Kitesoul Magazine #22 International Edition

EVENTs Red Bull King of the Air 2018
AdVENTUREs Nomads of the wind
TRIP Brazil | Indonesia | Safaga
KITECAMPS Sardinia | Sicily by catamaran
PRODUCT FOCUS RRD Bliss V5 & Religion MK8
Cabrinha: Kites & Boards 2018

Photo: frankiebees.com, Rider: E. Jaspan
NaishKiteboarding naish_kiteboarding naishkites.com
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Alby Rondina
James Boulding
FX
Freestyle / Crossover
XCAL WOOD
All Around
Performance Freestyle

FREESTYLE
Liam Whaley
XCAL CARBON
Competition Freestyle
CHAOS
Advanced Freestyle /
Wakestyle
See all the new gear at cabrinhakites.com

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
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018
TWO-MONTHLY
Texts
David Ingiosi, Michelle "Sky" Hayward,
Michael Charavin, Matt Elsasser, Kari
Schibevaag, Renato Casati, Charlotte
Consorti, Alby Rondina.
Photos
David Ingiosi, Michelle "Sky" Hayward,
David Daniels, Antonio Marques, Michael
Charavin, Joël Blanchemain, Francisco
Mattos, Kari Schibevaag, Laci Kobulsky,
Red Bull, RRD, F-One, Cabrinha, Naish,
Core.
Cover:
Rider: Alberto Rondina
Photo: Laci Kobulsky
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!

David Ingiosi
Reasons why kiting in
winter is good for you
For sure, intense cold, snow and rain aren’t ideal for kitesurfing, a discipline that by its
nature recalls tropical beaches of white sand, sun, palm trees and clear blue seas. However,
we must face the cycle of seasons and unless one lives on the equator line, sooner or
later winter will come. What then? Go out on the water or stay home? Winter sessions are
certainly challenging and the cold can become an unsurmountable stumbling rock. During
colder months, many riders go into hibernation, focusing their sessions during the
rest of the year or perhaps going on an exotic holiday to hotter destinations. Many clubs
and the majority of kitesurfing schools in cold countries follow the same philosophy and
they stop during the winter.
Yet, if you go to Northern Europe or the United States you find that even in winter the
kiters' community is pretty active. For example, French, Dutch or English kiters forced to
long, harsh winters, surely do not wait for spring or summer to get into the water. Not to
mention the Germans, Swiss or Austrians who stoically face their icy lakes all year round.
At the top of those who do not care at all about the cold are the pro riders dedicated to
their competitive activity. Indeed, although most competitions are held in spring and
summer, the competitive season starts in March and those athletes who want to get there
ready cannot avoid to train also during those colder months.
But in addition to the pro riders there is a fair number of enthusiasts that don't even think
of keeping their boards dry during the winter and despite the cold temperatures continue
sailing. And so they should. In fact, winter sessions offer a number of opportunities that
should never be underestimated:
Stronger winds due to perturbations
During the winter season, thanks to the disrupted weather, wind statistics along any
coast sees a surge of favourable conditions for kitesurfing. Not only, but the more active
swells give place to an incredibly attractive environment for wave enthusiasts and not
just them.
Difficult conditions help you improve
Riding with strong wind in a big swell it is not for everyone, but it is the starting line to
get some experience and develop those necessary skills to feel comfortable also in such
conditions.

The cold measures your passion up
Daring the cold gives you the measure of your passion for this sport so much so that you
just do it all year round. Furthermore, winter sessions always have something epic in
them and are often the best ones to remember.
Try new spots
The winter season takes you to explore isolated and wild coasts and perhaps find new
spots where you can practice. In fact, some spots only "work" during the cold season because
of the more active ventilation. And those who don’t kite during this time of the year,
won't ever surf in them, simple as that.
The luxury of solitude
If you can brave the cold, the luxury of solitude is the great reward. “Few good riders” is
the prevailing motto during the winter, free to fully and safely enjoy the spots. Forget the
summer crowds.
Really, going out on the sea in the winter can be beautiful, adventurous and rewarding,
but not a piece of cake. Hypothermia is always lurking unless you wear proper protection,
this is also due to the so-called wind chill, which is the index of body cooling. What
happen is, the wind blowing at a given speed, increases the perception of the cold on the
human body: for example, if there are 17 knots and an outside temperature of 4 degrees
C°, the person under that wind will feel an outside temperature (that's wind chill) of -10
degrees C°. And let’s not talk about the freezing water.
However, technical clothing for kitesurf enthusiasts have reached extraordinary levels of
protection and comfort and allow to ride even under extreme conditions: wetsuits, watertight
oilskin jackets, spray tops, windproof vests, wetsuit boots, gloves and headgear all
made of neoprene effectively insulate from the cold and the elements. All you need is get
in the water and unload a passion that is stronger than the cold.
We are no snowmen, we are riders...
Art by Ardoq www.ardoq.space
kitersoze.threadless.com

SUMMARY
PORTFOLIO
FREESTYLE
KING OF THE AIR 2018
18 30 36
Carlos Mario and Bruna
Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL
Freestyle champions
King Kevin is on the sky
one more time
JOURNEYS
JOURNEYS
KITECAMP
66
Indonesian Taste
76
Kitesoul awaits you at
the Sardinia Kite Camp
2018!
82
Kite Catamaran Camp in
Sicily
INITIATIVES
COMMUNICATION AT SEA
CONTEST
134
One Shot, the photo
contest on a kitesurf in
Salento
136
BbTALKIN’: COACHING TO
THE NEXT LEVEL
142
XR5 Big Air Challenge:
here are the winners!

FLORIDA TO BAHAMAS EVENTS ADVENTURES
44 48 54
Damien LeRoy and the
Epic Adventures crew set
a new world record!
IKA launches the SnowKite
World Cup
NEXT TO THE NORTH
POLE
ADVENTURES
SAFAGA SPOT
KITE TRIP
90
Nomads of the wind
102
Portfolio ProKite Villa: how about
a surf house in paradise
118
Portfolio The Unknown Side of
Brazil
TECNIQUE
FOCUS
146
Surfboard essentials: a
thoughtful guide to the
choice of the object of
desire
162
RRD BLISS|RELIGION
CANRINHA

18
PORTFOLIO
Alberto Rondina
RIDER: ALBERTO RONDINA
PHOTO: TOBY BROMWICH

20 PORTFOLIO
DAVID TONIJUAN
RIDER: DAVID TONIJUAN
PHOTO: F-One Courtesy

22 PORTFOLIO
ADEURI CORNIELL
RIDER: ADEURI CORNIELL
PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA

24 PORTFOLIO
JOSHUA EMANUEL
RIDER: JOSHUA EMANUEL
PHOTO: Core - Courtesy

26 PORTFOLIO
CARL FERREIRA
RIDER: CARL FERREIRA
PHOTO: HIGH LIGHT PROD

30
FREESTYLE
Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL Freestyle champions
CARLOS MARIO
AND BRUNA KAJIYA
CROWNED 2017
WKL FREESTYLE
CHAMPIONS
The Brazilians riders Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya dominated
the Elite League season held in Leucate (France), Texel
(Netherlands), Akyaka (Turkey), El Gouna (Egypt) and Cumbuco
(Brazil). Unfortunately, the wind conditions were mediocre in
two or three events, which eventually led to a less competitive
world circuit. Nevertheless, it was possible to crown new world
champions. "At the beginning of the championship in France, I
was worried because I had an injury at my arm and was able to
compete but I didn't train beforehand. Nevertheless, I was surprised
with my performance," explained Carlos Mario, who won
his second world title.
"I really enjoyed the structure of the events and the new format
that gives more excitement to the spectators. The use of the
live stream changed the real-time disclosure of the sport and,
with that, the sport is more recognized."
On the women's side, Bruna Kajiya imposed her experience and

32
FREESTYLE
Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL Freestyle champions

secured her third world title. The Brazilian wonder woman is
stronger and more creative than ever in her freestyle approach.
"This was my goal, and this is my dream. It's been incredible,
and I never dreamed I would get so far. I feel so fortunate to be
doing what I love, what I have so much passion for, and to be
able to do it well and share that with other people is amazing,"
added Bruna Kajiya.
2017 has been incredible for the Italian rider Francesca Bagnoli,
after she managed to qualify for the Elite League after our
first event in Leucate. This is her first year competing full-time
and she has showed some amazing progress and talent. Several
podium finishes have led her to achieve 3rd place overall for
2017. We are looking forward to seeing plenty more from this
young Italian rider!
“This was an awesome year for me. I’ve always dreamt to be one
of the top riders in the world and finally, after all the training
and sacrifices, my dream came true. I still cannot believe that
I’m sharing the podium with 2 amazing girls and strong riders
as Bruna and Annabel. I didn’t expect that from my first year

34
FREESTYLE
Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL Freestyle champions
2017 WORLD KITEBOARDING LEAGUE | TOP 3
Men
1. Carlos Mario (BRA)
2. Liam Whaley (ESP)
3. Set Teixeira (BRA)
Women
1. Bruna Kajiya (BRA)
2. Annabel van Westerop (NED)
3. Francesca Bagnoli (ITA)
WKL 2017

in the Elite League but all the hard work has been
paid off. Thanks to that result next year I will still
able to compete in the Elite League and I’m even
more motivated to improve my riding and do better
in competition", Francesca Bagnoli said.

36
KING OF THE AIR 2018
King Kevin is on the sky one more time
KING
IS ON THE SKY ONE MORE TIME

Testo e Immagini: Michelle "Sky" Hayward

38
KING OF THE AIR 2018
King Kevin is on the sky one more time
This year, the “Kitesurfing event of the year” the Red Bull
King of the Air, took place over 2 days, the windiest days
during the two-week waiting period. Round one, which
took place on Saturday 27th January saw expected results
from 2 x King of the Air winner Aaron Hadlow, as
he managed a Megaloop Frontroll Board-Off in his first
heat and advanced straight into round 4. It also saw an
expected result of Ruben Lenten being eliminated from
the competition.
Besides the venue change, the event had another huge
improvement this year in the form of safety. Last year,
when Lewis Crathern had his huge crash which landed
him in a coma for two weeks, his only rescue was fellow
riders who dragged him to the beach. This year, though
there were no major wipeouts or injuries, the rescue crew
was ready for anything. From jet-skis constantly in the
water to boats waiting at the water’s edge, they were able
to reach the riders within seconds.
The anticipated second and final day of the event took
place during late afternoon on Wednesday 31st January.
The competitors had been ready since lunchtime, but
the competition director wanted to wait until the wind
reached its peak strength at 35 knots.
No one could have predicted the results of the event,
since it took many unexpected twists and turns during
the 4 hours of competition time. The first heat between
Joshua Emanuel, Oswald Smith and Jesse Richman was
a prime example of this. Oswald, who won the “Mystic
Move of the Day” prize last year, attempted the famous
KGB Megaloop and Board-Off Megaloop but after too
many “butt-checks” and crash landings, he was not able
to advance through to the next round and was flagged
out of the competition. Jesse Richman won this first heat
with his sheer determination and crowd-pleasing spirit.
He also had a few crash landings, but every time he
recovered quickly, waving to the crowd throughout and
then going bigger and bigger with each jump.
With 16-year-old Tom Bridge eliminated from the compe-

40
KING OF THE AIR 2018
King Kevin is on the sky one more time
tition on the first day, it made room for local Kitebeach
rider, Ross Dillion Player to shine as the new youngest rider
at just 18 years old. Ross went all out in his heat during
round 3 by performing his signature Megaloops and even
unhooking, which is something you don’t see from all the
competitors. He even surprised himself by landing a triple
Frontroll Megaloop! Unfortunately, he was placed in
a tough heat against Liam Whaley and Marc Jacobs and
did not make it to the next round. Liam Whaley won this
heat and his freestyle background shone through as he
accomplished his tricks not only high, but often unhooked
too. Liam also managed to win his next heat against Lewis
Crathern and Sam Light and advanced to round 5.
Round 5 comprised of 3 heats with just 2 riders in each
heat. The winner of each heat would go through to the
sought-after final. Lewis Crathern went big and quickly
secured himself a spot in the final in his heat against
Jesse Richman. The next heat was against newcomer
Liam Whaley and old favourite Aaron Hadlow. They
both seemed to perform equally well, and it was anyone’s
guess as to who would creep through into the final. Liam
once again performed his high unhooked Megaloops and
Handlepasses, with some of the smoothest landings in
the event. But then Aaron Hadlow came through with
his signature Megaloop KGB and then jumped onto his
board with straps and did the newly introduced Megaloop
Board-Off. The Spanish crowd on the beach went wild
when it was announced that their Liam Whaley was the
winner of the heat. But die-hard Aaron Hadlow fans were
absolutely devastated and shocked to see the 2 x King of
the Air winner eliminated. The last semi-final was against
Kevin Langeree and Steven Akkersdijk. Both seemed to
perform equally well but with Kevin gaining more jumps
and performing the new Megaloop Board-Off, this always
friendly crowd-pleaser won his heat.
The nail-biting final between Liam Whaley, Lewis Crathern
and dad-to-be Kevin Langeree took place at around
7pm. This was not a problem as the Cape Town sun only

starts to set at 8pm. At the start of the event the beach
had only a few people sitting here and there but by the
time of the final people had finished work and the beach
was laced with thousands of spectators, all standing as
close to the water’s edge as possible. The commentators
even had to ask the people to step away from the water
as they were getting in the way of the rider’s caddies who
were often running up and down the beach with extra
boards and kites.
We did not see any record-breaking winds or skyscraper
waves as hoped. With the wind between 25 – 35 knots
and the waves meagre in size, the competitors did their
best to make it work. Throughout the event, riders were
judged on the height of their jumps, which took up 70% of
their score, as well as the extremity of their moves which
counted for 30% of their score. So, the moves had to be
as high as possible, but also as extreme yet controlled as
possible. Lewis Crathern probably had some of his best
heats of his life and really impressed the crowds and
judges throughout the competition, though during the final
he was just not on his game. He struggled to find the
perfect waves to boost off and with the wind slowly dying
down, he struggled to get the necessary height out of
his jumps. He changed his kite halfway through his heat,
but it wasn’t enough to get him a spot in the top two. He
was flagged out, leaving Kevin Langeree and Liam Whaley
to battle it out in the last 4 minutes of the final, where
the top three jumps would be scored. Both riders went
all out, making Megaloops, Board-Offs and smooth landings
look like a walk in the park. With jumps every minute,
both competitors were riding at their very best level.
Kevin Langeree showed extreme control, yet Liam Whaley
showed variety. It truly was a battle between new and
old. New, lesser known rider Liam Whaley, with his newschool
unhooked tricks; and the well-known Kevin Langeree
with his old-school Board-Offs and a rider who has
been in the spotlight for ages.
Just after the final, as the sun was going down the prize

42
KING OF THE AIR 2018
King Kevin is on the sky one more time

giving took place. Thousands of people, all with cameras
flashing, huddled tightly around the podium in anticipation
of the results. They announced the positions as the
riders were walking up the beach. We already knew Lewis
Crathern was in third, but second and first was anyone’s
guess. As the riders were still on their way to the podium,
it was announced that Liam Whaley was second and the
new reigning King of the Air was Kevin Langeree! Each of
the top three riders took their place on the podium to receive
their prizes.
But then there was a twist in the tale. They asked the riders
to please leave the podium and for Aaron Hadlow to
take his place on the podium instead! Aaron was winning
the “Mystic Move of the Day” prize, winning a cheque for
$1 000 and putting at ease the hearts of the die-hard
Aaron Hadlow fans who so badly wanted to see him in
the final. Then finally it was time for the top three to take
their rightful places on the podium. Kevin first ran over to
kiss his girlfriend and then proudly received his King of
the Air mask. Maybe this was a testament to the saying
“slow and steady wins the race.” As Kevin has won this
competition before and has been training in these Cape
Town conditions for years. It goes without saying that his
child will be born proud of his determined, hard-working
dad!
The night ended off with the top three, Lewis, Liam and
Kevin, spraying champagne from the podium, leaving
windblown camera crews and Red Bull fuelled spectators
running for cover and making their way to their chosen
destination for the celebrations.

44
FLORIDA TO BAHAMAS
Damien LeRoy and the Epic Adventures crew set a new world record!
DAMIEN LEROY AND THE EPIC
ADVENTURES CREW SET A NEW
WORLD RECORD!
Photo: David Daniels & Antonio Marques

On Saturday, December 16th, history was made
as Nick Ziegler, Rich Gardner and Damien
LeRoy were the first to kiteboard through the
Gulf Stream, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from
Pompano Beach in Florida to Bimini, in the
Bahamas, by hydrofoil. It was an international
adventure and a challenge never attempted
before on a foil!
Conditions that day were questionable, but the
team was ready for action. A small cold front
was passing through but the big question was
when would it hit? The Florida marine forecast
showed winds of 10 to 15 knots and a one to
two foot swell and, at 12:24pm, Nick hit the water
in winds of just 5mph! It was tricky, but not
impossible, to keep a kite in the sky and so
the challenge was on with Nick, Rich & Damo
all riding 15 metre Cabrinha Contra kites and
getting up on their foils.
Everyone questioned whether they would make
it one mile, let alone 63 miles to the Bahamas,
and then during the four plus hour-adventure
they fought cramps, marginal winds, excessive
winds, tankers, clumps of seaweed, and the
nagging wonderment at what might be lurking
below. After a tough slog, the three adventurers
made landfall at 4:41pm on the beautiful
beaches of Bimini Sands Resort. They covered
the full 63 miles distance in 4 hrs 17 minutes,
landing at Bimini Sands in the Bahamas all in
one piece and fully stoked!

46
FLORIDA TO BAHAMAS
Damien LeRoy and the Epic Adventures crew set a new world record!
RICH GARDNER
AGE 56
"I AM GETTING TOO OLD FOR BREAKING GUINNESS RECORDS! I
STARTED CRAMPING ON THE FIRST DIVE OF THE KITE!"
NICK ZIEGLER
AGE 30
"I JUST WANTED TO PROVE THAT IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO
SOMETHING AND ACCOMPANIED THAT WITH PRIDE, DETERMINA-
TION AND HARD WORK YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING."
DAMIEN LEROY
AGE 36
"TIME IS SO PRECIOUS, LIVE NOW AS TOMORROW MAY NEVER
COME! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE."

Saturday, December 16th 2017
Leaving from: NE 16th street / Pompano Beach, Florida
Arrival: Bimini Sands Resort Marina / Bimini, Bahamas
Total time: 4:17min
Total miles: 63.4
RIDERS
Nick Ziegler
Rich Gardner
Damien LeRoy
TEAM
Grace Gonzalez: Video Productions
Antonio Marques: Marketing, Drone
David Daniels: Photographer
Chelsea Mercedes: Logistics Coordinator
Keith Willard: Captain
Mike Meskauskas: Transportation/GPS
Find out more about the Epic Adventures posse at
www.epicadventuresfl.com or http://damienleroy.com

48
EVENTS
IKA launches the SnowKite World Cup
IKA LAUNCHES THE
SNOWKITE WORLD CUP
THE INTERNATIONAL KITEBOARDING ASSOCIATION (IKA)
ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF THE INAUGURAL SNOWKITE WORLD
CUP 2018.

50
EVENTS
IKA launches the SnowKite World Cu
The new snow kiteboarding series will feature three
events held in Reschensee and Roccaraso in Italy,
and Erciyes in Turkey. The IKA is working with WISSA
(World Ice and Snow Sailing Association) to get the
circuit up and running.
The 2018 SnowKite World Cup will include three disciplines:
Course Racing, Long Distance/Cross-Country,
and Formula GPS.
The Course Racing will be comprised of standard
windward/leeward races similar to sailing.
The Long Distance/Cross-Country is a snowkiting
marathon taking place in the ups and downs of the
mountains.
The Formula GPS is a freeride race in which competitors
collect points depending on the use of the
racing area, covered distance, altitude and other
variables.

IKA also plans to run Freestyle exhibition events
whenever weather conditions permit. The 2018
SnowKite World Cup kicks off on January 26, in Italy.

52
EVENTS
IKA launches the SnowKite World Cu
2018 SNOWKITE WORLD CUP | SCHEDULE
- Reschensee, Lago Di Resia, Italy
Course Racing, Long Distance | 26-28 January
- Alto Sangro, Abruzzo, Italy
Cross Country, Formula GPS | 14-18 February
- Erciyes/Kayseri, Turkey
Course Racing, Long Distance, Formula GPS | 22-25 March

54
ADVENTURES
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE
NEXT TO THE
NORTH POLE
In the far north of our planet, deep in the Arctic
Circle, you'll find the archipelago of Svalbard. The
islands are so far north that the sun never sets
there for much of the year and so, when the stars
aligned and years of planning came to fruition, Kari
Schibevaag and four friends travelled to the islands
and the Svalbard Snowkite Expedition – Green Wind
– was born.
TESTO: KARI SCHIBEVAAG | FOTO: KARI SCHIBEVAAG E FRANCISCO MATTOS

Svalbard is technically part of Norway
but it sits hundreds of miles to the north of the
mainland and is actually closer to the North
Pole than it is to the Norwegian capital of Oslo.
There you'll find an arctic climate, breath-taking
frozen landscapes, dangerous animals and
changeable weather. When tourists think of Norway
many mistakenly imagine a snow-covered
land in which polar bears and reindeers roam
the streets. In Svalbard though, that’s a reality.
For a few years, I and four of my friends had
been toying with a question. Could Svalbard be
crossed using the power of the wind? In April of
this year we finally got the chance to find out for
ourselves. This was the result of two and a half
years of planning and this would be no normal
kite trip so there was a lot to organise. My friend
Tom and I had discussed this dream of ours for
a while but Lars, Jørgen and Cecilie shared our
vision and the five of us became the Green Wind
Expedition Team!
Our crew was varied but everyone was up to the
challenge. Tom is an experienced snow kiter
and an expert in sports medicine as well as an
instructor with me at Arctic Kite Camps, I myself
have kited in the arctic circle numerous times
and Lars has crossed Greenland and is a search
and rescue worker in northern Norway. Cecilie
had only been kiting for three years when the
expedition began but she's also crossed Greenland
herself and Jørgen's also an experienced
instructor with 10 years of kiting under his belt

56
ADVENTURES
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE
so it was a crew to be reckoned with.
In Svalbard, there's a genuine risk of encountering
a real predator - the polar bear and so you
need to know how to handle a gun when traveling
around the islands. The polar bears move
around hunting for food and you don't want to
run into them if you can avoid it.
You also need permits to be able to travel around
in the area where we wanted to kite and these
take time to sort out. Looking at the statistics for
the wind directions in previous seasons, the prevailing
winds are easterlies and south easterlies
and so, as our goal was to move from south to
north this would have to be taken into account.
We had to practise everything from kiting with
a heavy sledge to falling into crevasses, handling
and firing a gun and setting up a camp
in a snowstorm. We had to know we could survive
in temperatures as low as -35°C and that we
would be properly equipped with the right gear
and enough food to last 20 days in such a harsh
environment. All of this took time but 20 days in
a sub-zero wilderness is a serious challenge and
one we had to be truly ready for.
I must admit that, above everything, polar bears
were constantly on my mind as we prepared to
leave for Svalbard. They're unpredictable animals
and can appear at a moment's notice day
or night. We'd be taking turns to stand guard for
them at night with our shotgun at hand should
we need it and the reality was setting in.
Hurtigruten Svalbard would be taking us and our
90kg sleds to the south of Spitsbergen by snowmobile
to where our journey would begin. Once

the snowmobiles left us the reality sunk in. After
years of preparation, we were alone on the ice
and this was happening.
It was at this point I started asking myself a
question which would become a running theme
throughout the expedition. 'Why am I doing this
to myself?'
The first day and night were the longest of the
whole expedition. Imagine you are kiting across
a moonlike expanse of snow populated by 2000
camouflaged, and hungry predators and you can
get an idea of how it felt. What would I do if we
encountered one?
We started out with no wind, but we had amazing
weather and a clear blue sky. This gave us
the chance to test out our gear and we spent the
first day walking on our skis, dragging our sleds
and refining our routines that would be essential
during the trip.
Our daily progress would be determined by wind
conditions, avalanches, and polar bears and we
planned to camp on glaciers where the bears
would be less likely to show up. In the last few
years, polar bears have changed their movement
patterns in search of more food due to the fast receding
polar sea-ice which makes them particularly
dangerous. Svalbard is a place where you
can see this particular effect of climate change
first hand.
The second day brought light wind but enough
to kite for a couple of hours and we walked for
much of the day. Pulling our sleds was already
becoming a grind and I started wondering how
I'd cope if the wind never came and we had to

58
ADVENTURES
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE

complete our entire journey on foot.
Luckily, our two hours of wind had come through
just as we encountered sea ice and kiting for a
while lifted our spirits. Before descending the
glacier down to the sea, we had counted more
than 30 grey seals on the ice, a sign that we were
in polar bear territory, so we set a goal of pushing
on across the ice while the going was good until
we reached the abandoned mining town of Svea
where we'd hopefully be able to get some sleep
in safety.
Everything was going fine at first as the wind
propelled us across the ice. Halfway to Svea, we
spotted some greyer, wet patches of ice which
is a sign that the ice was thin and then, before
we knew what was happening, Cecilie had gone
through into the water with her skis and sledge
still attached. We were now in a real emergency
situation.
Cecilie remained calm (as best as she could)
while the team sprang into action and Jørgen
and Lars crawled forward to rescue her from the
freezing water. We had practised for this but Cecilie’s
kite lines had already frozen into the ice so
we couldn't use them to pull her from the water
and so we had to use ropes instead to pull her
free. Once Cecilie was out of the water she was
dangerously cold so we quickly redressed her in
dry clothes before bundling her into a sleeping
bag in an emergency camp. Tom already had
water on the boil and we packed her hypothermic
body with hot water bottles and took stock
of our situation.
We were still in the middle of the ice where the
polar bears hunt, we were unable to move and
the situation was about to worsen as a snowstorm
closed in around us. There was now no
time to secure the camp properly and, instead,
we spent all night fighting against the storm and
the cold, wet conditions.
I've never been so afraid as I was during my twohour
guard against the polar bears that night.
Visibility was limited to 1 metre and the very real
risk of a polar bear looming out of the whiteout
conditions felt all too real to me. By six in the
morning, the storm had weakened and visibility
was returning and we had a chance to make a
break for it. The wind was still on so we were able
to kite the rest of the way with me towing Cecilie
while Jørgen and Tom pulled double sledges.
It was heavy, but we were going to reach Svea
whatever happened.
Looking back, the day when Cecilie fell through
the ice had taken a lot out of us and it seemed to
me that the fact that we'd been in such a rush to
get to Svea had made us overly keen to get out
on the sea ice. Contrasts are what make a journey
special though and, after a crisis like that, the
next few days felt like paradise in comparison.

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Everything we had dreamed of suddenly came
to be with bright yellow sun, the clearest blue sky
we had ever seen and steady winds.
There was now just one problem; the wind was
coming from completely the wrong direction
and straight in our faces. We were having to
cross upwind and uphill, covering a lot of ground
but not in the direction we wanted to go in. It
was tough going but eventually we managed to
reach our next campsite and our morale lifted.
We set up our camp on a beautiful spot, left our
kites outside the tent ready for the next day and
settled down to eat. Our troubles and tribulations
dropped away and I was instantly amazed at how
your mood can shift once your circumstances
improve. We were happy campers once more!
However, the wind dropped the next day and
we had to scale a mountain on foot to see if we
would find wind on the other side of it. This is
no mean feat dragging a heavy sled and it was
starting to take its toll.
The wind didn't show and so, after days of walking,
we set up camp close to the sea ice on the
east side of Svalbard for what would be our absolute
coldest night with temperatures dropping
down to minus 35°C. Waking up after only two
hours sleep to take your turn on polar bear watch
was a grind, although an entirely necessary one,
but the relentless misery of the process as you
crawled back into cold damp clothes was taking
its toll and even trying to relieve oneself was a
near impossibility in such cruel temperatures.
And, if matters weren't bad enough, this was
when our second incident struck when one of
our burners blew up causing one of the tents to
catch fire. Suddenly the front of the tent just exploded
as the roof quickly melted away and Lars
threw the burner from the tent as Cecilie, who

thankfully had been sitting away from it, took
cover in the rear of the tent.
Luckily neither of them were hurt but by this
point nerves were becoming frayed and so, when
the wind began to blow at 5am the next morning,
we rigged up and got on the move. It was cold
and snowing but we had to use the wind when
the conditions were there and, with our smallest
kites up and visibility so poor we had to rely entirely
on GPS, we were determined to cover some
good ground while we could.
It was then that the Svalbard showed just how
unpredictable it can be and the wind suddenly
dropped, the sun came back and our hopes were
dashed in an instant. The elation at being able to
kite again was gone, we looked at each other and
the realisation sunk in. It was back to walking.
By this point we were at the foot of the Lomonosov
glacier from where we would climb further
up to the Åsgaards glacier. We had been getting
daily weather forecasts by satellite phone and
now our expert forecaster was telling us that the
wind was due to return but that it would be hitting
us head on once again. We were beginning
to realise that kiting up north was going to be
very hard since the wind always wanted to push
us in another direction and we needed to rethink
our goal.
We had come to Svalbard to kite across it, not to
walk it, and so decided that rather than press on
into the headwinds as we steadily diminished
our food and gas supplies we would call off our
scheduled pick-up in the North of the peninsula
and instead work with the wind we had. We
were going to kite downwind for the first time in
nearly two weeks back to Longyearbyen and the
frustrated atmosphere in the group lifted immediately.
In the first two days, we travelled half the

62
ADVENTURES
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE
distance we had battled to cover in the last two
weeks. It was finally plain sailing and the group
had earned it.
Looking back at the adventure now, and all of
its hardships, it still puts smiles on our faces. We
have unforgettable memories of breath-taking
nature and, although the wind hadn't behaved in
the way we'd hoped it might, it's not something
we'll ever forget. The most prominent impression
the expedition made on us though is that,
while we felt vulnerable in the environment we
were in, it is in fact this environment itself that is
most at risk.
The thin sea ice we encountered is only going
to get worse as global temperatures rise and the
heightened risk of encountering a polar bear is
a result of these majestic creatures' natural habitats
diminishing rapidly. It would be a terrible
shame if future generations couldn't experience
Svalbard in the way that we did and, perhaps the
biggest takeaway from this trip is that action is
required by all of us if we want to preserve places
like this.
In spite of how tough it was we've not been put
off either. We'll be back to attempt the northern
crossing again next year and experience this in-

credible place to its fullest as best as we can. After
all, perhaps this may soon no longer be possible.
We will also bring adventure kiters to Svalbard
so they can adventure some of what I have
seen. This is a place it’s a must to go to. It’s hard
to get there and kite there but it’s something that
you will never forget.

64
ADVENTURES
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE

CLIMATE CHANGE SIDE BAR
Climate change has made a devastating impact
on the southern region of Svalbard. It
is now an unpredictable area with moving
glaciers, severe crevasses and a topography
that offers very few spots for safe kiting. The
rising temperatures are reducing the sea ice,
the water is heating up and temperatures are
rising even more. It won't be long before the
southernmost part of Svalbard becomes an
island by itself and shorter periods of sea ice
also gives an adaptive challenge to the polar
bear population. They prey on grey seals
close to shore where the water is shallow
under the ice. No ice on Svalbard will mean
big trouble for the polar bear and, although
some of them will follow the ice to the North
Pole, which postpones the inevitable, it will
make it harder and harder for them to survive
and the risk of them coming into towns
searching for food will be greatened.

66
TRIP
Indonesian Taste
V I A G G I // Matt Elsasser
Indonesian
Taste
The best worst place in the world to kite has to be Indonesia.
Like many of you I saw the cover photos and
the videos from Indo and got suckered over there for
the first time 5 years ago. It was the first trip I took as a
pro kiter that I financially funded myself, with the hopes
of making the money back through videos and photos
from the epic Indonesia waves. I figured I would fly over
to Indo, get barreled surfing and kiting every day with
no crowds and come back with hard drives full of the
best shots of my life. I booked a ticket for Brendan Kerr
and I to fly over and crossed my fingers that in 5 weeks I
could find some kite spots and come home with enough
content to pay for the trip. What I learned was that five
weeks was hardly enough time to discover spots, wait
for conditions, and score perfection. Indonesia is as
fickle of a kite spot as you could ever imagine, but that’s
why it keeps me coming back for more.
The first trip to Indo has to be the most exciting but
also the most nerve-wracking trip. While I had spent
some time in heavy-ish Hawaiian waters and cold sessions
along the west coast of the US. Indo seemed like
a different beast. I had heard stories of people breaking
20 leashes on a trip, long paddles, and the need for a
7ft gun to surf when the waves picked up. When I got
there for the first time, I actually ended up feeling most
at home in the water. The waves weren’t so different
from any place I had ever been before, other than the
fact that they were seemingly perfect every day. The
culture however was the shocker. When we arrived in
Bali the place was an instant zoo of people, taxis, and
scooters. It was a far cry from the empty paradise I had
imagined. Traffic there is as tight as you have ever seen.
Brendan and I were able to quickly adjust to the pace
of life and began to roll with the mentality of drive it
like you stole it and don’t be afraid to use your horn.
After a few close calls on the scooters and a few too
many nights drinking Bintangs in Bali we learned that
the windy season in Bali was over and we took the opportunity
to chase some wind and solitude on the oth-

68
TRIP
Indonesian Taste

er Indonesian islands. I gathered info on where to head
primarily by asking traveling surfers if they had been to
any of the other islands in Indonesia, hoping for them
to mention the word “windy”. After gathering some information
from surfers and a few kiter friends that had
been through Indonesia before, I was able to pin point
an island or two that might provide some wind.
When Brendan and I arrived at the first location, we
realized we weren’t the only people chasing wind 40+
hours of travel from home. A couple of Australians were
there and quickly informed us that we were probably a
little bit early for the windy season on the island. I didn’t
sweat it much as we had a month to spend in Indo before
heading back to California for college. We took full
advantage of surfing, drinking, ping pong, and crashing
local weddings while we waited for wind. There weren’t
many other options in the Indonesia jungle. As the
weeks passed and the wind still had not shown I began
to become worried that we may never score what
we came for. Right when I had lost all hope of wind,
the best day of kiting I had ever had fell into my lap.
An Australian by the name of Rob Kidnie helped share
some knowledge on how to kite the barreling wave we
were at. I had never gotten barreled kiting and I had
never gone left kiting. Two things were going to have to
change that day, and they did. Rob and I spent the late
evening breeze pulling into kegs. It was simply mind
blowing how good it was, I even shed a tear or two
of joy after pulling out of a few trip changing waves.
I might even consider them life changing waves, as I
have spent the past 5 years since then chasing waves
of similar quality.
At the end of that trip renowned kite photographer Jason
Wolcott and Hawaiian ripper Reo Stevens showed
up to town the day before we were leaving back to
school in California. After a quick dinner with them it
was clear that they were dialed into kiting in Indonesia
like no one I had met before. I left knowing that the

70
TRIP
Indonesian Taste
next time I went to Indo, I wanted the opportunity to
learn from Reo and Jason. Fast forward 11 months and
I got a message from Reo that he was headed back to
Indo for his 10th time to shoot with Jason Wolcott and
Keahi de Aboitiz (3x world champion). I quickly invited
myself and began to wrangle up some sponsor money
to pay Jason. The trip that ensued changed my outlook
on what was even possible in kiting.

It turns out that I had not even began to scratch the
surface of kiting in Indo the year before. Reo and Keahi
were tuned into kiting spots and conditions I thought
impossible the year before, and they were ripping these
spots to shreds. I had no choice but to attempt to join
them, humbling myself and also progressing my riding
in unfamiliar conditions. While Reo and Keahi have the
motivation to kite 5+ hours a day, Jason Wolcott was
the pulverizing force to push us to be out there all-day
long. Jason would simply tell us to get out there and
any resulting question from us would get the answer
“kiting isn’t my job, get out there”. The consistency of
conditions wasn’t any better than the years before, but
I was kiting 3 times as much with this crew. If the wind
was too light to ride we would body drag to get upwind,
if the waves were too small to get barreled we
would shoot airs over dry reef. It didn’t matter the conditions
we were always trying something. On that trip
I confirmed that the secret about kiting in Indo is: the
kiting is only world class for a couple of hours each trip,
so you better be on the water when it turns on.
Like the past 3 or 4 years, this year only provided a small
window of true Indo magic, at least the kind of conditions
you fly across the world for year after year; barrels.
That’s not to say we didn’t score plenty of fun conditions
for turns and airs, but it’s easy to have high expectations
of what you know can be possible there. On
this particular session, the sun was already beginning to

72
TRIP
Indonesian Taste

"It didn’t matter
the conditions we
were always trying
something".

74
TRIP
Indonesian Taste
set as we launched our 13m Drifters on the reef and began
scampering our way to the water. If I had to guess
at that moment I would have put money on it that the
wind would die and we would end up swimming back
to shore as it got dark. But the wind kicked up a notch,
the tide was perfect, Jason was shooting and it was
game on! For about an hour perfect barrel after barrel
fired across the shallow reef with Jason swimming inside
the barrel with us kiting right past him. I’m still not
sure if it takes bigger nuts to shoot the wave or to kite
it, but I definitely would never admit to Jason that the
man with the biggest balls might be the one shooting!
However, it was humbling for all of us with “balls” to
watch 3x world champ Moona Whyte finally score a
dream session after nearly two years of being skunked
for wind in Indo. With a little bit of coaching from her
boyfriend Keahi, she caught some bombs! Moona
would tell you that she didn’t get a good barrel, but I
saw her parked in waves deeper than most guys who

came into the beach claiming barrels. The usual post
session Bintangs and a breath of fresh air that we finally
scored an epic session followed. Jason later told me
he was surprised that we keep coming back every year,
but those hour-long sessions are often the best kiting
we score all year. Every year we get tempted to roll the
dice again, and every year with a little bit of patience
we seem to score something that makes us come back
for more.

76
JOURNEYS
Kitesoul awaits you at the Sardinia Kite Camp 2018!
From 25th April to 2nd May and from 2nd to 9th
May the staff of Kitesoul and Kitesurf Sardegna
School, organize the second edition of the
Sardinia Kite Camp, an experience in the South
West of Sardinia with hotel accommodation
and trips to legendary spots like Chia, Porto
Botte, Is Solinas, Porto Pino, Funtanamare and
further up to the area of Cabras in the territory
of Oristano.

Kitesurfing in Sardinia in spring is
KITESOUL AWAITS YOU AT THE SARDINIA KITE CAMP 2018!

78
JOURNEYS
Kitesoul awaits you at the Sardinia Kite Camp 2018!
UThose kiters that in spring want
to explore the best spots in Sardinia
and experience a unique
journey full of emotions, should
not miss this opportunity. The
staff of Kitesoul in collaboration
with "Kitesurf Sardegna" School
of Alessandro Ferro organizes
from 25th April to 2nd May and
from 2nd May to 9th May 2018
the second edition of the Sardinia
Kite Camp, a journey designed
and organized for those riders
who are looking for a restoring
holiday made of kitesurfing, nature
and freedom.
The Sardinia Kite Camp
takes place in the beautiful
South-Western Sardinia which
at this time of the year offers
paradisiacal conditions: stable
and constant wind every day,
long and sunny days and empty
beaches. What more could you
ask for? Participants will stay at a
comfortable hotel located on the
charming promenade of Sant'Antioco,
a strategic location for the
group of participants to reach a
different spot every day, hunting
for the best weather conditions
assisted by a local guide, expert
and skilled, and then return to
the village every evening for dinner
and relax.
There's nothing better than waking
up in the morning and being
free to start the day chasing the
wind all together, exploring one
of the most beautiful coasts in
the Mediterranean ready to use
any wind and condition offered
by this magic Sardinian location!
Indeed, here are the legendary
spots like Chia, Porto Pino,
Porto Botte, Is Solinas, Funtanamare
and Sant'Antioco not to
mention the famous wave spots
near Cabras, in the territory of
Oristano. Flat water and amazing
waves that work with Mistral/Tramontane
and Levanter/
Sirocco winds in addition to the
usual thermal winds at this time
of year.
A comfortable accommodation
in the centre of Sant'Antioco
The accommodation for all par-
Mistral or Sirocco, the route is up
to the wind

ticipants during the Sardinia Kite
Camp will be at the Muma Hostel,
a charming and comfortable
hotel on the promenade of
Sant'Antioco, 800 m from the
town centre. Brand new, quiet
and with quality facilities of a
three-star hotel with 32 air-conditioned
rooms, a traditional-cuisine
restaurant, a beautiful
garden and breakfast. Participants
can choose their preferred
accommodation: single, double,
triple and quadruple rooms. Furthermore,
riders will have storage
facilities and special areas
to wash the equipment after the
session.
Lessons and free tests on the
beach of Porto Pino
The operational base of the Camp
will be at the "Kitesurf Sardegna"
school of Alessandro Ferro, Iko
instructor and great expert of
these coasts, who for years has
been running his sport centre located
on the amazing beach of
Porto Pino. Here it will be possible
to rent RRD equipment (in-

80
JOURNEYS
Kitesoul awaits you at the Sardinia Kite Camp 2018!
cluding Sups), have demo tests
of the equipment and individual
or group lessons for all levels.
This year too, anyone can try for
free the experience of Hydrofoiling.
Together with Alessandro Ferro,
there will be David Ingiosi, Iko instructor
and Managing Director
of Kitesoul, who will follow and
assist the group of participants,
ready to capture this fantastic
experience and collect the material
for a report that will be published
on the pages of the magazine.
An offer not to be missed
The cost of the package for this
second edition of the Sardinia
Kite Camp is of EUROS 739 per
person and it includes: 7 nights
hotel accommodation with
breakfast, transfers to the spots,
guide and beach assistance,
equipment storage facilities, two
diners with aperitif, use of SUPs,
equipment tests and use of Hydrofoil.
Customised options in
single, triple or quadruple room
are available.

INFO:
DAVID INGIOSI,
CELL. 3475598759,
DAVID.INGIOSI@KITESOUL.COM.
In short, there are all the right ingredients
for a kiter's dream holiday.
All you have to do is book
it and make sure you also pack
your true kitesoul. Info: David
Ingiosi, mobile: 3475598759, david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com.
WWW.KITESOUL.COM
WWW.KITESURFSARDEGNA.IT
WWW.MUMAHOSTEL.IT

82
KITECAMP
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily
KITE CATAMARAN
CAMP IN SICILY
In spring 2018 Kitesoul Magazine together with Marsala
Kitesurf Association and Sail&Travel charter company
organizes a fantastic kite camp aboard a sailing
catamaran equipped with all amenities. Objective: fully
experience the sea, sail along the coast wind hunting
and unload one's own passion for kitesurfing in some
of the most amazing spots in Sicily: the lagoon of the
Stagnone, Capo Feto and the wonderful Egadi Islands.

A unique Kite Camp, charming and
full of adrenaline that allows riders to
experience the sea in perfect harmony
aboard a sailing catamaran in one
of the most fascinating and windiest
areas in Sicily. Sleeping aboard, sailing,
reaching unspoilt spots, surf for
hours and enjoy the breath-taking
sunsets from the boat cockpit. This
is on schedule for the Kite Catamaran
Camp 2018 organized for next
spring, from 3rd to 10th May, by Kitesoul
Magazine in collaboration with
Marsala Kitesurf Association and
Sail&Travel charter company.
DESTINATION
The South-West coast of Sicily is an
ideal destination for those riders who
want to enjoy one of the windiest areas
in the Mediterranean, between
Marsala, also known as the "city of
wind", the lagoon of the Stagnone, a
suggestive nature reserve, a paradise
for thousands of riders from all
over the world with its flat water and

84
KITECAMP
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily
steady winds and the fascinating
and solitary Egadi Islands, Favignana
and Levanzo. Water sports, great
food accompanied by excellent local
wines and an unspoilt and timeless
territory. The real Sicily.
THE EXPERIENCE AND THE CREW
The participants to the Kite Catamaran
Camp after embarking at the port
of Marsala will sail along the coast
and every night will stay in a different
location. The navigation, the life
on board and the stopover ports of
this holiday pursue the main goal of
the guests: kite as much as possible
in the best Sicilian spots depending
on weather conditions. Aboard, they
will be taken good care of by captain
Francesco Balestrieri, a skipper with
an extensive experience in charters,
sailing and of these coasts but also
chef and kitesurf instructor, and Andrea
Alagna, one of the best riders
in the Stagnone as well as qualified
instructor with a pure passion for the
sea. They will take care of the storage
of the equipment on-board, assist
the riders during launch and landing
of the kites, and provide everyone,
beginners and experts, maximum
support for safety and fun.
THE BOAT
The boat is a Lagoon 380, a beautiful
12-meter catamaran from the French
shipyard Jeanneau, with plenty of
room and amenities. Designed by the
renowned architects Van Peteghem
and Lauriot Prévost, inside it has four
comfortable cabins, two bathrooms,
a large panoramic square, kitchen
and navigation corner, while outside
guests can enjoy the majestic cockpit
with awning, table and cushions
and the spacious sun deck. The
maximum capacity of guests aboard
is 8 people.

In addition to standard safety equipment
(first aid kit, fire extinguishers,
life raft, EPIRB, VHF and personal life
buoys) on the boat there will be: towels,
bed-sheets, hot water, electrical
outlets, Wi-Fi, sound system, TV, air
conditioning, heating, microwave, refrigerator,
solar panels, wind generator
and a 3.5-meter tender at kiters'
disposal.
SCHEDULE AND ITINERARY
Day 1 - Departure
Meeting at the port of Marsala, departing
at 4pm and sail towards
Levanzo where it will be possible to
moor, swim and enjoy a drink at sunset
followed by dinner on the boat.
We will moor at anchor in a sheltered
bay.
Day 2 - Kitesurf in Levanzo and islands
of the Stagnone
Breakfast will be served and wind
permitting it will be possible to kite
until lunch prepared by the chef.
Then, in the early afternoon we will
sail towards the lagoon of the Stagnone
where we stop and kite until
sunset in this beautiful nature reserve.
The night will be spent at anchor
in a sheltered area just outside
the lagoon.
Day 3 - Kitesurf at the Stagnone and
departure for Favignana
Kite day at the Stagnone and then at
sunset we reach the island of Favignana,
where once moored in the port
we will be free to explore the island
and go out for dinner in one of its
charming restaurants.
Day 4 - Sailing from Favignana to
Capo Feto
After a night of rest and breakfast
in the morning, we’ll sail for about
4 hours towards Capo Feto. Once
arrived at destination, we’ll rig the
equipment on the beach and kite
until sunset. We will sleep moored at
anchor in a sheltered bay.
Day 5 - Sail from Capo Feto to Favignana
We wake up, have breakfast and
spend the morning kitesurfing at the
beach, then the bow of the catamaran
will aim the island of Favignana,
where we will stop again in the port
and spend the night on the island.
Day 6 - Kitesurf in Favignana and sail
towards the Stagnone
We can spend the morning kiting
or exploring the enchanting bays of
the island swimming and enjoying
the relaxation. In the early afternoon
we depart again for the lagoon of
the Stagnone to reach a wonderful
beach called Tahiti for its white sand
and emerald green water where we
can kite until sunset. We sleep at anchor
in a sheltered area in the nature
reserve.
Day 7 - Kitesurf at the Stagnone and
return to Marsala
After breakfast, we kitesurf for another
few hours before returning to
the port of Marsala where the guests
will disembark.
The cost for the Kite Camp is € 1,390
per person, or it is possible to rent
out the entire boat which would cost
€ 9,420. In conclusion, the Kite Cata-

86
KITECAMP
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily
KITE CATAMAR

AN CAMP IN SICILIA

88
KITECAMP
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily
maran Camp by Kitesoul it's not just
a holiday but an amazing experience
in the nature, conceived and specially
organized for kiters that want to
experience the sea in freedom, sail in
some of the most beautiful spots in
the Mediterranean and explore Sicily,
a stunning island, welcoming and
timeless.
Info: David Ingiosi,
mobile: +39/3475598759,
david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com.

90
ADVENTURES
Nomads of the wind

Nomads
of the
wind
Whilst kitesurfing dominates beaches all around the world, its
mountain counterpart, snowkiting, remains a relatively unknown
activity, practiced by a small circle of pioneers. Why is that? Easy
accessibility to the sea could be a valid explanation, but other
reasons have to be considered ...
TEXT: MICHAEL CHARAVIN | PHOTO: MICHAEL CHARAVIN & JOËL BLANCHEMAIN

92
ADVENTURES
Nomads of the wind
n snowkiting, it's natural, although
not imperative, to go beyond the
limits of a few «conventional» spots
and explore the mountain surroundings.
Such a practice requires a detailed
understanding of the local
aerology together with knowledge
of the winter mountain playground.
A set of skills that a practitioner can
only accumulate through experimentation
and experience. But this
lengthy acquisition process can be
a barrier for those who only partake
occasionally.
Yet the potential of this recent discipline
is huge, and every year it
shows a further evolution pushing
its boundaries more. For example,
«kite-mountaineering» is now becoming
a reality: narrow corridors
and 45° sloping faces are now being
ridden up by snowkiters. But more
than that, it’s the number of summits
that were in the past only the
playground of «randonnée» skiers
and are now accessible by snowkiters
that best express the potential
of this discipline. We are here in the
«snowkite touring» or «mountaineering
snowkite» world…
The Alps are much better than one
can imagine for these games of
summits riding up and mountain
exploring. But in Europe, one destination
certainly stands out thanks
to its potential: NORWAY.

Snowkite paradise!
Norway is probably the best place
in Europe to practice snowkiting:
beyond the forest boundary, mountains
and snow-covered plateaus
spread almost over infinite spaces.
The Hardangervidda plateaus, in the
south of the country, have earned
international renown, because they
are easy to access and open to all
winds. Perhaps also because there
is an annual long-distance kite race
(the Ragnarok) with riders from all
around Europe.
However, one thing will always
surprise me considering the potential
offered by the terrain: even
though there are more and more
touring snowkite trips (day or multi-day),
the majority of participates
remain on conventional spots and
use LEI (inflated) kites: the spirit
of this practice seems much more
akin with kitesurfing than mountain
kite... It's therefore funny to note
that the evolution of the snowkiting
practice seems more advanced in
the Alps, even though at first sight,
the terrain seems less favourable...
But Norway does not stop at the
Hardanger plateaus. You have to
know how to get off the beaten
track! The possibilities can be much
more interesting elsewhere, especially
in the more mountainous areas...
I have been going to the south of
Norway for a long time, and I see

94
ADVENTURES
Nomads of the wind
in the unknown massifs of Setesdal
Vesthei and Ryfylkeheiane the
ideal compromise for a practice of
snowkite touring, while keeping a
resolutely «mountain» approach.
The terrain
is complex
and «unstructured».
It's very
simple: here
nothing is flat
- except the
hundreds of
small glacial lakes that occupy ancient
glacial umbilics! On the other
hand, the mountains have moderate
vertical gradients that don't totally
block the wind ...
New deal...
Previously, we had snowkited plateaus
and mountains of the south
of this country in various differing
styles, which ranged from a few
hours to two weeks self-sufficient
trips, with winter camping equipment
and food carried in pulks
(sledges that the rider pulls behind
him).
But this time, the complex orography
of the areas that we proposed
to visit imposed new rules.
For the first time, we tried a «nomad»
trip without pulks in order to
be freer in our movements and explorations.
«To go everywhere», to
be able to cross all the types of terrain
on our route, not to be limited
to pass only by the «weak» points
of the valleys, combs, and lakes. On
the contrary, be able to climb right
up the slopes, to get out of combs
and gullies, to cross steep ridges,
to weave in and out of rocks, to flirt
with the huge cornices that are numerous,
becomes both a goal and
an obligation.
In short, we play with the relief as
we do «at home», during our alpine
sessions. The distinction being that
we move, every day from point A
to B. Of course, for this we rely on
the excellent network of cabins that
the Norwegians have built in these
mountains.
What did we put in our backpacks?
Light! From the beginning this was
the raison d'être of this trip. Even
though the idea was to sleep as
much as possible in the cabins, we
didn’t want to compromise on safety.
Bivouac equipment, even minimalist
(snow shovel, sleeping bag,
floor mats, few warm clothes, mini
gas cartridge, mini-pot, mini-stove
and a little toothbrush), is essential
for security. In these mountains,
when an incident occurs, reaching
a valley, or even the nearest cabin,
can be complicated. To be able to
protect ourselves from cold during
an improvised bivouac seemed to
us an obligation - at least morally
so.

So to keep freedom of choice on
the various possible route options
was written into the DNA of our
project. Not to be forced to follow
the most direct route between two
cabins, on the contrary, to be able
to move away if the wind or the will
pushed us, was a fundamental principle
that we did not want to deviate
from.
But by taking the decision to be
able to be unshackled from taking
these direct routes between cabins
and thus «freeing» the route of too
many restrictions, and thus potentially
making it more interesting or
more in line with the encountered
wind directions, then the risk of be-

96
ADVENTURES
Nomads of the wind

ing too far away from the nearest
cabin became significant. Trying to
dig a snow hole without the right
equipment was an experience to
probably avoid.
At the start, we imagined we could
go with backpacks weighing a dozen
or so kilos - we are always too
optimistic when we plan a trip sat
at the desk. The scales quickly rose
to fifteen when we began to do serious
calculations, and on the day
of departure, after having sifted
their contents many times, the bags
weighed between 18 and 20 kilos ...
“forget light” they say!!
Planning strategy
Ah ha, our good joke! We had
dared to give our concept of a light
snowkite trip the pretentious name
of «warrior kiting». Because we had
imagined that we could spend one
or more nights in the depths of a
snow hole hastily dug at the evening
of an epic kite or no-wind day...
But when one has sampled the
comfort of the Norwegian cabins,
would a night in a snow hole
seem so attractive? The minimalism
of our bivouac equipment left no
doubt that a night outside would be
much longer than it would be comfortable...
What we found when we were there
was a certain cautiousness pushed
us to compromise with our big ideas
and starting theories. It became
obvious that we would have to «pay
the price» if we spent a night in the
snow... To avoid this, we gradually
resigned ourselves (more than we
had imagined at first) to stick to a
more or less programmed itinerary.
Obviously, going down that route,
we lost in freedom what we earned
in comfort…
After time and reflection, the modus
operandi, which we will utilise
in future trips, is certainly to lighten
again and again (by reducing
further the bivouac equipment to
the strictly necessary for «survival»).
While deliberately relying on
the cabins network the distances
between them can always be covered
in 7 or 8 hours of skiing. Apart
from a serious accident, that would
totally immobilise us and then force
us to manage a real crisis, these
distances are achievable as long as
we are prepared for progression in
these surroundings in all conditions
- including the worst...
It might even be interesting to push
the reasoning to define a fixed radius
around each cabin in which we
would be sure to be able to retreat
to, even if it's necessary to walk part
of the night for it. The transfer of
these areas onto a map would allow
us to delimit the areas too far from
the cabins (like the gaps on a Venn
diagram) - and thus determine the
snowkiting no-go areas.
Thus lightened, there would be
even more mobility, and thus another
gain of freedom...
Limitations of the trip...
They exist, of course. The first of
these is aerology: the wind is a complex
element, uncertain, fluctuating,
transient, indecisive, inconsist-

98
ADVENTURES
Nomads of the wind
ent, capricious, unstable, versatile...
Well, in short, never guaranteed!
The second is weather conditions
in general: the good weather is not
what best characterises these territories.
We must therefore acknowledge
that the game can become
complex, even sometimes not suitable
for kite progression...
The third is the relief. If it is distinct
enough then progression comes to
a stop.
And finally, more localised and predictable,
is the presence of vegetation.
In most cases, it's the combination
of these constraints that leads to
an inability to progress with kites.
For example, a headwind is not in
itself a determinant factor of an inability
to progress, but it becomes
so in very bumpy terrain because
it's then incompatible with an effective
upwind technique – particularly
on a whole day’s stage. The
same goes for the lack of visibility
(«white out»): if GPS progression
is not technically a limiting factor,
the difficulty of understanding the
terrain and anticipating our trajectories
is more so. Because on difficult
ground where the exploitation
of sketchy winds already reaches
a critical threshold, the absence of
visibility dulls our abilities to detect
obstacles and make strategic bypass
choices (small cliffs, large snow
ridges, steep slopes, deep coombs
and canyons, there are many). To
progress in snowkiting without visibility
is like a game of Russian roulette
that we don't want to play too
often...
To start a trip through relief like this
we have to predispose ourselves to
the fact that some days will not lend
themselves to kiting and to ensure
regular progress the climbing skins
will need to be utilised.

This is what we did on stages 3
& 5, and partly on the 4th. Mainly
because of headwinds, obligatory
crossing points, wooded areas, or
in deep powder snow in which we
waded like wild boar without seeing
further than ten metres. But that's
part of the adventure!
Gear:
Kites: we opted for a limited quiver
of 2 single-skin kites and only one
bar per person to minimise weight
and volume carried. Flysurfer Peak
3 [sizes chosen 4m² and 9m²] perfectly
met the specifications for this
kind of expedition. The 4m² is probably
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www.robertoriccidesigns.com

102
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
HOW TO GET THERE
AIRPORTS: HURGADA OR
MARSA ALAM.
AIR COMPANIES:
EGYPTAIR, PEGASUS
AIRLINES, TURKISH
AIRLINES.
PROKITE VILLA FACILITIES
Double and single rooms
Kitchen
Basic and advanced kitesurfing
lessons
Equipment rental
Storage
Water and on shore assistance
INTERNET
www.prokiteacademy.com
www.facebook.com/ProKiteVilla

ProKite Villa:
how about a
surf house in
paradise
"So, are we off to the lagoon?". No time to finish my question
and Max sprints off downwind pulled by his 13 meters
Passion RRD. I adjust my straps, relaunch the kite in
the shallow water and off I go, trying to follow his route.
I know the lagoon is somewhere on the horizon, but I am
not familiar with this stretch of coastline and with the
low tide, reef plates are just there lurking. That’s why an
experienced guide like Max Pruccoli is what it takes to
make your way to heaven. Or so it’s how the famous lagoon
of Safaga has been described to me.
I am at full gliding, anxious to see this wonder, staring
at the sky and the sea which slightly blend together,
bar down to get maximum power from my North Evo 12
and keep up with Max who’s gone wild. Then, the water
around us becomes greener and greener, with thousands
of nuances until, there it is: the lagoon of Safaga. It
is a white sandbar that gradually comes out of the sea at
about a mile from the coast, creating a succession of ice
blue and emerald green coloured pools where the water
is deeper. It's like a miracle of mother nature. You get
there and your heart starts pounding. It's so beautiful that
your eyes struggle to set on anything but try to embrace
all this beauty: the colours of the sea, the board softly
planing and breaking the silence, the kite against the
clear sky. In the distance the sandy peaks of the mountain
range of Shaiyb al-Banat overlooking the wide Bay
of Port Safaga which remind me how these waters of the
Red Sea are surrounded by the endless desert of Egypt.
AN ENCHANTED LAGOON, A DELIGHT FOR THE EYES
Max ahead of me keeps his sharp riding with random
jumps that cast him up in the air. But the view is not so

104
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
different from up above, in fact even from the water surface it’s
like being up in the sky. On my kite trip dreams in some tropical
paradise I see exactly what’s in front of me right now. Only here
it's a thousand times more beautiful. And all for myself. There is
nobody else apart from us. I scream out of joy and with my kite at
12 I lay on the water only centimetres deep. I just want to stop the
clock and get overwhelmed with this magic. I think about kitesurf,
this wonderful sport that makes me want to travel the world
and gives me the joy of discovering unspoilt places like Safaga.
The Egyptian spot of Safaga is renowned since the eighties as one
of the most evocative destinations for water sports lovers. This
is where sport centres of international level were born for wind
hunters, windsurfers first and eventually kiters. I still remember
the tutorial videos shot in these beautiful lagoons by the legendary
Vasco Renna: crystal clear and totally pure waters, steady wind
pushing the sails, a magical and timeless atmosphere. Safaga was
there, on my wish list that sooner or later I would have satisfied.
So, finally here I am, inside my dream, reality surpassing imagination
as usual. Because, unless you have seen them with your own
eyes before, it is difficult to imagine such colours. Not even if you
have seen them on some trade magazine cover. One must come
over here and experience them personally, impressing them on
the heart.
KITESURFING BETWEEN THE DESERT AND THE ECHO OF PHAR-
AOHS
Safaga is located about fifty kilometres south of Hurgada. It is still
a small mercantile port, but coral reefs are its true treasure, happiness
for scuba diving lovers. Not to mention that not far from
this stretch of the coast there is the Nile Valley with the ancient
City of Luxor, the tombs of Pharaohs and the ancient and mysterious
archaeological ruins. And then "his Majesty" the desert with
its lunar and desolate sceneries.
But for over 15 years now, Safaga means above all kitesurfing. Together
with other renowned spots on the Red Sea such as Marsa
Alam, El Gouna, Ras Sudr, Dahab, every year it attracts kiters
from all over the world that come here to practice or learn this
discipline which, no wonder has become the first national sport
in Egypt. There are many kitesurfing schools ready to welcome
riders eager to have sessions in these breath-taking waters. The
Prokite Academy of Max Piona is one of them, one of the most
internationally qualified Iko centres as well as centre of the Italian

106
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
brand Roberto Ricci Design.
EVERYONE IN THE VILLA, LIKE HOME
Max Piona spent a long time in these territories and gave thousands
of teaching lessons as an Iko instructor and examiner, kitesurf
runs in his veins, but he is also deeply in love with Egypt and
with this stretch of the coast which he has elected as his beloved
house. Actually, more than houses Max loves villas, so much so
that he made his own one: the ProKite Villa. A school project born
three years ago and inspired by the lounges for Australian backpackers
of which it represents the idea of comfortable but informal
accommodation, and above all shared by all the guests bond
by the passion for sea and sports.
Staying at the ProKite Villa basically feels like sleeping on the
beach in a typical Egyptian villa, on three floors, with 11 rooms
with private bathroom, cuisine with Italian menu, storage facilities
for the equipment, beach facilities and chill out shared spaces.
First thing to do when you get there is go up on the rooftop
terrace and admire the wonderful lagoon of Safaga that stretches
beautiful as it is just before you surrounded by the beautiful

Makadi Bay, Soma Bay and Sahl Hasheesh. A view that opens your
heart. And Max Piona left his own heart in this spot. To assist him
run the ProKite Villa there is a team of competent and well-knit
friends: Massimo "Max" Pruccoli, instructor and jack of all trades
with a "MacGyver" attitude, Roberto Acerboni also kitesurfing and
snowboarding instructor with many years of experience, with an
unbridled sense of humour and always ready for action, Roberto
Faretra, kitesurfing instructor with his own centre in Dervio with
chilled ways and last but not least Tiziana Giorgione, the secretary,
only lately relocated to Egypt to pursue her dream of becoming
an instructor. With them a group of "locals" hired as beach
assistants, Jabar, Ramadam, Paolo, and the cook, also Egyptian,
but with great Italian cuisine skills, and several trustworthy drivers
ready to take the guests for a stroll around and about.
WIND, FRIENDS, LAUGHTERS. THIS IS KITESURFING
The success of this surf house lies in the enthusiasm of the socalled
"repeaters", Italian, but not only, boys and girls who come
back here every year fulfilled with its family environment, the relaxed
atmosphere, good food and the conditions of a unique spot
in the world. During my stay, I had a taste of all this: awesome ses-

108
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
sions in the water, endless laughs, chats with a black tea or a fruit
infusion, yoga lessons with the teacher Benedetta Bartolomeo,
music that accompanied snooker matches or bonfires that lighted
up the beach during starred nights or under gigantic moons.
Just be aware though! Coming to Safaga may be tricky for a traveller-kiter.
It means losing yourself in the sands of the desert, in
the slow rhythms of an ancient culture, it means stopping the
clock and dedicate to yourself or finding yourself in the silence
of an unspoilt nature and ride pulled by a kite and breath the desire
of freedom. It can be tricky simply because once here, one
doesn't want to leave any more and leave behind these incredible
colours and this majestic beauty. Hurray for Egypt! Chukran and
Maa Salama...

Max Piona:
"Mass media
carried out
psychological
terrorism on
tourism in
Egypt"
Max, you came to Egypt many years ago after traveling the world
and exploring beautiful destinations. Why is this country so attractive
to you?
"I guess for its consistent optimal conditions for this sport. Of
course, as in any other spot, we also have weather conditions
more difficult to handle, but in my 12 year-experience in this territory
the statistic of annual wind easily guarantees 70 percent
of good days for kitesurfing. I have rarely found the same consistency
else where in the world. And the flat water. Conditions
combining with a population that maybe initially I found hard to
understand but which over the years proved very open to tourism
in which it sees a source of living and it's extremely welcoming.
Furthermore, after more than 2,000 years of history, the bond between
Egypt and Italy remains very solid and based on mutual
respect and liking".
In recent years, because of terrorism, Egypt has lost 60 percent
of its kitesurfing tourism and not only. What is your experience of
this difficult time and what would you say to those in Europe who
think that Egypt is an off-limits tourism destination?
"I actually opened my centre at the beginning of the"Arab Spring",
so I faced two revolutions. Initially I was in dismay because it was
a new situation and also deeply felt in the Arab world. Then, I think
that with the second revolution the Egyptian political situation
was not internationally accepted and therefore tourism has been
stonewalled and not always in an honest way. I personally experienced
an incredible discrepancy between the media stories and
reality. I don’t find it hard to define this twisted report of reality as
true psychological terrorism with no grounds.

110
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
Here at your centre there are no guards, no fences, you can take
a taxi and move around easily. In other words, one does not feel
any risk. Is that right?
"Egypt not only is safe terrorism wise, but also for petty crimes.
I leave my equipment outside at night, completely unattended,
and nothing happens. In Italy it would be impossible".

At the ProKite Villa you offer a surf house concept and a kitesurfing
school dedicated to riders. One comes here, kites, lives together
with others and it feels like being in a nice family. Where
did you get this idea from?
"Yes, a crazy family! ;) After many years of teaching and experience
in many centres I wanted to add something to these experiences,
give a more distinctive shape capable of putting people
together through the sport. Wherever I went I always realized
that kitesurfing connected people who wanted to stay together
also after the sessions, party and share their experiences. The idea
of a surf house came from my travels in Australia when I hanged
around in backpackers’ lounges and met guys who shared spaces,
kitchen and evenings. Of course, I conceived it as a place that
could offer proper facilities to kiters, a good level of amenities and
overlooking a high-level spot".
Tell us about the conditions of Safaga as a spot. In your opinion,
what are its strengths?
"Quality and quantity of the wind for sure. During the summer the
prevailing wind is North/North East generally quite steady and
North/North West slightly gustier in the winter always on/side

112
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
on direction. The Bay of Safaga expands for about 20 km from the
point of Soma Bay, where you arrive by boat and where I often go
with my friends from Tornado Surf, up to the South point where
there is the ProKite Villa. Along these 20 km the wind changes,
we get it one hour later but it blows until the evening for fantastic
sunset sessions. And here we can ride even when other spots
have extreme conditions as we are sheltered by the island. The
seabed in front of the Villa is sand mixed with pebbles that's why
I always recommend the use of wetsuit boots, especially if you
are not an experienced rider. Tidal variations can be a weakness
because in front of the Villa with a low tide it's not guaranteed

you can go in the water. But we find our way out by using deeper
pools of water, such as the spot of Low Tide, about 3 km away,
where with our pickup trucks we drive riders and students who
want to take lessons".
As Iko instructor and examiner you have long committed to spread
the culture of safe teaching and kitesurfing which is promoted by
this international organization. Are you still enthusiastic to be a
sort of Iko ambassador?
"The Iko comes from the roots of kitesurf, from what once was
known as Wipika Internationa Kiteschool, therefore it immediate-

1114
SAFAGA SPOT
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise
ly followed this sport and promoted its teaching by defining the
safety standards. Ever since it came into being in 2001 its goal was
to spread safe kitesurfing around the world, also pressing brands
to improve safety systems in the equipment. Over the years these
standards have undergone a continuous evolution and the organization
is always up for improvement. In 2017 we've updated the
website, brought the course for Assistant Instructor from three
to five days to allow students to increase the number of teaching
practice hours during the course. Over the years, we have
also insisted on the quality control of Iko centres and courses in
compliance with our standards. When teaching, each instructor
represents the Iko and he /she must strictly apply our educational
criteria. These are not always met 100% but we must strive to
make everybody apply them. To date we still represent the highest
standard of teaching recreational kitesurfing worldwide, with
all due respect to other organizations. So, we are very satisfied. "

Here at the ProKite Villa you have a seasonal calendar for Assistant
Instructor and Instructor courses. Why should one choose to
come to Safaga to complete these training courses?
"To start with I hold my courses in Italian unlike other centres here
in Egypt. And our school is right on the spot, we have lessons in
the classroom and then straight in the water, this way optimizing
the experience that becomes a proper full immersion.

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CORE Kiteboarding / +49 (0) 4371 / 88934-0 / info@acorekites.com / Fehmarn, Germany

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118
KITE TRIP
The Unknown Side of Brazil
The
Unknown
Side of
Brazil

I had not been to Brazil for more than ten years. The
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is what made me go
back there. There are sand dunes everywhere and the
lagoons between them are filled with blue and green
freshwater. From the sky they look like sheets and that’s
probably why they’re called Lençóis Maranhenses, which
literally means “sheets of the Maranhão”. They extend over
155 square km to form a limitless kite playground. This
name probably rings a bell to you, because Red Bull has
already planned a race there, where the goal is to cross
all the park, walking through sand dunes and kiting the
lagoons.
CHARLOTTE CONSORTI

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This landscape is sculpted by two forces of nature: on one
hand you have powerful winds coming from the sea, blowing
from July to December and building the sand dunes. On the
other hand, you have the humid tropical climate of the Amazonian
basin which, from January to June, fills up the lagoons
with its heavy rainfalls. The best season to go kiting in the
lagoons is therefore from July to September. During those
months, you encounter wind as well as filled lagoons, which
quickly dry up after this period. Personally, I chose to go there
in September.
On the internet I found very little information about this area
so I asked the Terra Nordeste agency to help me figure out a
way for transfers (which are a bit complicated) and excursions
in the Lençóis. Besides being a specialist of the Nordeste, the
advantage of this agency is that they speak French. Indeed,
few people speak English in Brazil, so if you don’t speak Portuguese,
you’re going to have some hard times being understood.
Forget Barreirinhas, start from Santo Amaro
There are several entries to go visit the Lençóis. The main one
is the city of Barreirinhas but I do not recommend it because
it’s the most popular one and 80 percent of tourists start their
trip from there. Just a little detail: it is obligatory to take a
tour guide to go to the Lençóis and you can’t use a 4x4 to
travel in the park’s sand dunes.
We therefore decided to start our trip from a less known entry,
Santo Amaro village. It’s a four-hour drive from Sao Luis
airport and you’ll need a 4x4 for the last few miles. It’s a full of
charm little village located along the river and the park and,
for now, it has been spared from mass tourism. We left early
the next morning to discover Emendadas lagoons. To get
there you’ll have to drive for about 30 min and walk half that
time through the sand dunes. But it’s all worth it: the lagoon
is really huge and the water is deep and crystalline. According

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to local people, the rainy season had been good this year
and the lagoons were more filled than usual. We set camp
in a corner where the dunes were a bit lower so that we
could benefit from a steadier wind and a super flat-water
spot. We were all by ourselves and it was so beautiful it almost
hurt my eyes! It also was super-hot but fortunately our
guide took a lot of water to keep us hydrated!
I really had a lot of fun kiting down the dunes or jumping
over them. I kited in this little paradise until the sun went
down. I had never kited in freshwater and it feels so good
not to have salt all over you at the end of the sess’! Didn’t
even need to take a shower to wash up.
Time for Atins, the new Jericoacoara
The second entry we went to is located at Atins: it’s a little
fishermen village but for two years now, more and more
kitesurfers have been coming here and people start to call
it the new Jericoacoara! But for now, it’s still preserved from
the crowd due to the fact that it’s kind of hard to go there.

There’s no road and you have to take a rowboat from Barreirinhas
to reach it. The trip on the Preguiças river will make
you feel like you’re in the jungle! Several stops are planned
along the way like in the village of Mandacaru where you
can go up to the lighthouse, play with the monkeys (macacospregos)
and even be eaten up by mosquitoes! But don’t
worry, you’ll also be able to eat delicious fish in the Cabure
restaurants, located between ocean and river. Personally, I
was too impatient to go kite at Atins so I only went for monkeys
(and mosquitoes).

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There’s also another alternative to reach Atins: a kite downwind
from Jericoacoara or even from Fortaleza for the brave
ones (more than 300 km). Many schools are planning downwinds
like that and I saw kitesurfers groups showing up almost
every day.
Living on a stilt wooden chalet
There are no paved roads in the village but it’s very small so
almost everything is within walking distance (otherwise you
can use a quad). It can be tiring to always walk in the sand (especially
with the kite gear on your shoulders) but it’s also why
the place is so charming. We set the base camp at Marésia.
We lived in stilts wooden chalet in the village centre, near a
field full of cows. Despite the heat, no need for air conditioner,
thanks to the full time blowing wind which was a natural
cooler. We had cashews in the garden which provided perfect
snacks for the afternoons. This hostel was hold by Marco, an
Italian guy who was also famous for his pizzas. I was such a
fan of those, I ate some every night for dinner! Needless to
say, I had a good excuse: kiting makes you hungry!
We had planned with the agency two trips in the Lençóis, and
the rest of the time we were enjoying the Atins spot, which is
not far from being a kiting paradise. The lagoon is protected
from the waves by two sandbars so it’s an ideal place to learn
how to kite. At low tide a sandbar appears just in front of the
beach which is perfect to launch your kite. But at high tide,
the beach is very small (barely 20 m) so it’s a bit more complicated
to land or launch your kite. Careful, when there’s a
big coefficient, current can be very powerful in the lagoon so
beginners are advised to put a board leash. In one day I once
saw three riders lose their board because of it.
The magic of the Atins’ spots
The spot can be divided in 3 spots and you have to choose
the best one depending upon the tide. The speed spot is on
the left and is good at high tide for freestyle because there’s
flat water. At low tide when there’s a big coefficient, there’s
almost no water… It was my favorite spot! It’s very uncommon
to find riders in this spot because you can be stuck there if the
wind drops. The current is so strong that you can’t even swim
Charlotte
Consorti

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back. Luckily for me I never had to try it. However, be careful
not to disturb the fishermen. They can even ask you to leave
because it’s their spot and they have priority on it. The little
lagoon is far behind the sandbar and works only at low tide,
so you can ride there only for a few hours. It’s quickly crowed,
which is not surprising considering how magical it is. You feel
like kiting in a big pool and it’s a very safe spot.
The wave (small ones) spot is right at the end of the sandbar
and you can ride there from one hour before the end of
low tide until the beginning of the high tide. The good thing
about this spot is that the wind is side off so it digs the waves
a bit. Rest of the time you’ll find waves above the sandbars,
but it’s not going to be as clean because of the onshore wind.
However, it remains a good spot for strapless.

Feeling like competing for the “Paris Dakar”
Concerning the Lençóis we visited two different lagoons. The
first one, Lagoa de Capivara, is one of the closest to Atins (20
min drive). As a consequence, it’s also one of the most touristic
ones, and besides it’s not the best for kiting. It’s tiny and
surrounded by high dunes, so the wind is gusty. My advice
would be to go there only if you are in a hurry. The second lagoon,
Lagoa de Paraisp, is a little further (one-hour drive), but
the trip is awesome. You drive along the sea and you feel like
you’re competing for the “Paris Dakar”. The return at night is

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even more impressive, especially when it’s high tide because
the sea erases all the car tracks. I was a bit anxious… But it was
totally worth it; there are two big lagoons which are very close
to the sea, so the wind is way steadier. Unlucky for us, the day
we went there, two dozen riders were already kiting. But the
spot is big so I wasn’t disturbed; I just went a little downwind
from them. But my very favorite spot will remain the Santa
Amaro lagoon because of its size and its emerald colored water.
It was as beautiful as perfect for kiting!

After two weeks spent in this little paradise without any network,
living bare foot, eating cashew nuts and pizzas, kiting all
day, burning in the sun (probably a little too much), waking up
to the sound of cow moo and talking sign language, it’s time
to go back to the modern world, after the 5 hours transfer to
the Sao Luis airport. One hour in a boat and 5 in a car provided
me with a smooth come back to civilization!
Hurry up if you want to go visit those little wonders before
everybody else! If you hate tourists and enjoy atypical places,
here’s my advice: the Santo Amaro/Atins combo!
HOW TO GO THERE:
Sao Luis airport (SLZ) is the closest one. Then, it takes about
5 hours to go to Atins (4h drive and 1h with a boat). Latam
company offers good prices (100$ per board bag per flight).
For transfers you can use Terra Nordeste agency: https://terra-nordeste.com
WHEN TO GO:
Rainy season ends at the beginning of June and wind blows
from mid-June to mid-January (varies a little from one year to
another). If you wanna be sure to have windy days, go there
from August to December. For example, this year it wasn’t
very windy during June/July. Months during which the wind
is stronger (more than 20 knts) are October/November/December.
After September, lagoons are no longer filled up with water so
you can’t kite anymore.
KITE SIZES:
For girls: 7m and 9m. For boys: 9m and 11m.
For July/August and January, plan to take a bigger kite.
Roadbook

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TEMPERATURES:
It’s hot, very hot even… all year round! Forget the wetsuit and
go for a lycra, a hat, a scarf, some sun cream and sun glasses!
Sea temperature: 28/29°C
Minimum temp: 24°C
Maximum temp: 33° C
LOCAL CURRENCY:
Brazilian Real (BRL). 1 euro = 3,8 reals (31/10/2017)
CAREFUL: you won’t be able to withdraw money at Atins and
almost no stores accept credit cards. As far as I know, credit
cards are only accepted at Maresia (with fees).
WHERE TO SLEEP:
Big choice of hostels, from a few euros per night in a hammock
to several hundreds of euros for a house on the beach. But in
general prices are kind of high compared to other villages.
I was at Maresia, which has a good price-quality ratio: 85 euros
for two with breakfast included. http://www.maresia-atins.
com
Be careful, you have to book early for All Saints and Christmas
holidays.
Less people in September.
WHERE TO EAT:
At Atins the cost of life is very high. Maresia makes excellent
pizzas.
Idea of prices: €1,50 for a soda, €15 for a two persons pizza, €12
for a plate of ravioli.
You have a mini market in the center of the village where you
can find the essential. You can also buy fruit and vegetables
and there is an ice-cream seller (no credit cards for any of
those). We had a lunch once at the Bar&co, it was really nice to
eat with a view on the spot. For prices: bill 15 €/pers.
JET LAG:
4h during summer, 5h during winter.
Roadbook

LANGUAGE:
Official language: Portuguese.
In Nordeste: very few people talk English or French. You’ll find
more people speaking Spanish for example, and sometimes
Italian.
Advice: learn some key words before going and don’t forget to
bring a little dictionary or to download on your phone a translator
that works offline.
VACCINATIONS AND MEDICAL ISSUES:
Most of risky diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes (Dengue,
Malaria, Yellow fever, Zika and Chikungunya).
No vaccine is obligatory for European travellers.
Mandatory vaccine for Yellow fever for people coming from:
French Guyana, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.
You will be asked for the original of the vaccination book.
Treatments for malaria and yellow fever are only recommended
if you are traveling in the Amazon rainforest or in the Pantanal
and Mato Grosso regions.
Very few mosquitoes at Atins but a lot at Santo Amaro. There
was also a clinic at Atins but I don’t know if it’s reliable or not.
Voltage: between 110V and 220V. Most Brazilian electrical outlets
in hostels are C ones.
Network:
Wi-Fi in Maresia. It’s not high-speed but it’s enough for basic
stuffs. Almost no network in the village and even less on the
beach or in the Lençóis. I had 3G only in Maresia and not every

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Charlotte
Consorti

134
INITIATIVES
One Shot, the photo contest on a kitesurf in Salento
One Shot
the photo contest on a kitesurf in Salento
Nothing can convey the beauty and
soul of a place like a beautiful photograph.
Besides the technological
eye capable of seeing better and
capturing even the slightest details,
there is the spirit, the approach and
the heart of the person behind the
camera, eager to capture the moment
and the many nuances of the
reality around us. When all this works
in unison, magic happens and a simple
snapshot becomes a story, a light
over the world, a celebration of the
art of living.
Sports too, especially if related to the
elements like the sea and the wind,
can take people to live and get to
know the territory, use its resources
and learn to respect it. This led to the
idea of a competition that brings the
love for photography and passion
for kitesurfing together, to tell and
enhance the charm of the incomparable
scenario of Salento, Puglia, one
of the most evocative coasts in the
Mediterranean.
The initiative is called One Shot Kitesurfing
in Salento - Winter Edition,
second edition of a photo competition
organized by the "Salento Bats"
Association, open to whoever wants
to try and tell about the Salento sea
in winter through a photograph and
the colours of kitesurf. "The success
of the first edition held last summer -
says Emanuele Rosafio, President of
Salento Bats – made us opt for a photo
contest also in the winter season.

www.facebook.com/salentobats
http://salentobats.blogspot.it
An important and original opportunity
to reinforce the kiters' local community,
promote this beautiful sport
and show people a different Salento,
especially when the weather conditions
would seem more adverse to
experience it. And photography is
the right way to give it a try".
What's new this year is the division
by categories, "Photography enthusiasts"
and "Photographers". Those
who want to enter the competition
can send their shots to salentobats@yahoo.com
by 20th March.
Contest rules and details are available
at salentobats.blogspot.it and
on the Facebook page Associazione
"Salento Bats". Fair winds and good
photographs everybody!

136
COMMUNICATION AT SEA
BbTALKIN’: COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
BBTALKIN'
COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
BbTALKIN’ is a Waterproof
Communication System that
changes the way of coaching
in both marine and winter
sports. It is a real time coaching
tool which allows the
coach to instantly train and
provide feedback to the student.
If you are a pro athlete
or a beginner, the benefits of
this communication system
are exceptional.
BBTALKIN HAS A
MASTER UNIT AND
A STANDARD UNIT
The Standard device has Intercall,
Music and Phone
handsfree functions. Intercall
distance is 1 mile (1.600 km),
coaches don’t have to yell anymore.
Students can also give
an instant feedback to their
coaches. This way it makes
training much safer and faster.
The person who wears the
Standard device can also listen
to music and pick up/
hang up a phone call without
touching the phone.

SPECIAL DETAIL
BLUETOOTH VERSION: 3.0
STANDBY TIME: 700H
INTERCALL TIME: 15H
CHARGE TIME: 2H
WEIGHT: 62G
WATERPROOF: IPX7 (IN THE WATERPROOF CASE)
The Master unit has 3 channels
that can be paired. It
means maximum 4 people
can talk together at the same
time. It takes coaching to the
next level. If you are a business
owner with a rental company,
resort, cable park or water-sports
facility, this is a
must have.
FB: www.facebook.com/bbtalkin | IG: www.instagram.com/bbtalkin_intercom
WEB: www.bbtalkin.com

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COMMUNICATION AT SEA
BbTALKIN’: COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
BBTALKIN'
COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

HARDBACK
The hardback molded part is made from PURE ® material. This innovative and patented material is a 100% polypropylene composite
material, that is fully recyclable. The heat fused matrix offers excellent strength and stiffness, and is environment friendly, containing
no carbon. The flex and smooth fibres preserve stitching throughout the product. It is solvent resistant and stable. PURE ® material has
a high stiffness and low density, making it buoyant.
MK 5 PLATE
The Pure composite hardback gives the perfect stiffness for huge power management with comfort and no slip. It works with
our anatomically correct MK 5 plate, evolved over 20 years, for the correct flex to avoid hard edge pressure and to move with the
riders body, while absorbing and spreading huge kite loads.
PIN RELEASE SYSTEM
The Vapor uses the super strong FATBAR spreader bar with patented Prolimit pin-release that is quick, easy and safe.
The system allows for quick engagement and release without the need to loosen and then re-adjust the webbing straps.

142
CONTEST
XR5 Big Air Challenge: here are the winners!
XR5 BIG AIR CHALLENGE:
HERE ARE THE WINNERS!
The 5 winners of the XR5 Big Air Challenge 2017 were invited to Cape Town
for the final boost off with world record holder Joshua Emanuel.
The conditions were insane and we saw all competitors sending it with huge
boosts.
Even though it was close, the Big Air Beast defended his title and goes home
with the win.
WELL DONE TO ALL COMPETITORS FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE EVENT.

1ST PLACE: JOSHUA EMANUEL WITH 24.3M
2ND PLACE: BEN VAN DER BURG WITH 24.2M
3RD PLACE: ERIK BLOKKER WITH 23.6M

146
TECHNIQUE
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
SURFBOARD
A thoughtful guide to the cho

ESSENTIALS
ice of the object of desire
Renato CasatiPART II
Photo: RRD Courtesy

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Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
RAILS - the edges of the board
Thick and round rail = greater manoeuvrability
(for less challenging waves), more floatation,
it prevents the board from getting stuck without
the right speed. Better suits low-mid level
riders.
Thin and sharp rail = more penetration and
grip on the wave (for more challenging waves),
but also less floatation as the water rises on
the deck as soon as the critical planing speed
drops and it slows it down. Technically it "limits
the leeway" which is the sideways drift of
the board on the wave surface, therefore the
board shakes less, better cuts the water with
a more precise riding and surfing, but it goes
less upwind as the planing ends more quickly.
Usually sharp rails go with curved rockers.
The same shape carries different types of rail,
over several points, usually rounder towards
the nose and the centre where the strengths

are minor and sharper towards the tail where
pressures are greater. Even only few degrees of
difference between the rails can result in very
different riding and surfing feelings.
FLEX - flexing capacity of the board
Of course, the flex is mainly related to the construction
material and to any reinforcement
inserted during construction phase.
A board that flex a lot gives a "soft" feeling
under the feet, it’s less nervous and better
adapts to the shape of a wave. But it reacts
more slowly to foot impulse and it can be limiting
for those who have an aggressive and
precise surfing.
FINS
There are different types of fin models, 3
(thruster) or four (quad). Some boards may enable
both settings.
To make it simpler: with 3 fins (thruster) the
board has more manoeuvrability (it turns with
less pressure) but has a little less upwind capacity
than the 4 fins one which is a little more
challenging when curving.
A common characteristic of lateral fins is to
be asymmetric, i.e. flat on the inner face and
profiled on the outside, this is because the
difference of water flow on these two surfaces
creates a depression which "draws" the fin
towards the inside of the wave, improving the
overall manoeuvrability of the board.
Fins are very important. Same board with different
fins leads to very different outcomes...
We need to consider the base width, height,

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Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
thickness or chord, rake and flex (twist).
A big, thick and soft fin will be simpler and
more upwinding, whereas one small and thin
will be faster with greater manoeuvrability.
The thickness (or chord) is important because
as it decreases the speed increases (due to
friction decrease) but also with a lift drop. The
twist of the fin means overall manoeuvrability
and softness, but if too soft then it will shake
at high speeds creating a turbulence and slowing
the board down. An accentuated rake (maximum
rear curving of the fin) confers more
manoeuvrability and speed to the board at the
expense of the grip.
Of course, standard fins to start with, usually
a good compromise, but when your level raises,
I advise to try different fins and see how
the riding of your "old" board changes.... sometime
changing fins can be like getting a different
board without having to buy a new one...
STRAP O STRAPLESS?
Straps should be wide enough, not too much
but definitely not narrow, soft enough (not
too much not too little), this way you will feel
a better control of your board. Bidirectional
straps normally are not suitable as they only
allow to insert your foot in just one way. On
how deep you should enter your foot in the
strap there are contrasting theories... I per-

sonally reckon they should not be tighten too
much and the foot should (easily) go up to the
foot-neck, I reckon you can surf better, getting
closer to a strapless feeling, allowing greater
inclinations during the bottom and having
a definitely better overall distribution of the
weight when surfing. But if you fall, be aware
of not leaving your ankle in it... if you don't get
your foot out you are in trouble as waves always
spin you in different ways!
On the other hand, if you surf strapless ask
yourself whether your level would not be better
if now and then you went strapped...
I see a lot of people in the water surfing strapless
with an extremely low level therefore with
less fun. They stop surfing after only few sessions
because the strapless hurdle is too challenging.
Just one advise... you get in the water to have
fun, not to show anything to anybody or just
to keep up with the strapless trend... there is
nothing wrong with straps and have more fun.
The same goes, the other way round, for those
who have more fun with the straps...
STANCE
Another important theme related to the straps
is the stance, that is WHERE your feet must
be positioned and at what DISTANCE from one
another.
To understand it without having to mount and
dismount the screws a hundred times, go for
some STRAPLESS tests and see in which position
you feel better with your feet on that specific
board. Different board concepts need different
feet positions.
Some boards come with holes more forward or

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TECHNIQUE
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
backward so to make it easier to identify the
optimal position for your feet. More holes offer
more adjustment options.
The REAR FOOT, if positioned close to the fin
makes the board turn faster with less pressure.
The downside is that the tail dives more
and it loses speed when carving. Furthermore,
entering the rear foot will be more difficult,
easily losing your planing.
The FRONT FOOT, if positioned towards the tail
shifts your centre towards the tail, the board
"lifts up" accentuating the rocker, it shakes
more while riding and slows down losing speed
and upwind. For example, a very radical board
can be "softened" and improved in the upwind
performance by simply shifting your stance a
little more towards the nose, vice versa a very
hard to turn board can be improved by simply
moving the stance towards the tail.
PADS - Pads are important because the "feeling"
the board delivers beneath our feet is
largely given by the "feeling" that our feet send
us when we pressure on the board. I personally
prefer very soft anti-slippery pads, over a
good portion of the deck so to avoid having my
foot slip during any manoeuvre or when strapless.
The standard ones rarely embed all these
qualities therefore eventually you should consider
to purchase specific pads. Changing the
standard pads on your board often makes a big

difference on how you surf and makes you rediscover
your board with a very different feeling
from the one you've always had beneath
your feet. The ultimate trend is skip the pads
and use anti-slippery wax to get a greater pure
surf style feeling. That's all true but at the expense
of comfort and when you are a little older
tendinitis are just round the corner...
LEASH - It is the lace that ties the board to
your ankle, "regular" wavers (right foot on the
tail) fasten it to their right ankle, "goofy" ones
to their left. It is always advisable to have it,
both to avoid losing your board in the foams
and then see it shift to the rocks and break
or hit other kiters or surfers swimming downwind
in case of falls. The leash length is not
crucial in kitesurfing although on average a
2 or 3 feet length is advisable. If too long the
board will be further away from your body in
case you fall, but it will also take longer to retrieve
it in between wave-breakers.

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TECHNIQUE
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
RIDER’S LEVEL AND WAVE
AND WIND CONDITIONS
Everything is easy right? Well, not really...
When choosing a board there are also and
above all other crucial variables to consider
for an optimal thorough choice.
- Surfing SPEED, which depends on the type of
wave, wind and the chosen kite as well as on
the rider's level.
- TYPE OF WAVE - big, middle or small wave,
steep or soft, fast or slow, with a lot or little
foam, very pushing or not at all with challenging
breakers to overcome when exiting, swell
or fetch wave...
- WIND INTENSITY - simplifying: higher intensity
generally needs, with few exceptions, boards
proportionally more aggressive or smaller
kites.
- WIND DIRECTION (ON: from the sea; SIDE ON:
sideways from the sea; SIDE: sideways; SIDE
OFF: sideways from shore; OFF: from shore).
That’s how the wind acts on the wave. In other
words, aggressive boards for side to off, easier
boards for side to on.
- KITE SIZE (it depends a lot on the wind direction
and on what type of surfing one is after).
We could say, overpowered with on conditions
and underpowered with off conditions.
- KITE TYPOLOGY (kite speed, upwind angle
guaranteed by the kite).
- WAVER TYPOLOGY (height, weight, skills, experience).
- SPOT (knowledge of the spot and of the wave).
- SURFING TYPOLOGY (vertical, aggressive that
rips the lip and radically carves the bottom,
happy with "descending or escaping" the wave,
strapless or strapped...).

MACRO SUBDIVISION /
PRACTICAL ADVICE...
The practical advice on what board to choose
depends on your level and in which conditions
you mainly go surfing:
"EASY" WAVE BOARDS glide immediately, have
big upwind capacity, are more forgiving, overcome
lulls, carve well but with longer lines at
the expenses of surfing precision and overall
aggressiveness. Sometimes however in some
conditions they are the only option for having
fun. Just to remain with RRD, the ROCKET and
POP models are just what you need.
THE "STANDARD" WAVE BOARDS are a good
compromise for an almost always perfect
use. Boards conceptually similar to SPARK
and MAQUINA rarely disappoint and having to
choose just one board they are often the most
balanced ones thus always recommended.
"AGGRESSIVE" WAVE BOARDS are designed for
specific and particular uses, for many but not
for everyone; often without the right level, wind
condition and a challenging wave, you will
never quite understand why that board doesn't
seem to "go, nor go upwind" ...truth is you have
never used in "its meant" condition, the one
the shapers had in mind when they built it.
The BARRACUDA and COTAN for big wave conditions,
side / side off wave or great overpower,
are actually the best choice for max control
and best extreme performance.

156
TECHNIQUE
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
I personally always have 3 wave boards with
me.
An easy board, conceptually similar to the Pop
when I am underpowered, in on shore conditions,
when I need to ride upwind as much as
possible, with a small wave, when I want to
have fun and surf as easily and relaxed as possible,
for freestyle strapless, therefore… that is
in many average sessions in Italy where usually
waves are not the Ponta Preta ones...
When the wave begins to rise and the wind begins
to push then I rather use a STANDARD /
AGGRESSIVE BOARD, therefore have beneath
my feet a more agile tool, faster, more precise
to ride, faster to turn and I choose between 2
types of boards depending on the type of wind
and wave.

WIND
If the wind acts on the wave with a side off direction
I go for the BARRACUDA, if the wind is
on-side on, I opt for the MAQUINA, if the wind
is side I use the MAQUINA if it's gusty (it better
overcomes lulls) and the BARRACUDA when it
is more regular.
WAVE
The wind is not everything, it also and especially
important being able to assess the wave.
If it is steep (I am talking about the classical
"wall") with maximum degree of surfing precision
the BARRACUDA is a must (or the COTAN
for "squared" shape lovers) which in any wind
condition, except on, allows me to descend
more vertically, the board shakes less at high
speeds of steep waves, I can be more radical
during the bottom and I slash more effectively
during the cut back. If a wave is medium-big
but less steep (the so-called "donut") and
it does not push too much, I rather have the
MAQUINA or the SPARK, I can float more on the
wave and nearly never lose any speed.

158
TECHNIQUE
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
WHICH SIZE?
The theory that the size of the board depended
on the height and weight of the rider comparing
it to the volume of the board doesn't work
anymore. Today a 5'4" can have a bigger volume
than a 6'0" with traditional shape and have
less manoeuvrability than the latter, therefore
everything becomes more complicated and we
need to turn to the data sheets of each model
and carefully read the specs, the type of recommended
use and think about it following all
the considerations previously made.
CONCLUSIONS
The perfect board does not exist. What it does
exist is the condition in which you will use the
board. Different conditions, to be fully enjoyed,
necessarily require different boards with different
sizes. It is no coincidence that in wave
surfing there are endless archives of shapes,
all of them right and good for certain conditions
with certain riders and certain wave
types. Different riders may have arguments
that seem to be contrasting from one another,
yet all of them valid when contextualized in a
certain condition.

160
TECHNIQUE
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire
However, if you don’t want to get a loan to buy
five boards or you rather not have so much stuff
to carry around, you necessarily need to opt for
a compromise which depends on the main number
of sessions in your home spot and importantly
your skills level. When in doubt however,
you never go wrong if you favour an easier
board to a more radical one, when you will need
or want to, you can pair challenging boards to
the easier ones that you already have.
ALOHA,
have fun!

162
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
Product focus
BLISS V5 WOOD, KISS & LTD
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Testo & Foto: RRD Courtesy
BLISS V5 WOOD
Built in Europe
Only one word can describe
the feeling of riding this board:
Bliss. This progressive freeride/
freestyle board grants a fantastic
sensation of security while
riding in an assortment of conditions.
When the board is pushed
further into the freestyle
realm, it allows this incredible
kiteboard to show its true nature.
The Bliss has a great amount
of speed, comfort, and pop that
comes from the mix of medium
flex coupled with easy landings.
The deeper bottom channels
and the thin, slightly rounded
ABS sidewalls allow this board
to carve aggressively through
the chop. It is hard to revise
such a perfect board, but what
we slightly changed is the tip
design for going even better
upwind and the bottom channels
for improved tracking. The
V5 is lighter, but also stronger
and next to that we decided to
increase its tuning possibilities
by adding the track systems for
the bindings. These tracks allow
the board to be perfectly tuned
to achieve maximum comfort.
Strap in, load up the lines, and
take it to the skies to experience
the true meaning of Bliss.
BLISS V5 LTD
Built in Europe
Due to the previous versions
overwhelming popularity, we
have decided to offer the Bliss
LTD V5. Just as the WOOD version,
this progressive freeride/
freestyle board grants a fantastic
sensation of security while
riding in an assortment of conditions.
The Bliss LTD V5 allows riders to
enjoy the smooth rides that this
board offers while maximizing

Features BLISS V5 WOOD
STANDARD
• CNC shaped Paulownia wood
• Thin and slightly rounded ABS sidewall
NEW
• Deep bottom channels
• Lighter, stronger and reduced Thickness
• ABS Channels for pads
SPECIAL Features BLISS V5 LTD
• Deep bottom channels
• Thin and slightly rounded ABS sidewall
NEW
• Deck and bottom Biaxial Carbon 220 grams
• CNC shaped mix of Paulownia wood
• Unidirectional carbon stringers
its freestyle potential. The shape
and track channels are the
same as the wood version, but
the LTD construction consists of
Biaxial Carbon layers on the top
and bottom of the board with a
special mix of Paulownia and lighter
weight wood, CNC shaped
core. It’s 20% lighter, thinner,
more responsive, and, of course,
provides loads of pop. Because
of the carbon, the board
is slightly less forgiving than the
wood in choppy waters, due to
its response, but still forgiving
enough for all level riders to
enjoy.
Strap in, load up the lines, and
take it to the skies to experience
the true meaning of Bliss.

164
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
Product focus
RELIGION MK8
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Testo & Foto: RRD Courtesy
‘Read waves, not
slogans’
Synonymous of WAVE in the international
kite language, the
Religion MK8 kite is constantly
evolving along with the kitesurfing
discipline. Improving
the already successful Religion
each year has become a real
challenge. We went back to the
drawing boards and started to
design from scratch to once
again deliver the most responsive,
reliable and fastest turning
wave kite out there.
The MK8 has a new shape,
shorter bridles, and has a higher
aspect ratio. This improves the
kites turning speed and drifting
ability significantly; especially in
the larger sizes, from 8.0 - 12.0
sqmts. The kite turns on the
spot, has quicker reaction time
when the back lines are not in
tension and comfortable light
bar pressure. This makes an
easier kite to learn wave riding
and an acceleration machine
that allows for multiple turns on
short sections of waves when
conditions are not ideal.
Unlike most fast turning surf kites
on the market, the Religion
MK8 still maintains its signature
pull and power that also helps
to get in a few extra turns down
the line. The newly designed,
longer leading edge of the kite
not only allows for a more "twisty"
feel to increase the turning
speed, but also creates a more
"floaty" behaviour of the kite
in the air which improves stability
when the wind gets very
gusty. The improved stability
of an already very stable kite
design will make riding "tricky
conditions" possible both when
the wind is super light or super
ballistic. The Religion MK8 is the
'first on - and last off the water'
type of kite.
As always, we built this kite
strong and durable so it can
take a pounding. The graphics

of the Religion have allowed us
to create a web of Dacron reinforcements
on the canopy that
give the whole structure of the
kite an incomparable rigidity.
This wave proof construction is
made up of 40% heavy duty Dacron
fabrics and 60% of a light
weight double ripstop D2 Technoforce
canopy. This unique mix
is used only in the Religion kite,
creates superior crash resistance,
and extends the lifespan of
the kite.
The new Religion MK8 allows
for a wider range of use both
on the high - and low end of
the kite. Faster, better lift during
jumps, outstanding drifting
characteristics, easy relaunch
and an enormous progressive
de-power that will stop the kites'
power or powers up, exactly
when you need it.
Since its first introduction, this
kite has changed in every version
together with the evolution
of riding waves with a kite. If the
ocean is your church, then look
no further than the Religion.

166
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
SPECIAL Features
• NEW Improved Air Flow Valve, with special moulded protection
cap and reduced dimensions.
• Bridle anti-tangle device
• Wide tips for extra manoeuvrability
• 4m, 5m, 6m, 7m & 8m have a pulley on the bridle, to handle the
strong gusty conditions and improve the stability.
• 8m, 9m, 10,5m & 12m have a higher aspect ratio to improve the
speed, power and reaction time.
STRONGEST KITE ON THE MARKET BECAUSE:
• Bullet proof construction that creates a strong structural frame
with a mix of 195 grms. Polyant Dacron and light weight D2 Techno
Force Double Ripstop
• Internal extra reinforcements on every leading edge panel to ensure
long lasting stitching and a rigid connection
• Exclusive Strut/Leading edge reinforcement D2 Techno Force
Double Ripstop panel sewn at 45 degrees: this spreads the impact
loads over a wider area (only on bigger sizes)
• Radial reinforcements on the tips to improve durability and reduce
stretch
• 195 grms. Polyant Dacron reinforcements on the middle strut
• Kevlar fabric rounded strut ends
SIZES: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.5, 12

ABEL LAGO ABOUT THE RELIGION MK8 KITE:
“The Religion has been my favourite kite since day 1 together with the Maquina to ride waves
and this year we did a step forward and made the kite crazy fast like back in the day,
so this makes my riding more dynamic and now I am able to ride not only faster down the
line but also I am able to connect more sections because the kite drifts with me and follows
me in every transition. In combination with the new Maquina LTD that is super light it helps
me to land my strapless jumps better because it is glued to my feet and it allows me to ride
strapless with a better speed than before.”
“ENJOY THIS WAVE MACHINE!”

168
PRODUCT FOCUS
Cabrinha
Product focus
2018 Cabrinha gear is out and
www.cabrinhakites.com
A big advantage of being the
distributor for Italy and official
partner of Cabrinha is that you
get next season material quite
early so you can test it out and
produce some promotional content,
which can be posted right
at the day of the official release.
Together with Alby Rondina we
had few sick days on water with
the new gear so we would like
to share with you not only the
shots we did, but also the info
about the new collection and
our thoughts on it.
First, let’s focus on completely
new and important improvements
– all Cabrinha kites in the
2018 range have new Dacron
material (the material which is
on the leading edge, struts and
end of canopy) called High Tenacity
Dacron. It is material especially
designed for inflated kite
structures and there is a ton of
technical mumbo jumbo about
it if you head to www.cabrinhakites.com
but what is important
Text: Cabrinha Courtesy
photo: Laci Kobulsky
to know is that this material will
keep the shape of the kite for a
longer time, unlike some older
kites which eventually lose shape
and look weird. Also, the kite
is more rigid and will fly better
in the air, so no jelly time this
time!
Talking about kites, the biggest
change was done on the
new DRIFTER, which is the kite
for waves and due to the new
Dacron it had to be completely
redesigned to have a really accurate
profile. It also got a new
shape, some extra battens so
the canopy is not going to flop
in the air. What will be a notice-

we tested it!
able change is the feel on the
bar, which is now much softer
and more responsive. Basically,
the kite is now faster which was
what surfers asked for, especially
for bigger sizes. It still has
its characteristic drifting ability,
which means that even when
the leading edge is faced up
while you smash those waves
the kite is not going to backstall,
but instead nicely drift through
the air, so you can focus on carving
those pictures on the face
of waves!
Some changes were done on
Alby’s favorite kite FX, its shape
was also tweaked due to the
new Dacron, but more important
it comes now with different
bridle settings for different
riding styles – Freeride (maximum
power delivery), Kiteloop
(factory setting) and Freestyle
(maximum slack). What it does
in brief is that it keeps the kite
either deeper in wind window
(freeride) where it has more
power and park and ride ability,
or more out of the wind window
(freestyle) which will get the kite
much more slack for unhook tricks.
Few changes were done on the
bar as well – first and the most
visible one is the change for

170
PRODUCT FOCUS
Cabrinha
black & yellow color, the second
one less visible but more important
is the improved safety
system for smoother, thus safer
release. And one more thing!
Cabrinha has a brand-new
pump with much, much higher
efficiency so now you can be
on water faster and with more
power left in your arms :)
On the other side we have
the boards, all of them have a
brand-new design thanks to
new designer Lars who works
for Cabrinha. Freestyle machine
XCALIBER now comes in two
versions – carbon and wood
which is more friendly, softer.
Top selling board ACE also comes
now in carbon and wood,
and it also has a new shape
with deeper channels for more
grip. Big changes also happened
on foil board Double Agent,
it has now sick fish-like shape
and the board comes in two sizes.
Also, you can choose from
3 sizes of foil mast, so if you are
a beginner or you kite on shallow
spots, you can start with a
shorter one.
Alby was first riding the gear
during the official photoshoot
in Hawaii, later he got the 2018
FX & XCAL here at ProKite Alby
Rondina in Sicily. We made couple
of shoots, not always lucky
for the wind but that’s part of
the game. On our first shoot we
went behind the island so we
could have some privacy but
the wind was very light so the
12 FX was barely enough. Still
we were surprised that is was
holding nicely in the air, had
perfect relaunch (when Alby
rarely crashed) and was enough
to do some small jumps and
tricks for the fisheye (especially
jumps over an old boat!). We
were luckier during the shoot
of the video “ProKite Story –
“Alby's Kite Paradise in Sicily"
where we kited further away on
perfect flat water Caribbean-looking
spot with pumping wind,
where tricks were just rolling.

But let’s hear it from the man himself – Alberto Rondina:
I chose to ride the FX as soon
as it came out a few years ago
and I’m stoked about it. It’s just
a super fun kite, I use it for freestyle,
in the waves, for megaloops
and foiling too! The cool
thing is that here in Sicily I get
to do really all of these things,
so I just have my FXs in the
car and I’m always ready to do
whatever the conditions are offering!
On the 2018 model I can
actually tweak the bridle and
make it more suitable for what
I decide to ride! When it’s super
light wind I put the freeride
setting, and I go for a foil sesh,
I also keep it there when the
surf is up and I want the kite to
sit deeper in the window. When
the south wind is pumping and
we do WOO competitions and
big kiteloops, I use the Kiteloop
setting, so the kite is super-fast
through the window, it actually
has a similar feel to the 2017
model. When the wind is perfect
for freestyle and we hit the flat
water here in front of the center,
I tune the bridle on the freestyle
mode and you can really see
the kite sitting more forward in
the window giving me a whole
lot more slack for unhooked tricks!
These new settings on the FX
helped us a lot shooting the recent
Tahiti video, because we
missioned it there and stayed
there all day to shoot. I was
powered on 12m using the freestyle
setting at the beginning to
pull long grabs and have a lot of
slack, but then the wind dropped
at sunset right when the li-

172
PRODUCT FOCUS
Cabrinha

ght was amazing, so I changed
the bridle to the freeride setting
which basically makes the
kite sit deeper in the window to
have more low end power and
still managed to ride and jump
in front of the camera ;) Now I
am checking for some big wave
forecast in the area since I am
more than eager to switch the
twin tip for a surf board and get
proper vertical in critical section
haha.

NEXT ISSUE APRIL - MAY OUT ON THE 2 TH OF APRIL 2018