Kitesoul Magazine #8 English Edition

EVENTS 

F-One International 

Dealers Meeting 2016 

ITW 

Aaron Hadlow 

TEST 

Woo Hang Time - Big Air 

Test

WHERE THERE’S A WAVE 

THERE’S A WAY 

T H E N E W N E O 

T R U E K I T E B O A R D I N G

W A V E/FREERIDE 

R E L A T E D P R O D U C T S 

P R O S U R F 

W A M 

W H I P C S C 

S I Z E S 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 

P R O G R E S S I O N Q 

Quality commitment in every detail. 

WWW.NORTHKITEBOARDING.COM

Another big step ahead for our most successful kite in the range. 

RELIGION is synonymous of WAVE in the international kite language, and since its first introduction this kite has changed in every 

version together with the evolution of this discipline. Actually we can say that this kite has greatly contributed to improve the 

level of many stoked riders thanks to its phenomenal performance characteristic. A bullet proof construction, mixing the body 

construction between 40% heavy duty Dacron fabrics and 60% lightweight canopy. A unique mix used only in the Religion kites 

still today, creating a superior crash resistance and a huge lifetime extender. 

The new MK6 has been redesigned in sizes 8 and smaller based on the huge positive feedback received on the MK5 larger sizes, 

12-10.5 and 9. These new design is based on more swept-back wingtips, creating a more stable kite that floats better both in 

total lack of wind or on the opposite, under extreme strong gusts. 

This new design, allows also a bigger range of use, both on the hi and low end of the kite, extending the possibility of use 

practically to any day anywhere. More power, better lift during jumps and an enormous, progressive de-power that will stop the 

kite power exactely when you need it. Simply a throttle in your hands, gearing up your rides when you need power and completely 

release it when you use your created speed on the wave. Neutral, powerful and silly fast when willing to get out of troubles on 

wave sections that close out or when you totally need that extra bost to move to the next section. 

A perfect kite both in onshore and totally offshore conditions, tested in literally anywhere you could take it. 

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rider: colin heckroodt - Ph: svetlana romantsova 

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BALENA-K 5’7” 

Speciality oversize 

ASSOPIGLIATUTTO-K 5’8” 

Hybrid Small waves Quad 

CHIATTA-K 5’8” 

Small waves Thuster 

HUEVO-K 5’5” 

Surf / Freestyle Thruster 

C.O.T.A.N. 5’6” 

Speciality PRO Shortboard 

BARRACUDA-K 5’10” 

Strapped-in-special Thruster 

SALEROSA-K 5’10” 

PRO Quad 

MAQUINA-K 5’11” 

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Editor 

Roberta Pala 

roberta.pala@kitesoul.com 

Wave Thecnique Editor 

Mitu Monteiro 

Freestyle Thecnique Editor 

Alberto Rondina 

Thecnical Expert 

Renato Casati 

Photo & Video 

Maurizio Cinti 

Design 

Giuseppe Esposito 

OCTOBER 2015 - NOVEMBER 2015 

TWO-MONTHLY 

Texts 

Keahi de Aboitiz, Alex Caizerques, 

Renato Casati, Stefano Gigli, Alberto 

Rondina, Jana Schader, Gabi Steindl, 

Reo Stevens, Federico Sugoni 

Photos 

James Boulding, Toby Bromwich,, Alex 

Caizerques, Renato Casati, Quincy 

Dein, Daniel Kajavala, Lance Koudele, 

Andre Magarao, Nicola Meotti, Borys 

Radchenko, Axel Reese, Svetlana 

Romantsova, Alberto Rondina, Jana 

Schader, Reo Stevens, Antonietta Vacoli, 

Jason Wolco 

Cover: 

Rider Mitu Monteiro 

Photo Rou Chater 

Publisher and advertising 

VISU Media 

Via Cavour, 20 

24030 Ambivere (BG) 

Manager 

Federico Sugoni 

fs@kitesoul.com 

Registration Tribunale 

di Bergamo n°10/2014 

del 15/04/2014. 

Two-monthly 

Copyright Kitesoul Magazine 

All content is copyright of Kitesoul 

Magazine / Visu Media Srl. 

FEDERICO SUGONI 

Publisher 

He’s a manager and a businessman. 

He fell in love with kiteboarding 

almost 10 years ago in 

the wild and amazing North 

Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). Aside 

from kiteboarding there is 

only one other important 

thing in his life: his baby 

daughter. 

He’s responsible for the 2014 

launching of KiteSoul Magazine. 

ROBERTA PALA 

Editor 

Sports photographer since 

1997, kiteboarder since 2001, 

she has worked for the most 

exponential kite magazines 

for the last 15 years. 

A free and wild soul, she 

has left the luxuries of town 

living for a life in contact with 

nature: a sea and wave lover. 

Nowadays you can find her 

on the shores of Capo Mannu, 

Sardinia, one of the most 

beautiful spots of the Mediterranean 

Sea. 

MAURIZIO CINTI 

Film-maker 

Movie buff and keen photographer. 

He’s a skater, snowboarder 

and wakeboarder, 

but he actually burns with 

passion for kiteboarding. He 

started off with freestyle a 

few years ago, but nowadays 

he’s more into chasing big 

and powerful waves. This is 

what he loves the most. 

GIUSEPPE ESPOSITO 

Art director 

Kiter since he was in the baby 

pram, he is a rider for RRD 

Italia and he have a Bachelor 

in Comunciation Design at 

Politecnico di Milano. 

With this assignment, he 

finally has been able to put 

together his two passions: 

kite and design.

KITESOUL MAGAZINE 

Feel The Flow 

MITU MONTEIRO 

Technical Editor-Wave Riding 

He comes from Sal. Official 

F-one and Manera rider. 

2008 KPWT World Champion 

and three-time Vice World 

Champion. He started to surf 

and windsurf as a kid and but 

he definitively fell in love with 

kitesurf as soon as he discovered 

it. 

ALBERTO RONDINA 

Technical Editor-Freestyle 

He’s the best Italian rider of 

the competitive kiting world. 

Cabrinha, Neil Pryde and 

GoPro official team rider 

and four-time Italian Champion. 

Alberto has won the 

2001 edition of the European 

Championship and third 

place in the 2012 PKRA World 

Championship. 

RENATO “DR. KITE” CASATI 

Technical Expert 

RRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder 

since 2000, he has 

been PKRA athlete and judge. 

He’s a professional sportswriter 

for several technical 

magazines. He lives between 

Como Lake and Sardinia, but 

he spends every winter in the 

waves of Cabo-Verde. 

ELENA FOICO 

Professional translator 

Professional translator and 

Kiteboarder since 2001. 

In 2004 she decided to 

leave her career in the UK 

to teach kitesurfing full 

time. Throughout the years 

she has translated several 

kitesurfing manuals, teaching 

aids and articles. Born in the 

mountains but passionate 

about the sea, she has found 

the perfect tool to have fun 

pretty much everywhere!

EDITORIAL 

Rider Reo Stevens | Photo Jason Wolcott/LEWHS 

30 days, 10 flight, over 40.000km, more than 

200.000 steps and a lot of kitesurfing!There are 

very busy periods of the year for the Kitesoul Magazine 

staff, but none compare to the 30 days 

between August and September…here is what we 

did this month: 

When talking about kitesurfing most people think 

about travelling to exotic places like Mauritius for 

example, and guess what? We’ve just come back 

from there, more precisely from “Le Morne” at the 

international F-One dealers meeting. 

Our host, Raphael Salles and his team have greeted 

us warmly, making us feel part of the big F-One 

family. During these wonderful days we have 

been able to discover all the secrets behind their 

wide range of products (in all color and sizes),

including the new line of Manera’s wetsuits and 

harnesses. Unfortunately the so renowned One- 

Eye spot did not delight us with its usual super 

favourable conditions, nevertheless the F-One 

champion Mitu (cover) has astounded us as usual 

with his strapless world-class style… 

Going back to August we’ve been lucky enough 

to watch and interview the freestyle champion 

Aaron Hadlow, giving all its best at Lake Garda 

(North of Italy). The 5-time freestyle champion 

has showed us all his strength and will power and 

told us about his comeback to the competitive 

world which he was missing and that was always 

running in his veins… in fact a few days after our 

interview, Aaron won the VKWC stop in S.Peter 

Ording (Germany), which was also our next stop! 

During this hot August we also went to Sardinia 

(Italy) for a comparative big air kitesurfing test, 

unique amongst its kind. Our “techie” Renato Casati, 

with the help of WOO Sports, compared 12 

kites in terms of lift and hang-time… and you can 

see all the technical data in this issue. We also 

must compliment him for his second position in 

the world WOO ranking: 44 years and still flying 

at 15,4m and hanging for 11.4 seconds! Well done 

Renato!! 

We have therefore decided to dedicate a few pages 

to the big air and the search for the longest 

hang-time, those high jumps which make us scream 

with joy (or fear?!). The big air, the beginning 

of our sport, is making a huge comeback and you 

can know all about it here. 

We should not forget that this time of the year is 

also dedicated to the arrival of new products and 

the starting of international trade shows. To remain 

up to date we have decided to sneak a peek, 

first in S. Peter Ording and then straight to the 

2015 Florida’s Surf Expo, where Jessica Winkler, 

together with our editor, has interviewed athletes 

and experts in the field, to discover all the 2016 

news, which you can see on our YouTube channel. 

In this issue we will make you travel a bit too! We 

have decided to show you two very special spots: 

Pipa ‘s beach (Brasil), together with Axel Reese 

and Silvaplana’s Lake with Alberto Rondina and 

Jana Schader. We couldn’t have found two more 

different spots: the hot Brazilian beach versus the 

fresh Swiss Alps. Both with breath-taking views 

and perfect conditions to make both wave and 

freestyle lovers happy! 

If instead you just want to improve your strapless 

freestyle style or your unhooked riding, you can 

follow our wave clinic with Keahi de Aboitiz or 

freestyle clinic with Alberto Rondina. For all riders 

instead we recommend you read the article 

of Gabi Steindl, North rider, which has given us 

some very interesting tips. 

The las surprise for this issue is our new iOS app, 

recently launched, to read our magazine comfortably 

from your i-Phone or i-Pad. All you have to 

do is go to your App store and download Kitesoul 

Magazine! 

Roberta Pala | Federico Sugoni

SUMMARY 

Portfolio 

Strapless Moves: 

Indy Glide 

Events: 

F-ONE Internatidonal Dealers 

Meeting 2016, Mauritius 

Trip: 

Madagascar, on track of 

Addikt 

Itw: 

Aaron Hadlow 

R&D: 

Behind the test “go fly a 

kite Charlie Brown” 

Spot Guide: 

Pipa - Barsil 

Spot: 

Silvaplana, Swiss 

Surrealism

SUMMARY 

Technique: 

Airtstyle, part 2 

Freestyle Tech: 

Unhooking 

Pop 

Test: 

Woo Air Time - Big Air test 

Test: 

(Super) Sonic, 

the (R) Evolution! A 

breacking record kite - 

wooo! 

Tips: 

Handover of Kite / Kiteswap 

in air between two 

riders

12 

PORTFOLIO 

Brandon Scheid AWSI Rider of the year 

LIQUID FORCE AWSI BRAND OF THE YEAR 

BRANDON SCHEID AWSI RIDER OF THE YEAR 

RIDER: Brandon Scheid AWSI Rider of the year 

PHOTO: Photo Lance Koudele/ Courtesy Liquid Force

14 

PORTFOLIO 

Collleen Carroll 

RIDER: Colleen Carroll 

PHOTO: Lance Koudele

AWSI FEMALE KITEBOARDER OF THE YEAR

16 

PORTFOLIO 

Abel Lago 

RIDER: Abel Lago 

PHOTO: Svetlana Romantsova/Courtesy RRD

18 

PORTFOLIO 

Sam Medysky 

RIDER: Sam Medysky 

PHOTO: Andre Magarao

20 

PORTFOLIO 

Greta Menardo 

RIDER: Greta Menardo 

PHOTO: Daniel Kajavala/Courtesy Switch Kiteboarding

22 

PORTFOLIO 

Jesse Richman 

RIDER: Jesse Richman 

PHOTO: Quincy Dein

24 

NEWS 

IKA Events 2015 

GOLDCUP AUSTRALIA - KITEFOIL GOLD CUP – 8 – 12 October – Townsville 

- Australia 

VKWC events 2015 

TBC Hainan Kitesurf World Championships 2015 *Planned in November, 

China, 21 to 26 nov 

TBC Cape Town Kitesurf World Championships 2015, *Planned in December, 

South Africa, 4 to 13 dic 

• Further information available on www.vkwc.com

26 

MEETING 

F-One International Dealer Meeting 2016 - Le Morne, Mauritius 

2016 

F-ONE INTERNATIONAL 

DEALERS MEETING 

LE MORNE, MAURITIUS 

Eight years have gone by 

since I attended the last 

F-One meeting so when 

I packed my bags I was 

thrilled to take part to this 

new adventure…

Text Roberta Pala | Photo Mitu Monteiro e Roberta Pala

28 

MEETING 


L 

uca Marcis, Italian F-One dealer, invited me 

to the F-One meeting where I was able to 

test the new Bandit (which has arrived to its 9th 

edition), the brand new Mitu Monteiro surfboards, 

a wide range of freestyle boards, the new hydrofoil 

boards, and the super performing Diablo, the 

new foil kite which will be used by Maxime Nocher, 

2015 Formula Kite World Champion, in the 

last stop of the Foil Cup. Last but not least I was 

able to test their wide range of S.U.P. boards, and 

the new line of Manera accessories, wetsuits, 

harnesses and bags. 

I got off the plane in Port Louis at dawn, where 

my taxi driver was already waiting for me. We 

immediately set off towards Le Morne amongst 

colonial houses, traditional villages with girls in 

typical white and red uniform and tropical vegetation. 

I soon arrived at the meeting place, the Riu hotel 

at Le Morne, where Julie, the marketing communication 

manager of the company greeted me 

with a nice warm hug. It is very nice but common

30 

MEETING 


"The Bandit 9th edition, is still 

the best delta shape kite out 

there”

in this world when you e-meet people that turn 

out to be very nice in real life too! Julie was responsible 

for exhibiting the new 2016 collection 

and coordinating the water tests. She is certainly 

a milestone of the company, very attentive to the 

media’s needs; she has helped us connecting 

with several people who, I am sure, I will be in 

touch with in the future. She is also a dynamic 

water-woman, happy to ride waves at 6am on the 

Little Reef with the new F-One S.U.P. boards. 

The garden in front of our rooms was filled with 

kites and boards, there was a tree made of bars 

and a bed of S.U.P. boards. Mitu Monteiro introduced 

me to Raphael Salles, the founder of F-One; 

I never met him personally, although I saw 

and photographed him many times in Pronta 

Preta (Sal-Cape Verde) when he was testing his 

own equipment. I was also able to meet the entire 

F-One team of designers and testers: once 

again crazy-active people, very attentive to their 

customer’s needs. A nice surprise was meeting 

Micka Fernandez (F-One rider) again after almost 

10 years and 15 from our first encounter. The 

Italian F-One team finally joined me early in the 

afternoon; the conditions were ideal for testing 

the 9sqm, but unfortunately not all spots were 

rideable. It was too late for One Eye and the other 

reef passes were closed due to the lack of available 

rescue boats; so Luca, Fritz, Alessandro and 

Daniele decided to surf at Little Reef and Manawa 

for the day… me and Francesco instead decided 

to stay on the beach, contemplating our new Manera’s 

harness and soft wetsuit. 

The main meeting actually started the following 

day with the presentation of the new S.U.P. boards 

and of the entire F-One team. Raphael explained

32 

MEETING 


to us the development of the brand throughout 

the years. The strength of F-One has always been 

that of employing excellent riders as testers and 

designers, to have a more direct feedback on the 

various models and designs. On top of this the 

company has always used the same factories 

for consistency of materials (15 years for kites 

and 5-6 years for S.U.P. boards). All S.U.P boards, 

except one, are hand-made, and all the boards 

have a similar width (27 or 24 cm), only the length 

changes. A nice anecdote is the fact that all 

boards are named after real wave spots surfed 

by F-One riders in the last 15 years. The new kite 

pump was also quite amazing with two inflating 

speeds and, last but not least, a wide collection of 

paddles with varied carbon percentages. 

Finally I was also able to test some of the new 

material in the water. I was eager to test the new 

Mitu Pro Model, available in 4 sizes (5’4”, 5’6”, 

5’8” and 5’10”). It was hard to improve on a board 

which last year was already a best seller but the 

company decided to work hard on the large sizes 

by reducing the concave slightly around the fins 

to make the board easier and more progressive 

in the turns and while carving. The two smaller 

sizes instead benefit from a bit more rocker on 

the tail to achieve more manoeuvrability during 

tight turns and more control in the chop. The Mitu 

surfboard is actually suitable for different surfing 

styles (pure wave riding/strapless freestyle), as 

well as beginner or advanced riders. The Signature 

boards instead are designed for pure surfing 

and equipped with a Quattro fin set up. This year, 

they have a new progressive rocker which conveys 

more stability and control especially during 

bottom turns in big waves. Used to strong winds 

I am not perhaps the best tester for the Bandit 

10sqm, anyway I decide to test the Mitu Pro surfboard 

5’6” and 5’10”, I am regular so I approach 

Little Reef backside, thankfully I am far away 

from the shore and I can happily say I had a lot of 

fun on and inside (ups) the waves… 

The second day of the meeting was dedicated 

to the presentation of the foil and hydrofoil collection, 

a long project which involved board designers, 

the search for the perfect factory, but 

most importantly, the goal of creating a board 

which anyone could use. The company had to 

work hard on creating a stable board, so much 

needed by beginners. The hydrofoil mania is taking 

a strong hold, it is not hard to see people 

with hydrofoils around, especially beginners. 

Other sports are also taking an interest in this

new technology (Kayaking, Windsurfing, S.U.P. 

boarding, etc.). The F-One hydrofoil board has a 

very simple and fast connection device, and the 

board is available in three sizes. Very important 

for its development has been the contribution of 

Maxime Nocher, Formula Kite World Champion 

(currently lying second in the Foil World Cup circuit) 

and that of Romain Castel, young rider and 

Long Distance Youth champion. To complete the 

project, F-One decided to release its first foil kite: 

the Diablo! This kite managed to get on top of 

the league, winning several competitions, in the 

hands of Maxime Nocher. It was a must for the 

company to create a competitive foil kite to be 

used by their champion during international races. 

The designer, Robert Graham, with the help 

of Gin Gliders and past world-champion paragliders 

has managed to create a winning foil kite in 

a very short space of time: the kite is stable, and 

easy to use even by beginners (Ed. Many at the 

meeting had never even tried a foil before). A fast 

but already substantial success. 

Water tests: unfortunately this second day did 

not delight us with strong winds and the forecast 

for the following two days did not look bright ei-

34 

MEETING 


ther in terms of waves or wind. 

On the third day of meeting, Julien Salles, Raphael’s 

son, introduced to the entire media community 

the new Manera collection of harnesses, bags 

and also wetsuits. The wetsuits are the main innovation 

this year: super-quality products of high-technological 

design. The factory is situated 

in France, very close to the Manera’s offices in 

Montpellier, which means that the product can be 

tested and modified on the same day. All wetsuits 

have been designed with kiteboarding in mind, so 

warm but flexible enough to allow perfect mobility. 

Manera uses an exclusive software, unique 

in the neoprene industry, merging 3D design and 

exclusive pattern making technologies, to bring 

the highest level of fit. The material used are the 

most flexible around, Tripl3X Neoprene Magma 

and X10D: “Our wetsuits need to be warm, flexible 

and comfortable”. The technology consists in 

gluing and blind-stitching two neoprene panels 

together, then overtopping it with an ultra-stretch 

tape to make the seams 100% waterproof. 

Julien then went on presenting the new line of 

harnesses, the EXO, developed in cooperation 

with a Human Kinetics Science Laboratory. The 

harnesses have been structurally improved, with 

riding comfort, durability and also look in mind. 

The Manera EXO harnesses optimize load distribution, 

thanks to a brand new technology: the 

EDF (Energy Dispersion Frame): the hexagonal 

structure, built with various stiffness and volume 

degrees transfers the load over a much wider 

area, distributing pressure more evenly. Personally 

the harness for me was a perfect fit; I noti-

"The Mitu surfboard is actually 

suitable for different surfing styles 

(pure wave riding/strapless freestyle), 

as well as beginner or advanced 

riders” 

"All wetsuits have 

been designed with 

kiteboarding in mind, so 

warm but flexible enough 

to allow perfect mobility”

36 

MEETING 


ced that it immediately adapted well to my shape 

and the feeling was that of not having a harness 

at all: very useful when using large kites, which 

are usually quite deleterious for your lumbar 

muscles. The buckle system for closing the harness 

is also innovative and functional, preventing 

upward slip. 

Thankfully the presentation of the new Bandit 

happened on Sunday, the day when the wind finally 

decided to make its comeback, and we were 

finally able to test small sizes as well (5-6sqm). 

Inside the reef the chop was picking up quite 

high, but One Eye yet working at its full potential 

(around 1.5m). Nevertheless Raphael, Mitu and 

Micka did not waste even one second of it and 

managed to test all new equipment. Unfortunately 

One Eye was not big enough to take photos 

on the reef from the boat. 

The Bandit 9th edition, is still the best delta shape 

kite out there. F-One is the only brand which has 

never produced other shapes. They have decided 

to stick with this one best-seller kite, and improve 

it every year, rather than developing a completely 

new and different product. The small sizes 

are the most tested if we are talking about wave 

riding, the middle sizes are more directed to the 

freestyle user, whilst the large sizes (12sqm) are 

"I The F-One hydrofoil 

board has a very simple 

and fast connection 

device, and the board is 

available in three sizes."

“A nice anecdote 

is the fact that all 

boards are named 

after real wave 

spots surfed by 

F-One riders in 

the last 15 years” 

the most used by freeriders. Stability is the most 

sought after characteristic by the final user and 

the team has decided to put all their efforts in 

making the Bandit very stable. The bar is simple 

yet very functional, they have put a new pulley on 

the front lines and an even more efficient safety 

release system. Next year F-One will also make a 

larger chicken loop, to help freestyle riders, hook 

back in during their tricks; and most probably the 

side floaters will also undergo major changes. 

Back to the water tests: with very strong wind I 

decided to test the Mitu Pro Model 5’6” and the 

Bandit 6sqm. The kite has a very good control 

even at high speeds, the feedback on the bar felt 

great and the kite very manoeuvrable. Unfortunately 

Little Reef was way too little, so I spent 

about an hour battling with the chop inside the 

bay before choosing to close my session and watch 

the Freestyler Antoine Fermon, kitelooping to 

the stars, way overpowered on its 9sqm Bandit. 

The last day, Monday, F-One decided to present 

its wide collection of boards: bidirectional boards 

like the Trax HRD carbon series and the Trax HRD 

Lite Tech, also available in the Girly version with 

different colours. The Acid HRD carbon series, the 

Pro New School, the Acid Lite Tech, the Acid Next

38 

MEETING 


Generation, designed for young riders, and once 

again the Girly version. I liked very much the fact 

that the Girly version had different colours but 

maintained the size. Usually girly’s boards tend 

to be much smaller than the standard 133 x 42 

or 132 x 40, but not this time, which is good, as 

not all girls are small and skinny. Marie Switala, 

the beautiful, blonde F-One freestyle rider has 

showed to all of us what these boards can do. The 

collection still includes the Spicy (Wakestyle), the 

Next (freeride), also available in the LW version 

for the light wind days, and the Unix (freestyle/ 

freeride). 

Monday again we went back to light winds (12sqm 

and 14sqm). I was surprised about the fact that 

even in the large sizes, the Bandit did not feel 

“heavy” on my arms or back; this for me was quite 

a positive surprise given that I am quite spoilt by 

the conditions of my home spot and I never ride 

kites bigger than 9sqm. A nice freeride session in 

the bay before admiring Mitu’s freestyle strapless 

show, the stylish Micka and the powerful Antoine. 

The end of the week arrived too fast and it was 

already time to leave this beautiful island. Raphael, 

Micka, Julien and other F-One riders stayed on 

an extra day to pack all equipment. As usual the 

Italian team showed themselves up: first by “kidnapping” 

for a joke two pretty holiday reps, and 

then by hiding all harnesses just before the final 

presentation. So on this last day, amongst laughter 

and jokes about “les italiens les italiens”, 

we took the last formal group “selfie” and off we 

went on our taxi back to the airport. It has been 

an incredible experience, thanks to the beautiful 

scenarios offered by this beautiful island, the 

equipment so generously offered by the company, 

and most importantly the opportunity to 

know from the inside, a company which has been 

in the kiteboarding world for so many years and 

that nevertheless has managed to preserve a 

very familiar atmosphere with an organised and 

super close-knit team. Everybody knows that a 

good team is more likely to make great products!

“the Diablo! This kite 

managed to get on top 

of the league, winning 

several competitions” 

I would like to thank F-One for the invitation. 

Raphael, Julien, Julie, Fabien, Micka, Maxime, Maria, 

Mitu, Antoine, Romain for the hospitality and 

cooperation. Again a big thanks to Luca Marcis, 

F-One Italian dealer and my travel buddies Fritz, 

Daniele, Alessandro and Francesco. 

See you soon guys!

40 

ITW 

Aaron Hadlow 

ITW Federico Sugoni | Photo Toby Bromwich, Borys Radchenko e 

Antonietta Vacoli/Courtesy Easykite 

ITW

42 

ITW 

Aaron Hadlow 

KS_ This is not your first trip to Italy, you have seen different conditions 

and landscapes, tell me about it… 

AH_I have been to Italy a couple of times before but never to this 

area, in Lake Garda. So for me to come to this was quite different 

from anything else I have seen before, because you are in a lake, 

surrounded by land in the middle of Europe, and still, you’re getting 

wind every day, and pretty good wind. It is just pretty surreal to 

be riding out here with the big mountains in the background, and 

is such a crazy scenery, that is just cool to be out on the water. It’s 

very different because usually I am at the beach, with the sand, 

the salt and the blue sky behind it; instead here, you got the fresh 

water, you are launching your kite in super unique places off the 

boat or in a tunnel to get out to the beach, because there is really 

not much space on the land next to the water. I really liked the fresh 

water feeling and it is super refreshing. So to come here to Lake 

Garda, for me was really good fun. 

KS_ You have spent some time away from competition, but you 

have returned big style, what can you tell me about this time away 

from the PKRA tour? 

AH_In 2010 I stopped competing for a few years in the end. At the 

time it was just for me to take a break. The tour was not going as 

well as I thought it was going to go; so I decided that it was the 

right time for me to have a bit of a break and take a fresh look on 

kiteboarding and what I actually wanted to do. During the time in 

which I had two years off from competition, I was actually hoping 

that the competition would improve, that there would be more tour 

stops and the point system would maybe change, and it wouldn’t 

be the same format. And actually all of this changed in 2012, so 

that’s when I decided I wanted to go back competing again. However 

when I started pushing to start competing again, I got my knee 

injury; when I was training to come back. So in 2012 I also missed 

out which in the end meant 3 years in total in which I was unable 

to compete. During this time I think I just kind of had a different 

focus, more on videos, more on free-riding, more on the Wakestyle

THE LEVEL IS INCREDIBLE WHICH IS WHY EVEN 

BEING UP IN THE TOP AND FIGHTING TO WIN THE 

TOUR IS A REALLY GOOD FEELING.

44 

ITW 

Aaron Hadlow 

IT IS JUST PRETTY SURREAL TO BE RIDING OUT 

HERE WITH THE BIG MOUNTAINS IN THE BACK- 

GROUND, AND IS SUCH A CRAZY SCENERY, THAT IS 

JUST COOL TO BE OUT ON THE WATER

stuff, riding in different conditions and also working with a brand, 

learning about products and building new products which was also 

a very cool project. But all the time I was missing the competitive 

edge and wanting to compete and improve my level and that’s something 

I always had from a young age. So in 2013, even though 

I wasn’t 100% fit from my knee, I decided to go into the event in 

Leucate and give it a go; I just kind of threw myself in the deep 

end and gave it a chance. During this event I made it to the finals 

and ended up in third place; and this gave me back the feeling for 

competing again, I got that bug back again. I also thought the new 

scoring system was working pretty well, which is why I decided to 

continue through that, and last year was my full on season where 

I finished up third; and this year I am currently lying second. I am 

gradually getting back to the top. The difference now is that competition 

is so much closer as the level is really, really high. There’s 

6 or 8 guys coming to these events, out of all the 24 riders that are 

always coming, and at least 8 of these guys could win any of these 

competitions. The level is incredible which is why even being up in 

the top and fighting to win the tour is a really good feeling. 

KS_ Has something changed in your body and training after many 

years of being at the top? 

AH_Since I started competing ‘till now, so much has changed for 

sure: both in my body and the way I ride; and surely the sport has 

developed. Back in the days I was just competing, having a lot of 

fun with friends, and it was just a totally different atmosphere. I was 

not training off the water, I was just going and was super enthusiastic 

to be training as hard as possible and not caring so much about

46 

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Aaron Hadlow 

my body but, you know, everything was fine whilst I was young. I 

could kite as much as I wanted, I never felt any pain, never had any 

problems really, or when I did, I would just bounce back. During the 

years in which I was successful, I was just going for it, full on! The 

thing when it really changed for me, was when I got my knee injury 

and this put me out for one year. I was unable to kite and actually 

this gave me a lot of motivation to get back kiting; I was seeing 

what I was missing a lot and also knowing that I wanted to go back 

into competition again, gave me a good drive to do the best I could 

to get back to the top level. After this I have learned a lot about my 

body, I realised that I wasn’t just bouncing off the water anymore; 

I could get injured and it could be really serious. I also learned a 

lot about training off the water, about nutrition (eating the right 

things), not overdoing it, not using your body too much so that it is 

very fatigued or tired as this is when you can have problems. I have 

really learnt a lot about training in the gym, and obviously as I get 

older, I feel more pain… twinges. You get more problems but I think 

that’s normal for everybody and, although I am only 26, it’s a very 

demanding sport and for sure your body starts to feel really old. 

Nowadays I have to limit my time on the water a little bit more and 

train off the water a lot more. For sure this for me is the best way 

to feel good and move forward. Then I look at some of the new kids 

like Liam Whaley, who’s 18 and winning the competitions, and I see 

a lot of me in him because he’s 8 years younger and just going full 

on. Now that I am older I am actually jealous of what I used to have. 

KS_ The comeback of the Big Air and your victory at the Red Bull 

King of the Air, what’s your opinion about the future of the sport? 

AH_From the beginning kiting has always been very freestyle 

orientated; it has always been about the jumps and the tricks you 

can do, and as time goes on you really noticed the sport divide into 

lots of different disciplines, which is really cool, and a lot of people 

focus! Back when I would pick up a surfboard or something, back 

when I was younger, I got to a pretty high level right away, because 

not everybody had pushed it in the right direction; but these days 

now, I look at what the guys are doing in the waves, maybe some

I ALSO LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TRAINING OFF THE 

WATER, ABOUT NUTRITION (EATING THE RIGHT 

THINGS), NOT OVERDOING IT, NOT USING YOUR BODY 

TOO MUCH

48 

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Aaron Hadlow

strapless freestyle, and the level is hard for even me, who’s doing 

kiting all this time; it has become pretty hard to go and do this 

discipline and be at the same level as these guys. And the same 

with racing and the actual wave riding; with the Big Air discipline 

it’s slightly different because it is something that has always come 

from the past, it’s always been the core of the sport: going big and 

jumping high. So it’s very interesting that there’s lots of different 

disciplines now and they’re really starting to get further and further 

apart with a higher level. I think is good that the World Tour is trying 

to bring a lot of the disciplines and bring them together, but really 

I think, the World Tour is really good where it’s freestyle; that’s for 

the young generation of kids coming in, that’s what they are pushing 

for, and to learn the latest tricks. Then there are the competitions 

like the Red Bull King of the Air, these are one off events. This 

is really cool, it is like the X game in other sports; I mean if you take 

the Red Bull King of the Air competition is a one off event, so you 

put a lot of effort into one event instead of dividing it into smaller, 

more events. That’s when you get so much crazy hype and media 

are out for something like this, because all the guys are there 

just to do one thing and go as spectacular and huge as possible. 

That’s the same for the Triple S, it is more of a niche in the sport, 

you know, the Wakestyle, the rails… but again is something where 

the level is going up a lot. I used to be able to go to the Triple S, do 

pretty good in it, in all of the different disciplines they had there. 

And now this year, I think probably for the first time, I really saw a 

huge improvement in the level; these guys just only focus on rails 

and kickers, and you really see the level here improving too, so it’s 

really cool to go to all of these different events and for me to com-

50 

ITW 

Aaron Hadlow 

pete in the ones that I really enjoy, and be pushed and really go to 

see this move forward. For me personally I am always going to be 

into the freestyle, the Big Air, the Wakestyle… these are the things 

that I love: it’s all about the technicality and the way you fly your 

kite and do your tricks, for me this is the best. But I see and I also 

really respect the guys that are doing the big wave surfing and also 

the strapless freestyle, super technical. However I am really on my 

own schedule now and competing on the World Tour takes all the 

time, which makes it hard to practice all these other disciplines, for 

as much as I really would like to. 

KS_ After many years spent with one brand, you have decided 

to switch to North Kiteboarding; what’s your experience with this 

brand and your involvement in the development of North and Ion 

gear? 

AH_I spent a lot of time with Flexifoil creating my own products, 

before I switched to North. I had a lot of influence in the design, in 

the graphics and all. The Hadlow’s kites were really how I wanted 

them to come out and the same with the boards. I had a really good 

learning experience at Flexifoil… seeing how the business run, seeing 

all the different aspects of how a company works; and being 

there from the beginning I really had a good time. Unfortunately 

as things progressed, it started to become clear that maybe it was 

time to move on. The transition to North was actually really way 

smoother than I would have ever expected; I got to meet Ralph, 

who was doing the design, and for me at the time the most important 

thing was to have a really good product, that I could ride and 

improve my level and just have the right kite to do the things that I 

actually wanted to do. Things moved like that, all the guys came to 

South Africa, I got a really good feeling with everybody, super open 

guys, really with a clear direction. Obviously being North, you know 

it’s one of the biggest brand in kiteboarding, it’s just got everything 

down to a fine T, and I really found that interesting. As it got clearer 

that we were probably going in this direction, I got really a lot of 

good time to improve the products and put some input and some 

of my experience into the Vegas, into the boards… telling them a

52 

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Aaron Hadlow

little bit about my experiences from the past, why it works well for 

my style of riding, and maybe the Wakestyle, and freestyle stuff. 

All the good points that they took on, they really listened to, they 

really liked to have this feedback, so the transition was smooth and 

the changes were fast. I had a lot of control and had to do a lot of 

different types of work with the old company, marketing and helping 

out with everything. With North they have a very good plan, 

everything is just kind of perfect: I don’t have to put as much time 

into other things. I can just focus on my riding, they can market 

me, I can focus on helping with the boards and the kites and all the 

products, it is just a well-oiled machine which is running perfectly. I 

really like the German efficiency, you get in there, and you tell them 

your stuff, and things actually happen and change. I think that’s 

why North are where they are in the market right now. 

I AM REALLY ON MY OWN SCHEDULE NOW AND 

COMPETING ON THE WORLD TOUR TAKES ALL THE 

TIME, WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO PRACTICE ALL 

THESE OTHER DISCIPLINES

54 

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Aaron Hadlow 

KS_ Our magazine is called Kitesoul, because we are sure that 

our soul has been somewhat filled up by this sport. What’s your 

feeling while you are in the ocean, during a competition or during 

a sunset session? 

AH_This is a very personal question; however in my case it is not 

about feeling deep sensations in contact with nature, or the mystical 

experience of losing myself in the ocean. For me every session 

is a new challenge against myself. I love to concentrate fully on my 

tricks, trying to perform and land them perfectly and invent new 

ones. It is a challenge against myself in the search for the perfect 

athletic feat, this is what really motivates me. I am a very competitive 

person and for me kiteboarding is the perfect mean to express 

my skills and abilities, especially during competitions. I suppose 

this is not very poetic but this is what kiteboarding really means 

to me. 

IT IS A CHALLENGE AGAINST 

MYSELF IN THE SEARCH FOR THE 

PERFECT ATHLETIC FEAT, THIS IS 

WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES ME

A 

P 

S E L E C T 

E 

X 

NEXT LEVEL LOAD DISTRIBUTION 

SURFING ELEMENTS 

ION-PRODUCTS.COM

56 

SPOTGUIDE 

Pipa - Brazil 

PIPA 

BRAZIL 

text and photo Axel Reese/Remedia.de/Liquid Eye 

Pipa, a small village 85km south of Natal, is a special place for many wave warriors. And a favorite 

spot for Brazilian kiter Kauli Seadi, a three-time PWA World Windsurfing Champion. And yet, it is a 

spot still off the beaten track for most surfers, windsurfers and kiters. Well known to locals, Kauli 

explains “Pipa is an undiscovered pearl. And it always works!”. With the help of Kauli and other local 

experts, we decided to venture out from the well known Ceara region to discover the many hidden 

spots Pipa has to offer wave warriors. By the end of our road trip, we cobbled together a comprehensive 

kitesurf spot guide.

58 

SPOTGUIDE 

Pipa - Brazil 

Pipa’s big, powerful swells set up in many wind 

directions. Kite here and your twin tip will stay 

your bag. Surfing is very popular with the locals 

so brush up on your surf etiquette before heading 

out to avoid any after session “words”. The 

beach vibe is relaxed and the locals are happy to 

share their backyard wonderland. You will likely 

kite alone as the only other kiters you might see 

in are from Natal or Rio de Janeiro and only on 

weekends. And don’t expect to meet any foreign 

kiters either. On a remote kite adventure like this, 

you really want to make sure your gear is reliable. 

We were confident our CORE kites had our backs. 

The beach conditions can be best described as 

challenging. Powerful shore break requires some 

experience to navigate. So be careful even if you 

are an experienced wave warrior. The après kiting 

entertainment is excellent and better than, say, 

Jericoacoara or Cumbuco with numerous beach 

bars, tourist activities and lively nightlife. 

Chris Bösch: “Pipa with its many kiteable bays, 

tropical landscape, and beautiful cliffs is my favorite 

hot spot in NE Brazil. Not just for kitesurfing 

but SUPing and surfing too. South swells are best 

but north wind driven swells work too. The town’s 

Pousadas, hotels, restaurants, surf shops, souvenir 

shops, kite and surf schools overlook the 

huge, white sand beach. The evening brings out 

lots of nightlife, live music, happening bars, and 

busy nightclubs. 

This town is perfect for non-kiters and families 

with its dolphin swims, sailboat and kayak tours, 

horseback riding, fishing, paragliding, rope climbing 

park, sand boarding and amazing beaches.” 

Brian Wennersten: ”Pipa is a terraced village of 

white stucco, red clay tiled roofs, and narrow cob

60 

SPOTGUIDE 

Pipa - Brazil

lestone streets. Most places in Pipa have a view 

of an ocean dotted with tiny surfers riding the 

many breaks. The streets are crowded, tight and 

just begging to be explored. Some are no more 

than walkways of steps heading up the cliff and 

disappearing around a corner. Some wind down 

to the natural harbor where the cliffs protect the 

boats from the prevailing swell and make a sick 

point break. It’s cool that Pipa has a surfing culture. 

The locals get what we do, as we understand 

what they do. That spirit transcends the language 

barrier.”

62 

SPOTGUIDE 

Pipa - Brazil 

Kite spots traveling south to north: 

Praia do Amor (Beach of Love) 

Chris Bösch: “A perfect surf and kitesurf beach location 

with a nice beach break and cross-onshore 

wind from starboard. In fact, the powerful waves 

bring surfing competitions to this very beach. The 

Palm covered bay dotted with cool beach bars is 

reached by following the stairs down the steep 

cliff or, at low tide, from Praia do Centro.” 

Brian Wennersten: “The lookout at Praia do Amor 

was our first view of the cliffs that run along the 

coast in this area. I was blown away. You just 

have to stand there and look at it for a minute. I 

bet it would be a paraglider’s paradise. As it happens, 

there is some pretty good kiting in the area 

as well. The only way down to the water in Praia 

do Amor is a steep traverse down small stairs cut 

into the cliff. Tough with gear, but worth it. The 

beaches, while busy, are pristine.” 

Praia do Centro 

Chris Bösch: “This postcard perfect beach located 

in the center of town is huge at low tide and not 

suitable for kiting because of its cross-offshore 

wind direction. But it is ideal for families when 

the tidal outflow forms shallow wading pools. 

And further out the breaking waves are perfect 

for surfing.” 

PIPA

Praia do Madeiro 

Chris Bösch: “Here you will find another beautiful 

SUPing and surfing location. The bay features 

a surf school, beach bar and dolphins if you are 

lucky enough. The beach is located on the main 

street and has plenty of signed parking. Access 

is by a rather long set of stairs. The beach is in a 

wind shadow just like Praia do Centro which makes 

it un-kiteable yet splendid for SUPing. And a 

classic point break makes for excellent surfing.” 

Praia de Cacimbinha 

Chris Bösch:”A noteworthy kite beach with a unique 

beach break and side-onshore wind from 

starboard. The long beach with high cliffs is a favorite 

spot for paragliders. The best beach access 

point is from the Pipa Privilege Hotel. We enjoyed 

five nights at this truly fabulous oceanfront luxury 

hotel. “ 

Praia do Giz (Tibau do Sul wave spot) 

Chris Bösch: “You are greeted with another beautiful 

bay set against imposing cliffs, starboard sideshore 

winds and a tough beach break. It’s best 

to check out the underwater hazards and reefs at 

low tide before heading out on your first session. 

Other kitesurf spots include Praia das Minas and 

expert only Lajinha. 

Tibau do Sul 

The only flat-water location around Pipa is home 

to a kite and surf school. We were thrilled to 

actually meet some kiters here! The river delta is 

two kilometers wide and is serviced by a ferry. 

Flat-water and, yes, dolphins played with us in 

the river mouth! 

Brian Wennersten: “Tibau do Sul was one of the 

largest flat-water areas we rode. The large river 

mouth has a strong current from the changing tides. 

The current does not line up correctly to help 

with kiting but it does bring in interesting sea life 

like dolphins. The first dorsal fin that sliced through 

the water immediately brought scenes of Jaws 

to mind but once I realized it was just a dolphin,

64 

SPOTGUIDE 

Pipa - Brazil 

it brought a smile to my face as I kited with them. 

Because of the current my tricks were not working 

when we tried a photo shoot. I noticed that 

there was coral rock sticking out of the water like 

a jetty. Its angle was slightly off from straight 

downwind, ideal for jibing. I improvised and tried 

an air transition to tap the rock with my board. I 

was careful at first because the rocks were razor 

sharp and the current threw off my approach. I 

figured it out and had a great session throwing 

back rolls into the transition while tapping the 

board on the rocks. I got some good style points 

for my low approach too. I was totally impressed 

how the Carved Tantrum held up against the razor 

rocks.” 

Good to know: 

Wind: 

http://www.windguru.cz/de/index.php?- 

sc=209214 

Accommodation: 

Pipa Privilege Hotel, http://www.pipaprivilege. 

com.br 

We can’t say enough about this amazing hotel situated 

at a superb wave spot with its luxurious 

accommodation, ocean views, and infinity pool. 

Perfect for your honeymoon, kite vacation, or 

both. 

Location and Wind: 

Pipa lies 580km south of Fortaleza in the state of 

Rio Grande del Norte. You can drive from the popular 

kite spot Cumbuco to Pipa in roughly eight 

hours. Air and water temperatures average 31C 

and 28C which is similar to the more famous Ceara 

region. 

According to the locals, the windy season starts 

and ends a little sooner than the Ceara region and 

will have 25kts+/- winds on 90% of the days. The 

windy season ends with more unreliable winds so 

it is recommended to bring a 14m kite in November. 

The rainy period starts around February at 

which point the winds become even more fluky.

Getting here: 

You can find connecting flights via Lisbon to Natal 

from Europe through TAP Portugal, http://www. 

flytap.com. A short one hour bus, shuttle, or car 

ride gets you to Pipa from Natal. 

Links: 

http://www.pipa.com.br/the_kitesurf

66 

STRAPLESS MOVES 

Indy Glide 

INDY GL 

Text Keahi de Aboitiz | Photo James Boulding

IDEBy Kehai 

De Aboitiz 

This is another one of my favourite tricks as its 

one of those tricks that feels really good when 

done right. Back in my twintip days I always loved 

the feeling of a good Indy glide so to be able to do 

the same thing on a surfboard feels great when 

done right. 

Although its not completely necessary if you have 

a bit of a freestyle background, it will make this 

trick easier. It also helps to be fairly comfortable 

with strapless freestyle on a surfboard. Although 

this trick looks simple, it can be difficult especially 

once you start trying to tweak it out. I’d consider 

trying it with straps first or on a twin tip to get 

more of a feel for it 

For this one, the stronger the wind, the better. 

The more wind there is, the easier the board will 

stick your feet as long as you can keep the bottom 

surface facing the wind. Just be careful with 

the strong wind because if you do come disconnected 

your board can fly away quite easily.

68 

STRAPLESS MOVES 

Indy Glide 

INDY GLIDE BY K 

1. Look for the right take off. 

For this trick, you are going to 

need a nice solid takeoff. Although 

it can be done off the 

flat, you are going to want a 

good solid chop or preferably 

a small wave. The bigger the 

kicker, the easier it will be to 

get height which will allow you 

to tweak it out much more and 

give you more time in the air. 

In an ideal situation try this off 

a wave just before its about to 

break. 

2. Take off 

Approach the ramp with speed 

with your kite around 10 o’clock. 

Put your front hand in the middle 

of the bar with your index 

finger and middle finger either 

side of the depower line. This 

will help minimize the kite turning 

down too fast once you 

take your back hand off the bar. 

Because my front hand stays 

on the bar, I try to send the kite 

slightly on this trick. You don’t 

want it to cross 12 but try and 

steer it up between 10 and 12 as 

you load up to help gain a little 

more height. Edge hard and 

stomp on your back foot while 

pulling in the bar to get as much 

height as possible. 

3. Start the rotation. 

As soon as you take off shift 

your weight forward and take 

your back hand off the bar. Look 

over your back shoulder and 

down towards the water while 

starting to push the bar out. 

This will start the rotation and 

allow you have as much control 

as possible through the air. 

Bend your knees and try bringing 

your back leg up pushing 

the tail of the board towards 

the wind while reaching down 

to grab the board. I like to tweak 

these out as much as possible, 

but to begin with I’d recommend 

trying it on more of a horizontal 

axis first to work your way up to 

it. 

4. Reach for the grab. 

Although you can grab in a few 

places I think Indy is one of the

EAHI DE ABOITIZ 

most stylish. Try to grab the board 

just behind your front foot 

and push your back leg out it 

out at the apex of your jump. 

As you get better you can try 

and tweak out more by bending 

your front knee and boning your 

back leg out towards the sky. Try 

to make sure the bottom of the 

board is constantly facing into 

the wind and hold the grab for 

as long as it feels comfortable. 

5. Redirect. 

At the peak of the jump, start 

slowly pulling the bar in to stop 

the rotation and start redirecting 

back the other way. I like 

to hold the grab until about half 

way down and the board is facing 

the direction you will land 

in. 

6. Landing. 

With your knees still bent, let go 

of the grab while spotting your 

landing and slowly extending 

your legs back out for the landing. 

Try to keep a fairly wide 

stance and concentrate on keeping 

the bottom surface of the 

board facing into the wind until 

the end. As you land bend your 

knees to absorb the impact and 

ride away. 

Possible Dangers. 

Although this one is relatively 

safe, you still need to be aware 

of the dangers involved. Like 

always in any strapless trick, it 

can be quite easy for the board 

to fly away downwind landing 

upside down. Just try to be aware 

of the fins as they can quite 

easily cut.

22 70 

TRIP 

Madagascar - on the track of of Addikt 

Madagascar 

on the track of Addikt 

text and & photo photo Alex Alex Caizergues

I’ve always wanted to travel to 

Madagascar. Since i watched 

Addikt1, the famous movie from F 

ONE, where i couldn’t be part of it 

because of a speed world cup in 

Fuerteventura in 2009

72 22 TRIP 

Madagascar -- on on the the track track of Addikt of Addikt 

 

The arrival is just magic; the lagoon 

is so blue that it’s mandatory to wear 

sunglasses 

Two very different places, one in the North, Babaomby 

in the Emerald Sea and an other one in the 

South, Anakao. 

We started the trip with Babaomby, helped by Nicolas, 

owner of Babaomby Island Lodge who picked 

us up at Diego Suarez airport. The place is 

located as the end of a peninsula. To access the 

lodge, the only way is the boat, a traditional sailing/fishing 

boat that allows us to bring without 

any problem all the gear and luggage. The arrival 

is just magic; the lagoon is so blue that it’s mandatory 

to wear sunglasses ;-) and after unloading 

the boat, you already feeling the peace of this “almost” 

island. 

Comfort is simple but you got everything you 

need inside the camp with very cool tents, and 

beds facing the lagoon. Because it’s also an “eco” 

lodge, electricity is coming from solar panels, the 

kitchen uses wooden fire to cook, and water is saved 

as much as possible. But all of this just helps 

you to take that “island life rhythm”. The team is 

all composed of cool locals coaches and riders, 

On the water side, wind is here every single day, 

more or less around 30 knots +, so no need to 

stress about that! It usually picks up in the morning, 

from 9-10 and reach its max in the afternoon, 

depending of the tides. You can find some 

waves in front of Suarez island, side on shore,

perfect to get some good rollers strapless! A perfect 

flat water spot, called the “Swimming Pool” is 

amazing when the tide is low, white sand, crystal 

clear water, and just 10 minutes downwind from 

the Lodge. Don’t forget your GoPro because it takes 

30 minutes to go back upwind ;-) 

Don’t forget a good pair of trainers too to go to 

the “Internet Café”, a 10 minutes hike to get some 

3G up there and an amazing view, perfect to send 

some emails or make some calls! 

After a week in Babaomby, it was time to hit the 

south of the island. One flight from Diego Suarez 

to Antananarivo, a night and a day at the capital 

and another flight from “Tana” to Tulear later, 

we finally reached a dock at Tulear harbour. A 

speedboat was there, waiting for us and after 1 

hour going full speed in the lagoon, we arrived to

22 74 

TRIP 

Madagascar - on the track of of Addikt

Since the release of Addikt 1 in 

2009, I was dreaming about Flame 

Bowls, the famous left 

Anakao. Anakao is a fisherman village, with very 

friendly people and a lot of affordable places to 

stay. 

Anakao Ocean Lodge is owned by Valter, an Italian 

kiteboarder who built with his dad this pristine 

resort, an amazing work in such a remote 

place too… The resort is very human sized, no big 

buildings, simply nice “nature integrated” huts, 

very cosy, luxury at its best, very comfy but still 

very “nature” with hay made roof, no AC or TV. 

Perfect place to recover from a long trip, recharge 

batteries, and waiting for the swell… because that 

was the main reason we chose this destination; 

since the release of Addikt 1 in 2009, I was dreaming 

about Flame Bowls, the famous left. The 

left that was ridden by Raph and Mitu… When I 

was talking with them about this wave, they were 

telling me it was one of their favourite in the world, 

simple as that! The wave is breaking on a reef, 

sharp one when the swell is big and it works best 

at high tide, the wind often blows in the afternoon, 

side-off shore, and it makes it really perfect, 

tubing as soon as it’s big enough. You definitely 

need a boat to ensure your safety first because 

it’s quite far away from the mainland (not less 

than 7km) and second, if you break something, 

the next coast you will have the chance to see is 

Mozambique… 

A little reminder of where the name “Flame Bowl” 

(originally “flame balls”) is coming from makes you 

realize how dangerous this wave can be… It’s an 

Australian surfer who discover this wave when 

doing a road trip in the South of Madagascar. On 

a 3 meters day, after a big wipe-out, he simply destroyed 

his balls on the reef and it made this wave 

a legend !!!! 

Another wave to check out is Jelly Baby. We did not 

have the chance to see it working but it’s a little bit 

more intermediate level, as the reef is deeper, the 

wave smoother, and it breaks closer to the shore. 

If you are more into freestyle riding, a great spot 

to check out is the island of Nosy Sanatra. Just 20 

minutes upwind with the traditional sailing boat, 

you will find one of the most perfect freestyle spot 

I ever ride, just there for you and your friends, and 

a couple of cows that come to the island when the 

tide is low ;-). Flat and transparent water, straight 

off shore and steady wind, a 500 meters sand bank 

that shines at low tide and it makes one of the best 

spot I ever rode in my all life! 

Travelling to Madagascar is a bit of a challenge; 

don’t be afraid of waiting in an airport, or waking up 

very early to catch a flight, but when you get there, 

the people smile, the will of locals to make your 

stay as perfect as it can be, water, wind, waves, 

everything gives you only one need… coming back

76 22 TRIP 

Madagascar - on the track of of Addikt 

next year! Talking about this year, we are coming 

back again in Anakao, this time with a special boardbag 

full of school materials, kids clothes, and 

some basic medicines to help people there (60% 

of the population is illiterate and 75% lives under 

the level of poverty). Having fun is great but if we 

can help (and maybe you for your next trip), it’s 

even better!!!!

22 78 

TRIP 

Madagascar - on the track of Addikt 

Madagascar on the track of Addikt 

 

Travelling to Madagascar is a 

bit of a challenge

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THE GRADO CHESTZIP FURTHERMORE OF- 

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WHERE MESH NEOPRENE ACCELERATES 

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FEATURES 

• 50% FABRIC TAPED ON THE INSIDE 

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Available in: 

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Sizes: 

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WETSUITS

BEHIND THE TEST 

"GO FLY A KITE CHAR 

(Behind the scenes of the Ozone World) 

80 

R&D 

Behind the test "go fly a kite Charlie Brown" 

text Stefano Gigli | Photo Courtesy Ozone Italy

LIE BROWN" 

There are places and people which rarely go undetected and that 

travel a lot because of their lifestyle, passion and personal inclination. 

I have been now working with Ozone for the past 9 years and 

I believe I’ve had the best time of my life with them, travelling to 

beautiful places and working with great passion. 

Rob, Torrin and Dominik are lucky enough to leave their office in 

Raglan for three months a year and move to the beautiful Mauritius 

Island, at Le Morne, to concentrate on the development of their 

kites. This year I decided to spend a bit of time with them in this 

beautiful island with almost perfect waves which really makes you 

appreciate wave riding.

82 

R&D 


I am not going to tell you too much about the characteristics of the 

Island because it is already a famous kitesurfing destination with 

plenty of photos, report etc. 

What I want to talk to you about is the philosophy behind the Ozone 

world, which goes beyond imagination. The Ozone crew is made 

up of the real “Boyz” who wake up at 6am to go surfing, go back to 

their desk at 9am to design the best Ozone kites, then go out again 

around 12pm trying out their design in the most beautiful waves in 

the world. At 18pm they can plan an evening party in the supermarket 

carpark, go back home and prepare a multi-ethnic dinner for 

everybody. Their job is different: they are special people who have 

dedicated their life to amuse all kite lovers out there. Behind these 

kite tests, there are men with a great passion for life and travelling 

with them equals to living fully and do everything I love. 

My trip around the world Ozone continues together with “Charlie 

Brown”. This is a personal awareness project to help all the poor 

children in the world. I chose Charlie Brown because all children 

love to fly a kite but not every child can accomplish this dream. It is 

not an NPO but an idea to give a chance to poor children or those 

who have been struck by a natural disaster. We want to help the 

world to live, smile and share life.

84 

R&D 


About Ozone Kite: kitesurfing and paragliding 

Ozone is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of kites and paragliders, 

created around a small but dedicated team of passionate 

riders and pilots. The Ozone team share the same outstanding 

passion for nature, exciting sports and progress. 

“Our philosophy of riders building kites for riders, remains at the 

centre of everything we do. Our core mission is to improve our 

sport through technological innovation, intensive R&D and our 

enjoyment of the sports we love.” 

Ozone Team R&D 

One thing we are most proud of is our dedicated and full time R&D 

team. Rob Whitall, Torrin Bright and Dominik Zimmermann can be 

found at locations all over the globe, testing on snow, land and 

water. Our designers aren’t just designers. They are also highly 

experienced test riders, top-level competitors and instructors. The 

amount of research and testing carried out by our skilled team 

each year is more than your average kite company. Every single 

Ozone kite design is an original concept and is the result of extensive 

research. Whether it’s a high performance kite or a school kite, 

our test riders understand the rider’s needs in every aspect of the 

sport. 

Ozone Design software 

The Ozone design software OzCAD is totally unique and specially 

designed by our team, which includes aerodynamicists, engineers 

and fluid dynamics experts. OzCAD allows us to model innovative 

new profiles and designs with high efficiency and accuracy. Performance 

prediction models give us unparalleled insight, allowing us 

to advance designs quickly and effectively. 

Our manufacturer facility 

We created Parapex, our manufacturing facility in Vietnam more 

than 10 years ago. We realized early on that we needed to be in 

control of every step of the manufacturing process; to ensure the 

quality and integrity of our products. The Ozone facility is state of 

the art, fully air conditioned, ventilated and exceptionally clean. All 

materials are stored at a constant temperature and humidity to

86 

R&D 

Behind the test "go fly a kite Charlie Brown"

ensure consistency in manufacturing. We communicate daily with 

our staff, to make sure every detail is taken care of in the best way 

possible.. 

Highest quality material. Without exceptions! 

We choose the materials that go into each kite based on one factor 

alone: quality. Since 1999 we have carried out constant performance 

and longevity evaluations of every material available to us. Our 

current list of ingredients is a direct result of our on-going testing. 

Each spec and weight of cloth is chosen to maximize suitability, 

durability and performance. 

Industry and design innovations 

Since the beginning of our involvement with kites, Ozone has brought 

some of the most innovative kites to the market. The Frenzy 

was the first open foil kite with de-power and it revolutionized the 

future of foils. The C4 was the first bridled C kite and it took the 

market by storm. 

The Uno was the first inflatable trainer. The Zephyr was the first 

light wind specific kite to come to market and the only 17m kite that 

actually worked. 

The Edge took performance to another level; seven world titles is 

proof of this fact. The Reo popularized surf kites and is the benchmark 

in this category. 

Today these innovations continue with the advent of a new era of 

performance foil kites with the Chrono and R1. 

The Ozone feeling 

There are countless reasons to purchase an Ozone kite. We think 

the most important reason is the “Ozone feeling” that we strive to 

cultivate in each kite model we design. This feeling sets our kites 

apart from the competition. We invite you to try our kites for yourself. 

We believe you will feel the difference and enjoy the “Ozone 

feeling” that has made Ozone famous and unique around the world.

88 

R&D 


Ozone Italy 

You can easily purchase an Ozone product in Italy from Ozone ltd, 

through our country manager Stefano Gigli who has an account to 

order kites directly from our factory with the innovative Just in Time 

system (a 10 year consolidated distribution method). 

Just in Time Ordering System 

Ozone works in both the kiteboarding and paragliding market, with 

the so-called “Just in Time” ordering system. This actually means 

that every agent or authorised Ozone retailer can order any product 

(including spare parts up to 5 years old) of any model, size, 

colour and package. We do not have a minimum order quantity; 

a retailer can order even a single piece, a set of lines, or a kite, at 

any time during the day. This means that we can process the order 

within 12 hours, assign a serial number to your kite and send a production 

order to our facility factory in Vietnam. From the moment 

we receive an order it usually takes 5 working days to produce the 

kite, 3 working days to process all the relevant custom paper work, 

and 4 days to ship the kite (depending on the type of courier chosen 

by your retailer). Delays caused by the courier or custom problems, 

do not usually exceed 2 working days. The system is active 

on our entire line of kites and paragliders and allows us to export 

our products worldwide without having leftover stock. If, on the 

other hand, you want a specific colour or a customised kite we can 

do it, using the same exact ordering system. The only thing that 

can change is production timing (+ 7 working days) depending on 

how many requests we are handling at a specific time. If right now 

you would like to purchase a kite, not currently available at your 

retailer, you can be sure to have the kite in your hands within a 

maximum of 30 days with our Just in Time ordering system. This 

said, most of our retailers have a good stock of models, colours 

and sizes for the ongoing kitesurfing season. This method ensures 

a greater product quality and excellent post-sale customer care, 

as thanks to the serial number and invoice we can trace any order.

Welcome to 

the Ozone 

World!

90 

SPOT 

Silvaplana - Swiss Surrealism 

Silvaplana 

S W I S S S U R R E A L I S M 

When you are driving to Lake 

Silvaplana you have to go over 

mountains and passes and it’s 

hard to focus on the street being 

distracted by the amazement of 

the landscape. The little rivers 

and the green grass look like in 

the fairy tales and one can’t get 

rid of the feeling that he is driving 

through a fake Disneyland 

or adventure park. And then you 

arrive at the spot – there it is: 

Lake Silvaplana. Surrounded 

by huge mountains, which are 

majestically surveilling their treasure, 

the lake lies there calm 

and turquoise awaiting the wind 

to arrive. 

This is the best time to have a 

SUP warm up session. Like that 

you can discover the whole 

lake, also the parts where you 

are not supposed to kite later. 

So you should take the chance 

and check out the south part of 

the lake where the Maloja Pass 

starts or you go up in the north 

part under a bridge paddling 

next to a little castle and a beautiful 

forest. But be aware to 

be back before the wind starts 

cause normally it kicks in quite 

suddenly between 11 am and 

1pm and you don’t wanna fight 

against the nature here. The 

wind is thermic so it works best 

when it is warm during the day 

and cold in the night. So even 

though you need a long wetsuit, 

at best a 5/4, you should not 

be cold cause the wind basically 

only comes when its nice and 

sunny weather. 

The best direction is southwest. 

When it happens to be those 

conditions, which in swiss summer 

(June-August) is quite often, 

you can add around 10 knots on 

the forecast you can find in windfinder/windguru. 

Also, there is 

a very good webcam of the spot 

so when you see people pumping 

their kites you better hurry 

cause it can be

text Jana Schader | photo Alberto Rondina e Jana Schader

92 

SPOT 

Silvaplana - Swiss surrealism 

really packed there on a windy 

day. On the weekend it’s common 

to have more than 100 kites 

in the water but don’t worry, 

there is space for everyone. The 

parking fee for your kites on the 

spot is 15 Swiss Franken though. 

But if you wanna be alone you 

can ride over to the other bank 

and kite all on your own in front 

of a huge waterfall. 

However make sure you take a 

big enough kite cause one have 

to keep in mind that Silvaplana 

is on 1.815m so the wind is way 

thinner than on the seaside and 

therefore has less power. With a 

12m to 14m you should always 

be able to go or you rent a foil 

at the local school and enjoy a 

lightwind session. You can also 

go a bit downwind where the 

water is more flat and perfect 

for a freestyle session. To go 

too much upwind is not a good 

idea cause that’s the kingdom 

of the windsurfers and there is 

kind of a strict borderline that 

works perfectly for both sports 

and should be respected. There 

are not many spots where 

kitesurfing is so well organized 

and that’s probably the only reason 

why it works without a lot 

of accidents. You can check the 

plans that show where to enter 

the water, where to leave it and 

where it is reserved for the land 

teaching of the school. It kind 

of looks funny when you see 

all those kites lining up on the 

beach waiting to go out on the

water. But since everyone sticks 

to the plan, the Swiss accuracy 

works out pretty well. Also there 

is not a lot of localism – the 

Swiss people happen to be quite 

friendly even though there are 

several nations populating their 

spot: German, Italian, French, 

English, Belgian kitesurfers and 

a lot more. It’s nice to sit down 

with all these different people 

in between the sessions, talking 

about the spots and countries 

they come from and dive in the 

European kitesurfing scene. 

On Silvaplana Europe is united 

in it’s center, reachable for 

everyone within some hours. 

The only way to reach it is by car 

though since the next airport is 

in Zurich or Milano. But why not 

do a little city trip, rent a car and 

enjoy the natur at Silvaplana 

after a busy party or shopping 

weekend in these European 

metropoles? Most of the people 

who come here stay on the big 

camping site with their campervan 

in between the windsurfing 

and the kitesurfing area connecting 

these two sports, which 

are actually so similar. Besides 

the campingsite is providing 

everything you can wish for it 

should be also the cheapest 

option of accommodation. Of 

course, Suisse is not known as 

the most affordable country in 

Europe but if you live smart and 

like a surfer which is to say cook 

your own food at the bonfire instead 

of going out to expensive 

restaurants, it is definitely cheaper 

than a random “All inclusive 

vacation trip” to one of the 

overcrowded common spots. 

You can find everything you 

need in the

94 

SPOT 

Silvaplana - Swiss surrealism

town Silvaplana – there is a bakery 

with delicious Suisse cakes 

and bread, a small supermarket 

with fruits and veggies which 

are not too expensive. If you go 

for the famous Suisse cheese 

and milkproducts you might pay 

a bit more but the high quality 

is definitely worth it. In case you 

want to go shopping or need 

some more variety a 10 minutes 

trip to St. Mortiz, the town, 

known for being a skiing resort 

for the rich and famous, is a 

good idea, also in the summer. 

On the other hand Maloja as a 

sweet little town in the south of 

the lake shows you how living a 

life deep down in the mountains 

of Switzerland would be like. So 

if you wanna spend an holiday 

in nature with family or friends 

and don’t wanna fly somewhere 

far away you should give it a try 

and let the Swiss wonderland 

fascinate you by it’s magic surrounding.

96 

TECNIQUE 

Airstyle - Back to the origins 

AIR 

STYLE 

Back to the origins 

After years of Wakestyle riding and low-air 

tricks, Airstyle has finally made a comeback... 

jumping as high as possible and floating in the 

air for as long as you can, performing boards 

off whilst flying, and so much more. Airstyle 

is really gaining ground and gathering lots of 

followers throughout the world. 

Text Renato Casati | Photo Nicola Meotti

98 

TECNIQUE 


Everything started with Airstyle: 

at the very beginning this 

is what kiteboarding was all 

about… 

In 2001 I had the chance of being 

a PKRA judge at the Fuerteventura 

stop. At that time Adam 

Koch, at Sotavento beach with 

40 knots, performed 8 rotations 

grabbing his board at an 

incredible height. Flash Austin 

was flying higher than seagulls 

and Mark Shinn was starting to 

take his board off at every jump, 

alternating figures at more than 

10 meters of height. Simone 

Vannucci, the most stylish Italian 

rider, with strong winds, 

was shocking everyone by flying 

over the lines of the other 

competing riders… these were 

the years of the first pioneers. 

The spectators were filling the 

side-lines, crying out with surprise 

at every jump. The Eurosport 

channel used to broadcast 

a summary of the competition 

regularly and no one watching 

the images of those flying men, 

could have remained indifferent. 

Unfortunately one day all of this 

changed and the more popular 

wakeboarding style replaced 

Airstyle, due to its greater technical 

difficulty (however I am not 

sure how many contemporary 

athletes would be able to perform 

8 spins at 15 meter). Nevertheless 

the height of jumps 

decreased dramatically to make 

space for very fast and, increasingly 

technical, low-air manoeuvres. 

For sure young riders are 

more fascinated by this, but 

young riders do not have the 

money to buy new gear all the 

time. TV channels have lost interest 

in kiteboarding because 

a 20mt simple jump is certainly 

more spectacular than a 2mt 

complicated jump. Amateur riders 

also like it less; tricks are so 

difficult to learn, that you risk to 

injure a shoulder or a knee at 

every attempt, unless you are 

teenager or the elastic man… 

Let’s think about it: 90% of riders 

are weekend riders… I am 

saying this on the basis of what 

I witness every weekend at the 

lake. They work all week in the 

city and, if they are lucky, they 

can escape the concrete jungle 

at the weekend to have a bit of 

fun. So the typical customer is 

around 40 years old and his/ 

her maximum aspiration is to 

go upwind, jump and perform 

some rotations without hurting 

himself. The main goal is trying 

to jump higher, especially 

higher than his kite buddy, so 

to tease him on the beach after 

each session… This is what motivates 

riders, it is what makes 

them dream and as a result, 

they are eager to buy the most 

performing kite each year.

Thankfully companies have understood 

this, and Airstyle has 

finally made a comeback, also 

thanks to events like the Red 

Bull King of the Air, the Red Bull 

Megaloop Challenge and the Big 

Air discipline inside the VKWC. 

Companies have restarted producing 

kites with greater lift and 

airtime. Boards off and big-air 

(rigorously hooked-in) manoeuvres, 

censored for a long time, 

have also made a comeback in 

promotional videos and ads. 

Air Style or Big Air are synonyms 

for flying, hangtime, variability, 

show and style... strictly 

hooked in. 

Wave Style instead means surfing 

wave after wave, ripping the 

lip and carving the bottom. 

Freestyle stands for freedom of 

doing whatever comes to mind, 

no stress and open mind. 

Wakestyle equates to air passes, 

powerful manoeuvres and 

pure aggressiveness. 

Racing means racing along a 

pre-established course, speed 

and tactics. 

Speed means trying to achieve 

the maximum speed in special, 

super flat spots. 

Strapless consists in realising 

tricks with a directional surfboard, 

rigorously strapless. 

These are all sides of the same 

coin: each style has a precise 

market target and specific and 

dedicated gear; but in the end 

they all share the love for training 

in the fresh air. This should 

be the only motivating factor 

of our sport: an advantage for 

everyone.

100 

TECNIQUE 


HOW TO BEGIN and progress 

rapidly. 

Airstyle is quite straightforward: 

you can start with your first low 

jumps and progress quite rapidly. 

I recommend everyone 

who wants to start approaching 

this discipline to purchase 

Toby Braeuer’s DVD “Air Style 

666 Tricks Strictly Hooked”, also 

available on Vimeo. This DVD 

can almost be considered the 

bible of Air Style: it follows a 

specific logic of technical progression, 

starting from the basis 

and evolving quickly, trick 

by trick. It is a very well organised 

tutorial, useful for every 

type of rider. I will not now go 

through the technicality of the 

jumps and different tricks which 

you can easily find in the DVD; 

nevertheless it is important to 

consider other essential factors 

which could help a rider 

approaching this new-old discipline. 

THE RIGHT KITE 

Nowadays there is a clear-cut 

difference in performance between 

kites. Each manufacturer 

has a catalogue with different 

kite types designed for the 

different styles, and as such 

with specific technical characteristics. 

To start with your 

first jumps, you can easily use 

a generic freeride kite, because 

initially all you need to learn is 

mechanising the movements 

needed to jump. However, once 

you feel confident and are 

ready to go higher, you should 

purchase a dedicated kite with 

greater lift and hang-time. So if 

you really want to jump higher 

and go upwind more than your 

buddy, you should throw away 

your second hand wave kite, 

because it certainly has less upwind 

capabilities compared to 

the Race kite which your buddy 

purchased last week ;) 

LONGER LINES 

In recent years, the demands 

of wave and wakestyle lovers 

have reduced the standard line 

length of kites to 18-23 meter. 

As a result kites use a smaller 

wind window which means less 

hypothetical power to use for 

vertical jumps, so less height 

and hang-time. During hangtime 

competitions I have seen 

riders using 40mt lines. Without 

going to extremes I can say that 

27-33mt lines is probably the 

ideal length. You can easily buy 

“extension lines kits” of 5-7 and 

10 meters in most kite shops 

and quickly and simply attach 

them to your kite 

HANDLING BEING OVERPOW- 

ERED 

To jump really high you need 

to be overpowered, no doubt 

about it! Obviously the better 

you are at handling being overpowered, 

the greater hang-time 

you will be able to achieve. Remember 

that you should always 

approach it step by step, slowly 

progressing with experience at 

each session. You need to master 

the wind window perfectly, 

especially in the low zones, 

keeping the kite as close as possible 

to the water during regular 

riding, bringing it up only when 

jumping. The main mistake 

made by beginners is the inability 

to handle overpowered conditions. 

Remember that power 

is nothing without control: if you 

are not able to hold the edge of 

the board for long enough you

will jump low and long, ending 

up under the lines of the kites 

which could make relaunch difficult. 

The more overpowered 

you are, the higher the probability 

to hurt yourself will be. 

SMALL BOARD 

If the kite pulls you a lot and 

you want to reach high speeds, 

to go up as much as possible, a 

small board is certainly needed. 

You get to a point where the less 

you have under your feet, the 

better! Nowadays small boards 

in the range of 125x35cm or 

120x32cm can sound a bit “unusual” 

because current boards 

tend to be longer and larger for 

various reasons: at the moment 

a 142x38cm board is probably 

the most used size. Nevertheless 

a rider wanting to achieve 

great heights, should consider 

investing in a small and thin 

bidirectional board. A light and 

small board will be easier to 

handle during board offs and 

high air manoeuvres. 

RECORDING YOUR PERFOR- 

MANCE (WOO-OOOOOO!) 

If you want to challenge your 

friends, today there is a new 

and fantastic technological tool: 

the WOO! It is a small Bluetooth 

receiver which you can easily 

mount on your board. The WOO 

records throughout the entire 

session the height and hangtime 

of every single jump. Once 

out of the water, you can load 

the data to your mobile phone 

and check and compare the 

best performance of the day 

amongst your friends. A simple, 

powerful, useful and revolutionary 

tool! You no longer need to 

argue with your friends to find 

out who’s been the best of the 

day. On top of this you can also 

publish your results on the web 

and compare them against local 

and even world riders. 

TEST! AND THE WINNER IS... 

We have therefore decided to 

run a few tests with some of the 

companies which excel in this 

discipline, to check out which 

kites are best to achieve the 

“highest” performance… 

We have compared different 

kite brands at parity of conditions 

(kite size, strength, wind 

direction, number of jumps and 

rider level), recording the best 5 

jumps with aid of the WOO for 

each sessions. We have then 

added up the results (height 

and hang-time) and made a 

ranking… check out our complete 

report in the next article. 

In the meanwhile… you can 

start training! ;-) 

Renato “DrKite” Casati 

Technical expert 

RRD’s wave team rider. Kitesurfer since 2000, PKRA and 

KPWT athlete and judge. For the last 12 years he has been 

writing for several kiteboarding magazines. He currently 

lies second in the Airtime WOO leaderboard.

102 

TEST 

Woo Hang Time Big Air Test 

WOO HANG TIM 

Text and Photo Renato Casati 

THE COMING ON THE MARKET OF THE WOO 

HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A 

COMPARATIVE TEST, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND 

PERFORMED BY A DEDICATED MAGAZINE; IN 

ORDER TO HELP OUR READER CHOOSING THE 

RIGHT KITE TO GO BIG WITH AIR STYLE. WE HAVE 

THEREFORE CONTACTED ALL KITE COMPANIES 

AND INVITED THEM TO SEND US ONE OR MORE 

KITES TO TEST THEIR PERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF 

LIFT AND HANG-TIME. 

BELOW THE RESULTS OF OUR TEST: 

TEST’S FEATURES 

TEST DATE: 1 st -15 th Agust 

LOCATION: North Sardegna 

RIDERS: RENATO CASATI, advanced rider, TESTER 1. weight Kg. 85 

NANI BELLINI, intermediate rider, TESTER 2 . weight Kg. 70 

MISURA KITE: 13-14 Mt. 

WIND: 11 - 22 knots

E BIG AIR TEST 

We have decided to use two 

riders of different level to accommodate 

for different styles 

of jump and kite flying. It would 

have been better if the two riders 

also had the same weight 

because a 15kg difference 

actually equates to 1mt difference 

in terms of kite size. 

We have tested the kites with 

diverse wind conditions to 

enhance their differences in terms 

of low end performance as 

intended by the designer. 

Test 1: average wind 11-13 knots, 

maximum gust 15-16 knots 





We have not managed to perform 

the test with winds over 

22 knots; so we cannot tell 

you whether the same kite in a 

smaller size and with stronger 

winds would have performed 

better. 

TEST PROTOCOL: 

The test was performed with 

the aid of a beach marshal (Loretta 

Muretti) responsible for 

measuring wind intensity, with 

the aid of an anemometer situated 

at 2m above sea level. 

The anemometer recorded wind 

intensity as the first rider entered 

the water and stopped 

recording only once he performed 

a minimum of 6 complete 

jumps. At the end of the session 

our beach marshal registered 

average wind intensity and 

maximum gust. The first rider 

then handed the kite over to 

the second rider, and the same 

routine began. The aim of the 

experiment was to test the performance 

of the kite (with the 

aid of the WOO) with two riders 

of different level, in similar wind 

conditions, and in the shortest 

possible time. If the average 

wind intensity between the two

104 

TEST 


JUMP HIGHT AVERAGE BASED ON THREE TESTS 

FOR EACH SINGLE KITE 

performances was over 2 knots 

the test was cancelled and repeated. 

At the end of each session we 

downloaded the data on our 

mobile phone and the three 

best jumps for each performance 

were chosen. We have then 

drawn an average for each session 

for the three aforementioned 

wind conditions. We have 

decided not to loop the kite 

when jumping to avoid falsifying 

the true performance of 

the kite in terms of pure lift, without 

extending its natural duration 

by looping the kite 

We have also decided to use the 

same board for all three wind 

conditions and for both riders. 

The board used was an RRD 

BLISS 38x142 (Photo A), very efficient 

in terms of grip, even in 

overpowered conditions, thanks 

to its numerous deep bottom 

channels.

RIDER 1 RIDER 2 

OBSERVATIONS AND COMMEN- 

TS: 

The objective data provided by 

the WOO suggest that the FLY- 

SURFER SONIC has been the 

kite with the best performance 

by far, especially in terms of 

Air-time. 

Considerations: 

-The Sonic was the kite with the 

shortest lines (21m vs. 23-25m 

inflatable kites). Usually longer 

lines should increase lift and 

air-time due to the fact that you 

use a larger wind window. 

-Both riders have never used 

a foil kite before, which is why 

both were quite impressed by 

the result. Note that the values 

of the FLYSURFER SONIC were 

higher for all kite sizes used. 

-The differences between the 

two riders, in terms of lift and 

air-time, were lower with the 

Sonic than with the other inflatable 

kites used. This means

106 

TEST 


that even less experienced riders, 

could go to great heights 

with this type of kite. Both riders 

noticed that, compared to 

inflatable kites, foil kites do not 

need the rider to pop so aggressively; 

this could greatly simplify 

the movements needed when 

loading a jump. 

This said, we are talking about 

a specific type of non-inflatable 

kite: the foil, which not everyone 

likes; as they differ in terms 

of handling from the most popular 

L.E.I. kites. If you want to 

learn more about the pros and 

cons of these kites, we recommend 

you check out the review 

of the Flysurfer SONIC in our 

next article. 

To make a long story short, the 

choice of the ideal kite, greatly 

depends on what you want to 

do with it… 

If your goal is pure Hang time 

and Huge jumps without looping 

the kite whilst in the air, 

certainly the Flysurfer Sonic is 

better than most L.E.I. kites out 

there, as long as you have understood 

the pros and cons of 

foil kites. 

If you want to jump high, but 

you prefer the flexibility of inflatable 

kites (quicker and more 

stable when pulling powerful kiteloops); 

then you should consider 

buying a Naish Draft, North 

Rebel, Cabrinha Velocity, RRD 

Obsession or JN Mr. Fantastic. 

If, on the other hand, your goal 

is looping the kite multiple times 

during a jump, we recommend 

the North Rebel, RRD Obsession 

Pro, JN Wild Thing, F-One 

Bandit or the Ignition from HQ. 

These kites performed lower in 

terms of pure lift but they are 

faster because they are more 

Wakestyle oriented. You can 

therefore prolong your hang-ti-

AIR TIME AVERAGE BASED ON THREE TESTS 

FOR EACH SINGLE KITE 

me by looping the kite during a 

jump multiple times, thanks to 

its greater speed and efficiency. 

After all, this is what they are 

designed for. 

In the end all that matters is to 

have fun with the right kite… the 

kite which closest meets your 

needs. 

With this in mind we hope that 

our test has helped you to clarify 

your ideas on the right kite to 

buy, if you want to keep riding 

higher and higher. 

Have fun 

Renato Casati “Dr Kite” 

"RRD’s wave team rider. Kitesurfer 

since 2000, PKRA and KPWT athlete 

and judge. For the last 12 years he has 

been writing for several kiteboarding 

magazines. He currently lies second in 

the Airtime WOO leaderboard. 

RIDER 1 RIDER 2

108 

TEST 


JUMP HIGHT AND AIR TIME FOR EACH KITE 

WOO HANG TIM 

JUMP HIGHT 

RIDER 1 RIDER 2

RRD 

OBSESSION MKVII 13,5 


AIR TIME 

RIDER 1 RIDER 2

110 

TEST 


JUMP HIGHT AND AIR TIME FOR EACH KITE 

JN 

MR. FANTASTIC 14 

WOO HANG TIM 

JUMP HIGHT 

RIDER 1 RIDER 2

RRD 

OBSESSION PRO 13,5 

HQ 

IGNITION 14 


AIR TIME 

RIDER 1 RIDER 2

112 

TEST 

Woo, finally here! 

WOO 

FINALLY HERE! 

Text: Renato Casati | Photo: Courtesy Woo Sports 

We have spent years on the beach 

arguing with our buddies 

to find out who jumped higher 

or stayed longer in the air. We 

have spent years judging Hang 

Time competitions with the only 

aid of a stop-watch and a very 

watchful judge… 

From now on there are no more 

excuses! Technology has finally 

made its entrance in the kiting 

world of Big Air competitions! 

Finally we have some objective 

data to rely upon. 

The WOO is a small technological 

device, practical and easy 

to use, which measures the following 

data relating your kite 

session: 

-Height 

-Airtime 

-Number of jumps for each session 

-Kite spot 

Technically speaking the device 

has a completely waterproof 

9-axis motion sensor, it is 

shockproof and corrosion resistant. 

It has an USB-cable to 

reload the battery even in the 

car. The battery will last about 

8 hours and takes about 90 minutes 

to charge it back to 100%. 

The WOO comes with a board 

mount which can be attached 

to your board (after cleaning it 

properly) and stuck with a 3M 

adhesive or screwed on if preferred; 

where you can slide the 

device on and off as needed. 

It is a simple and intuitive device. 

You have to turn on the device 

before your session by pressing 

and holding the (only) button 

until a light will blink green. To 

start recording, tap the button 

again and the light will turn red, 

indicating you’re ready to ride! 

To stop recording before a new 

session, just repeat these two 

steps. 

When you’ve finished your session, 

sync up your WOO via 

Bluetooth with your phone and 

download your session into the 

WOO Kite App. The device is 

compatible with iPhone, iPad, 

iPod touch, iOS7 and higher, 

and Android. 

The fun thing is that you can 

immediately share your session 

report and join the kiteboarding 

community of your home spot 

(if already present), if not just 

add your own and become the 

first King of the Air of your spot! 

Add a session description, upload 

a photo, and share it on Facebook 

or other social networking 

services. 

The device is on the market for 

199.99 Euros. 

You can also buy extra board 

mounts for 19.99 Euros, very 

useful if you have more than

one board. 

You can easily upgrade your 

software by visiting the manufacturer’s 

website at http://woosports.com/ 

REVIEW 

We have tested the Woo for 15 

days. 

The device is practical, very 

user-friendly, intuitive and easy 

to use. The adhesive supplied 

by the company is very strong, 

once applied it will never come 

off. 

The actual device instead does 

not seem to be too sturdy, so I 

suggest you handle it with care. 

Choose carefully where to apply 

the device on your board. Do 

not mount it under the handle 

because it could get in the way 

when transporting the board 

or when performing one foot’s 

manoeuvres. 

The WOO does not float so watch 

out! You have to carefully 

insert the device in the mount 

and double check it is properly 

inserted before launching your 

kite. If the board mount gets 

damaged in anyway, you should 

immediately replace it. 

We recommend you buy more 

than one mount if you have 

more boards or in the case one 

gets damaged. 

The APP is very simple, intuitive 

and well organised. 

Data download is fast and session 

reports are easy to understand.

114 

TEST 

Woo, finally here! 

Details: 

ACTIVITY (Photo 1) 

The first menu shows the results 

of the entire WOO community 

every day (visualise previous 

days by scrolling down on the 

menu). The downloaded data of 

every rider is shown in a chronological 

order and divided into 

individual sessions. 

You can visualise the details 

simply by clicking on a single 

session. Here you can see the 

total number of jumps, session 

duration and the total height of 

every jump (Photo 2). 

You can also follow the results 

of friends or athletes with 

whom you share a connection, 

by clicking on the following icon. 

MY WOO 

Use the second menu to connect 

your WOO with your mobile 

phone and download the data. 

If your Bluetooth connection is 

switched off, the app will send 

you a reminder. 

Once connected, the data of 

any new session is automatically 

downloaded by the app and 

your results will be shown. 

You can then decide to publish 

your results (of a single or mul-

tiple heats) and join the community. 

You can also publish and link 

your sessions to various social 

networking websites. 

LEADERBOARD 

By accessing the leader-board 

menu, you can check the history 

of all performances recorded 

so far. 

Once again data is subdivided 

into Height (Photo 3) and Airtime 

(Photo 4), from the highest 

to the lowest performance. You 

could even find your name in 

front of riders like Aaron Hadlow 

or Alex Caizergues or simply 

check your performance against 

that of your friends. Once again 

you can visualise the details of 

every session simply by clicking 

on it (Photo 5). 

brag about how high you jump 

with your friends… buy a WOO 

and show it to them. 

Try to beat your own record and 

chase the best riders! 

That’s in my opinion the secret 

appeal of the WOO… any 

rider can compete against real 

champions, their friends or even 

better, against themselves! 

SETTINGS 

In the settings menu you can 

update your account details, 

choose your unit of measurement 

and decide whether or not 

you want to receive push notifications 

of the people you have 

decided to follow, and log out 

from the app. 

No more excuses! 

From now on you cannot longer

116 

AIRTIME 

(Super) Sonic! The (R) EVOLUTION, A record-breaking kite - WOOO! 

(SUPER) SONIC! THE (R) EVOLUTION 

A record-breaking kite --- WOOO! 

text Renato Casati | photo Courtesy Flysurfer 

I must admit… I have never really 

liked foils that much… I tried 

several foils in the past but 

I never thought I could actually 

kitesurf with one of these kites. 

When I was asked to test the 

Sonic I was actually quite sceptical 

because of my past experience 

with similar kites. 

Aldo Storelli, the Flysurfer’s Italian 

distributor arrived at Badesi’s 

beach on a hot July morning 

with his bags full of Sonic FR 

(Full Race). 

The wind was around 7-9 knots, 

so Aldo decided to set up an 11m 

for him (75kg rider) and a 15m 

for me (85kg rider). Once out of 

the bag the kites were ready to 

fly… i.e. if I had an inflatable kite, 

I still would have been there pumping 

the thing! 

I immediately liked its shape, it 

looked almost like a blade, long 

and super thin. I was not used 

to this type of aerofoil. Aldo was 

sure we could have navigated 

upwind all the way to the “Isola 

Rossa” and back, I was not so 

convinced, but actually this is 

exactly what happened. 

I was quite amazed and a bit 

puzzled by this performance. 

I never went so much upwind 

with a L.E.I kite in such little 

wind. I immediately realised 

that there is a huge difference 

between these two types of kites. 

In the following days I had the 

chance to test this model in different 

wind conditions and this 

is what I found out. 

I launched the kite in the power 

zone pulling on my front lines. 

I am not used to launch a kite 

in the middle of the power zone 

as with inflatable kites usually 

this means smashing hard 

against something; however 

the launching was quite smooth 

as the kite inflates slowly as 

you are launching it, so its pull 

is slow and very progressive. 

You can safely launch the kite 

in the middle of the power zone 

without risking your life. Nevertheless 

Aldo explained that you 

can launch them quite easily at 

the border of the wind window, 

in a very similar way to L.E.I. kites. 

As soon as I went into the water 

I realised that this kite has different 

characteristics in the way it 

jumps, floats and goes upwind 

(the upwind angle was quite 

amazing)! The main practical 

difference is that in order to 

jump you do not need to edge 

upwind as much as you would 

do with a pump up kite (10 seconds 

vs. 40 seconds required 

by inflatables). This means that 

in the same session you can 

actually perform many more 

jumps, higher, and with a greater 

hang time. I found out that

initially the Sonic had been designed 

for racing competitions 

and that almost by accident 

they realised it was a great wing 

for Hang Time and Big Air competitions 

too. 

I crashed the kite during one of 

my first jumps because I was 

not used to the bar responsiveness 

which is slower compared 

to the kites I am used to. This 

said I was able to relaunch the 

kite really quickly by simply pulling 

on the front lines. This said I 

realised later that if the kite falls 

into the water in other positions, 

relaunch can actually be 

quite complicated. 

With time I realised that when 

jumping you need to pull harder 

on the bar, recalling the kite a 

lot sooner than I originally envisaged. 

However after 10 jumps 

I got pretty used to its timing. 

The good thing is that I could 

close most tricks (4-5 rotations, 

boards off and dead man) and 

land them with plenty of time 

left. Usually with my pump up 

kite, I have to quickly perform 

my tricks as otherwise I do not 

have enough time to land. On 

the other hand with the Sonic I 

could pull off any trick and still 

be high enough to land in total 

tranquillity. 

I was riding with an 11m Sonic 

and was jumping higher and 

was going upwind a lot better 

than riders with 14m pump ups… 

Overall I felt less physically tired, 

perhaps because the vertical 

pull generated by the foil is greater, 

hence the legs feel lighter 

when riding. Perhaps because 

of this, I decided to prolong my 

session ‘til sunset; I came out of 

the water exhausted but happy 

like a child with his new toy! 

The next day I decided to try kiteloops 

and downloops with

118 

AIRTIME 


this kite. I was successful every 

time but personally I believe 

they are too slow and generate 

way too much power in the end. 

You can easily kiteloop the kite 

during riding, but in my opinion 

not during jumps as the trajectory 

performed by the kite is so 

much longer hence too powerful, 

and it is very easy to crash 

or violently end up downwind. 

Once my session was over I tried 

landing the Sonic like I would 

have landed an inflatable kite, 

however I was too slow and the 

kite collapsed on itself (but without 

pulling). Aldo told me that 

I cannot keep this kite still for 

too long at the edge of the wind 

window; so with this is mind I 

tried landing the kite by moving 

it quicker, and everything went 

according to plans. However I 

later discovered that you can 

also easily land your kite in the 

middle of the power zone by 

simply pulling the two relaunch 

balls on the lines. 

It was about time to test the 

hang time and lift of this kite 

with the aid of the Woo… and 

guess what? My initial impression 

was confirmed. 

In one of my attempts (E.D. I 

was seriously overpowered and 

helped by quite a few gusts) I 

managed to end up second in 

the Airtime world ranking (11, 4 

sec). To my astonishment I ended 

up in front of riders of the 

calibre of Aaron Hadlow (9, 5 

sec). I am 44 years old and thinking 

about this record makes 

me somewhat laugh, but that’s 

one of the good things about 

the Woo. We can all feel and be 

champions for one day, competing 

against pro-riders, friends 

or themselves. 

During these tests I also realised 

that the wind range of these 

kites is a lot wider than that of 

pump ups. I therefore checked 

the Flysurfer’s website and discovered 

the following data: 9m 

Sonic has a range between 13 

and 42 knots, the 11m from 9 to 

32 knots, the 15m from 7 to 25 

knots and the 18m from 6 to 20 

knots (E.D. 75kg rider). 

Despite this huge range, I noticed 

that handing gusts at low 

speed or during transitions is 

not as comfortable as I had initially 

thought. Whilst it seems a 

lot easier at high speeds, thanks 

to its efficient depower. 

During the following days I encouraged 

four of my friends to 

try out this kite. Despite their 

different levels, they all came 

out of the water with a big smi-

le, asking me for the distributor’s 

name. I understood this 

kite has a strong appeal for all 

level riders. The wind range was 

the feature that really intrigued 

my friends: some admitted they 

wanted to sell their quiver of 

inflatable kites to buy just one 

Sonic… 

In the past, no foil kite I tried 

gave me these type of vibrations; 

so I guess that these characteristics 

are prerogative of 

the Sonic and are not applicable 

to every foil kite out there. This 

type of kite has an edge over 

other foils, so I guess it could 

be considered a bridge between 

the world of L.E.I. and foils as 

it does not take too long to get 

used to it. 

SUMMARY: 

ADVANTAGES of the Sonic compared 

to a standard L.E.I. kite: 

-Better upwind angle and speed 

(race competitions are usually 

won by foils) 

-Greater airtime and jumps height 

-Lighter feeling on the legs 

when riding, overall less tiring. 

-When collapsing the kite flags 

out without powering up again 

in middle of the power zone. 

-Wider wind range.

120 

AIRTIME 


-More efficient low wind performance 

(upwind/jumps) 

-Can be used on hard surfaces 

with less breakage risk during 

touchdown (snowkiting/landkiting) 

DISADVANTAGES of the Sonic 

compared to a standard L.E.I. 

kite: 

-Slower during change of direction. 

-Slow and too powerful kiteloops 

-No rigid structure, difficult management 

of gusts, especially 

at low speed. 

ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTA- 

GES 

WATER RELAUNCH 

+ Can be relaunched quicker 

than pump ups with very little 

wind. 

- The main disadvantage lies in 

the fact that if the kite sits in 

the water for too long (a few minutes), 

you might not be able to 

relaunch it at all and will have to 

swim back in. 

- You need more space on the 

beach to launch the kite directly 

downwind, the amount of bridles 

can make beach handling 

more complicated. 

CONCLUSION: 

The Flysurfer’s Sonic is a kite 

with amazing characteristics 

which will astonish riders who 

have always flown inflatable kites. 

It is not perhaps indicated for riders 

who are into serious wave 

riding or kiteloop enthusiastic. 

For all other riders and styles 

(basic freestyle, freeride, race 

and big air), we recommend you 

at least try it out! You will certainly 

feel something different 

about this kite... and then decide 

whether you like this or not! 

Have Fun 

LAUNCHING 

+ You can easily launch the kite 

on your own by lifting it in the 

middle of the power zone.

KITE BEACH SCHOOL 

LOUNGE BAR & RESTAUTANT 

A paradise for kitesurfers , an oasi in the desert 

Services available at the center : 

lessons for all levels | rental & storage | kids area | sunbeds area 

professional potographer | lounge bar & restaurant 

More info at: 

www.mitudjokiteschoolcaboverde.com - kiteschoolcaboverde@gmail.com

122 

TIPS 

Handover of Kite / Kite-swap in air between two riders 

Handover of 

Kite / Kite-swap 

in air between two 

riders 

There are several ways of handing over a kite that’s already up in 

the air from one rider to another. Generally we distinguish between 

handing over the kite on land, in shallow waters and swimming. 

By far the absolute safest method of swapping over a kite is to land 

and to re-launch it again through the new rider. 

The following variations are options how to hand over a kite from 

one rider to another standing in shallow water. However these instructions 

can also be taken to do the swap whilst swimming in 

deeper waters. 

1 

2A 

1. Preparation 

Pilot 

Depower the kite (Pic 1+ 1A+1B). 

Ensure that the kite either sits 

calmly right on the water surface 

or parks at the edge of the 

wind window or up in the air 

in neutral position (12 o’clock). 

Once you’re happy with the kite’s 

position, give the green light 

to the other rider to start 

the swapping procedure. 

Reciver 

Open the chickendick and detach 

the leash of the pilot. Connect 

yourself through your leash 

with the kite (Pic 2A+2B). 

3B 

6

1A 

1B 

2B 

3A 

4 5 

Text Gabi Steindl www.kitegabi.com | Photo Axel Reese / reemedia.de / Liquid Eye

124 

TIPS 

Handover of Kite / Kite-swap in air between two riders 

2. Handover 

Pilot 

Still keep control over the kite. 

Be alert, fully concentrated and 

pay high attention whilst handing 

over the kite. 

Reciver 

Grip the top part of the chicken 

loop (where you find in most 

cases the quick release) firmly 

from the outside. Unhook the 

chickenloop from the pilot’s 

harness and hook it into yours 

(Pic 3A+3B). 

1 

3. Control 

Pilot 

As soon as the receiver has finished 

the swapping over-process 

and is ready to “take the wheel” 

(i.e. take control over the kite), 

the pilot takes his/her hands off 

the bar. Use clear verbal commandos 

and double-check and 

respectively re-confirm each of 

the steps with each other. 

Reciver = new pilot 

Check and verify a proper connection 

between the chickenloop 

and your harness hook. 

Place the chickendick (if applicable) 

accordingly (Pic 4). Now 

depower the kite, slowly stir it 

up into the air, be safe and have 

fun (Pic 5+6). 

2B 

IMPORTANT: 

Many years of experience in teaching supports the above method 

as the safest for kite-swapping between riders “in-air” (i.e. as opposed 

to landing and re-launching respectively). A clear allocation 

of roles, actions and steps will ensure a sound and safe handover. 

The pilot controls the kite whilst the receiver undertakes the swap. 

4 

PLEASE NOTE: 

Always only one rider has the hands on the bar at a time, never 

both!

1A 

2A 

3A 

3B 

Safe & Happy Kite-Flying! 

Gabi Steindl 

www.kitegabi.com 

5 

TIP: 

Speak to each other during the handover: give clear and explicit 

orders and reconfirm with each other the completion of each of 

the steps. 

Plus: Secure each other by holding onto the back of the harness till 

the new Pilot is perfectly confident and fully in control.

126 

FREESTYLE TECH 

Unhooking 

UNHOOKING 

Text Alberto Rondina | Photo Roberta Pala 

Starting to unhook is like entering a new world, you are gonna see kiteboarding 

from a whole new perspective from now on! 

Back in the day, 12 years ago, we only used to go hooked in, and when the 

first guys started to unhook again in 2002/2003, everybody was like, you 

must be so strong to go unhook, all the power of the kite in your arms, how 

can you do that? 

When, we have to say that at that time everybody was going out really 

overpowered, it was the old school era, so big jumps, board offs, etc.. 

Now we don’t go out as powered anymore and also the kites are very different 

from that time, they depower more, they relaunch way easier, they 

handle the gusts way better and these are just a few reasons why going 

unhook is not that hard anymore…and you should totally give it a go! 


ALBERTO RONDINA

Before going in the water, you need to double 

check that your kite is trimmed the right way, by 

that I mean, if you have the kite at 12 o’clock on 

the beach, and you pull the bar all the way down 

(same as when you are unhooked) the kite has 

to stay in the same place. If its back stalling, it 

means that your center lines are too long. So you 

either have to make them shorter, or make the 

back line longer. 

You need to have a leash, that’s really important! 

You can either attach the leash at the Security 

line, if you feel more safe at the beginning. Later 

you can attach it in “suicide mode” as some people 

say. So basically with the hook of the leash 

you have to get the security line but also the chicken 

loop. 

Where you keep your hands? 

Always in the middle of the bar, right next to the 

depower. We always do this, and its really important 

you remember it everytime. This way, the kite 

is not gonna move too much and we can focus 

on our body movement and unhooking without 

bothering too much about the kite. The ideal is 

to have the kite always in the same place, 45’ or 

slightly more up than that. 

Allright, we are in the water, we have good speed, 

the kite at 45’ or higher, we need to release the 

pressure of the kite from the chicken loop, so we 

put the board flat and we follow the kite just for 

a moment, enough time to pull the bar down and 

let the chicken loop come out of the hook. 

Yeah, you did, wasn’t that easy! Ok now the harder 

part is hooking back in. So similar procedure, 

board flat, follow the kite, pull the bar down and 

hook back in. 

Not to do: 

Try to unhook when fully edging against the wind. 

You are not gonna be able to unhook. 

Go too much upwind when you are unhooked. 

The kite is gonna pull too much.

128 


Pop 

POP 

Text Alberto Rondina | Photo Roberta Pala 


ALBERTO RONDINA 

Il The pop is the famous word that you hear all the time at the beach, 

or you read in the description of any board on the market. 

The pop is a mix of movements that all work together to get you and 

your board out of the water without moving the kite.

I could talk about this for days, but at the end the 

key element of the pop are: 

-Send the nose of the board against the wind. 

- Keep the front leg semi/straight. 

- Keep the back leg bended and only stretch it 

when the board is coming out of the water. 

- Push hard with the back leg to go as high as 

possible. 

In this movement, the board is bending a little bit, 

so that’s why, having a board with more pop, means 

that it goes back to its original shape fast, or 

it “springs back” fast so that it pushes you more 

out of the water. 

So start practicing this hooked-in first, so you can 

fully focus on your board and legs movement. 

When you are able to do this no problem, eyes 

closed, then you can start trying unhooked. 

Keep the kite higher then 45’ at the beginning, 

this will make things way easier for you and also 

in case of a crash you are not gonna land hard, 

but gently. Always remember to keep the hands 

in the middle of the bar, this is a key element to 

remember, if you don’t wanna have the kite moving 

all over the wind window! 

Welcome to the unhooked world! 

Ciao, Alby

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Kitesoul Magazine #8 English Edition

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