Table of contents for #76 in Kiteworld Magazine

IÛew halfway around the world and was sat in a Club Mistral lesson boat today with a chief instructor who went to school in the same town as me back in the UK. That’s not so noteworthy, other than the fact that it was a small town in North yorkshire that is landlocked, no one did watersports and it’s just about a world away from the tropical island location we enjoyed this afternoon. A great many coincidences had to happen for Jason and I to find ourselves in that powerboat together and, somehow, even with all the incalculable options in life, we stumbled onto similar paths routed out of town. Kiteboarding does that to people. It seems to come into your life and change everything. Somehow we become aware of…

The team behind the Kitesurfing Armada are pleased to announce they are now half way to their target of 500 signed up kitesurfers! Since launching for 2015, 250 full registrations have been received in just a few weeks. 250 places remain for kitesurfers to sign up to ride the 15 mile course from Hayling Island to Pagham, whilst also attempting to break the Guinness World Record title for the ‘Largest Parade of Kitesurfers’ (currently held by the Spanish Kitesurfing Armada). The event is all in aid of raising money for the Snow Camp, RNLI and Virgin Unite Charities and Sir Richard Branson, Aaron Hadlow, the Bridge family and of course Lewis Crathern have confirmed that they intend to participate. The festival period has been extended this year to open from…

BILLY PARKER RUNS ON HIGH PERFORMANCE GASOLINE THAT’S DESIGNED TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR ENGINE. AT 34, HE’S THE MUSCLE CAR OF AMERICAN KITEBOARDING AND A REGULAR IN SPECIALIST ELITE EVENTS, SUCH AS THE RED BULL KING OF THE AIR AND THE TRIPLE S. ALTHOUGH USUALLY THE OLDEST COMPETITOR, HE’S A LEAN, MEAN SHREDDING MACHINE AND ONE OF THE MOST TECHNICALLY SMOOTH AND ENTERTAINING RIDERS YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE HIT THE WATER. THE JUDGES AT THIS YEAR’S TRIPLE-S THOUGHT SO WHEN THEY AWARDED HIM SECOND ON THE PODIUM. BILLY HAS HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO TURN FULLY PRO, BUT HE’S A HOME BOY AND DEDICATED TO BEING THERE FOR HIS FAMILY. HE’S ALSO DEDICATED TO METHODICALLY IMPROVING HIS WAKESTYLE AND EXTREME BIG AIR RIDING BUT CONTINUES TO BE…

As far as kite destinations go, Egypt is about as established as they come. Kiteboarders have been Ûocking to its Red Sea resorts since widespread kite-travel began, and for good reason. Places like Dahab, Hughurda, El Gouna, Ras Sudr and Sharm offer some outstanding kitesurfing with a diverse array of conditions to suit any standard of rider and with more expanses of Ûat water than you can shake a GoPro on a selfie-stick at. The country was popular as a windsurf destination throughout the nineties and early 2000s but kitesurfing has eclipsed even that (not to mention its’ status as a mecca for diving). The relative safety of most of the kitesurfing spots and the opportunity to ride in large, protected Ûat water lagoons has inspired countless kiters to travel…

As far as kite heroes go, a lot of you may look up to Lenten, Hadlow and the like, but my new hero is a lot more understated, and even more worthy in my eyes. I was thrilled to ask her some questions... The Edge Cup has been running for six years I understand, but what a lot to take on alongside everything else that you do! What was the reasoning behind hosting it? Since my family and I have been involved in kite racing for a while, we felt we should do our bit for British kitesurfing and make an event happen in Exmouth where we spend many hours having fun. What sort of people enter? A huge mixture, from people who just want to be part of the…

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 +1 510 967 8014 www.kgbswag.com 10 Kiteforce Montreal, Quebec…

Re-running the newspaper sports page fun of our youth, this issue we have a spot-the-board competition in association with Shinn! Check out Steve Verhelst, he’s in the middle of a massive board-off, but vitally he’s dropped the board. We cunningly erased it. Where in the image do you think it is? If you’re reading the print edition, simply put an X on the page, take a photo of it and email it to: competitions@kiteworldmag.com If you’re reading the digital edition, you’re obviously a technical whizz anyway and are probably already screen-grabbing and selecting the annotation tool. Also send your entry to competitions@kiteworldmag.com The competition closes on the 10th August. Good luck! THE BRONQ Here’s what Shinn say about the Bronq: “We wouldn’t say the Bronq is the ultimate kiteboard, just…

{1} APPEALING, ASTONISHING, BOMBASTIC{2} BRILLIANT, DRAMATIC, DAZZLING{3} EXCITING, FLASHY, LIVELY{4} THRILLING, STIMULATING, STIRRING {1} APPEALING, ASTONISHING, BOMBASTIC {2} BRILLIANT, DRAMATIC, DAZZLING {3} EXCITING, FLASHY, LIVELY {4} THRILLING, STIMULATING, STIRRING…

Two full rounds down for the new Virgin Kitesurf World Championship tour and in the main freestyle event Liam Whaley and Karolina Winkowska have each had perfect starts, claiming back-to-back wins at Dakhla in Morocco and Coche in Venezuela. Karolina is the reigning and two-time Women’s World Champion, whereas Liam finished runner-up last year in the men’s, having ended the season with a terrific run of wins – clearly he kept the bit between his teeth for 2015. The Tarifan teenager looks incredibly clean and composed and, despite Youri Zoon’s return to form and the tenacity of Aaron Hadlow, Liam has been dominant. The VKWC announced ambitious plans to grow the tour by also running other disciplines and have completed two rounds of big air competitions (in lighter winds than…

VITAL STATISTICS FULL NAME: LASSE WALKER AGE: 20 YEARS KITING: 8 BEST RESULTS: WINNER RED BULL MEGALOOP CHALLENGE 2015 HOME SPOT: NOORDWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS SPONSORS: NORTH KITEBOARDING AND ION Congratulations on your win! How was the final and how did it feel to win in Holland? I reached the semifinal in 5046, so I wanted to at least achieve the same result and was ready to test my skills against like-minded riders. Riding in the final was sick and doing the first loop in the final close to shore while hearing the whole crowd screaming and yelling gave me goosebumps all over! Having it in Holland was even more special. We get the strong storms that demand absolute control in your riding and so to be on top of the…

Traveling, be it across the globe or to your local spot, is a key element of kitesurfing life. Last issue we focused on our day to day habits when heading out for a day on the water, we analysed the products we buy, the way we travel to the beach and the effects these have on the environment. This issue we’re aiming to shed a bit of light on the environmental impact of traveling a little further afield. We are incredibly fortunate to live in an age in which global travel is readily accessible and reasonably affordable. Thanks to this, and the fact that kitesurfing eqipment is so easily transportable, any kiter who can afford the airfare and a couple of weeks away from work can kitesurf literally anywhere in…

The land of banditos and ex-pats, vagabond escapees and surfers. Baja California Sur is just the deep-south Mexican state you’d think it would be and, in spite of what you’ve just read in the introduction, it’s still an absolutely brilliant adventure! TBaja juxtaposes areas of hardly explored expanses and well-established pockets of community. While some might find the ability to order a soy latte or a freshly roasted cappuccino of the day a bit absurd in the desert, Baja serves it up hot and delicious. The small village where we posted up for two weeks is named La Ventana, the Window, and serves as the backdrop for the adventures to follow. Two weeks is hardly enough time to explore a place and unlock its secrets but, oh how we tried.…

ONCE THE WINTER WINDS ARRIVE, KITEBEACH IN JUPITER, FLORIDA BECOMES ONE OF THE TOP KITING DESTINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. WHILE VAST AMOUNTS OF THE UNITED STATES IS COVERED IN A BLANKET OF SNOW AND ICE, THE CLEAR BLUE TROPICAL WATERS OF THIS SOUTHEAST PLAYGROUND BECKON THE PROS AND NOVICES ALIKE. AS KITEBOARDING GAINS IN POPULARITY, THREE JUPITER KITERS ARE SETTING THE BAR FOR OTHER WOMEN AND ENCOURAGING MORE TO ENTER THE SPORT. “KITESURFING IS THE CLOSEST FEELING TO SKIING THAT I’VE FOUND.IT IS SO PEACEFUL; A TRIP WITHIN MY MIND - A SECRET RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WIND, THE OCEAN AND MYSELF.” [MARINA MARSELLI] Italian born 41-year-old Marina Marselli has always excelled at sports, dominating on the ski slopes in the super giant slalom and downhill disciplines. A ski instructor…

The opening phases of your life as a kiteboarder can be a mixed bag. This sport is intoxicating, addictive and the moment you first stand up and feel the sensation of actually riding your board is something that no kiter ever forgets. The early steps aren’t entirely frustration-free though and it can take a while before you refine your riding posture to help you crank upwind like a steam train. Obviously having enough wind is an important factor, but there are some key adjustments you can make to your body position which will make a world of difference and help you avoid the ‘walk of shame’ back up the beach! RIDING POSITION First off, let’s start at the top with your head and work our way down. Your head should…

New products coming your way AIRUSH: Airush broke into new territories when they pioneered their Aramid load frame technology in 2013 for increased canopy integrity. For 2016 they’ve gone a step further by integrating Dyneema which is a further 40% stronger than Aramid fibres. Traditionally only found in kite lines, Airush have strategically built Dyneema into the load framing sections of the kite that need the most reinforcement. While there is a slight increase in weight, this new method increases strength and longevity of the kite’s canopy to retain the responsive performance life of your kite for much longer. That brings us nicely onto the 2016 Team Series high performance product release just announced by Airush, ahead of their Core range series that comes a little later in the summer.…

WORDS Chris Lambourghini The quality of your kite spot’s conditions are only as good as the company you keep. Even an empty lagoon in Brazil will get stale if you don’t have anyone to share it with. There’s a feeling I get as I approach my home spot and recognise a friend’s kite from the distance. I’m motivated to hustle onto the water to join them, and I also know exactly what kite to pump before stepping out of the car. This is how we have welcomingly come to depend on each other and how community pushes us forward. Most scenes have a local forum where gear reviews are discussed, beach info is posted and meet-ups are organised. When you arrive in the Northeast United States, Masskiting.com is your home.…

I believe everybody is a teacher. There’s really no one who you cannot learn from. Some lessons you recognise right away, some are more subtle. On some occasions, you don’t realise you’ve been taught at all. In 1914 a humble Hawaiian man, named Duke Kahanamoku, won the Australian National swimming titles and paid a visit to Freshwater Beach outside of Sydney. He’d brought an unusual piece of wood with him; a surfboard. He was a very strong waterman and it may be him for whom the term was invented. He was an Olympic champion swimmer. And he went surfing. Some hundred years later, Australians own the sport. They took it seriously, essentially invented theprofessionof surfing andfoundedmanyofthe brands that the world wears to the beach. With the exception of a current…

ON THE JOB We try to bring as much well-rounded experience and buyer’s considerations into our reviews as we can. We’re not about finding the best products for pro riders, but rather squeezing out the most relevant characteristics for every day riders. Senior tester Chris Bull is 40-something (we’ve stopped believing he’s still 38, no matter how often he tells us), has been kiting for 15 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 the pros and bros are looking for in their purchases. Jim Gaunt is 36, editor of Kiteworld, has been kiting for 13 years and rarely rides the same gear session to session, so has a good…

A couple of years back, when I started out as a kitesurfer, I used to say that I had 100% enthusiasm and 1% skill. Thankfully, through a lot of practice, the ratio has gone up a bit now, but I am so enthusiastic that I’m desperate to be ‘good’ at kiting. I’ve come to realise that I’ll never be a freestyle pro, but what about racing? Surely I can aspire to that? At the moment I can’t see that I’ll ever get to be much more than a pro ‘lawn mower’, but not for the want of trying, and I would love to find my ›calling’. Steph Bridge (5 x race World Champion) is closer to my age than a lot of the young guns on the podiums, she’s a…

01 > Snowkiting beats man-hauling, hands down. If the great explorers of old could see the speeds we do with our kites they¹d be turning in their graves! 02 > Our aim was to break the world record for the fastest crossing of Greenland, the world’s largest island. We kited for nearly 80% of the 610 kilometre route, whenever the winds allowed. My teammates and I completed the crossing in nine days and 19 hours, smashing the record by more than a week. 03 > We trained on the water in Hayling Island and Hunstanton, drinking a lot of sea water in the process! 04 > Haugastol in Norway is a real snowkiting mecca with constant windsand some huge frozn lakes totrain on. The wafes are very good,too! 05 >…