Kitesoul Magazine #22 International Edition
In this issue: King of the Air 2018, Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajia World Champions, Damien Leroy's World Record, IKA Snow Kite WC, North Pole Trip, Indonesian taste, Adventures: Nomads of the world, Safaga's Pro Villa, Unknow side of Brazil, XR5 Big Air challenge's winners, Surfboards essential and much more!
In this issue: King of the Air 2018, Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajia World Champions, Damien Leroy's World Record, IKA Snow Kite WC, North Pole Trip, Indonesian taste, Adventures: Nomads of the world, Safaga's Pro Villa, Unknow side of Brazil, XR5 Big Air challenge's winners, Surfboards essential and much more!
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EVENTs Red Bull King of the Air 2018<br />
AdVENTUREs Nomads of the wind<br />
TRIP Brazil | Indonesia | Safaga<br />
KITECAMPS Sardinia | Sicily by catamaran<br />
PRODUCT FOCUS RRD Bliss V5 & Religion MK8<br />
Cabrinha: Kites & Boards 2018
Photo: frankiebees.com, Rider: E. Jaspan<br />
NaishKiteboarding naish_kiteboarding naishkites.com<br />
2018KB_Pivot_Kubus_Italy_DoublePage_340x480.indd 2<br />
10/25/17 3:17 PM
DYNAMIC<br />
INTUITIVE<br />
RESPONSIVE<br />
2018 pivot FREERIDE/WAVE<br />
SIZES 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14<br />
Known for predictable power development, direct bar feel, intuitive steering and ample sheet-in-and-go, the Pivot is the ultimate<br />
all-around performer for any style of riding. Dynamic and responsive, this highly sought-after kite features a medium aspect<br />
ratio for substantial low-end power, easy jumping and great upwind performance. Its ability to pivot quickly with minimal power<br />
increase through turns makes for super-smooth carving and enhanced control. Its Quad-Tex * construction works with the<br />
new Shark Teeth Trailing Edge ** to create the best strength-to-weight ratio in the industry for kites that are incredibly durable,<br />
dynamic and built to last. Turn up the excitement in your next session with the 2018 Naish Pivot.<br />
*Strongest canopy material on the<br />
market with 4x-reinforced ripstop<br />
**Buffers and disperses flutter<br />
while reinforcing the trailing edge<br />
Agenzia per l’Italia: Ocean Avenue • info@oceanavenue.it • +39 328 6442519 North America: Pacific Boardsports LLC . (509) 493-0043 . pbs@naishsails.com<br />
2018KB_Pivot_Kubus_Italy_DoublePage_340x480.indd 3<br />
10/25/17 3:18 PM
Alby Rondina<br />
James Boulding<br />
FX<br />
Freestyle / Crossover<br />
XCAL WOOD<br />
All Around<br />
Performance Freestyle
FREESTYLE<br />
Liam Whaley<br />
XCAL CARBON<br />
Competition Freestyle<br />
CHAOS<br />
Advanced Freestyle /<br />
Wakestyle<br />
See all the new gear at cabrinhakites.com
Editor<br />
David Ingiosi<br />
david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com<br />
Wave Thecnique Editor<br />
Mitu Monteiro<br />
Freestyle Thecnique Editor<br />
Alberto Rondina<br />
Thecnical Expert<br />
Renato Casati<br />
Photo & Video<br />
Maurizio Cinti<br />
Design<br />
Giuseppe Esposito<br />
Translations italian-english<br />
Daniela Meloni<br />
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018<br />
TWO-MONTHLY<br />
Texts<br />
David Ingiosi, Michelle "Sky" Hayward,<br />
Michael Charavin, Matt Elsasser, Kari<br />
Schibevaag, Renato Casati, Charlotte<br />
Consorti, Alby Rondina.<br />
Photos<br />
David Ingiosi, Michelle "Sky" Hayward,<br />
David Daniels, Antonio Marques, Michael<br />
Charavin, Joël Blanchemain, Francisco<br />
Mattos, Kari Schibevaag, Laci Kobulsky,<br />
Red Bull, RRD, F-One, Cabrinha, Naish,<br />
Core.<br />
Cover:<br />
Rider: Alberto Rondina<br />
Photo: Laci Kobulsky<br />
Publisher and advertising<br />
VISU Media<br />
Via Cavour, 20<br />
24030 Ambivere (BG)<br />
Amministratore Unico<br />
Federico Sugoni<br />
fs@kitesoul.com<br />
Registration Tribunale<br />
di Bergamo n°10/2014<br />
del 15/04/2014.<br />
Periodicità bimestrale<br />
Copyright <strong>Kitesoul</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
All content is copyright of <strong>Kitesoul</strong><br />
<strong>Magazine</strong> / Visu Media Srl.<br />
FEDERICO SUGONI<br />
Publisher<br />
He’s a manager and a businessman.<br />
He fell in love with kiteboarding<br />
almost 10 years ago in<br />
the wild and amazing North<br />
Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). Aside<br />
from kiteboarding there is<br />
only one other important<br />
thing in his life: his baby<br />
daughter.<br />
He’s responsible for the 2014<br />
launching of KiteSoul <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
DAVID INGIOSI<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
Professional journalist and<br />
video maker with a solid<br />
experience in sailing, sea<br />
adventures, travels and water<br />
sports, he has been reported<br />
the “blue world” from the<br />
inside for more than 15 years.<br />
He fell in love with kitesurf<br />
several years ago in Sardinia,<br />
then travelled all over the<br />
world as Iko instructor.<br />
MAURIZIO CINTI<br />
Film-maker<br />
Movie buff and keen photographer.<br />
He’s a skater, snowboarder<br />
and wakeboarder,<br />
but he actually burns with<br />
passion for kiteboarding. He<br />
started off with freestyle a<br />
few years ago, but nowadays<br />
he’s more into chasing big<br />
and powerful waves. This is<br />
what he loves the most.<br />
GIUSEPPE ESPOSITO<br />
Art director<br />
Kiter since he was in the baby<br />
pram, he is a rider for RRD<br />
Italia and he have a Bachelor<br />
in Comunciation Design at<br />
Politecnico di Milano.<br />
With this assignment, he<br />
finally has been able to put<br />
together his two passions:<br />
kite and design.
KITESOUL MAGAZINE<br />
Feel The Flow<br />
MITU MONTEIRO<br />
Technical Editor-Wave Riding<br />
He comes from Sal. Official<br />
F-one and Manera rider.<br />
2008 KPWT World Champion<br />
and three-time Vice World<br />
Champion. He started to surf<br />
and windsurf as a kid and but<br />
he definitively fell in love with<br />
kitesurf as soon as he discovered<br />
it.<br />
ALBERTO RONDINA<br />
Technical Editor-Freestyle<br />
He’s the best Italian rider of<br />
the competitive kiting world.<br />
Cabrinha, Neil Pryde and<br />
GoPro official team rider<br />
and four-time Italian Champion.<br />
Alberto has won the<br />
2001 edition of the European<br />
Championship and third<br />
place in the 2012 PKRA World<br />
Championship.<br />
RENATO “DR. KITE” CASATI<br />
Technical Expert<br />
RRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder<br />
since 2000, he has<br />
been PKRA athlete and judge.<br />
He’s a professional sportswriter<br />
for several technical<br />
magazines. He lives between<br />
Como Lake and Sardinia, but<br />
he spends every winter in the<br />
waves of Cabo-Verde.<br />
DANIELA MELONI<br />
Professional translator<br />
Daniela mainly lived abroad<br />
where she graduated<br />
in Law and worked. She<br />
discovered her passion for<br />
water actvities back in 2007<br />
when she moved back to the<br />
Sardinian west coast and met<br />
her husband, the kitesurfer<br />
Enrico Giordano. Professional<br />
translator since 2009. She is<br />
a SUP lover and an amateur<br />
photographer and never<br />
misses to photo or video<br />
shoot a Kite or Sup wave<br />
session!
David Ingiosi<br />
Reasons why kiting in<br />
winter is good for you<br />
For sure, intense cold, snow and rain aren’t ideal for kitesurfing, a discipline that by its<br />
nature recalls tropical beaches of white sand, sun, palm trees and clear blue seas. However,<br />
we must face the cycle of seasons and unless one lives on the equator line, sooner or<br />
later winter will come. What then? Go out on the water or stay home? Winter sessions are<br />
certainly challenging and the cold can become an unsurmountable stumbling rock. During<br />
colder months, many riders go into hibernation, focusing their sessions during the<br />
rest of the year or perhaps going on an exotic holiday to hotter destinations. Many clubs<br />
and the majority of kitesurfing schools in cold countries follow the same philosophy and<br />
they stop during the winter.<br />
Yet, if you go to Northern Europe or the United States you find that even in winter the<br />
kiters' community is pretty active. For example, French, Dutch or English kiters forced to<br />
long, harsh winters, surely do not wait for spring or summer to get into the water. Not to<br />
mention the Germans, Swiss or Austrians who stoically face their icy lakes all year round.<br />
At the top of those who do not care at all about the cold are the pro riders dedicated to<br />
their competitive activity. Indeed, although most competitions are held in spring and<br />
summer, the competitive season starts in March and those athletes who want to get there<br />
ready cannot avoid to train also during those colder months.<br />
But in addition to the pro riders there is a fair number of enthusiasts that don't even think<br />
of keeping their boards dry during the winter and despite the cold temperatures continue<br />
sailing. And so they should. In fact, winter sessions offer a number of opportunities that<br />
should never be underestimated:<br />
Stronger winds due to perturbations<br />
During the winter season, thanks to the disrupted weather, wind statistics along any<br />
coast sees a surge of favourable conditions for kitesurfing. Not only, but the more active<br />
swells give place to an incredibly attractive environment for wave enthusiasts and not<br />
just them.<br />
Difficult conditions help you improve<br />
Riding with strong wind in a big swell it is not for everyone, but it is the starting line to<br />
get some experience and develop those necessary skills to feel comfortable also in such<br />
conditions.
The cold measures your passion up<br />
Daring the cold gives you the measure of your passion for this sport so much so that you<br />
just do it all year round. Furthermore, winter sessions always have something epic in<br />
them and are often the best ones to remember.<br />
Try new spots<br />
The winter season takes you to explore isolated and wild coasts and perhaps find new<br />
spots where you can practice. In fact, some spots only "work" during the cold season because<br />
of the more active ventilation. And those who don’t kite during this time of the year,<br />
won't ever surf in them, simple as that.<br />
The luxury of solitude<br />
If you can brave the cold, the luxury of solitude is the great reward. “Few good riders” is<br />
the prevailing motto during the winter, free to fully and safely enjoy the spots. Forget the<br />
summer crowds.<br />
Really, going out on the sea in the winter can be beautiful, adventurous and rewarding,<br />
but not a piece of cake. Hypothermia is always lurking unless you wear proper protection,<br />
this is also due to the so-called wind chill, which is the index of body cooling. What<br />
happen is, the wind blowing at a given speed, increases the perception of the cold on the<br />
human body: for example, if there are 17 knots and an outside temperature of 4 degrees<br />
C°, the person under that wind will feel an outside temperature (that's wind chill) of -10<br />
degrees C°. And let’s not talk about the freezing water.<br />
However, technical clothing for kitesurf enthusiasts have reached extraordinary levels of<br />
protection and comfort and allow to ride even under extreme conditions: wetsuits, watertight<br />
oilskin jackets, spray tops, windproof vests, wetsuit boots, gloves and headgear all<br />
made of neoprene effectively insulate from the cold and the elements. All you need is get<br />
in the water and unload a passion that is stronger than the cold.<br />
We are no snowmen, we are riders...<br />
Art by Ardoq www.ardoq.space<br />
kitersoze.threadless.com
SUMMARY<br />
PORTFOLIO<br />
FREESTYLE<br />
KING OF THE AIR 2018<br />
18 30 36<br />
Carlos Mario and Bruna<br />
Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL<br />
Freestyle champions<br />
King Kevin is on the sky<br />
one more time<br />
JOURNEYS<br />
JOURNEYS<br />
KITECAMP<br />
66<br />
Indonesian Taste<br />
76<br />
<strong>Kitesoul</strong> awaits you at<br />
the Sardinia Kite Camp<br />
2018!<br />
82<br />
Kite Catamaran Camp in<br />
Sicily<br />
INITIATIVES<br />
COMMUNICATION AT SEA<br />
CONTEST<br />
134<br />
One Shot, the photo<br />
contest on a kitesurf in<br />
Salento<br />
136<br />
BbTALKIN’: COACHING TO<br />
THE NEXT LEVEL<br />
142<br />
XR5 Big Air Challenge:<br />
here are the winners!
FLORIDA TO BAHAMAS EVENTS ADVENTURES<br />
44 48 54<br />
Damien LeRoy and the<br />
Epic Adventures crew set<br />
a new world record!<br />
IKA launches the SnowKite<br />
World Cup<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH<br />
POLE<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
90<br />
Nomads of the wind<br />
102<br />
Portfolio ProKite Villa: how about<br />
a surf house in paradise<br />
118<br />
Portfolio The Unknown Side of<br />
Brazil<br />
TECNIQUE<br />
FOCUS<br />
146<br />
Surfboard essentials: a<br />
thoughtful guide to the<br />
choice of the object of<br />
desire<br />
162<br />
RRD BLISS|RELIGION<br />
CANRINHA
18<br />
PORTFOLIO<br />
Alberto Rondina<br />
RIDER: ALBERTO RONDINA<br />
PHOTO: TOBY BROMWICH
20 PORTFOLIO<br />
DAVID TONIJUAN<br />
RIDER: DAVID TONIJUAN<br />
PHOTO: F-One Courtesy
22 PORTFOLIO<br />
ADEURI CORNIELL<br />
RIDER: ADEURI CORNIELL<br />
PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA
24 PORTFOLIO<br />
JOSHUA EMANUEL<br />
RIDER: JOSHUA EMANUEL<br />
PHOTO: Core - Courtesy
26 PORTFOLIO<br />
CARL FERREIRA<br />
RIDER: CARL FERREIRA<br />
PHOTO: HIGH LIGHT PROD
30<br />
FREESTYLE<br />
Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL Freestyle champions<br />
CARLOS MARIO<br />
AND BRUNA KAJIYA<br />
CROWNED 2017<br />
WKL FREESTYLE<br />
CHAMPIONS<br />
The Brazilians riders Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya dominated<br />
the Elite League season held in Leucate (France), Texel<br />
(Netherlands), Akyaka (Turkey), El Gouna (Egypt) and Cumbuco<br />
(Brazil). Unfortunately, the wind conditions were mediocre in<br />
two or three events, which eventually led to a less competitive<br />
world circuit. Nevertheless, it was possible to crown new world<br />
champions. "At the beginning of the championship in France, I<br />
was worried because I had an injury at my arm and was able to<br />
compete but I didn't train beforehand. Nevertheless, I was surprised<br />
with my performance," explained Carlos Mario, who won<br />
his second world title.<br />
"I really enjoyed the structure of the events and the new format<br />
that gives more excitement to the spectators. The use of the<br />
live stream changed the real-time disclosure of the sport and,<br />
with that, the sport is more recognized."<br />
On the women's side, Bruna Kajiya imposed her experience and
32<br />
FREESTYLE<br />
Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL Freestyle champions
secured her third world title. The Brazilian wonder woman is<br />
stronger and more creative than ever in her freestyle approach.<br />
"This was my goal, and this is my dream. It's been incredible,<br />
and I never dreamed I would get so far. I feel so fortunate to be<br />
doing what I love, what I have so much passion for, and to be<br />
able to do it well and share that with other people is amazing,"<br />
added Bruna Kajiya.<br />
2017 has been incredible for the Italian rider Francesca Bagnoli,<br />
after she managed to qualify for the Elite League after our<br />
first event in Leucate. This is her first year competing full-time<br />
and she has showed some amazing progress and talent. Several<br />
podium finishes have led her to achieve 3rd place overall for<br />
2017. We are looking forward to seeing plenty more from this<br />
young Italian rider!<br />
“This was an awesome year for me. I’ve always dreamt to be one<br />
of the top riders in the world and finally, after all the training<br />
and sacrifices, my dream came true. I still cannot believe that<br />
I’m sharing the podium with 2 amazing girls and strong riders<br />
as Bruna and Annabel. I didn’t expect that from my first year
34<br />
FREESTYLE<br />
Carlos Mario and Bruna Kajiya crowned 2017 WKL Freestyle champions<br />
2017 WORLD KITEBOARDING LEAGUE | TOP 3<br />
Men<br />
1. Carlos Mario (BRA)<br />
2. Liam Whaley (ESP)<br />
3. Set Teixeira (BRA)<br />
Women<br />
1. Bruna Kajiya (BRA)<br />
2. Annabel van Westerop (NED)<br />
3. Francesca Bagnoli (ITA)<br />
WKL 2017
in the Elite League but all the hard work has been<br />
paid off. Thanks to that result next year I will still<br />
able to compete in the Elite League and I’m even<br />
more motivated to improve my riding and do better<br />
in competition", Francesca Bagnoli said.
36<br />
KING OF THE AIR 2018<br />
King Kevin is on the sky one more time<br />
KING<br />
IS ON THE SKY ONE MORE TIME
Testo e Immagini: Michelle "Sky" Hayward
38<br />
KING OF THE AIR 2018<br />
King Kevin is on the sky one more time<br />
This year, the “Kitesurfing event of the year” the Red Bull<br />
King of the Air, took place over 2 days, the windiest days<br />
during the two-week waiting period. Round one, which<br />
took place on Saturday 27th January saw expected results<br />
from 2 x King of the Air winner Aaron Hadlow, as<br />
he managed a Megaloop Frontroll Board-Off in his first<br />
heat and advanced straight into round 4. It also saw an<br />
expected result of Ruben Lenten being eliminated from<br />
the competition.<br />
Besides the venue change, the event had another huge<br />
improvement this year in the form of safety. Last year,<br />
when Lewis Crathern had his huge crash which landed<br />
him in a coma for two weeks, his only rescue was fellow<br />
riders who dragged him to the beach. This year, though<br />
there were no major wipeouts or injuries, the rescue crew<br />
was ready for anything. From jet-skis constantly in the<br />
water to boats waiting at the water’s edge, they were able<br />
to reach the riders within seconds.<br />
The anticipated second and final day of the event took<br />
place during late afternoon on Wednesday 31st January.<br />
The competitors had been ready since lunchtime, but<br />
the competition director wanted to wait until the wind<br />
reached its peak strength at 35 knots.<br />
No one could have predicted the results of the event,<br />
since it took many unexpected twists and turns during<br />
the 4 hours of competition time. The first heat between<br />
Joshua Emanuel, Oswald Smith and Jesse Richman was<br />
a prime example of this. Oswald, who won the “Mystic<br />
Move of the Day” prize last year, attempted the famous<br />
KGB Megaloop and Board-Off Megaloop but after too<br />
many “butt-checks” and crash landings, he was not able<br />
to advance through to the next round and was flagged<br />
out of the competition. Jesse Richman won this first heat<br />
with his sheer determination and crowd-pleasing spirit.<br />
He also had a few crash landings, but every time he<br />
recovered quickly, waving to the crowd throughout and<br />
then going bigger and bigger with each jump.<br />
With 16-year-old Tom Bridge eliminated from the compe-
40<br />
KING OF THE AIR 2018<br />
King Kevin is on the sky one more time<br />
tition on the first day, it made room for local Kitebeach<br />
rider, Ross Dillion Player to shine as the new youngest rider<br />
at just 18 years old. Ross went all out in his heat during<br />
round 3 by performing his signature Megaloops and even<br />
unhooking, which is something you don’t see from all the<br />
competitors. He even surprised himself by landing a triple<br />
Frontroll Megaloop! Unfortunately, he was placed in<br />
a tough heat against Liam Whaley and Marc Jacobs and<br />
did not make it to the next round. Liam Whaley won this<br />
heat and his freestyle background shone through as he<br />
accomplished his tricks not only high, but often unhooked<br />
too. Liam also managed to win his next heat against Lewis<br />
Crathern and Sam Light and advanced to round 5.<br />
Round 5 comprised of 3 heats with just 2 riders in each<br />
heat. The winner of each heat would go through to the<br />
sought-after final. Lewis Crathern went big and quickly<br />
secured himself a spot in the final in his heat against<br />
Jesse Richman. The next heat was against newcomer<br />
Liam Whaley and old favourite Aaron Hadlow. They<br />
both seemed to perform equally well, and it was anyone’s<br />
guess as to who would creep through into the final. Liam<br />
once again performed his high unhooked Megaloops and<br />
Handlepasses, with some of the smoothest landings in<br />
the event. But then Aaron Hadlow came through with<br />
his signature Megaloop KGB and then jumped onto his<br />
board with straps and did the newly introduced Megaloop<br />
Board-Off. The Spanish crowd on the beach went wild<br />
when it was announced that their Liam Whaley was the<br />
winner of the heat. But die-hard Aaron Hadlow fans were<br />
absolutely devastated and shocked to see the 2 x King of<br />
the Air winner eliminated. The last semi-final was against<br />
Kevin Langeree and Steven Akkersdijk. Both seemed to<br />
perform equally well but with Kevin gaining more jumps<br />
and performing the new Megaloop Board-Off, this always<br />
friendly crowd-pleaser won his heat.<br />
The nail-biting final between Liam Whaley, Lewis Crathern<br />
and dad-to-be Kevin Langeree took place at around<br />
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<br />
had only a few people sitting here and there but by the<br />
time of the final people had finished work and the beach<br />
was laced with thousands of spectators, all standing as<br />
close to the water’s edge as possible. The commentators<br />
even had to ask the people to step away from the water<br />
as they were getting in the way of the rider’s caddies who<br />
were often running up and down the beach with extra<br />
boards and kites.<br />
We did not see any record-breaking winds or skyscraper<br />
waves as hoped. With the wind between 25 – 35 knots<br />
and the waves meagre in size, the competitors did their<br />
best to make it work. Throughout the event, riders were<br />
judged on the height of their jumps, which took up 70% of<br />
their score, as well as the extremity of their moves which<br />
counted for 30% of their score. So, the moves had to be<br />
as high as possible, but also as extreme yet controlled as<br />
possible. Lewis Crathern probably had some of his best<br />
heats of his life and really impressed the crowds and<br />
judges throughout the competition, though during the final<br />
he was just not on his game. He struggled to find the<br />
perfect waves to boost off and with the wind slowly dying<br />
down, he struggled to get the necessary height out of<br />
his jumps. He changed his kite halfway through his heat,<br />
but it wasn’t enough to get him a spot in the top two. He<br />
was flagged out, leaving Kevin Langeree and Liam Whaley<br />
to battle it out in the last 4 minutes of the final, where<br />
the top three jumps would be scored. Both riders went<br />
all out, making Megaloops, Board-Offs and smooth landings<br />
look like a walk in the park. With jumps every minute,<br />
both competitors were riding at their very best level.<br />
Kevin Langeree showed extreme control, yet Liam Whaley<br />
showed variety. It truly was a battle between new and<br />
old. New, lesser known rider Liam Whaley, with his newschool<br />
unhooked tricks; and the well-known Kevin Langeree<br />
with his old-school Board-Offs and a rider who has<br />
been in the spotlight for ages.<br />
Just after the final, as the sun was going down the prize
42<br />
KING OF THE AIR 2018<br />
King Kevin is on the sky one more time
giving took place. Thousands of people, all with cameras<br />
flashing, huddled tightly around the podium in anticipation<br />
of the results. They announced the positions as the<br />
riders were walking up the beach. We already knew Lewis<br />
Crathern was in third, but second and first was anyone’s<br />
guess. As the riders were still on their way to the podium,<br />
it was announced that Liam Whaley was second and the<br />
new reigning King of the Air was Kevin Langeree! Each of<br />
the top three riders took their place on the podium to receive<br />
their prizes.<br />
But then there was a twist in the tale. They asked the riders<br />
to please leave the podium and for Aaron Hadlow to<br />
take his place on the podium instead! Aaron was winning<br />
the “Mystic Move of the Day” prize, winning a cheque for<br />
$1 000 and putting at ease the hearts of the die-hard<br />
Aaron Hadlow fans who so badly wanted to see him in<br />
the final. Then finally it was time for the top three to take<br />
their rightful places on the podium. Kevin first ran over to<br />
kiss his girlfriend and then proudly received his King of<br />
the Air mask. Maybe this was a testament to the saying<br />
“slow and steady wins the race.” As Kevin has won this<br />
competition before and has been training in these Cape<br />
Town conditions for years. It goes without saying that his<br />
child will be born proud of his determined, hard-working<br />
dad!<br />
The night ended off with the top three, Lewis, Liam and<br />
Kevin, spraying champagne from the podium, leaving<br />
windblown camera crews and Red Bull fuelled spectators<br />
running for cover and making their way to their chosen<br />
destination for the celebrations.
44<br />
FLORIDA TO BAHAMAS<br />
Damien LeRoy and the Epic Adventures crew set a new world record!<br />
DAMIEN LEROY AND THE EPIC<br />
ADVENTURES CREW SET A NEW<br />
WORLD RECORD!<br />
Photo: David Daniels & Antonio Marques
On Saturday, December 16th, history was made<br />
as Nick Ziegler, Rich Gardner and Damien<br />
LeRoy were the first to kiteboard through the<br />
Gulf Stream, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from<br />
Pompano Beach in Florida to Bimini, in the<br />
Bahamas, by hydrofoil. It was an international<br />
adventure and a challenge never attempted<br />
before on a foil!<br />
Conditions that day were questionable, but the<br />
team was ready for action. A small cold front<br />
was passing through but the big question was<br />
when would it hit? The Florida marine forecast<br />
showed winds of 10 to 15 knots and a one to<br />
two foot swell and, at 12:24pm, Nick hit the water<br />
in winds of just 5mph! It was tricky, but not<br />
impossible, to keep a kite in the sky and so<br />
the challenge was on with Nick, Rich & Damo<br />
all riding 15 metre Cabrinha Contra kites and<br />
getting up on their foils.<br />
Everyone questioned whether they would make<br />
it one mile, let alone 63 miles to the Bahamas,<br />
and then during the four plus hour-adventure<br />
they fought cramps, marginal winds, excessive<br />
winds, tankers, clumps of seaweed, and the<br />
nagging wonderment at what might be lurking<br />
below. After a tough slog, the three adventurers<br />
made landfall at 4:41pm on the beautiful<br />
beaches of Bimini Sands Resort. They covered<br />
the full 63 miles distance in 4 hrs 17 minutes,<br />
landing at Bimini Sands in the Bahamas all in<br />
one piece and fully stoked!
46<br />
FLORIDA TO BAHAMAS<br />
Damien LeRoy and the Epic Adventures crew set a new world record!<br />
RICH GARDNER<br />
AGE 56<br />
"I AM GETTING TOO OLD FOR BREAKING GUINNESS RECORDS! I<br />
STARTED CRAMPING ON THE FIRST DIVE OF THE KITE!"<br />
NICK ZIEGLER<br />
AGE 30<br />
"I JUST WANTED TO PROVE THAT IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO<br />
SOMETHING AND ACCOMPANIED THAT WITH PRIDE, DETERMINA-<br />
TION AND HARD WORK YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING."<br />
DAMIEN LEROY<br />
AGE 36<br />
"TIME IS SO PRECIOUS, LIVE NOW AS TOMORROW MAY NEVER<br />
COME! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE."
Saturday, December 16th 2017<br />
Leaving from: NE 16th street / Pompano Beach, Florida<br />
Arrival: Bimini Sands Resort Marina / Bimini, Bahamas<br />
Total time: 4:17min<br />
Total miles: 63.4<br />
RIDERS<br />
Nick Ziegler<br />
Rich Gardner<br />
Damien LeRoy<br />
TEAM<br />
Grace Gonzalez: Video Productions<br />
Antonio Marques: Marketing, Drone<br />
David Daniels: Photographer<br />
Chelsea Mercedes: Logistics Coordinator<br />
Keith Willard: Captain<br />
Mike Meskauskas: Transportation/GPS<br />
Find out more about the Epic Adventures posse at<br />
www.epicadventuresfl.com or http://damienleroy.com
48<br />
EVENTS<br />
IKA launches the SnowKite World Cup<br />
IKA LAUNCHES THE<br />
SNOWKITE WORLD CUP<br />
THE INTERNATIONAL KITEBOARDING ASSOCIATION (IKA)<br />
ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF THE INAUGURAL SNOWKITE WORLD<br />
CUP 2018.
50<br />
EVENTS<br />
IKA launches the SnowKite World Cu<br />
The new snow kiteboarding series will feature three<br />
events held in Reschensee and Roccaraso in Italy,<br />
and Erciyes in Turkey. The IKA is working with WISSA<br />
(World Ice and Snow Sailing Association) to get the<br />
circuit up and running.<br />
The 2018 SnowKite World Cup will include three disciplines:<br />
Course Racing, Long Distance/Cross-Country,<br />
and Formula GPS.<br />
The Course Racing will be comprised of standard<br />
windward/leeward races similar to sailing.<br />
The Long Distance/Cross-Country is a snowkiting<br />
marathon taking place in the ups and downs of the<br />
mountains.<br />
The Formula GPS is a freeride race in which competitors<br />
collect points depending on the use of the<br />
racing area, covered distance, altitude and other<br />
variables.
IKA also plans to run Freestyle exhibition events<br />
whenever weather conditions permit. The 2018<br />
SnowKite World Cup kicks off on January 26, in Italy.
52<br />
EVENTS<br />
IKA launches the SnowKite World Cu<br />
2018 SNOWKITE WORLD CUP | SCHEDULE<br />
- Reschensee, Lago Di Resia, Italy<br />
Course Racing, Long Distance | 26-28 January<br />
- Alto Sangro, Abruzzo, Italy<br />
Cross Country, Formula GPS | 14-18 February<br />
- Erciyes/Kayseri, Turkey<br />
Course Racing, Long Distance, Formula GPS | 22-25 March
54<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE<br />
NEXT TO THE<br />
NORTH POLE<br />
In the far north of our planet, deep in the Arctic<br />
Circle, you'll find the archipelago of Svalbard. The<br />
islands are so far north that the sun never sets<br />
there for much of the year and so, when the stars<br />
aligned and years of planning came to fruition, Kari<br />
Schibevaag and four friends travelled to the islands<br />
and the Svalbard Snowkite Expedition – Green Wind<br />
– was born.<br />
TESTO: KARI SCHIBEVAAG | FOTO: KARI SCHIBEVAAG E FRANCISCO MATTOS
Svalbard is technically part of Norway<br />
but it sits hundreds of miles to the north of the<br />
mainland and is actually closer to the North<br />
Pole than it is to the Norwegian capital of Oslo.<br />
There you'll find an arctic climate, breath-taking<br />
frozen landscapes, dangerous animals and<br />
changeable weather. When tourists think of Norway<br />
many mistakenly imagine a snow-covered<br />
land in which polar bears and reindeers roam<br />
the streets. In Svalbard though, that’s a reality.<br />
For a few years, I and four of my friends had<br />
been toying with a question. Could Svalbard be<br />
crossed using the power of the wind? In April of<br />
this year we finally got the chance to find out for<br />
ourselves. This was the result of two and a half<br />
years of planning and this would be no normal<br />
kite trip so there was a lot to organise. My friend<br />
Tom and I had discussed this dream of ours for<br />
a while but Lars, Jørgen and Cecilie shared our<br />
vision and the five of us became the Green Wind<br />
Expedition Team!<br />
Our crew was varied but everyone was up to the<br />
challenge. Tom is an experienced snow kiter<br />
and an expert in sports medicine as well as an<br />
instructor with me at Arctic Kite Camps, I myself<br />
have kited in the arctic circle numerous times<br />
and Lars has crossed Greenland and is a search<br />
and rescue worker in northern Norway. Cecilie<br />
had only been kiting for three years when the<br />
expedition began but she's also crossed Greenland<br />
herself and Jørgen's also an experienced<br />
instructor with 10 years of kiting under his belt
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ADVENTURES<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE<br />
so it was a crew to be reckoned with.<br />
In Svalbard, there's a genuine risk of encountering<br />
a real predator - the polar bear and so you<br />
need to know how to handle a gun when traveling<br />
around the islands. The polar bears move<br />
around hunting for food and you don't want to<br />
run into them if you can avoid it.<br />
You also need permits to be able to travel around<br />
in the area where we wanted to kite and these<br />
take time to sort out. Looking at the statistics for<br />
the wind directions in previous seasons, the prevailing<br />
winds are easterlies and south easterlies<br />
and so, as our goal was to move from south to<br />
north this would have to be taken into account.<br />
We had to practise everything from kiting with<br />
a heavy sledge to falling into crevasses, handling<br />
and firing a gun and setting up a camp<br />
in a snowstorm. We had to know we could survive<br />
in temperatures as low as -35°C and that we<br />
would be properly equipped with the right gear<br />
and enough food to last 20 days in such a harsh<br />
environment. All of this took time but 20 days in<br />
a sub-zero wilderness is a serious challenge and<br />
one we had to be truly ready for.<br />
I must admit that, above everything, polar bears<br />
were constantly on my mind as we prepared to<br />
leave for Svalbard. They're unpredictable animals<br />
and can appear at a moment's notice day<br />
or night. We'd be taking turns to stand guard for<br />
them at night with our shotgun at hand should<br />
we need it and the reality was setting in.<br />
Hurtigruten Svalbard would be taking us and our<br />
90kg sleds to the south of Spitsbergen by snowmobile<br />
to where our journey would begin. Once
the snowmobiles left us the reality sunk in. After<br />
years of preparation, we were alone on the ice<br />
and this was happening.<br />
It was at this point I started asking myself a<br />
question which would become a running theme<br />
throughout the expedition. 'Why am I doing this<br />
to myself?'<br />
The first day and night were the longest of the<br />
whole expedition. Imagine you are kiting across<br />
a moonlike expanse of snow populated by 2000<br />
camouflaged, and hungry predators and you can<br />
get an idea of how it felt. What would I do if we<br />
encountered one?<br />
We started out with no wind, but we had amazing<br />
weather and a clear blue sky. This gave us<br />
the chance to test out our gear and we spent the<br />
first day walking on our skis, dragging our sleds<br />
and refining our routines that would be essential<br />
during the trip.<br />
Our daily progress would be determined by wind<br />
conditions, avalanches, and polar bears and we<br />
planned to camp on glaciers where the bears<br />
would be less likely to show up. In the last few<br />
years, polar bears have changed their movement<br />
patterns in search of more food due to the fast receding<br />
polar sea-ice which makes them particularly<br />
dangerous. Svalbard is a place where you<br />
can see this particular effect of climate change<br />
first hand.<br />
The second day brought light wind but enough<br />
to kite for a couple of hours and we walked for<br />
much of the day. Pulling our sleds was already<br />
becoming a grind and I started wondering how<br />
I'd cope if the wind never came and we had to
58<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE
complete our entire journey on foot.<br />
Luckily, our two hours of wind had come through<br />
just as we encountered sea ice and kiting for a<br />
while lifted our spirits. Before descending the<br />
glacier down to the sea, we had counted more<br />
than 30 grey seals on the ice, a sign that we were<br />
in polar bear territory, so we set a goal of pushing<br />
on across the ice while the going was good until<br />
we reached the abandoned mining town of Svea<br />
where we'd hopefully be able to get some sleep<br />
in safety.<br />
Everything was going fine at first as the wind<br />
propelled us across the ice. Halfway to Svea, we<br />
spotted some greyer, wet patches of ice which<br />
is a sign that the ice was thin and then, before<br />
we knew what was happening, Cecilie had gone<br />
through into the water with her skis and sledge<br />
still attached. We were now in a real emergency<br />
situation.<br />
Cecilie remained calm (as best as she could)<br />
while the team sprang into action and Jørgen<br />
and Lars crawled forward to rescue her from the<br />
freezing water. We had practised for this but Cecilie’s<br />
kite lines had already frozen into the ice so<br />
we couldn't use them to pull her from the water<br />
and so we had to use ropes instead to pull her<br />
free. Once Cecilie was out of the water she was<br />
dangerously cold so we quickly redressed her in<br />
dry clothes before bundling her into a sleeping<br />
bag in an emergency camp. Tom already had<br />
water on the boil and we packed her hypothermic<br />
body with hot water bottles and took stock<br />
of our situation.<br />
We were still in the middle of the ice where the<br />
polar bears hunt, we were unable to move and<br />
the situation was about to worsen as a snowstorm<br />
closed in around us. There was now no<br />
time to secure the camp properly and, instead,<br />
we spent all night fighting against the storm and<br />
the cold, wet conditions.<br />
I've never been so afraid as I was during my twohour<br />
guard against the polar bears that night.<br />
Visibility was limited to 1 metre and the very real<br />
risk of a polar bear looming out of the whiteout<br />
conditions felt all too real to me. By six in the<br />
morning, the storm had weakened and visibility<br />
was returning and we had a chance to make a<br />
break for it. The wind was still on so we were able<br />
to kite the rest of the way with me towing Cecilie<br />
while Jørgen and Tom pulled double sledges.<br />
It was heavy, but we were going to reach Svea<br />
whatever happened.<br />
Looking back, the day when Cecilie fell through<br />
the ice had taken a lot out of us and it seemed to<br />
me that the fact that we'd been in such a rush to<br />
get to Svea had made us overly keen to get out<br />
on the sea ice. Contrasts are what make a journey<br />
special though and, after a crisis like that, the<br />
next few days felt like paradise in comparison.
60<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE<br />
Everything we had dreamed of suddenly came<br />
to be with bright yellow sun, the clearest blue sky<br />
we had ever seen and steady winds.<br />
There was now just one problem; the wind was<br />
coming from completely the wrong direction<br />
and straight in our faces. We were having to<br />
cross upwind and uphill, covering a lot of ground<br />
but not in the direction we wanted to go in. It<br />
was tough going but eventually we managed to<br />
reach our next campsite and our morale lifted.<br />
We set up our camp on a beautiful spot, left our<br />
kites outside the tent ready for the next day and<br />
settled down to eat. Our troubles and tribulations<br />
dropped away and I was instantly amazed at how<br />
your mood can shift once your circumstances<br />
improve. We were happy campers once more!<br />
However, the wind dropped the next day and<br />
we had to scale a mountain on foot to see if we<br />
would find wind on the other side of it. This is<br />
no mean feat dragging a heavy sled and it was<br />
starting to take its toll.<br />
The wind didn't show and so, after days of walking,<br />
we set up camp close to the sea ice on the<br />
east side of Svalbard for what would be our absolute<br />
coldest night with temperatures dropping<br />
down to minus 35°C. Waking up after only two<br />
hours sleep to take your turn on polar bear watch<br />
was a grind, although an entirely necessary one,<br />
but the relentless misery of the process as you<br />
crawled back into cold damp clothes was taking<br />
its toll and even trying to relieve oneself was a<br />
near impossibility in such cruel temperatures.<br />
And, if matters weren't bad enough, this was<br />
when our second incident struck when one of<br />
our burners blew up causing one of the tents to<br />
catch fire. Suddenly the front of the tent just exploded<br />
as the roof quickly melted away and Lars<br />
threw the burner from the tent as Cecilie, who
thankfully had been sitting away from it, took<br />
cover in the rear of the tent.<br />
Luckily neither of them were hurt but by this<br />
point nerves were becoming frayed and so, when<br />
the wind began to blow at 5am the next morning,<br />
we rigged up and got on the move. It was cold<br />
and snowing but we had to use the wind when<br />
the conditions were there and, with our smallest<br />
kites up and visibility so poor we had to rely entirely<br />
on GPS, we were determined to cover some<br />
good ground while we could.<br />
It was then that the Svalbard showed just how<br />
unpredictable it can be and the wind suddenly<br />
dropped, the sun came back and our hopes were<br />
dashed in an instant. The elation at being able to<br />
kite again was gone, we looked at each other and<br />
the realisation sunk in. It was back to walking.<br />
By this point we were at the foot of the Lomonosov<br />
glacier from where we would climb further<br />
up to the Åsgaards glacier. We had been getting<br />
daily weather forecasts by satellite phone and<br />
now our expert forecaster was telling us that the<br />
wind was due to return but that it would be hitting<br />
us head on once again. We were beginning<br />
to realise that kiting up north was going to be<br />
very hard since the wind always wanted to push<br />
us in another direction and we needed to rethink<br />
our goal.<br />
We had come to Svalbard to kite across it, not to<br />
walk it, and so decided that rather than press on<br />
into the headwinds as we steadily diminished<br />
our food and gas supplies we would call off our<br />
scheduled pick-up in the North of the peninsula<br />
and instead work with the wind we had. We<br />
were going to kite downwind for the first time in<br />
nearly two weeks back to Longyearbyen and the<br />
frustrated atmosphere in the group lifted immediately.<br />
In the first two days, we travelled half the
62<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE<br />
distance we had battled to cover in the last two<br />
weeks. It was finally plain sailing and the group<br />
had earned it.<br />
Looking back at the adventure now, and all of<br />
its hardships, it still puts smiles on our faces. We<br />
have unforgettable memories of breath-taking<br />
nature and, although the wind hadn't behaved in<br />
the way we'd hoped it might, it's not something<br />
we'll ever forget. The most prominent impression<br />
the expedition made on us though is that,<br />
while we felt vulnerable in the environment we<br />
were in, it is in fact this environment itself that is<br />
most at risk.<br />
The thin sea ice we encountered is only going<br />
to get worse as global temperatures rise and the<br />
heightened risk of encountering a polar bear is<br />
a result of these majestic creatures' natural habitats<br />
diminishing rapidly. It would be a terrible<br />
shame if future generations couldn't experience<br />
Svalbard in the way that we did and, perhaps the<br />
biggest takeaway from this trip is that action is<br />
required by all of us if we want to preserve places<br />
like this.<br />
In spite of how tough it was we've not been put<br />
off either. We'll be back to attempt the northern<br />
crossing again next year and experience this in-
credible place to its fullest as best as we can. After<br />
all, perhaps this may soon no longer be possible.<br />
We will also bring adventure kiters to Svalbard<br />
so they can adventure some of what I have<br />
seen. This is a place it’s a must to go to. It’s hard<br />
to get there and kite there but it’s something that<br />
you will never forget.
64<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
NEXT TO THE NORTH POLE
CLIMATE CHANGE SIDE BAR<br />
Climate change has made a devastating impact<br />
on the southern region of Svalbard. It<br />
is now an unpredictable area with moving<br />
glaciers, severe crevasses and a topography<br />
that offers very few spots for safe kiting. The<br />
rising temperatures are reducing the sea ice,<br />
the water is heating up and temperatures are<br />
rising even more. It won't be long before the<br />
southernmost part of Svalbard becomes an<br />
island by itself and shorter periods of sea ice<br />
also gives an adaptive challenge to the polar<br />
bear population. They prey on grey seals<br />
close to shore where the water is shallow<br />
under the ice. No ice on Svalbard will mean<br />
big trouble for the polar bear and, although<br />
some of them will follow the ice to the North<br />
Pole, which postpones the inevitable, it will<br />
make it harder and harder for them to survive<br />
and the risk of them coming into towns<br />
searching for food will be greatened.
66<br />
TRIP<br />
Indonesian Taste<br />
V I A G G I // Matt Elsasser<br />
Indonesian<br />
Taste<br />
The best worst place in the world to kite has to be Indonesia.<br />
Like many of you I saw the cover photos and<br />
the videos from Indo and got suckered over there for<br />
the first time 5 years ago. It was the first trip I took as a<br />
pro kiter that I financially funded myself, with the hopes<br />
of making the money back through videos and photos<br />
from the epic Indonesia waves. I figured I would fly over<br />
to Indo, get barreled surfing and kiting every day with<br />
no crowds and come back with hard drives full of the<br />
best shots of my life. I booked a ticket for Brendan Kerr<br />
and I to fly over and crossed my fingers that in 5 weeks I<br />
could find some kite spots and come home with enough<br />
content to pay for the trip. What I learned was that five<br />
weeks was hardly enough time to discover spots, wait<br />
for conditions, and score perfection. Indonesia is as<br />
fickle of a kite spot as you could ever imagine, but that’s<br />
why it keeps me coming back for more.<br />
The first trip to Indo has to be the most exciting but<br />
also the most nerve-wracking trip. While I had spent<br />
some time in heavy-ish Hawaiian waters and cold sessions<br />
along the west coast of the US. Indo seemed like<br />
a different beast. I had heard stories of people breaking<br />
20 leashes on a trip, long paddles, and the need for a<br />
7ft gun to surf when the waves picked up. When I got<br />
there for the first time, I actually ended up feeling most<br />
at home in the water. The waves weren’t so different<br />
from any place I had ever been before, other than the<br />
fact that they were seemingly perfect every day. The<br />
culture however was the shocker. When we arrived in<br />
Bali the place was an instant zoo of people, taxis, and<br />
scooters. It was a far cry from the empty paradise I had<br />
imagined. Traffic there is as tight as you have ever seen.<br />
Brendan and I were able to quickly adjust to the pace<br />
of life and began to roll with the mentality of drive it<br />
like you stole it and don’t be afraid to use your horn.<br />
After a few close calls on the scooters and a few too<br />
many nights drinking Bintangs in Bali we learned that<br />
the windy season in Bali was over and we took the opportunity<br />
to chase some wind and solitude on the oth-
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TRIP<br />
Indonesian Taste
er Indonesian islands. I gathered info on where to head<br />
primarily by asking traveling surfers if they had been to<br />
any of the other islands in Indonesia, hoping for them<br />
to mention the word “windy”. After gathering some information<br />
from surfers and a few kiter friends that had<br />
been through Indonesia before, I was able to pin point<br />
an island or two that might provide some wind.<br />
When Brendan and I arrived at the first location, we<br />
realized we weren’t the only people chasing wind 40+<br />
hours of travel from home. A couple of Australians were<br />
there and quickly informed us that we were probably a<br />
little bit early for the windy season on the island. I didn’t<br />
sweat it much as we had a month to spend in Indo before<br />
heading back to California for college. We took full<br />
advantage of surfing, drinking, ping pong, and crashing<br />
local weddings while we waited for wind. There weren’t<br />
many other options in the Indonesia jungle. As the<br />
weeks passed and the wind still had not shown I began<br />
to become worried that we may never score what<br />
we came for. Right when I had lost all hope of wind,<br />
the best day of kiting I had ever had fell into my lap.<br />
An Australian by the name of Rob Kidnie helped share<br />
some knowledge on how to kite the barreling wave we<br />
were at. I had never gotten barreled kiting and I had<br />
never gone left kiting. Two things were going to have to<br />
change that day, and they did. Rob and I spent the late<br />
evening breeze pulling into kegs. It was simply mind<br />
blowing how good it was, I even shed a tear or two<br />
of joy after pulling out of a few trip changing waves.<br />
I might even consider them life changing waves, as I<br />
have spent the past 5 years since then chasing waves<br />
of similar quality.<br />
At the end of that trip renowned kite photographer Jason<br />
Wolcott and Hawaiian ripper Reo Stevens showed<br />
up to town the day before we were leaving back to<br />
school in California. After a quick dinner with them it<br />
was clear that they were dialed into kiting in Indonesia<br />
like no one I had met before. I left knowing that the
70<br />
TRIP<br />
Indonesian Taste<br />
next time I went to Indo, I wanted the opportunity to<br />
learn from Reo and Jason. Fast forward 11 months and<br />
I got a message from Reo that he was headed back to<br />
Indo for his 10th time to shoot with Jason Wolcott and<br />
Keahi de Aboitiz (3x world champion). I quickly invited<br />
myself and began to wrangle up some sponsor money<br />
to pay Jason. The trip that ensued changed my outlook<br />
on what was even possible in kiting.
It turns out that I had not even began to scratch the<br />
surface of kiting in Indo the year before. Reo and Keahi<br />
were tuned into kiting spots and conditions I thought<br />
impossible the year before, and they were ripping these<br />
spots to shreds. I had no choice but to attempt to join<br />
them, humbling myself and also progressing my riding<br />
in unfamiliar conditions. While Reo and Keahi have the<br />
motivation to kite 5+ hours a day, Jason Wolcott was<br />
the pulverizing force to push us to be out there all-day<br />
long. Jason would simply tell us to get out there and<br />
any resulting question from us would get the answer<br />
“kiting isn’t my job, get out there”. The consistency of<br />
conditions wasn’t any better than the years before, but<br />
I was kiting 3 times as much with this crew. If the wind<br />
was too light to ride we would body drag to get upwind,<br />
if the waves were too small to get barreled we<br />
would shoot airs over dry reef. It didn’t matter the conditions<br />
we were always trying something. On that trip<br />
I confirmed that the secret about kiting in Indo is: the<br />
kiting is only world class for a couple of hours each trip,<br />
so you better be on the water when it turns on.<br />
Like the past 3 or 4 years, this year only provided a small<br />
window of true Indo magic, at least the kind of conditions<br />
you fly across the world for year after year; barrels.<br />
That’s not to say we didn’t score plenty of fun conditions<br />
for turns and airs, but it’s easy to have high expectations<br />
of what you know can be possible there. On<br />
this particular session, the sun was already beginning to
72<br />
TRIP<br />
Indonesian Taste
"It didn’t matter<br />
the conditions we<br />
were always trying<br />
something".
74<br />
TRIP<br />
Indonesian Taste<br />
set as we launched our 13m Drifters on the reef and began<br />
scampering our way to the water. If I had to guess<br />
at that moment I would have put money on it that the<br />
wind would die and we would end up swimming back<br />
to shore as it got dark. But the wind kicked up a notch,<br />
the tide was perfect, Jason was shooting and it was<br />
game on! For about an hour perfect barrel after barrel<br />
fired across the shallow reef with Jason swimming inside<br />
the barrel with us kiting right past him. I’m still not<br />
sure if it takes bigger nuts to shoot the wave or to kite<br />
it, but I definitely would never admit to Jason that the<br />
man with the biggest balls might be the one shooting!<br />
However, it was humbling for all of us with “balls” to<br />
watch 3x world champ Moona Whyte finally score a<br />
dream session after nearly two years of being skunked<br />
for wind in Indo. With a little bit of coaching from her<br />
boyfriend Keahi, she caught some bombs! Moona<br />
would tell you that she didn’t get a good barrel, but I<br />
saw her parked in waves deeper than most guys who
came into the beach claiming barrels. The usual post<br />
session Bintangs and a breath of fresh air that we finally<br />
scored an epic session followed. Jason later told me<br />
he was surprised that we keep coming back every year,<br />
but those hour-long sessions are often the best kiting<br />
we score all year. Every year we get tempted to roll the<br />
dice again, and every year with a little bit of patience<br />
we seem to score something that makes us come back<br />
for more.
76<br />
JOURNEYS<br />
<strong>Kitesoul</strong> awaits you at the Sardinia Kite Camp 2018!<br />
From 25th April to 2nd May and from 2nd to 9th<br />
May the staff of <strong>Kitesoul</strong> and Kitesurf Sardegna<br />
School, organize the second edition of the<br />
Sardinia Kite Camp, an experience in the South<br />
West of Sardinia with hotel accommodation<br />
and trips to legendary spots like Chia, Porto<br />
Botte, Is Solinas, Porto Pino, Funtanamare and<br />
further up to the area of Cabras in the territory<br />
of Oristano.
Kitesurfing in Sardinia in spring is<br />
KITESOUL AWAITS YOU AT THE SARDINIA KITE CAMP 2018!
78<br />
JOURNEYS<br />
<strong>Kitesoul</strong> awaits you at the Sardinia Kite Camp 2018!<br />
UThose kiters that in spring want<br />
to explore the best spots in Sardinia<br />
and experience a unique<br />
journey full of emotions, should<br />
not miss this opportunity. The<br />
staff of <strong>Kitesoul</strong> in collaboration<br />
with "Kitesurf Sardegna" School<br />
of Alessandro Ferro organizes<br />
from 25th April to 2nd May and<br />
from 2nd May to 9th May 2018<br />
the second edition of the Sardinia<br />
Kite Camp, a journey designed<br />
and organized for those riders<br />
who are looking for a restoring<br />
holiday made of kitesurfing, nature<br />
and freedom.<br />
The Sardinia Kite Camp<br />
takes place in the beautiful<br />
South-Western Sardinia which<br />
at this time of the year offers<br />
paradisiacal conditions: stable<br />
and constant wind every day,<br />
long and sunny days and empty<br />
beaches. What more could you<br />
ask for? Participants will stay at a<br />
comfortable hotel located on the<br />
charming promenade of Sant'Antioco,<br />
a strategic location for the<br />
group of participants to reach a<br />
different spot every day, hunting<br />
for the best weather conditions<br />
assisted by a local guide, expert<br />
and skilled, and then return to<br />
the village every evening for dinner<br />
and relax.<br />
There's nothing better than waking<br />
up in the morning and being<br />
free to start the day chasing the<br />
wind all together, exploring one<br />
of the most beautiful coasts in<br />
the Mediterranean ready to use<br />
any wind and condition offered<br />
by this magic Sardinian location!<br />
Indeed, here are the legendary<br />
spots like Chia, Porto Pino,<br />
Porto Botte, Is Solinas, Funtanamare<br />
and Sant'Antioco not to<br />
mention the famous wave spots<br />
near Cabras, in the territory of<br />
Oristano. Flat water and amazing<br />
waves that work with Mistral/Tramontane<br />
and Levanter/<br />
Sirocco winds in addition to the<br />
usual thermal winds at this time<br />
of year.<br />
A comfortable accommodation<br />
in the centre of Sant'Antioco<br />
The accommodation for all par-<br />
Mistral or Sirocco, the route is up<br />
to the wind
ticipants during the Sardinia Kite<br />
Camp will be at the Muma Hostel,<br />
a charming and comfortable<br />
hotel on the promenade of<br />
Sant'Antioco, 800 m from the<br />
town centre. Brand new, quiet<br />
and with quality facilities of a<br />
three-star hotel with 32 air-conditioned<br />
rooms, a traditional-cuisine<br />
restaurant, a beautiful<br />
garden and breakfast. Participants<br />
can choose their preferred<br />
accommodation: single, double,<br />
triple and quadruple rooms. Furthermore,<br />
riders will have storage<br />
facilities and special areas<br />
to wash the equipment after the<br />
session.<br />
Lessons and free tests on the<br />
beach of Porto Pino<br />
The operational base of the Camp<br />
will be at the "Kitesurf Sardegna"<br />
school of Alessandro Ferro, Iko<br />
instructor and great expert of<br />
these coasts, who for years has<br />
been running his sport centre located<br />
on the amazing beach of<br />
Porto Pino. Here it will be possible<br />
to rent RRD equipment (in-
80<br />
JOURNEYS<br />
<strong>Kitesoul</strong> awaits you at the Sardinia Kite Camp 2018!<br />
cluding Sups), have demo tests<br />
of the equipment and individual<br />
or group lessons for all levels.<br />
This year too, anyone can try for<br />
free the experience of Hydrofoiling.<br />
Together with Alessandro Ferro,<br />
there will be David Ingiosi, Iko instructor<br />
and Managing Director<br />
of <strong>Kitesoul</strong>, who will follow and<br />
assist the group of participants,<br />
ready to capture this fantastic<br />
experience and collect the material<br />
for a report that will be published<br />
on the pages of the magazine.<br />
An offer not to be missed<br />
The cost of the package for this<br />
second edition of the Sardinia<br />
Kite Camp is of EUROS 739 per<br />
person and it includes: 7 nights<br />
hotel accommodation with<br />
breakfast, transfers to the spots,<br />
guide and beach assistance,<br />
equipment storage facilities, two<br />
diners with aperitif, use of SUPs,<br />
equipment tests and use of Hydrofoil.<br />
Customised options in<br />
single, triple or quadruple room<br />
are available.
INFO:<br />
DAVID INGIOSI,<br />
CELL. 3475598759,<br />
DAVID.INGIOSI@KITESOUL.COM.<br />
In short, there are all the right ingredients<br />
for a kiter's dream holiday.<br />
All you have to do is book<br />
it and make sure you also pack<br />
your true kitesoul. Info: David<br />
Ingiosi, mobile: 3475598759, david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com.<br />
WWW.KITESOUL.COM<br />
WWW.KITESURFSARDEGNA.IT<br />
WWW.MUMAHOSTEL.IT
82<br />
KITECAMP<br />
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily<br />
KITE CATAMARAN<br />
CAMP IN SICILY<br />
In spring 2018 <strong>Kitesoul</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> together with Marsala<br />
Kitesurf Association and Sail&Travel charter company<br />
organizes a fantastic kite camp aboard a sailing<br />
catamaran equipped with all amenities. Objective: fully<br />
experience the sea, sail along the coast wind hunting<br />
and unload one's own passion for kitesurfing in some<br />
of the most amazing spots in Sicily: the lagoon of the<br />
Stagnone, Capo Feto and the wonderful Egadi Islands.
A unique Kite Camp, charming and<br />
full of adrenaline that allows riders to<br />
experience the sea in perfect harmony<br />
aboard a sailing catamaran in one<br />
of the most fascinating and windiest<br />
areas in Sicily. Sleeping aboard, sailing,<br />
reaching unspoilt spots, surf for<br />
hours and enjoy the breath-taking<br />
sunsets from the boat cockpit. This<br />
is on schedule for the Kite Catamaran<br />
Camp 2018 organized for next<br />
spring, from 3rd to 10th May, by <strong>Kitesoul</strong><br />
<strong>Magazine</strong> in collaboration with<br />
Marsala Kitesurf Association and<br />
Sail&Travel charter company.<br />
DESTINATION<br />
The South-West coast of Sicily is an<br />
ideal destination for those riders who<br />
want to enjoy one of the windiest areas<br />
in the Mediterranean, between<br />
Marsala, also known as the "city of<br />
wind", the lagoon of the Stagnone, a<br />
suggestive nature reserve, a paradise<br />
for thousands of riders from all<br />
over the world with its flat water and
84<br />
KITECAMP<br />
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily<br />
steady winds and the fascinating<br />
and solitary Egadi Islands, Favignana<br />
and Levanzo. Water sports, great<br />
food accompanied by excellent local<br />
wines and an unspoilt and timeless<br />
territory. The real Sicily.<br />
THE EXPERIENCE AND THE CREW<br />
The participants to the Kite Catamaran<br />
Camp after embarking at the port<br />
of Marsala will sail along the coast<br />
and every night will stay in a different<br />
location. The navigation, the life<br />
on board and the stopover ports of<br />
this holiday pursue the main goal of<br />
the guests: kite as much as possible<br />
in the best Sicilian spots depending<br />
on weather conditions. Aboard, they<br />
will be taken good care of by captain<br />
Francesco Balestrieri, a skipper with<br />
an extensive experience in charters,<br />
sailing and of these coasts but also<br />
chef and kitesurf instructor, and Andrea<br />
Alagna, one of the best riders<br />
in the Stagnone as well as qualified<br />
instructor with a pure passion for the<br />
sea. They will take care of the storage<br />
of the equipment on-board, assist<br />
the riders during launch and landing<br />
of the kites, and provide everyone,<br />
beginners and experts, maximum<br />
support for safety and fun.<br />
THE BOAT<br />
The boat is a Lagoon 380, a beautiful<br />
12-meter catamaran from the French<br />
shipyard Jeanneau, with plenty of<br />
room and amenities. Designed by the<br />
renowned architects Van Peteghem<br />
and Lauriot Prévost, inside it has four<br />
comfortable cabins, two bathrooms,<br />
a large panoramic square, kitchen<br />
and navigation corner, while outside<br />
guests can enjoy the majestic cockpit<br />
with awning, table and cushions<br />
and the spacious sun deck. The<br />
maximum capacity of guests aboard<br />
is 8 people.
In addition to standard safety equipment<br />
(first aid kit, fire extinguishers,<br />
life raft, EPIRB, VHF and personal life<br />
buoys) on the boat there will be: towels,<br />
bed-sheets, hot water, electrical<br />
outlets, Wi-Fi, sound system, TV, air<br />
conditioning, heating, microwave, refrigerator,<br />
solar panels, wind generator<br />
and a 3.5-meter tender at kiters'<br />
disposal.<br />
SCHEDULE AND ITINERARY<br />
Day 1 - Departure<br />
Meeting at the port of Marsala, departing<br />
at 4pm and sail towards<br />
Levanzo where it will be possible to<br />
moor, swim and enjoy a drink at sunset<br />
followed by dinner on the boat.<br />
We will moor at anchor in a sheltered<br />
bay.<br />
Day 2 - Kitesurf in Levanzo and islands<br />
of the Stagnone<br />
Breakfast will be served and wind<br />
permitting it will be possible to kite<br />
until lunch prepared by the chef.<br />
Then, in the early afternoon we will<br />
sail towards the lagoon of the Stagnone<br />
where we stop and kite until<br />
sunset in this beautiful nature reserve.<br />
The night will be spent at anchor<br />
in a sheltered area just outside<br />
the lagoon.<br />
Day 3 - Kitesurf at the Stagnone and<br />
departure for Favignana<br />
Kite day at the Stagnone and then at<br />
sunset we reach the island of Favignana,<br />
where once moored in the port<br />
we will be free to explore the island<br />
and go out for dinner in one of its<br />
charming restaurants.<br />
Day 4 - Sailing from Favignana to<br />
Capo Feto<br />
After a night of rest and breakfast<br />
in the morning, we’ll sail for about<br />
4 hours towards Capo Feto. Once<br />
arrived at destination, we’ll rig the<br />
equipment on the beach and kite<br />
until sunset. We will sleep moored at<br />
anchor in a sheltered bay.<br />
Day 5 - Sail from Capo Feto to Favignana<br />
We wake up, have breakfast and<br />
spend the morning kitesurfing at the<br />
beach, then the bow of the catamaran<br />
will aim the island of Favignana,<br />
where we will stop again in the port<br />
and spend the night on the island.<br />
Day 6 - Kitesurf in Favignana and sail<br />
towards the Stagnone<br />
We can spend the morning kiting<br />
or exploring the enchanting bays of<br />
the island swimming and enjoying<br />
the relaxation. In the early afternoon<br />
we depart again for the lagoon of<br />
the Stagnone to reach a wonderful<br />
beach called Tahiti for its white sand<br />
and emerald green water where we<br />
can kite until sunset. We sleep at anchor<br />
in a sheltered area in the nature<br />
reserve.<br />
Day 7 - Kitesurf at the Stagnone and<br />
return to Marsala<br />
After breakfast, we kitesurf for another<br />
few hours before returning to<br />
the port of Marsala where the guests<br />
will disembark.<br />
The cost for the Kite Camp is € 1,390<br />
per person, or it is possible to rent<br />
out the entire boat which would cost<br />
€ 9,420. In conclusion, the Kite Cata-
86<br />
KITECAMP<br />
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily<br />
KITE CATAMAR
AN CAMP IN SICILIA
88<br />
KITECAMP<br />
Kite Catamaran Camp in Sicily<br />
maran Camp by <strong>Kitesoul</strong> it's not just<br />
a holiday but an amazing experience<br />
in the nature, conceived and specially<br />
organized for kiters that want to<br />
experience the sea in freedom, sail in<br />
some of the most beautiful spots in<br />
the Mediterranean and explore Sicily,<br />
a stunning island, welcoming and<br />
timeless.<br />
Info: David Ingiosi,<br />
mobile: +39/3475598759,<br />
david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com.
90<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
Nomads of the wind
Nomads<br />
of the<br />
wind<br />
Whilst kitesurfing dominates beaches all around the world, its<br />
mountain counterpart, snowkiting, remains a relatively unknown<br />
activity, practiced by a small circle of pioneers. Why is that? Easy<br />
accessibility to the sea could be a valid explanation, but other<br />
reasons have to be considered ...<br />
TEXT: MICHAEL CHARAVIN | PHOTO: MICHAEL CHARAVIN & JOËL BLANCHEMAIN
92<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
Nomads of the wind<br />
n snowkiting, it's natural, although<br />
not imperative, to go beyond the<br />
limits of a few «conventional» spots<br />
and explore the mountain surroundings.<br />
Such a practice requires a detailed<br />
understanding of the local<br />
aerology together with knowledge<br />
of the winter mountain playground.<br />
A set of skills that a practitioner can<br />
only accumulate through experimentation<br />
and experience. But this<br />
lengthy acquisition process can be<br />
a barrier for those who only partake<br />
occasionally.<br />
Yet the potential of this recent discipline<br />
is huge, and every year it<br />
shows a further evolution pushing<br />
its boundaries more. For example,<br />
«kite-mountaineering» is now becoming<br />
a reality: narrow corridors<br />
and 45° sloping faces are now being<br />
ridden up by snowkiters. But more<br />
than that, it’s the number of summits<br />
that were in the past only the<br />
playground of «randonnée» skiers<br />
and are now accessible by snowkiters<br />
that best express the potential<br />
of this discipline. We are here in the<br />
«snowkite touring» or «mountaineering<br />
snowkite» world…<br />
The Alps are much better than one<br />
can imagine for these games of<br />
summits riding up and mountain<br />
exploring. But in Europe, one destination<br />
certainly stands out thanks<br />
to its potential: NORWAY.
Snowkite paradise!<br />
Norway is probably the best place<br />
in Europe to practice snowkiting:<br />
beyond the forest boundary, mountains<br />
and snow-covered plateaus<br />
spread almost over infinite spaces.<br />
The Hardangervidda plateaus, in the<br />
south of the country, have earned<br />
international renown, because they<br />
are easy to access and open to all<br />
winds. Perhaps also because there<br />
is an annual long-distance kite race<br />
(the Ragnarok) with riders from all<br />
around Europe.<br />
However, one thing will always<br />
surprise me considering the potential<br />
offered by the terrain: even<br />
though there are more and more<br />
touring snowkite trips (day or multi-day),<br />
the majority of participates<br />
remain on conventional spots and<br />
use LEI (inflated) kites: the spirit<br />
of this practice seems much more<br />
akin with kitesurfing than mountain<br />
kite... It's therefore funny to note<br />
that the evolution of the snowkiting<br />
practice seems more advanced in<br />
the Alps, even though at first sight,<br />
the terrain seems less favourable...<br />
But Norway does not stop at the<br />
Hardanger plateaus. You have to<br />
know how to get off the beaten<br />
track! The possibilities can be much<br />
more interesting elsewhere, especially<br />
in the more mountainous areas...<br />
I have been going to the south of<br />
Norway for a long time, and I see
94<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
Nomads of the wind<br />
in the unknown massifs of Setesdal<br />
Vesthei and Ryfylkeheiane the<br />
ideal compromise for a practice of<br />
snowkite touring, while keeping a<br />
resolutely «mountain» approach.<br />
The terrain<br />
is complex<br />
and «unstructured».<br />
It's very<br />
simple: here<br />
nothing is flat<br />
- except the<br />
hundreds of<br />
small glacial lakes that occupy ancient<br />
glacial umbilics! On the other<br />
hand, the mountains have moderate<br />
vertical gradients that don't totally<br />
block the wind ...<br />
New deal...<br />
Previously, we had snowkited plateaus<br />
and mountains of the south<br />
of this country in various differing<br />
styles, which ranged from a few<br />
hours to two weeks self-sufficient<br />
trips, with winter camping equipment<br />
and food carried in pulks<br />
(sledges that the rider pulls behind<br />
him).<br />
But this time, the complex orography<br />
of the areas that we proposed<br />
to visit imposed new rules.<br />
For the first time, we tried a «nomad»<br />
trip without pulks in order to<br />
be freer in our movements and explorations.<br />
«To go everywhere», to<br />
be able to cross all the types of terrain<br />
on our route, not to be limited<br />
to pass only by the «weak» points<br />
of the valleys, combs, and lakes. On<br />
the contrary, be able to climb right<br />
up the slopes, to get out of combs<br />
and gullies, to cross steep ridges,<br />
to weave in and out of rocks, to flirt<br />
with the huge cornices that are numerous,<br />
becomes both a goal and<br />
an obligation.<br />
In short, we play with the relief as<br />
we do «at home», during our alpine<br />
sessions. The distinction being that<br />
we move, every day from point A<br />
to B. Of course, for this we rely on<br />
the excellent network of cabins that<br />
the Norwegians have built in these<br />
mountains.<br />
What did we put in our backpacks?<br />
Light! From the beginning this was<br />
the raison d'être of this trip. Even<br />
though the idea was to sleep as<br />
much as possible in the cabins, we<br />
didn’t want to compromise on safety.<br />
Bivouac equipment, even minimalist<br />
(snow shovel, sleeping bag,<br />
floor mats, few warm clothes, mini<br />
gas cartridge, mini-pot, mini-stove<br />
and a little toothbrush), is essential<br />
for security. In these mountains,<br />
when an incident occurs, reaching<br />
a valley, or even the nearest cabin,<br />
can be complicated. To be able to<br />
protect ourselves from cold during<br />
an improvised bivouac seemed to<br />
us an obligation - at least morally<br />
so.
So to keep freedom of choice on<br />
the various possible route options<br />
was written into the DNA of our<br />
project. Not to be forced to follow<br />
the most direct route between two<br />
cabins, on the contrary, to be able<br />
to move away if the wind or the will<br />
pushed us, was a fundamental principle<br />
that we did not want to deviate<br />
from.<br />
But by taking the decision to be<br />
able to be unshackled from taking<br />
these direct routes between cabins<br />
and thus «freeing» the route of too<br />
many restrictions, and thus potentially<br />
making it more interesting or<br />
more in line with the encountered<br />
wind directions, then the risk of be-
96<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
Nomads of the wind
ing too far away from the nearest<br />
cabin became significant. Trying to<br />
dig a snow hole without the right<br />
equipment was an experience to<br />
probably avoid.<br />
At the start, we imagined we could<br />
go with backpacks weighing a dozen<br />
or so kilos - we are always too<br />
optimistic when we plan a trip sat<br />
at the desk. The scales quickly rose<br />
to fifteen when we began to do serious<br />
calculations, and on the day<br />
of departure, after having sifted<br />
their contents many times, the bags<br />
weighed between 18 and 20 kilos ...<br />
“forget light” they say!!<br />
Planning strategy<br />
Ah ha, our good joke! We had<br />
dared to give our concept of a light<br />
snowkite trip the pretentious name<br />
of «warrior kiting». Because we had<br />
imagined that we could spend one<br />
or more nights in the depths of a<br />
snow hole hastily dug at the evening<br />
of an epic kite or no-wind day...<br />
But when one has sampled the<br />
comfort of the Norwegian cabins,<br />
would a night in a snow hole<br />
seem so attractive? The minimalism<br />
of our bivouac equipment left no<br />
doubt that a night outside would be<br />
much longer than it would be comfortable...<br />
What we found when we were there<br />
was a certain cautiousness pushed<br />
us to compromise with our big ideas<br />
and starting theories. It became<br />
obvious that we would have to «pay<br />
the price» if we spent a night in the<br />
snow... To avoid this, we gradually<br />
resigned ourselves (more than we<br />
had imagined at first) to stick to a<br />
more or less programmed itinerary.<br />
Obviously, going down that route,<br />
we lost in freedom what we earned<br />
in comfort…<br />
After time and reflection, the modus<br />
operandi, which we will utilise<br />
in future trips, is certainly to lighten<br />
again and again (by reducing<br />
further the bivouac equipment to<br />
the strictly necessary for «survival»).<br />
While deliberately relying on<br />
the cabins network the distances<br />
between them can always be covered<br />
in 7 or 8 hours of skiing. Apart<br />
from a serious accident, that would<br />
totally immobilise us and then force<br />
us to manage a real crisis, these<br />
distances are achievable as long as<br />
we are prepared for progression in<br />
these surroundings in all conditions<br />
- including the worst...<br />
It might even be interesting to push<br />
the reasoning to define a fixed radius<br />
around each cabin in which we<br />
would be sure to be able to retreat<br />
to, even if it's necessary to walk part<br />
of the night for it. The transfer of<br />
these areas onto a map would allow<br />
us to delimit the areas too far from<br />
the cabins (like the gaps on a Venn<br />
diagram) - and thus determine the<br />
snowkiting no-go areas.<br />
Thus lightened, there would be<br />
even more mobility, and thus another<br />
gain of freedom...<br />
Limitations of the trip...<br />
They exist, of course. The first of<br />
these is aerology: the wind is a complex<br />
element, uncertain, fluctuating,<br />
transient, indecisive, inconsist-
98<br />
ADVENTURES<br />
Nomads of the wind<br />
ent, capricious, unstable, versatile...<br />
Well, in short, never guaranteed!<br />
The second is weather conditions<br />
in general: the good weather is not<br />
what best characterises these territories.<br />
We must therefore acknowledge<br />
that the game can become<br />
complex, even sometimes not suitable<br />
for kite progression...<br />
The third is the relief. If it is distinct<br />
enough then progression comes to<br />
a stop.<br />
And finally, more localised and predictable,<br />
is the presence of vegetation.<br />
In most cases, it's the combination<br />
of these constraints that leads to<br />
an inability to progress with kites.<br />
For example, a headwind is not in<br />
itself a determinant factor of an inability<br />
to progress, but it becomes<br />
so in very bumpy terrain because<br />
it's then incompatible with an effective<br />
upwind technique – particularly<br />
on a whole day’s stage. The<br />
same goes for the lack of visibility<br />
(«white out»): if GPS progression<br />
is not technically a limiting factor,<br />
the difficulty of understanding the<br />
terrain and anticipating our trajectories<br />
is more so. Because on difficult<br />
ground where the exploitation<br />
of sketchy winds already reaches<br />
a critical threshold, the absence of<br />
visibility dulls our abilities to detect<br />
obstacles and make strategic bypass<br />
choices (small cliffs, large snow<br />
ridges, steep slopes, deep coombs<br />
and canyons, there are many). To<br />
progress in snowkiting without visibility<br />
is like a game of Russian roulette<br />
that we don't want to play too<br />
often...<br />
To start a trip through relief like this<br />
we have to predispose ourselves to<br />
the fact that some days will not lend<br />
themselves to kiting and to ensure<br />
regular progress the climbing skins<br />
will need to be utilised.
This is what we did on stages 3<br />
& 5, and partly on the 4th. Mainly<br />
because of headwinds, obligatory<br />
crossing points, wooded areas, or<br />
in deep powder snow in which we<br />
waded like wild boar without seeing<br />
further than ten metres. But that's<br />
part of the adventure!<br />
Gear:<br />
Kites: we opted for a limited quiver<br />
of 2 single-skin kites and only one<br />
bar per person to minimise weight<br />
and volume carried. Flysurfer Peak<br />
3 [sizes chosen 4m² and 9m²] perfectly<br />
met the specifications for this<br />
kind of expedition. The 4m² is probably<br />
THE currently most amazing<br />
kite.
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We obviously still deliver you the bar with the exclusive RRD Rigid thread lines. These lines are made with using the most recent<br />
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and packed with the same great features of the previous versions. But with the V8,<br />
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RIDERS: ABEL LAGO -KITE: RELIGION MK8 - PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA<br />
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102<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
HOW TO GET THERE<br />
AIRPORTS: HURGADA OR<br />
MARSA ALAM.<br />
AIR COMPANIES:<br />
EGYPTAIR, PEGASUS<br />
AIRLINES, TURKISH<br />
AIRLINES.<br />
PROKITE VILLA FACILITIES<br />
Double and single rooms<br />
Kitchen<br />
Basic and advanced kitesurfing<br />
lessons<br />
Equipment rental<br />
Storage<br />
Water and on shore assistance<br />
INTERNET<br />
www.prokiteacademy.com<br />
www.facebook.com/ProKiteVilla
ProKite Villa:<br />
how about a<br />
surf house in<br />
paradise<br />
"So, are we off to the lagoon?". No time to finish my question<br />
and Max sprints off downwind pulled by his 13 meters<br />
Passion RRD. I adjust my straps, relaunch the kite in<br />
the shallow water and off I go, trying to follow his route.<br />
I know the lagoon is somewhere on the horizon, but I am<br />
not familiar with this stretch of coastline and with the<br />
low tide, reef plates are just there lurking. That’s why an<br />
experienced guide like Max Pruccoli is what it takes to<br />
make your way to heaven. Or so it’s how the famous lagoon<br />
of Safaga has been described to me.<br />
I am at full gliding, anxious to see this wonder, staring<br />
at the sky and the sea which slightly blend together,<br />
bar down to get maximum power from my North Evo 12<br />
and keep up with Max who’s gone wild. Then, the water<br />
around us becomes greener and greener, with thousands<br />
of nuances until, there it is: the lagoon of Safaga. It<br />
is a white sandbar that gradually comes out of the sea at<br />
about a mile from the coast, creating a succession of ice<br />
blue and emerald green coloured pools where the water<br />
is deeper. It's like a miracle of mother nature. You get<br />
there and your heart starts pounding. It's so beautiful that<br />
your eyes struggle to set on anything but try to embrace<br />
all this beauty: the colours of the sea, the board softly<br />
planing and breaking the silence, the kite against the<br />
clear sky. In the distance the sandy peaks of the mountain<br />
range of Shaiyb al-Banat overlooking the wide Bay<br />
of Port Safaga which remind me how these waters of the<br />
Red Sea are surrounded by the endless desert of Egypt.<br />
AN ENCHANTED LAGOON, A DELIGHT FOR THE EYES<br />
Max ahead of me keeps his sharp riding with random<br />
jumps that cast him up in the air. But the view is not so
104<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
different from up above, in fact even from the water surface it’s<br />
like being up in the sky. On my kite trip dreams in some tropical<br />
paradise I see exactly what’s in front of me right now. Only here<br />
it's a thousand times more beautiful. And all for myself. There is<br />
nobody else apart from us. I scream out of joy and with my kite at<br />
12 I lay on the water only centimetres deep. I just want to stop the<br />
clock and get overwhelmed with this magic. I think about kitesurf,<br />
this wonderful sport that makes me want to travel the world<br />
and gives me the joy of discovering unspoilt places like Safaga.<br />
The Egyptian spot of Safaga is renowned since the eighties as one<br />
of the most evocative destinations for water sports lovers. This<br />
is where sport centres of international level were born for wind<br />
hunters, windsurfers first and eventually kiters. I still remember<br />
the tutorial videos shot in these beautiful lagoons by the legendary<br />
Vasco Renna: crystal clear and totally pure waters, steady wind<br />
pushing the sails, a magical and timeless atmosphere. Safaga was<br />
there, on my wish list that sooner or later I would have satisfied.<br />
So, finally here I am, inside my dream, reality surpassing imagination<br />
as usual. Because, unless you have seen them with your own<br />
eyes before, it is difficult to imagine such colours. Not even if you<br />
have seen them on some trade magazine cover. One must come<br />
over here and experience them personally, impressing them on<br />
the heart.<br />
KITESURFING BETWEEN THE DESERT AND THE ECHO OF PHAR-<br />
AOHS<br />
Safaga is located about fifty kilometres south of Hurgada. It is still<br />
a small mercantile port, but coral reefs are its true treasure, happiness<br />
for scuba diving lovers. Not to mention that not far from<br />
this stretch of the coast there is the Nile Valley with the ancient<br />
City of Luxor, the tombs of Pharaohs and the ancient and mysterious<br />
archaeological ruins. And then "his Majesty" the desert with<br />
its lunar and desolate sceneries.<br />
But for over 15 years now, Safaga means above all kitesurfing. Together<br />
with other renowned spots on the Red Sea such as Marsa<br />
Alam, El Gouna, Ras Sudr, Dahab, every year it attracts kiters<br />
from all over the world that come here to practice or learn this<br />
discipline which, no wonder has become the first national sport<br />
in Egypt. There are many kitesurfing schools ready to welcome<br />
riders eager to have sessions in these breath-taking waters. The<br />
Prokite Academy of Max Piona is one of them, one of the most<br />
internationally qualified Iko centres as well as centre of the Italian
106<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
brand Roberto Ricci Design.<br />
EVERYONE IN THE VILLA, LIKE HOME<br />
Max Piona spent a long time in these territories and gave thousands<br />
of teaching lessons as an Iko instructor and examiner, kitesurf<br />
runs in his veins, but he is also deeply in love with Egypt and<br />
with this stretch of the coast which he has elected as his beloved<br />
house. Actually, more than houses Max loves villas, so much so<br />
that he made his own one: the ProKite Villa. A school project born<br />
three years ago and inspired by the lounges for Australian backpackers<br />
of which it represents the idea of comfortable but informal<br />
accommodation, and above all shared by all the guests bond<br />
by the passion for sea and sports.<br />
Staying at the ProKite Villa basically feels like sleeping on the<br />
beach in a typical Egyptian villa, on three floors, with 11 rooms<br />
with private bathroom, cuisine with Italian menu, storage facilities<br />
for the equipment, beach facilities and chill out shared spaces.<br />
First thing to do when you get there is go up on the rooftop<br />
terrace and admire the wonderful lagoon of Safaga that stretches<br />
beautiful as it is just before you surrounded by the beautiful
Makadi Bay, Soma Bay and Sahl Hasheesh. A view that opens your<br />
heart. And Max Piona left his own heart in this spot. To assist him<br />
run the ProKite Villa there is a team of competent and well-knit<br />
friends: Massimo "Max" Pruccoli, instructor and jack of all trades<br />
with a "MacGyver" attitude, Roberto Acerboni also kitesurfing and<br />
snowboarding instructor with many years of experience, with an<br />
unbridled sense of humour and always ready for action, Roberto<br />
Faretra, kitesurfing instructor with his own centre in Dervio with<br />
chilled ways and last but not least Tiziana Giorgione, the secretary,<br />
only lately relocated to Egypt to pursue her dream of becoming<br />
an instructor. With them a group of "locals" hired as beach<br />
assistants, Jabar, Ramadam, Paolo, and the cook, also Egyptian,<br />
but with great Italian cuisine skills, and several trustworthy drivers<br />
ready to take the guests for a stroll around and about.<br />
WIND, FRIENDS, LAUGHTERS. THIS IS KITESURFING<br />
The success of this surf house lies in the enthusiasm of the socalled<br />
"repeaters", Italian, but not only, boys and girls who come<br />
back here every year fulfilled with its family environment, the relaxed<br />
atmosphere, good food and the conditions of a unique spot<br />
in the world. During my stay, I had a taste of all this: awesome ses-
108<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
sions in the water, endless laughs, chats with a black tea or a fruit<br />
infusion, yoga lessons with the teacher Benedetta Bartolomeo,<br />
music that accompanied snooker matches or bonfires that lighted<br />
up the beach during starred nights or under gigantic moons.<br />
Just be aware though! Coming to Safaga may be tricky for a traveller-kiter.<br />
It means losing yourself in the sands of the desert, in<br />
the slow rhythms of an ancient culture, it means stopping the<br />
clock and dedicate to yourself or finding yourself in the silence<br />
of an unspoilt nature and ride pulled by a kite and breath the desire<br />
of freedom. It can be tricky simply because once here, one<br />
doesn't want to leave any more and leave behind these incredible<br />
colours and this majestic beauty. Hurray for Egypt! Chukran and<br />
Maa Salama...
Max Piona:<br />
"Mass media<br />
carried out<br />
psychological<br />
terrorism on<br />
tourism in<br />
Egypt"<br />
Max, you came to Egypt many years ago after traveling the world<br />
and exploring beautiful destinations. Why is this country so attractive<br />
to you?<br />
"I guess for its consistent optimal conditions for this sport. Of<br />
course, as in any other spot, we also have weather conditions<br />
more difficult to handle, but in my 12 year-experience in this territory<br />
the statistic of annual wind easily guarantees 70 percent<br />
of good days for kitesurfing. I have rarely found the same consistency<br />
else where in the world. And the flat water. Conditions<br />
combining with a population that maybe initially I found hard to<br />
understand but which over the years proved very open to tourism<br />
in which it sees a source of living and it's extremely welcoming.<br />
Furthermore, after more than 2,000 years of history, the bond between<br />
Egypt and Italy remains very solid and based on mutual<br />
respect and liking".<br />
In recent years, because of terrorism, Egypt has lost 60 percent<br />
of its kitesurfing tourism and not only. What is your experience of<br />
this difficult time and what would you say to those in Europe who<br />
think that Egypt is an off-limits tourism destination?<br />
"I actually opened my centre at the beginning of the"Arab Spring",<br />
so I faced two revolutions. Initially I was in dismay because it was<br />
a new situation and also deeply felt in the Arab world. Then, I think<br />
that with the second revolution the Egyptian political situation<br />
was not internationally accepted and therefore tourism has been<br />
stonewalled and not always in an honest way. I personally experienced<br />
an incredible discrepancy between the media stories and<br />
reality. I don’t find it hard to define this twisted report of reality as<br />
true psychological terrorism with no grounds.
110<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
Here at your centre there are no guards, no fences, you can take<br />
a taxi and move around easily. In other words, one does not feel<br />
any risk. Is that right?<br />
"Egypt not only is safe terrorism wise, but also for petty crimes.<br />
I leave my equipment outside at night, completely unattended,<br />
and nothing happens. In Italy it would be impossible".
At the ProKite Villa you offer a surf house concept and a kitesurfing<br />
school dedicated to riders. One comes here, kites, lives together<br />
with others and it feels like being in a nice family. Where<br />
did you get this idea from?<br />
"Yes, a crazy family! ;) After many years of teaching and experience<br />
in many centres I wanted to add something to these experiences,<br />
give a more distinctive shape capable of putting people<br />
together through the sport. Wherever I went I always realized<br />
that kitesurfing connected people who wanted to stay together<br />
also after the sessions, party and share their experiences. The idea<br />
of a surf house came from my travels in Australia when I hanged<br />
around in backpackers’ lounges and met guys who shared spaces,<br />
kitchen and evenings. Of course, I conceived it as a place that<br />
could offer proper facilities to kiters, a good level of amenities and<br />
overlooking a high-level spot".<br />
Tell us about the conditions of Safaga as a spot. In your opinion,<br />
what are its strengths?<br />
"Quality and quantity of the wind for sure. During the summer the<br />
prevailing wind is North/North East generally quite steady and<br />
North/North West slightly gustier in the winter always on/side
112<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
on direction. The Bay of Safaga expands for about 20 km from the<br />
point of Soma Bay, where you arrive by boat and where I often go<br />
with my friends from Tornado Surf, up to the South point where<br />
there is the ProKite Villa. Along these 20 km the wind changes,<br />
we get it one hour later but it blows until the evening for fantastic<br />
sunset sessions. And here we can ride even when other spots<br />
have extreme conditions as we are sheltered by the island. The<br />
seabed in front of the Villa is sand mixed with pebbles that's why<br />
I always recommend the use of wetsuit boots, especially if you<br />
are not an experienced rider. Tidal variations can be a weakness<br />
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<br />
pools of water, such as the spot of Low Tide, about 3 km away,<br />
where with our pickup trucks we drive riders and students who<br />
want to take lessons".<br />
As Iko instructor and examiner you have long committed to spread<br />
the culture of safe teaching and kitesurfing which is promoted by<br />
this international organization. Are you still enthusiastic to be a<br />
sort of Iko ambassador?<br />
"The Iko comes from the roots of kitesurf, from what once was<br />
known as Wipika Internationa Kiteschool, therefore it immediate-
1114<br />
SAFAGA SPOT<br />
ProKite Villa: how about a surf house in paradise<br />
ly followed this sport and promoted its teaching by defining the<br />
safety standards. Ever since it came into being in 2001 its goal was<br />
to spread safe kitesurfing around the world, also pressing brands<br />
to improve safety systems in the equipment. Over the years these<br />
standards have undergone a continuous evolution and the organization<br />
is always up for improvement. In 2017 we've updated the<br />
website, brought the course for Assistant Instructor from three<br />
to five days to allow students to increase the number of teaching<br />
practice hours during the course. Over the years, we have<br />
also insisted on the quality control of Iko centres and courses in<br />
compliance with our standards. When teaching, each instructor<br />
represents the Iko and he /she must strictly apply our educational<br />
criteria. These are not always met 100% but we must strive to<br />
make everybody apply them. To date we still represent the highest<br />
standard of teaching recreational kitesurfing worldwide, with<br />
all due respect to other organizations. So, we are very satisfied. "
Here at the ProKite Villa you have a seasonal calendar for Assistant<br />
Instructor and Instructor courses. Why should one choose to<br />
come to Safaga to complete these training courses?<br />
"To start with I hold my courses in Italian unlike other centres here<br />
in Egypt. And our school is right on the spot, we have lessons in<br />
the classroom and then straight in the water, this way optimizing<br />
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<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
The<br />
Unknown<br />
Side of<br />
Brazil
I had not been to Brazil for more than ten years. The<br />
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is what made me go<br />
back there. There are sand dunes everywhere and the<br />
lagoons between them are filled with blue and green<br />
freshwater. From the sky they look like sheets and that’s<br />
probably why they’re called Lençóis Maranhenses, which<br />
literally means “sheets of the Maranhão”. They extend over<br />
155 square km to form a limitless kite playground. This<br />
name probably rings a bell to you, because Red Bull has<br />
already planned a race there, where the goal is to cross<br />
all the park, walking through sand dunes and kiting the<br />
lagoons.<br />
CHARLOTTE CONSORTI
120<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
This landscape is sculpted by two forces of nature: on one<br />
hand you have powerful winds coming from the sea, blowing<br />
from July to December and building the sand dunes. On the<br />
other hand, you have the humid tropical climate of the Amazonian<br />
basin which, from January to June, fills up the lagoons<br />
with its heavy rainfalls. The best season to go kiting in the<br />
lagoons is therefore from July to September. During those<br />
months, you encounter wind as well as filled lagoons, which<br />
quickly dry up after this period. Personally, I chose to go there<br />
in September.<br />
On the internet I found very little information about this area<br />
so I asked the Terra Nordeste agency to help me figure out a<br />
way for transfers (which are a bit complicated) and excursions<br />
in the Lençóis. Besides being a specialist of the Nordeste, the<br />
advantage of this agency is that they speak French. Indeed,<br />
few people speak English in Brazil, so if you don’t speak Portuguese,<br />
you’re going to have some hard times being understood.<br />
Forget Barreirinhas, start from Santo Amaro<br />
There are several entries to go visit the Lençóis. The main one<br />
is the city of Barreirinhas but I do not recommend it because<br />
it’s the most popular one and 80 percent of tourists start their<br />
trip from there. Just a little detail: it is obligatory to take a<br />
tour guide to go to the Lençóis and you can’t use a 4x4 to<br />
travel in the park’s sand dunes.<br />
We therefore decided to start our trip from a less known entry,<br />
Santo Amaro village. It’s a four-hour drive from Sao Luis<br />
airport and you’ll need a 4x4 for the last few miles. It’s a full of<br />
charm little village located along the river and the park and,<br />
for now, it has been spared from mass tourism. We left early<br />
the next morning to discover Emendadas lagoons. To get<br />
there you’ll have to drive for about 30 min and walk half that<br />
time through the sand dunes. But it’s all worth it: the lagoon<br />
is really huge and the water is deep and crystalline. According
122<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
to local people, the rainy season had been good this year<br />
and the lagoons were more filled than usual. We set camp<br />
in a corner where the dunes were a bit lower so that we<br />
could benefit from a steadier wind and a super flat-water<br />
spot. We were all by ourselves and it was so beautiful it almost<br />
hurt my eyes! It also was super-hot but fortunately our<br />
guide took a lot of water to keep us hydrated!<br />
I really had a lot of fun kiting down the dunes or jumping<br />
over them. I kited in this little paradise until the sun went<br />
down. I had never kited in freshwater and it feels so good<br />
not to have salt all over you at the end of the sess’! Didn’t<br />
even need to take a shower to wash up.<br />
Time for Atins, the new Jericoacoara<br />
The second entry we went to is located at Atins: it’s a little<br />
fishermen village but for two years now, more and more<br />
kitesurfers have been coming here and people start to call<br />
it the new Jericoacoara! But for now, it’s still preserved from<br />
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<br />
to reach it. The trip on the Preguiças river will make<br />
you feel like you’re in the jungle! Several stops are planned<br />
along the way like in the village of Mandacaru where you<br />
can go up to the lighthouse, play with the monkeys (macacospregos)<br />
and even be eaten up by mosquitoes! But don’t<br />
worry, you’ll also be able to eat delicious fish in the Cabure<br />
restaurants, located between ocean and river. Personally, I<br />
was too impatient to go kite at Atins so I only went for monkeys<br />
(and mosquitoes).
124<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil
There’s also another alternative to reach Atins: a kite downwind<br />
from Jericoacoara or even from Fortaleza for the brave<br />
ones (more than 300 km). Many schools are planning downwinds<br />
like that and I saw kitesurfers groups showing up almost<br />
every day.<br />
Living on a stilt wooden chalet<br />
There are no paved roads in the village but it’s very small so<br />
almost everything is within walking distance (otherwise you<br />
can use a quad). It can be tiring to always walk in the sand (especially<br />
with the kite gear on your shoulders) but it’s also why<br />
the place is so charming. We set the base camp at Marésia.<br />
We lived in stilts wooden chalet in the village centre, near a<br />
field full of cows. Despite the heat, no need for air conditioner,<br />
thanks to the full time blowing wind which was a natural<br />
cooler. We had cashews in the garden which provided perfect<br />
snacks for the afternoons. This hostel was hold by Marco, an<br />
Italian guy who was also famous for his pizzas. I was such a<br />
fan of those, I ate some every night for dinner! Needless to<br />
say, I had a good excuse: kiting makes you hungry!<br />
We had planned with the agency two trips in the Lençóis, and<br />
the rest of the time we were enjoying the Atins spot, which is<br />
not far from being a kiting paradise. The lagoon is protected<br />
from the waves by two sandbars so it’s an ideal place to learn<br />
how to kite. At low tide a sandbar appears just in front of the<br />
beach which is perfect to launch your kite. But at high tide,<br />
the beach is very small (barely 20 m) so it’s a bit more complicated<br />
to land or launch your kite. Careful, when there’s a<br />
big coefficient, current can be very powerful in the lagoon so<br />
beginners are advised to put a board leash. In one day I once<br />
saw three riders lose their board because of it.<br />
The magic of the Atins’ spots<br />
The spot can be divided in 3 spots and you have to choose<br />
the best one depending upon the tide. The speed spot is on<br />
the left and is good at high tide for freestyle because there’s<br />
flat water. At low tide when there’s a big coefficient, there’s<br />
almost no water… It was my favorite spot! It’s very uncommon<br />
to find riders in this spot because you can be stuck there if the<br />
wind drops. The current is so strong that you can’t even swim<br />
Charlotte<br />
Consorti
126<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
back. Luckily for me I never had to try it. However, be careful<br />
not to disturb the fishermen. They can even ask you to leave<br />
because it’s their spot and they have priority on it. The little<br />
lagoon is far behind the sandbar and works only at low tide,<br />
so you can ride there only for a few hours. It’s quickly crowed,<br />
which is not surprising considering how magical it is. You feel<br />
like kiting in a big pool and it’s a very safe spot.<br />
The wave (small ones) spot is right at the end of the sandbar<br />
and you can ride there from one hour before the end of<br />
low tide until the beginning of the high tide. The good thing<br />
about this spot is that the wind is side off so it digs the waves<br />
a bit. Rest of the time you’ll find waves above the sandbars,<br />
but it’s not going to be as clean because of the onshore wind.<br />
However, it remains a good spot for strapless.
Feeling like competing for the “Paris Dakar”<br />
Concerning the Lençóis we visited two different lagoons. The<br />
first one, Lagoa de Capivara, is one of the closest to Atins (20<br />
min drive). As a consequence, it’s also one of the most touristic<br />
ones, and besides it’s not the best for kiting. It’s tiny and<br />
surrounded by high dunes, so the wind is gusty. My advice<br />
would be to go there only if you are in a hurry. The second lagoon,<br />
Lagoa de Paraisp, is a little further (one-hour drive), but<br />
the trip is awesome. You drive along the sea and you feel like<br />
you’re competing for the “Paris Dakar”. The return at night is
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KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
even more impressive, especially when it’s high tide because<br />
the sea erases all the car tracks. I was a bit anxious… But it was<br />
totally worth it; there are two big lagoons which are very close<br />
to the sea, so the wind is way steadier. Unlucky for us, the day<br />
we went there, two dozen riders were already kiting. But the<br />
spot is big so I wasn’t disturbed; I just went a little downwind<br />
from them. But my very favorite spot will remain the Santa<br />
Amaro lagoon because of its size and its emerald colored water.<br />
It was as beautiful as perfect for kiting!
After two weeks spent in this little paradise without any network,<br />
living bare foot, eating cashew nuts and pizzas, kiting all<br />
day, burning in the sun (probably a little too much), waking up<br />
to the sound of cow moo and talking sign language, it’s time<br />
to go back to the modern world, after the 5 hours transfer to<br />
the Sao Luis airport. One hour in a boat and 5 in a car provided<br />
me with a smooth come back to civilization!<br />
Hurry up if you want to go visit those little wonders before<br />
everybody else! If you hate tourists and enjoy atypical places,<br />
here’s my advice: the Santo Amaro/Atins combo!<br />
HOW TO GO THERE:<br />
Sao Luis airport (SLZ) is the closest one. Then, it takes about<br />
5 hours to go to Atins (4h drive and 1h with a boat). Latam<br />
company offers good prices (100$ per board bag per flight).<br />
For transfers you can use Terra Nordeste agency: https://terra-nordeste.com<br />
WHEN TO GO:<br />
Rainy season ends at the beginning of June and wind blows<br />
from mid-June to mid-January (varies a little from one year to<br />
another). If you wanna be sure to have windy days, go there<br />
from August to December. For example, this year it wasn’t<br />
very windy during June/July. Months during which the wind<br />
is stronger (more than 20 knts) are October/November/December.<br />
After September, lagoons are no longer filled up with water so<br />
you can’t kite anymore.<br />
KITE SIZES:<br />
For girls: 7m and 9m. For boys: 9m and 11m.<br />
For July/August and January, plan to take a bigger kite.<br />
Roadbook
130<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
TEMPERATURES:<br />
It’s hot, very hot even… all year round! Forget the wetsuit and<br />
go for a lycra, a hat, a scarf, some sun cream and sun glasses!<br />
Sea temperature: 28/29°C<br />
Minimum temp: 24°C<br />
Maximum temp: 33° C<br />
LOCAL CURRENCY:<br />
Brazilian Real (BRL). 1 euro = 3,8 reals (31/10/2017)<br />
CAREFUL: you won’t be able to withdraw money at Atins and<br />
almost no stores accept credit cards. As far as I know, credit<br />
cards are only accepted at Maresia (with fees).<br />
WHERE TO SLEEP:<br />
Big choice of hostels, from a few euros per night in a hammock<br />
to several hundreds of euros for a house on the beach. But in<br />
general prices are kind of high compared to other villages.<br />
I was at Maresia, which has a good price-quality ratio: 85 euros<br />
for two with breakfast included. http://www.maresia-atins.<br />
com<br />
Be careful, you have to book early for All Saints and Christmas<br />
holidays.<br />
Less people in September.<br />
WHERE TO EAT:<br />
At Atins the cost of life is very high. Maresia makes excellent<br />
pizzas.<br />
Idea of prices: €1,50 for a soda, €15 for a two persons pizza, €12<br />
for a plate of ravioli.<br />
You have a mini market in the center of the village where you<br />
can find the essential. You can also buy fruit and vegetables<br />
and there is an ice-cream seller (no credit cards for any of<br />
those). We had a lunch once at the Bar&co, it was really nice to<br />
eat with a view on the spot. For prices: bill 15 €/pers.<br />
JET LAG:<br />
4h during summer, 5h during winter.<br />
Roadbook
LANGUAGE:<br />
Official language: Portuguese.<br />
In Nordeste: very few people talk English or French. You’ll find<br />
more people speaking Spanish for example, and sometimes<br />
Italian.<br />
Advice: learn some key words before going and don’t forget to<br />
bring a little dictionary or to download on your phone a translator<br />
that works offline.<br />
VACCINATIONS AND MEDICAL ISSUES:<br />
Most of risky diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes (Dengue,<br />
Malaria, Yellow fever, Zika and Chikungunya).<br />
No vaccine is obligatory for European travellers.<br />
Mandatory vaccine for Yellow fever for people coming from:<br />
French Guyana, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.<br />
You will be asked for the original of the vaccination book.<br />
Treatments for malaria and yellow fever are only recommended<br />
if you are traveling in the Amazon rainforest or in the Pantanal<br />
and Mato Grosso regions.<br />
Very few mosquitoes at Atins but a lot at Santo Amaro. There<br />
was also a clinic at Atins but I don’t know if it’s reliable or not.<br />
Voltage: between 110V and 220V. Most Brazilian electrical outlets<br />
in hostels are C ones.<br />
Network:<br />
Wi-Fi in Maresia. It’s not high-speed but it’s enough for basic<br />
stuffs. Almost no network in the village and even less on the<br />
beach or in the Lençóis. I had 3G only in Maresia and not every
132<br />
KITE TRIP<br />
The Unknown Side of Brazil<br />
Charlotte<br />
Consorti
134<br />
INITIATIVES<br />
One Shot, the photo contest on a kitesurf in Salento<br />
One Shot<br />
the photo contest on a kitesurf in Salento<br />
Nothing can convey the beauty and<br />
soul of a place like a beautiful photograph.<br />
Besides the technological<br />
eye capable of seeing better and<br />
capturing even the slightest details,<br />
there is the spirit, the approach and<br />
the heart of the person behind the<br />
camera, eager to capture the moment<br />
and the many nuances of the<br />
reality around us. When all this works<br />
in unison, magic happens and a simple<br />
snapshot becomes a story, a light<br />
over the world, a celebration of the<br />
art of living.<br />
Sports too, especially if related to the<br />
elements like the sea and the wind,<br />
can take people to live and get to<br />
know the territory, use its resources<br />
and learn to respect it. This led to the<br />
idea of a competition that brings the<br />
love for photography and passion<br />
for kitesurfing together, to tell and<br />
enhance the charm of the incomparable<br />
scenario of Salento, Puglia, one<br />
of the most evocative coasts in the<br />
Mediterranean.<br />
The initiative is called One Shot Kitesurfing<br />
in Salento - Winter <strong>Edition</strong>,<br />
second edition of a photo competition<br />
organized by the "Salento Bats"<br />
Association, open to whoever wants<br />
to try and tell about the Salento sea<br />
in winter through a photograph and<br />
the colours of kitesurf. "The success<br />
of the first edition held last summer -<br />
says Emanuele Rosafio, President of<br />
Salento Bats – made us opt for a photo<br />
contest also in the winter season.
www.facebook.com/salentobats<br />
http://salentobats.blogspot.it<br />
An important and original opportunity<br />
to reinforce the kiters' local community,<br />
promote this beautiful sport<br />
and show people a different Salento,<br />
especially when the weather conditions<br />
would seem more adverse to<br />
experience it. And photography is<br />
the right way to give it a try".<br />
What's new this year is the division<br />
by categories, "Photography enthusiasts"<br />
and "Photographers". Those<br />
who want to enter the competition<br />
can send their shots to salentobats@yahoo.com<br />
by 20th March.<br />
Contest rules and details are available<br />
at salentobats.blogspot.it and<br />
on the Facebook page Associazione<br />
"Salento Bats". Fair winds and good<br />
photographs everybody!
136<br />
COMMUNICATION AT SEA<br />
BbTALKIN’: COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL<br />
BBTALKIN'<br />
COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL<br />
BbTALKIN’ is a Waterproof<br />
Communication System that<br />
changes the way of coaching<br />
in both marine and winter<br />
sports. It is a real time coaching<br />
tool which allows the<br />
coach to instantly train and<br />
provide feedback to the student.<br />
If you are a pro athlete<br />
or a beginner, the benefits of<br />
this communication system<br />
are exceptional.<br />
BBTALKIN HAS A<br />
MASTER UNIT AND<br />
A STANDARD UNIT<br />
The Standard device has Intercall,<br />
Music and Phone<br />
handsfree functions. Intercall<br />
distance is 1 mile (1.600 km),<br />
coaches don’t have to yell anymore.<br />
Students can also give<br />
an instant feedback to their<br />
coaches. This way it makes<br />
training much safer and faster.<br />
The person who wears the<br />
Standard device can also listen<br />
to music and pick up/<br />
hang up a phone call without<br />
touching the phone.
SPECIAL DETAIL<br />
BLUETOOTH VERSION: 3.0<br />
STANDBY TIME: 700H<br />
INTERCALL TIME: 15H<br />
CHARGE TIME: 2H<br />
WEIGHT: 62G<br />
WATERPROOF: IPX7 (IN THE WATERPROOF CASE)<br />
The Master unit has 3 channels<br />
that can be paired. It<br />
means maximum 4 people<br />
can talk together at the same<br />
time. It takes coaching to the<br />
next level. If you are a business<br />
owner with a rental company,<br />
resort, cable park or water-sports<br />
facility, this is a<br />
must have.<br />
FB: www.facebook.com/bbtalkin | IG: www.instagram.com/bbtalkin_intercom<br />
WEB: www.bbtalkin.com
138<br />
COMMUNICATION AT SEA<br />
BbTALKIN’: COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL<br />
BBTALKIN'<br />
COACHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
HARDBACK<br />
The hardback molded part is made from PURE ® material. This innovative and patented material is a 100% polypropylene composite<br />
material, that is fully recyclable. The heat fused matrix offers excellent strength and stiffness, and is environment friendly, containing<br />
no carbon. The flex and smooth fibres preserve stitching throughout the product. It is solvent resistant and stable. PURE ® material has<br />
a high stiffness and low density, making it buoyant.<br />
MK 5 PLATE<br />
The Pure composite hardback gives the perfect stiffness for huge power management with comfort and no slip. It works with<br />
our anatomically correct MK 5 plate, evolved over 20 years, for the correct flex to avoid hard edge pressure and to move with the<br />
riders body, while absorbing and spreading huge kite loads.<br />
PIN RELEASE SYSTEM<br />
The Vapor uses the super strong FATBAR spreader bar with patented Prolimit pin-release that is quick, easy and safe.<br />
The system allows for quick engagement and release without the need to loosen and then re-adjust the webbing straps.
142<br />
CONTEST<br />
XR5 Big Air Challenge: here are the winners!<br />
XR5 BIG AIR CHALLENGE:<br />
HERE ARE THE WINNERS!<br />
The 5 winners of the XR5 Big Air Challenge 2017 were invited to Cape Town<br />
for the final boost off with world record holder Joshua Emanuel.<br />
The conditions were insane and we saw all competitors sending it with huge<br />
boosts.<br />
Even though it was close, the Big Air Beast defended his title and goes home<br />
with the win.<br />
WELL DONE TO ALL COMPETITORS FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING<br />
PERFORMANCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE EVENT.
1ST PLACE: JOSHUA EMANUEL WITH 24.3M<br />
2ND PLACE: BEN VAN DER BURG WITH 24.2M<br />
3RD PLACE: ERIK BLOKKER WITH 23.6M
146<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
SURFBOARD<br />
A thoughtful guide to the cho
ESSENTIALS<br />
ice of the object of desire<br />
Renato CasatiPART II<br />
Photo: RRD Courtesy
148<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
RAILS - the edges of the board<br />
Thick and round rail = greater manoeuvrability<br />
(for less challenging waves), more floatation,<br />
it prevents the board from getting stuck without<br />
the right speed. Better suits low-mid level<br />
riders.<br />
Thin and sharp rail = more penetration and<br />
grip on the wave (for more challenging waves),<br />
but also less floatation as the water rises on<br />
the deck as soon as the critical planing speed<br />
drops and it slows it down. Technically it "limits<br />
the leeway" which is the sideways drift of<br />
the board on the wave surface, therefore the<br />
board shakes less, better cuts the water with<br />
a more precise riding and surfing, but it goes<br />
less upwind as the planing ends more quickly.<br />
Usually sharp rails go with curved rockers.<br />
The same shape carries different types of rail,<br />
over several points, usually rounder towards<br />
the nose and the centre where the strengths
are minor and sharper towards the tail where<br />
pressures are greater. Even only few degrees of<br />
difference between the rails can result in very<br />
different riding and surfing feelings.<br />
FLEX - flexing capacity of the board<br />
Of course, the flex is mainly related to the construction<br />
material and to any reinforcement<br />
inserted during construction phase.<br />
A board that flex a lot gives a "soft" feeling<br />
under the feet, it’s less nervous and better<br />
adapts to the shape of a wave. But it reacts<br />
more slowly to foot impulse and it can be limiting<br />
for those who have an aggressive and<br />
precise surfing.<br />
FINS<br />
There are different types of fin models, 3<br />
(thruster) or four (quad). Some boards may enable<br />
both settings.<br />
To make it simpler: with 3 fins (thruster) the<br />
board has more manoeuvrability (it turns with<br />
less pressure) but has a little less upwind capacity<br />
than the 4 fins one which is a little more<br />
challenging when curving.<br />
A common characteristic of lateral fins is to<br />
be asymmetric, i.e. flat on the inner face and<br />
profiled on the outside, this is because the<br />
difference of water flow on these two surfaces<br />
creates a depression which "draws" the fin<br />
towards the inside of the wave, improving the<br />
overall manoeuvrability of the board.<br />
Fins are very important. Same board with different<br />
fins leads to very different outcomes...<br />
We need to consider the base width, height,
150<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
thickness or chord, rake and flex (twist).<br />
A big, thick and soft fin will be simpler and<br />
more upwinding, whereas one small and thin<br />
will be faster with greater manoeuvrability.<br />
The thickness (or chord) is important because<br />
as it decreases the speed increases (due to<br />
friction decrease) but also with a lift drop. The<br />
twist of the fin means overall manoeuvrability<br />
and softness, but if too soft then it will shake<br />
at high speeds creating a turbulence and slowing<br />
the board down. An accentuated rake (maximum<br />
rear curving of the fin) confers more<br />
manoeuvrability and speed to the board at the<br />
expense of the grip.<br />
Of course, standard fins to start with, usually<br />
a good compromise, but when your level raises,<br />
I advise to try different fins and see how<br />
the riding of your "old" board changes.... sometime<br />
changing fins can be like getting a different<br />
board without having to buy a new one...<br />
STRAP O STRAPLESS?<br />
Straps should be wide enough, not too much<br />
but definitely not narrow, soft enough (not<br />
too much not too little), this way you will feel<br />
a better control of your board. Bidirectional<br />
straps normally are not suitable as they only<br />
allow to insert your foot in just one way. On<br />
how deep you should enter your foot in the<br />
strap there are contrasting theories... I per-
sonally reckon they should not be tighten too<br />
much and the foot should (easily) go up to the<br />
foot-neck, I reckon you can surf better, getting<br />
closer to a strapless feeling, allowing greater<br />
inclinations during the bottom and having<br />
a definitely better overall distribution of the<br />
weight when surfing. But if you fall, be aware<br />
of not leaving your ankle in it... if you don't get<br />
your foot out you are in trouble as waves always<br />
spin you in different ways!<br />
On the other hand, if you surf strapless ask<br />
yourself whether your level would not be better<br />
if now and then you went strapped...<br />
I see a lot of people in the water surfing strapless<br />
with an extremely low level therefore with<br />
less fun. They stop surfing after only few sessions<br />
because the strapless hurdle is too challenging.<br />
Just one advise... you get in the water to have<br />
fun, not to show anything to anybody or just<br />
to keep up with the strapless trend... there is<br />
nothing wrong with straps and have more fun.<br />
The same goes, the other way round, for those<br />
who have more fun with the straps...<br />
STANCE<br />
Another important theme related to the straps<br />
is the stance, that is WHERE your feet must<br />
be positioned and at what DISTANCE from one<br />
another.<br />
To understand it without having to mount and<br />
dismount the screws a hundred times, go for<br />
some STRAPLESS tests and see in which position<br />
you feel better with your feet on that specific<br />
board. Different board concepts need different<br />
feet positions.<br />
Some boards come with holes more forward or
152<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
backward so to make it easier to identify the<br />
optimal position for your feet. More holes offer<br />
more adjustment options.<br />
The REAR FOOT, if positioned close to the fin<br />
makes the board turn faster with less pressure.<br />
The downside is that the tail dives more<br />
and it loses speed when carving. Furthermore,<br />
entering the rear foot will be more difficult,<br />
easily losing your planing.<br />
The FRONT FOOT, if positioned towards the tail<br />
shifts your centre towards the tail, the board<br />
"lifts up" accentuating the rocker, it shakes<br />
more while riding and slows down losing speed<br />
and upwind. For example, a very radical board<br />
can be "softened" and improved in the upwind<br />
performance by simply shifting your stance a<br />
little more towards the nose, vice versa a very<br />
hard to turn board can be improved by simply<br />
moving the stance towards the tail.<br />
PADS - Pads are important because the "feeling"<br />
the board delivers beneath our feet is<br />
largely given by the "feeling" that our feet send<br />
us when we pressure on the board. I personally<br />
prefer very soft anti-slippery pads, over a<br />
good portion of the deck so to avoid having my<br />
foot slip during any manoeuvre or when strapless.<br />
The standard ones rarely embed all these<br />
qualities therefore eventually you should consider<br />
to purchase specific pads. Changing the<br />
standard pads on your board often makes a big
difference on how you surf and makes you rediscover<br />
your board with a very different feeling<br />
from the one you've always had beneath<br />
your feet. The ultimate trend is skip the pads<br />
and use anti-slippery wax to get a greater pure<br />
surf style feeling. That's all true but at the expense<br />
of comfort and when you are a little older<br />
tendinitis are just round the corner...<br />
LEASH - It is the lace that ties the board to<br />
your ankle, "regular" wavers (right foot on the<br />
tail) fasten it to their right ankle, "goofy" ones<br />
to their left. It is always advisable to have it,<br />
both to avoid losing your board in the foams<br />
and then see it shift to the rocks and break<br />
or hit other kiters or surfers swimming downwind<br />
in case of falls. The leash length is not<br />
crucial in kitesurfing although on average a<br />
2 or 3 feet length is advisable. If too long the<br />
board will be further away from your body in<br />
case you fall, but it will also take longer to retrieve<br />
it in between wave-breakers.
154<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
RIDER’S LEVEL AND WAVE<br />
AND WIND CONDITIONS<br />
Everything is easy right? Well, not really...<br />
When choosing a board there are also and<br />
above all other crucial variables to consider<br />
for an optimal thorough choice.<br />
- Surfing SPEED, which depends on the type of<br />
wave, wind and the chosen kite as well as on<br />
the rider's level.<br />
- TYPE OF WAVE - big, middle or small wave,<br />
steep or soft, fast or slow, with a lot or little<br />
foam, very pushing or not at all with challenging<br />
breakers to overcome when exiting, swell<br />
or fetch wave...<br />
- WIND INTENSITY - simplifying: higher intensity<br />
generally needs, with few exceptions, boards<br />
proportionally more aggressive or smaller<br />
kites.<br />
- WIND DIRECTION (ON: from the sea; SIDE ON:<br />
sideways from the sea; SIDE: sideways; SIDE<br />
OFF: sideways from shore; OFF: from shore).<br />
That’s how the wind acts on the wave. In other<br />
words, aggressive boards for side to off, easier<br />
boards for side to on.<br />
- KITE SIZE (it depends a lot on the wind direction<br />
and on what type of surfing one is after).<br />
We could say, overpowered with on conditions<br />
and underpowered with off conditions.<br />
- KITE TYPOLOGY (kite speed, upwind angle<br />
guaranteed by the kite).<br />
- WAVER TYPOLOGY (height, weight, skills, experience).<br />
- SPOT (knowledge of the spot and of the wave).<br />
- SURFING TYPOLOGY (vertical, aggressive that<br />
rips the lip and radically carves the bottom,<br />
happy with "descending or escaping" the wave,<br />
strapless or strapped...).
MACRO SUBDIVISION /<br />
PRACTICAL ADVICE...<br />
The practical advice on what board to choose<br />
depends on your level and in which conditions<br />
you mainly go surfing:<br />
"EASY" WAVE BOARDS glide immediately, have<br />
big upwind capacity, are more forgiving, overcome<br />
lulls, carve well but with longer lines at<br />
the expenses of surfing precision and overall<br />
aggressiveness. Sometimes however in some<br />
conditions they are the only option for having<br />
fun. Just to remain with RRD, the ROCKET and<br />
POP models are just what you need.<br />
THE "STANDARD" WAVE BOARDS are a good<br />
compromise for an almost always perfect<br />
use. Boards conceptually similar to SPARK<br />
and MAQUINA rarely disappoint and having to<br />
choose just one board they are often the most<br />
balanced ones thus always recommended.<br />
"AGGRESSIVE" WAVE BOARDS are designed for<br />
specific and particular uses, for many but not<br />
for everyone; often without the right level, wind<br />
condition and a challenging wave, you will<br />
never quite understand why that board doesn't<br />
seem to "go, nor go upwind" ...truth is you have<br />
never used in "its meant" condition, the one<br />
the shapers had in mind when they built it.<br />
The BARRACUDA and COTAN for big wave conditions,<br />
side / side off wave or great overpower,<br />
are actually the best choice for max control<br />
and best extreme performance.
156<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
I personally always have 3 wave boards with<br />
me.<br />
An easy board, conceptually similar to the Pop<br />
when I am underpowered, in on shore conditions,<br />
when I need to ride upwind as much as<br />
possible, with a small wave, when I want to<br />
have fun and surf as easily and relaxed as possible,<br />
for freestyle strapless, therefore… that is<br />
in many average sessions in Italy where usually<br />
waves are not the Ponta Preta ones...<br />
When the wave begins to rise and the wind begins<br />
to push then I rather use a STANDARD /<br />
AGGRESSIVE BOARD, therefore have beneath<br />
my feet a more agile tool, faster, more precise<br />
to ride, faster to turn and I choose between 2<br />
types of boards depending on the type of wind<br />
and wave.
WIND<br />
If the wind acts on the wave with a side off direction<br />
I go for the BARRACUDA, if the wind is<br />
on-side on, I opt for the MAQUINA, if the wind<br />
is side I use the MAQUINA if it's gusty (it better<br />
overcomes lulls) and the BARRACUDA when it<br />
is more regular.<br />
WAVE<br />
The wind is not everything, it also and especially<br />
important being able to assess the wave.<br />
If it is steep (I am talking about the classical<br />
"wall") with maximum degree of surfing precision<br />
the BARRACUDA is a must (or the COTAN<br />
for "squared" shape lovers) which in any wind<br />
condition, except on, allows me to descend<br />
more vertically, the board shakes less at high<br />
speeds of steep waves, I can be more radical<br />
during the bottom and I slash more effectively<br />
during the cut back. If a wave is medium-big<br />
but less steep (the so-called "donut") and<br />
it does not push too much, I rather have the<br />
MAQUINA or the SPARK, I can float more on the<br />
wave and nearly never lose any speed.
158<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
WHICH SIZE?<br />
The theory that the size of the board depended<br />
on the height and weight of the rider comparing<br />
it to the volume of the board doesn't work<br />
anymore. Today a 5'4" can have a bigger volume<br />
than a 6'0" with traditional shape and have<br />
less manoeuvrability than the latter, therefore<br />
everything becomes more complicated and we<br />
need to turn to the data sheets of each model<br />
and carefully read the specs, the type of recommended<br />
use and think about it following all<br />
the considerations previously made.<br />
CONCLUSIONS<br />
The perfect board does not exist. What it does<br />
exist is the condition in which you will use the<br />
board. Different conditions, to be fully enjoyed,<br />
necessarily require different boards with different<br />
sizes. It is no coincidence that in wave<br />
surfing there are endless archives of shapes,<br />
all of them right and good for certain conditions<br />
with certain riders and certain wave<br />
types. Different riders may have arguments<br />
that seem to be contrasting from one another,<br />
yet all of them valid when contextualized in a<br />
certain condition.
160<br />
TECHNIQUE<br />
Surfboard essentials: a thoughtful guide to the choice of the object of desire<br />
However, if you don’t want to get a loan to buy<br />
five boards or you rather not have so much stuff<br />
to carry around, you necessarily need to opt for<br />
a compromise which depends on the main number<br />
of sessions in your home spot and importantly<br />
your skills level. When in doubt however,<br />
you never go wrong if you favour an easier<br />
board to a more radical one, when you will need<br />
or want to, you can pair challenging boards to<br />
the easier ones that you already have.<br />
ALOHA,<br />
have fun!
162<br />
PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
RRD<br />
Product focus<br />
BLISS V5 WOOD, KISS & LTD<br />
www.robertoriccidesigns.com<br />
Testo & Foto: RRD Courtesy<br />
BLISS V5 WOOD<br />
Built in Europe<br />
Only one word can describe<br />
the feeling of riding this board:<br />
Bliss. This progressive freeride/<br />
freestyle board grants a fantastic<br />
sensation of security while<br />
riding in an assortment of conditions.<br />
When the board is pushed<br />
further into the freestyle<br />
realm, it allows this incredible<br />
kiteboard to show its true nature.<br />
The Bliss has a great amount<br />
of speed, comfort, and pop that<br />
comes from the mix of medium<br />
flex coupled with easy landings.<br />
The deeper bottom channels<br />
and the thin, slightly rounded<br />
ABS sidewalls allow this board<br />
to carve aggressively through<br />
the chop. It is hard to revise<br />
such a perfect board, but what<br />
we slightly changed is the tip<br />
design for going even better<br />
upwind and the bottom channels<br />
for improved tracking. The<br />
V5 is lighter, but also stronger<br />
and next to that we decided to<br />
increase its tuning possibilities<br />
by adding the track systems for<br />
the bindings. These tracks allow<br />
the board to be perfectly tuned<br />
to achieve maximum comfort.<br />
Strap in, load up the lines, and<br />
take it to the skies to experience<br />
the true meaning of Bliss.<br />
BLISS V5 LTD<br />
Built in Europe<br />
Due to the previous versions<br />
overwhelming popularity, we<br />
have decided to offer the Bliss<br />
LTD V5. Just as the WOOD version,<br />
this progressive freeride/<br />
freestyle board grants a fantastic<br />
sensation of security while<br />
riding in an assortment of conditions.<br />
The Bliss LTD V5 allows riders to<br />
enjoy the smooth rides that this<br />
board offers while maximizing
Features BLISS V5 WOOD<br />
STANDARD<br />
• CNC shaped Paulownia wood<br />
• Thin and slightly rounded ABS sidewall<br />
NEW<br />
• Deep bottom channels<br />
• Lighter, stronger and reduced Thickness<br />
• ABS Channels for pads<br />
SPECIAL Features BLISS V5 LTD<br />
• Deep bottom channels<br />
• Thin and slightly rounded ABS sidewall<br />
NEW<br />
• Deck and bottom Biaxial Carbon 220 grams<br />
• CNC shaped mix of Paulownia wood<br />
• Unidirectional carbon stringers<br />
its freestyle potential. The shape<br />
and track channels are the<br />
same as the wood version, but<br />
the LTD construction consists of<br />
Biaxial Carbon layers on the top<br />
and bottom of the board with a<br />
special mix of Paulownia and lighter<br />
weight wood, CNC shaped<br />
core. It’s 20% lighter, thinner,<br />
more responsive, and, of course,<br />
provides loads of pop. Because<br />
of the carbon, the board<br />
is slightly less forgiving than the<br />
wood in choppy waters, due to<br />
its response, but still forgiving<br />
enough for all level riders to<br />
enjoy.<br />
Strap in, load up the lines, and<br />
take it to the skies to experience<br />
the true meaning of Bliss.
164<br />
PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
RRD<br />
Product focus<br />
RELIGION MK8<br />
www.robertoriccidesigns.com<br />
Testo & Foto: RRD Courtesy<br />
‘Read waves, not<br />
slogans’<br />
Synonymous of WAVE in the international<br />
kite language, the<br />
Religion MK8 kite is constantly<br />
evolving along with the kitesurfing<br />
discipline. Improving<br />
the already successful Religion<br />
each year has become a real<br />
challenge. We went back to the<br />
drawing boards and started to<br />
design from scratch to once<br />
again deliver the most responsive,<br />
reliable and fastest turning<br />
wave kite out there.<br />
The MK8 has a new shape,<br />
shorter bridles, and has a higher<br />
aspect ratio. This improves the<br />
kites turning speed and drifting<br />
ability significantly; especially in<br />
the larger sizes, from 8.0 - 12.0<br />
sqmts. The kite turns on the<br />
spot, has quicker reaction time<br />
when the back lines are not in<br />
tension and comfortable light<br />
bar pressure. This makes an<br />
easier kite to learn wave riding<br />
and an acceleration machine<br />
that allows for multiple turns on<br />
short sections of waves when<br />
conditions are not ideal.<br />
Unlike most fast turning surf kites<br />
on the market, the Religion<br />
MK8 still maintains its signature<br />
pull and power that also helps<br />
to get in a few extra turns down<br />
the line. The newly designed,<br />
longer leading edge of the kite<br />
not only allows for a more "twisty"<br />
feel to increase the turning<br />
speed, but also creates a more<br />
"floaty" behaviour of the kite<br />
in the air which improves stability<br />
when the wind gets very<br />
gusty. The improved stability<br />
of an already very stable kite<br />
design will make riding "tricky<br />
conditions" possible both when<br />
the wind is super light or super<br />
ballistic. The Religion MK8 is the<br />
'first on - and last off the water'<br />
type of kite.<br />
As always, we built this kite<br />
strong and durable so it can<br />
take a pounding. The graphics
of the Religion have allowed us<br />
to create a web of Dacron reinforcements<br />
on the canopy that<br />
give the whole structure of the<br />
kite an incomparable rigidity.<br />
This wave proof construction is<br />
made up of 40% heavy duty Dacron<br />
fabrics and 60% of a light<br />
weight double ripstop D2 Technoforce<br />
canopy. This unique mix<br />
is used only in the Religion kite,<br />
creates superior crash resistance,<br />
and extends the lifespan of<br />
the kite.<br />
The new Religion MK8 allows<br />
for a wider range of use both<br />
on the high - and low end of<br />
the kite. Faster, better lift during<br />
jumps, outstanding drifting<br />
characteristics, easy relaunch<br />
and an enormous progressive<br />
de-power that will stop the kites'<br />
power or powers up, exactly<br />
when you need it.<br />
Since its first introduction, this<br />
kite has changed in every version<br />
together with the evolution<br />
of riding waves with a kite. If the<br />
ocean is your church, then look<br />
no further than the Religion.
166<br />
PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
RRD<br />
SPECIAL Features<br />
• NEW Improved Air Flow Valve, with special moulded protection<br />
cap and reduced dimensions.<br />
• Bridle anti-tangle device<br />
• Wide tips for extra manoeuvrability<br />
• 4m, 5m, 6m, 7m & 8m have a pulley on the bridle, to handle the<br />
strong gusty conditions and improve the stability.<br />
• 8m, 9m, 10,5m & 12m have a higher aspect ratio to improve the<br />
speed, power and reaction time.<br />
STRONGEST KITE ON THE MARKET BECAUSE:<br />
• Bullet proof construction that creates a strong structural frame<br />
with a mix of 195 grms. Polyant Dacron and light weight D2 Techno<br />
Force Double Ripstop<br />
• Internal extra reinforcements on every leading edge panel to ensure<br />
long lasting stitching and a rigid connection<br />
• Exclusive Strut/Leading edge reinforcement D2 Techno Force<br />
Double Ripstop panel sewn at 45 degrees: this spreads the impact<br />
loads over a wider area (only on bigger sizes)<br />
• Radial reinforcements on the tips to improve durability and reduce<br />
stretch<br />
• 195 grms. Polyant Dacron reinforcements on the middle strut<br />
• Kevlar fabric rounded strut ends<br />
SIZES: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.5, 12
ABEL LAGO ABOUT THE RELIGION MK8 KITE:<br />
“The Religion has been my favourite kite since day 1 together with the Maquina to ride waves<br />
and this year we did a step forward and made the kite crazy fast like back in the day,<br />
so this makes my riding more dynamic and now I am able to ride not only faster down the<br />
line but also I am able to connect more sections because the kite drifts with me and follows<br />
me in every transition. In combination with the new Maquina LTD that is super light it helps<br />
me to land my strapless jumps better because it is glued to my feet and it allows me to ride<br />
strapless with a better speed than before.”<br />
“ENJOY THIS WAVE MACHINE!”
168<br />
PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
Cabrinha<br />
Product focus<br />
2018 Cabrinha gear is out and<br />
www.cabrinhakites.com<br />
A big advantage of being the<br />
distributor for Italy and official<br />
partner of Cabrinha is that you<br />
get next season material quite<br />
early so you can test it out and<br />
produce some promotional content,<br />
which can be posted right<br />
at the day of the official release.<br />
Together with Alby Rondina we<br />
had few sick days on water with<br />
the new gear so we would like<br />
to share with you not only the<br />
shots we did, but also the info<br />
about the new collection and<br />
our thoughts on it.<br />
First, let’s focus on completely<br />
new and important improvements<br />
– all Cabrinha kites in the<br />
2018 range have new Dacron<br />
material (the material which is<br />
on the leading edge, struts and<br />
end of canopy) called High Tenacity<br />
Dacron. It is material especially<br />
designed for inflated kite<br />
structures and there is a ton of<br />
technical mumbo jumbo about<br />
it if you head to www.cabrinhakites.com<br />
but what is important<br />
Text: Cabrinha Courtesy<br />
photo: Laci Kobulsky<br />
to know is that this material will<br />
keep the shape of the kite for a<br />
longer time, unlike some older<br />
kites which eventually lose shape<br />
and look weird. Also, the kite<br />
is more rigid and will fly better<br />
in the air, so no jelly time this<br />
time!<br />
Talking about kites, the biggest<br />
change was done on the<br />
new DRIFTER, which is the kite<br />
for waves and due to the new<br />
Dacron it had to be completely<br />
redesigned to have a really accurate<br />
profile. It also got a new<br />
shape, some extra battens so<br />
the canopy is not going to flop<br />
in the air. What will be a notice-
we tested it!<br />
able change is the feel on the<br />
bar, which is now much softer<br />
and more responsive. Basically,<br />
the kite is now faster which was<br />
what surfers asked for, especially<br />
for bigger sizes. It still has<br />
its characteristic drifting ability,<br />
which means that even when<br />
the leading edge is faced up<br />
while you smash those waves<br />
the kite is not going to backstall,<br />
but instead nicely drift through<br />
the air, so you can focus on carving<br />
those pictures on the face<br />
of waves!<br />
Some changes were done on<br />
Alby’s favorite kite FX, its shape<br />
was also tweaked due to the<br />
new Dacron, but more important<br />
it comes now with different<br />
bridle settings for different<br />
riding styles – Freeride (maximum<br />
power delivery), Kiteloop<br />
(factory setting) and Freestyle<br />
(maximum slack). What it does<br />
in brief is that it keeps the kite<br />
either deeper in wind window<br />
(freeride) where it has more<br />
power and park and ride ability,<br />
or more out of the wind window<br />
(freestyle) which will get the kite<br />
much more slack for unhook tricks.<br />
Few changes were done on the<br />
bar as well – first and the most<br />
visible one is the change for
170<br />
PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
Cabrinha<br />
black & yellow color, the second<br />
one less visible but more important<br />
is the improved safety<br />
system for smoother, thus safer<br />
release. And one more thing!<br />
Cabrinha has a brand-new<br />
pump with much, much higher<br />
efficiency so now you can be<br />
on water faster and with more<br />
power left in your arms :)<br />
On the other side we have<br />
the boards, all of them have a<br />
brand-new design thanks to<br />
new designer Lars who works<br />
for Cabrinha. Freestyle machine<br />
XCALIBER now comes in two<br />
versions – carbon and wood<br />
which is more friendly, softer.<br />
Top selling board ACE also comes<br />
now in carbon and wood,<br />
and it also has a new shape<br />
with deeper channels for more<br />
grip. Big changes also happened<br />
on foil board Double Agent,<br />
it has now sick fish-like shape<br />
and the board comes in two sizes.<br />
Also, you can choose from<br />
3 sizes of foil mast, so if you are<br />
a beginner or you kite on shallow<br />
spots, you can start with a<br />
shorter one.<br />
Alby was first riding the gear<br />
during the official photoshoot<br />
in Hawaii, later he got the 2018<br />
FX & XCAL here at ProKite Alby<br />
Rondina in Sicily. We made couple<br />
of shoots, not always lucky<br />
for the wind but that’s part of<br />
the game. On our first shoot we<br />
went behind the island so we<br />
could have some privacy but<br />
the wind was very light so the<br />
12 FX was barely enough. Still<br />
we were surprised that is was<br />
holding nicely in the air, had<br />
perfect relaunch (when Alby<br />
rarely crashed) and was enough<br />
to do some small jumps and<br />
tricks for the fisheye (especially<br />
jumps over an old boat!). We<br />
were luckier during the shoot<br />
of the video “ProKite Story –<br />
“Alby's Kite Paradise in Sicily"<br />
where we kited further away on<br />
perfect flat water Caribbean-looking<br />
spot with pumping wind,<br />
where tricks were just rolling.
But let’s hear it from the man himself – Alberto Rondina:<br />
I chose to ride the FX as soon<br />
as it came out a few years ago<br />
and I’m stoked about it. It’s just<br />
a super fun kite, I use it for freestyle,<br />
in the waves, for megaloops<br />
and foiling too! The cool<br />
thing is that here in Sicily I get<br />
to do really all of these things,<br />
so I just have my FXs in the<br />
car and I’m always ready to do<br />
whatever the conditions are offering!<br />
On the 2018 model I can<br />
actually tweak the bridle and<br />
make it more suitable for what<br />
I decide to ride! When it’s super<br />
light wind I put the freeride<br />
setting, and I go for a foil sesh,<br />
I also keep it there when the<br />
surf is up and I want the kite to<br />
sit deeper in the window. When<br />
the south wind is pumping and<br />
we do WOO competitions and<br />
big kiteloops, I use the Kiteloop<br />
setting, so the kite is super-fast<br />
through the window, it actually<br />
has a similar feel to the 2017<br />
model. When the wind is perfect<br />
for freestyle and we hit the flat<br />
water here in front of the center,<br />
I tune the bridle on the freestyle<br />
mode and you can really see<br />
the kite sitting more forward in<br />
the window giving me a whole<br />
lot more slack for unhooked tricks!<br />
These new settings on the FX<br />
helped us a lot shooting the recent<br />
Tahiti video, because we<br />
missioned it there and stayed<br />
there all day to shoot. I was<br />
powered on 12m using the freestyle<br />
setting at the beginning to<br />
pull long grabs and have a lot of<br />
slack, but then the wind dropped<br />
at sunset right when the li-
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PRODUCT FOCUS<br />
Cabrinha
ght was amazing, so I changed<br />
the bridle to the freeride setting<br />
which basically makes the<br />
kite sit deeper in the window to<br />
have more low end power and<br />
still managed to ride and jump<br />
in front of the camera ;) Now I<br />
am checking for some big wave<br />
forecast in the area since I am<br />
more than eager to switch the<br />
twin tip for a surf board and get<br />
proper vertical in critical section<br />
haha.
NEXT ISSUE APRIL - MAY OUT ON THE 2 TH OF APRIL 2018