Kitesoul Magazine #2 English Edition

THE N°1 Kite Magazine in Italy

D a r e t oD i v e r s i f yF R E E S T Y L E / W A V ETHE NEW DICESIz ES4 › 5 › 6 › 7 › 8 › 9 › 10 › 11 › 12 › 13Riders_Matchu Lopes/Tom Court - Photo_Mario Entero/Toby BromwichRELATED WAVE & FREESTYLE BOARDWHIPGAMBLERT R U E K I T E B O A R D I N G

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EditorRoberta Palaroberta.pala@kitesoul.comWave Thecnique EditorMitu MonteiroFreestyle Thecnique EditorAlberto RondinaThecnical ExpertRenato CasatiPhoto & VideoMaurizio CintiDesignGiuseppe EspositoTexstsRenato Casati, Noè Font, Mitu Monteiro, PaulaNovotna, Mario Rodwald, Alberto Rondina,PhotosAlexander Baranescu, John Bilderback, TobyBromwich, Gilles Calvet, Renato Casati, PedroCentra, Glen Duffus, Lance Koudele, JasonLombard, Jody McDonald, Marc Metzler, AllenMozo, Francesco Pacienza, Lukas Prudky, NatasaSilec, Sarah Son, Dave White, Stephen WhitesellCover:Rider: Alberto RondinaPhoto: Jason LombardPublisher and advertisingVISU MediaVia Cavour, 2024030 Ambivere (BG)Amministratore UnicoFederico Sugonifs@kitesoul.comRegistration Tribunaledi Bergamo n°10/2014del 15/04/2014.Periodicità bimestraleCopyright Kitesoul MagazineAll content is copyright of Kitesoul Magazine /Visu Media Srl.OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2014TWO-MONTHLYRENATO “DR. KITE” CASATITechnical ExpertRRD Wave team rider. Kiteboardersince 2000, he hasbeen PKRA athlete and judge.He’s a professional sportswriterfor several technicalmagazines. He lives betweenComo Lake and Sardinia, buthe spends every winter in thewaves of Cabo-Verde.ROBERTA PALAEditorSports photographer since1997, kiteboarder since 2001,she has worked for the mostexponential kite magazinesfor the last 15 years.A free and wild soul, shehas left the luxuries of townliving for a life in contact withnature: a sea and wave lover.Nowadays you can find heron the shores of Capo Mannu,Sardinia, one of the mostbeautiful spots of the MediterraneanSea.MAURIZIO CINTIFilm-makerMovie buff and keen photographer.He’s a skater, snowboarderand wakeboarder,but he actually burns withpassion for kiteboarding. Hestarted off with freestyle afew years ago, but nowadayshe’s more into chasing bigand powerful waves. This iswhat he loves the most.

MITU MONTEIROTechnical Editor-Wave RidingHe comes from Sal. OfficialF-one and Manera rider.2008 KPWT World Championand three-time Vice WorldChampion. He started to surfand windsurf as a kid and buthe definitively fell in love withkitesurf as soon as he discoveredit.FEDERICO SUGONIPublisherHe’s a manager and a businessman.He fell in love with kiteboardingalmost 10 years ago inthe wild and amazing NorthShore of Oahu (Hawaii). Asidefrom kiteboarding there isonly one other importantthing in his life: his babydaughter.ALBERTO RONDINATechnical Editor-FreestyleHe’s the best Italian rider ofthe competitive kiting world.Cabrinha, Neil Pryde andGoPro official team riderand four-time Italian Champion.Alberto has won the2001 edition of the EuropeanChampionship and thirdplace in the 2012 PKRA WorldChampionship.GIUSEPPE ESPOSITOArt directorKiter since he was in the babypram, he is a rider for RRDItalia and studies ComunciationDesign at Politecnico diMilano.With this assignment, hefinally has been able to puttogether his two passions:kite and design.KITESOUL MAGAZINEfrom kiters to kiters

Rider: Abel LagoFoto: Dave White

EDITORIALA restoring sleep after a long and tiring journey. It is here, when you are still lost inthe universe of the unconscious, without knowing where you are or why that oursenses are awakened.The clear and unmistakable scent of the sea, the increasing thunderous soundof waves predicts a swell that will make our day unforgettable; the sun creepingthrough the windows, the whistling of the wind on the roof and trees; and theawareness of being in the only place where is worth being: at the heart of yourpassions. It is from this place that Soul Riders from all over the world, have decidedto join our adventure. A few months of life for KiteSoul and already so manyconfirmations ... many international pro riders are collaborating with us. We feelproud and really happy to have a place in the international kiteboarding scene.Our aim is to keep on testing material, so in the next issue we will be able topresent the new market innovations, tested directly in the field from all levelsriders. Videos, photos and reviews to help you understand and select the new 2015material.In this issue we have given particular importance, like usual, to events, dreamliketrips and the precious teaching of our two “gurus”, Alberto Rondina for freestyleand Mitu Monteiro for wave riding. Very important is also the part dedicated tothe knowledge of the material, a prerequisite for the perfect trimming of our kite:Renato Casati will take us into the world of kite lines, the connection between usand our kite...The world of kiteboarding is not only made of spectacular manoeuvres and oceanwaves, it is also and above all, passion, and an immense love for nature and thesea. For this purpose we met a man who did of his passion his reason for living,board shaping his work, and the ocean his “office.”The interview with Californian shaper John Amundson, now Hawaiian by adoption,is a journey into emotions and dream ... I got lost inside his answers. I could almostfeel his feelings as if they were my own, his soul overflowing into his words ...that’s why we decided to dedicate such a large part of our magazine to him: sothat everyone could feel his emotions, and understand that true happiness lies inliving the life you want, driven by a constant passion and love for your work, alwayschasing the realization of your dreams…Roberta Pala

TABLE OF CONTENTSPortfolioItwCraig CunninghamEventsPKRAEventsKite Tour EuropeWave TechniqueFloaterTripChilling in the DR

Freestyle movesBack MobeFreestyle and styleGrabsTechThe linesItwJohn Amundson

14PORTFOLIOSam MedyskyRIDER: Sam MedyskyFOTO: Alexander Baranescu

KITEBOARDER OF THE YEAR

16PORTFOLIOKai LennyRIDER: Kai LennyFOTO: Stephen Whitesell

18PORTFOLIOChristophe TackRIDER: Christophe TackFOTO: Lukas Prudky

20PORTFOLIOMitu MonteiroRIDER: Mitu MonteiroFOTO: Gilles Calvet/Fone

22PORTFOLIOPedro HenriqueRIDER: Pedro HenriqueFOTO: Natasa Silec for Best Kiteboarding

24PORTFOLIONiccolò PorcellaRIDER: Niccolò PorcellaFOTO: Quincy Dein

26EVENTSKitesurf TourKITE TOUR EUROPEHANG LOOSE BEACHG I Z Z E R I A , I TA LY 24-27 JULY 2014The final stop of the European Kite Tour, which declared the freestyleEuropean champions for 2014, took place at Hang LooseBeach in Gizzeria, undiscussed host of the most important andbetter organized events of the Italian territory. A busy week,which confirmed Mario Rodwald and Paula Novotna, back from along recovery after an injury, as freestyle European Champions.Text: Mario Rodwald, Paula Novotnà, Roberta PalaPhoto: Marc Metzler e Francesco Pacienza

28EVENTSKitesurf Tour

The Hang Loose Beach guys of Lamezia,Italy, have once again proventhemselves to be great organizers. Anamused and entertaining audience,late parties into the night, not to mentionthe support given to the riders ofthe European tour, the real stars ofthis Italian event. In the freestyle quarterthe battle was intense, especiallyin the men’s division, where the localrider Gianmaria Coccoluto won the singleelimination, catching the defendingchampion Mario Rodwald off-guard. Inthe double elimination however Mario,also thanks to stronger wind conditions,managed to regain first position,winning his third European FreestyleChampion title. In the women’s board,Paula Novotna, back from a long recoveryafter an injury, won the singleas well as the double elimination, leavingthe Italian Francesca Bagnoli, whofought to the last breath, in second position,.In the Course Racing, the youngOlivier Bridge, has dominated almostevery race, winning the races over the2013 world champion, Florian Gruberand the Italian Riccardo Leccese. Therewas also enough time and wind to beable to dispute the Twin Tip Racingcompetition: Florian Gruber took firstplace after four races.See you next year!

30EVENTSKitesurf Tour

32EVENTSKitesurf TourWe asked the two 2014 freestyle KiteTour Europe champions to share theirexperience with usMario RodwaldLong ago before I competed at the firstEuropean Championship five yearsago I had been dreaming about thetitle. The first two years I got close tofirst place, but only close. One time italso happend here in Lamezia wherethis years competition took place. Afamous sports men once said “Secondis the first looser”, I never shared thispoint of view although it sometimesfeels like it. This is why coming secondin the Singles was not the best startmentally.The Italian locals like Gianmaria Coccolutoreally surprised me by landing avariation of doubles and other moves I

arely see. Although I managed a goodsemifinal landing a KGB5 and Frontmobe5I couldnt pull it off in the finalsof the Singles. Apparently the windgood was with me and the next daysthe shirokko kicked in despite the badweather forecast. 25-30 knots fromthe other direction and lots of powerin my 9 meter Vegas! Sander Bos wason fire and fought his way back up tothird place. This time I set my foucusdifferent, no pressure and only focuson the fun in every single trick. Everyheat I could improve my riding landingDouble Hinterberger 3, Double S Bendpasses, Frontmobe 5s and my first tutsiroll. Paula Novotna showed an incredibleperformance landing mobesand S-Mobes and winning a solid firstEuropean Title! I am very stoked aboutmy third title and want to thank myfamily, friends and sponsors.

34EVENTSKitesurf TourPaula NovotnáThis year I decided to join the EuropeanTour in Italy, Gizzeria and it wasreally worth it. Such a nice week ona warm lovely place! It was my firstcompetition after my knee injury whatkept me away from kiting for morethan half year. Surprisingly I managedto win and get the title of the EuropeanChampion 2014! I am really happyand proud, thanks to my family, sponsorsand friends without them I couldnot have done it! We had a really goodwind, different conditions for singlesand doubles. Singles were in lightwind and choppy water and doublesin strong and gusty wind with flat water.The conditions were the same foreverybody but in the end it showedwho is the best. I can’t complain about

the organization either about the HangLoose beach club where we were staying!Really lovely place and good jobfrom the organization crew! The partieswere also really nice, summer vibeand lot’s of Italians around, it was fun!I definitely wanna come back again! Iam happy with my win and title andlet’s see if I can win again next year! :)Go check out my movie from this competitionon vimeo: The blond is back. -https://vimeo.com/103319082

36EVENTSKitesurf TourFREESTYLEMANS1 – Rodwald M. (GER) European Champion2 – Coccoluto G.(ITA)3 – Bos S. (NL)WOMEN1 – Novotnà P. (CZ) European Champion2 – Bagnoli F. (ITA)3 – Yuri R. (UK)FORMULA RACEMANS1 - Bridge O. (UK)2 - Gruber F. (FR)3 - Leccese R. (ITA)WOMEN1 – Kalinina E. (RUS)2 – Berz A. (SUI)3 - Sysoeva T. (RUS)TTRace1 – Gruber F. (GER)2 – Atte Kappel (S)3 – Merla G. (ITA)

38EVENTSPkra

PKRAThe summer of PKRA is usually that of the historic stops: Fuerteventuraand Germany, just to name a few. On top of this and, after six longyears, an old PKRA “friend” came back strongly to make itself heard. Infact, after the calendar had already been fixed, the organizers decidedto include one other historic stop: Tarifa!! We can almost say that Europeankiteboarding was born there. There will be a lot of other news inthe coming months for sure. Richard Branson, the Virgin tycoon, hasdecided to invest in the PKRA and this can only be good news for thepromotion and development of our sport.Text: Noè Font e Roberta PalaPhoto: Toby Bromwich

40 EVENTSPkraThree different stops and three differentweather conditions. Fuerteventura,with its strong and gusty winds;Germany, with low temperatures andits distinctive conditions and Tarifa,with the uncertainty of the West (Poniente)or the Eastern wind (Levante),which can make a substantial differencefrom one day to another.Fuerteventura with its strong winds,saw victorious the female protagonistGisela Pulido, who once again, provedherself to be the number one opponentof the current leader Winkowska. In themen’s division, the young Liam Whaley,back from a long recovery after aninjury, gave a hard time to the numberone, Christophe Tack.The biggest surprise came from theGerman stop, with the victory of AaronHadlow, who came back stronglyand immediately raised to the topwith a sensational trial. The happinessshowed on the podium in Germanyby the multiple world champion wasoverwhelming. In the female quarter,Karolina Winkowska won again, gaininga few more valuable points over

42EVENTSPkraGisela Pulido.At the unexpected stop of Tarifa, finallyback after several years, we assistedat the big return of the Big Air competition,with old style mega-jumpsand an enthusiastic crowd, great performancesby Gisela Pulido and ArielCorniel who won the contest. Anotherspectacular event has been the VirginKitesurfing Armada, a world recordbreaking kitesurfing event aiming tosupport three charities, with the largestnumber of riders at the same timeon the water for over a mile. Spain hassmashed the previous record, raising itto 352 riders! Tarifa has been the mostexciting stop, all done on a grand scale!We have asked the World ChampionJunior, Noah Font, to tell us somethingabout the return of this historic milestone.

44 EVENTSPkraPKRA Tarifa 2014Noè FontThe PKRA World tour came back to Tarifa,the European Kiteboarding meccaafter 6 years. This time the contest gotplace in the new “BEST Pro-center” rightin “Los Lances” beach. And fromAugust 28th to September 7th top ridersform all over the world visited Tarifato fight once again for the WorldTitle.The battle this year is really tight inboth categories on the men ChristopheTack is leading followed by Liam Whaleyand Aaron Hadlow on second andthird and for the women no big surprisesas Karolina and Gisela are fightingfor the title again.Right before the start of the PKRAevent, Richard Branson and Gisela Pulidoorganized a Guinness World Record.The record consisted on the mostnumber of kiteboarders within one mileon the water and there is no other placebetter than Tarifa to find such a bigamount of kiteboarders. In the end therecord got 352 riders.Tarifa known by its wind consistencyallowed us to run the entire event withouttroubles. For the first time everwe ran the Big air discipline which is allabout jumping high and impressing thecrowd, and luckily Tarifa delivered thegods with strong “Levante” from 25-25kts so we put together a big show.Ariel Corniel from the DR was clearlyon it pulling a double “kung fu” passduring the final but not forget LiamWhaley, Reno Romeu and Posito Martinezwere also performing impressivebig airs and kite loops for the crowd.For the freestyle the Spanish riders gotan opportunity to win a wildcard for themain event going through a Trials formatfor only Spanish competitors andMaxi Gomez local from Tarifa and JuliaCastro for the women took the win.Back to the normal trials for the freestylewe had “Levante” winds for 11/9mkites. For the men twenty-‐six ridersfighting for 12 spots on the main eventand ten riders for five spots on the women,so a day full of action was promised.After a no wind day break theSingle eliminations for the main eventwere meant to start. Forecast was lookinggood with a change of the winddirection from “Levante” to “Poniente”all the riders were looking forward forthe start. In the first round we had impressiveheats with no big surprises asall the top riders made it through. You

46EVENTSPkrari Zoon coming back from his injuryhad to battle against Aaron Hadlowthe winner on the stop before, and heproved that he’s back on it putting oneof the best heats of the event so far.Another big surprise was Paul Serinmaking it through against Reno Romeuon the second round. The first heat forthe semifinals was Neto against DaSilva, both Brazilian riders who wereripping it pulling many double handlepasses but in the end Da Silva wonover by 1 point difference. After thatwe saw Zoon, Whaley and Tack makeit through to the semifinals as well.First semifinal was Da Silva againstZoon, they booth put together oneof the best shows ever on the PKRA

world tour with BJ7 and 317 along withmany other high level maneuvers. Intotal Da silva had 39/50 points. On theother side Whaley against Tack theyboth scored another huge heat withBJ7, Slim7 and 2XSbend3 with a totalscore of almost 40 and Tack won overWhaley by 0.5 difference. On the ladiesside Pulido, Kajiya, Lammerts andWindkowska made it to the quarterfinals.The wind was pumping W “Poniente”side onshore. Pulido won overKajiya with a really huge advantage,pulling tricks like 315 and toesideroll’s.And Windkowska vs Lammerts wasalso a great show, even though Lammertsis improving a lot this year andperforming many high level maneuversit wasn’t enough to beat worldchamp Karolina. For the Double EliminationAaron Haldow performed anamazing climb up from the last placeto 5th as Youri Zoon who ended up4th afterwards stopped him. We sawalso Forest Bakker ending up in 7thposition and also Liam Whaley climbedup from 3rd to 2nd with anotheramazing performance stomping massivetricks. For the women Gisela Pulidolost his heat against Kajiya so shefelt one position taking 3rd place. Andthen Karolina won over Bruna bringinghome her 5th gold this year. The eventin tarifa saw the highest level ever ona PKRA event; many riders pushed thescores further up and landing 7’s onevery heat. Here we see the progressionof the sport and how the level increasesby the time. Christophe Tackthe winner of the event pulled a newtrick on the final (Double whirly 5) andopened a new category on the judgingformat.

48EVENTSPkraGermania Freestyle Men1st Aaron Hadlow (UK)2nd Liam Whaley (ES)3rd Marc Jacobs (NZ)4th Christophe Tack (BE)Germania Freestyle Women1st Karolina Winkowska (PL)2nd Gisela Pulido (ES)3rd Bruna Kajiya (BR)4th Annelous Lammerts (NL)Germania Slalom Men1st Bryan Lake (US)2nd Julian Kerneur (FR)3rd Florian Gruber (DE)4th Jannis Maus (DE)RESULTFuerteventura Freestyle Men1st Liam Whaley (ES)2nd Christophe Tack (BE)3rd Reno Romeu (BRA)4th Aaron Hadlow (UK)Fuerteventura Freestyle Women1st Gisela Pulido (ES)2nd Karolina Winkowska (PL)3rd Annelous Lammerts (NL)4th Bruna Kajiya (BR)Fuerteventura Slalom Men1st Julian Kerneur (FR)2nd Oswald Smith (RSA)3rd Paul Serin (FRA)4th Maximilian Gomez (ESP)Fuerteventura Slalom Women1st Annelous Lammerts (NL)2nd Bibiana Magaji (SVK)3rd Manuela Jungo (SUI)4th Julia Castro (ESP)Germania Slalom Women1st Katja Roose (NL)2nd Annelous Lammerts (NL)3rd Christine Boenniger (DE)4th Bibiana Magaji (SVK)Tarifa Freestyle Men1st Christophe Tack (BE)2nd Liam Whaley (ES)3rd Eudazio Da Silva (BR)4th Youri Zoon (NL)Tarifa Freestyle Women1st Karolina Winkowska (PL)2nd Bruna Kajiya (BR)3rd Gisela Pulido (ES)4th Annelous Lammerts (NL)Tarifa Big Air Men1st Ariel Corniel (DR)2nd Liam Whaley (ES)3rd Felix Martinez (DO)4th Reno Romeu (BR)Tarifa Big Air Women1st Gisela Pulido (NL)2nd Sabrina Lutz (DE)3rd Annelous Lammerts (NL)4th Celine Rodenas (FR)

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50TripChilling in the DrText: Alberto RondinaPhoto: Jason Lombard, Sarah Son

CHILLING INTHE DRIlike warm weather, I like palmtrees,I like kickers, I gotta love Cabarete!I was so bummed when the PKRAtook off the calendar the stop inCabarete this year, but I still wantedto go there at some point. I’vebeen there twice to compete a whileback and I remembered I had a greattime down there. The wind comesup usually in the afternoon, its rarelystronger then 20-25knots, its superwarm and there’s an amazing varietyof conditons to ride in. When Susi invitedme to one of her Mai Tai’s eventI just couldn’t say no!

52TripChilling in the DrEncuentroKite beachBozo beachCABARETE’SSPOTLa Bocacould describe it likeIa Brazil away fromBrazil: its cheap tolive there, its windyall the time, its warm,people are chilledout, wind comes fromthe right, there’s beachbreak, but also reef outsidein some places, andthere the awesome LaBoca rivermouth for flatwater.When you see a lot ofempty and half ruinedhotels and villages yourealized that, thats wherelots of people where goingon vacation, maybewindsurfing or surfing,before new places worldwidewhere discovered,like Brazil. Its a bit sad,cause the place is justawesome!Susi’s parents have a littleaccomodation placeright in the middle ofcabarete. You enter fromthe main street wherethere’s chaos, moto taxieverywhere and pubs,and inside is peacefulland relaxed!We woke up early morningwith the jetleg fromEurope and got to havea swim in the sea wherethe water is basicallysame temperature asoutside.Cabarete town is only

a few km long, but youcan find everything youneed, supermarkets, hotels,nice restaurants(lots of italian places)little chiringuito and ofcourse kite and windsurfcenters and schools.The main bay where thetown is based is calledBozo beach. The windeverywhere comes crosson-shore from the right,and in bozo beach, thereef is far outside, withwaves whenever there’sa little swell, and it stayschoppy inside all the wayuntill the beach, wherethe shore break can bepretty big and fun to playwith!If you look downwind ofBozo Beach, you can seea small rocky point andthen a second bay starts,that’s Kite Beach. In KiteBeach, the reef is muchcloser to the beach, sothe waves are way closerand it stays more flatin the inside, with lessshorebreak too.The classic thing to dofrom Kite Beach, is adownwinder to Encuetro,the famous waves spot,where heaps of videoswhere filmed at the beginningof kiteboarding.I remember lots of sectionsfrom Andre Phillip,

54TripChilling in the DrSusi and other Cabrinhariders, hitting kickers atthat spot. Its only a couplekm downwind, so itsfun to ride some wavesall the way down there,where the coast has alittle bend, where someproper right handers arebuilding.Moto taxi are supercheap, so after having asession there, you canpack up you gear, get amoto to drive back home!We did it a few times withthe Mai Tai crew, and itwas good fun helpingand seeing people goingdownwind for their firsttime, in such a beautifulsurrouding.Its funny cause all myprevious times there Inever went to La Boca.I was always focusingon the competition anddidn’t have much time tostay there after the eventwas finished, so I neverhad a chance. WhenI got there for my firsttime this year, it blew my

mind. The set up of theriver mount is just perfectlyshaped with thedirection of the wind. Youhave a good 2-300 mrun along the river, withbutter flat water on yourright foot. Then you canwork your way back upgoing left.La Boca is like the oppositeset up of Cumbucoand Caiupe, where yougo downwind to the spotand then you gotta driveback up. La Boca is about8-10km upwind and Ithink it works sweet,to have a good sessionthere, or two, and thenwhen you getting tiredof it and you wanna gohome, you just hit the seaand go downwind home.I did it easily 6-7times in2 weeks time, it was justperfect!The main difference fromCauipe tho was that almostnobody was thereand Susi and Dre buildt asick rail set up too!I’ve been going to the

56TripChilling in the Dr

Cable a few times lately,but I had never hit a railkiting. It was sick, doingsome freestyle flat watertricks and then hitting arail now and then. Especiallywith guys like Andreand Susi showing methe way, was goodtime!The Mai Tai event wasalso super cool. Meetingall these enterpreteursthat are basically havingfun together, chilling onthe beach, kiting, havinga good time, while talkingabout business possibilities,founding andstart up ideas.I was there only 2 weeks,but I felt like I did somemany different thingsand check out so manycool places. One day, aftera kite session in themorning, Susi took us fora horse riding sesh backin the hills. We ended upgalopping in dirty roads,passing thru rivers andhaving a swim at midnightin a river under a

58TripChilling in the Drsuper bright sky full ofstars. We went surfing afew mornings in Encuentro,its nice and glassythere and there’s nothingbetter then startingthe day with a good surf.I was totally rechargeand relaxed after thistrip and I cant wait togo back to the DR again.Thanks Susi for all yourhelp, and showing me allwhat Cabarete has to offer!Thanks Andre, Jason,Alex, Jana, the “dreamteam” for the goodtimes!Definitely be back soon ;)Ciao, Alby

60ITWCraig CunninghamRAIGUNNINCA Canadian guy, who challenges world’s craziea teammates and a friend group with which spassion.I was rather surprised from Craig’s interview, mever thought about him like a real “bad, wild boIn Craig’s answers we can found all his burning pding, in all his forms, but specially for parks and twakestyle; friendship is like a blessing in his lihome, for few days every year, just to stay witherful moment, faraway from the big parties,frenzy…that’s how I’ve imagined it…And his big wish about a “private” lagoon, a chave fun and to realize his dreams together witItw: Roberta PalaPhoto: Toby Bromwich and Lance Koudele

GHAMst rails and kickers;haring this amazingaybe because I’vey”…assion for kiteboarhemost aggressivefe, and, the journeyhis parents…a chefrompre-challengeustom-cut park , toh his friends…

62ITWCraig CunninghamCRAIG CUNNINGHAMHome spot: Port Dover, CanadaSponsor: North, Ion, Rockstar, MakuloYears kiting: 8 yearsFavourite Spot: Cape Hatteras, USAWall of Fame: 2012 Triple S Rookie of the YearOther sports: I enjoy all sports and just like totry and do something everyday.Dream: To keep on living the dream, travelingand creating quality content and gear!KS_Your choice in kiteboarding style.CC_It may sound cheesy but I love the slogan from North “TrueKiteboarding!” This is because I enjoy all aspects of the sport andalthough I’m focused in the park/wakestyle riding I try to stay ata decent level in all areas of kiteboarding.KS_ What’s your most important source of amusement, of adrenaline?CC_I love to hit rails, boxes, kickers and all that no matter whattype of board I’m riding. Wake, snow, skate, kite to me it’s allabout having fun and pushing your level a little each session. Buildingstuff that gets your adrenaline going like the double up toflat tubes in Hood River is what keeps me feeling alive!

“I LOVE TO HIT RAILS, BOXES, KICKERSAND ALL THAT NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OFBOARD I’M RIDING. ”

64ITWCraig CunninghamKS_You come from Canada, whatabout kitesurf spots in your country?CC_Believe it or not we have somesick spots in Canada. West Coast hasSquamish and East Coast MagdalineIslands and I’m from the Great Lakeswhich offer a lot of good choices forflat water riding.KS_When did you start kitesurfing?CC_I learned in 2006 when the bowkite crazy was getting underway.KS_ Craig, tomorrow I’m going to havemy first rail session...could you give mesome tips?CC_Be confident and make sure yourcomfortable riding downwind un-hooked.If you have a chance to try firstat the cable this really helps. But themain thing you want to think about iskeeping your body weight centeredand a little forward. Most people slipout backwards heelside and by movingyour weight forward you can counterthis motion.KS_ Would you like to tell us somethingabout your private life, your family, yourfriend... and, you know...a girlfriend?CC_I’ve met so many people throughkiteboarding and a lot of my bestfriends are now people I travel the worldwith. The NA Blend crew is always atight knit crew. Sam Medysky, Eric Rienstraand myself have been througha lot of ups and downs together. I also

have been dating someone you mayknow who also is able to travel withme a lot. Colleen Carroll, without herability to be on the road most of theyear like me it would be really hard andwe’re both pretty grateful to be able totravel together even though the boysmay get to her and vice versa everynow and then! Then family, well I definitelydon’t get to see them enough…maybe less than a month in the lastyear combined but home always stillfeels like home and I really enjoy mytime in Canada with my family moreand more these past years. It’s almostlike a vacation going home now if youknow what I mean. (yes I’know this feeling…;-)

66ITWCraig CunninghamKS_ What’s your favourite world event,and why do you think it’s the best one?CC_Triple S Invitational. All the bestwakestyle/park riders in the world arehere and the Real Slider park is themost legit park in the world. Throw inlegendary parties and a fat prize purseand really for me there is no otherchoice.KS_ What about your relationship withNorth Kiteboarding and the team?CC_Well North has been really good tome since I signed with them just overtwo years ago. They give me a lot offreedom to do what I want and trustme to make sure we have lots of qualitycontent on the wakestyle/park side ofthings alongside Tom Court and Colle-

en Carroll. We’ve also added Aaron Hadlowto the team recently and we nowhave a fun little crew of good friends atNKB. With Aaron and Tom we’ve reallybeen able to push for and help developa lot new products for 2015 and I’m superhappy with what we’ve got in storefor the coming year! The new Vegasis completely redesigned and has settingsthat give Aaron what he wantsin a kite while at the same time beingable to tune it for the rest of team anda third settings for what your averageconsumer would want. This kite pairedwith our new wakestyle bar, Gamblerand Pop boots is a setup I have nothingto complain about anymore.KS_Speaking about your style, in someways it could be defined “dangerous”.Did you have a “most amazing” crash?CC_On the team shoot in Hood Riverthis year I took a hard backside edgeon a big gap over the double up flattubes. Midway through the rotation Igrabbed the bar but it then slipped outof my hands which stopped my rotation.From about 4m up I took a heavycrash backwards and went blackfor a few seconds. When I came backI could see stars everywhere and realizedI couldn’t breathe anymore. Forabout the next 30 seconds I was tryingto stay calm waiting for my lungs to fillback up with air. That was the worstone in a while though.

68ITWCraig Cunningham“WITHOUT WATER ANDBE PRETTY LOST.”KS_What are your favourite conditionsand gears to have a “perfect” session?CC_11m Vegas, Wakestyle Bar, 142Gambler, Pop Boots and Ion HummerHarness. 20 knots, flat water, kickerand a couple rails.KS_ What did you enjoy, during the lastRussia Rail Master and BeeCamp Master?CC_The park, it’s the biggest in theworld, the locals, they’re all super chilland are shredding really hard and theparties, the Russians sure know how torage!KS_ What’s your life’s “dream trip”?CC_Well I feel lucky enough to say thatif I look back on the last few years I’vebeen on a lot of “trip of my dreams”type trips! I’m really looking forward toa place where we can have a privatekite park somewhere where we couldbuild anything we want, anytime. AnNA Blend lagoon in Brazil filled with thegnarliest features is really the dreamfor me! Bi-level pools, big gaps, steepwalls, the possibilities are endless witha kite.KS_Our magazine is called Kitesoul,because we are sure that our soul hasbeen somewhat filled up by this sport.What’s your feeling while you are in theocean, during a competition or duringa sunset free ride session?CC_I just love to be riding! Preferablyin the water, it’s what gets me out ofbed in the morning and keeps driving

MY BOARDS I THINK I’Dme forward each day. Without waterand my boards I think I’d be pretty lost.It’s taken me to parts of the world Inever thought I’d see and introducedme to people and experiences I neverthought I’d have. The best sessionsaren’t when I throw the best tricks orgo the biggest but more often thannot it’s when I take a minute to looksaround while going upwind and noticehow crazy it is to be where I am in theworld at this point. Just taking in thethe scenery!

70WAVE TECHNIQUEFloaterText: Mitu MonteiroPhoto: Gilles Calvet/Fone

Mitu MonteiroFLOATER

72WAVE TECHNIQUEFloaterThe floater is a mand experience in

anouver which displays our confidencethe wavesTo carry it out in fact you must be able to reach thecritical section of the wave and surf it!Some tips to perform it:After having done the bottom turn you have to getthe right timing to go up towards the surf before itbreaks.At this stage we won’t do the top turn, but we putour board on the foam of the surf in order to carryout the floater. According to the wave the floaterwill be performed on thetube or on the surf.The complexity of thismanouver consists onbe able to keep standingon the board whilethe wave under it is breaking.In fact you could looseyour balance since thefoam is ever moving.Another moment in whichyour balance will beput to the test is at theend of the floater whenis the time to descend on the wave again. A trickto gain stability is to pinch from the bar the fronthand and open it outwards. Also it is of some helpbend both knees .In some occasions , once on the surf, it could happenthat this latter is already breaking. In this case toavoid that the foam will spit you out you should puton a little holly and jump directly on the foam.The flouter should be performed for no more thanfew seconds, otherwise the possibilities to looseone’s balance will increase. My tip is to start descendingafter 2/3 seconds.

74FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsGRABSGrabs are the essence of boardsports which reallyallow riders to define their style. A grab is performedwhen a rider grabs the board in various locations withtheir hand. They are getting more and more importantalso in competition, where they show how muchcontrol the rider has, handling the kite with one handand grabbing the board with the other hand. Everyperson is doing even the same grab in a differentway, that’s also why they are very cool to see.NOSESEATBELTCRaILNUCLEARTAIL*Back handFront HANDall grabs inside the following pages are made starboard tackText: Alberto RondinaPhoto: Roberta Pala

MUTEINDYTAILMELONSTALEFISHROAST BEEFRIDING DIRECTIONSINDYMUTECRaILNOSESEATBELTMELONSTALEFISHROAST BEEFNUCLEARRIDING DIRECTIONS

76FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsCRAILRear hand, front toesidegrab, back leg is bonedout.

78FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsINDYRear hand, toeside grab,between feet.

80FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsMELONLead hand, heelsidegrab, between feet, frontleg is boned out.

82FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsMuteLead hand, toeside grab,between feet.

84FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsNOSELead hand, grabbed ontip of the board.

NUCLEARRear hand, front heelsidegrab, back legboned out.

86FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsROAST BEeRear hand, heelsidegrab, between feet,through legs.

88FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsSeatbeltRear hand grabs thenose of the board acrossthe riders body.

90FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsStalefishRear hand, heelsidegrab, between feet.

92FREESTYLE AND STYLEGrabsTAILRear hand, grabbed ontail of board.

John Am94ITWJohn AmundsonA life closely connected to the Ocean…a job, a reason to live. In memories ofcolors of nature and the smells of theon the Ohau’s North Shore…a

undsona man who has turned his passion intohis grandparents, with the help of theocean, this man has shaped his futurend the majesty of its waves…ITW Roberta PalaPhoto John Bilderback, Glen Duffus, Allen Mozo, Pedro Centra, Jody McDonald

96ITWJohn Amundson“My father was a surfer and lifeguard, whichnaturally led to my love of the ocean at a veryearly age”KS_Hi John, why don’t youincluding where you are fromething about your job…JA_I was born in Southern Cfirst 18 years. Most of my fanection with the ocean throfishing. My father was a surfturally led to my love of theI grew up at the beach witoccasionally traveling to plaAt 15 years old I shaped mhobby was a perfect matchmodest source of income. Mcial connection to Hawaii (tWaikiki) and as a kid this lovced me. At 18 years old, I mOahu with a pocket full of casurfboard. I have since (28 ya brand, raised a family, andaround the ocean.

tell us a little about you,m, where you live, and soaliforniawhere I spent mymily has had a special conughsurfing, sailing, diving,er and lifeguard, which naoceanat a very early age.h my parents in Californiaces like Mexico and Hawaii.y first surfboard. This newfor me and soon became ay Grandparents had a speheymet and fell in love ine of Hawaii heavily influenovedto the north shore ofsh, my shaping tools, and aears) build a business andled a clean lifestyle based

KS_There is a strong conmily and the ocean: How min which you grew up influjob and lifestyle?JA_My grandfather was a saworld and competed in sevCalifornia to Hawaii. I wouldresponsible for my curiosityfor adventure. As I mentionehad a big influence on my cmade my home (Hawaii). Asgoing to their home (in Califring old school Hawaiian mplayer and seeing Tahitianon the walls. My father waslove of the ocean. As a chiMexico in the VW van and wBeach in California. I feel verfamily I have and the influeupon me.98ITWJohn Amundson

“My Grandparents had a special connectionto Hawaii”nection between your fauchhas the environmentenced your choice of yourilor who sailed around theeral Trans Pac races fromhave to say he is directlyof the world and the needd earlier, my grandparentshoice of where I eventuallya child I clearly rememberornia), walking in and heausicplaying on the recordinspired Gauguin paintingsdirectly responsible for myld I remember surf trips toeekend trips to San Onofrey fortunate to have had thences they have showered

100ITWJohn Amundson“When I feel the power of the ocean andrealize my own mortality, it gives me the bestfeeling and a sense of nirvana...”

KS_You are a shaper and a rider. Whats your idealsession in the ocean, you know, the best conditionthat gives you the most amazing feelings?JA_I have always loved being scared and challenged toovercome my fears. For that reason, I have always beenattracted to larger waves. When I feel the power of theocean and realize my own mortality, it gives me thebest feeling and a sense of nirvana. The most perfectday in the ocean……… That would be a good surf sessionin the morning and a kite session in the afternoon whenthe wind comes up. My surf perfect surf session wouldbe at Sunset Beach, 20 feet on the wave face, and 3people out (me, my son, and my daughter in law). Lateron, my perfect kite session would be at my favorite sideoff right hander at about the same size (20). That sessionwould be me, Rio, Keahi, Konrad, Dan, and a fewother close friends.KS_Strapped or strapless?JA_For me, I absolutely love both styles of kite surfing. Itend to like strapless on the smaller days and strapped

on the larger days and supger days I am able to get fastraps. I went through a shosure to ride those larger daymistake. On the larger daysam going fast, straps keepand allow me to maintain cthrough surface chop. Theare the smaller days when Imore of a surfing speed andto have these two distinctthem both.102ITWJohn AmundsonKS_How much and in whaton the North Shore in the laJA_This is a very interestinhere to the north shore it waof the water. Some would reas the wild west, guns drugsremember not seeing a poliver worried about driving oding my early years in Califrules and regulations, the note opposite and I loved thethe extremity of the place.and you had to be tough athere is more of safer and “sthe water but in the water it

er windy days. On the larrmore performance out ofrt period where I felt pressstrapless, that was a bigor mega windy days when Ime connected to my boardontrol at a very high speeddays I like to ride straplesscan ride at a slower speed,style. We are so fortunatestyles of riding, I embracedirection has life changedst years?g question. When I moveds VERY extreme in and outfer to the “old” north shore, crime and not much law. Ice officer for years and neverthe speed limit. SpenorniaI dealt with so manyrth shore was the complefreedom,excitement, andIt was a pretty heavy placend smart to survive. Todayocially evolved” feel out ofis just as extreme as

104ITWJohn Amundson

the day I moved here. The north shore has mellowedout considerably but one thing remains, you must haverespect in and out of the water or you will surely get ataste of the old wild west.KS_”Soul life” to dream readers, a year in Hawaii, seasonto season...JA_My life from year to year consists of play, work, andtravel. Living on the north shore allows me to be in thewater consistently riding and testing new surf, kite, tow,SUP designs. I am fortunate enough to be able to workfrom home where I have my prototyping workshop. Ican go out and test new designs, take that feedbackright back into the workshop (with sand still on my feet)and re-design based on that feedback. I spend quitea bit of time testing ! During the off season I usuallytake one or two surf/kitesurf trips as well as a few tradeshows for my SUP board line.

106ITWJohn AmundsonKS_John, please tell us sotion of the technical equipstruction...JA_For my entire career mstruction has remained neane foam core with a polyesnish. Over those years concome and gone but the polyard construction has remainand surfboard builders laustructions”. About 20 yearsboard building technologiesworld, this was, and is, knowSandwich construction stawith a thin layer of high dento the outside and finishedInitially this was not very afers but over time gained tragrowth of surfing led to a nded surfboard consumer. Tstruction methods, far too m

“Over the 30 years or so of designingand shaping custom boards, I have theexperience to apply to any given customer..”mething about the evolumentand the way of conainstreamsurfboard conrlythe same, a polyurethaterresin and fiberglass fistructiontechniques haveester/polyurethane surfboed.For many years surfersghed at “alternative conagosome of the windsurfseeped over into the surfn as sandwich construction.rts with a Styrofoam coresity foam vacuum baggedwith an epoxy lamination.ccepted by “hardcore” surction.This traction and theewer and more open-minodaythere are many conanyto mention. One big

108ITWJohn Amundsonchange in manufacturing has been the use of CAD designing(computer aided designing). After we agree ondesign, I design the new board on my CAD software.This software allows me to make changes to any partof the board including outline, rocker, bottom shape,deck shape, and rails. After designing I cut the 3D designusing my CNC machine. I built this machine about 5years ago, it is one of the most accurate CNC machinesin the world. After machining I spend about 30 minutesfine tuning the foam core. Before CNC machines surfboardswhere shape completely by hand. This was morelike sculpting, more of an art and less scientific.KS_The added value of custom made board...JA_Let me start out by saying that I produce both customand production boards and both have their placein the world. Personally, I am convinced a customboard is usually the best value. When I build a customboard I have direct contact with that specific customerand spend time understanding their physical size, abilitylevel, and wind and wave conditions. I also take intoconsideration what they have ridden and what they areriding now, understanding their likes and dis-likes inthose designs. Instead of selling them on what I have instock, I am building a board specifically for them. Thisdoes not mean a production board will not work well forany particular customer, it just means that the chancesare much better getting exactly what the customerwants and needs from a custom design.

110ITWJohn Amundson

KS_How long does it take to build a surfboard?JA_It usually takes three weeks from my first dialoguewith my customer to the delivery of their new surfboard.KS_We’d like to learn something about the manufactureof a surfboard...what are the criteria to beused, as appropriate? We could image, for example,the various waves conditions, the wave riding styleand the weight of kiters...JA_When working with a customer I like to get as muchinformation as possible like physical size, wind andwave conditions, likes and dislikes, previous experienceson other boards. The more information I can gatherthe more I can visualize what I will design for them. Overthe 30 years or so of designing and shaping customboards, I have the experience to apply to any given customer.For example: A 110 kilo guy who rides in lighterwind e-mails me telling me he cannot find a board thatworks for him. Instantly I think about all the roughly 110kilo guys I have built boards for, I can start with thedesigns we made in the past and directly transfer thatexperience to my new 110k customer.KS_What kind of “shape” is John’s life going to take?What about your family, your friends...JA_I have custom designed and shaped my life to whereI am today. I am very happy. It has taken allot of workto get here and takes allot to keep it. I have made bad

112ITWJohn Amundson“The ocean has always been my best friendand has given me so much...”decisions in the past but hfrom these decisions. The kedecisions possible. I have anble woman that keeps me infriends. I learn from everyomyself with those who inspirThe future… I don’t know exbut I am excited for it!KS_Our magazine is calleyour vibrations, your emotiocean. What’ s your relationJA_I have always felt a specan and nature. My most puare those when I am totallythinking which allows me tofear and insecurities. This gean on big days. I can be outand totally connected whermay have been analyzing ahas always been my best fmuch.

ave learned great lessonsy to life is making the bestamazing family, an incredicheck,and the worlds bestne but choose to surrounde me to be a better person.actly what the future holds,d KiteSoul, tell us aboutons during a session in theship with Mother Nature?ial connection with the oceremoments here on earthconnected to my intuitivehave fun while overcomingnerally happens in the oceona big day feeling perfecte an hour earlier (on land) Ind questioning. The oceanriend and has given me so

114FREESTYLE MOVESBackmobeFREESTYLE MOVESBACKMOBEALBERTO RONDINAFor me its one of those tricks It tookmy a while to get it solid, but sincethen I just love it and I can throw itdown in any conditions, switch orregular.Going full speed and going for a bigbackmobe with the kite low is one ofthe best feelings for me!Text: Alberto RondinaPhoto: Roberta Pala

116FREESTYLE MOVESBackmobeALBY’S BACKMOBE1Keep your kite at45°, or lower andget ready to edgehard.The take off is the mostimportant part of the trick,you’ll get all the momentumgoing from thepop and spin that you aredoing in this first part.2Watch with yourhead over yourfront shoulder tostart the back rotation.You gotta try anddo more then 180° in thetake off. Stretch yourlegs to get the biggestpop you can!3The kite will flyforward in the windowand you’ll feelthe slack in your lines.So push your wholebody and board towardsthe kite

FREESTYLE MOVES4Keep your bar closeto your hip, leaveyour front headand get ready topass the bar behind yourback.5Grab the bar withthe other hand andfinish your last 180before landing heelside!Smile, you gottafeel proud of you!

118TECHLinesLINESLINES ARE THE HEART OF YOUR KITE, BUT HOW MUCH DO YOUKNOW ABOUT THEM? WHAT ABOUT LINE EXTENSIONS? ANDTHE PIGTAIL? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TRIM YOUR LINES?WHAT LINE LENGTH DO YOU USE? HOW CAN YOU IMPROVEYOUR SESSION JUST BY TRIMMING YOUR LINES? DO YOUWANNA TRY OUR COOL TEST?Text and Photo: Renato CasatiLines, often improperlycalled “ropes”, are madeof highly resistant material(dyneema, spectra,etc.) With the highestimpact strength: in jargonwe talk about tensilestrength exceeding250kg each. The diameteris in the order of 1.3To 1.7Mm; the larger thediameter, the greater itswind resistance will be.Rigidity, intrinsic in thematerial’s characteristics,is essential forimproving the rotatingspeed of the kite. Morerigid lines get in tensionas soon as you activatethe command bar of thekite, making it more responsive.Often, peoplebuy new kites hoping toincrease their speed duringsurfing: it would beeasier to buy stiffer linesand/or reduce their length.The length, is the firstthing you should considerwhen kiting. At themoment we are accustomedto using lines20-25m long; but did youknow that lou wainman,the “father” of modernkiting, 15 years ago pulledhis best tricks (modernriders still struggleclosing some of histricks!), With a 7m twoline kite? Seb cattelan,on the other hand, heldthe hang time world recordfor 5 years and wonseveral races using 40-50m line.Changing the length ofthe lines basically meansaltering the size of yourwind window. Short lines= a smaller wind windowand long lines = a largerwind window.A larger wind windowmeans having morepower as the kite willpass through a largerpower zone during divingbut it will do soslower. This is becausethe kite has to fly througha larger area beforereaching the zenith. Youwill also experience gre-

RIEPILOGOLines lenght in mt: 15 23 30VELOCITÀ ALA: TOP MEDIO LOWLOW END: LOW MEDIO TOPHANG TIME/LIFT: LOW MEDIO TOPGUSTY/LIGHT WIND: LOW MEDIO TOPUPWIND: LOW MEDIO TOPBAR LENGHT in cm: 40-45 45-55 55-60ater upwind angles becauseyour kite will travelfurther to the edge of thewind window.TestA fun thing to do in yourspare time would be tobuy sets of 5m lines (easilyfound in most kiteshops or dedicated websites).Usually these arecalled “extensions” becausethey are sold as“accessories”. Whatever,just get a few sets fromsomewhere! Remove thelines from your toolbarand attach the 5m setand try riding with it, addanother 5m and go backto the water. The point ofthe test is to figure outand compare how muchyou jump, how reactiveyour kite is during surfing,how much upwind,and how many tricksyou can close: basicallyeverything you usually dowith your standard lines.Then add another 5mline and so on. The ideais to try your kite startingfrom 5m all the way upto 50m of line! Not onlywill you have fun doingthis but you will also seeyour kite from a differentperspective (closer andbigger or smaller andfar away). Pictures withshort lines look sooocool!!!! Surfing with 15mlines is wicked and doinga hang time with 40m linescomes close to yourdream of flying! Untilyou trim your line length,you have no idea on howmuch you can restyleyour “old kite”.ExamplesAn extremely useful applicationfor your extensionsis to surf waves duringside-off or off-shoreconditions. It is usuallyquite hard to catch awave when the wind isoffshore due to unfavourableangles of wave/upwind, even when youhave enough kite power.I have personally noted

120TECHLineshow adding 5-10m extensions,radically increasesyour wind window,giving you unthinkableupwind angles comparedwith standard lines. Theresult is catching a waveevery 3 minutes ratherthan one every 20.Another interesting ideawould be to use long lineswhen you are underpowered:let’s say youare riding your 10, butVENTOyou are having problemsgoing upwind... You don’thave a 12...Darn! Well justadd 5-10m extensionsand it will be like goingout with an 11 or a 12, tryit!Again: you are doing freestylewith your smallestkite, but it is too reactive...When you rotate thekite immediately goesinto kiteloop and ...Wellyou know how it feels tobadly land a kiteloop…just add 5m extensionto increase the reactiontime of the kite, this wayit will be more controllableand manoeuvrable.Last but not least: youlike surfing waves butgoing out with your 12scares you a bit? Set upyour 9 with long linesand you are done! Try it!Kite trimmingYou should periodicallycheck the length of yourlines and pigtails.The lines, with wear andtear, tent to overstretchand this can affect theway your kite flies. It’strue that many manufacturerssell low-stretchlines, thanks to the inventionof tougher materials;however this simplymeans that modern linesstretch 5cm instead of20cm... Well, that’s alreadyquite something!Choose your lines carefullybecause some lines(usually front-lines) mightoverstretch after afew hours of use and thiswill negatively affect theperformance of your kite.

PHOTO 1PHOTO 2PHOTO 3If one back-line overstretches,your kite willlean more left or right(depending on the line)and you will feel as if youhave to pull more withone arm vs. The other.So remember to checkthe lines as soon as younotice your kite fliesweird!No knots!Any involuntary knot inone of the lines or extensionsmust be immediatelyremoved because itcan weaken the line upto 50% of its tensingload so, the risk of breakinga line in that point,is a lot higher... Havingto perform a self-rescueis not always a pleasantexperience!!Neutral, more or lesspower?If you know how to connectyour kite lines andpigtails properly, meansthat you have understoodhow a kite actuallyworks. Unfortunately themajority of kiters don’tknow that, in order forthe kite to fly properly, itmust be periodically

122TECHLinestrimmed; just like a violinshould be periodicallytuned!There are four lineswhich connect the kiteto the bar, and thesehave a variety of names:rear-front lines,internal-external lines,directional-de-power lines,left-right and centrelines. The most commonway to call your lines isto divide them into rearand front linesThe rear lines are connectedto the externalpigtails: rear lines areusually coloured red andblue or red and black(red is always left, whilstthe right line could comein several colours).The front lines start fromthe depower strap andare connected to the bridlesystem in the “middle”of your kite (on the leadingedge). Dependingon the model and brand,these lines can start outas one single line andthen split into two. Beforelaunching your kiteyou should know whichtrim should be used forthat particular session. APHOTO 4PHOTO 5different trim will affecthow your kite flies andhow much power it willdeliver.An important, althoughpretty obvious, thing toconsider is that the kiteis tuned for productionusing a calibrated bar(all 4 lines, both rear andfront, equal length whende-power adjuster is100% released and barsheeted 100%). So re-

member to connect bothrear lines (and front lines)to the same knot on thepigtail. It does not matterif rear lines are connectedto one knot andthe front lines to anotheras long as both rear areattached to the sameknow and both front tothe same knot.Important!Trim your lines on thebeach or an even surface.Make sure to trimyour lines with de-powerfully released and thebar sheeted all the wayin. Both front lines andback lines should be infull tension and have thesame length. Only withthis is mind, you can startplaying with your trim.Example 1 neutral: all theknots are at the sameheight. This means thatthe kite will fly in neutralposition (standard manufacturersetting, photo4).Example 2 more power:connect your front linesto the first knot (closestknot to you) comparedto your rear lines, photo5. The basic idea is toadjust the angle of attackof the kite (aoa) relativeto the wind, to controlthe amount of wind impactingthe kite surface(this can be achievedby either shortening theback lines or lengtheningthe front lines). This trim

124TECHLinesPHOTO 6is recommended whenyou are underpoweredand you don’t have a biggerkite to use or whenyou want a more reactivekite.The difference is measuredin centimetres or inches.Remember not togo overboard with yourtrim, because it is truethat the power increases,but at the same timeyou will lose manoeuvrability,to the point whereyour kite will stop flying.This is called point ofcollapse where your kitewill simply stall: if youpull the bar, the kite willfall backwards instead offlying. This has to do withthe aerodynamics of kiteflying (basically how thewind impacts the upperand lower surface ofyour wing). Before startingyour kite session,you have to trim yourkite so that, with the barall sheeted in, it doesn’tstall. This operation maysound difficult but it takesno longer than a minute,on the good sideyou will experience maximumpower and speed,depending on wind conditions.Example 3 less power:connect your front linesto the highest knot (closestto the kite, photo 7)compared with your rearlines. This trim will beextra to pulling the depowerstrap: the flatterthe kite means that lesswind is impacting thekite surface - decreasingthe amount of pull of thekite. Once again remembernot to go overboardwith it (remember that todepower the kite you canalso use the depowerstrap). Saying this wehave more margin comparedwith the “morepower” situation: the depowerstrap can be 20 to60cm long, so you canshorten your front linesquite a lot. However if

FOTO 7you have done it correctly,you need to createtension in the pigtailsand verify that the knotsare at the same height.Even a few centimetresdifference can greatly affecthow your kite flies,obliging you to pull moreon one side of the bar orthe other.Attachment points onthe leading edgeRecently, to avoid linesfrom twisting aroundthe knots when rotating,most kites offer multipleattachment points onthe le. Close to each attachingknot you will findyou exaggerate the kitewill lose reactivity andwill be impossible to turn.A helpful tip would be tomake three knots on thefront pigtail: this way, dependingon the intensityof the wind, you can decidehow to set up yourkite ad hoc.Remember to connecteither rear lines, or frontlines, to the same knoton the pigtail. To check

126TECHLinesa plus sign = more power;an equal sign = mediumpower and a minus sign= less power. Basicallykite manufacturers havemade things easier forus, just look at the previousparagraph to understandhow to use theseknots to improve theperformance of your kite.Remember that this isjust a rule of thumb. Thereare kites which fly betterwith a specific set up(either all on + or -) so goeasy with it, and rememberthat trimming is avery personal thing, youneed to “feel” where yourkite flies better.Also remember that thesame trim can “feel” verydifferent according towind intensity and if yourlines stretch. If you attachyour “trimmed” bar toanother kite, once again,it might need some extraadjustments. So alwayscheck your trim beforeeach session: it only takesone minute but youwill gain a lot by doingso.The “must” here is toexperiment each day alittle more. This way youcan really get the bestout of your equipmentrather than using yourkite at 50% of its potential.ManeraRenato “DrKite” CasatiTechnical ExpertRRD’s Wave team rider. Kitesurfer since 2000, athlete andjudge in the PKRA and KPWT circuit. For the last 12 hears hehas given his contributions to several magazines. He livesbetween Como Lake, Sardinia, not to mention the waves ofCaboverde...

Kite beach clubBeach Bar & RestaurantKite courses, Wave clinic, Down Wind, Surf school!!Relax area and kids corner.The only school to have instaff a World Champ and aNational Champ!!!(Mitu 1x wave world champion; Djo national wave champion)MORE info AT:www.mitudjokiteschoolcaboverde.com - kiteschoolcaboverde@gmail.com

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