows cross-on from the right and there’s usually some sort of swell to slash or boost off. Although there may be a bit of shorebreak to contend with, southwest winds are safe and the spot is free of rocks and underwater obstacles. Westerly and northwesterly winds blow cross or cross-off from the right and the waves clean-up transforming it into a sweet down-the-line wave spot. The wind can be a little patchier, though. There’s also a camp site, public toilets and a pub and cafe overlooking the bay. Keel Lake is 500 metres inland…

If you were born in the 80s or earlier and grew up doing watersports then you may remember being soaking wet and frozen to the bone in a wetsuit that rendered itself unusable when winter rolled around. The modern winter wetty is, by comparison, a wonder of science and engineering. Kiters routinely hit the water in freezing air temperatures nowadays without any (major) discomfort and it’s down to the quality of suits now available. This issue we highlight a selection of solid winter suits and get the folks who designed them to talk us through what’s happening in the world of wetsuit design. ION The Amp series from ION is designed to combine solid performance with high levels of flexibility. They feature the new Hotstuff 2.0 lining which works with…

TESTING-TESTING Although we test gear for two solid months a year in Cape Town during January and February, we also test for the rest of the year in a range of conditions in the UK. Our testers don’t set out to find the best products for pro riders, but instead focus on what’s important for every day riders. Senior tester Chris Bull is 47, has been kiting for 18 years and tested more gear than anyone we know, outside of gear developers themselves. He runs CBK-Hayling Island (www.CBK-haylingisland.com), a lively school, club and shop and understands what riders really need from their purchases. Jim Gaunt is 39, editor of Kiteworld, has been kiting for 15 years and rarely rides the same gear for more than a couple of sessions, so…

TEST TEAM NOTES: What strikes you about the Hyper straight away when you put it overhead is how much lift it has. There’s enough depower to walk backwards up the beach, but with just a little sheeting at the bar there is also obvious power on tap. This was always going to be a fun test. The Hyper is meaty, but with a good sense of taste. The first test was in super solid conditions; 26 – 30 knots. Perfect for testing the jumping credibilities of a kite that bears the slogan ‘Elevating Sensation’. We also had the Hyper out in challenging, lighter, directly onshore conditions of just 15 – 18 knots. We’ve tested CrazyFly’s long serving three strut Sculp for many seasons. Similarly, the Hyper has that muscular personality…

SCHOOLS THE AMERICAS 1 ADVENTURE KITEBOARDING Muskego, Wisconsin sales@adventurekiteboarding.com +1 414-367-9283 www.adventurekiteboarding.com 2 KITEFORCE Montreal, Quebec info@kite-force.com + 1 514 691 3314 www.kite-force.com 3 HATTERAS ISLAND SURF & SAILING Waves, NC barton@hatterasislandsurfshop.com +1 252 987 2292 www.hatterasislandsurfshop.com 4 KITTY HAWK KITES Nag’s Head, Hatteras mail@kittyhawk.com +1 252 441 0265 www.kittyhawk.com www.khkiteboarding.com 5 GOOD BREEZE KITEBOARDING Cocoa Beach, Florida info@kiteboardingcloseouts.com +1 321-252-5483 www.goodbreezekiteboarding.com www.kiteboardingcloseouts.com 6 MIAMI KITEBOARDING Miami, Florida info@miamikiteboarding.com +1 305 345 9974 www.miamikiteboarding.com 7 361 KITE Corpus Christi, TX info@361kite.com +1 361 742 7966 www.361kite.com 8 PROKITE SOUTH PADRE South Padre Island TX +1 541-490-6872 +1 855-774-5483 info@prokitesouthpadre.com www.prokitesouthpadre.com 9 TRON X Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico info@tronx.mx +52 (322) 108 9292 www.tronx.mx 10 EXOTIKITE KITEBOARDING SCHOOL Baja, Sur Mexico info@exotikite.com +521 624 165 2612 www.exotikite.com 11 VELA BAJA Los Barriles,…

As kitesurfers, we know that some of the most useful items don’t have to be really expensive. Who ever thought that a towel with a hood could be such a vital part of your gear?! Things like getting changed in comfort, travelling with less clutter and having ways to keep your stoke alive, even when you’re off the water, can make all the difference to how we feel about the sport. You won’t find kites and boards in this guide. Instead it’s packed with products that support and enrich the kitesurfing experience. Over these 48 pages we feature everything from neoprene accessories, tech products and tools to clothing and kit for your van. We’ve also included some innovative environmentally focused products that are very handy. The guide is of course…

CAMRIG The Camrig line mount is still the most widely used mount by kiters the world over and Camrigs can fit everything from the GoPro 3 up to the GoPro 7. PRICE GUIDE: £40 / $45 / €50 www.camrig.com FEIYU The Feiyu G6 gimbal is a splash-proof gimbal compatible with GoPro 5s, 6s and 7s. It’s a fantastic tool for smoothly shooting clips and is cleverly designed so as not to obscure the screen on the back of your GoPro. PRICE GUIDE: £180 / $230 / €200 www.feiyu-tech.com GOAL ZERO The Venture 30 is a portable charging device that’s ready for action in rough environments. The weatherproof design means it can get rained on or dropped in the sand and will carry on regardless. There are…