Kitesoul Magazine #18 English Edition

EVENTS
_S-Triple Invitational
_Foiling Around Sardinia
>>ADVENTURES
_Micronesia
>>SPOT
_Brazil
>>ITW
_Steph and Ollie Bridge
>>TUTORIAL
_Strapless: Stalefish Back Roll
W W W . K I T E S O U L . C O M

2017/18 DASH
FREESTYLE/FREERIDE
SIZES 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14
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High Performance Freeride+
Freestyle
Wave

Editor
David Ingiosi
david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com
Wave Thecnique Editor
Mitu Monteiro
Freestyle Thecnique Editor
Alberto Rondina
Thecnical Expert
Renato Casati
Photo & Video
Maurizio Cinti
Design
Giuseppe Esposito
Translations italian-english
Daniela Meloni
JUNE 2017 - JULY 2017
TWO-MONTHLY
Texts
David Ingiosi, Reemedia, Steph e Ollie
Bridge, Mikaili Sol, Kari Schibevaag,
Michele Hayward, Reo Stevens, Sensi
Graves, Chris Bobryk.
Photos
Reemedia, Svetlana Romantsova, Toby
Bromwich, Samuel Tomé, Gianluca De
Montis, Debbie Jean Hollomon, Christian
Black, Bas Koole, Marcus Graichen,
Patagonia/Scott Soens, Naish, RRD,
F-One.
Cover:
Rider: Mallory de la Villemarqué
Photo: Toby Bromwich
Publisher and advertising
VISU Media
Via Cavour, 20
24030 Ambivere (BG)
Amministratore Unico
Federico Sugoni
fs@kitesoul.com
Registration Tribunale
di Bergamo n°10/2014
del 15/04/2014.
Periodicità bimestrale
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.
DAVID INGIOSI
Editor in Chief
Professional journalist and
video maker with a solid
experience in sailing, sea
adventures, travels and water
sports, he has been reported
the “blue world” from the
inside for more than 15 years.
He fell in love with kitesurf
several years ago in Sardinia,
then travelled all over the
world as Iko instructor.
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.
DANIELA MELONI
Professional translator
Daniela mainly lived abroad
where she graduated
in Law and worked. She
discovered her passion for
water actvities back in 2007
when she moved back to the
Sardinian west coast and met
her husband, the kitesurfer
Enrico Giordano. Professional
translator since 2009. She is
a SUP lover and an amateur
photographer and never
misses to photo or video
shoot a Kite or Sup wave
session!

H A P P I N E S S F R O M K I T E S U R F I N G M U S T B E
S H ARED, ESPECIALLY DURING H OLIDAYS
The sun is about to set. It stands out over the water surface on the horizon in a flame
of colors. Most of the kiters left the beach but the wind keeps on blowing and after few
minutes of drop of intensity, it starts back even stronger. As if inviting us to return
to the water to celebrate the beauty of nature before the shadows and the dark swallow
this paradise. But we are wrapping up our gear too and even if we wanted to after
hours and hours in the water our muscles simply refuse to flex and contract again.
Today they have given it all. But that's ok. We fold our kites and do the bars and we
too return home.
Carved on us, happy faces, large smiles and the wonder of yet another day full of
wind, waves, action, fun. A happiness that is renewed at every session, same and
yet different, always there to surprise us. As kiters, we feel privileged, proud of our
own passion, which conveys unparalleled emotions, and above all happy to share the
same sport, the beach life and the same exciting sense of freedom given by the sea.
Amongst dunes and flocks of flamingos that stand out flying, we keep on hooting and
hollering about the manouevres we made in the water emphasizing the mutual joy of
being there, exhausted but happy as children.
It's amazing how kitesurfing can be such a solitary sport in the water ans so "social"
ashore. It seems impossible to keep to oneself such happiness and the flood of
emotions that overwhelm us at every session, especially since they are the same for
everyone. Kiters are a tribe that speaks a common language, lives the same experiences
and they identify in one another. Being together is the true engine of this sport
which no wonder creates intense friendships, long lasting and always very special.
Have sessions together, support each other, progress, feel joys and pains, share the
awaits for the wind, the search for the best spot and gradually become brothers and
sisters.
Above all, together you go on holidays marked by this common passion, with the objective
of taking as much wind as possible, be in the water every day and enjoy moments
of pure pleasure. That's the true secret of kitecamps: friends. Try and leave on
your own: of course you are free to choose places and times, book flights and hotels
directly from your computer, discover dream spots around the world. If you are savvy
travellers, do-it-yourself is no problem for you and maybe sometimes this allows you
to save on the cost of your holiday. But just as surely, this way you will miss out an
important ingredient of being a kiter, the sharing aspect, the group, friendships.
Going on holiday all together is like a party, you get to know everybody after a few
minutes and you exchange experiences. In the water each one is an individual but
on the beach the territory gets marked, the equipments is kept together, like a small

#kitesurf #trip #share
#friendship
village that guards the beach. It is possible to talk about the technique, exchange
tips and hints on manoeuvres and tricks to land, there is a healthy competition and
reciprocal motivation to overcome difficulties, insecurities or fears. Another advantage
of group kitecamps is the opportunity to try different quiver, a harness, a kite, a
board. You experience different ridings and start having a wider and deeper vision of
this sport. You take pictures, shoot videos, laugh a lot. Together, everything is faster,
more intense, more fun.
One thing is for sure: when you take part to a kitecamp, you come back different,
richer, improved at kiting, happier and above all with new numbers to call, the ones
of those friends you just left and that you can't wait to meet again to spend time together,
have sessions on the sea or leave with for another wonderful kite trip.
David Ingiosi

SUMMARY
PORTFOLIO
EVENTS
EXTREME CHALLENGES
18 28 34
There is a longing for
kite park in Cape Hatteras
for the Triple-S
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia:
Enrico Giordano
and Luca Marcis flying
around Sardinia
EXPERIENCES
ITW
ITW
98
Female camps, the revenge
of supportive and
successful women
114
Foilboard Racing according
to Steph and Olly
Bridge
126
MIkaili Sol
STRAPLESS
STRAPLESS
182
FOCUS
178
188
The dark flip Stale fish back roll RRD - Emotion MKII
RRD - Juice
F-ONE - Breeze
NAISH - DASH

KITE TRIP KITE SPOT KITESPOT
46 60 80
Dubai, a city with one
limit only: the sky
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a
different perspective of a
familiar place
The Search - A wavespot
Guide from Fortaleza to
Jericoacoara
KITE TRIP
GIRL POWER
STORIES
140
Turks and Caicos, kiting
to the sweet beat of the
Caribbean’s
154
Portfolio The Essence of a Female
Kitesurfer
162
Portfolio Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker
apprentice at his
dad Werther's workshop.

18
PORTFOLIO
Abel Lago
RIDER: ABEL LAGO
FOTO: SAMUEL TOMÉ

20 PORTFOLIO
Mallory de la Villemarqué
RIDER: MALLORY DE LA VILLEMARQUÉ
FOTO: TOBY BROMWICH

22 PORTFOLIO
Mallory de la Villemarqué
RIDER: JEREMIE TRONET
FOTO: JT PRO CENTER

24 PORTFOLIO
Romário Maicon
RIDER: ROMÁRIO MAICON
FOTO: MEDIAHOUSE.ONE

WWW.KITEWORLDSHOP.COM
THE EUROPE-
AN’S ON LINE
KITESHOP
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enthusiasts of any board sport who want only the best
for their passion.
A booming catalogue that includes: Kitesurf,
Kiteboards, Surfboards, SUP, Wetsuits, Clothing and
original Accessories from the best brands at the best
price, always available 24/7 365 days a year.
Great offer, ease of purchase, transaction security, best
price guarantee, return policy extended to 30 days, fast
shipping and a Customer Service always there to satisfy
any of your queries as well as help you make your
choice. All of that makes KITEWORLDSHOP.COM your
perfect companion for your secure online orders.

Photo: Alanvan Gysen – Courtesy Cabrinha
HOT LINE: +39 02 400 30 467
RIVENDITORE OFFICIAL DEALER UFFICIALE

28
EVENTS
There is a longing for kite park in Cape Hatteras for the Triple-S
INFORMATION LOGO
THERE IS A LONGING FOR KITE PARK IN CAPE
HATTERAS FOR THE TRIPLE-S INvITATIONAL
For many riders kitesurf
means Ocean, period. Just
and only there, amid the
waves surrounded by wild
nature and the endless horizon
that can make a kiter's
heart quiver. On the
other hand, others believe
that kitesurfing can be expressed
at high levels even
among landscapes spiced
with men interventions who
"feature" them with artificial
structures to make them
even more fun. These are
kite park enthusiasts, riders
coming not only from
kiteboarding, but also from
snowboarding and especially
wakeboarding, people
who love sliders and kickers
more than anything else.
In 2016, it was created for
them the Kite Park League, a
world circuit thanks to which
the specialists in this discipline
can compete and give

Text: David Ingiosi
Photo Credit: Ryan Osmond
their best during the five
seasonal events.
Fighting for the title and the
$ 50,000 prize money
After the wonderful event at
the Blue Palawan Kiteboard
Open, which was held last
February, the circuit continues
with another highly
anticipated event: the 2017
Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational
that will take place
from 1st to 9th June in the
waters of Cape Hatteras
(South Carolina), in the United
States. In this prestigious
competition too, created in
2006, the world's strongest
wakestyle athletes will compete
ready to win the podium
as well as the desirable
$50,000 prize money offered
by the organizers.

30
EVENTS
There is a longing for kite park in Cape Hatteras for the Triple-S
Sam Light and Karolina
Winkowska. Who can beat
them?
Last year's winners, the
Briton Sam Light and super
strong Polish rider Karolina
Winkowska will participate
to this edition. To try and
steal the title off them for
the men category there will
be: Brandon Scheid (Usa),
Christophe Tack (Belgium),
Noe Font (Spain), Ewan Jaspan
(Australia), Aaron Hadlow
(Great Britain), Craig
Cunningham (Canada), Jake
Kelsick (Antigua and Barbuda)
and Eric Rienstra (Usa)
Billy Parker (Usa), Axel Tack
(Belgium), Sam Medysky
(Canada), Rich Sabo (Usa),
Alex Pastor (Spain), Artem
Garashchenko (Russia),
Rick Jensen (Germany), Tom
Court (Great Britain) and Will
Palmer (Usa). The Wildcards
are the Belgian Alex Maes,
the French Pierre Vogel and
Argentinian Ramiro Gallart.
For the women category will
take it to the water: Colleen
Carroll (USA), Bruna Kajiya
(Brazil), Sensi Graves (USA),
Annelous Lammerts (Holland),
Julia Castro (Spain/
Denmark), Lindsay McClure
(USA), Manuela Jungo (Switzerland)
and Isabel von Zastrow
(Kenya).
In the world's largest kite
park
The athletes will compete
in the arena of this 2017
Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational,
one of the world's
largest and most innovative
kite parks that includes two
kickers, an 82 feet A-Frame,
a 56 feet Rooftop Rail and
a 45 feet Reverse Rainbow.
All the features are set south
of the REAL Watersports Village,
a butter flat mirror of
water exposed to the winds
from the south-west typical
of this area.
Action on the water and
ashore with parties and live
concerts
After the first two days dedicated
to freeride sessions
and welcome ceremony,
the event calendar sees the
beginning of competitions
scheduled for June 3rd until
9th when the finals and
awards ceremony will take
place. Every day after the
competitions, in a pure kite
park spirit, athletes and
public will let loose during
beach parties and live music.
In short, action never
stops at the 2017 Wind Voyager
Triple-S Invitational!

32
EVENTS
There is a longing for kite park in Cape Hatteras for the Triple-S
WWW. TRIPLESINV

ITATIONAL. COM

34
EXTREME CHALLENGES
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia: Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
Text: David Ingiosi

Kitefoiling Around SA rdiniA
Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
In early June 2017, the riders Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis will be the protagonists
of an ambitious project that combines kitesurfing, adventure, endurance and technology.
It's called Kitefoiling Around Sardinia and is about circumnavigating Sardinia in stages on
a hydrofoil for a total of 1.000 kilometres of navigation. A challenge that takes kitesurfing
and in particular hydrofoiling to a new dimension.
As speed picks up, the
board gets off the water and
you enter a new riding dimension,
stylish, super fast,
planing between the sky
and the sea and all around
it’s silence, only the sound
of the wind pushing the kite
and whistling in your ears.
Kitesurfing with the hydrofoil
is now exploded all over
the world and after an initial
scepticism from the riders'
tribe, it is gradually infecting
everyone, Italians included.
A wave of new emotions and
an enlargement of navigation
possibilities that cannot
leave indifferent. The manufacturers
of equipment are
the ones who helped spread
this discipline, after years of
testings, finally they came
to offer materials and technologies
within everyone's
reach, both in terms of costs
and especially in terms of

36
EXTREME CHALLENGES
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia: Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
learning simplicity. Each
brand now offers in its catalogue
different appendage
systems with different
masts' lengths that facilitate
beginners to this discipline:
it starts off with the 40 cm
one which allows to safely
and gradually get confident
with the "flight" and then,
slowly increase the length
up to 60-80 cm, to use up
the exceptional performance
potentials of these wing-appendages.
Lastly, get to
the race fins slightly longer
than a metre. Almost every
kitesurfing school along the
Italian coasts and lakes now
offers specific hydrofoil lessons,
a great alternative to
do kiteboarding even with
light winds and enjoy a fun,
exciting navigation, with
great satisfaction.
AN UNPRECEDENTED EN-
DURANCE CHALLENGE IN
ITALY
In Italy, apart from the national
and international competitions
dedicated to hydrofoil,
there wasn't any special
event which would show to
the public the competitive
potentials of this discipline
as well as its romantic, sailing
and sport aspects: using
every wind, travelling long
distances, performing challenges
beyond the ordinary
and living the adventure. But
then, here they are, Enrico
Giordano and Luca Marcis,
two 360 degrees watermen
and international athletes
who after getting accustomed
with their new "wingtoys"
decided to get serious,
focusing on the Freeride aspect
of Hydrofoil: get on it,
go at full speed and complete
the circumnavigation
of Sardinia in stages, visiting
its beautiful beaches. A
sport trip, an exploit, an unprecedented
challenge never
attempted before in Italy.
The project is called Kitefoiling
Around Sardinia and it
was launched last May after
an intensive planning and
training activity lasted for
months: study of the course
and weather conditions, research
of sponsors, organisation
of ground support
and of the supporting team,
relations with the nautical
institutions and authorities.
CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF
SARDINIA: 1.000 KM ABOVE
THE WATER SURFACE
Time is nearly up and to
achieve this ambitious goal,
Enrico and Luca chose to

38
EXTREME CHALLENGES
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia: Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
depart early June 2017 using
a weather window of a couple
of weeks. They will actually
try to accomplish the
challenge in 5-7 days, it will
depend on the wind, but the
hydrofoil performances are
on their side. They will have
to cover a total of approximately
500 nautical miles
for a total of 1.000 kilometres
sailing within a mile
from the coast along a counterclockwise
course which
will start at Marina Piccola
in Cagliari, at the Windsurfing
Club Cagliari, where the
two riders will try to return
by June 20th.
THE STOPS: FABULOUS
BEACHES, PROTECTED MA-
RINE AREAS AND NATURAL
PARKS
They will pass the most
beautiful beaches in Sardinia,
including protected marine
areas and national parks
and make strategic stops
not only to rest, but also to
meet the local institutions
and public, make the sport
known, tell the beauties of
the territory and spread the
culture of the sea. During
the various stages, the two
riders will stop in Villasimius,
Tavolara, Archipelago of
La Maddalena, Isle of Asinara,
Capo Caccia, the Sinis
Peninsula and the Island of
Mal di Ventre.
FROM 6 KNOTS BREEZES
TO RAGING MISTRAL, THE
HYDROFOIL IS UNSTOPPA-
BLE
During navigation, the two
riders plan to cover daily
stages of about 100 miles
at an average speed of 20
knots. Of course, they will
have to face the most varied
conditions, from few knots

eezes (a hydrofoil can already
navigate with 6 knots)
up to raging Mistral winds
typical of the island that can
blow up to 30 knots. It's not
a leisure session but a true
endurance challenge that
requires athletic, mental
and resistance skills. They
will have to remain hydrated
and fed during the course to
make the most of the long
hours in the water, from 5
to 6 a day. Enrico and Luca
will carry with them state
of the art GPS devices, the
same used to record and
follow the most important

40
EXTREME CHALLENGES
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia: Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
sailing regattas, to check all
the navigation data and allow
the public to follow them
live. Because of the physical
strain, extended work
loads and the psychophysical
stress involved, the two
athletes will be monitored
before, during and after the
course by the Department of
Physiology of Sport, directed
by Professor Crisafulli of
the University of Cagliari.
A FORMAT OPEN TO EVERY-
ONE FROM 2018
In order to be ready for this
challenge Enrico and Luca
spent the past months training
so to handle the equipment
under all conditions and pre-

42
EXTREME CHALLENGES
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia: Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
www.K iteA roundSArdiniA .com

pare their bodies with sessions
of kettlebell, trx, slack
line, stretching, balance and
functional training sessions
to replicate as much as possible
the movements made in
the water. As for the equipment,
the two athletes will
use F-One standard kites
and boards, in other words
nothing extreme, radical or
specific competing material
by industry brands. A choice
based on and inspired by
safety reasons, ease of use,
but also to create a format
replicable by the average
rider who may get inspired
by these two and next year
attempt the challenge. Noteworthy
the use of pump kites
instead of the typical foil
kites, a counter-trend choice
in the hydrofoil scenario,
dictated by the higher versatility
and safety features
of inflatable kites, their ease
of handling and immediate
relaunch from the water and
the great popularity.
During the Kitefoiling Around
Sardinia 2017 Enrico and
Luca can be followed live on
the dedicated website and
social media channels of the
project, they may also be
contacted directly by newspapers,
radio stations and
TV to tell live the emotions
of their experience. Which
no doubt will be many. Kitesoul
Magazine, as media
partner of this amazing challenge,
is their number one
fan. Enjoy the flight guys!

44
EXTREME CHALLENGES
Kitefoiling Around Sardinia: Enrico Giordano and Luca Marcis flying around Sardinia
d reamers, aT hleT es, waT er sP orT addicT ed, meeT
eNrico aN d lUca
lucA m A rciS
34 years old - 180cm x 70 kg
Kitesurfer since 2001. Agent for F-One Italy, Surfer and FIV
Instructor. Born in Cagliari and true talent of water sports.
For him windsurf, surf, kite surf, SUP, skate, sport fishing
ever since he moved his first steps, maybe earlier, these
are his way of expressing himself and his world. He prefers
wave-riding for both kitesurfing and surfing and he takes
part to national and international competitions. Racing and
Kitefoiling satisfy his passion for racing and for speed. His
talent pushes him towards innovation.
resU l T s
# 1 CKI ITA wave finale 2016
# 1 CKI ITA wave final 2011
s P o N sor
F-One Italia, Manera.

enrico giordA no
4 5 y e a r s o l d - 1 8 2 c m x
Kitesurfer since 2001 and Environmental Engineer. Born in
Campania, he lived in Emilia Romagna and now resides in
Sardinia since 2005 which he deeply loves. Windsurf, surf,
kitesurf, SUP, what counts for him is live the sea with the
right spirit. He prefers the wave-riding aspect of kitesurfing
and takes part to national and international competitions
for this discipline. His passion for racing and speed is satisfied
through the two disciplines of Racing and recently the
Speed one too.
resU l T s
# 7 CKI ITA Wave 2016
# 3 CKI ITA Wave Final 2015
# 1 Puzziteddu Wave Contest 2015
# 26 IKA World Ranking 2014
# 9 KSP World Tour Pro 2013
# 1 Chia Kiteboarding Racing 2013
# 1 Capo Mannu Wave Master 2009
s P o N sor
F-One Italia, Manera, Compex, Ocean Sunglasses,
Eurodemolizioni.

46
KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky
TRI P
A CITY WITH ONE
LIMIT ONLY :
THE SKY

K ARI SCHIBEVAAG

48
KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky
Dubai is the place everyone has heard about, but
I feel not many people have spent time there.
Is it true? Or is it just I who’ve asked the wrong
people... the kite surfers? I went to Dubai with
the RRD family just after a trip to Cape Town. It is
a nice place to visit for a couple of days on your
way to or from a trip somewhere. There are so
many connections going through Dubai, and I’m
sure you’ve already been to the airport if you love
travelling. So let’s see if you think it is a place
where you could spend some days.

50
KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky

Julian Leleu, Jerrie van de Kop, Alex Neto and I were going
to Dubai for a visit before we all went home. Only Jerry
had been there before (all the rest had just visited the airport)
and he had only good things to tell us. The RRD Boss,
Francesco from Creativity Surfing Dubai, picked us up in his
crazy car at the airport. I did not know which brand it was,
but it was a nice pickup with a nice look of Razzle Dazzle
Sup board and the guys loved it. They got so excited.
When we drove in to the city, I felt like I was participating
to a movie. I had seen it all before – on TV!
Dubai is a beautiful city with crazy high buildings. At a
glance, it’s quite easy to forget that this place is actually a
desert that has been reclaimed and built over, with structures
that are as grand and sprawling as any of the sheikh’s
palaces. (And why not? The sheikh does own a lot of the
structures and hotels anyway.) The main city is extremely
modern, but there are still areas where one can appreciate
the “old Dubai”.
It’s really interesting to just watch the city pass by through
the car window. It’s crazy to see how unique the buildings
here are.
TRI P

52
KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky
AN OPEN, MODERN AND GLOBAL CITY
A lot of people seem to have the misconception that when
you visit Dubai, the gals have to be all covered up from
head to toe in a black traditional outfit. Today Dubai is an
open and global city. They have embraced the more modern
way of living, so you can wear almost anything you want.
But, of course there are still some places that will require
you to dress appropriately. However, isn’t it normal to dress
appropriately anyway?

Dubai has a diverse population, so it’s important to be respectful
as well as conscious of how you behave while going
around this lovely city. The law is quite strict so it’s
quite safe here, so at least in that aspect you can breathe
a little easier right?
A RECORD- SETTING OF SKYLINE SKYSCRAPERS
One building is easier to spot than the others: Burj Khalifa,
the highest building in the world with 163 floors and 828
m. I was impressed first time I saw it, and the second time I

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KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky
DUBAI

TRI P
saw it. Of course, we had to go to the top. It’s not only the highest
building, it also has the fastest elevator in the world. Yes, it’s true,
everything in Dubai is the highest or the fastest or yes in the world.
But Khalifa will soon be small and forgotten. They have already
plans for a world's first spinning skyscraper and it will be ready in
2020. But for now we can enjoy the Khalifa.
But Dubai has more to offer than the city and the world’s biggest
building. It has beautiful beaches around the city where you can
kite and do other water sports. We went to the beach close to the
town called Nessnass kite beach. From there you can see Dubai
city while kiting. The view is amazing and in the middle, you see
Burj Khalifa shining. In Dubai, you can do just about anything. Kiting,
skydiving, diving, city life, surfing, indoor skiing, wake park,
aquarium, eat up in the sky. The sky is definitely the limit here.
KITE BEACHES, CABLE PARKS AND ARTIFICIAL WAVES
We went there to kite and had some good days in the ocean. They
wanted to show us some different spots, so we also visited the YAS
Island in Abu Dhabi. A beautiful place with both deep and shallow
crystal clear water. An amazing place for kiting.

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KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky
After a long day in the water, Francesco suddenly got this
idea to drive to the wake park (The Al Forsan Sports Resort).
The sun was going down, but they had light so you
could ride in the dark. It was my first time on the cable but
I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. The guys were ripping and I
was jumping on the small jump.
They had 3 cable opportunities for all levels, so any level
can come and enjoy a ride with the cable.
The next day the forecast showed no wind and Francesco
was planning a trip to the wave pool to Al Ain UAE and Wadi

adventure. This was also my first time in a wave pool and I
have to say it was fun, but difficult. Of course, when you are
with guys they don’t do slow. They are going full power to
the max in 1 sec. But this is life ... Travel with guys, follow
their steps.
We got smashed, but we also got some nice waves. What
a crazy experience to be there. I for sure want to go back
again.
45 min drive from Dubai a new kite centre was opening at
Umm Al Quwain. We went there for the opening. A beautiful
beach with a nice centre where you could kite just in front
of it.

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KITE TRIP
Dubai, a city with one limit only: the sky
DUBAI
TRI P
After your kite session, you can eat great food or have a
drink there. We spent the whole day there together with
the people from the centre and their friends. We even had
a chat with a local sheikh. We spent the next days at the
beach in front of Dubai Nessnass kite beach kiting and enjoying
life in the city.
Dubai is known for light wind, but if you bring big kites then
you are fine.
Dubai has so much to offer and you can keep on going day
and night. It’s up to you if you need a brake or not. I hope
I’ll be back soon to discover more of Dubai. Thanks for an
amazing week Creative Surfing Dubai and RRD team.
www.creativitykitesurfing.com

60
KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
POHNP EI - MICRONESIA:
a different perspective of a familiar place
I sit here at my desk suffering from a complete case of writer’s
overload with a flurry of images and memories that I don’t
know how to make any sense of it all. I struggle to be able to
distinguish whether the memories actually happened or are just
fragments of my imagination from a long forgotten dream I had
years ago. The only evidence of reality is a pile of photos of
breath taking waves and scenery. These breath taking waves
and scenery that I am referring to can be found on the island of
Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Reo Stevens - Photos: Scott Soens

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
Pohnpei’s splendor isn’t breaking news as it has had
strong features for many different aspects in a variety
of magazines around the world. However, its remote
location in the South Pacific leaves it a “not so easy”
destination for most to arrive at. Pohnpei is the second
to last stop on a 4-stop island-hoping itinerary from
Honolulu. It is the home of the famous wave located at
Paliker pass or simply known as “P-pass”.
I first visited this Micronesian island in 2009 for a trip
that I will never forget with an all-star crew made up
of Robby Naish, Mick Fanning, Dave Kalama, Stephane
Gilmore, Beau Young and Ben Wilson. I was surrounded
by my heroes (and more world titles than one can
imagine) leaving me star struck and overwhelmed by
the amount of talent in one place. I still question how I
got lucky enough to be included in that trip. But however
amazing that trip was it was just like almost every
other surf/kite trip I’ve done in the past, it was solely
about the wave and the sport rather than the location
itself.
We as surfers/kite surfers tend to get caught up in
the conditions rather than take the time to step back
to see what the destination itself has to offer. Robby
Naish once spoke of the irony of travelling the world
for 30 years, filling passport after passport but never
actually seeing anything. He spent 30 years competing
but never saw anything other than the beach. With today’s
weather forecast powered by a high pace society,
surfers/kite surfers are too focused on their travels
and finding the best conditions (which is great if that’s
all you value) rather than taking advantage of the full
potential that the destination has to offer.
Last March I was lucky enough to be invited on a trip

ack to Pohnpei aboard the Cabrinha Quest with a
group from Patagonia. Our goal was to reach P-pass
but with no rush or stress towards getting waves. Of
course, we all wanted to get barrelled but the focus of
the trip was to slow down and make the most of what
Mother Nature gave us.
There is no better way to force yourself to slow down
and relax than travelling by boat. Our boat, Discovery,
has an average cruising speed of 6-7knts and it
has probably logged more miles in the last 10 years
than any other Lagoon catamaran out there; Discovery
would get us anywhere we wanted, just not quickly.
A perfect vessel to make us slow down and enjoy
everything Pohnpei had to offer rather than speeding

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place

past the islands hidden splendor while only focusing
on surf.
THE CREW:
To fill this slow paced trip, an eclectic crew was assembled
to make sure an expert was on hand for any
conditions that could be thrown at us. Jason Slezak
(kitesurfer), Dan Malloy (surfer/diver), Jason McCaffery
(jack of all trades) Scott Soens (photographer) and Tyler
Emmitt (videographer) would all meet up in Hawaii
to join me as we begin the island hoping flight en route
to join Discovery and the crew of the Cabrinha Quest.
12hrs later and several up and downs in the plane,
we arrived and cleared Pohnpei customs to see Captain
Tom waiting for us at baggage claim. Extremely
annoyed with planes and airports by this time, we all
quickly grabbed our bags and loaded the trucks they
had waiting for us while we headed off to the harbor to
join the rest of Discovery’s crew. Once all aboard the
lines were casted off the pier and we made our way
out to the first anchorage of the trip to review the current
forecast and to make a plan for the coming days.
The forecast was filled with wind but not much surf
leaving us in no rush to get to P-pass and take full advantage
of what else Pohnpei had to offer. After going
down the list of options, we all decided on a plan to
visit a unique archeological site that’s located in Pohnpei
and many have never heard of.
NAN MADOL RUINS:
Pohnpei is home of The Nan Madol ruins which are located
on the eastern side of the island. It is a ruined
city created of roughly 100 artificial islands linked by
a network of canals and is approximately 1.5km long
and 0.5km wide. These islands are made up of 1,000’s
of large carved stoned pillars stacked in “Lincoln log”
fashion. They’re so heavy that no one could say for

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
sure how Nan Madol was built. There are theories; the
most common one among natives is “magic” as the
building such a structure by hand is incomprehensible.
Located on private land, the current owner, for various
reasons, has denied offers by multiple foreign groups
to help maintain the ruins. Only a handful of local volunteers
maintain the area from being overgrown by
weeds so tourist like us could visit. Since my last visit
in 2009, a few walls have toppled due to growing trees

and their roots. It was sad to see such a unique archeological
site slowly being taken over by nature.
We walked around the ruins and SUP’d through the
channels seeing as much as we could until it was time
to head back to Discovery. We all left just as amazed
by the ruins, as we were dumbfounded on how it was
built. We enjoyed sharing our own theories of how we
thought it was created, although I’m pretty sure we

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
were all wrong.
OUTTER REEF DOWNWINDERS:
Once meeting back up with Discovery after our visit
at the Nan Madol ruins, Captain Tom suggested we all
pump up our kites and do a down winder along side the
boat as we make our way to the next anchorage where
we spent the night. After all, why ride the boat to the
next destination when you can kite?! Pohnpei is surrounded
by a fringing reef that creates a protective lagoon
around the island. These reefs are filled with life.
They are shallow enough that they keep boats away,
but deep enough for someone on a kite to be able to
check them out up close and personal. The ability to
explore fringing reefs on a kite with the support of the
vessel has to be the biggest advantage of any kite trip
aboard a boat.
For several hours, both Jason’s and myself blazed in
and out over the reefs seeing a variety of marine wildlife
that we would have never been able to see without
our kites.
ANTATOLL:
We had done about as much exploring as we could
around the island of Pohnpei so we decided to venture
away from the main island and see what the recently
designated marine reserve, Ant Atoll had to offer. Ant
Atoll, located on the west side of Pohnpei has one of
the most unique passes I have ever seen! An “S” shaped
path is carved through the reef of the atolls. It’s also
the only pass! Normally a shoreline slowly tapers off
into the deep blue, but the strong current flowing in
and out of this specific lagoon has created an instant
drop off in the pass. Dropping instantaneously from

a shallow depth of only a few inches to 80ft, which
allowed for Captain Tom to bring Discovery close the
reef ’s wall. It was able to get us up close and personal
to the breathtaking underwater view.
To take full advantage of where we were with the vessel
that we sailed, a rope was tied between the hulls
on the stern of the catamaran, allowing us to hold onto
the rope for a “free ride” through the pass. Each person
would jump off the bow of the boat and let Discov-

70
KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
ery pass over them while grabbing the rope as they
came out from between the hulls. It was the perfect
way to see the entire reef pass, as the current was too
strong to swim.
Up until this point we had a solid dose of 20knts every
day making for great flat water kiting and sailing on
Discovery, but the constant breeze was beginning take
it’s toll on everyone. So it was to everyone’s delight
that one afternoon the wind slowly tapered off to an
amazing “0.0mph”. This is an extremely rare reading
on a wind meter out at sea because there is usually a
breath of wind at some point. The surrounding ocean
quickly followed to suit the wind, rapidly settling to
a point of pure glassiness. It looked like the scene
from Life of Pi; a perfect swimming pool. The ocean’s
perfection called to each and every one of us. No one
could resist the temptation to jump in. We spent the
remainder of the afternoon in and out of the water; the
lack of wind created the perfect temperature either
in or out of the water. Some went snorkelling, some
went on a beach exploration, and others just enjoyed
swimming around the boat. We all gathered later on
the beach for a bon fire with beers and delicious food.
It was a calm and relaxing finish to a peaceful day in
preparation for the crossing back to P-Pass for the incoming
swell.
CROSSING BACK TO POHNPEI:
Every crossing is an opportunity to catch fish, and
every freshly caught fish meant fresh sashimi. Needless
to say, an opportunity of fresh sashimi is never
squandered with our group. As soon as we cleared the
pass for Open Ocean the fishing lines were thrown out
and set. 10 minutes later the reel starts screaming like
a banshee. Nothing can make a fisherman move faster

72
KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
than that sound, from dead sleep, deep in a chapter
of a good book, or lost in thought on the bow, that
screaming reel will make any fish hungry sailor run
across the boat without regard for crew or personal
safety. Dan was first to the reel and won the honor of
pulling in the first fish of the trip. It wasn’t long before
we saw more blue and yellow colors shimmering
through the water. As it neared the boat, it was obvious
that we had hooked a Mahi Mahi (Dorado). While
Dan was reeling in the Mahi, I noticed that there was a
large tree trunk floating in the water close to where we

hooked the fish; I grabbed the helm and maneuvered
the boat so we could get another pass by the floating
tree trunk. I’m not much of a fisherman myself, but I
do know that Mahis gather around floating objects so
I thought it was worth a chance to try our luck for a
second hook up. As we approached the floating tree
trunk, we could easily see that it was surrounded with
Mahis! However, for whatever reason, despite the obvious
amount of fish in the water, no other fish went
for our second lure. It was ok, Dan had landed the first
fish and we were able to fill the freezer with it. We

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place

continued on making our way to Palikir Pass and anchored
up just before dusk in hopes of seeing the first
forerunners of a rumored incoming swell by morning.
After all, we are all surfers and the idea of a swell will
always peak our interest.
PALIKIR PASS or “P-PASS”:
The next morning we awoke to a still sleeping reef
break. There were no signs of a new swell but 20knts
blew steady on the bow so we knew we were at least
not going to be bored with our final two days.
With no sets on the reef, everyone used the opportunity
to stay in bed recovering from the week’s adventures.
It wasn’t until the smell of the morning brewed
coffee made its way through the boat that caused
everyone to slowly emerge from their cabins looking
for their first cup of Joe of the morning. Somewhere
around cup of coffee number 3 I looked out and saw a
head high wave break cleaning down the reef. “SET!”
I rushed to the bow to watch and see if another would
shortly follow. Sure enough, several sips later another
set rolled down the reef. I bailed on the rest of my
coffee and grabbed my kite and board. Nearly 3 cups
of coffee and two head high sets were enough to get
me out on the water right there and then. I quickly
pumped up, launched and began tacking upwind to the
break at P-pass. My timing was perfect, I got there just
as the next set started to roll through. I turned on the
first wave, set up and laid into my first bottom turn of
the trip. Butter smooth waves, and a powered 9 meter
wind caused the rest of the crew to follow suit very
quickly.
We all had been out in the water for a few hours and
everyone had gone back to the boat for a late lunch
besides Dan and myself. It was right about this time

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
that one of the biggest sets of the day decided to roll
through, and both Dan and I quickly got excited. Being
on a kite, I could easily see the second wave of the
set was bigger and lining up on the reef making it “the
one” in the set to catch. I wasn’t sure if Dan could see
what was behind the first wave so I decided to try and
sell him on the first wave to selfishly claim the second
one for myself. I yelled “Go Dan, Go! Looks like a sick
one!” trying to act like a friend when in actuality the
devil on my shoulder was smirking with greed. Dan was
no fool, his years of surfing knowledge and years of
contest surfing instantly knew what I was selling was
bulls#!t. He simply smiled and paddled over the first
wave and directly into position for what turned out to
be the wave of the trip. He was in perfect position for a
perfect wave and rode it with ease. I looked back and
watched the wave rifle down the reef and explode out
the back confirming it was indeed a good ride. I have
just as much fun with watching friends score good
waves as I do when I score a one for myself. However,
I’m always out looking for the best waves and having
the advantage of being on a kite over just a surfboard
is the advantage of being able to pick and choose any
wave you want. I simply turned around and caught the
very next wave getting a good ride myself.

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KITESPOT
Pohnpei - Micronesia: a different perspective of a familiar place
The day continued with everyone sharing waves and
“hooting and hollering” at each other’s rides until not
one of us could stay out any longer. We made our way
back to the boat for one final dinner and a reflection
on the past 10 days and all that we accomplished. Our
long list of “extra curricular” activities during the trip
made us all feel like we had made the most of our trip
and actually experienced what Pohnpei had to offer.

Charming Hotels
and Constant Winds.
Let this
Brazil
surprise
you.
JERICOACOARA CEARÁ BRASIL PREÁ CEARÁ BRASIL

80
BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara
T H E S E A R C H
A W A V E S P O T G U I D E
F R O M F O R T A L E Z A T O J E R I C O A C O A R A
The region from Cumbuco to Jericoacoara
is world renowned for excellent
wind and water conditions. Some of
the lagoons are world-renowned and
tens of thousands kitesurfers are attracted
every year to these spots. After
a few trips in this region, we decided
to find the best wavespots! For this we
have the wave experts, Willow-River
Tonkin from Mauritius and the Brazilian
Romário Maicon da Silva, aka Bida,
from Icaraizinho for this tour.
And in front, yes there are surprises,
spots that shine with good waves and
not yet on the map of kitesurfers. One
wavespot has made it particularly attractive
to Willow-River. "Wow, these
are by far the best waves which I have
seen, so far, in Brazil! Amazing. Up
to six turns on waves, which were almost
glassy: Embuaca!" The strapless
freestyle enthusiast, who is otherwise
spoiled by waves in Mauritius, is out
on the hunt through various places in
Brazil.
testo e Foto: Reemedia

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara

P R A I A D O F U T U R O
( I N T H E C I T Y O F F O R T A L E Z A )
The kitesurfers all over in Europe
haven´t heard about this wavespot so
far. But due to some locals, we got the
right information! Praia do Futuro! The
wind comes side-on-shore and local
kitesurfers have a small kitesurf station
with some equipment. Beside this,
there is a club for upper-class Brazilians…it´s
a cool atmosphere with music
and party!
Willow-River Tonkin: “Praia do Futuro
was quite an interesting spot. To
get there we had to drive through a
big industrial area which really didn’t
seem like we were heading for a kite
surfing session but then as soon as we
arrived at the beach, it looked epic!
We did have the best conditions while
we were there for the day but the locals
tune that it can get up to 2 or 3
meter swell and the wind can blow up
to 30 knots! We did have an epic day
smashing some waves and later in the
afternoon we even went for a little surf
session!”

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara
I C A R A I
This spot is only known by local surfers.
With side-shore conditions and
not big but orderly waves. In principle,
here we find no kitesurfers, only surfers!
P R A I A V I L A G A L È
In Praia Vila Galé, located between
Cumbuco and Cauipe, took place a
kitesurf Wave World Cup a couple of
years ago! Some days we get, with
high tide, not bad waves and Willow
was impressed about this section between
Cumbuco down to Cauipe. And
since two years there has been a new,
big hotel, right on the spot!
Willow-River Tonkin: “Starting in Cumbuco
usually doesn’t have the best
waves but if you start going down towards
Cauipe, it gets better and better.
The wind is really reliable in Cumbuco,
so even if you want to go for a strap-
less freestyle session, you can have
great fun! One of my favorite things
about Cumbuco is doing a downwinder
to Cauipe. The waves near Cauipe can
get around 1 or 2 meters high. Perfect
size to play around in. Once I arrive in
Cauipe, I always end my session with
some strapless freestyle on the butter
flat lagoon! Perfect place to train some
new tricks!”

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara
P E C E M
In the past, Pecem was a really good
wavespot. But since the port has been
enlarged, this spot unfortunately no
longer works.

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara
T A I B A
Yes, we get some good waves in Taiba.
Especially closer to the rocks in the
south we caught some really good and
clean waves. But, the closer you ride
to the rocks the more gusty it is. The
spot is visited by wave-stand-up-paddlers
as well.
Willow-River Tonkin: “The Taiba lagoon
is known for its perfect butter flat freestyle
conditions. But, did you know the
locals call the spot in the town Taiba
“Mini Hookipa”? The local tale says
when the swell gets really big, it can
be a stand up, barrelling right hander!
Even though I didn’t score such crazy
conditions while I was there…I still
got some really fun waves. The further
up to the rocks you go, the better and
cleaner the waves get!”

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara

P A R A C U R U
Paracuru is probably one of the most
famous wavespots along the coast. On
the reef, we get some bigger waves
and, with high tide, some good waves
at the shore break.
Willow-River Tonkin: “This spot has
got everything! Flat water and kicker
waves near the shore and sweet waves
rolling in on the reef. The waves out
the back on the reef are very slow and
easy waves to ride but personally, I
love the shore break to do some quick
snappy turns. If you want to try some
new jumps and grabs, the shore break
is perfect to use as a launch pad! Besides
kiting, there is an amazing Bar/
Restaurant on the beach, perfect place
to take a quick lunch break before getting
back on the water!”

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara
L A G O I N H A
Willow-River Tonkin: “Lagoinha is an
amazing location as well as an awesome
kitesurf spot. The waves here are
super clean, not too big and perfect
for getting one or two turns in. And, 30
km downwind is another really good
spot called Embuaca!
E M B U A C A
Our discovery! Embuaca is a small,
shallow bay, where fishing boats lie.
Children play on the beach and we see
the village community on the beach
and on the water. Everything is here
wonderfully relaxed. The water conditions
are not choppy but independent
on the tide, smooth! At high tide, we
have quite good waves on which some
turns are possible. Even from the 10
km away Guajiru, kitesurfers always
come back on waveboards or twintips
here. Nevertheless, there is always

enough space on the water. In addition
to some good wave conditions, here
conditions are just as good for beginners
and freestylers. There is not yet a
station here, but this is probably only a
matter of time until a good infrastructure
for kitesurfers will be created… we
have seen a sign “for sale” on the best
property in the little bay…
Willow-River Tonkin: “Here there are
great waves that are super long, up to
six turns on one wave! Probably one of
my favorite wavespots in Brazil!”

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BRAZIL
The Search - A wavespot Guide from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara
I C A R A I Z I N H O
Willow-River Tonkin: “Icaraizinho is a
big bay with really blue water and all
types of conditions. At the point it is
quite flat with some small waves rolling
in and then further down in the bay
the waves start to get bigger, perfect
to do one or two turns. Not many people
ride here so you are guaranteed to
find an empty part of the bay to ride
alone with your friends.”
J E R I C O A C O A R A
Willow-River Tonkin: “Brazil is a very
unique place for kitesurfing. With
amazing wind every single day, hundreds
of different kite spots and such
an amazing culture and lifestyle make
Brazil a place you have to put on your
bucket list for sure. For pretty much
the whole duration of my trip, I kited
almost everyday on my 8m, sometimes
super powered and sometimes just
enough. If you are looking to go to a
place for a kite holiday, make sure you
check out Brazil, it´s good for everyone!”

98
EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women
Female camps
THE REvENGE OF SuPPORTIvE AND SuCCESSFuL WOMEN
S ENSI GRAv ES
P HOTO: DEBBIE JEAN HOLLOMON

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EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women
W OMEN- ONLY KITE TRIPS REPRESENT AN AMAz ING E x PERIENCE
FOR ACKNOWLEDGING ONE’ S OWN DIv ERSITIES COMPARED TO
MALE COLLEAGu ES, MAKING THE LEARNING OF THE DISCIPLINE
EASIER AND B u ILDING A NETWORK FOR CONFRONTING
AND S u PPORTING ONE ANOTHER WHICH NOu RISHES SELF-
CONFIDENCE AND THE WILL TO IMPROv E . SENSI GRAv ES, BACK
FROM ONE OF THESE TRIPS SHE ORGANISED IN ME x ICO, TELLS
u S WHY, AS AN ATHLETE AND AS A COACH, SHE FIRMLY BELIEv ES
THESE E v ENTS ARE SO POSITIv E .
The debate about the representation
of women versus
men in sports has been writ
large in the last few years.
While leaps and bounds
have been made over the
last few decades, inequalities
still exist. Media outlets
still disseminate more photos,
videos and interviews
with male athletes than female
ones. Women are still
enduring the “sex sells” debate
and female athletes
are still fighting for equal
pay. Despite the challenges,
there has been a boom
in female-driven events and
women have become more
acknowledged and represented
in many arenas; from
surfing to mountain biking to
the WNBA.
Yet for the reasons mentioned
above, there is still
work to be done. Mutual
equality may be the name
of the game, but supporting
women while we scramble
for the top is still about
growing our internal network
and empowering women
within our sport. One of
the ways in which I believe
we can empower more women
and increase accessibility
is through female-specific
camps. And while you may
be thinking, isn’t the separation
of women counter
productive to enhancing a
“we’re just as good as the
guys” mentality, here’s why I
believe exclusivity for women’s
camps is not only ok, but
necessary for the growth of
our sport. It revolves around
three aspects: the benefits
of relatable group learning,
the supportive environment
it fosters and the network it
builds.
This March, I had the opportunity
to run one such camp
of my own. Motivated by a
lack of other opportunities
for women to progress past

102
EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women
the beginner stage in kiteboarding,
Colleen Carroll
and I organized a women’s
intermediate kiteboarding
retreat in El Cuyo, Mexico.
Besides being an absolute
blast, the women’s camps
offered us a peek into the
interesting dynamics that
exist in how the fairer sex
learns and confirmed my
suspicions that sometimes
the next best step in your
progression is booking yourself
with a group of driven
and fiery females. Read on
for those reasons why!
MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO.
Learning kiteboarding in a
group setting is super beneficial.
The most apparent reason
is that you get to watch
another student try, fail and
try again at the same things
you are struggling with. It
allows for encouragement
among the participants and
incorporates various means
of teaching especially visual.

104
EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women
I’ve found group learning to
be especially effective with
an all-female group. Despite
the equality we push for, the
fact remains that men and
women are built differently,
learn differently and have
different levels of chemicals
streaming through our bodies
(affecting us in all sorts
of ways!).
I’ve experienced the need
for female-drive progression
often during my kite career.
When you’re the only woman
on the water that day,
it’s easy to dismiss what the
men are doing. It’s easy to
think, “oh wow, look at what
they’re doing! But they’re
way better than I am, I can’t
do that.” It’s easy for me to
rely on my own skill level
and ignore the progression
of my male peers because
I have an excuse-they’re
not as relatable. While riding
with my female peers,
I’m pushed to identify with
the group around me. I can
watch them do something
and feel inspired by it- If she
can do it, I can do it. It feels

one thousand times more
accessible.
Colleen and I often find
this when we ride together.
We’re of a similar skill level
and can inspire and support
each other on the water.
During our week in Mexico, I
noticed the same thing. The
women were inspired by one
another, a lot!
SUPPORT IS THE NAME OF
THE GAME.
The fact remains, there are
more men than women that
kiteboard and intimidation
in trying something new,
no matter your sex, is a
real thing. The idea behind
all-female run events is that
you’re removing as much intimidation
as possible. The
focus with many of these
women-only events is the
sense of inclusion and support
you provide. Identifying
the group or camp as all-female,
gives the group something
to bond over (girls
rule!) and enhances the idea

106
EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women

that we’re all there to support
one another.
During our time in Mexico,
we asked the women to
name one thing they were
good at and one thing they
wanted to improve. Then
out on the water, we’d hear
them yelling at one another
to try something new and encouraging
each other. Every
evening during our camp,
all of the girls would get together
for dinner, margaritas
and a re-living of the day’s
events. We’d listen as the
girls gushed over what they
were trying that day. Groups
bond over shared circumstances
and kiteboarding
camps ensure a communal
attitude of mental and physical
exhaustion, a sense of
adventure, a humbling experience
and profound satisfaction.
The camaraderie
that the camp provides
serves as both a unique experience
and an accelerator
for learning.
Supporting these women on
an individual level by identifying
her strengths, improving
upon her weaknesses
and setting goals and then
bringing her into the group
as a whole buoys her confidence
and really sets her up
for success.
GROW THE NETWORK!
As a female rider, I only want
to see more and more women
join this beloved sport
of mine. Women’s specific
events provide an opportunity
for that. They provide a
place for support, an opportunity
for inclusion and an
enhanced learning environment.
At the end of the week, the
group was beyond sad to
leave but they left with more
than a tan. They left with a
network to reach out to. They
left with friends to support
and rely on and encourage
them. They left with inspiration
to improve their kiteboarding
and an infectious
enthusiasm for the sport. If
that doesn’t help get more
people into kiteboarding, I
don’t know what will.
In conclusion, women’s
camps are bad-ass ways to
boost confidence, progress
learning and empower the
individual. Women’s camps
offer a safe haven for collaboration
and learning within
the broader kiteboarding
arena and it’s ok to admit
that.
While the equal rights debate
continues to rile the media,
it’s ok to admit that men
and women are different and

108
EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women
it’s ok to have sex-specific
events. The point is it’s not
about exclusion; it’s about
empowerment and inclusion.
It’s about setting yourself
up for success. Sometimes
that means admitting that
women’s camps are beneficial.
By no means does this
mean we aren’t as talented
or as driven or as good
(don’t even get me started)
as the opposite sex, it simply
means that acknowledging
our differences is ok
and bonding within a group
and supporting that group
is even better. Community
is about building a support
network. We’re working towards
that-one margarita –
infused group of women at
time - and hope you will join
us!

110
EXPERIENCES
Female camps, the revenge of supportive and successful women

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114
INTERVIEW
Foilboard Racing according to Steph and Olly Bridge
TEXT & PHOTO: REEMEDIA

FOILBOARD
RACING
ACCORD-
ING TO
STEPH
AND OLLY
BRIDGE
STEPH AND OLLY BRIDGE, MOTHER AND SON, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE RE-
NOWNED TEAM BRIDGE (WWW.TEAM-BRIDGE.COM), HAVE COMPETED IN THE
LAST YEAR IN EVENTS ON BOTH SERIES: THE “HYDROFOIL PRO TOUR” AND
“KITEFOIL GOLD CUP”. AND BOTH HAVE WON A LOT OF WORLD CHAMPION-
SHIPS IN KITESURF RACING AND NOWADAYS ON THE FOILBOARD. WHAT´S UP
WITH THE FOILRACERS? THE FOILBOARD CLASS HAS CHANGED A LOT DURING
THE LAST YEAR BUT THE FOILKITERS DON´T GET THE CHANCE TO PARTIC-
IPATE AT THE OLYMPICS IN 2020 IN TOKIO. REASON´S ENOUGH FOR US TO
TALK WITH THESE BOTH WORLD CLASS HYDROFOIL RACERS.

116
INTERVIEW
Foilboard Racing according to Steph and Olly Bridge
THE KITESURF FOILBOARDING WON´T GET A CHANCE
TO PARTICIPATE AT THE OLYMPICS IN TOKIO
2020. HOW BIG WAS THE DISAPPOINTMENT ON YOUR
SIDE?
Steph Bridge: “We believe that with or without the Olympic
Games we are all involved in an incredible area of the sport
that has come such long way in a short time. It was only two
years ago that the formula Raceboard scene was big and
the development that we saw in this area of the sport has
facilitated the foiling development. The athletes needed to
make the cross over but in fact for the top riders this did
not take very long. For sure, for outside partners the Olympic
Games 2020 decision would have been really great and
certainly this is no Loss to Kiteboarding, just a loss to the
Olympics! We have a sport that the Olympics want to see,
fast, colorful, easy to follow, works in light winds, attracts
lots of young people and easy for athletes to travel with.
Kitefoil will continue to grow and expand without the 'rings'
however, as a mum with three boys totally passionate about
the sport and at the right age/ability to medal of course this
is disappointing. Olly is the person that was most hit by the
2016 disappointment since he really had a natural feel for
the three fin raceboard, he had something that no-one else
had! To watch him ride that board effortlessly was incredible.
It has taken him a few years to get to the top again
on the hydrofoil but I think in 2017 you will see him in Gold
more than Silver on the podium's. The other massive thing
is that Kiteboarding is already a Youth Olympic sport and in
2018 will be represented in Buenos Aires. However, there
would be no pathway for the youngsters if the sport was not
made a main Olympic sport. It is just a matter of time but
when you are young then you do not see it that way!”
BUT FOILBOARDING COULD EVENTUALLY BE SHOWN
AS A SHOW EVENT IN TOKIO.
Steph Bridge: “Yes, for sure a showcase is on the cards for
Tokio, however there is still a small chance for the sport to
make it for medals and this decision is in May 2017.”

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INTERVIEW
Foilboard Racing according to Steph and Olly Bridge

THE IKA (“INTERNATIONAL KITEBOARDING AS-
SOCIATION”) IS WORKING FOR A “FORMULA KITE
CLASS” AT THE OLYMPICS IN 2024. AT THE END
OF 2017, THEY WILL DECIDE ABOUT THE EQUIP-
MENT THE FOILBOARDERS HAVE TO USE. IS THE
UNIQUE MATERIAL THE RIGHT WAY?
Olly Bridge: “Yes, it has to be since then we are all on the
same page. At the moment, it is crazy to turn up to an event
if you are not working directly with a foil, or kite, brand. Although
it is great to see development, so that all riders can
compete against each other fairly the equipment needs to
be standardised. Just like the 3 fin raceboard, this worked
really well and was great to be able to rock up to the championships
with the same board that everyone was on and
there were no nasty surprises! While we are always talking
of hydrofoil development, there is also a lot of foilkite development
still that will continue at a good rate also. The
designers involved with the development of paragliding
must be really enjoying to work with the kiters since we can
push what they have not been able to do with a paraglider!”
LAST YEAR YOU HAVE BEEN A LOT FASTER WITH THE
EQUIPMENT!
Olly Bridge: “Yes, in 2016 Levitaz came with a number of
changes. First, a stiffer and longer mast. The quality of carbon
was way better and this enabled the mast to be super
stiff throughout its length. The longer mast (110 cm) is great
for hiking out and gives extra momentum to push against.
Both changes make it easier to push against and stay high
and fast. Second, the new front wing enabled us to be more
stable at greater speeds downwind, this was a flatter profile.
Third, the change in design to a more traditional back
wing also gave us the extra stability downwind at speed.
The boards constantly evolve in shape also but essentially
have got smaller and since touch down is not part of the
game plan, boards are just big enough for foot work!"

120
INTERVIEW
Foilboard Racing according to Steph and Olly Bridge
WITH HOW MANY KNOTS COULD YOU START FOILING
AND HOW FAST ARE YOU ON UPWIND AND DOWNWIND
REACHES WITH 7, 8 KNOTS?
Olly Bridge: “We can start foiling in 5 knots constant wind,
not 5 knots with holes in the wind. The normal in these light
winds is that we are doing twice the wind speed upwind
and more often 3 times the wind speed downwind so if it
is 6 knots of wind we are doing 18 knots downwind. It is
phenomenal and there is no other craft like it. Combination
of the increase in performance of the foils, incredible kites
and the riders have improved also.
WE KNOW THAT THE FIGURE OF EQUIPMENT YOU
HAVE AVAILABLE IS HUGE. HOW MANY FOILS DO
YOU COUNT IN YOUR GARAGE AT HOME?
Steph Bridge: “Haha, maybe we have 5 broken set ups and
around 15 working set ups between all team Bridge! Most
of the really fast gear is in Olly’s room and in my room are
the foils that are either slightly chipped or not up to speed!”
THE MUM USES THE SLOWER STUFF! YOU HAVE TOLD
ME THAT FOILS WHICH ARE ONLY A BIT DIRTY DUE
TO SUNCREAM COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE PER-
FORMANCE!
Steph Bridge: “Yes, it is super important to keep the foils
clean from dirt, suncream, grease, salt water! The fastest
foil is sanded well with 2000 grit sandpaper and this is a
huge skill in itself. The foils feel different in salt water to
fresh water, foiling on the lakes with fresh water is really
fast.”
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT KITESURFING AS A WATER-
SPORT BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE SEE FOILRACERS
THAT DON´T TOUCH THE WATER DURING A RACE AN-
YMORE!
Olly Bridge: “Yes, that is correct, the top racers do not even
get wet! If the foil touches down during a race then you will
not be winning.”

122
INTERVIEW
Foilboard Racing according to Steph and Olly Bridge

“YOU WILL NOT BE WINNING”. AND WHAT ARE THE
BEST PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS TO BE FAST ON THE
FOILBOARD?
Olly Bridge: “Very good power in the legs, lean and mean,
flexible and good endurance for the length of time on the
water during a day of racing. Although the races are not so
long there are often 6 races and plenty of time in between.”
“PLENTY OF TIME”. WHAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT
WAY TO TRAIN ON THE WATER? TRAINING WITH A
GROUP, IN YOUR CASE WITH THE FAMILY, OR GPS?
Steph Bridge: “We are really lucky since we have Olly, Guy
and myself which really is a huge benefit for training and
testing. I think that you get more feeling and motivation
when you train with others rather than the GPS. But, I am a
‘seat of the pants’ sailor and not a numbers person. There
are huge advantages to GPS training and for sure this has
its place and we as a team need to do the numbers as well
as team training.
WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BE-
GINNER SECTION: WHAT ARE THE SECRETS TO CON-
TROL THE FOIL WITH AN OVERPOWERED KITE, ES-
PECIALLY IN CONDITIONS LIKE CHOPPY WATER AND
DOWNWIND REACHES?
Olly Bridge: “When going downwind, the speed increases
and so the apparent wind goes forward. The key point here
is to sheet in and go with it, the faster and more downwind
that you go, the more stable the foil becomes. Reaching is
a different story and it is way more tricky to depower. From
experience this point of sail is all about balls! Pushing hard,
leaning against the foil and trying to hold on! Certain foils
are better at reaching than others but generally the foils we
are using are designed to go upwind and downwind really
well. We are not using speed wings for reaching but this
can work really well in some of the long distance races like
“Red Bull Lighthouse to Leighton” in Western Australia. The
more that you get accustomed to reaching fast the easier

124
INTERVIEW
Foilboard Racing according to Steph and Olly Bridge
it becomes so do not be scared to practice this point of
sail also. Having kites that depower well, using a seat harness,
bring your kite higher in the sky, go back in and get a
smaller kite, try using shorter line length all help also with
reaching.”
AWAY FROM THE FOILS: YOUR SPONSOR NORTH KITE-
BOARDING HAS JUST LAUNCHED THE LIGHT WIND
FOIL KITE “ACE”. RUMORS SAY THAT YOU HAVE
BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT´S YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE NEW KITE?
Steph Bridge: “The ACE is ACE! Yes, I´ve been involved with
testing and using this kite. It is a great foil kite for all riders
and for people looking to get into foilkite riding either
on a hydrofoil, twin tip or snow kite. The Ace has plenty of
depower and is really easy to use and with the North, “Foil
Trust Bar” which has a small chicken loop it´s great for racing
also. For sure, this kite is missing some angle up and
downwind for the top racers but it is good enough for racing
and will certainly not hold you back if you are mid fleet
standard.
We are all looking forward to using the ACE for the “Red
Bull Ragnarok” at the end of March and then for Hydrofoiling
this season.”
STEPH AND OLLY BRIDGE ARE SPONSORED BY:
NORTHKITEBOARDING, ION, LEVITAZ, VOLVO, CAT
RUGGED PHONES, EDGEWATERSPORTS, THEBEACH-
HOUSEEXMOUTH.

Siamo pronti a portarvi al viaggio della tua vita!
Offriamo uma straordinaria esperienza di kiteadventure nel nordest
del Brasile com um pacchetto completo. Dovrete solo concentravi
sul fare kite. Surfin Sem Fim è ispirato dalla natura. Ci adattiamo alla
sua bellezza ela sua sfida, com rispetto e passione.
Salvare le date
Light Jeri: 9 luglio
Light Jeri: 28 settembre
Delta (Preá): 15 luglio
Classic Path: 01 ottobre
Lençois Maranhenses: 23 luglio Delta Path (Poldros): 08 ottobre
Classic (Short): 30 luglio
Delta (Wild): 14 ottobre
“
Mitu Monteiro
A volte sei nel deserto e non hai nessuno
attorno, improvvisamente, diversi pescatori del
villaggio sulla spiaggia arrivano e ti salutano.
Si trata di uma combinazione sorprendente.
Onde incredibili e gente simpatica.
Special Coaching (Mitu): 06 agosto
Delta (Parnaíba): 19 agosto
Light Jeri: 24 agosto
Delta (Experience): 26 agosto
Corner Of Brasil (Natal): 10 settembre
Delta (Experience): 16 settembre
Delta (Preá): 23 settembre
Light Jeri: 26 ottobre
Iron Man: 29 ottobre
Classic Path: 07 novembre
Delta Path (Poldros): 12 novembre
Light Jeri: 23 novembre
Classic Path: 03 dicembre
Delta Path: 10 dicembre
Gli atleti che hanno sperimentato SSF:
Keahi de Aboitiz, Mitu Monteiro, Alex Neto,
Sebastian Ribeiro, Guilly Brandão, Reno
Romeu, Marcela Witt, Milla Ferreira, Matchu
Lopes, Willow Tonkin and Mallory Villemarque.
Restate sintonizzati per 2017 atleti.
surfinsemfim
surfinsemfim.com.br
Maranhão
Piauí
Ceará
Brazil
Esperienza richiesta: --- Principiante --- Facile --- Intermedio --- Difficile --- D’oro

126
INTERVIEW
Mikaili Sol: "I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World Tour!"
Mikaili Sol
I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World t our!
In the f-one international team since 2015,
mikaili Sol is only 12 and she is one of the
young promising athletes for freestyle. Born
in Brazil, in the famous Prea, she started
kitesurfing very soon and supported by her
mother, ex gymnast, today she trains to perfect
her technique and be at her best for the
competitions. amongst her friends there are
world champions like Carlos mario and Bruna
Kajiya, but although being already qualified
for the World Tour, she will still need to
wait to turn 14 to take part to this prestigious
competition in 2018.

Credit: David Ingiosi | Photo: Marcus Graichen

128
INTERVIEW
Mikaili Sol: "I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World Tour!"
Mikaili, it seems you have a
very busy life: school, sports,
beaches, animals, adventures.
do you like to share all of
that with your friends?
I love to share all of these things with my
friends especially the ones that live in Europe
because my life seems to be so different
from theirs. I love to invite my friends
to my house in Brazil not only so I can train
with them but also so I can share my lifestyle.
I also like to share with my Brazilian
friends.
From what you tell about your
story, it seems your parents
always give you a lot of freedom
but also rules to follow.
How do you balance that?
My parents give me a lot of freedom but they
definitely have rules to go with it! It is not
always easy to find the balance especially
now that I am a Tween (pre-teen), as my
mother calls it. I tend to want to do things
my way but our family rules don't always allow
me to get my way. I am homeschooled
so I have the freedom to kite whenever I
want but I still have to do my school work
everyday! I usually go to bed early so I can
wake up early to do one session of school
in the morning and then another session of
school in the evenings. In Brazil it gets dark
around six P.M. So it is always good to do
school in the evenings! By organizing my
day like that, I have time for kiting, training
and playing.

You like speed, you like to fly,
you like action. Is there anything
that scares you?
Yes, I definitely love speed and action. I am
not really scared of anything except for big
cockroaches! We have big cockroaches in
the tropics in Brazil! That is about the only
thing that scares me.

130
INTERVIEW
Mikaili Sol: "I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World Tour!"

you are also a good reader.
What kind of books or stories
do you like the most? Who is
your favorite books' character?
do you like to write as well?
My favorite books are usually cliff hangers
or mysteries because you never know what
is going to happen in the end. It is hard to
pick a favorite book because I have read so
many good books. If I had to choose today, I
would say my favorite book is The House of
the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. The House
of the Scorpion is a science fiction novel.
It takes place in a place called Opium. The
main character Matt is a young clone of a
drug lord
called "El Patrón." This story is
about the struggle to survive as a free individual.
You like horses. Have you ever
met a seahorse? or any other
animal while riding in the water?
There are many places where I live that you
can go and see the seahorses. I don't think
it is possible to see a seahorse while kiting
because they are so small. I have only seen
seahorses in the mangroves. While kiting, I
have seen sea turtles and big fish. Once I
saw a huge sunfish! It was a little scary!
reinaldo taught you how to
kite. do you still meet him?
What does he tell you about
your growth as a rider? did he
expect you to be so fast and
good at learning how to become
an athlete?
Reinaldo was one of my teachers when I was
first starting freestyle.
He doesn't live by
me anymore so I don't get to see him very
often. When I saw him last year, he was very
proud of the progress I had made! My very
first teacher was Felipe, and he always sees
me on the beach and stops to talk about my
competitions and progress.
Now that your level of riding
is pretty high, who is your
coach and how do you learn the
new tricks?
I am currently being coached by my mom.
My mom was a high level gymnast so she relates
most of my tricks to her gymnastics experience.
She helped me learn how to spin
faster, taught me to look where I want to go
and how to spot my landings. She doesn't
always know how to help me with the kite
position. I get tips from other riders when it
comes to that. Also this year, I got to spend
a couple of weeks with Fabio Ingrosso. I
learn new tricks by crashing and trying them
over and over again. Before I go on to a new
trick or add another 180, I make sure that my
base trick is 100%. It is very important for
me to be very consistent with my tricks in
all conditions because you never know what
the conditions are like during competitions.

132
INTERVIEW
Mikaili Sol: "I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World Tour!"

What's your favorite trick at
the moment and what's the new
one you are working
I have a bunch of favorite tricks. But, my
favorite is the Back Mobe because of the
enormous pull that you get while you are
edging on the back roll. I love the adrenalin
it gives me when I do it high and hard! Right
now I am working on consistency with my
S-mobe 5, 315, and the Front Blind. I think
that the Front Blind is the hardest trick I am
trying because the inverted front roll rotation
is weird!
What kind of sea and wind conditions
do you prefer when you
train and compete?
There are two important training conditions
for me. One is flat water with lighter winds.
This is when I practice my new tricks and get
them down consistently. The other is gusty,
rough conditions. This is when I test my new
tricks in "real" conditions! I now live in Taiba,
Brazil where I have perfect training conditions
because here I can experience both
flat water in the lake and choppy water in
the sea! For competition, I would prefer perfect
flat water and constant winds because I
would love to show everyone my best tricks!
But we hardly ever see these conditions in
competition!
Can you please describe the
kite gear you are using and why
you like it?
I ride F-One kites and boards because they
are the best! I started with F-One when I
was just ten years old. They are the only
kitesurfing company that really cares about
the Next Generation, which is me! At the
moment, I am in transition from flying the
F-One Bandit to the WTF, their brand new
"C" freestyle kite! I also just changed from
their Next Generation kids board because I
switched from straps to boots. With boots I
need a bigger board. Then, I rode the Acid
board which is great because it is flexible
and great for landings.
And now just last
week, I started to ride the Trax board. The
Trax is a bit bigger and I tend to get a better
pop!

134
INTERVIEW
Mikaili Sol: "I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World Tour!"
Do you think the kite brands
are taking care about what kids
riders like you need and like
as gear, shapes, graphics,
colors and sizes of equipment?
Like I said, F-One is the only kite brand
that thinks about kids! When I started with
F-One, I had their Next Generation board
which was designed specifically for kids.
It was lighter and smaller with the stance
closer together! They also had small kite
sizes which were perfect for me because I
was really small back then! When I was just
ten, F-One even made me my own 3 and
4 meter Bandit kite because where I live,
there are very strong winds! The following
year, the Bandit was available in a 4 meter
size for kids! F-one also has a Next Generation
Camp where 10 - 14 kids from all over
the world are invited to train with Etienne
Lhôte for 10 days! During camp, we make
a cool video, talk about competition strategies,
set fitness goals, and discuss the
importance of a healthy diet. F-One rules
when it comes to kids! I even got to participate
in testing the new gear this year and I
am only 12 years old!

136
INTERVIEW
Mikaili Sol: "I’m only 12 and I’m ready for the World Tour!"
V ISIt mIkaI l I Sol W e B SIte:
WWW.mI kaI l ISol.C om

Which are your favorite kite
riders at the moment and why?
do you know them personally?
I have two favorite riders at the moment.
One is Bruna Kajiya and the other is Carlos
Mario. Bruna is my favorite rider because
she is the girl rider that has the most power
and does her tricks the highest. We are
also friends. Sometimes we train in Brazil
together. This year, I got to train with her
in Tarifa as well. She is always nice to me.
Carlos Mario is another one of my favorite
riders because his tricks are so clean and
high! He is so good that when he does his
tricks they almost look programmed. He
makes it look so easy! When everybody
is doing doubles he is already doing triples.
Also, I get to spend time riding with
Bebe.What are your plans for the
coming season? any special race
you want to join or place to
visit?
I qualified for the 2017 World Tour but since
I am only 12, I am not allowed to compete
until I am 14 years old. I will compete this
July in Spain at the WKL's Jr. World Championship.
I will also go to all of the WKL Trials
League competitions. The Trials League will
be good practice for the 2018 WKL World
Tour. I am hoping that I will be allowed to
participate next year in the World Tour. I will
be turning 14 on October 30th!

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140
KITETRIP
Turks and Caicos, kiting to the sweet beat of the Caribbean’s
Turks e Caicos
KITING T o THe sW eeT beaT oF THe
CarIBBean’S
Freezing cold in the UK after the year had started and my
friend Christian Black hits me up down to a trip somewhere in
the warm Caribbean. Windy mostly all year long, blue waters
and accessible flights from Miami made Turks and Caicos
the ideal destination. Seven days to escape to virgin beaches
around turquoise islands, hunting for beautiful paradise of
kiteboarding was a no brainer especially with such a good
company bringing out masterpiece shots.
Text: Chris Bobryk
Photo: Christian Black

142
KITETRIP
Turks and Caicos, kiting to the sweet beat of the Caribbean’s
As usual, when starting to plan a trip,
one can picture the conditions, and tries
to plan how the adventures will be. Despite
that, I had visited Turks and Caicos
several times before, this time I had the
luxury of shredding new spots by sailing
and boating around north and south of
the most virgin places in the main island.
This made the experiences totally different
from the expectations I had. There
are plenty of hidden surprises around
the less crowded beaches of Turks, highly
suggested to explore it by the water.
Passport in hand and two hours later I
had landed at PLS. Wind was not going
to kick in till three days later, so we had
a few days to hunt for the cool unknown
spots. The explorations and approaching
must begin!
SUP EXPEDITION CHASING IGUANAS
So, we started of by a bar nearby the
airport that for me is always a must to
visit every time I go. Bugaloo's serves
island delicacies under the shadows of
a forest of palm trees, with the amazing
scenario of white sands, live music, and
cold drinks to make it a real welcome to
the Caribbean.
At Blue Heaven Marina, in the east side
of Providenciales city center is Big Blue
Unlimited, a water sports center of an
old friend that could make the non-windy
days as fun and productive. Hooked us
up with some SUP and the exploring

144
KITETRIP
Turks and Caicos, kiting to the sweet beat of the Caribbean’s
sessions went down at Iguana Island. A
mile away from the marina, surrounded
by incredibly clear waters, this island
is inhabited by iguanas of all sizes and
colors ... cool friends to hang around
with.
TRICKS AND JIBES AROUND SUNKEN
SHIPS
Next few days wind kicked in and,
Kite Catallus took us on a downwinder
around the south of Providenciales. We
scored the shots we were looking for as
we discovered spectacular blue spots,
even with sunken ships that are heaps
of fun to jibe! Half way through the trip

and there were still many of the islands,
and flats to make a playground of.
So a good friend of mine, Kadri
Kullerkupp, introduced us to Eric Anton,
both are locals so there couldn't be a
better way of breaking through the unexplored
Turks than with cool people
that know the way. Sailing days to the
middle of nowhere were yet come, took
us no time to yell for the “YES! Please
take me!”.
A CATAMARAN, BONFIRES ON THE
BEACH AND NO STRESS
Next morning we loaded for supplies,
and we were off sailing in Eric’s catamaran
right off Blue Heaven marina where
we had been few days before. Only took

146
KITETRIP
Turks and Caicos, kiting to the sweet beat of the Caribbean’s
three beers till we got to the first spot.
This time we were on the north of the
island, where lobster fishing is abundant
just a few miles offshore. We could catch
dinner of the day after the kite session.
Far off on the north east of the island
is all deserted, at night, it was just our
crew camping to the light of a bonfire
where we cooked our freshly caught lobsters,
and slept under the stars. Peaceful
getaway to leave all city madness behind.
Woke up at sunrise in the beach

and went diving for more lobster; all in a
good measure of a trip if you eat lobster
for breakfast lunch and dinner, and you
feel you could not eat any more lobster,
then it was a great success!
Back in Providenciales, with all the kite
shooting fun sessions down, and with
a couple of days left before leaving
the island, we decided to follow the locals’
ways and gave it a try to party with
them. Warm nights in Turks are alive!
Plenty of beach bars where people from

148
KITETRIP
Turks and Caicos, kiting to the sweet beat of the Caribbean’s

all around the world vibe to live island
rhythms, animated by that mix of Spanish-
Creole flavor that the locals have.
Quite the way to seal the trip, and with
no time or extra work we were back in
the US with memories for the book!

150
KITETRIP
Turks and Caicos, kiting to the sweet beat of the Caribbean’s

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154
GIRLPOWER
The Essence of a Female Kitesurfer
GIRL POWER
T HE ESSENCE OF A FEMALE KITESURFER
She is not afraid to rough it out with the guys in the harshest conditions and her
cupboard is readily stocked with bikinis, board shorts, sports bras and wetsuits;
ready for anything. Ready to take on the ocean! But she has also made a mental
note of each of these outfits and weighed out comfort vs. style and she has that
one lucky outfit which has it all. She is not afraid to let her hair blow in the wind
but she also determines the days she washes her hair according to the days that
there is wind. She uses her gear to the best of its ability, but also does her best to
carefully match her kite and board colours. Sometimes, just like the men, she has
no fear, but other times she has a struggle between taking risks and being careful.
Just like the guys, she gets frustrated when other riders cut her off or get in her
way, but most of the time she waves and politely smiles in her carefree way.
YOu knOW WhO I am taLkInG abOut, RIGht? a fEmaLE
kItEsuRfER Of cOuRsE!
She may need to take more than one Selfie before and after her session, and she
may take longer to get ready than some of the guys. But one thing that remains unchanged
between male and female kitesurfers is that the second they hit the water,
they are spellbound by the beauty of the sport and are more in the moment than
they have ever been before.
As kitesurfing grows, the female presence is growing rapidly too and women have
already made an impactful imprint on the sport. But since kitesurfing is still a relatively
“new” sport, the general public is sometimes not at all familiar with the notion
of a female Kitesurfer.
Personally, I get the most bizarre reactions from people when I tell them that I am a
Kitesurfer. People that do not know anything about the sport cannot believe that a
girl, never mind a petite girl like me, can do this sport! People often ask me if I am
scared that the kite might “take me away” and not bring me back to land! People
who do know a bit about kitesurfing will ask me if I can get up on the board yet.

Michelle Hayward
Photo: Bas Koole

156
GIRLPOWER
The Essence of a Female Kitesurfer
So it goes without saying that my experience of being a female in the kitesurfing
industry is that others – both men and women – often underestimate my riding ability.
But I like to make this work in my advantage when I show them what I can do
and what I have achieved in the sport. It is a great feeling being able to surprise
people like that. And that is what I love about being a kite girl – the ability to surprise
others with my talent and show other women that they can do the same!

I ASKED SOME OF THE OTHER FEMALE RIDERS OUT THERE TO TELL ME THEIR EX-
PERIENCE OF BEING A FEMALE KITESURFER:
JEssIca WInkLER,
kItE InstRuctOR (tuRks and caIcOs)
“Living in the Turks and
Caicos where the water
is shallow, warm and
safe we typically have an
equal number of women in
the water as men. Spending
the better part of ten
years surrounded by men
it gives new energy to the
sport with women around.
It takes the extreme out
of it and calms the sport
down into something fun
everyone can do. The sport
looks more approachable
when the whole family is
doing it. Being a female
in a male dominated sport
has given me the gift of
patience and understanding
when teaching. I know
how scared and intimidated
most women feel
when learning and I do
my best to ease their concerns.
A lot of the women
I’ve taught over the years
have even become good
friends of mine. It’s a wonderful
way to bond and
make new friends.”

158
GIRLPOWER
The Essence of a Female Kitesurfer
dIOnEIa VIEIRa,
3 x bRazILIan fREEstYLE chamPIOn (bRazIL)
“Being a girl in the kiteboarding
industry is getting
more and more interesting.
It's good to see
that we are slowly getting
closer and closer to the
guys level. I like the fact
that we girls have more to
show instead of only tricks
or bikini posing. We know
how to make people get
interested in kiting, especially
guys, haha!Because
they think "oh if SHE can
do it, I can for sure do it
as well,” that's called motivation,
and that's what I
like the most about being
a kite girl. I like to motivate
people to get into
the sport; I like to share
my passion with people.
Sharing is caring!”

kaYLEIGh smIth,
12 YEaRs OLd, nEW kItEsuRfER (sOuth afRIca)
“I love being a kite girl
because it gives me the
opportunity to let loose
and show people what I
am made. I love that I can
prove that a girl is capable
of anything. I love that
when you fall, it is usually
soft because the water
impact is softer than the
hard ground. My favourite
part is that my dad
pumps up my kite for me!
Even though I am new to
kitesurfing, I love it and
nothing can take this obsession
and deep desire
away – it will live on forever!”

160
GIRLPOWER
The Essence of a Female Kitesurfer
As with most extreme sports out there, the top kitesurfing men exceed at a higher
level than the top women. It is no lie that men are mostly stronger and bigger
built than women. But the remarkable thing about kitesurfing is that one does not
only rely on strength. Therefore women have the opportunity to excel using their
skills, careful timing and hours of practice. Women also bring a certain beauty to
the sport which goes way beyond just being a sex-symbol. They add a grace and
effortless style to this extreme sport in a way that men cannot. Seeing the sport
through their eyes provides a variety of new perspectives in which others will see
kitesurfing for years to come. Women showcase the sport in such a unique and colourful
way – and that is the essence of a female Kitesurfer!

162
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.

FOLLOWING HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS, ENNIO
CASTELLETTI INHERITED FROM HIS DAD
WERTHER, SAILMAKER AND HEAD OF THE RRD
RESEARCH AND DEvELOPMENT DEPARTMENT,
THE PASSION FOR THE SEA AND A PROFESSION
Ennio
CastEllEtti
sailmaker apprentice at his
dad Werther's Workshop
WHICH EvERYDAY TAKES HIM TO DEAL WITH NEW
MATERIALS AND EquIPMENT TO REPAIR. THEIR
SAILMAKER WORKSHOP, HTS KITE SAILMAKER, IS
IN CASERTA AND IS ONE OF THE MOST quALIFIED
IN ITALY FOR KITESuRF, WINDSuRF AND SuRF.
DAvID INGIOSI - PHOTO GIuSEPPE ESPOSITO

164
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.
Kiters have their toys: boards, bars and especially kites.
In short, that set of equipment through which they
practice one of the most beautiful sports in the world
that consists in sailing, planing, surfing waves, taking
breathtaking jumps and perform the most incredible
and fun aerial manoeuvres. They are simple accessories
to use, and probably today, the kitesurf equipment
represents the absolute synthesis for navigation, the
very essence of sailing, without any superfluity, hull,
rigging, or any excessive adjustments: a board, a kite
and a piloting bar. That’s it. If there is wind you can go,
everything else is just excitement, adrenaline, speed
and pure fun.

However, toys sooner or later break down after a continue
use, especially in the sea, which with its atmospheric
agents is like a grinder, salt, moisture, and sand
are a severe test for materials and equipment. Kitesurfing
is quite a wearing sport, and kiters often maul the
equipment due to the involved loads, the speed, the
powerful manoeuvres, and especially the falls, errors,
waves, the always lurking obstacles in the water just
like on the ground: a post, a rock, a buoy, a tree. As
good as one can be, and although modern equipment
guarantees high performances, sooner or later any rider
experiences a breakage: a stretched line, a punctured
bladder, a leading edge that explodes at the umpteenth
crash on water.

166
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.
DAMAGES TO EQUIPMENT. IF SMALL, DO-IT-YOURSELF
When that happens, there is no other way but to repair the
damage. In case of small breaks, like a micro puncture in
the ripstop, a hole in the bladder, a scratch on the board,
you can resort to do-it-yourself. Emergency kits are commercially
available and allow you to cope by yourself with
such problems and save the session. For example, kites
always come with a box with self-adhesive patches and
glue to always carry with you. For board repairs, there
are special tubes of epoxy and hardening resin that give
excellent results in just a few minutes so to continue the
session.
However, in case of more serious damages to the kites,
lines or boards, especially surf boards which are extremely
delicate, or in case of equipment periodical check and
maintenance, it is necessary to turn to an expert, or better
to a professional workshop.
Artisan and designer, Werther and his sailmaker workshop

One of the most qualified sailmakers for kitesurfing and
water sports in Italy is HTS Kite Sailmaker based in Caserta.
This famous workshop was created over 10 years ago
by Werther Castelletti, sailmaker master with an extensive
experience as a rider and technical-repairer, and Head of
the Research and Development Department of the international
brand Roberto Ricci Design since many years. He
is the one who contributes to the design of every kite, bar
and related lines of the entire range of products of the
globally known Italian brand. In other words a man who
combines his artisan skills to high-level designing, always
updated on materials, construction methods and the concept
of the ever-evolving equipment in this industry.
Werther Castelletti works on the state of the art of the
equipment, that is the design, a brain and highbrow activity
which requires knowledge of physics, aeronautics and
engineering, carried out today with the support of powerful
softwares for numerical calculation modelling. However,
for Werther this job roots in his craftsmanship repair

168
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.

workshop and completes the circle, by highly combining
brains to hands.
In the HTS Kite Sailmaker workshop, the repair-works represent
the routine. Any type of damage to kites, bladders,
stretched or broken lines, worn bar grips, undone panels,
loose valves, asymmetric bridles, chipped or delaminated
boards. Anything can be repaired or replaced in the technical
rooms of this workshop. In addition to kitesurf equipment
the sailmaker workshop specialises in windsurf and
surf equipment. In short the water sports universe at 360
degrees.
APPRENTICESHIP AT MY DAD'S, AN HONOUR FOR ME
A part from the owner, Werther Castelletti, for several
years now also his son Ennio has been working here. With
a dad like that, he couldn't but practice all these sports
himself and he started windsurfing when he was little. At
14 years old, he discovered kitesurfing and never let it go.
Today he's 20 and he's an unwearied rider. Just don't ask
him to use the twintip. Give him a 9 m Religion and he will
just chase waves to surf with his faithful Maquina 5'6. With
a degree in surveying and determined to follow his passion,
Ennio chose to work with his father to become a sailmaker
master himself. Ever since he was a teen, he would
hang around at the workshop, very attentive to suss out
with eyes and hands such a difficult and tiring job in some
ways. In fact, repairing a kite or a line requires precision,
concentration and uncommon skills. There are sewing machines
and needles and threads. Then there are customers,
orders and delivery terms that must be managed. Each
repair work is a challenge that can be mastered only with
time thanks to the study and the continuous dealing with
materials, stitchings, assembly, colours, graphics, glues
and cuts.
Ennio had to start his apprenticeship. Of course, being
his father's profession for him it literally meant doing it at
home, with a skilled master as a teacher, but nonetheless
he had to earn himself the job day by day, making mistakes
and learning from them. A long and necessary ap-

170
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.
prenticeship, but extremely fruitful which today made him
capable of managing the HTS Kite Sailmaker pretty much
by himself, considering his father's ongoing engagements
on different levels.
WE DO NOT PUT PATCHES, WE ARE PROFESSIONALS
"Quality works are our strength - says Ennio - we can professionally
repair any type of damage to kites, bars, lines
and boards as well as to windsurf sails and boards and surf
boards. As far as kites are concerned we are the RRD of-

ficial repairers and we also carry out all the repair works
under warranty of the Italian brand's customers, but we
can repair any kite, both pump and foil of any model and
year. Quality repair works mean that we do not apply
patches, but we entirely replace panels and bladders, we
have materials of any colour and we restore the original
design. We reconstruct bladders, struts and leading edges
with a specific heat sealer. As for the bars we replace the
grips, we review and reset the lines, redo the splices and
in case of damage, such as stretching or fraying, we en-

172
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.

tirely replace the lines, back, front, depower, bridles and
pre-lines".
The workshop has five specific sewing machine for sails,
the long arm ones, which allow to easily work on any part
of the fabric. Furthermore, it systematically stocks up of
the specific materials used for the standard series products:
state of the art ripstops, Dacron, bladders, monofilms,
laminates, seam threads, valves, strips and battens.
As far as the lines are concerned the workshop uses both
the ones of the related brands as well as their own product
specifically designed and tested which uses Kevlar
and exceptional state of the art unidirectional and prestretched
fibres.
MAIL ORDERS AND SHORT DELIVERY TIMES
"80% percent of our business is based on mail orders -
says Ennio - and we take orders from all over Italy as well
as from abroad, especially from Spain and England. Many
of our customers are schools, but also enthusiast riders
and athletes. Through our carriers network we can pick up
the item at the customer's, take it to the workshop, repair
it and re-deliver it within 7 - 10 days. The cost for a kite
repair work can vary from €40 in case of small damage
to €150 for a split in half kite. It gets back to new, both
in terms of sailing capacity and if one wants to re-sell on
the second-hand market. That's the difference between us
professionals and the classic handyman buddy who often
offers to repair equipment or even worse those small
repairmen, almost always improvised, who work on the
spots. Often our customers ask us to remedy the mistakes
of others. We guarantee our repair works, which are carried
out with precision machines subjected to testings.
And this also represents a guarantee for safety in a sport
that in certain conditions is extreme".
SOON A NEW WORKSHOP IN TUSCANY
The kiters' community grows by the year and there is
always work for sailmakers' businesses like HTS Kite Sailmaker.
Here, in addition to Werther and Ennio, there are
also Lino and Jimmy who, as it often happens in technical
workshops, can do a little of everything. However, in
addition to the one in Caserta, soon a new workshop will
open in Castiglione della Pescaia, Tuscany and it may start
dealing with boat sails too. "I will be personally in charge
of the workshop in Tuscany – explains Ennio - and at my
age it is a big responsibility, but after years of this work I

174
STORIES
Ennio Castelletti, sailmaker apprentice at his dad Werther's workshop.
feel pretty ready. In fact, I can't wait, also because wave
conditions there are better than the ones on our shores
and I will surely enjoy that".
That’s Ennio, who followed his father's footsteps and from
whom he inherited an important and somehow privileged
job, but above all he inherited the passion for life in the
sea and for water sports, the ones that you can’t help
wanting to feel on your skin, trying to keep it as salty as
possible.

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All photos Vincent Bergeron
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178
WAVE STRAPLESS
The Dark Flip
W ARNING: THIS MOv E CA
BECAu SE OF

N BE A DANGEROu S ONE
THE FINS.

180
WAVE STRAPLESS
The Dark Flip
1.
Start off by riding your board upside
down and backwards (tail first). Position
yourself on the back 1/3rd of the board
with your back foot close to the nose of
the board. Be sure to keep the tail (now
front) of the board from touching the water;
because of the reversed rocker the
board now has, you’ll need to put a lot of
back foot pressure to keep it up and out
of the water.
2.
You will start with slow to medium speed,
just enough to finish the move with
some forward momentum to ride away. If
possible, time your take off with a ‘kicker’
such as a small wave or chop to help
you initiate your jump, but be prepared
to add more tail pressure to raise the
tail of the board more out of the water to
compensate for the kicker and keep the
board from pearling
3.
The motion to spin the board is the same
motion used to do a “360-Shove it“.
use your back foot to kick the tail of the
board into the wind. The reverse rocker
of the nose will cause the board to turn
itself right side up and for you to land on
it going in the correct direction.
4.
Because the board spins 180 degrees
both vertically and horizontally, compared
to the “360-shove it“, you’ll need
additional space between yourself and
the board to keep it from hitting you,
so bend your knees a lot. The board will
land right side up and nose forward.

5.
Spot your landing and extend your legs
to land on your board and ride away.
tiPs:
This can be a very dangerous trick because
of the fins. If the tail of the board
catches, your feet can slip forward and
into the fins“ be prepared at any point to
pull and power up the bar to get up and
away from your board.
There is a lot of trial and error in learning
this trick, practice is the only way in
learning how much and how hard to spin
the board to make it land the correct way.

182
TUTORIAL STRAPLESS
Stealfish back roll
T u T O R I A L S T R A P L E S S
stalEFisH
BaCK Roll
K E A H I D E A B O I T I z

This is actually a trick that I just learned
pretty recently, or at least this variation
of it. Although it is quite a bit more difficult
then your standard grabbed backroll
with your front hand, when done right it
can feel really good as you can land with
much more speed and power when done
correctly.
For this one it’s going to be a little more
difficult figuring out the timing and how
to reach the grab at first but it will come
with practice over time
Although its not completely necessary if
you have a bit of a freestyle background,
it will make this trick much easier to
begin with. Ideally you want to be fairly
comfortable with most of the strapless
rotations already and have a good understanding
of how to pop without using
the kite too much for help.
This is also another trick where strong
wind is better. The more wind there is,
the easier it will be to keep the board
stuck to your feet as long as you keep

184
TUTORIAL STRAPLESS
Stealfish back roll
the bottom of the board constantly facing
the wind. I also recommend using
a kite with good depower as it will help
with the control through the trick.
s t e p 1 :
l ook for the right take off
For this trick you are going still going to
want a nice solid takeoff. Although it can
be done off flat water, it is much easier
to do off a chop or a small wave. I’d recommend
mixing it up and seeing what
works best for you but most people will
find this the easiest off a small wave at
first.
s t e p 2 :
t ake off
Approach the ramp with speed with your
kite around 10 or 11 o’clock. Put your front
hand in the middle of the bar with your
index finger and your middle finger either
size of the depower line. Because
only your front hand is going to remain
on the bar, the kite will naturally want
to turn down once you reach for the grab
so you need to try time this as good as
possible or its going to result in a hard
landing or a good crash. Edge hard and
stomp on your back foot while pulling
the bar in to get as much height as possible.
Since you will actually be letting go
of your back hand, you can send the kite
a little on this rotation but I wouldn’t
bring it past 12 o’clock. If you’re doing
this off a chop, you will want to look for
the steepest part of the chop to take off.
This takes time to perfect, but will become
easier with practice.
s t e p 3 :
s tart the rotation
As you leave the water, look over your
front shoulder and bring your front leg
up to your chest to start the rotation.
Ideally you will want to rotate slightly off
axis so that your board ends up slightly
above your head through the middle part
of the rotation. Try and make sure the
bottom of the board maintains constant
contact with the wind throughout the rotation.
Even though you will be grabbing
the board this will help with control.
s t e p 4 :
g rabbing the board
Right as you reach the middle of the rotation,
take your back hand off the bar
start reaching for the grab as you reach
the apex of your jump. For a Stalefish
Grab you actually want to keep your back
knee bent and grab it slightly in front of
your back foot on the heelside rail. It will
feel unnatural at first but it will become
easier with practice. Make sure hold off
until at least half way through the rota-

tion until grabbing or you will most likely
redirect the kite too early causing you
to land very hard.
s t e p 5 :
b ringing it back around
Now that you’re grabbing, keep looking
over your shoulder and continue the rotation
while holding the grab for as long
as possible until you complete the rotation.
Try and keep your front hand as centered
as possible with the bar sheeted
out to help with stability and not landing
to fast. Also note that the board still
travels on an axis that is constantly facing
the wind
p ossible d angers:
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 you.
Be very aware of your kite positioning.
If you are not paying attention it can be
easy to pull too hard too early causing
the kite to downloop or bring you to the
water very quickly.
Always be careful performing any tricks
in shallow water as it can be easy to
come disconnected from the board and
land hard on a shallow sand bank.
s t e p 6 :
l anding
Once you’re close to the water spot your
landing and release the grab while starting
to slowly sheet the bar back in. Slowly
extend your legs back out to keep the
board on your feet then as you hit the
water, bend your knees once again to
absorb the impact. If done correctly you
should land with speed so pull in on the
bar and put your other hand back on to
ride away clean

186
EVENTS
LET’S GO TO THE WINDFEST 2017
EvENTS
let’s go to the
Windfest 2017
From 28th to 30th July 2017
The Cool Bay Resort invites you to the WindFest, first edition
of the event organized by the kiter Erik volpe with the
support of Claudia Guzmàn with a special formula which
for three days puts together sport, music, shows and a lot
of fun. Set in the beautiful location of Gizzeria Lido (Calabria),
the event boasts an exceptional guest, Ruben Lenten
who on top of being a worldwide kitesurf icon is also a
music enthusiast and he will be taking the stage as a DJ
to make you dance the night away. Ruben will also present
his new board and it will be possible to try it for the first
time ever. However the public will be the true protagonist
of this event as it will be able to take part to boarder cross
competitions, which is a funny kitesurf discipline on a
course with inflatable hurdles to jump over, test the equipment
of the present brands with their stands, volleyball
and basketball tournaments and entertainments. Kitesoul
Magazine will also be there! Follow the WindFest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/windfestit/?fref=ts.

188
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
Product focus
EMOTION MK3
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Text & photo: RRD Courtesy
SIZES: 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 10.5 - 12 - 14.5 - 17
FEATURES
kite.
connection

The EMOTION MK3 is a one-
turning speed, stability and boosting
power while at the same
time being something practical
that packs 20% smaller than a
conventional three strut kite.
The kite is very easy to handle,
that you can ride it a size smaller
than other kites. The Emotion
MK3 has a redesigned body
window. A lightweight, simple,
clean and easy to use kite with
exceptional relaunch ease is the
tion
MK3.
low winds, gusty winds and
overpowered conditions while
maintaining exceptional relaunching,
was a design challenge.
The decision to offer a new thril-
on the water was an easy one.
It is truly amazing how compact
this kite is and how little wind it
-
the sport.
kiteboarding has just started.

190
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
Product focus
JUICE V4
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Text & photo: RRD Courtesy
sizes: 41x138 cm - 42x140 cm - 43x143 cm
that want to megaloop like Jerrie
van de Kop, throw doubles
like Alex Neto or grind like Chris
Bobryk: hereby we present you
the Juice V4. You’ll love the Jui-
-
-
ders, kickers and rails and can
ks.
RRD’s non-stop research and

development, and with a philo-
envelope, we have redesigned
and integrated even more up-
estyle
team better.

192
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
New FEATURES:
through a more explosive pop, increased speed control and reduced vibration.
turning the board stronger and stiffer to make you pop like a boss as well as giving you more stability
and control on landings.
cable park.
choppy water.
10% weight reduce.
STANDARD FEATURES:
speed, grip and tracking capabilities.

194
PRODUCT FOCUS
F-One
Product focus
BREEZE V1
www.f-onekites.com
Text & photo: F-ONE Courtesy
SIZES/range:
11m² : 13m² :
8>22knots 8>18+knots
15m² :
8>16 knots
plines
offered by our sport is
possibilities. The swift develop-
-
the ride.
This year we have used all the
partment
to offer a kite desi-
light wind riding: the BREEZE V1.
we wanted the BREEZE V1 to be:
-
- Able to depower to keep con-
-
your speed and acceleration
- Easy to re-launch even in light
winds.

CARATTERISTICHE
D E S I G N
We have decided to save some
struts. The BREEZE V1 is there-
ratio is reduced to make the kite
more stable and limit both ac-
is completely new as it needs to
deliver both power and control.
light wind kite. It takes our designer’s
knowledge to achieve
some depower without altering
The wingtips are wide which
helps with maneuverabili-
backward relaunch. We have
patches to save as much weight
wind re-launch. The kite is compatible
with BANDIT kite bars.
The bridle is new as well with 4
side. The BREEZE V1 is available
on wAter
amazingly reassuring thanks to
its great stability in a straight
maneuvers. When riding, the
kite seems to reach its maximum
speed quite early on and
then stops accelerating. This is
when one knows the high de-
-
progressive leading to more
neuverability
lets you place this
making progress much easier
which lets you take support
lance.
Re-launch is made super
easy thanks to its light weight
and backward re-launch ability,
situations in light winds.
Other disciplines - All the qualities
highlighted above make it a
great learning kite with a twin-
and its constant traction is re-
this kite make it really efficient

196
PRODUCT FOCUS
Naish
Product focus
DASH - FREESTYLE/FREERIDE
www.naishkites.com
Text & photo: Naish Courtesy
SIZES:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
-
vocabulary, then this is the
engaged riders, the Dash is a
re-kiter
with the skills to unlock
its strengths.
Not easily tamed, the Dash ge-
ple
bar pressure and more di-
turning, this kite is built to
move. Active kiters that like to
keep their kite moving will appreciate
the quick steering and
For those that push the limits,
-
a little challenge, the Dash is
dedicated to you.

features

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