SBC Kiteboard - Bio

AIRUSH’S MARC SCHMID: TEAM BUILDING

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:51:00 -0500

Marc Schmid is the International Marketing and Team Manager at Airush located in Cape Town, South Africa but before this he spent a lot of time building his resume to get to where he is. At the age of 13, he was introduced to windsurfi ng and the business. Being a shop employee for some of the biggest shops in Massachuse s – he was able to learn the Windustry inside and out. A er working in retail, distribution, and kite and windsurf schools in the water sports Mecca of Cape Cod, Marc le for Perth, Western Australia. This is where he received his bachelors in Marketing and worked for Core Online Magazine. With his ample experience in the industry for over 10 years and his commitment to water sports, Airush International introduced him to the team in Mid 2009. From there, Marc lived in Thailand, experiencing Asia’s kite culture and production. One year later, Airush International design and marketing team moved their operations to one of the windiest places on earth, Cape Town, South Africa where he leads all aspects of Marketing and the International Team.

Airush has made some big changes to its international team. What were to goals in this rebuild?
Yeah! Over the past 3-4 years we have made some big changes and it has snowballed into what we have today. Of course the goal of any team is to have the highest performing team possible, I believe we have achieved this. As important as the performance is a team that works well with each other and with the brand. We want the riders to be a genuine part of what we do as a company, and to be stoked about riding together.
   Airush has strong US roots and I feel Bear Karry and John Perry play a crucial roll in letting people know about us on their local beach as well as internationally. They fit our brand and share the stoke of strapless wave riding and wakestyle riding, what more can you ask for?

What opportunities are there for other US riders interested in working with Airush?
I tell any riders the best way to start is with their local shop! Climbing the ranks is essential and is a great learning experience to help prepare for the big leagues. Shops give riders the knowledge and understanding of what is expected of them in the future and this serves as a base for National programs and onwards.

How do you find up and coming riders? Are event results more important, or is a good working relationship with the local shop?
We are really focused on developing the youth, cliché as it sounds; they are the future of our sport and we want to support that.
   To find riders we talk a lot with our shops to find the next heavy hitter and see what support we can offer them. A prime example of this is how John Perry came into our radar. Dave Tyburski, Pepi Gerald of 2nd Wind Shop, and our NA Sales Manager, Kyle Flower were amped on JPs solid riding style and his solid connection to his local community. That’s the type of rider we look for.

Action sports brands in established sports like snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing rely on athletes to set their brands apart from the competition. Are we seeing a change in the kite industry or has it always been a part of the sport?
I think as a younger kiter myself I always looked up to the professional riders, so I would say it has always been a part of the sport. Naturally any sport I did, I emulated and learned from professional riders who showed what is possible beyond what you thought was possible. Which leads me to believe that the rider has been a part of differentiation beyond products. We look to focus on both aspects where the riders look to set the brand apart but are also an authentic part of the brand they represent and the products they ride.

How does Airush’s relationship with riders affect the R&D process at Airush?
This is a big question since I believe our team puts a lot of input towards the products that we have today. What makes Airush a unique brand is our integration of our team riders into the R&D process. There is a very strong creative and technical process inside Airush to make great products, and the riders are a genuine part of that. Our kite designer, Mark Pattison, and board designer, Clinton Filen, work directly with our Pro Team to develop products that are not only great for our professional riders but carry the same performance level for everyday freeride and recreational riders.

Where do you guys do most of your R&D?
Airush is extremely focused on Product Development. Our board designs and testing are done in-house at our Cape Town office. We are one of the few brands who can produce prototypes with available CNC and presses then drive a mile away to test. All this is done in our own backyard, which is something special.
   Our kite designer, Mark Pattison, follows the wind in order to perfect each model from the largest to smallest size. During the peak season in Cape Town, you will find Paddo at testing small kites until the season ends. Soon after he flies over to Bali to start his lightwind and wave kite testing for the following year. This allows an endless cycle of development.
   Beyond what our own designers test, each will send specific models to team riders or incorporate the local riders or schools to give feedback and test material. Having designers, team riders and everyday riders test the products is absolutely necessary to have a blend of the perfect equipment.

How many team photo shoots do you do? Tell us about the 2013 shoot? Where was it and who was there?
We have our major catalog and media shoot inviting our Team Series riders, Alex Pastor, Bas Koole, Bruna Kajiya and Bear Karry.   Our up-and-coming rookie, Oswald Smith, also joins the shoot as he is a Cape Town local. The team riders and photographers will tell you that the photo shoots are long days to get all the necessary shots. Once we do the bulk of our content during this Cape Town shoot, we organize smaller, more independent shoots with other riders. I think too many riders at a photoshoot becomes too complex causing a loss of focus on the individual.

The Lou Wainman Interview

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:26:00 -0400

Lou Wainman is unquestionably the most influential kiteboarder of all time. During the late 90’s and start of the last decade, he pioneered the wakestyle movement and has been at the cutting edge of the sport. In 2007, it came as no surprise to SBC that a new brand was emerging with him as a partner. In just four short years, Wainman Hawaii has established itself as a core brand, with a strong following around the world. SBC Editor John Bryja caught up with Lou Wainman to find out more about Wainman Hawaii his vision for kiteboarding’s future.

John Bryja: You very quickly combined wake boarding with kiting. What in your background made this possible and what were the biggest challenges in the early days?
Lou Wainman: Truth is I was an average wake boarder and border-line pro windsurfer (not paid). Obviously in the early days we had no real idea of what we were doing. We used to all launch the kite straight downwind for years. Funny how obvious things seem today, but back then we were all pretty stupid, but we were all a family. In the early days the biggest challenge was trying to get paid without participating in goofy contests that just lie about the 200,000 spectators, when there were really only about 300. We turned to making movies, which was super smart. This was before DVDs or Go-Pro’s.

What do you think the potential for kiteboarding is compared to wake boarding?
The only way kiteboarding, on any style from wake, to big air to surfing…will get more popular or known is for television to get involved on a huge level. If they can make a huge success off a bunch of whiney people stuck on an island, playing some sort of high school spin the bottle games, then for sure any show with top wakeboard pro’s or Kiteboard pro’s living their lives the way they do would be some stuff I think a lot of people would be amazed at. Personally, I think anything other than water ski’s are easy to learn on. Eliminating the variables is what is going to bring success quicker. For example when we learned wake-style it was harder than today because we had no leash or brakes.

Lou, you have always been a visionary in kite boarding, where do you see the sport heading?
I would say that the wake-style type guys are going to have to get sponsors to chip in to build the worlds biggest half pipe system like we see in snowboarding. But way bigger... I envision a set of or multiple giant oil tankers or de-commissioned freight cargo ships, fitted with 1/4 pipe ramps on each side so the spectators can be on board looking down at the riders coming up to grind the hand rail…something way bigger and more dangerous than some fun boxes with sk8-shoes. For any sport to get respect and or viewers there will be a need for mayhem in speed, free-style and surf.
Racing needs to get rid of the upwind legs and goofy-ass course racing boards with 4 foot long kitchen knives on the bottom. Nobody can tell what’s going on anyway... and it’s really boring unless you’re racing, I hear. Lets see some high speed downwind obstacle slalom if we have to watch racing, but with a 30 knot minimum and something that works like in Indy....there are time trials and then it goes to the top few guys who have to race for like 3 kilometers through the gauntlet. Maybe the crowd can participate with giant water balloon sling-shots and paint ball snipers at each 50 foot tall buoy.
I think the surf aspect is pretty good how it is, just need time to sort out good moves and combine wake tricks with off the lips and so on.

Do you think the wake style guys are too focused on wake style today, or do they have the right idea?
I brought this crap to the table so I can say this: Any rider who claims that one style is better than another is like hearing somebody say: “I hate when people have to talk shit.” or something like: “why do people always have to complain”. Statements like this, even if they are one sentence long, completely and in such short numbers of words, re-define how stupid we all are. Truth is though, wake-style does feel and look cool, like a pro surfer wearing baggy boardshorts to the knee instead of a banana hammock. So in the end, we all are waiting for who-ever can afford to build the big ramp so the poor shmuck can hit it and feed his family while watching on the television.

Do you think kite boarding will ever surpass wakeboarding in terms of style and trick level?
I know a lot of pro wakeboarders that have tons of money. They would not be pro wakeboarders if they didn’t have it. Boats are expensive. Boat stands for: “Bust Out Another Thousand.” Kiteboarding can be really sick in the future but it will need a lot of money to see it happen and for the masses to enjoy. Sure, every now and then we see a guy jump a pier, or get a thermal up to the clouds. But in reality, for kiteboarding to really hit the level we hope for, it has to be the old guys, young guns and all the girls we can muster, to build some new foundations with each company partly furnishing and promoting the whole sport. I think that a lot of people watch TV, and when I do, there is 150 bucks I pay each month to do it and 4 channels I watch.... I wish there was some good stuff on TV, so when I rest from my awesome life out there I can watch myself and others doing it so I’m pumped up for the next day.

What excites you most in kiteboarding today?
Only things I have not seen before. Watching guys like Niccolo Porcella makes me want to practice. I’m involved with my own brand and seeing people smile makes me smile. Mostly I like to tow people in when they break down in the water. I hope to be the first paid kite-life guard or asked to be an old goat securing the perimeter out there at these events.

Wainman Hawaii's Mike Husky Przeciechowski (R&D manager and general manager)

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:29:00 -0500

Lou Wainman is unquestionably the most influential kiteboarder of all time. During the late ’90s and the start of the last decade, he pioneered the wakestyle movement and has been at the cutting edge of the sport. In 2007, it came as no surprise to SBC that a new brand was emerging with him as a partner. In just four short years, Wainman Hawaii has established itself as a core brand with a strong following around the world. SBC Kiteboard magazine editor John Bryja caught up with cofounders Mike "Husky" Przeciechowski and Lou Wainman to find out more about Wainman Hawaii and their vision for kiteboarding’s future.

Part One
The Mike Husky Interview

How did Wainman Hawaii come about?
Mike Husky Przeciechowski (R&D manager and general manager): It’s a long story, but it all started because of a passion for wind, Maui and friendship. Although Lou and I met in Paia partly because of kites, our bro-deal wasn’t based solely on Kiteboarding. We were studying reality and tried to invent ways to break into the system. Having ideas such as “robbing the bank in daylight, acting like it’s a joke, departing with a bag of cash and leaving the cashiers happy,” were a daily regular. At that time, Lou was on his own, not sponsored by anyone and not giving a damn about the past. For the first months of our housemate relationship, I didn’t know who he really was when it came to his pioneer endeavors in the kite industry, as he is a humble person and I’m a sports history ignoramus. Our attraction was based on hanging out and helping each other to survive in style. At that time, Paia was full of young, brave hearts from all around the world, grabbing the sweetest girls and biggest waves. Back in Europe, I had law degree waiting for me in a shelf, but from the perspective of the other side of the world, and seeing it through the beautiful Maui colours, it just had to wait. Within some time, I took those colours back to Europe with me and opened a large seasonal kite school at Hel Bay. But as the situation on Maui still wasn’t changing and Lou definitely needed a step up, I at least wanted to have him open a school on Maui as well. He offered me a partnership. In the end, everything was almost ready, but we realized we’d be missing good kites as none of the brands were producing anything normal. With a bit of irony, I would say: all you could choose between was a nine-strut bow kite in yellow or pink. Lack of good performance gear was definitely going to be a big problem, especially since our favourite low aspect C kites weren’t available (even used!) on eBay anymore. When we thought of it, it really sucked. At that time, Lou had already attempted starting a kite brand called Lou Wainman, but he closed that project. Since a budget for a school to buy gear, permits and storefront locations added up to almost five zeros, we figured out that going straight for the @$$ might be a better solution. As the project was looking exciting but big, we needed a third partner. I called Mark Tylicki, a kiter from Europe, good guy who was already involved in our adventures as his big travel agency was organizing all my crew trips. So it was three of us … and this is how Wainman Hawaii started.

What were the biggest challenges in the beginning?

Almost every step was a challenge. We had to build everything from ground zero. There was a lot of passion and pride, a great name to brand the product once it was ready, and some idea of what kind of gear we wanted to produce. But everything else just didn’t exist. Going from a thought to a result is a very long way. The key to success in whatever you do is to first have a wild dream. Then think about it a lot and arrange it with some constructive thoughts so things can align. Later give absolutely all you got to just make it happen. And when you jump from that cliff, make sure you move your arms quickly…. (or damn fast?)

How has Lou’s background in the sport influenced the company?

As mentioned before, his core image in the sport was the great marketing foundation that he brought to Wainman Hawaii (aside from himself). He is unquestionably the pioneer of the wakestyle movement, still being one of the first guys in the universe to ride upwind with a kite and a board before that. The company was aimed at being a core and “real” kite brand that had never existed before in this sport, resulting in a perfect match. As talented an athlete as he is, he always had a crazy, great style, but it’s not just acting the part to build the waterman’s image, it’s how he really is—very emotional, totally unpredictable and with a unique sense of humor; real. Being real definitely is our tune. Attitude-wise, the company is built by people who match that philosophy. When we laugh, we laugh hard, but when we have to fight, we fight hard as well.

In the first year Wainman Hawaii launched, your kites were without sizes on them, and each was given a name instead. We thought that was really core. How was that received?

I really appreciate you thought that. The reason why we named and marketed each size separately was simply so that each kite size of the Rabbit series was designed individually, and they are unique in slight but important details. From experience with flying other kites that are simply scaled up or down from the initial design, we knew that only some sizes within one range were flying fine and some were really bad. Not to mention that everything was different once you were switched the size, and the average rider would have to spend the first couple of minutes getting used to the kite. As the performance characteristics are an integral part of each kite, we knew we had to design each size separately in order to produce similar flying characteristics.

On top of that, the smaller kites needed to be bombproof with a special heavy cloth frame in the canopy to survive serious wipeouts. At the same time, the bigger kites in the series needed to be very light and generally fly much faster than the wind for which they are designed. Once it was conceived, it was natural for us to call them with different names and paint different faces, especially as we were already referring to them with the nicknames that later became their final names.

What sort of impact have Lou’s close relationships with some of the sport’s early pioneers, like Franz Olry, had on Wainman Hawaii?
Kitesurfing makes the world a small place as traveling through continents in the search of the good spots makes you meet many inspiring people. There is definitely some magic in meeting passionate and good guys, whoever they are. We are glad to have a team of some of those inspiring pioneers, athletes, shapers and designers under our flag. Franz is kind of a European Lou: a great innovator of the young sport who threw the first Kiteloops and was the first twin-tip promoter in Europe. Definitely a great mix to have those two friends in one team. Bertrand, being one of the first core riders in the world, became a very active sport ambassador and surf haunter. Niccolo is great young rider with heaps of character, unbelievable talent and brave heart. And Sean Ordonez, the waterman legend, board sculptor, a man with a gift of creation. Apart from those most known guys, Wainman Hawaii is proud to cooperate with many individuals with immense wisdom and skills. In some sense, all kitesurfers are pioneers, and the colder, darker and less windy their local spot is, the more core and pioneering they are. In reality, surfing with a kite is still a very niche sport, and there is still a lot of promotion needed around the world to make sure kitesurfing is not banned anywhere. So although at Wainman Hawaii, we have lots of respect for “back in the day” stories, but in everyday jobs we focus on today and tomorrow. We are content when our team is working together and everything is moving forward. Even if that’s only a quarter of an inch per day, it is still constant progress, and that is what is needed and respected the most.

Tell us a little about the R&D process.
Our R&D ranges from ideas in our heads to kiting and design studios. Therefore, we are riding a lot and testing the physical solutions in real conditions. We naturally test all our design concepts in the spots of Hawaii, but we also travel a lot to ride the gear and study its performance elsewhere. We often visit Cape Town, Indo and some flatwater laboratories in Europe. Conversely, we spend a great deal of time in offices or shaping rooms. This is where the concepts that first sprout in heads are later blooming and being developed further. The concepts are put into the files so actual fruit (prototypes) can be built by our solid production department. In the various stages of development, there is teamwork between different members and company cells. That’s where the progress is needed mostly, and where all the input is appreciated and deeply respected.

What does Wainman Hawaii do differently to set it apart from the other brands in the sport?
To be honest, we don’t do things just to set ourselves apart. We do things that we think are right, when we think it is right to do them. As an aimed result, kiters should be happy with what we provide them. Amongst those things important to us, for various reasons, we decided it right to not assign model years to our products. At first glance, this would appear a major difference to someone who looks at the sports scene from a wider perspective.

What gear are you most excited about for 2012?
Haha. I’m very excited that in 2012 we’ll still be riding great boards and kites! And I hope that no one fears this date or any other date, nor spaceships. Lol. To celebrate the world’s survival, we are planning the premiere of the second generation of Rabbits very soon, still within The Year Of The Rabbit. The gang will be wearing new jackets, their flying skills will be amped up in order to be even better, and their faces repainted to attract even more innocent citizens. The bar will be redesigned so more riders can fit in the gang, while those core and primal ones will still appreciate its simplicity.

What would surprise people most about running a kite brand?
Hmm… I guess many things could surprise and believe it or not - not too often but sometimes you still ride just for fun again. lol... But as far as some “trade secret” - it’s not quite a simple thing to design and produce the gear that in the end seems that super simple. It actually takes lots of time and effort of many people to accomplish that. Ironically the simplier concept you have the harder it might be to finalize it. And so: the never ending computer design sessions, permanent tele communication with bros in every time zone, long @$$ flights with 12 hours jetlags and all the other joys of the 21st centuries business jungle — instead of turquoise waters and vanilla skies - bank transfers, phone calls, stock lists, currency rates, payrolls and hard business negotiations with big corporations… But who said its gonna be easy… Of course you do find juice to do it, as you are blessed and thankful for all those Rabbit smiles that have been given to you so far. Big Mahalo for that to You, The Global Rabbit Gang!!!

Gary Siskar: Liquid Force Kiteboarding Brand Manager

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:09:00 -0500

You have a long history of success with action sports brands like Arnette, OP, Sole Tech and Burton. Now that you’ve been with Liquid Force for a year, what unique challenges does kiteboarding present, and what do you see as its biggest strengths?
First off, it’s great to be a part of the Liquid Force family. Liquid Force is the leader for wakeboarding in the action sports arena. The brand and everyone involved act and move just like other brands that are leading in action sports. This leadership mentality runs through the kite division, as we share the same brand DNA and goals as our Liquid Force wakeboarding brethren.
Kiteboarding is a new sport, still evolving and progressing. I feel like it’s in its teenage years, so to speak. The sport, to me, was born to a grumpy father called windsurfing and a liberal mother, surfing and wakeboarding. This has created a sport that is still finding its identity. Having these two parents are a great strength in the end, as kiting will find its way into the lives of more people with the crossover diversity it offers.
As for challenges, well, we, as kiteboarders, get a bad rap. To this day, when you put kiteboarding into a search engine for videos, all the results are people flying through the air with the outcome ending badly. I can’t tell you how many times people stop me on the beach and say something to the effect of: “Wow that is insane. I would love to learn, but I was told I would get launched into a building and die.” To me, this is because of the lack of communication and education that we project. It really hinders growth of the sport, creating the challenge of getting new participants and youth involved. Access to a spot is a massive challenge we are facing to a great extent daily. Beach access for launch sites are getting closed all around. And if we don’t all work together to again communicate and educate—not only people who don’t kite but also people who do—about respect and safety, we could be looking at some very limited launch areas.

How do you see kiteboarding fitting into the larger action sports industry?
I see kiteboarding getting a big group hug from the action sport industry someday. Daily, participants in sports like surfing, wakeboarding and snowboarding are picking up and learning how to kite. Take me for example: I started to kite because my local surf spot in Peru gets a ton of wind. One day, a couple of guys rigged some kites, went out on surfboards and had a blast as I sat on the beach hiding from the wind. I know my story is not unique. There are more and more surfers picking up kites, as are more and more wakeboarders because they see the freedom a kite can create at a lower cost than a boat.

What direction are you looking to take the LF kite brand in 2012?
Liquid Force is a product-driven brand, and for 2012 we focused on innovation. We are bringing new ideas to life that make kiteboarding easier, safer and more enjoyable. We are also taking the initiative to get more kids involved through youth camps worldwide, not just for those who already kite to progress, but to teach and get new kids involved.

Now that you’re directly involved in the kite industry, are you getting more or less time on the water?
I feel very, very lucky. I’m a strong believer in a brand being connected to the end user, and sitting behind a desk moving spreadsheets and Word documents around is not the way to stay connected. So we’ve done a ton of demos that have allowed me to get out and ride with a ton of people. The by-product of this has been more time on the water.

How has your local scene changed in the past few years?
My local seen has been in North Peru for the past few years. I do kite a fair bit in Southern California but, really, North Peru is my scene. My place is in Mancora, and the kite culture there has exploded. It has created a bustling economy for instructors, guides and the local hospitality businesses. As recently as four years ago, there were about a half-dozen of us in town who kitesurfed, and to see a traveling kitesurfer would be few and far between. Now, all the locals are really into kiting and there are always people traveling to experience the fruits of Northern Peru kitesurfing. It’s nice to see a little town enjoy the benefit of kiting.

Best place work has taken you: On the beach anywhere. It doesn’t matter if I’m in Cape Verde, Africa or Belmont Shore in California, it’s all wonderful!
Favourite riding spot: North Peru—tons of waves in every condition.
Side gigs: Well, I have a small boutique, yoga, bed and breakfast retreat in Peru called Samana Chakra. My lovely wife, Johanna, stays on top of that, but I do help from time to time with setting up kite and yoga retreats and providing condition reports.

Aaron Hadlow Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:15:00 -0400

Aaron Hadlow

Born: October 4, 1988
Aaron Hadlow, at just 22 years of age, is the winningest male kiteboarder in history, with five PKRA freestyle world championships under his belt. Kiteboarding since 2000, Hadlow has taken some time off the tour to focus his energies on filming and traveling to new places. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.
Sponsors: Flexifoil and Redbull.

Ben Wilson Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:10:00 -0400

Ben Wilson

Born: July 8, 1978
Ben Wilson, the 32 year old Australian kitesurfing legend, embarked on a new journey this year starting his own BWS brand. Ben is the undisputed king of media coverage with more magazine covers and video parts than any other rider. Most recently Jeep featured him in an ad riding the biggest wave ever kitesurfed on film. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.
Sponsors: Dakine, BWS, Reef, and Future Fins.

Brandon Scheid Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:05:00 -0400

Brandon Scheid

Born: September 9, 1985

Brandon Scheid, 25 years old, won the overall at the Triple-S event for a second time this year, arguably the most prestigious single event in kiteboarding. From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Scheid now makes his home in Wave, NC. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Liquid Force, Real Kiteboarding, O’neill, Dragon Optics, and LTR.

Damien Leroy Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:02:00 -0400

Damien Leroy

Born: August 4th 1981

Damien Leroy, 29 year old from Jupiter, Florida has won numerous national and international racing and freestyle events. In 2010 he finished 2^nd at the world racing championships. Leroy first saw kiting in Hood River, OR while training at Mt. Hood during his days as a national level ski racer. He has never looked back and kiting has been his life for the past 12 years. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Cabrinha, NPX, Black Dog, Aguera Boards, Go Pro, Corner Five, Adventure Sports

Ian Alldredge Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:57:00 -0400

Ian Alldredge

Born: June 19, 1988

Ian Alldredge, at 23 years of age, has already been featured more in SBC Kiteboard magazine than any other rider. Hailing for Santa Barbara, his strapless airs are turning heads both in the kiteboarding world and in the surf industry. On the competition front, Alldredge won both the 2009, and 2010 surf division at the Triple-S. His TDZ video series has been received with rave reviews, and are among the most watched videos on sbckiteboard.com. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: BWS, Oxbow

Jesse Richman Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:33:00 -0400

Jesse Richman

Born: July 22, 1992

Jesse Richman, at 19, is the youngest nominee for the AWSI kiteboarder of the year award. He won the French based KPWT world tour overall title in 2008 and 2009. In 2007 his 22 second jump set a world record for hangtime. He recently signed with Naish and is looking to spend more time hunting down epic surf. Based at his home in Haiku, Maui, he is in the perfect spot to do it. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Naish, FCS

Josh Mulcoy

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:30:00 -0400

Josh Mulcoy

Born: November 17, 1971

Josh Mucloy, the 40 year old Santa Cruz native, was one of the first professional surfers to fully embrace the power that a kite can give to a surfboard. The results have been impressive, and opened doors for both Mulcoy and the sport of kiteboarding. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award.

Sponsors: BWS, Stretch, Fox, Real Kiteboarding

Local spot: Santa Cruz, California, USA
Year kiting: 8

Style: Strapless Surf style

Favorite destinations: The world is a big place and there is way to many good places to go to only name a few of them.

Goals: To make the surf world wake up and realize we are surfing.

Other interests: Surfing, Mountain Biking, Wakesurfing and photography

Sponsors: BWS, Fox, Real, Dakine, Kaenon, Vans, Future fins and Stretch Boards

Mulcoy is a legend in the surf industry, but if you asked him, he’d just say “Nah, I just love surfing”. He has that mysterious enjoyment for solitude, finding the perfect wave and he seems to go where no one else wants to, “the least amount of people the better” Josh would say. He has never been after the limelight, but of coarse that is going to come with being as talented and like able as what Josh is.

Mulcoy’s kitesurfing journey began way back in the beginning when he first saw Peter Trow tearing the back out of waves way before anyone else new what was going on, Mulcoy saw the comparisons to surfing and jumped right on it. It goes without saying that when a guy like Josh can surf as well as he can, that when he learnt to fly the kite he was going to be one of the best.

Keahi de Aboitiz

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:22:00 -0400

Keahi de Aboitiz

Born: December 15, 1992
Keahi de Aboitiz, the 18 year old has numerous national titles in Australia for both Freestyle and Waves. Keahi recently started competing on the PKRA wave tour where he won the first 2 stops of year. Coming from a strong surfing background he is very focused on pushing the strapless surf scene. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award.
Sponsors: Cabrinha, NPX, Voice

Kristin Boese Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:13:00 -0400

Kristin Boese
Born: July 1^st, 1977

Kristin Boese, 34 years of age, is a nine time world champion. She grew up behind the Iron curtain, in Potsdam, East Germany. She brought the sport a great deal of exposure with an appearance in Playboy. She now heads up the very successful Kiteboard 4 Girls world wide clinic series. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Dakine, Best, indeenwerf

Lou Wainman Bio

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:05:00 -0400

Lou Wainman

Born: July 8, 1974
Lou Wainman, the 37 year old co-founder of Wainman Hawaii helped make kiteboarding what it is today. He led the infamous Kite Beach, Maui wakestyle scene through the sports rapid progression. He was doing KGB’s and Slim Chances before kite leashes were even invented. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Wainman Hawaii

Ruben Lenten

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:01:00 -0400

Ruben Lenten

Born: March 30, 1988

Ruben Lenten, 23 years of age, is the undisputed king of the Mega Loop. His high flying jumps have made him a favourite of the general public, while his powerful style has kept him relevant to today’s riders. Last year he was battling a nagging foot injury, but is now back on the water going bigger than ever. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Slingshot, Mystic

Vote: Youri Zoon

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:01:00 -0400

Youri Zoon

Born: December 14, 1989

Youri Zoon, 21 years of age from the Netherlands, is dominating the freestyle on the 2011 PKRA world cup tour, winning every event todate. His Recorded video series seen here on sbckiteboard.com has been giving fans a look at life as a touring professional kiteboarder. He has been nominated for the 2011 AWSI Kiteboarder of the year award. Click like to vote for him.

Sponsors: Slingshot, Brunotti, Mystic, Koral, Daarom.com

Sky Solbach Oregon Coast Setup

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:04:00 -0400

The Oregon Coast is one of my favorite places in the world to hang out and ride waves. The natural beauty is stunning and with hundreds of miles of coastline full of beach and reef breaks, there’s plenty to explore. But some spots on the Oregon Coast can be fickle for wind, so it’s kind of like a box of chocolates.

I spend summers in Hood River, Oregon so I’ll load up my truck with boards and kites and head out to the coast whenever there’s a swell with wind. It’s rare when I’m actually there to catch a big fall or winter swell, so l usually just take boards for small to medium size surf.

Oregon Coast board quiver:
-6’0” North WAM. This is my most used board. I can set it up as a quad or a thruster so it’s really versatile. It’s great for nearly any conditions.
-5’7” Whip. I use this board when the waves are small and I want to have a board that makes the most of the conditions. This board is much fun for doing airs and tight little snaps.
-6’2” Kontact. I only ride this board if it’s big and bumpy. If I am on the Kontact, I most likely use it with foot straps. This board is all about control and speed when you need it.

Oregon Coast kite quiver:
-5m, 7m and 9m Rebel. The Rebel is pretty much my kite of choice for riding waves everywhere. I usually ride hooked-in so I like a kite that de-powers really quickly and still turns while the bar is pushed away from me. The Rebel is lively and turns and flies really intuitively so you can always put it in the right spot quickly and effortlessly.

Rep 411: Gregg “Tekko” Gnecco

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:48:00 -0400

Rep 411
Gregg “Tekko” Gnecco
Agency: Pure Fun Stoke Factory

Brands: Liquid Force Kiteboarding. LF makes so many different products from kites and boards to straps and boots to bags and apparel—it’s full-time and like repping multiple lines!

Responsibilities: Service, support and sales for all of our western U.S. and Baja LF shops, schools and riders. Promoting the PURE FUN and STOKE of kiteboarding and Liquid Force products through constant travel, demos, events etc.

Territory: Western U.S. and Baja. Rockies to the Pacific around to Texas. Many thousands of road miles each year! A hundred and fifty to two-hundred days a year sleeping in the LF van, LF RV or on a couch.

PKs and demos per year: Hard to count! Aside from the scheduled industry demo events, we are always available for demos and working often one-on-one with people all over the region to help give them the opportunity to try LF gear. In kiteboarding, demos and riding the gear is the only way to really know what’s what and good for you. Our philosophy at LF is that we will go out of our way to arrange a demo for you to try LF gear to determine that it’s right for you. I am very noticeable and approachable in the LF Pure Fun RV or LF Van, as are many of our local riders who will demo/share their gear, so come by and ask to try some LF gear.

Best Perk: The people! I do what I do because of the people I get to share my days with. From the amazing crew I work with every day at LF, to the shops and schools rocking LF gear, to all the kiters I meet on beaches around the world, it is spending my days around these like-minded people—all of YOU—that make this such a fun gig. That and I get to work 80 per cent of the time in board shorts and flip-flops!

How has your local scene changed in the past 10 years? Wow! Ten Years! It was 10 years ago this summer when I saw my first kites while driving through Hood River for the first time as a kayaker out here for Gorge Games 2000 and got hooked on kiting! I’d say the biggest change all over is how much the evolution of safer and easier gear (bridles and depower) has allowed kiteboarding to move out of the fringe of “extreme” sports and more into the world of accessible everyday watersports, bringing more and more people into the sport everyday.

Side gigs: I’m an IKO instructor and recently started teaching kiting again after many years for my wife’s kite school, Cascade Kiteboarding in Hood River. So exciting after all these years to share with people that fresh new stoke as they learn to get up and ride for the first time, or land their first jump or Back Roll. New energy and riders are key to the sport and I enjoy that I get to be part of that as well.

Best place work has taken you: I love to travel and I’m always excited to see new places. While kiteboarding has taken me outside of the U.S. a few times, it is really the time on the road in the American West and Baja that I truly love. I try to change up my routes as much as possible while connecting the dots of where I’m heading next, to see a new place or just go through a town I’ve never been through. This country is such an amazing place and I feel very fortunate that I get to explore it while at work promoting fun through watersports!

Involved in events: Yes! I have been the official LF events guy for the past few years and get to as many as possible. Events bring people together and that is always fun! We try to have a fun setup for LF, pumping tunes, energy drinks, etc. to create a vibe that people want to come be a part of... regardless of which brand they ride! Everyone’s welcome at the LF tent! Special shout out to Kicker Audio and Monster Energy for their support in making the Liquid Force tent always a fun place to be!

Tools of the Trade with Sam Medysky

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:53:00 -0400

Sauble Beach, Ontario’s Sam Medysky is one of the top riders on the Best Kiteboarding international team. SBC first became acquainted with Sam when as a young pre-teen grom he visited the Billabong booth at the 2002 Wakestock event to get Chris Gilbert’s autograph. Back then, Sam was by all reports already a really good kiter. Now he is a three time Canadian Champion and sponsored by Best Kiteboarding, Balance boards, RogueWave custom, Dakine and O’Neill.

	Balance Medysky 138 The Balance Medysky 138 is probably my favourite piece of gear because it has my name on it! It’s not just my favourite because of that though. The Medysky 138 is a great board for today’s freestyle riding. It has a stiff centre section while the tip and tail of the board are a bit softer, allowing it to pop huge and have butter smooth landings. The Balance boards are made in the same factory as “Atomic” skis and snowboards so Balance has used some of the technologies from the snowboards and transferred them to their kiteboards. The board has a thin aluminum sheet through it, stiffening the board and also making it far more durable. The board is equipped with inserts for bindings (6 inch) or foot straps. There are three different choices for inserts so you can ride it with a wide stance or a bit narrower.
	Ronix Frank / Dakine X-Lace Most of the time I find myself riding boots these days but the odd time if it’s really windy I’ll take out some foot straps for mega loops. I use the Dakine X-Lace straps. They are nice and wide so they hold your foot in really well but they also can tighten down and be loosened off on the fly: nice and easy! As for boots, I ride the 2010 Ronix Frank closed-toe. The Ronix boots are super light with lots of support and have a dual-lace system that works. The boots also have a Velcro strap right over your toes so you can crank that down to hold your toes from lifting up when you’re edging your board.
	Dakine Renegade I’ve ridden for Dakine since I was 13 years old and never once had a problem with their harnesses. Comfortable, durable and light! That’s all I have to say!
	Best Bularoo 9, 11 The 9m and 11m Bularoo are my favourite sizes in the series. I do a lot of teaching on these kites but I’ve spent a lot of time riding them myself. They are super stable which helps in the gustier winds. The Bularoo also has an easy relaunch system so in tough conditions on the water it’s great to get the kite up quick. The relaunch is great for snow kiting in the winter season back home in Canada.
	Best Team C 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 Since the beginning of my kiting career in 1998, I’ve been on C kites. The Team C has very little depower, lots of grunt, which is great for wake-style riding. The Kite Loop’s huge, pulls hard and is so simple. No bells and whistles = simplicity!
	Strapless Best Short Stick and Jellyfish Wakeskate Often times if I find myself injured or just have a bad day of riding, I’ll take out my surfboard or my wakeskate and have a ton of fun. Whether I’m playing in the waves trying some carves and airs or jibbing a slider or working on some skate tricks, I’m always having fun because it’s a change and adds some variety to what we can ride on the water.
	Best 2010 Redline Bar I have three Best Redline bars, a 45 cm and 50 cm. The bar is great for riding unhooked with a super grippy surface and great contour under your fingers. I changed the stock chicken loop size to double the original size. This makes it easy to unhook and hook back up. Also, with a larger chicken loop it allows me to ride with my arms comfortably at arm’s length but still have full power in my kite. I always ride 22 m lines. This allows me to keep the kite low and makes it easier to slacken the lines when loading and popping. Also, another benefit to 22 m lines is for Kite Loops. The shorter the lines, the easier it is to get the kite below your body during the Loop.

Asia Litwin

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:27:00 -0400

When you meet this young girl on the beach it’s hard to believe that she’s one of the top upcoming stars of the PKRA world tour. That is until you see her on the water. She’s full of grace, spontaneous, full power and technical all at the same time. When you grow up in the city of Warsaw it’s hard to dream about sandy beaches, palm trees and crystal blue water, but Asia made her dream come true.
   “I started because of my uncle Dariusz Rosiak, who is the owner of Nobile Kiteboarding,” 15-year-old Asia explains. “I was into snowboarding, and he introduced me to kiteboarding.”
   After just the first few months everybody realized Asia was very talented. She started riding with the best Polish riders. First Lukasz Ceran and then with Victor Borsuk, who taught her the style she is following. She now spends her time in Brazil or Rodos, enjoying perfect training conditions.
   And what about living in the big city far away from the beach? “It’s really good that sometimes I can go home, which is not a bungalow on the seashore nor hotel room,” Asia says. “Sometimes I just need to live ‘the city life.’ Go to the movies, hang out with my friends, my sister and just enjoy my free time”.
   After a great season competing with the best riders in the world, she finished the season in second place overall in the PKRA ranking, and she’s got an appetite for more. Her schedule for 2010 is really tight: 10 or more PKRA events, Polish Championships, maybe even some European Championships.
   But life is not just that easy, last year Asia had some problems with her hip and is still struggling with pain and problems, but this little girl is really strong and working toward a full recovery and returning even stronger.
   Another challenge for a teenager turned professional kiteboarder is school. Sometimes it’s a struggle to keep up with the homework while zipping around the globe, but with the full support of her teachers and hours of learning after sessions on the water she’s doing great in her studies.
   So what makes young Asia so good that she can compete with the best riders? “I think that’s because I was always a sporty type,” Asia says. “[I play] a lot of football (soccer), snowboarding, some acrobatics... and I’m not afraid to try new tricks.”
   Right now her bag of tricks is quite big. From stylish grabs to Back Mobe 5s, Front Mobes and KGBs. Asia is also practising some double handlepasses, but don’t tell anyone... it’s suppose to be a secret.
—Wojtek Antonów, Nobile Team and Marketing Manager

Nickname: Asia
Date of Birth: 11/04/1994
Years Riding: 4
Sponsors: Nobile Kiteboarding, NPX, Long John, Femi Pleasure
Hometown: Warsaw, Poland
Off-Water Activities: Snowboarding
Trip of a Lifetime: Brazil last year
Favourite Board: NHP wmns 131
Favourite Trick: S-Bend Pass
Last Trick Landed: Switch Slim Chance

Who's That? Eric Reinstra

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:09:00 -0400

The golden dreadlocks are unmistakable. They mingle amongst the local scenes as one who belongs—be it the sandbar of Hood River, Lanes at Maui, the slicks of Hatteras or snow-covered peaks of the Sierras. Whether it’s kite, surf, snowboard or wake it doesn’t matter…people respect the laid-back, determined focus and distinct style that follows the traveler named Eric Rienstra.
    When talking with Eric there is a distinct Rasta ethos surrounding him that could easily fool you into thinking he is just another beach slacker. As a confessed couch surfer and ramen lover it isn’t until you see him in motion on the water do you see his complete commitment to the moment and the perfection of it that defines who he is.
   I’ve seen Eric kite late into the evening amongst impossibly light wind, everyone else had come in, yet he stays and waits. Hungry for the opportune gust to work in just one more pass. There exists a thirst in Eric to become better, a fire within to improve each session.
    Growing up in Tahoe, Eric started kiting on Sherman Island soon after Corey Roeseler pulled the reel off the kiteski. Eric’s initial stoke was the freedom that kiting provided, to this day it’s the trick progression of the wakestyle movement. “I want wakeboarders to see that kiters can do all they do, and so much more,” he says.
    Keeping diversity fresh in his bag of board skills, Eric has chosen to return this winter to his snowboarding roots up at Northstar in Tahoe. Fine-tuning his rail steeze much like Dylan Thompson in Utah, Eric is aware that the payoff will come when the kites come out in the spring as he travels to Baja and Maui. The eventual goal he says is an invitation to compete in the Triple-S in Hatteras.
    Eric keenly understands the relationship between cause and effect having studied history and philosophy. “By focusing on the past can you make informed decisions at the present to bring about a more favorable future,” he says.
   With this kind of irie thinking and hard work there is no doubt Eric will achieve whatever goals he chooses in life.

Nickname: Slacker, Predator
Date of Birth: 12/18/87
Years Riding: 6
Sponsors: Slingshot, Dakine, Transcend, Hyperflex
Hometown: Kings Beach, Calif.
Off-Water Activities: Board sports, all of them
Trip of a lifetime: Circumnavigate the globe kiteboarding, snowkiting and land kiteboarding
Favourite Board: Slingshotshot Reflex
Heros: Lou, Dre, and Yoda
Favourite Trick: I appreciate any grabbed handle pass when done properly with bindings, but if I had to choose one it would be a Moby Dick with a Melon after the pass.
Last Trick Landed: BS 3 with a melon after the pass.

Past Present and Future: Chris Gilbert

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:54:00 -0400

Nick Name: CG
Date of Birth: 10/26/66
Place of Birth: Memphis, Tenn.
Favourite Saying: Fish On!
Sponsors: Dakine, Naish, Zeal

Chris Gilbert is one of kiteboarding’s original pioneers. He has been actively involved in the industry since its inception in 1997 and along the way has had a positive influence. Following a successful pro career, Chris settled down in Hood River with women’s world champion Julie Prochaska Gilbert. They are happily married with two children, but that’s if you don’t count kiteboarding as their first.

Birth of Kiteboarding
I started kiting in early 1997. I was living in a house at the beach in Paia on Maui. I started seeing Manu Bertin come down the coast almost every evening. Seeing the kite “S” turning through the sky as he surfed down the coastline effortlessly was very cool. I just knew I had to try this kite/surfing thing. After asking around I was directed to see Joe Cool, the godfather of the early Maui kite scene. He gave me the bad news—Manu had one of the only inflatable kites in existence—a Wipika prototype. “Don’t worry,” Joe said. Kites would be coming soon. A few long months later Joe came into Hi Tech, where I worked as a buyer, and said Wipika kites where on the way, and he asked if HiTech wanted to be a dealer. Before Joe could even finish saying kites, I said yes we would… And I’ll take that red kite! With that, Hi Tech became the first Maui store to carry kiteboarding gear, and at the same time I became a kiteboarder.
   It was fun and unpredictable. Everyone who had a kite was really just along for the ride. When you launched your kite you had no idea what was going to happen. The only thing for sure was that you were going downwind so you’d better have a plan. For the first few months we had no concept of how to go upwind, nor did we really care in the beginning. I had a good four months of downwind coast runs before I could stay upwind and that was normal.
   When the first Wipikas showed up, no control bars were included—only two flying lines, a little pump and a prayer. Out of necessity I started making my own bars. Almost everyone did this. It was like a rite of passage. If you couldn’t make the gear you needed, you couldn’t go kiting. When Naish opened a couple years later I worked in the R and D department to help develop their first bar and safety system. Other than Robby and Don, I think I was the first Naish Kiteboarding employee, and then Flash and I became the first on the Naish International Team.

Dakine
Dakine was one of my first sponsors. From early on the designer Kevin would send products for me to test, and pick my brain for product ideas. There was quite a bit of development needed in those days.
   I am now the Product Line Manager for the Kiteboarding Division. My responsibilities include product design, testing, factory logistics etc. Basically I wear many hats during the day. We have a full R and D facility here in Hood River. The majority of my day is spent designing and building actual prototypes that can be worked with, tested and developed further toward a final product.
   I am most excited about the Warlock System footstraps and deck pads. The Warlock strap is a wide full-coverage strap with the X-Lace tightening system. They are by far the most secure feeling and easiest to adjust footstraps ever made. We have been successfully using the X-Lace technology for years but it has been hidden under the footstrap cover. Now the system is in the open so you can see how it works, making it much easier to operate. Dakine lead the way by introducing lace footstraps with the X-Lace, and now the Warlocks are raising the bar once again.

Leaving His Mark
I would be happy to know I helped people enjoy the sport. If it was a design of mine that made kiting more fun, some trick or wave ride I did to inspire someone, or maybe I gave a riding tip on the beach… just to know I helped a little is enough of a mark for me.

Props
Thanks to everybody. The list is long of the people that believed in me and have given me the opportunity to make kiting my life and livelihood. Hopefully you know who you are.

Aaron Hadlow Video Profile

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

PKRA video profile of 5-time world champion Aaron Hadlow. He lost to Kevin Langeree this year on what many are decribing as a scoring technicallity. This video of Aaron Hadlow's riding is awesome.

Aaronhadlow.com

Bear Karry - kitesurf profile - Airush

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

19-year old kitesurfer from Santa Barbara, CA Bear Karry signs with Airush Kiteboarding. This video has some great footage from California and Indo. Worth taking the five minutes to watch. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLWS1VpVRHc

Be sure to check out Bear Karry's travels with Ian Alldredge, Reo Stevens, and Ben Wilson in the 2010 Buyer's Guide issue of SBC Kiteboard magazine.

Greg Norman JR

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Full name: Greg Michael Norman
Prefer to be called: Greg Norman Jr.
Hatched on: 9/19/1985
Born in: A hospital
Grew up in: An airplane and hotels around golf courses
Residence now: Jupiter, Fla.
Sports you did growing up, things you were into: Surf, wakeboarding, cable, skate, snowboarding, and a little bit of golf
Where and what did you study: University of Miami, business management

KITEBOARDING

SPONSORS: Cabrinha Kite, Ronix Wake, Globe, Dakine, Freestyle

WHAT SETUP ARE YOU RIDING RIGHT NOW:
for Kite: The Drizzle Pro Model Custom 140, Ronix Relik Boots, Cab ‘10 Switchblade and Nomads, 35cm Cab Bar, and Dakine Renegade harness
For Cable: Ronix Viva 140, Ronix Relik Boots, Ronix Jacket

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN KITING?
Learned in 2000.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN CHECKING OUT THE SPORT?
Couldn’t always find someone to drive the boat or drive me to a cable.

WHERE DID YOU ACTUALLY FIRST GET YOUR SIGHTS ON KITING?
I was introduced to kiting by a really good friend of mine who I would go snowboarding with when I was a grom. She lived on Maui in summer and Vail in winter. One winter she brought me a kite mag and the video High to show me this killer new sport growing out in Hawaii. I waited about four months, watched High about a hundred times before I finally came out to Kite Beach, Maui, and took a lesson. Lou did a Slim over my head while I was body dragging on the inside and I was hooked.

YOU TOOK A BREAK FROM KITING IN THE FALL OF 2007, WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?
Yeah, I took a break from all board sports except surf.
The break started when I was living in Australia. I was surfing everyday and the wind wasn’t all that great. My Dad asked me if I wanted to play in the Del Webb Father/Son [golf tournament] with him. It was two months away and my golf game was shithouse. So I started practising and getting lessons from the same guy my dad took lessons from growing up. I started doing well and actually played well in front of thousands of people and the world media during the tournament.
     This got my confidence in the game up so I started to play in local amateur events around South Florida. In a few months, I won my first one and placed third in another against South Florida’s top amateurs and college players.
    Summer was coming around and I made the decision to continue with my golf and play as many tourneys as possible. That was why I wasn’t in last year’s Real Triple S. All the best Am tourneys are during that summer. I traveled all around the country from Orlando to Washington State playing events.
    While I did very well some and horrible in others, I started to realize the actual commitment needed to succeed in the game. Which is, canceling out all other things in your life to focus 110 per cent on the game. It was also the end of summer and I was back home and started to hit the cable again. Before I knew it, as quickly as I was into the golf scene, I was out of it faster.

YOU’VE SPENT SOME TIME IN THE CABLE PARKS. TELL ME ABOUT THAT and HOW IT has CROSSED OVER INTO YOUR KITING:
    I am lucky enough to live fairly close to the first cable to be built in the states. Andy Hurdman and myself have been riding at Ski Rixen, Deerfield Beach Park for a while now. And since Miami is not known for having epic wind, we went to the park a lot. You will always be powered, always find flatwater, and the obstacles will always be out. On top of that, there is a pretty motivating crew of riders there. Along with Andy, the pro cable guys (Donald Shelbrick, Robb Mapp, Marc Shuster, and Diego Shaw) are there almost everyday going massive. When riding with guys like that, it’s hard not to get amped to push yourself to try to get to that level.
    But at the same time, the cable is obviously very limiting. It’s not a kite where you can go anywhere the hell you want to. So I use the cable as a tool for my kiting. Everything is always the same at the cable, so it’s real easy to work on tricks and your style. And most importantly, you learn how to take some serious beatings at the cable. Thus, when you get back to a kite you can really push it hard.
    I like to think that the kite is my own personal cable system, but instead of being limited to a pond, you are free to ride whatever you want.
    I will always ride the cable and try to push myself there. I have done the cable events and will continue to if I can, but the kite is where it’s at.

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE SPORT INTEREST YOU MOST, WHICH DIRECTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUSH THE SPORT: (WAVES, RAILS, FREESTYLE, ETC.)
    Wake and waves, for sure.
    Like I said, I like to think the kite is my own cable so I will only be riding in boots, going fast, with the kite low. I have done every aspect this sport has to offer (yes, I used to ride straps and do Kite Loops, but only for about a month) ’cause I found everything too easy except the real wakestyle kiting.
    Now I am not saying that Reuben’s mega loops aren’t sick (they are for sure!), but personally I would rather see a guy throw a LEGIT wakestyle grabbed back to blind rather than a dangly Mobe 7. The reason is simply style. And again I am not saying that all riders in straps aren’t stylish (can’t argue that Aaron doesn’t throw down), but the truth that making a trick look good (no matter how easy) is harder than any trick just hucked with the kite high. Take a look around and you will slowly see all those guys starting to put the boots on. Like at the Triple-S this year, both Reuben and Aaron were in boots killing it.
    And as for waves, surfing is the ultimate. If those guys in Hawaii never stood up and rode a carved down tree on a breaking swell, then there would be a chance we wouldn’t have any board sports. If you are a surfer, we can no longer hate the wind cause we will just pump up a kite and be stoked out while everyone else is sitting on the beach.

FAVOuRITE TRICK AT THE MOMENT:
Fashion air to late Backscratcher and on a good day anything spun off a kicker.

NEXT ON THE LIST:
Spin a lot more.

TYPICAL DAY OF GNJ:
Wake around seven, eat, surf, eat, kite/cable, eat, have a beer with friends, eat, sleep, repeat.

WHAT GETS YOU MOTIVATED?
Knowing that if I am not out there trying new things, then someone else might be.

TRAVEL PLANS FOR THE YEAR:
Hatteras, Hood River, Hatteras, Home, Scotland, Engand, Home, Ohio, New York, Maui, Mentawais, CWC Phillipines, Maui, Cable Tour....

GOLF:
WHAT KIND OF ROLE DOES GOLFING PLAY IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW?
Right now it’s something fun to do with good friends and some beers. But the majority of time it’s my other job. I’m my dad’s full-time caddie now.

IN THE FUTURE?
    Golf will always be in my life, but I’ll never play it for a future

WHAT DOES YOUR DAD THINK OF YOUR KITEBOARDING MISSION:
    He’s so stoked on the fact that I’ve established myself in as an athlete completely outside his shadow. But at the same time, he would support me no matter what I wanted to do with my life, just as long as it made me stoked.

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET HIM OFF OF THE GRASS AND ONTO THE WATER FOR A SESSION?
    Hell, he started out as a surfer!
    Two summers ago at the Triple-S, he took a lesson from Real and in one day was up and riding. Also, recently got to him out in the waves for a surf for the first time in 30 years and he caught two waves like nothing. We both were so stoked!

DO YOU AND YOUR DAD GET TO FIT ANY GOLF TIME IN TOGETHER?
    We play a round together when we get the chance for sure.

DO ANY OF YOUR MATES IN KITEBOARDING HAVE A DECENT GOLF GAME?
    Denver (FULL NAME) practises and plays more than me these days so I would say he would have me beat.
    And Dre (FULL NAME) has a wicked swing too.

RANDOMS
INSPIRED BY: My dad
NICKNAME/S: Jr.
BOOTS OR STRAPS: Can’t wear straps cause my feet get too cold
FOSTERS OR BUDWEISER: Fosters is Australian for Beer!
KAPALUA OR KITEBEACH: Surf Honolua Bay at dawn, drive two minutes to Kapalua for nine holes, then ride all afternoon at KB
MUSIC OF CHOICE: Anything that sounds good, but please no country
PREFERRED BEVERAGE: Spike!
KITEFORUM OR KITESCOOP: Kiteforum???
RIDERS THAT INFLUENCE YOU WITHIN THE SPORT: Anyone who is out pushing the sport in the right direction
ATHLETES FROM OTHER SPORTS THAT INFLUENCE YOU: Tom Fooshee, Keith Lyman, Keith Lidberg, Nick Davies, Ben Greenwood, and Clay Marzo
FAVOuRITE PLACE TO RIDE: KB, Maui for kickers and the Slick, OBX for flatwater and rails
ANY WORDS OF WISDOM: Adventure, excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.
ANYONE YOU WANT TO GIVE PROPS TO/THANK YOU’S: My family, who have always been there for me no matter what. My friends to stoke me out on life. Cabrinha and Ronix for producing the gear allow to get me to ride to my full potential. Dakine for always producing the coolest gear. Freestyle watches. And of course, SBC Kiteboard for this interview!

Photographer’s Self Portrait: Lance Koudele

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

"I never got bound up in the technicalities of what was right and wrong. I was free to focus on what interested me in my own way." —Lance Koudele

I kinda fell into photography by accident. I was studying film at the Art Institute Of Portland and took some photography classes on the side from a teacher I really respected—he was definitely a mentor in many aspects. After graduation I kept shooting and slowly doors kept opening and I found I actually enjoyed it more than film.
   I was educated in digital media at the Art Institute of Portland. That was definitely helpful. From the technical side to the more demanding realm of actually running a business, all aspects were covered. The good part was that as I focused more on film, it let me not take photography so seriously so I never got bound up in the technicalities of what was right and wrong. I was free to focus on what interested me in my own way.
   I got into shooting kiteboarding when I moved to the gorge in 2002. I blew my ACL that summer—I was wrecked from kiting but managed to stay a part of it and be stoked by taking photos. After completely rebuilding both knees, a shoulder, and a number of other injuries I knew it was time to move on from the competitive side of sports and into the realm of creatively capturing the essence of why we do it.
   My first published shot was of Dave Tyburski doing a S-Bend at the sandbar. I remember donating the paycheque to Outside In, a group dedicated to helping street youth in Portland. I wanted my photography to be about creating positive change straight from the start. I used the term Ion Imagery to describe my work—an ion being the molecular foundation of change. I wanted my media to inspire and challenge the status quo, to reconnect people with the spirit of the elements.
   I kinda just spent time on the beach shooting and kiting as much as possible. As opposed to breaking into a scene I’d say I melded with it and in some ways supported what existed. Locals Joby Cook and Dylan Thompson have been doing what they’ve been doing ever since I’ve know them. It’s great that they and wakestyle are now getting the respect they deserve.
   I think people would be surprised to know that being a good photographer means you’re a good problem-solver more than anything. From gear issues to personality or travel conflicts, the good shot comes from someone who can work through anything with a stoke to share. People skills are a must—pushing the shutter button is probably less than 10 per cent of what I do.
   Most top-level pros get there because they are inspirational people besides being talented athletes. It is a totally awesome experience to meet kiters from around the globe and find that connection that binds. From Ben Wilson, Ruben Lenten, Youri Zoon to Joby, and Dylan. Each person expresses themselves with a unique style. Although I still get the most stoke from the newbie on the water who just learned to stay upwind, or the old local still out past sunset having an epic soul session. They are probably more important to keeping me grounded and stoked as a kiter.
   There have been a number of wayward travels over the years. Usually those are only funny after it’s over, but I love how crazy shit happens on the road. Maybe the one that stands out is the time I caught dengue fever in Puerto Rico and the Center for Disease Control didn’t know what it was—there hadn’t been a case of Dengue in like 20 years. The time I was heliboarding with Jeremy Jones in Switzerland and I rode down the wrong side of the peak is another fond one... I was walking through fields with horned cows and bells forever, trying to find some clue as to where I was. I was, by the way, in a completely different country.
   In many ways the Internet is making it easier for voice of truth to be heard. People who have a unique style and vision are now able to get their imagery out to the world quicker and for less money. On the downside it definitely clouds the market with a million more photographers who just picked up the latest DSLR and want to be called professional. It’s becoming harder to make a living doing it for sure.
   I can see the disappearance of print completely for news-related media. I think there will always be room for quality writing and photography, however, in some form, there is something very satisfying about physically holding some media in the hands and turning pages that the Web can’t match.
   My goals personally for the coming year are to travel and to kite/surf as much as possible. Professionally I want to push creative kite imagery further—I would rather fail trying to shoot something with a unique view than get the same tried and tired image. Ultimately I want to inspire others to get out and experience for themselves the power of being in nature. There is a spiritual side to the elements that really keeps me grounded. I think a lot of people today could really use a strong dose of it.

Lance’s Gear
Canon 1ds mark 2
Canon 1d mark 2
Canon G9

15mm f/2.8
16-35 f/2.8 L
50mm f/1.2 L
70-200mm f/2.8L IS
400mm f/5.6L

SPL Camera/Pocketwizard Housing
Ewa-Marine Housing
Custom Flash Housings

Profoto 7B Strobe and Ringflash
3x Flashpoint 1220 Strobes
Canon 580, 550, Vivitar 285 Flashes
Quantum Turbo Battery

Computers
MacPro 2x 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon with 5GB RAM
2.16 Intel Duo MacBook Pro

Ocean Air's Brian Klauser

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It’s the worst-kept secret in the world of kiteboarding.
   “Certainly more and more people are visiting Hatteras Island every year for kiteboarding,” says Brian Klauser, owner of Ocean Air Sports, the oldest watersports shop in the area, dating back to the ’80s under various names including Windsurfing Hatteras. For more than 25 years hordes of wind jockeys have been heading to Cape Hatteras for good reason. “The riding here is really unlimited,” Klauser says. “The possibilities for ocean riding and sound-side riding are still unlimited. There are still new places to ride here, which is amazing to me.”
   Klauser, 37, has been around the area long enough to know each and every one of those possibilities. He moved from New Jersey to the Outer Banks in 1998 and immediately got a job working at Windsurfing Hatteras. In 2000, the original local owners sold the business to North Sports and Klauser was given the opportunity to remain at the shop where he worked his way up the ranks, becoming general manager in 2003. In 2007 the name was changed to Ocean Air Sports and three years ago Klauser bought the building at an auction. Then, in the spring of 2009 North Sports gave him the chance to buy the business outright. Klauser hesitated, briefly, and ultimately came up with the cash to bring the shop back into local hands. “It took some doing. It’s not that easy to borrow money these days,” he says.
   From his early days stocking the shelves to his current status as the man who runs the show, Klauser’s dedication to his job and to the shop has become legendary. It’s so strong in fact that it very nearly cost him his life.
   On August 3, 2004, Klauser was supposed to be enjoying his birthday. Instead, he was the only one in the shop when Hurricane Alex hit the East Coast. It was originally forecast as a tropical storm but as winds of up to 100 mph whipped along the Outer Banks, Klauser prepared for catastrophe. “I kind of took the role of the captain going down with the ship,” he says.
   Things just progressively got worse when a house right behind the shop caught on fire and with the wind blowing 70-80 mph it never stood a chance. “The place was just a towering inferno,” Klauser says. Fortunately everyone made it out of the house safe. Heavy winds smashed in one of the shop windows with Klauser standing only 10 feet away. “We had hot coals, burning embers actually blowing into the shop. I was literally inside the shop stamping out hot coals on the carpet,” Klauser recalls. “I would imagine that if I wasn’t in there there could have easily been a fire in the shop. I was definitely a little bit fearful for my life,” he says.
   Aside from that terrifying experience Klauser says he has loved every minute of working at the shop. His passion for kiteboarding is infectious and it rubs off on all his dedicated staff and every customer who walks through the door looking for an old part to keep their rig going and every new rider learning the sport in Ocean Air’s windsurfing and kiteboarding school. “Having a kite school is critical to having a kite shop,” Klauser says. “Our shop is located right on the water. We’ve got a WaveRunner dock right at our building. We take our students up to basically an empty beach on the sound where we can rig safely, setup, launch the kite and then there’s just miles and miles of area in the sound where you can go downwind, shallow water and no one else around.”
   When he’s not busy with the shop, Klauser is kept occupied by his young family. He has a three-year-old son, Rudy, and a six-year-old daughter, Eva, who has even been out windsurfing a few times and has gone out strapped to Klauser’s back while goes out kiteboarding. Klauser says it’s tough getting his sessions in when he’s constantly being pulled in a number of directions, but the accomplished kiteboarder always finds time to get out and test the new gear each season. “That’s been a struggle for the past several years, keeping it all balanced,” he says. Klauser does his best to stock up on sessions over the winter in preparation for the rush of visitors during spring and summer and living in Cape Hatteras 12 months out of the year, Klauser knows why the locals stay and the visitors keep returning. “It’s different everyday,” he says.

Shop name: Ocean Air Sports
Location: Cape Hatteras
Owner/manager: Brian Klauser
Phone: 252-995-5000
Toll free: 866-995-6644
E-mail: info@oceanairsports.com
Web: www.oceanairsports.com

Local Conditions: Year-round riding in the slickest of slicks to huge surf in the ocean. Plenty of places to launch and ride on both sides. April through July provide consistent warm winds, then things fire back up October through December. Shallow water in the Sound makes this area a great place to learn.

Gear for the Area: My quiver is 7m,10m,14m, 5’10” surfboard, and a twin-tip. That covers 15-35 knots for me. If by chance there is no wind, a surfboard or stand up paddle board will get you on the water until the wind comes up. If all else fails, a cooler full of beers and a fishing pole can help pass the time.

Local Knowledge: There are a lot of places to ride here, many accessible by 2WD, but 4WD will get you access to many more. On the most crowded days you can still find a great place to launch somewhere else away from the crowds. If you are new to the sport, take a lesson and keep our beaches safe.

Lesson Information: We have PASA Certified Kite Coaches teaching from March 15th through November. Lessons range from $125 US per hour for a private, $450 US for our Learn 2 Kite program, and Kite Camps are $650 US per person. We are right on the water and we have a fleet of WaveRunners to teach with.

David Tyburski

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Who’s the most accomplished American kiteboarder of all time? While Dave Tyburski’s name might not jump to the top of most peoples’ minds, it should. After completing his MBA he started one of Hood River’s most successful kiteboarding schools. When the opportunity to turn pro presented itself, Tybo rose to the challenge, winning the prestigious PKRA event in Cabarete. This past year he has become the product manager at Airush Kiteboarding. The future looks bright for this All-American Kiteboarder.

Full Name: David Charles Tyburski
Nick Name: Tybo, most common with many variations depending on the person.
Date of Birth: Jan. 12, 1970
Place of Birth: Canton, Ohio
Favourite Saying: “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”
Sponsors: Airush, Dakine, Prolimit Wetsuits

When did you first get into kiteboarding and how did it come about?

I got into kiteboarding around 1998 after a brief stint with windsurfing while I was in school in Northern California. The gear was very rudimentary and the learning process was really slow. I picked up a 5.0 Wipika 2-line kite and taught myself at Big Lagoon in Humboldt County and Floras Lake on the Oregon coast. I put some inserts into an old boxy-railed single fin surfboard and slowly figured it out. It was a lot of swimming between the riding back then. I didn’t become proficient until I moved to Hood River in 1999. Flying 2-line kites in the Gorge was always an adrenaline rush and the real progression didn’t come until the 4-line kite entered the market. Then things got really interesting.

You have an MBA, started the Gorge’s largest kite school, and then turned pro? That’s backwards isn’t it?

I guess it is, but I’m really glad that it happened that way. I’ve been able to accomplish much of what I’ve wanted to, and at the same time take advantage of some really great opportunities that I really never saw coming. Even though I’ve always been an athlete, I never imagined a career as an athlete in the cards. Through kiteboarding, I have learned a lot on both a personal and business level, I’ve also made some incredible friends.

I feel fortunate that the majority of the travel and experiences I’ve enjoyed through kiteboarding came at a later stage in my life. Had I been younger, I don’t think I would have been as appreciative, and I think I would have benefited less.

Looking back at your very successful PKRA freestyle days, is their a time or trip that really stands out.

Definitely my 1^st Place in Cabarete in 2002 stands out because I beat the two prior years world champions and received my 1^st place trophy from Bruno Leganoux. I think it only stands out, however, because it is kind of supposed to, or it is something that you get reminded of as an achievement. I think that some of the most memorable days and trips of my PKRA career were just the times spent with friends on the road and the side trips and sessions that happened before, after and in between events. Numerous stays in Brazil and Dominican Republic over the years are quite memorable. Returning to the same place year after year really ingrains the memories of the place and time versus when you visit a place only once, regardless of how incredible the experience may have been.

Has being a pro lived up to your expectation, how has it different from what you expected as a teen growing up?

I never really thought of what being a pro was like when I was a teen so I never had expectations. When kiteboarding came on, I was just going with the flow not quite sure where it would lead. For sure early on in my youth I though of being a pro-skateboarder but I never actually thought about what it was like to be one, it just seemed intangible. I think that I just dreamt about doing something that I love for a living. I had never even thought of a wind sport as something that one could have as a career.

It is definitely never as easy as it seems being a pro athlete. Being an athlete is like running your own business and you are the product, so you really have to sell yourself and be a good self-promoter. I was never really good at self-promotion and the “Why I’m awesome” sales pitch is quite awkward for me, so I tried to let my riding, and interactions with others speak for me. I’ve always tried to work with companies that have substance and see the value in a person for what they are not just from what they can do in a narrow circumstance as a rider.

What advice do you have for up and coming riders that want to turn pro?

Well if you want to do contests, my advice is to be humble and to open your mind to riding styles that you may not be into. Compete in as many contests as you can for experience and train in less than ideal conditions because most contests are held in places that one wouldn’t normally choose to ride. And lastly, you will have to be as much of a mental athlete to make it through pressure of competition. Spend time preparing mentally before training as you would before a heat if you are serious about competing.

If you aren’t into contests and just want to be a video and photo pro, focus on the tech, but concentrate on your style. Style is the body’s interpretation of how to execute a trick. Go through things in your head and visualize and try to feel what you want it to look like. Be friends with every photographer and videographer and spend equal time getting your photos and videos out to the media as you do on your riding and don’t forget, you are the product- represent on the beach in a positive light as much as on the water.

After your freestyle career you, got really involved in judging. What is that like?

Judging at the World Cup level is pretty cool. We get treated really well (better than the riders do) and we get paid regardless of how we rode that day! But the truth is that judging at this level is extremely demanding and difficult. Difficult, in that you have to critically watch heat after heat for sometimes more than 5-6 hours in one sitting. Demanding, in that some heats are so close that you have to be so intense and focused on all the details of the riding and sometimes it can still come down to the style that you prefer. With two riders on the water at the same time, it is inevitable that you will not be able to see and record every grab and move, so a lot of times you are the fall guy when a rider doesn’t advance and feels that they should have.

Tell us about your new role at Airush? How did the first year go?

The first year is going great and it has been extremely busy. We have brought about some big changes in the brand and the product line for 2010 and I’m really excited about it. We have developed some innovative concepts in kites and introduced 2 new lines to the range. In boards, we’ve developed new categories and are pushing the sport in new directions in surf, freeride, race and freestyle, I even got to develop a skim board for 2010! Also, we’ve added a technical apparel line that is pretty insane so there is a lot of energy being put into the brand and it just perpetuates more energy. As product manager I have my hands in all of the product development, planning, production and marketing of the entire product line. It is really exciting working with such a growing and progressive thinking brand that has such a long history in kiteboarding. After being involved with a number of companies in the industry, I couldn’t imagine a better brand and group of people to work with, as everyone involved is extremely passionate about the sport and equally passionate about creating the best products possible.

What are your goals for the brand in the coming year?

As product manager I would say my goal for the brand is to create innovative and smart products for people passionate about the sport that inspire and engage the riders to get the most out of the kiteboard experience-however they choose to ride. Ultimately, I have many goals for the brand and will continue to set many more. Being based in Hood River for the summer, one goal for sure is to increase the Airush brand awareness here in N. America and turn people onto to our diverse product line as it is one of the deepest in the industry.

What mark would you like to leave on the kiteboarding world?

I would like to just leave an impression that a kite and the wind can take you great places. Without kiting, my life would be very different. I hope that others have the opportunity to get as much out of kiteboarding as I have. Not just on the water, but from the lessons learned and the enjoyment that comes from finding a sport that enriches your life and opens your eyes to new people, places and experiences. More significantly, the kiteboarding world has left its mark on me.

Future Plans?

Looking ahead, I am really looking forward to being involved with the innovation and creativity that will be infused into the sport in the years to come. There are so many great ideas out there, with so many dedicated riders and burgeoning fanatics, that there will always be room for improvement and new developments in the gear. Personally, I am just grateful that I can continue to work in an industry that I love. The evolution of my professional life has been an exciting one, and knowing that I can still kite, travel, and have even a small amount of influence in the sport allows me to be happy with where I’m at and where I’m going.

Anything you would like to add?

Just the chance to thank some people for helping me over the years in my kiteboarding endeavors. I’d like to say deepest thanks to Brad Duffy, Bill Morrissy, Cory Roesler, Chris Tonolone, Shanti Berg, Steven Whitesell, Mauricio Toscano, Ken Winner, Mike Foy, Mark Shinn, Darren Porter, Lance Koudele, Rod Parmenter, Toby Bromwich, and all the great friends that I’ve made over the years.

2009 Kiteboarding Buyers' Guide

Bridge of the Gods 2007

Airush

Who’s That: Noah Simon

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In 2004, 16-year-old Noah Simon first walked into our shop with a kiteboard he had just bought at a local competitor. New to the sport, he was looking for help on building his new board and decided we would fit the task at hand. Laughingly, we agreed to help. That weekend, Noah offered us a boat ride for kiting on a Charleston Barrier Island in South Carolina. Feeling obligated to help more, we took the invitation and watched him ride, water re-launch and even try a jump all during his first solo session ever. We thought it was luck, but would later learn about Noah’s special kite powers.
   A few weeks later, Noah’s charm and determination got him a job as Air’s first employee. Since then, he has become one of the most aggressive kiteboarders we’ve ever seen. He charges each session with full power and practises the most difficult moves, often ending up grounded on the beach after crashing (currently holds the record for most broken kiteboards in Charleston). Throughout high school, he was also notorious for getting into trouble. These unique powers earned Noah the nickname: Air Grounded.
   Noah received his first sponsorship from Gaastra in 2006. Five years after his first kiting experience and many lost kites later, Noah now has an International Pro Kiteboarding Sponsorship with Globe Kites (GK) and Litewave Designs. He’s the one with the black shirt and sunglasses in the current Litewave ads.
   One of the most technical riders emerging from Chucktown, this native of Sullivan’s Island, S.C., loves riding powered. His bag o’ tricks includes all the popular moves, plus many “No. UHHHH” originals such as the “Kung-Fu” and “Watermelon.” Just returning from three months competition training in Baja, Mexico, Noah is quickly catching the eyes of everyone. With manners, a recent college degree and mad kite skills, you’ll likely find him tearing up winds somewhere, inside the kite mags or, on rare occasion, back in South Carolina working at Air’s shop as he rests between his training and trips. —Adam Von Ins

Years Riding: Started in 2004
Sponsors: Air Company, Litewave, Globe Kites, and Smith Optics
Favourite Board and Kite: 2009 Litewave Vision Pro & 2009 GK Trix 12m
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
Vehicle: 2002 Nissan Xterra
Favourite Conditions: Flatwater w/ kickers 20 knots SW
Off-Water Activities: Wakeboarding, surfing, fishing, I’m always on the water
Current Job: Kite Instructor for the Air Company
Partners in Crime: Hometown buddies Whittaker Warrington, Jon Budde, Dale Slear, Trey Sedalik
Kite Hero: Chucktown—Davey Blair
Favourite Trick: Anything that’s smooth, steezy and powerful
Last Trick Stomped: Front Mobe to Blind
First Setup: 14 m2 Naish X3 and Hyperlite wakeboard with windsurfing straps
Favourite Place to Ride: Station 28 Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina

Kevin Steen

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Who’s That? Steen. I had the pleasure of having him freeload at my house for about a month and I have to say, you almost forget the guy is only 19... or 20. Whatever, I already forgot. His attitude towards kiteboarding, sports, and life is larger than those 19 (or 20) years of experience. His carefree attitude belies a sense of purpose to show the inner workings of the extreme sports lifestyle. Unlike most kids his age, he’s able to clearly express his ideas and views through the use of his preferred medium, film.
   He has as much talent as any young kiter today, though I would say with a bit more style. What sets him apart is the direction in which he has chosen to approach professional kiteboarding. Instead of the usual “Hey look at me, I rip, where are my sponsors?” attitude, he has decided to stand out from the crowd by living the lifestyle on a shoestring budget, though not on purpose. When he first moved to Maui he asked me for advice on the best places to camp. That is hard core. You want to be a pro kiter? You start at the bottom and Steen has no problems with that. Give him a case of Mountain Dew and an Internet connection and he’s good to go. The best part is he’s been documenting the whole experience on his video blog site, www.steenfilms.com. Which leads me to my next point. The dude has talent behind the lens and in the editing bay. His video production skills are top notch. Because he’s fresh on the scene he has a different perspective on how extreme sports should be filmed. I expect he’ll be the new face of kiteboarding media in the years to come.
   I think his best aspect is his ability to not take himself or anyone else too seriously. Nowadays there are too many professional athletes that feel they “deserve” something. Kev is the opposite, his dry and sometimes self-depreciating humour is a breath of fresh air from all the big egos of the industry.
   I’m stoked to know that Steen and his generation will be the face of kiteboarding in the future. —Jason Stone

MUSIC: Reo Steven's IPOD

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

“I am actually sitting in Real’s newly built waterman’s retreat right now with Ian Alldredge looking out at people getting amped on the new slider. With no surf in site, and no intention of hurling my body toward a hard, fixed object, I find myself watching “The Windsurfing Movie” and talking about how sick the sound track is. It’s pretty much a compilation of what I like to listen to. —Reo Stevens

Rolling Stones
“Gimme Shelter”

Wolfmother
“Dimension”

Nina Simone
“Sinnerman”

Block Party
“Banquet”

Goldfish
“Fort Knox”

Tenacious D
'Fuck Her Gently"

Martin Vari from Vari Kites

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Past, Present and Future: Three Time World Champion Martin Vari
Full Name: Martin Vari
Nick Name: Tino
Date of Birth: 27/2/82
Place of Birth: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Weight: 160 Height: 5’9’’
Sponsors: Vari Kites

Martin Vari became world champion at the height of trick innovation on the PKRA World Tour, winning the overall in both 2001 and 2003. Vari was one of the first to push wakestyle tricks to the forefront in a contest environment, integrating both old school and new school into his repertoire. With two world freestyle titles under his belt he passed the reigns to current world champion Aaron Hadlow. Vari moved onto new challenges and became one of the sport’s surf pioneers and won the first ever PKRA surf contest in 2007. Now in 2009 he has embarked on his biggest challenge yet, his own kite brand, Vari Kites. —John Bryja

Early Days
In 1998 I went on a windsurfing trip to Maui. I saw a few two-line kites out, and the only person making it look good was the master Lou Wainman himself. It definitely got me wanting to try it out. The next day I took a lesson, but didn’t quite like the feeling. I guess the kites were too primitive. The two lines got all messed up and I was learning at the same time as the instructor. [Laughs]
    A few months went by until I got a kite in my hand again. It was in Margarita at a windsurfing contest, Chip Wasson was there with a Wipika four line kite. I begged him to let me try it. It felt much better. I was hooked. I ended up buying a F-One foil with my uncle and spent all summer doing down-winders. Two months later I moved to Hawaii for school. Those were amazing days. I spent every afternoon at the beach. I was seriously hooked.

PKRA Magic Moments
The whole period between 2000-2004 stands out. If I had to pick one moment, it was in 2003. At the time we were filming Space Monkeys 2, starting to get into the waves, and at the same time really pushing the freestyle. At the time the moves we were doing were changing month-to-month. There was a tight group of friends that were pushing each other. That summer was the standout for sure. I won most of the events I went to... plus finished filming Space Monkeys 2 in epic Indonesia. That year we also scouted One Eye, which was mind blowing to finally realize that wave riding with a kite had serious potential. Those were the first barrels kiteboarders were pulling into. Then we ended up in Indo, just us: Jeff Tobias, Will James, Jaime Herraiz, Ben Wilson, Bert Fleury, and Marc (Marley) Ramsier. A super cool crew, and we were all experiencing something that changed the way the sport would develop.

Surf
All of a sudden I got sucked into the surf side. I was working for RRD, and they really wanted me to follow the freestyle tour, but I was so focused on riding waves. I signed up with Slingshot and was able to focus with Jeff Tobias and Ben Wilson on developing the surfing side of the sport. I think when we filmed Spare Change, that was a defining moment for the future of kitesurfing.
    Our goal was to explore what was possible with a kite in the surf. It was clear in our heads that the possibilities were endless. It was only a matter of time until the kite world would realize how fun it was. At the time my ultimate goal was to be able to get a clean barrel with a kite. I did quite a bit of traveling to find the right conditions. I spent two years of my life looking for the perfect wave. Today my goal is to create products that will help more people get involved in the sport. Creating products that are easy, durable and simple to use.

Vari Kites
Vari kites was an idea that I always had in my mind. The company has evolved really fast. But we don’t rush things. We give each phase its natural development. We are here to create smart products. That have a true purpose, are high quality, and simple to use. We are enjoying the ride.
    The cool thing about Vari is that it’s the riders working in the company. It’s me going around meeting distributors and helping the shops promote the brand. Or it’s Jeff Tobias answering the phone calls of dealers, and visiting them making sure they have all they need. We are creating a very tight relationships with our dealers. We are here for the long run. And we are only working with people that feel what we are doing.

The Perfect Day
My perfect day starts with an early wake up. I love to wake up in a quiet place and have my time to really wake up, grab some fruit and check the surf. If it’s perfect I can’t help but swim out. If it’s not that great, I sit down on the computer, go over my daily list and start replying to e-mail and phone calls. I have to say that I actually really enjoy this part. I spend around three-four hours on the computer until I do a noon break for going over the latest prototypes, or go to the beach and test any new products. Ideally there are waves and wind and I can go shoot some video and photos. Right after I get back to do the second computer session, Finish up replying to e-mail. If I didn’t get enough water time I go to yoga class and cook dinner with my girl and or friends. After that, getting some action doesn’t hurt right? [Laughs]

The Future
I want to continue to help grow the sport. I was always driven by the innovations. Along my pro career I was into tricks, innovations and pushing the limits of what was possible with a kite. The only way to innovate is to not follow the rest. And I’m stoked at what I accomplished.
    Now that I’m on the other side of the industry I have the same drive. I want to innovate and do what others don’t, by pushing the kite designs in different directions, not necessarily making a kite that will jump higher or turn faster than the rest, but one that is more efficient. We made a kite that is as good as any other kite with the purpose of having two kites to cover any condition. I basically use two size kites and I can travel the world. Waves, flatwater, snow, windy, light winds. All I need are two kites. So that is one innovation. Efficiency of the kites. Now riders are sure to be covered with only two kites. The next step in the future will come soon! It’s going to be very exciting.

Related Links:
VARI Condor One Review

Vari Kites Video Contest

Varikites.com

Dimitri Maramenides: Past, Present and Future

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

For the last nine years, Dimitri Maramenides, has been one of the most visible kiteboarders on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. A former professional windsurfer, Dimitri is one of the East-Coast pioneers of the sport of kiteboarding. His high-flying antics and crashes have graced him with more mainstream media coverage than any other rider on the U.S. mainland. He recently co-founded Eclipse Kites with business partner Chris Cousins. SBC Kiteboard caught up with Dimitri in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, to find out about his past, present, and future.

Nickname: The Greek
Date of Birth: June 11, 19......
Place of Birth: Athens, Greece
Weight: 175 LBS
Height: 5’11”
Sponsors: Eclipse Kites, Hyperflex Wetsuits, Dakine, Zealoptics

Cape Hatteras
In the beginning there was no one around. It was just me and a few other guys playing with kites and getting dragged all over the place. OBX has always been a huge destination for windsurfing and a lot of these guys started to try kiting. This quickly evolved and out of demand for instruction, along with perfect teaching conditions, Real Kiteboarding, Windsurfing Hatteras, and Kitty Hawk Kites started schools. A ton of people started flocking down to learn kiting and OBX quickly turned into a major kite destination. It continues to grow every year. Fortunately, we have tons of open space so it’s easy for everyone to find their own wave or patch of flatwater.

Eclipse
In late 2005 my friend and current business partner Chris Cousins was trying to create a distribution company. Chris decided that if he was going to invest the money he might as well go the extra mile and create a new brand that he could have control over and make into something great. Chris and I then started working on Eclipse. By late 2006 the kites were on the market. We started to work on new and exiting gear that was not available. The ’07 Nano was the first SLE wave kite, and the Thruster started a new high-performance hybrid kite category. Chris and I work very close with our core customers: schools, shops and end users. We feel they give us the best feedback and help us immensely to create the products we have. Pro riders have helped us push the limits of our gear and discover weaknesses, which in the end help us make an ultra-performance product with a broad appeal to lots of riders.
We also wanted to offer great customer service, so we created a totally new concept: the bullet proof warranty. Anyone who has had a warranty situation knows that it’s a pain with the traditional system. Chris figured why not just take the dealer and Eclipse completely out of the warranty equation and let the pros at Airtime [the world’s No. 1 kite repair facility] handle any warranty repairs with no questions asked. Customers felt safe buying the kites knowing they would be repaired if anything went wrong, and we saved a lot of time for us and our dealers. The customers loved this and so did the dealers and it became a huge selling point.
In 2009, things have come a long way: we have a big office on the water in one of the world’s best kite spots, six reps selling our gear, a great designer, growing pro team and an amazing production line.

Life as a Pro
I have a new perspective on team riders after dealing with them on the other side of the equation as a manufacturer. A lot of guys feel if they can do some technical Handle Passes that makes them a great team rider. A great rider does not equal a great team rider. A great team rider has a good personality and works hard to push the brand on the beach and is respectful to fellow kiters and is an example to all. My advice is to become friends with your local shops and riders on the beach. If you’re doing something good a brand will hear about you and be in touch.

Wipeout
A lot of people probably think that my worst wipeout was that house I crashed into last May. I wish I could say that was the worst. My kiting career has included a lot of hard hits which include: breaking my back twice, breaking four ribs, both my heels, paralyzing my arm and fracturing my pelvis. The worst hit of all was during a photo shoot on the Greek island of Paros. I was trying to do a board stall off a branch of a tree. I nailed it a couple times and the third time I did a Kite Loop by accident. This was a windy day with a C kite, so the hit was very hard. I smashed on the street, and broke my heels and my back. That was a bad day. What I learned from all this? If you make a risky jump twice, don’t try it a third time. I’m probably better off sticking to soft objects—but that doesn’t get on Discovery Channel.

Kids Kiteboarding
I started teaching my son Cameron when he was about two years old. He was flying a trainer kite and riding on my back and between my legs. Now Cameron is six and has been kiting longer then most adults. If you have kids I would not push them to kite, they need to want to learn. It’s a slow process...don’t use a harness and I think that around seven to eight is a good age to start. Kids don’t understand the power kites can produce. You need to help them respect the kite’s power. It’s also hugely important that you have gear you can trust. This is not the type of sport that you can give your son your old 2003 kite with a crap quick release. I will start to offer a kids’ clinic this summer in the OBX. We are also thinking of making a video, but that’s news for another day.

Who's That: Jérémie Tronet

Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Many of you will already have seen Ocean Rodeo team rider Jérémie Tronet in this publication and others. Jérémie grew up on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, exploring all it had to offer.
   Jérémie was involved with kiteboarding from the very beginning, having started with a trainer kite and a skim board and progressing onto actually making his first kite by himself. Eight years later Jérémie is just as creative, submitting beautiful videos and photographs of his kiting travels with his girlfriend Linn Svendsen.
   Even though Jérémie’s focus is world travel and exploration he stays abreast of all the newest competition moves, a fact easily verified by the content he submits to print and online publications. Most likely you’ve already seen his signature “Jesus Style” walking on water trick, a move you can attempt to learn through photos and video from his website jeremietronet.com.
   For 2009 Jérémie intends to continue his travels with his girlfriend and co-team rider Linn, swapping spots behind the lens in order to maintain their constant stream of high quality and interesting shots for Ocean Rodeo and our viewing enjoyment.
   For more on this interesting guy, or to ask him riding-specific questions stop by the Ocean Rodeo website and introduce yourself to the Ocean Rodeo crew. —John Zimmerman

Sky Solbach: Past, Present and Future

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Sky Solbach is one of America’s most influential riders. He’s one of the best in the world in both the surf and on the race course. He finished fifth overall at the first wave world cup event in Chili and most recently finished second in course racing and boarder cross at the very competitive PKRA world tour event in Germany this past summer. His influence doesn’t end on the contest scene, he’s one of North Kiteboarding’s main kite testers; his feedback has resulted in the very successful North Vegas and Rebel kites.

Nickname: Sky
Date of birth: March 26, 1983
Place of birth: Auburn, California
Weight: 205 lbs
Height: 6’3”
Sponsors: North, Ion

Kiteboarding
Kiteboarding came to me in the way most great ideas come to me: boredom. I was hanging out on the beach with my dad one day in Bonaire and a friend of ours was struggling with his new two-line 8.5 m2 Wipika classic. We had seen Lou Wainman and Elliot Leboe kiting in the Gorge the previous summer so we were already interested in learning, and when our friend finally got fed up with trying, he handed the kite over to us. We got it dialed pretty quickly and a week later we bought our own kites and converted some old surfboards into kiteboards. That was the beginning.      

North
I had been traveling and competing on the PKRA tour for a few years and had become good friends with Jaime Herraiz. He and Ken Winner were doing all their (North) kite testing in the Gorge and Hawaii and so our paths were always crossing. At the end of 2004, Jaime and North contacted me out of the blue and asked if I would be interested in joining the team. Needless to say, I was really stoked to get the opportunity. Initially I was just riding and competing but then we went on a few testing trips here and there and I began testing with Ken and Jaime on a regular basis. Eventually I saw the development side of things as an opportunity to be involved in something more than just being a regular team rider. These days I am working with Ken on the kites all the time as well as developing our range of surfboards with Martin Littlewood and traveling and competing in between. My boss is really cool and all the people who work at North are really cool and smart so it’s a fun environment to be involved in.

Being a Pro
I don’t think I ever really set any expectations on being a pro kiteboarder. I grew up doing all kinds of other sports in the ocean with my older brother Josh, and we watched all the surf vids and read the mags and thought it was cool. But I guess I never really expected anything to come from what we were doing other than something fun to pass the time. I realize now that I have been super fortunate to travel all over the world and see a lot of amazing places and meet heaps of cool people. But I think even if I hadn’t become a pro kitesurfer, I would still be in the water almost every day, like my brother, and basically living a similar lifestyle to what I live now. I think if you are focused enough on something it just sort of becomes your life. To steal a quote from a book I’m reading right now: “If you chase something long enough, it starts chasing you.”

Grom Advice
First of all, ride for yourself and your own enjoyment and don’t listen when someone tells you that you have to ride a certain way. It’s the ones who are different and carve their own path whom everyone eventually looks up to. Be professional and humble because no one likes a punk, and be nice to photographers! Pick a company you like and stick with them.

Wipeout
I don’t think any wipeout stories are ever good stories. I’ve had lots of them on flat water and in the surf and hurt myself badly on a few occasions. The funny thing about kiteboarding is that you don’t need a huge wave or even extreme conditions to get flogged. You can do it in steady wind and flat water if you really choose to take it to that level.

Leaving His Mark
Umm, well I guess I hope that I can improve people’s perception of kiteboarding through good media exposure, photos, video and just legit riding. I also hope that through my work in product development I will have helped make the sport safer and more fun. The result of having better gear is that kiteboarding is easier to learn at the entry level but also way more fun at the expert level. If we can continue to make better kites and boards the sport will just be that much more fun for everyone involved.

Competition
I think that my approach to competition for the most part now is just about having fun. But then again I think competing is only fun when you know you’re at the level to prove something and actually feel like you have a chance to do well. If I didn’t think I could do well, I wouldn’t compete. Just being able to go out and explore my boundaries in my riding without the pressure of having to compete or ride a certain way has sort of revived my competitive spirit. In the past two years I have been competing in some wave events and some course races and it just feels fun—the way it used to feel when I first started competing in 2003. I have so much fun in the surf, and course racing is also a good adrenaline rush.

The Gorge and Australia
Well, it’s nice to be in perpetual summer. When I’m in the Gorge I really miss seeing the ocean every day but it’s still just about the most beautiful place in the world and has great riding. The Oregon Coast can be magical on the right day, too. Australia on the other hand is just an absolute paradise of wind and waves. Everyone is all about riding waves down where I live, and it’s a pretty small crew and everyone knows everyone. Basically the Gorge and Australia are my two favourite places in the world.

Jeff Kafka

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you see this guy and he is not in, on, over, or under the water, or without his cell connected to his ear, it’s probably an imposter. Cabrinha’s Jeff Kafka is probably more at home wet than dry on land, and may be the busiest guy in kiteboarding.
   Jeff started surfing at seven years old, and after a serious head injury turned to boogie boarding when his parents said no to surfing. He participated on the boogie boarding circuit including the Pipe Masters in Hawaii, and returned some years later to surfing, started tow surfing with Jeff Clark (50’ at Maverick’s), snowboarding, fishing, scuba diving, and kiteboarding. He’s the first to kite the big stuff at legendary Maverick’s, part of the first group to kite from the Farallon Islands (great white breading grounds) to the Golden Gate, and later circumnavigate the Farallon’s to the Gate. He was first at the 2006 Ronstan Bridge to Bridge; second, 2007 U.S. National Kite Championships; first, 2007 Cabrinha Race Series; first, 2008 La Ventana Classic—just to mention a few of his honours in the water.
   Did I say he’s busy? Judge for yourself. Jeff is owner of Wind Over Water Kiteboarding school, which provides both water and snow lessons. He is a partner in Neptune boards, which produces wave and race kiteboards. He is a partner in the NorCal Surf Shop, a full-service surf and kiteboard shop, and a partner in a new summer-winter development in Skyline, Utah. Oh yeah, he’s been married to Nicole for 10 years, has a 4 year old son, Zack, with another on the way (congrats!).
   So, if you see Jeff and he is not on his cell, speak up quickly as another call is just seconds away. And if he is not wet, he will be shortly. —Steven Gunn

Check out Jeff's website at http://www.wowkite.com

Five-Time World Champion - Aaron Hadlow

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Date of birth: Oct. 4, 1988
Place of birth: England
Weight: 165 lbs
Sponsors: Flexifoil, Red Bull, Chiemsee, Pro-Limit, Lost Cause

Aaron Hadlow finished the 2008 season in style with freestyle victories in Canada, Brazil and Chile. The string of wins put an end to Kevin Langeree’s challenge for the title and secured Hadlow an unprecedented fifth overall world championship tour title.

John Bryja: What was your favourite tour stop/contest in 2008?
Aaron Hadlow: For fun and as a place, Cancun, Mexico, was probably the best. It was during spring break and a couple of friends from the U.K. came with me. Possibly the funniest two weeks of the year. As for kiting, I enjoyed Venezuela. It is pretty idyllic—good kiting, warm and a nice atmosphere.

What would you like to see changed on the pro tour?
I would like to see less tour stops and different locations. This year was really long and tiring, and also going to the same place each year gets too much after a while. I think that is why I enjoyed Mexico. I really enjoy new locations. I would like to see around six stops next year, three with great new locations just focused on riding conditions and TV coverage, then three for media, prize money and spectators. Also with a good location, but only if possible. For example, Tarifa [Spain].

What is your strategy for riding in a contest heat?
It’s really psychological and about confidence. You can start off with a super-hard trick, and if you land it, your confidence goes through the roof. You put pressure on the other guys. But if you mess up, it’s reversed. Another way is to build up slowly, gain your confidence bit by bit and stack up the tricks. At the end, you can finish on some harder moves with less risk, but you have to make sure you have done better than your competitor.

What is the hardest trick in kiteboarding today and why?
Double handlepasses are obviously pretty difficult, but there are many ways around them. If you put your kite up, you have a lot more time and then it’s not so hard. Their perception is difficult, but I only have respect if the kite is in the same place as a proper powered trick. Less time means you rely on your body movement and timing. That’s why I think flat 7’s and especially 9’s are much more difficult. You only have body movement and your takeoff to determine your rotation and height. There is no way around it by moving your kite. With good kickers, 7’s are not the biggest deal, but that extra 180 to toeside has proven to be one of the biggest challenges I have ever had in kiteboarding.

Check out this video from Aaron Hadlow's film Calibrate courtesy aaronhadlow.com.

Who do you think is the best up-and-coming rider? What impressed you?
Tom Herbert stood out to me a lot this year. It was his first year on the PKRA and by the end of the season he was a top guy to look out for. I think next year he will do well. This year he needed to gain a bit of experience and consistency, and with this he will do well. When freeriding with him I have seen him pull sick tricks, things I haven’t seen many other riders on tour even attempt. Also, he has a good style. That scores a lot in my book.

What do you think of the new International Kiteboarding Association’s plans to hold world championships?
I think it could be good if there was one governing body to manage a scoring system or combine the two current tours. To side with one is not going to help the competitive side of the sport. In all sports there should be one world tour that gives you one champion.

Do you think kiteboarding’s inclusion as a sailing class by the International Sailing Federation is important? Is it good or bad for the sport?
I don’t think it is a bad thing for the sport in terms of awareness, although I do think it is a bad thing for its image. In my eyes, kiteboarding is freestyle. That’s how I think our sport should be portrayed. I want to help give it the image of FMX, and make it stylish and extreme. Being included by the sailing federation is great for people who course race, but it’s a totally different sport. I guess it comes about because of London 2012, but I would rather push freestyle into the X Games than racing into the Olympics. And if freestyle was in the Olympics, then that would be ideal.

Ian Alldredge: The Future is Now

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I hand my iPhone to the overconfident 12-year-old surf grommet with a smirk on my face. He has just finished telling me how lame kiteboarding is. As he settles in to watch the three-minute YouTube clip of Ian Alldredge, I see Dane Reynolds, arguably the best surfer in the world, casually paddle out for a midday surf. I watch my little friend, the kite hater, start to get excited as he watches Alldredge bust big frontside strapless airs and even an Air 360 on the grainy little screen.
   He yells to his friend, who is watching to see what Reynolds does on his first wave: “Hey, you gotta see this. This kite guy is killing it. He looks like Reynolds, but he’s a kiter. That’s so sick. I wanna do that.”
   I laugh and grab my iPhone back from the now-amped grom.
   “Nobody surfs or kites like Dane, but he does have a little bit of that smooth, explosive Dane-like style in his kiting,” I reply.
   I’m sure in your life you have looked at something you thought was amazing and aspired to be like that. Surfing is the root of all boardsports, and the other boardsports have been created with the aim of emulating what surfers do in the water. Of course, after time the sports become their own, with tricks and styles that don’t even look like surfing.
   Kiteboarding still borrows heavily from surfing, and Alldredge is at the cutting edge. Alldredge doesn’t look to other kiteboarders or videos for inspiration. He watches his favourite surfers at his local beach and in their high budget, globe-trotting signature films, trying to imagine a way to hit the lip like Bobby Martinez or do airs like Reynolds or link fast, technical combos like Nathaniel Curran. You can see this in his riding. It doesn’t hurt that he rips at surfing, too. Alldredge was a competitive surfer growing up, surfing against many of today’s top up-and-coming pros. There is much to learn from watching the best.
   “A lot of guys from the surfing world get me motivated and inspire what I try on the water,” Alldredge says. “I’ve always looked up to Dane Reynolds, Nathaniel Curran, Mick Fanning, Bobby Martinez and Josh Mulcoy. After watching these guys in the water, it brings me new ideas to try to develop into my riding and helps me put things together.”
   Alldredge’s riding is starting to turn heads in the surf world, too. It has even impressed Curran, U.S. Open winner and current No. 1 on the WQS surfing tour.
   “Ian has a really good bottom turn and does a good hook. He really throws a lot of spray. He has the technical airs down and does some good combos,” says Curran. “He makes it look cool.”
   When strapless kiting on a surfboard, you can use the kite to help obtain the speed only a surfer of Reynolds’ ability can generate and hit the lip in a way that unless you’re, well, a surfer like Reynolds, you never could. As a result, kiteboarders are making the crappy surf days look great.
   “The future of strapless kitesurfing has so many possibilities. It’s hard to predict where it’s going to go, but I think there is a good chance of it moving closer into the surfing industry,” says Alldredge. “With the new technical flip tricks, huge airs, and stylish carves and gauges, I can honestly say that the sport is progressing. There are still a handful of new things yet to come trickwise, and I can’t wait to see what it will look like.
   “After watching Julian Wilson’s part in Quiksilver’s Young Guns 3, it’s easy to say the future is progressing in surfing as well. I try to base my kitesurfing on movies like Young Guns, Trilogy, First Chapter [Reynolds’ movie] and Mick Fanning’s movie. In my perspective, everything evolves into something eventually, and I think surfing and strapless kitesurfing will hopefully meet somewhere along the road in the near future.”
   I have been shooting both kitesurfing and surfing for a while now. That several of the world’s best surfers live in the town I live in and a kid who is pushing strapless surf-style kiting to the next level is living in the same town is no fluke. Growing up surfing around this area opens your eyes to what’s possible in the water. One thing about Alldredge’s local spot is that there is no shortage of bored surfers sitting around waiting for the damn wind to die so they can surf. It’s not uncommon to hear them compare the way Alldredge attacks every section like a certain famous local surfer.
   So what does Alldredge think about being compared to Reynolds and Curran?
   “I really trip on that,” he says. “It’s crazy that people would relate me to not only two of the greatest surfers, but someone I also look up to. Those kids are out of this world. It helps a lot to see a lot of the new things that they are trying. I get new ideas from watching their ideas, and sometimes everything comes together and you find something new that no one has ever seen before.
   “I think it’s crazy that those guys think of me like a Dane or whatever kitesurfing, but I guess they notice something that’s different about how I ride. Maybe it’s the no-strap thing. I have no idea, but, yeah, I’m stoked on that. It just gives me more motivation to try new things with my kitesurfing.”

Quotes and Captions
“Ian makes [kitesurfing] look cool. I’d be worried about flying into the ocean and never coming back if I kited.” —Nathaniel Curran

“Ian’s style is full surf. He reads the waves like a surfer and does the same turns he would do surfing” —Ben Wilson

“Ian is damn good. He rides like a surfer, and there’s not too many people who do that. On top of that, he is doing crazy airs that you don’t see other people doing kiting.” —Josh Mulcoy

“He looks like he would surf really well, too.” —Keith Malloy

Joe Ruscito

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There’s something extraordinary about 20-year-old Joe Ruscito from Connecticut, something that can’t be learned or faked. I’ve never been this impressed by a team rider—ever. With his positive attitude and ability to adapt to every situation, Ruscito has a natural talent to charm people, both on and off the water. We like to tease him about living in a place called Gladville, but for Rustico, being nice isn’t a public face; it’s just who he is, even when he’s having a bad day.
Although he’d rather be off training for the PKRA, Ruscito is a mechanical engineering student at Florida Tech in Melbourne, two hours north of the Best headquarters in Delray Beach, so whenever it’s windy, he’ll drive down to ride with us. With Ruscito, it’s always, “What do you need me to do? Where can I go? How can I represent Best?” So whether it’s teaching pro lessons at the Best Lesson Center in New York, running gear demos, traveling to one of the kiteboarding events, doing video and photo shoots, or testing gear, Ruscito does it all, and he does it all well. If we could clone him, we would.
His stoke for the sport spreads to everyone around him, and it’s always more fun when Ruscito’s on the water with you. He’s the guy who’ll cheer when you try something important, and even though you might be nowhere near his level, he makes you feel like you are. He’s got great style, knows how to ride for the camera, and doesn’t need to be told that his job as a team rider is to sell kites—he does this naturally. People want to ride what Ruscito rides. Best is lucky to have him representing the brand. —Stacy Fonas

Underrated: Jon Modica

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Jon Modica—where do I start? Jon is, no question in my mind, the best strapless trick rider I’ve ever seen. Every time I see the guy he has a new trick, transition or something that is so unique with his surfboard it blows my mind. He has a great gift for inventing moves, which is hard to come by these days. Most kids copy tricks from others, but he creates them. Don’t count him out with freestyle either; he still can do all the new-school handlepass stuff, but he does it with a smooth, flowing style.
Jon is quite the ladies’ man off the water—if only some of that could rub off in my direction. Jon’s personality is the first thing you see when you meet him in person. He will go above and beyond to make sure you’re enjoying your day. He’ll make sure you have the right kite in your hands and take time to answer your questions.
I’m honoured to have Jon as a friend, and I always look forward to the next time we get to share a session on the water. He is not underrated anymore. Congrats, kid. He will be big—very big—so watch out for Jon Modica. We call him lover boy. —Damien LeRoy

Shelter Island, New York, local and Florida transplant Jon Modica is one of the best kiteboarders the East Coast has produced. He won the surf division at this year’s Triple-S in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Kraft photo

Jon Van Malsen: Who's That?

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I met 17-year-old Jon Van Malsen about a year ago at his home spot in Southern California. At the time, he had just started riding for the national North Kiteboarding team, and he and his dad were hanging out in the parking lot waiting for the wind to pick up. The wind never picked up, and I never got the opportunity to ride with him. Since then, Van Malsen has been riding his brains out, focusing his energy on nailing every kind of mobe and grab known to man. He attended the North Young Blood Camp in Egypt last summer and again in Brazil last fall, which opened his eyes to what is happening on the international pro scene.
   I recently spent a week with Van Malsen cruising around Northern California in a big van; we scored some epic wave and freestyle sessions. I was blown away by his freestyle riding. Van Malsen is one of those kids who is made of rubber. He not only learns fast, he also throws it down with ease and style. His grabs are legit and stylish. He rides with his kite low and stomps tricks with authority. And he doesn’t just care about making moves; he cares about making moves look good, which is what we need more of in kiteboarding.
   Van Malsen has a desire to compete and already competed in his first PKRA this year in Mexico, where he made it through a couple of heats. He says he wants to have all his double handlepasses down 100 per cent before he really commits to competing on the PKRA, and will continue to compete on the national scene for the time being.
   The best thing about Van Malsen is that he’s got a good attitude and has fun whenever he’s in the water. Watch for him to continue to turn heads. —Sky Solbach

Billy Parker: Past, Present and Future

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Billy Parker is one of the most dynamic riders in the U.S. scene. When he’s out riding, people stop what they’re doing to watch. His freeriding between heats of the Gorge Games had other riders’ jaws dropping and spectators cheering. Parker likes to go big and rides with a powerful wakeboard style. If more people rode like him, kiteboarding would be a huge spectator sport.

Age: 27
Born: St. Petersburg, Florida
Started kiting: 2001
Sponsors: Flexifoil

Kiteboarding
“I got into kiteboarding because I was looking for other means to ride besides the wakeboard and cable park. That’s pretty much what I did for seven years before kiting. Once I got into kiteboarding, it just took over my life. I wanted to travel and meet as many other kiteboarders as I could. I love watching the sport progress and being a part of it.”

Flexifoil
“I ran into Jeoffrey Nathan, the U.S. Flexifoil rep, in Cape Hatteras while I was going through the Kitty Hawk Kite School program to be certified as a kiteboarding instructor. He was dropping off some kites, and I told him I was interested in becoming a team rider. I told him I had big plans for my kiting future; I was so enthused about the sport. From there I kept in contact, and eventually they started showing me love and I became a team rider.”

Being a Pro
“It’s pretty hard. Competing isn’t the hard part; it’s trying to keep up with the industry and trying to make money at it. It’s not like football or baseball, where you have billions of dollars being put into it. Kiteboarding is still growing and trying to get its focus in the sports world. Until the general public really wants to watch contests and see people ride, there will only be so much money in it. As far as being a pro, I don’t care about the title or money; I ride as much as I can, competing with the best. I just like being around people that love to do what I’m doing.”

Perfect Day
“Wake up to a beautiful sunrise, a little bit of breakfast. Starting off with some stretching. Seeing that the wind is blowing 25, 30 knots maybe. I like heavy winds. Doing the wakestyle is fun, but I like the heavy winds. If it’s blowing 25 to 30 knots, it gets the jitterbugs back in me that I use to get when it was only blowing 10 to 15. As long as I’m near the water, get to ride and be around friends, that’s a good time. End the day with some sushi or a barbecue. That, to me, is a perfect day.”

Wipeout
“If you’re in the Gorge and you’re going to do trick, stay away from the sandbar. Wakestyle is not so bad unless you land on your head, but don’t do sent handlepasses in the sandbar. If you miss it, you’re going to fall, and that’s what happened to me. Brian Lake and I were sessioning the kicker on the back side of the sandbar in the Gorge. We decided to go get some water but didn’t because we were having too much fun. The sandbar filled up with water, and we ended up going at it. I did a couple of handlepasses in there, missed one and free-fell 20-plus feet. I landed directly on my lower back in a canon-ball position with my knees over my head in a foot and a half of water. I am lucky I didn’t break anything. If I wasn’t always working out, I might not have been so lucky. I was laid up for three days and sore for two weeks.”

Leaving His Mark
“I like to have fun and push all my friends around me. It’s about more than just trying to be the best. I would like to help make everyone around me better than the day I met them, help them strive for better goals and better things. I’d like to leave that mark in kiteboarding and just be a good friend, being honest and up front. Someone asks your opinion, just give it. If you don’t like something, let it be known but in a good way.”

St. Petersburg Scene
“It’s crazy how big kiteboarding is here. Everybody is just so water-oriented and boardsports-oriented. The local shops have been teaching a lot of lessons. The scene is blowing up so fast. There used to be a bunch of places you could go to ride alone, but now there is always people riding. We’re trying to start a good organization to set up some local voluntary rules to keep everyone safe. When wintertime comes, it’s going to be crazy.
“We don’t have any access issues, and we want to keep it that way. We have a good relationship with the city. A bunch of my buddies have been working on the Action Sport Foundation, which started out as Kite4Life. It’s basically trying to do good things for the community. We’ve been putting on beach cleanups, and Mike Hall organized a beach fun day for 150 orphans. A lot of local kiteboarders came out and were really involved in helping out. We had paddleboards, skimboards and beach games for the kids. It was a lot of fun. We’re trying to promote a good scene for kiting and make sure we’re not just a bunch of kiters going out and doing our own thing. We are concerned about our beaches and community.”

Sam Bell: Indispensable

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Sam Bell is one of those East Coast riders who lets his riding speak for itself. His smooth style on the flat water of Pamlico Sound is unmistakable. Set him loose in the ocean, and he is the one hitting the most critical sections and making it look easy. If a film crew is shooting on the Outer Banks, chances are they’re filming Bell. A couple years ago, you might have spotted him riding in Coca-Cola’s real TV commercial; more recently, you might have seen him ripping on the Weather Channel. All this fame hasn’t gone to Bell’s head. His easygoing personality has made him one of Real Kiteboarding’s most sought-after coaches. So, what can’t Sam live without?

Hatteras Island
Sounds weird. You can’t live without an island, but this is home. Has the best conditions for what I like to do in life. You can be surfing, kiting or at a bonfire on the beach with great friends.

Wii
I’m not an addict or anything, but, man, is it fun. You can have a bunch of friends over and not get bored the entire night. Bowling is probably the best all-around hangout game.

Stewed chicken and pie bread
If I could eat this every day and not be 300 pounds, I would. Not much to say about this besides it’s good.

Toyota Tacoma
I’ve always wanted one, and now I have it. This will be with me until I die. These are absolutely the best trucks out there. Plus, being a four-banger helps on gas.

XR 650L
This is my second dual sport bike, and they’re a blast. It’s really relaxing to ride to work in the morning. Great way to wake up and start the day. Or, if you’re having a bad day, take it out for a hell ride.

Surfboards
Anyone that lives and breathes the ocean will agree on this one. Be it from the stand-up board to the shorty, they allow me to be in the water, and that always makes me happy.

My kites
Again, this is pretty easy to see why. If I didn’t have kites, I wouldn’t be writing this. I actually don’t know what I’d be doing without kiting.

Set of good tools
You never know when you’re going to have to work on something, be it at home or on the road. They can get you out of a lot of trouble. I guess my old truck made me get used to having tools around.

Sunglasses
I spend a lot of time outside, and without them I would be blind. Nothing worse than losing a good pair of shades.

Bacon
Bacon and eggs, bacon cheeseburger, steak wrapped in bacon, bacon-egg-cheese biscuit, scallops wrapped in bacon. I would be really disappointed if someone told me I could never eat bacon again. I would cry.

Getting to Know Dre: The Andre Phillip Interview

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When SBC Kiteboard decided to do a series of articles with the sport’s most stylish riders, the first name that came to mind was Andre Phillip. The term steez, style with ease, personifies Dre like no other rider in kiteboarding.

Raised: Antigua
Current residence: Antigua, Maui, Dominican Republic, hotels and airports
Years riding: 7
Sponsors: Cabrinha, Kaenon, NPX, kitescoop.com
Years with Cabrinha: 4
Quiver: In the surf, I’m on Rawson surfboards anywhere from a 5’11” to a 6’3”. And if I’m throwing tricks or hitting rails, I’m on my Cabrinha Custom 138 with Hyperlite 3DS bindings.
Travel bag rundown: I normally travel with two board bags. One bag will have a couple Rawsons, size depending on where I’m going, and I’ll normally throw in all my fins, leashes, wetsuit tops and anything else I need to surf. The other bag will have two Custom 138s, Hyperlite bindings, two bars, Switchblade kites from 6 to 12 m2, harness, tool bag.
Places visited in 2007: I started off in Antigua, then went to Barbados, Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Cape Hatteras, Peru, Maui and Australia.
Favourite place: A few places that I’ve been to that I would always return are Australia, Hawaii, Dominican Republic and French Polynesia.

A lot of snowboarders have style, some pro wakeboarders do too, but not many kiteboarders. Why do you think that is?
Everyone has their own style. Whether it looks good or not is a different question. Snowboarding and wakeboarding went through its times when style didn’t really matter that much and the latest manoeuvre did. These days most of the pros are all doing the same stuff, so the only thing that sets them apart is good style. For some, it’s natural. And for others, they have to spend forever trying to borrow style. I think half the reason why there aren’t many stylish kiteboarders is because the latest handlepass is the craze, and it makes people’s style worse because they’re trying to learn something that is outside their learning curve. They want to learn a Mobe when they can’t even make a Back Roll to Revert look good. The other half of the reason is that people don’t really get rewarded for style. You go to contests, and basically the most technical trick takes the win over less technical plus style. Open most magazines these days—they’re full of a lot of kooky stuff. People can get a full-page spread doing some gay-lookin’ trick. In the end, good style will prevail, but it will just take time to happen. Props to Cam Barker, Dylan Thompson, Jake Kelsick—although you’re too lazy!—and Denver Coon for throwin’ it down with style. A lot of people would ask who those guys are, and it’s a typical example of how style doesn’t count for enough in our sport—yet.

In the past three or four years you quit doing the comps. Why?
I used to compete a lot because it was my only outlet to getting a chance to get recognized and then sponsored. I come from a small island that only has a few kiteboarders, and the chances of any of us “making it” are next to none. So my friend, Alex Portman, helped me get out of Antigua and do some contests, and from there I became recognized and I got picked up by Cabrinha. I’ve never been the kind of person that enjoyed riding in heats and being judged for the way that I ride, nor did I like being forced to ride a certain way so that I could do well in contests. I did it for a few years so that I could build a reputation, then do my own thing. I do think contests are good for the sport, but it’s just something that I never enjoyed doing. I did like how we would always see the same people on the tour, and it was cool to hang out and party with everyone.

The Australian Kiteboarder did a sequence issue a few years back, and you were 90 per cent of it. Dimi was shooting most of it during the PKRA contest in Cabarete, but not at the actual event. Is that when you decided to bail on contests and do more shooting?
[laughs] I’d have to agree with you about that issue. Props to the original KBM. They are down for the cause and are trying to push the sport in the right direction. Around that time I was a bit over-riding the way that judges wanted everyone on the tour to ride and wanted to do my own thing, so that’s kinda what I was doing.

If you did do a comp, what would be the ideal setup?
I’ve been doing one annual contest for the past two years, and it’s the Triple-S held by Real in Cape Hatteras [North Carolina]. The reason why I do it is because there are no heats and no stress at this contest. Everyone rides as much or as little as you want, and at the end of it, the riders all judge each other. It’s not like a regular contest, where each rider has eight minutes to strut their stuff, and if they don’t make it, they have to pack their bags and leave. Another thing that is cool is that they don’t restrict the contest area to one spot. We wake up and let the conditions dictate where we will ride for the day.

Looking back at old issues of SBC Kiteboard, the photos that stand the test of time all have steez. You were doing stuff big and unhooked but, more important, smoothly when the majority of pro riders weren’t. Was it frustrating being part of the crew that paved the way, or was it gratifying?
A little of both. Sometimes I’m frustrated that there is so much gayness in our sport. Just yesterday I was reading Surfing Life [an Australian magazine], and there was a post that read: “Kitesurfers are the Rollerbladers of the ocean.” It’s sad, but at the moment that is the biggest image that we are portraying. Sometimes I feel like maybe what I’m doing will help the sport get recognized by our big-brother boardsports, and hopefully others will help with the same cause, and that is gratifying. It seems like I’m part of a bigger movement that is on kitescoop.com, and they are eventually gonna take the sport where it should go.

How do you keep motivated?
Riding with friends motivates me the most these days, or goin’ out in good conditions. I try to stay away from frustrating conditions.

We’ve been seeing a lot of press of you on sliders, kickers and rails. What got you into missioning rails?
Ever since I was young I always used to build ramps. It started when I rode bicycles and crossed over when I started to kiteboard. I don’t know. I just have fun hitting obstacles, and they are scarce, so I just build my own.

Any bad wipeouts yet?
My worst wipeout was the one in AutoFocus. Someone had a brilliant idea to put a rail across this sandspit. I think it was my idea, so no one else would hit it until I tested it out. So I pumped up and got a few hits in, and it felt pretty good. The problem was, at the base of the rail was right where two currents met, so the water was washing up and down. On one of my approaches I was coming in full-speed to ollie onto the rail, and the water went down. I ollied and came up short, and my board clipped the beginning of the rail. I slammed into it with my chest, then tackled one of the poles with my shoulder. My shoulder got pretty messed up. I still can’t sleep on it two years later.

You built some new rails in the past few months in Antigua, pretty much on your own. How did you learn to build them?

I’ve been building stuff for a long time now, and it’s basically just trial and error. I think of something, build it, hit it and see how it works. After I’m finished building something, I think of a way I can improve it, so the next one evolves to being better than the last. I’ve always used wood, and the problem is that you need a lot of wood to build a solid slider, but then it gets really heavy, so I thought it would be better if we could use metal. That way, we could use less material to get the same strength and, in turn, make it lighter. This year my brother taught me to weld, and I built a few rails out of galvanized steel. I think these ones are the best ones so far, but I’m never satisfied. I got a few ideas to make them a bit better.

Where do you get your ideas for what you want to build?
Ideas come from all over, really. Some stuff just pops into my head or from snowboard, wakeboard videos or friends.

What gave you the idea to weld this time?
I went over to my brother’s, and he had welded a gate for his home, and that sparked the idea for me to build using metal.

How did you learn to weld? Any accidents or mishaps?
One morning my bro came over with his tools and arc welder and gave me the rundown. It’s pretty easy once you can see what to do and get the feel of it. I got a few minor burns, but nothing serious.

What did you build?
I built a 60-foot A-frame, a 40-foot step-up box and a 20-foot handrail.

How many hours went into this?
I don’t know how many hours. A lot! A lot of sweating from that heat and a lot of bending over made some days with a sore back.

What or who would you say has influenced your riding and your style the most?
Some of my riding resembles my personality. Kind of lazy and laid-back. [laughs] I draw a lot of influence from the people I normally ride with, like the AutoFocus crew and Inept crew, da boyz from Antigua and the Oz crew.

Is pro wakeboarder Shaun Murray still a big influence?
Murray, [Scott] Byerly, [Shawn] Watson [and] Shane Bonifay are all influences from wakeboarding. I also feed off of riders from the other boardsports like snow, skate and surf. We are all related in some way.

Can you name a few videos where we can check out your riding?
AutoFocus, Metropolis, Ten4, Next and look for our new Cabrinha team video.

You’ve had a stable sponsorship with Cabrinha, while some of the sport’s other big names have moved around a bit more. What do you owe the strength of that relationship to?
There are a lot of good members behind the scenes at Cabrinha that make it a solid company, and the product speaks for itself. Cabrinha gives me a lot of slack to let me do what I like, and they get the best out of me that way. Can’t really complain much. Maybe one day I’ll be cool enough for Pete [Cabrinha] to give me a pro model. [laughs]

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my career so far is being able to travel the world and scope out and ride all the cool spots that it has to offer. Also making some solid friends along the way.

Any advice for groms looking to go pro?
Ride a lot and keep stuffing your bag full of tricks, but also make sure your style isn’t wack.

What three riders have the most steez today?
Dylan Thompson (Inept crew), Cam Barker (Aussie movement) and Jake Kelsick (the Antiguan connoisseur).

Traveling

Best place for...

Waves: West Australia

Gals: East Australia

Rails: Real in Hatteras

Just chillin’: Antigua

Parties: Cabarete and Australia

Flatwater: Hatteras

Life in Antigua

What was it like growing up an island boy in Antigua?
It’s pretty relaxed growing up in Antigua. Things move at island time, and it’s small. So everyone kinda knows everyone. We get summer all year round. I guess it’s an OK place to grow up.

How did you get into kiting?
My friend Eli traded some windsurf gear for kiteboarding gear, and he was the first person to bring kitesurfing to Antigua. I begged him to teach me, and the rest is history.

What other sports and activities did you do growing up there?
I used to ride everywhere on my BMX. We had a whole crew, and we used to just ride around and jump anything that had a bump to it. Somewhere in my early teens I got introduced to watersports, and then I was pretty much hooked on being in the water all the time—surfing, windsurfing and wakeboarding.

Was there a big kiting scene in Antigua then?
The kiteboarding scene has always been pretty small.

And now how’s the scene?
It’s still pretty small, maybe 15 kiteboarders who live on the island. It’s kinda cool like that, ’cause we have a good little crew and it’s not crowded anywhere. [laughs]

Where’s a good spot to ride?
Jabberwock is the most consistent spot. Half Moon Bay, Willoughby Bay and Green Island are fun as well.

You guys have good flatwater. Any waves?
Everywhere is flatwater. Willoughby Bay has a bit of waves but small.

The kite school there just got a new Grinch winch. You checked it out yet?
Yeah, The Grinch is a winch that has a long rope with a handle attached to it, and it can pull a wakeboarder. It’s portable, so we can set it up anywhere. I haven’t been home to try it yet, but the boys say it’s fun when there’s no wind.

Quick Answers

Five things you couldn’t travel without? iPod, slippers, credit card, Kaenon sunglasses and my Mac.

Top 5 on iPod? Jay-Z, Nas, Gentleman, The Roots, Bob Marley.

Last two movies you watched? Borat and Super Troopers.

Other sports of interest? Wakeboarding, snowboarding, surfing.

Favourite place to grind in Antigua? Trappas.

Drink of choice? Rum and ginger.

No wind—what do you do in Antigua? Probably just go hang out at the beach or go boating.

Where to party? Rush, English Harbour, Abracadabra and Shirley Heights on a Sunday.

Local music? Reggae, calypso.

Anyone you wanna give props to? Eli for teaching me to kite. Alex Portman giving me a chance to get out and be seen. The Antigua crew: Stevie, Adam, Nigel, Nickolai, Jake, Russel, Annabel. Big props for holdin’ the scene while I’m not home.

One word all of your friends in Antigua would use to describe you? I dunno… maybe mellow.

John Amundson's Mixed Media

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This issue’s Mixed Media comes from the world of renowned Oahu shaper John Amundson. Amundson was recognized by his peers in the Fall issue of SBC Kiteboard as being one of best surf riders in the world and one of the Top 3 most influential shapers. Be sure to check out details of his new board line in the 2008 Buyers’ Guide.

Colour: Blue mixed with red
Song: “Sabbra Cadabra” by Metallica
Artist your parents listened to: The Beach Boys
Artist your kids listen to: 2Pac
Hawaiian musician: Gaby Pahinui
Radio station: KPOI (105.9 FM)
TV station: A&E
TV show: Dog the Bounty Hunter
News program: The Daily Report
Documentary: Grizzly Man
TV ad: The Carpet Cleaners (The dog does a butt-grind across the carpet, and the kids are like, “Mom, Buster is doing it again!”)
Cartoon: Drawn Together
Superhero: Gandhi
Film: Tombstone
Kite film: Lines by John Bilderback
Surf film: Surfer: The Movie
Photo: Jimmy Hall paragliding next to a mirrored-window building in Peru
Catalogue: Victoria’s Secret
School textbook: Physics
Painters: Zen Del Rio, Chris Lundy, Freddy Straighter
Font: Arial black bold, tweaked back for speed
Computer program: SurfCAD
Book: Zen on the Go
Magazine: The Surfer’s Journal
Men’s magazine: Playboy
Weather source: Extreme low-pressure systems in the Aleutians
Website: amundsoncustoms.com
Forum: Any forum that monitors its content for integrity
YouTube video: Maui 2005

Bilderback photo

Wesly Matweyew talks gear

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Wesly Matweyew is one of the west coasts top riders both on and off the water. SBC Kiteboard askes Wesly about his gear choices for the west coast and advice for first time riders.

What do you look for in a board where you ride?
I like boards that are durable with a lively feel. All my boards are completely stock with the exception of my custom surfboards. I don’t need to tweak anything on my setups beyond the stock options. My stuff holds up so I can develop a relationship with the board, allowing me to concentrate on what I’m doing and not adjusting it or repairing it.

What do you look for in a kite?
Well-rounded kites with easy-to-use safeties that maintain the highest level of performance. I want to switch from my surfboard to my twin-tip and then, as the tide drops, switch over to my mountain board all on the same kite. Fast turning with low but direct bar pressure, which requires less energy from me, resulting in a increased performance level over a longer session. They must be super stable in variable wind and have more than average wind range. I love my Cabrinha bar setups. They are simple, clean, and the plastic centreline saves me a ton in replacements, tuning and worry about pushing one more session on a worn chicken loop.

What advice do you have for someone choosing his or her first setup?
Spend a good deal of time watching, meeting and asking questions of riders of all abilities who are kiting the area you plan on riding. Buy a kite from a reputable shop and take lessons. Spend more money on a better kite, and if you need to cut pennies, your best bet is the board. It won’t cost as much if you lose it or hate it, and it isn’t so much of a safety concern. Learn to body-drag upwind, and don’t use a leash.

Do you see any common gear mistakes where you live?
Buying old C kites. The new kites will allow you to learn safer, quicker and much easier, saving you a ton of aggravation.

Wesly's Stats
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Hometown: Ventura, California
Boards: 6’1” and 6’4” custom JHR X-Factor epoxy thruster squash tails, Cabrinha Custom 133, MBS Pro 6, Steepwater Steep 158
Bindings: Cabrinha Wide Body, MBS F-3, Cabrinha Effect
Kites: Cabrinha Omega 5/7/9/12
Harness: Cabrinha waist and Dakine Nitrous

Check out this slideshow of Wes in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sc9x2uohEc

Peter Trow's Indispensable

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Peter Trow picked up his first kite in early 1998 and quickly became the first professional kiteboarder from California. From Day 1 he applied his hard-charging and fearless waveriding style directly to kiteboarding and to his videos, and he’s never wavered since. Trow pioneered many of California’s most popular wave spots while pushing the limits of what was possible for kite waveriding. Devoted to directional boards and Flexifoil kites, he continues his loyalty to the waves and to the brand. We caught up with Trow to find out what he can’t possibly live without.

The ocean
I don’t know why, but it must be in my blood. I didn’t grow up on the coast but always had a desire to go to the Pacific and play in the waves. Now when I’m away from the ocean I feel ill. I have a real passion for the ocean.

My dog
Just when I thought about how I couldn’t live without my dog, I found her curled up on the bed after playing in the mud. Even though she causes some trouble, she’s a good dog. She inspires me to get out of the house and away from the computer. There’s nothing sweeter than taking her for walks on the beach or in the woods and watching how much fun she can have.

P2 HD camera
I don’t leave home without my video camera and water housings. I’m always looking for the perfect shot and different perspectives. I love the feeling of watching an A+ shot for the first time, and in HD it’s even more amazing. Nothing better than seeing a shot come together with perfect light, beautiful water, lined-up action and sharp P2 HD.

iPhone
It was an impulse buy, but what a good one. Love having the ability to check e-mails, make calls, check the surf on the web, watch videos and listen to good tunes all from one small unit that fits in my pocket. It’s a great piece of technology that’s not complicated and I can actually use.

Yerba maté
I can drink maté all day. Keeps me alert, warm and doesn’t shake me up.

Directional board
I once went on a kite trip to a good wave spot and broke my only directional board. I borrowed a twin-tip and went out for one miserable run, then quit. I’d rather not kite if I’m not on a directional; it’s just not the same. Now I always travel with at least three boards.

Mac
At home or on the road I always have a Mac. When traveling, having the ability to easily download and edit video from a MacBook is something that wasn’t available five years ago and saves loads of time. At home, there’s nothing better for editing photos and video.

Money
I’ve tried not having any, and it kind of sucks.

Surfboard
Having one board isn’t enough. I try to keep a couple shortboards, towboards, longboards, a fish, a foilboard and at least one board my friends can borrow when they come to visit.

Good food
I’m a pretty mellow, happy guy as long as I’m eating. If I don’t get enough good food, things start moving sideways for me quick. I feel much better when I’m fueled up with good, healthy, organic foods.

My truck
I wish I didn’t need it, but I don’t know how I would get around with all my gear without it. It’s great being able to leave all my kites, surfboards and everything else locked up in the back. Besides my garage, my truck is a second storage unit for gear.

Surf trunks
Hopefully I’ll always need a pair of surf trunks. Even though I’m not always using them on the cold Central Coast, having a few pairs of trunks keeps me prepared for warmer days and the possibility of tropical adventures.

WaveRunner
If I could take it on a plane, I would. I use my WaveRunner for everything: shooting, towsurfing, foiling, finding better spots to ride, innertubing, whatever. It’s my favourite vehicle.

Style with Ease: Dylan Thompson

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Dylan Thompson does what he wants, when he wants. It would be easy to dismiss the kid sporting the steezy tall tee and mint New Era cap as just another punk, but the kid is legit. His style comes from the simple fact that he does things for himself and for no one else. That may sound selfish, but it really isn’t. It’s about a personal code of honour that answers to his own inspiration. It doesn’t turn on and off at the request or demand of others. It’s about measuring himself and his actions to the essence of his being.
The first time I saw and shot Thompson was when I poached a late-afternoon photo session taking place at the Sandbar in 2003. I didn’t know it at the time, but the photographer was a guy named Stephen Whitesell. It was apparent why Thompson was the subject of his focus. Even to my untrained eyes, his style was unique. His kiting was ahead of the curve. Never satisfied with the current status of kiting, Thompson has looked toward the future, progressing the sport and inspiring others while crossing influences from snowboarding to skateboarding.
He carries himself on and off the water with a quiet presence. His voice is soft and his words are few, coming only after they are validated against the intrinsic judge within.

Raised: Hood River, Oregon
Current residence: The Hood; Salt Lake City, Utah
Years riding: 7
Sponsors: Slingshot, Dakine, Inept Films
Quiver: Response board, Fuel kites
Places visited in 2007: Hatteras, Baja, Oregon Coast
Favourite place: Sandbar
Favourite tricks: Nose Press, Back to Blind

Tell me about the Triple S contest this year. You placed pretty well, eh?
I did pretty well, and it was a really fun event. I got second place in rails. That is what I was really focusing on. There’s a lot more going on than other contests there. Instead of just a couple minutes to do your thing, the Triple S lets you throw down all weekend when you’re feelin’ it. It’s a lot more fun and a better atmosphere to be a part of.

People were surprised with your performance there. I heard someone call you the dark horse.
I’ve been snowboarding and skateboarding rails a long time. I didn’t consider myself a dark horse; I just did what I’ve been doing for a long time now.

What other contests did you enter this year?
I did the local Gorge comp, the Bridge of the Gods, and that’s it. I focused my summer more on making the Inept video.

What’s up with the Inept crew?
It’s all the homies up in Oregon kiting every day. We released our first video called The Most Underrated. I think it turned out pretty well. It’s online for free download at ineptfilms.com. Everyone can go and check it out. I’m sure they’ll be stoked. The Inept crew has been on the grind the last few years. We build a park every summer and film every day. Our homie Joby [Cook] is a contractor, so we come up with a dope idea and he designs and builds it. Everyone kicks down coin to make it happen. It’s definitely been a learning process, and Inept’s got it locked down.

Where do you get your ideas for what you want to build?
Most of our ideas come from rails we’ve skated or snowboarded. We usually come up with an idea in the spring, but I know the idea of a pool and down rail has been thrown around.

What do you think of people who are disrespecting what you’re attempting and calling the rails an eyesore in Hood River?
We do a good job of keeping it low-key. We try to paint them so they look natural. We even have some that we pull out and move after using them. If you don’t like it, I’m sorry, but there is definitely a lot of things all over Hood River making my eyes a lot more sore than our sliders. We’re really just trying to do something progressive with the sport. I guess you’ll always have someone resisting that and complaining because they need something to hold back and complain about. Overall, though, I think it’s a very positive movement.

A few years ago there was a monster rail that was never slid. What happened?
We built an up-flat-down that was about 80 feet long and 15 feet high. We put it out and anchored it. The water came up overnight and floated it right out of there. It was a shitty situation, since it cost a G in sponsors’ money. We learned a lot about setting up and keeping sliders from that one.

What perception do other boardsport athletes have of kiteboarding? What do your Utah bros think about kiting?
It depends. A lot of my friends didn’t even know about [kitboarding], but when they see someone killing it with style, they’re always stoked.

How about snowkiting—any interest there?
It looks fun. I haven’t been, though. I’m usually super busy with snowboarding all winter.

You’ve worked with a few different sponsors over the years. How has Slingshot been for you?
Slingshot has been awesome. They make the best gear I’ve ridden, especially for wakestyle. They are local, and everyone is way chill. It’s a good family to be a part of.

Worst wipeout on a rail?
Kiting rails has been mellow, really. I’ve wracked myself on a handrail skating, and I broke my nose, wrecked my shoulder pretty good, chipped a tooth and split my forehead trying a Front Board on a triple-down-kink rail snowboarding.

How do you keep motivated afterward?
Have fun landing tricks. I’ve never lost motivation or gotten scared to hit rails.

You’ve been doing a lot of snowboarding in Utah the last couple winters. How does that influence your style?
Snowboarding has been around longer and is more progressed. I try to bring those tricks and style to kiting. There’s a lot of dope stuff going down in snowboarding that gets me so stoked. I’d like to translate that to water. I’ve been riding, snowboarding every day here in Brighton, doing a lot of rails in the city too. I’ve been working on a few things for the Technine video. We’ll see how that goes. I go to film school fall semester, too, then I spend all winter riding every day. It’s a lot of fun.

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
Triple S and just having fun with the homies all summer long.

What riders have the most steez today?
Andre Phillip, for sure. Pretty much all the Inept crew you don’t really get to see normally, but definitely check out the video. Anyways, that’s Ian Daly, Joby Cook, Cam Barker and a bunch of other Gorge riders just killing it.

Tell me about Hood River.
It was an awesome spot to grow up. I could always kite or snowboard or skate. It’s just a beautiful place. My dad got me into kiting when I was young. He windsurfed and crossed over and taught me. There always was a kite scene in town growing up, but it’s gotten a lot bigger every year. It’s still chill, though. There’s nothing like kiting all day, then partying at the Sandbar right after a session. That’s my favourite spot, but Rufus and the coast are always fun too.

Where do you see kiteboarding going next? What will influence you next?
Hopefully a lot more wakestyle and sliders, but a lot of people just aren’t into it. I do want to see those who ride wakestyle progressing the power and tricks, bigger rails and higher, more technical tricks. I think all the facets of kiteboading will continue to progress in their own way. That’s cool. I just want to focus on wake. That’s all I’m really interested in.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself living big. Hopefully own a house on the beach and in the mountains. But I don’t care too much as long as I can still shred and enjoy life.

Quick Answers

Where is the best place for... waves?
Hawaii.

...chicks?
Salt Lake City.

...rails?
Hood River, then Hatteras.

...just chillin’?
Hood River.

...parties?
Triple S.

...flatwater?
Hatteras.

Five things you couldn’t travel without?
Money, music, skateboard, a fresh wardrobe, the right state of mind.

Top 5 on iPod?
Wu-Tang Clan, Young Jeezy, Biggie, Mac Dre, Dr. Dre.

Last two movies you watched?
CB4, Talladega Nights.

Favourite place to party in the Hood?
River City.

Drink of choice?
Rum and Coke, ginseng, green tea.

No wind—what do you do in Hood River?
Skate, head to Mt. Hood, chill, swim, jump off some cliffs.

Local music in the Hood?
Local Energy is an ill rapper.

Anyone you wanna give props to?
To everyone who’s helped me get to where I’m at. Slingshot, the Inept crew—Ian Daly, Joby Cook, Jon Ing. My family, mom and dad, and everyone else I forgot.

One word the Inept crew would use to describe you?
I believe the word would be gangsta, son!

Ian Alldredge

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

As I paddle from the boat to the lineup, a young surfer confidently paddles into a head-high set. He pumps down the line, getting every drop of speed out of the wave. The green wall begins to section off ahead of him, and he draws a clean line off the bottom and goes straight up and hucks an Air Reverse.

I can’t help but notice that Ian Alldredge surfs much like he kites. Much of his style is derived from the aggressive, new-school approach of modern-day surfing. With surfers like Dane Reynolds, Bobby Martinez and Timmy Curran to mold his style after, it’s no wonder Alldredge has one of the most powerful techniques in the business.

Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, Alldredge has been surrounded by the ocean since he was a small child. His father, Earl, a local legend kiter, is an accomplished waterman who always made sure Ian was on it.

The most impressive thing about Alldredge is that he doesn’t have the I’m-a-God complex that many top athletes have. He is easily approachable and, for his age, very mature. He is quick to smile and show respect to the older guys on the water. His riding has taken on a whole new level in the past year. He has put the twin-tip down for good and is focused on strapless waveriding. Every time we kite together, I see him trying new air variations and different approaches to hitting sections. Look for Alldredge to lead the way in strapless waveriding now and into the future.

Ian Alldredge rides for Surftech, Naish, Prolite, Kaenon Polarized Optics, H20 Audio, Octaned.com, and Clout Rideshop.

Kevin Langeree's Indispensable

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Nineteen-year-old Kevin Langeree from the Netherlands is the best kiteboarder you’ve never heard of. He is coming off his second straight second-place overall finish on the PKRA tour and was only one heat away from becoming the 2007 world champion. We caught up with him recently to find out what he can’t possibly live without.

Iced tea
I drink that stuff every day and can’t live without it. The iced tea in Holland is still the best.

iPod
If I forgot my iPod on a trip, I would buy a new one at the airport or I would run back home and get it and go on the next fight. It would be so boring sitting on a plane without an iPod.

Driver’s licence
I got my driver’s licence a year and a half ago. Before that, I had to ask people if they could bring me to the beach, and that was so annoying. Now I’m much more free and I can go wherever I want.

Sweater
I hate to be cold, so I always make sure I bring a good sweater wherever I go. But I always try to go places where you don’t really need it.

Cellphone
It’s always good to call your friends to go out for a good session.

Flip-flops
I hate to wear closed shoes. I feel trapped in those things. That’s why I never forget my flip-flops when I go on a trip to a warm place.

MacBook
Because I travel a lot, it’s perfect to have all your computer stuff with you. And to check e-mails.

Skype
What a great program. If I’m on the other side of the world, I can call back home for a few cents.

Sunglasses
I wear those things every day and never leave the house without them. When I’m on the water I never wear them. But when I come back to the shore, the first thing I grab is my sunglasses. It’s really funny. When I’m on the water I really don’t need them, but when I get back to the beach my eyes start to get small and then I need my sunnies.

Airplane
Those things are great. It just sucks that it’s super bad for the environment. But you can travel all over the world in just a day. I can’t imagine sitting in a truck for a few months to get to South America. I really can’t sit still for that long, and sometimes it’s really hard for me to sit on a plane for a few hours.

Food
I always eat a lot. When I go on a trip, that’s what I spend the most money on. I always love to eat good food like sushi, pasta or a good piece of meat.

The beach
I always need to stay close to the beach. Every day I have to see the sea. If I’m on a trip, I see the beach every day, and then when I come back home, the first thing I do is check the beach. It’s super funny, but it never gets boring.