Kitesoul Magazine #23 International Edition

PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD: Ten Knots ; Poison | Core: Section 2 | F-One: Lynx Bar
ADVENTURES
Jerrie Van de Kop in Africa
EVENTS
Youth Olympic Games 2018
TRIPS
Philippines | Brazil
SPOT
Caraibbean

SHAPING YOUR
EXPERIENCE

2018/19 KITES
DASH
SIZES: 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14
FREESTYLE/FREERIDE
RIDE
SIZES: 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14
ALL-AROUND
FREERIDE
BOXER
SIZES: 3.5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16
FREERIDE/FOILING
Ci sono un mondo di scelte per te, quale scegliere dipende da te!
Dalla semplicità e intuitività del Ride, la vivacità e velocità del Boxer o la potenza dinamica del Dash, i nostri kite sono molto di più
di costruzioni equilibrate di filo e poliestere. Sono strumenti per trasformare la vostra esperienza in nuovi obbiettivi da raggiungere.
Ci approcciamo ad ogni nuovo progetto con questa idea in mente. Curando la lavorazione in ogni dettaglio per darvi la miglior prestazione
in acqua. Indipendentemente dalla vostra abilità o livello di esperienza, c’è un aquilone nella nostra linea che è progettato per funzionare
perfettamente con il vostro stile. Ottimizza il tuo tempo in acqua con Naish!
2018 KITES
SLASH
SIZES: 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
PURE WAVE/STRAPLESS
PIVOT
SIZES: 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14
FREERIDE/WAVE
TORCH
SIZES: 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14
PRO PERFORMANCE/FREESTYLE
Agenzia per l’Italia: Ocean Avenue • info@oceanavenue.it • +39 328 6442519
NaishKiteboarding
naish_kiteboarding
naishkites.com
Photo: frankiebees.com, Riders: Paula Rosales, Jesse Richman, Featured: 2018/19 Ride Kite, 2018 Hero & Motion Twin Tips

Alby Rondina
James Boulding
FX
Freestyle / Crossover
XCAL WOOD
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FREESTYLE
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XCAL CARBON
Competition Freestyle
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Advanced Freestyle /
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High Performance Freeride+
Freestyle
Wave

Editor
David Ingiosi
david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com
Wave Thecnique Editor
Mitu Monteiro
Freestyle Thecnique Editor
Alberto Rondina
Thecnical Expert
Renato Casati
Photo & Video
Maurizio Cinti
Design
Giuseppe Esposito
Translations italian-english
Daniela Meloni
APRIL - MAY 2018
TWO-MONTHLY
Texts
David Ingiosi, Renato Casati, Matt
Pearce, Ulrich Frank, Jerrie Van De Kop,
Stefania Conte, Ewan Jaspan, Reemedia,
Red Bull, Naish, Core, RRD, F-One.
Photos
David Ingiosi, Axel Reese, Svetlana
Romantsova, Frankie Bees, HighLight
Prod, Gerard Smith, Ydwer van der
Heide, Reemedia, Mariano Arias, Andrè
Magaro, RRD, F-One, Cabrinha, Naish,
Core.
Cover:
Rider Jerrie van de Kop
Photo: RRD Courtesy
Publisher and advertising
VISU Media
Via Cavour, 20
24030 Ambivere (BG)
Amministratore Unico
Federico Sugoni
fs@kitesoul.com
Registration Tribunale
di Bergamo n°10/2014
del 15/04/2014.
Periodicità bimestrale
Copyright Kitesoul Magazine
All content is copyright of Kitesoul
Magazine / Visu Media Srl.
FEDERICO SUGONI
Publisher
He’s a manager and a businessman.
He fell in love with kiteboarding
almost 10 years ago in
the wild and amazing North
Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). Aside
from kiteboarding there is
only one other important
thing in his life: his baby
daughter.
He’s responsible for the 2014
launching of KiteSoul Magazine.
DAVID INGIOSI
Editor in Chief
Professional journalist and
video maker with a solid
experience in sailing, sea
adventures, travels and water
sports, he has been reported
the “blue world” from the
inside for more than 15 years.
He fell in love with kitesurf
several years ago in Sardinia,
then travelled all over the
world as Iko instructor.
MAURIZIO CINTI
Film-maker
Movie buff and keen photographer.
He’s a skater, snowboarder
and wakeboarder,
but he actually burns with
passion for kiteboarding. He
started off with freestyle a
few years ago, but nowadays
he’s more into chasing big
and powerful waves. This is
what he loves the most.
GIUSEPPE ESPOSITO
Art director
Kiter since he was in the baby
pram, he is a rider for RRD
Italia and he have a Bachelor
in Comunciation Design at
Politecnico di Milano.
With this assignment, he
finally has been able to put
together his two passions:
kite and design.

KITESOUL MAGAZINE
Feel The Flow
MITU MONTEIRO
Technical Editor-Wave Riding
He comes from Sal. Official
F-one and Manera rider.
2008 KPWT World Champion
and three-time Vice World
Champion. He started to surf
and windsurf as a kid and but
he definitively fell in love with
kitesurf as soon as he discovered
it.
ALBERTO RONDINA
Technical Editor-Freestyle
He’s the best Italian rider of
the competitive kiting world.
Cabrinha, Neil Pryde and
GoPro official team rider
and four-time Italian Champion.
Alberto has won the
2001 edition of the European
Championship and third
place in the 2012 PKRA World
Championship.
RENATO “DR. KITE” CASATI
Technical Expert
RRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder
since 2000, he has
been PKRA athlete and judge.
He’s a professional sportswriter
for several technical
magazines. He lives between
Como Lake and Sardinia, but
he spends every winter in the
waves of Cabo-Verde.
DANIELA MELONI
Professional translator
Daniela mainly lived abroad
where she graduated
in Law and worked. She
discovered her passion for
water actvities back in 2007
when she moved back to the
Sardinian west coast and met
her husband, the kitesurfer
Enrico Giordano. Professional
translator since 2009. She is
a SUP lover and an amateur
photographer and never
misses to photo or video
shoot a Kite or Sup wave
session!

David Ingiosi
THE 4 SECRETES TO IMPROVE YOUR KITESURFING

Which rider wouldn’t like to get on the water and land a new trick? No matter whether it is our first jump
or refining that deadly Front Mobe. The satisfaction is always amazing. Once we land a maneuver for the
first time not only our brains but also our muscles start remembering the positions and then, this way,
everything becomes easier. To improve the riding and tricks there is no other way but to spend as much
time as possible on the water. Of course, perseverance is also crucial. If over a season we only count
about twenty sessions our progression will be inevitably slow and not very satisfying, not to say frustrating
because every time will be like starting it all over again.
01. FIRST: FOCUS ON THE GOAL
One of the best ways to improve your riding skills is set yourself new goals and focus on those. Do you
want to land a maneuver? Try to visualize it, think of the different steps, imagine the progression and
beat the timing. Having a positive attitude is also of great help: imagine the happiness once you land
it. This way body and mind are already prepared for the challenge once on the water. The beginning of
the session, when still fresh and full of energy, is the right time to try new tricks, after a brief warm-up.
8-10 times will do. Then, stop and think of what was wrong or didn't work and above all try to understand
why. Then repeat, maybe leave it aside now and again and motivate yourself with something you already
master. If you want to score your goal you need to have the right attitude: have fun while you try. The joy
of experimenting, to challenge one's limits starts while trying and not necessarily when you've reached
your goal.
02. MISTAKES COME WITH THE LEARNING PROCESS
Kites are engineered to fly properly but also to handle crushes. So, don't be afraid of crushing the kite on
the water. Mistakes are necessary to measure what both the kite and ourselves can or cannot do. If riding
upwind and bodydrag are already mastered skills, don't worry about getting it wrong. Watching video tutorials
on the maneuver you are trying to close can be very helpful. But, it’s necessary to choose the right
one, that better fits us and explains it more clearly and understandably. The best thing would be having
someone ashore looking at us to tell us what we do right and what wrong, as often because of the speed
of the maneuver we cannot pinpoint the critical points and the correct movements.
03. DON'T BLAME THE EQUIPMENT.
Some riders lose themselves in the equipment attributing to the latter the majority of their successes or
failures in landing a maneuver. But to make any progress, 80% of factors has to do with one's skills and
motivations. In some African, South American or Eastern spots you can see youths on the water doing
wonders with very poor quality or old equipment. Modern equipment is extremely high performing, safe
and versatile. All it takes is choosing the one more suitable to our riding style, with which we feel at ease
and game on. Then it's all up to us.
04. BEING FIT COUNTS, YOU BET IT DOES
Much more important is keeping fit. Kiteboarding is a sport that stimulates muscles, joints, and tendons.
Not to mention the body stress during a couple of hours spent trying new movements with inevitable
mistakes, falls, recoveries that over-stimulate our body. Running, cycling, stretching not only increase
the chances to stay longer on the water and face the repeated efforts but also prevent accidents
like muscular sprains, contractures, twists, etc.

SUMMARY
PORTFOLIO
EVENTS
YOUNG ATHLETES
18 30 40
AIRTON AIRS VICTORY AT
HOME
Dakhla hosted the qualifiers
for the Youth Olympic
Games in Buenos
Aires
EXPERIENCES
KITE EXPERIENCES
SPOTGUIDE
62
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
76
A catamaran for kiters
strolling around the Caribbean
82
Embuaca (Region Ceara,
Brazil)
ITW
LANDKITE
TUTORIAL
114
David Tonijuan: as an
athlete I believe in hard
work
124
99.62 km/h: Thierry
Collado sets a new world
speed land kiting record
126
Jump: how to go higher

DOWNWIND KITE EXTREME BIG AIR
48 56 58
A true adventure
THE RED BULL MEGALOOP
IS BACK!
THE GKA KITEBOARD-
ING WORLD TOUR - AIR
GAMES 2018
MARKET
TRIPS
KITE TRIP
90
DEMO TOUR RRD 2018
94
Portfolio The magic of Dakhla and
the beauty of kitecamps
102
Portfolio Philippines, a trip out of
the norm
PRODUCT FOCUS
146
RRD: Ten Knots ; Poison
| Core: Section 2 | F-One:
Lynx Bar

18
PORTFOLIO
Alberto Rondina
RIDER: ALBERTO RONDINA
PHOTO: CABRINHA COURTESY

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

22 PORTFOLIO
JULIEN LELEU
RIDER: JULIEN LELEU
PHOTO: RRD COURTESY

24 PORTFOLIO
EWAN JASPAN
RIDER: EWAN JASPAN
PHOTO: TIM WALSH

26 PORTFOLIO
ROMARIO MAICON DA SILVA
RIDER: ROMARIO MAICON DA SILVA
PHOTO: AXEL REESE

30
EVENTS
AIRTON AIRS VICTORY AT HOME
Airton
airs victory at home
Text: Matt Pearce
Photo: Ydwer van der Heide

G K A K I T E S U R F
W O R L D T O U R

32
EVENTS
AIRTON AIRS VICTORY AT HOME
Throughout January the event organisers, race officials
and competitors had been salivating over the
images and footage that were being circulated around
social media of Ponta Preta going off and at least a
few people had been (perhaps tentatively) gearing
themselves up for a massive start to the season.
However, as the event drew closer the wind died down
a little and the swell backed right off. In the last week
before the event, many of the riders who’d travelled
here early to practise found themselves looking at a
totally flat Ponta Preta which is quite out of character
at this time of year.
Then, on the morning of registration day with the wind
already blowing, Ponta Preta began to show signs of
life. Mitu and Djo Silva, the legendary local organisers
of the event who have a deep knowledge of the conditions
on the island, gave the riders and crew the
heads up, the swell was fast approaching!
From there on, we had five epic days of competition
that saw 38 men and 11 women doing battle at this
iconic right hander and at another right, Secrets, further
up the coast. Cape Verde delivered! Airton Cozzolino
kicked off his season in front of a screaming
home crowd in fine form by beating Keahi de Aboitiz
in the men’s final, the first time he’s EVER beaten Keahi
in any heat!

"From there on, we had five epic days of competition
that saw 38 men and 11 women doing battle at this
iconic right hander and at another right, Secrets,
further up the coast. Cape Verde delivered!"

34
EVENTS
AIRTON AIRS VICTORY AT HOME
Speaking afterwards Airton admitted that he couldn’t
have asked for a better start. He didn’t win his 2017 title
the way he would have liked to, with a clean sweep
at the final event and it's clear that he intends the
faultless performance he pulled out at this event to
be the first of many. His ensuing victory in the strapless
freestyle expression session only underlined that
Airton isn’t looking to make any mistakes in 2018. You
can however be certain that a few riders, Keahi included,
will be waiting ready to capitalise on any slip-ups
that he does make along the way.
The defending female tour champion, Moona Whyte,
had a similarly ideal start to her season at this event,
beating Jalou Langeree in one of the tightest heats of
the competition, the women’s final. There are some
very complete riders in the women's division but Moona
and Jalou are a step above right now and, it looks
like we’re going to see a closely-run contest between

36
EVENTS
AIRTON AIRS VICTORY AT HOME
these two at this year’s upcoming tour stops.
Jalou adapted well to the new challenge of competing
on her back hand.
The next two events in Dakhla, Western Sahara, and
Viana do Castelo in Portugal favour Moona as well,
as she’ll be riding at both of them on her front hand.
A fire has been lit under Jalou though and she’ll be
training hard to improve her backside riding on the
run up to the next tour stop with her eyes firmly fixed
on first place.
We also saw some other riders who are not entirely
new to the GKA KiteSurf World Tour, but who didn’t
compete in all of the last year’s events, open their accounts
on the 2018 tour with stunning displays in the
men’s division.
Of course, some incredible performances were seen
across the board, but these were some standouts and
it looks like there’s some impressive talent coming
up in the ranks this year that’ll be nipping at the heels
of the tour’s heavyweights when the next event begins
in Dakhla, from 24th to 29th April.

38
EVENTS
AIRTON AIRS VICTORY AT HOME
CHECK OUT THE PODIUMS BELOW
MEN
1: Airton Cozzolino (CV / ITA)
2: Keahi de Aboitiz (AUS)
3: Sebastian Ribeiro (BRA)
WOMEN
1: Moona Whyte (USA)
2: Jalou Langeree (NED)
3: Ines Correia (POR)
EXPRESSION
SESSION
1: Airton Cozzolino (CV / ITA)
2: Matchu Lopes (CV)
3: Camille Delannoy (FRA)

40
YOUNG ATHLETES
Dakhla hosted the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires
DAKHLA
HOSTED THE
QUALIFIERS
FOR THE
YOUTH
OLYMPIC
GAMES IN
BUENOS AIRES

Last 25th February ended the Continental Championship in Dakhla,
Morocco, for the qualification of the European and African young kiters to
the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Buenos Aires in 2018: the victory
of Sofia Tomasoni gives Italy its first qualification for the TT:Racing girls.
Good result also for Slovenia, South Africa and Morocco.
TEXT: DAVID INGIOSI

42
YOUNG ATHLETES
Dakhla hosted the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires
After winning the Youth World
Championship in Brazil in 2017,
Sofia Tomasoni continues her
brilliant ascent to the kitesurfing
Olympus. She pocketed a nice ticket
for the Youth Olympics which
will take place in Argentina in 2018.
During the qualifiers for the prestigious
Olympic event, held from
20th to 25th January in Dakhla, on
the Red Sea in Egypt, Sofia stroke
a series of incredible results, with
four nice first places in the eight
boards competed in the week of
racing. Slovenia was also selected
for the European Boys with
Toni Vodisek, South Africa for the
African Girls with Rut Gouws and
Morocco for the African Boys with
Jonas Ouahmid. "I am so happy -
said Tomasoni - I had been waiting
for this moment for almost a year.
Now I am not thinking about the
Olympics but about keep on winning.
It is such an amazing feeling".The
competition was tormented
by the unfavourable weather
conditions that forced the athletes
to run all the races in the last
three days with very strong winds,
even over 30 knots, but flat water
thanks to the race track set up in
the sheltered lagoon in the Bay of
Dakhla. Nevertheless, the young
athletes proved an excellent technical
level especially in relation to
the change of kites and the strategic
choices.

44
YOUNG ATHLETES
Dakhla hosted the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires
WE ARE A
SAILING
DISCIPLINE
WITH A HUGE
POTENTIAL

NOW I AM NOT
THINKING ABOUT
THE OLYMPICS BUT
ABOUT KEEP ON
WINNING

46
YOUNG ATHLETES
Dakhla hosted the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires
HERE ARE
THE FINAL
RANKINGS:
European Boys
1 Toni Vodisek (SLO) 9pts
2 Benoit Gomez (FRA) 9.9pts
3 Maxime Chabloz (SUI) 15pts
European Girls
1 Sofia Tomasoni (ITA) 6pts
2 Alina Kornelli (GER) 12pts
3 Nina Font Castells (ESP) 12pts
African Boys
1 Jonas Ouahmid (MAR) 12pts
2 Pieter Botha (RSA) 15pts
3 Terje Magnus Groenewoud (RSA) 24pts
African Girls
1 Rut Gouws (RSA) 8pts
2 Johane Botha (RSA) 15pts
3 Assia Roussafi (MAR) 22pts

Mirco Babini:
"Taking kitesurf to increasingly higher levels"
"Italy proved once again its strong organization, cohesive and professional.
The joint work of the Italian Sailing Federation and Kiteboarding
Class is an important basis and it will represent the future
course of action. I have a great responsibility and I will try to pursue
this route with commitment and professionalism to take the kiteboarding
discipline to increasingly higher levels. We are a sailing
discipline with a huge potential". Said Mirco Babini, International
Kiteboarding Association (IKA) President. "The organization, supported
by the Moroccan Olympic Committee, by the Sailing Organization
and local Authorities, was faultless - added President Babini - as well
as the logistics at the Dakhla Attitude village".

48
DOWNWIND
A true adventure
A true adventure
Not just the slogan but the pure definition of the Kite Downwind from
Sal to Boa Vista in Cape Verde. Covering over 75km through the Atlantic
Ocean, this extreme sport event has become a downwind every kiter
should have on their bucket list.

Boa Vista is easy to reach from many European airports in just 6 hours
and offers a true paradise for kitesurfers who seek amazing downwinders
along the island, perfect waves and a no-stress lifestyle. A hidden
treasure far from mass tourism and the standard kitesurfing holidays immersed
in the local lifestyle.
Ulrich Frank the founder of the Kite Downwind came to Boa Vista in 2015
for the first time and fell in love with the place right away. “During the
winter breaks from running a water sports center in Malcesine at Lake
Garda I could travel the world, in fact that was my plan. I wanted to visit
Cape Verde, South Africa and all those places a kitesurfer has in mind.
I ended up coming back to Boa Vista again since and guess where I will
be going the next winter break again? After the first Kite Downwind in
2017 it was clear to me that this event should have been repeated! Back
then we only had 14 riders, a creepy website and not a lot of footage to
promote the next one but it was time to move ahead and start to push.
I decided to dedicate more time to this project, not only a simple sports

50
DOWNWIND
A true adventure
event but a charity fundraiser for local kindergarten on the Island run by
Sonia Stacchezzini and the team of Un click per un Sorriso.
After the successful event in 2017 a new website went online and with
it the idea that more events would follow. www.kite4change.com was

orn and now hosts the Kite Downwind from Sal to Boa Vista and the
first Foil around Boa Vista competition in December 2018.
Both Events seek to raise money for the kids on the Island. After careful
planning the second event in February 2018 was a huge success.
30 riders from all over the world left Sal Island on 4th February in the
morning at 09:00am.
The highlights of the event were definitely the participation of Mitu Monteiro
and Matchu Lopes. The 2 heroes of the Cape Verdean kite community
dedicated their crossing not only to the kite4change cause but to
Francoise Guy who was the first windsurfer to make the same crossing
in 1994 and had a big impact on the water sports scene in the Cape Verdean
Islands.
To see Mitu, Matchu and Sean the son of Francoise Guy out there on the
ocean playing with the elements made me proud and filled with joy. This
and 24 – 27 knots, 4 meters of waves and a lot of kites in the air made this
crossing one that will be remembered for a very long time.
The last piece of the downwind marks the final race. Roundabout 10km
before finishing the riders gather together and the support boats form a

52
DOWNWIND
A true adventure
starting line. After 3 hours of kiting on the open ocean this race is definitely
not an easy one. The first kilometer most riders were in one line
but then you could see the pros flying over the chop leeward of Praia
Cabral.

Matchu Lopes won the race closely followed by Sean Guy and Arsenio
Dias. When we arrived on the Beach on Boa Vista in front of Morabeza
it felt like the whole island came to see us. Hundreds of people were
cheering on the beach and running around with Cape Verdean flags to
salute Matchu and Mitu.

54
DOWNWIND
A true adventure
Truly a warm welcome. We continued with the Winners Ceremony and
great live music under the star lights. We were able to collect a bit more
than 1000€ for the local kindergarten and bought new chairs, tables and
scholastic materials”.

Watch the Video Recap of the Event
and if you’d like to join us in 2019 simply sign up at www.kite4change.com.

56
KITE EXTREME
THE RED BULL MEGALOOP IS BACK!
THE RED BULL
MEGALOOP IS BACK
1ST APRIL – 1ST NOVEMBER 2018, SPOT ZANDVOORT
Dates announced for the Red Bull
on the official site. 16 kiteboarders
will be challenged to show their
biggest megaloops in the most extreme
Dutch weather conditions,
when the wind hits 30+ knots or
more. Let’s get ready! Riders can
subscribe until March 20th 2018!
When Mother Nature will show her
skills between April 1st and November
1st, we’ll ask you to show
us yours.
The first 3 selected riders for the
sickest kite event in the world
were announced:
WEBSITE
WWW.REDBULL.COM
The Red Bull Megaloop will be organized
when the weather conditions
are perfect. That means:
when the authorities warn to stay
indoors, but the best kiteboarders
only have one goal: ride hard and
fly high.
Joshua Emanuel (South Africa) –
Defending champion
Lasse Walker (The Netherlands)
Nick Jacobsen (Denmark)
RED BULL MEGALOOP RECAP VIDEO

58
BIG AIR
THE GKA KITEBOARDING WORLD TOUR - AIR GAMES 2018
THE GKA KITEBOARDING WORLD TOUR
AIR GAMES 201
In 2018 the GKA Kiteboarding
World Tour will stage a series of
World Cup events that will put the
wow factor and spectators’ enjoyment
at the heart of the action.
Wild and dynamic performances
will take the best of all aspects
of twin-tip freestyle kiteboarding
and at the end of the season World
Champions will be crowned: let
the Air Games begin!
The essence of the tour is to find
the most complete twin-tip rider
out there, however the basis of
each judging category primarily
calls for as much height as possible.
After that, the show will come
down to each rider’s interpretation
and how they want to display their
vision for where an all-round show
of explosive riding can go in the
given conditions.
THE CATEGORY BREAKDOWN:
Tricks will be judged over four categories
and at the end of the heat
(4 riders per heat) each rider’s best

8
three tricks from three different
categories will count.
THE CATEGORIES:
Regular jumps (spins, grabs – anything
goes, as long as it’s high)
Board-offs
Kite loops
Handle-passes
By developing a format with four
different and diverse categories
the visual show will always be dynamic,
explosive and exciting. By
allowing riders to omit one category
of trick, there’s still scope for
them to specialise without having
to sacrifice their own distinct
riding styles, so we expect to see
some of the sport’s biggest stars
throwing down in their own trademark
style.
Imagine Carlos Mario’s double
handle-passes off big kickers in
Cabarete mixed with Jesse Richman’s
kite loop double half cabs.
Picture the huge hang-time of Tom
Hebert’s insanely high board-offs

60
BIG AIR
THE GKA KITEBOARDING WORLD TOUR - AIR GAMES 2018
in front of thousands of people on
the beach in Tarifa up against the
flow of Kevin Langeree’s massive
inverted kite loop back rolls. Could
Aaron Hadlow realise yet another
World Championship by combining
his undoubted ability to adapt
to all aspects of twin-tip kiteboarding
– whether the conditions
are calling for adaptation towards
more powered technicality or high
wind artistry?
One male and one female rider will
prevail, and this tour will bring together
the world’s best riders to
open all our eyes to what’s possible
when inspiration from all
corners of the twin-tip spectrum
merge as one into Air Games.
CONDITIONS
The competition will run in any
winds of 15 knots and above, so riders
need to be prepared to switch
up their performances. As the
winds increase, the overall height
factor will score more highly, while
at the lower end of the wind scale,
judges will be rewarding more
technicality, while still expecting
as much height and amplitude as
possible.
Staged at some of the most iconic
kiteboarding competition venues,
expect classic kiteboarding conditions
that will ignite the imagination
of people all over the world
and at the same time inspire true
kiteboarders, too:
Throughout 2018 the GKA event
team will work with the riders to
create a strong tour for the athletes,
public and sport. Anything
could happen! Stand by for takeoff…
Round 01
Mondial du Vent, Leucate, France: 17th – 22nd April
Round 02
Tarifa (combined event with strapless freestyle): 27th June – 1st July
Round 03
Susi Mai Invitational, Cabarete: 9th – 15th July

WITHOUT
A DIAMOND
—THERE’S NO
HAPPILY EVER
AFTER
Alan Van Gysen Rider: Nick Jacobsen Contact: Pryde Group GmbH Bergstraße 7, 82024 Taufkirchen, Germany Tel: +49 89 6650490
WITHOUT YAMAMOTO LIMESTONE
NEOPRENE THERE’S NO HAPPILY
EVER AFTER EITHER
Yamamoto Limestone Neoprene is the diamond of wetsuit innovation and performance.
Made from limestone extracted from Mount Fuji in Japan, it is a non-petroleum based
material that is the industry standard for premium neoprene and superior watersport
performance.
No sad faces here though... because ALL our wetsuits use Yamamoto so you can
always experience the Happily Ever After with any of our wetsuits.
[1]
[2]
Premium Japanese limestone-based neoprene is 95%
water impermeable compared to 70% for standard
petroleum neoprene. It absorbs less water, dries faster
and provides more wind chill protection.
Yamamoto neoprene has a unique cell structure and has
a 23% higher closed cell ratio for added buoyancy and
flexibility [1]. The cells are evenly spaced and filled with
nitrogen gas that increases heat retention [2].

62
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
- Jerrie Van De Kop -
FROM ZANZIBAR TO KILIMANJIARO
Text: Jerrie Van De Kop | Photo: RRD Courtesy

64
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
Zanzibar where it all started. On
this behind the scenes shot, you
see me showing the hydrofoil
to kids. This is how I’m going to
the mainland. Kitesurfing on my
hydrofoil. But why? Explaining to
kids the problem of global warming
with the help of Lutman who could
translate the story. It is ‘the’ way to
raise awareness for global warming
to young generations. An easy and
cool way.

66
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
First session for me in Zanzibar! Finally! This was a really special session.
This is the first time for Lutman to ever kitesurf. Lutman is a talented
acrobat who lives on Zanzibar. It’s crazy to see how athletic this kid is!
Once we were kiting together and the only thing I could hear was strong
breathing and laughing. He was stoked! Awesome to share his first time
kiting with him and I’m sure Lutman will be a big name in acrobatics or
maybe even kitesurfing!
For the start of my mission we were looking for empty beaches where
it’s not usual for kitesurfers to go. Meeting up with the kids is awesome.
They have no idea of what is happening. It’s hard to communicate with
them because of a different language. They speak Swahili.
Changing kites is a big deal once you are out there in the open sea. During
my trip to mainland Tanzania I had to change my kite to a smaller
one. Later on, the wind picked up and I could ride my 7m Passion. Changing
kites in a small boat is tricky but it was the only way to do it. After

traveling for 6 hours I made it to the mainland.
During my trip from Zanzibar to Tanzania I stepped into a sea urchin.
There are loads of them around the reefs of Zanzibar. It’s so hard to get
them out so I decided to let the splinter in… Worst decision ever! My toe
got infected by the sea urchin, I had to solve this problem before hiking
the Kilimanjaro!
So, I asked a local on the beach. I could not communicate with him, just
show him the infection.
The man came back with a young fruit and some oil. He looked into my
eyes and said ‘sorry’.
He took my dirty toe in his mouth and bit as hard as he could around
the sea urchin splinter. I have no clue why, but I think to open the wound
again. My toe was hurting too much! Then, he took the milk from the
young fruit and rubbed this into my toe. He did the same thing with the
oil and… done! The next day I woke up and the infection and splinter were
gone. Yes!
Searching for a place to sleep when you don’t know where you are, it’s
difficult. I ended up with these two men who invited me to their home for
some food and a cup of tea. This place is really special for me because
‘normally’ you don’t get into these houses… This house was not a normal
house, but one from dirt and wood. There was no door and only one little
window in the little house. The 2 men lit a fire inside. After a few minutes
the house was full of smoke from the fire. It was easily 35 degrees inside
and the man was chilling in a winter jacket nearby the fire... On our trip
searching for a good place to landboard we met many friendly and cool

68
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
people!
Perfect place, wind, sun and Masai! We got so lucky with the perfect
conditions to start the next stage. Crazy to see how dry the land gets
during my landboard mission through the drought areas. I never really
landboarded before but that was pretty easy. It was so nice to see how
interested the Masai were. Pretty sure that they had never seen a guy
landboarding there before. They came to check out the landboard, kite
and bar... Landboarding was not the only transport I used to continue my

way to Kili. Also, with a blowcart and kitewing I managed to get closer to
the mountain!
Later that evening we stayed inside a national park and slept in tents
inside the park with all wild animals. Around the camp we made fire to
scare the animals away. This was such a sick experience because we
were far from cities or the inhabited world… Without light or fire the animals
would come into our camp. We woke up at 4 o’ clock in the morning
by the sounds of lions around the camp. This was also the time to wake
up to prepare the hot air balloon. I had never been in a balloon before,
so this was an awesome experience too! Floating over the national park
over all the animals and drought areas to get closer and closer to the
Kilimanjaro, my last stage to finish my mission.
On the way, we found these kids on the road. They say that dressing up
like this is the last stage of becoming a ‘man’. They are beautiful.
Once we organized all our stuff and surviving kits for the hike it was time
to hike to the first camp, the third cave. It’s important being fit and well

70
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
rested before the climb. Our Crew worked already really hard with long
days of work in Zanzibar and Tanzania shooting. We were so tired already
before the hike even started… Living in Holland without any mountains to
train or practice, the Kilimanjaro was the first big mountain I ever hiked.
The nature you pass by during the climb is amazing. From green jungles
first to very dry and dead climates to the top… Sleeping in tents with -10
degrees at high altitudes is difficult. How could we prepare for that? The
climb gets heavier and harder once you go higher to high altitude levels.
As result, no energy and sleepless nights. We had a super positive and
cool crew to help us through hard times. I’m definitely proud of everybody
in our crew for making it to the top! It felt like walking on the moon!
Hiking the mountain was already a huge challenge for me. But I came
here to kite on top of the Kili, at almost 5.700 m, to raise awareness for
the melting glaciers. We got so lucky again with the bit of snow that we
had that day! Really a miracle. When I woke up I felt so bad. I never felt
so bad in my life before. I had to deal with a serious portion of high altitude
sickness. Someone of the crew, Jerome, helped me getting up and

tie my shoes and get to the tent to eat something. Jerome was basically
carrying me because I could not walk or stand straight. All my balance
was completely gone and couldn’t get air because of the puking and high
altitude. I tried to eat something and took some aspirins... after a while
I was just a tiny bit better and felt like trying! The crew pumped my kite
with 5 or 6 men, because of the thin air it took way longer to inflate the
kite and pumping a kite at high altitude is almost impossible.
The kiting went all on automatic pilot. Without any balance I crashed a
few times, but I was happy, adrenaline made me feel a bit better and…

72
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar
FOLLOW THE WIND THE JOURNEY OF
A LIFETIME TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR
GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE

done! Sooo stoked to be the first one kiting on world’s highest freestanding
mountain! We went back to the camp and made everything ready to
go down again. In total we have been hiking 8 days up and 1 day down!
Once down my balance came back and felt a lot better.
"Global warming and climate change are at the base of many problems
throughout the world. It caught my attention that the ice caps on the Kilimanjaro
are melting due to the drought. There is only one fourth of the
ice left on and millions of people rely daily on its melting water. Besides
that, the steady winds in Zanzibar, my friends and I love so much, will
disappear. I’m mind intrigued by the charity Just Digg It that invented
the Hydrological Corridor system. This system can help change the world
into an ecologically thinking society that contributes positively to fight

74
EXPERIENCES
Jerrie Van De Kop in Zanzibar

drought all over the planet. Just Digg It creates positive global awareness
via on-and off-line campaigns and education programs to inspire,
unite and activate an entire generation to cool down our planet. If you
ask me, I think that if we can warm up the earth, we can most definitely
cool it down as well! For this reason, I created this unique project: ‘Follow
the wind’, which is all about raising awareness for global warning in a
positive way. By going on a 23-day expedition lead by only wind itself, I
wanted to let the wind guide me through the dry areas and see the problem
with my own eyes. My trail starts in Zanzibar and leads to the highlands,
passing the dry districts of the mainland of Tanzania and Kenya.
The wind guided me through one big ecosystem including three different
climates: Water, Dry landscape and Snow".

76
KITE EXPERIENCE
A catamaran for kiters strolling around the Caribbean
Text: Stefania Conte | Photo: Gerard Smith
A catamaran for kiters strolling
around the Caribbean
The Caribbean has always been considered as one
of the most favourite winter getaways, also for kiters.
The opposite season circle compared to Europe
makes these islands the perfect destination to escape
the grey and cold winter European months. The
Caribbean area includes all the islands between the
Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, washed by the
Caribbean Sea. A multitude of islands with the most
diverse shapes, grouped in various archipelagos, of
both coral and volcanic origins and one better than
the other: Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Saint Lucia, Martinique, Antigua, Guadalupe, Saint
Martin.
Wind hunters such as kiters find what they are after in
this paradise. The Trade winds blow from November
to June from the Atlantic, created by the Golf Current
and with an average speed between 18 and 24
knots. They are stronger at the beginning and end
of season, and in December the so called "Christmas
Wind" from North-East reaches 30 knots, whereas at
mid-season it settles and rotates Eastward to pick
up again stronger by May/June blowing from South-
East. What better destination then to enjoy this exemplary
meteorological condition?
Traditional resorts aside which make a holiday pretty
static, the new kite trips trend in these places is
to hire those catamarans especially equipped for kite
safari. This way it is possible to move around every
day from one island to the other to test the countless
spots and at the same time fully enjoy all the wanders
of these islands.
Cruises last between 7 to 10 days and the most popular
ones are those among the enchanted and semi-deserted
islands in the Archipelago of the Grenadines:
Union Island, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Palm Island.
Some of these islands are only 100 meters long and
30 meters wide: on one side very fine golden sand,
on the other one small pieces of coral covering the
beach washed by the waves; in the middle tall palm
trees create a shady area ideal for a well-deserved si-

esta in between sessions.
On a catamaran, on top of admiring idyllic panoramas,
everything is at arm reach and in less than half
an hour sailing you can move from one spot to the
other. The various location typologies meet the needs
of both pro riders and beginners as one can choose
from sheltered bays, coral reef, lagoons amongst the
mangroves and waves at open sea.
Temperatures range between 26 and 31 degrees
Celsius and the water is warm, 27 degrees average,
crystal-clear and with breathtaking turquoise colour.
A swim in the coral reef for some snorkelling is also
a must, one of the many nice activities to keep the
non-kiting guests busy.
Something important which cannot be underestimated
nowadays is the all round safety of its territory.
Tourists can travel around these islands and be totally
safe, moreover there's no need for any vaccination
and the malaria doesn’t exist. The predominant religion
is Catholicism.

78
KITE EXPERIENCE
A catamaran for kiters strolling around the Caribbean
The kite trips on a catamaran usually leave from the
marinas of Saint George in Grenada, Rodney Bay in
Saint Lucia or Saint Vincent, which are the islands
with international airports with direct flights from the
United States (New York and Miami) and from Europe
(London and Frankfurt). Waking-up every morning in
a different bay, seeing places only accessible via sea,
swimming with turtles, having various kite sessions
at any time, by also launching from the boat, make a
holiday on a catamaran a unique experience, different
from any other type of holiday.
One of the first operators to organise kite trips on a
catamaran in the Caribbean is Zenith Ocean Voyages
which over the years developed a very much appreciated
holiday formula and its cost includes high
quality food, limitless drinks and soft drinks, custom
duties, port charges and the fuel. Guest can also use
for free various kite and board models branded Crazy
Fly: Kites: 1 x 7m, 1 x 9m, 1 x 11m, 4 x 12m, 1 x 13m, 1 x
14m, 1 x 15m, 3 x 17m, 1 x 19m. Boards: 2 x surfboards,
7 x TTs (136-138).
The boat, a 2010 Fountaine Pajot, named Meercat
is the most modern luxury catamaran specialized in
cruises for kiters in the Caribbean. It is set up and optimised
to allow a safe and clean storage of the kite
equipment (kites, boards, bars, harnesses, pumps)
without invading the comfort areas of the boat.
There are three double en-suite cabins for the guests
with hot water shower and lavatory. The minimalist
interior design maximizes the space. On the deck, sun
beds and springboard are always available for relaxing
also during the sailing.
The Wi-Fi amplifier right at the top of the mast connects
to the hotspots ashore which transmit via Internet
to multiple devices on board, so you can stay connected
during the holiday. A powerful 9kW generator
provides 220V power and activates the desalinator
which produces 180 litres of water per hour, essential
for navigation at open sea and in the remote islands.
Safety devices are certified and regularly checked.
DESTINATIONS AND SPOTS
Here are some of the ports of call of the Zenith Ocean
Voyages catamaran with the description of the kite
spots.
THE GRENADINES
The favourite ones by the captain of the Meercat,
who has been navigating these waters for over ten
years, the Grenadines offer a mix of seven different
spots not more than 45 minutes away from one another
and always windy. No wonder this is the most
popular destination.
Fregate Bay: butterflat water with direct off shore
breezes, 2m deep sandy bottom and no obstacles
or rocks. This is the place to go big and practice new
tricks.
Mayreau: with the boat anchored behind a sandy
beach kite on shore breezes only 10m from the an-

chor. A strong north east swell gives up to 2m waves
on the reef, normal swell produces small kickers and
wavelets. If you are not strong on waves kite the Lagoon
inside the reef.
Clifton: Home of Happy Island and super flat, shallow
kiting. Show off your skills and the sundown session.
Palm Island: A small up wind expedition half a km
from the anchorage of Clifton. Here you find waves,
flat water and channel swell.
Tobago Cays: 170 square km of protected marine park
turquoise water hides behind the great horse shoe
reef. Free ride over crystal-clear water, coral heads
and marine life. Typically, we boat launch adding a
new challenge to the catamaran kiting experience.
The Grenadines’ vibe is rustic, the Caribbean of old,
untouched by mass development. The beach barbecue
and rum shacks are the same today as 50 years
ago.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Different from the Grenadines, Antigua offers a contradiction
of remote kiting condition free of traffic
and shore line development... with the glamour of the
high and super yachting industry. The beginning and
end of the Antigua trip is in Falmouth Harbour, home
to great bars, restaurant and night-life.
Green Island: 4 hours sail from Falmouth Harbour, this
kite spot sits between two head lands connected by a
reef. Launch from Green Island beach only 40m from
the boat. Deep flat water is great for free riding, free
style and beginners. There is enough room for everyone,
typically there are no more than 15 kiters on the
water.
Devils Bridge: shallow super flat water only 1 km from
the boat, an easy expedition for free style heaven.
Barbuda: a day sail from Green Island, following an
underwater shelf to fish for fresh tuna. Arriving at Low

80
KITE EXPERIENCE
A catamaran for kiters strolling around the Caribbean
Bay we anchor on 12 Mile Beach. Deep water and off
shore breeze with a strong on shore swell produce almost
snowboard conditions. Carve heal and toe side
along the 12-mile shore line, it's unique. This spot is
probably the last place we know where you can kite
with no other kiters.
Now, imagine of having spent a day of pure kiting and
fun, in the sun, a crystal-clear sea and now you are
there in the cockpit sipping your favourite drink and
admiring the colour shades of the clouds at sunset...
In the Caribbean, winter will be just a vague memory.
OTHER DESTINATIONS
These are just two of the kite expeditions offered by
Zenith, other islands include St Marteen and Guadalupe.
For the ultimate expedition Zenith offers the
Mega Trip, a 500-nautical mile journey through unlimited
kite locations along Venezuela, Bonnair and
Curaçao. This trip has a true expedition feel unlike
the regular 7 to 10 days kite vacation trips mentioned
above.
WWW.ZENITHOCEANVOYAGES.NET

82
SPOTGUIDE
Embuaca (Region Ceara, Brazil)
Embuaca
REGION CEARA, BRAZIL
A participant to a Kiteboarding clinic returns with the 4x4
pickup from the day trip to the starting point back in Guajiru.
The group had been "at a northerly spot", "it has been splendid
...". When asked which location they had been to kite today,
there are only perplexed looks. "In any case, it was the best
spot in the area!" "Aha". After some inquiries, we quickly come
up with the answer. Embuaca! But Embuaca?!
Reemedia

84
SPOTGUIDE
Embuaca (Region Ceara, Brazil)
Embuaca? Ever heard of it? Where
is it? We usually hear these questions
when talking about this kite
spot between Flecheiras and Mundau.
Embuaca is still relatively unknown,
which could change well
over the next few years. The brochures
of kite tour operators are
producing more and more spots
in the Ceará region. It starts with
Cumbuco and then it goes up to
Macapar, north of Jericoacoara.
And Flecheiras and Guajiru are
known to many kitesurfers. Five
kilometres north of Flecheiras lies
the largely unknown fishing village
of Embuaca.
Embuaca shines with good kite
conditions for a wide kite audience.
Beginners and intermediates,
wake-stylers and wave-ambitious
kitesurfers are in good
hands here. The spot is located in
a small bay. Through the slightly
lukewarm headland, the waves
turn into this narrow bay.
But one after another. As in Flecheiras
and Mundau, the waves in
Embuaca are relatively clean. A
sure indication for this are the
surfers, who are regularly found
here at high tide. The locals have
to be out every day, so they are fit
in these waves. Mainly the guys go
out in the middle of the village and
create several stylish turns in the
clean waves. "The wave is always
breaking clean there," adds Bernie
Hiss, CORE CEO and Brazilian connoisseur.
The waves are certainly
not the largest of the environment,
but they run at times quite ordered
and break just as clean. You
can do up to four turns on a wave
in good conditions. "Embuaca has
an easy-to-ride wave that you can
play with!" Enthuses a visibly enthusiastic
kitesurfer from Holland.
"Embuaca is the spot with probably
the best waves in this region!"
Says a French kitesurfer, who has
been exploring the coast up and
down for years. If you go a little direction
windward, then these are
already a little smaller. But more
importantly, here in the small bay

and further up the headland anyway
the wind always works. Even
in the morning and in the evening,
when surrounding spots still suffer
from the "side-off". In Flecheiras
one has then in any case no
optimal wind conditions. In Embuaca
there is no such problem.
"Even in the morning we already
have an absolutely free, very constant
wind, no bothering any covers,"
Bernie sums it up. Windward
direction there is a small reef on
which waves break again.
"At low tide, the water is mostly
flat, at high tide the wave is easy
to play with and in the lee direction
you can easily slit beautiful
waves. Ideal for wave beginners,"
he adds. So, we find Bernie and Kai
Enseleit, head of a big windsurf
shop in Germany, already at the
spot in the morning. Bernie takes
some waves at low tide with his
Wave SUP board and Kai has the
surfboard with him.
Starting the kite on the beach is
also possible in the morning and
late afternoon without any problems.
In this respect, an important
safety criterion is given from
the point of view of beginners and
intermediates. On the wide sandy
beach there are the typical Brazilian
sailboats ("Djangardas"). There
are no stones here.
Embuaca can be reached by car. In
the middle of the village through
which the coastal road performs,
in the front there are once again
the Djangardas. The fishermen
arrange their nets here and every
day the village youths plays soccer
on the football area. Two small baracas
are right on the beach, where

86
SPOTGUIDE
Embuaca (Region Ceara, Brazil)

you can eat good fish. "Alone the
delicious fish dishes directly at
the spot are brilliant", Bernie appreciates.
Nevertheless, everything here still
seems sleepy and original. "The atmosphere
is super relaxed here,"
adds Bernie. Here you will not find
a pousada. "A territory where you
feel equally comfortable regardless
of your preferences," says
Bernie.

88
SPOTGUIDE
Embuaca (Region Ceara, Brazil)
General Information
CLIMATE:
At almost 600 km in length, Ceará's coast is one of the most beautiful
and longest in Brazil, with its big dunes, rugged cliffs, coconut palms
and freshwater lagoons. The climate is humid and warm, with average
temperatures of 26 to 30 degrees and a humidity of 80%. The water temperatures
vary between 25 and 28 ° C. A lycra shirt and a short or bikini
are sufficient. The sun is shining daily from June to January, with most of
the rainfall occurring during the months of March, April and May. Then it
rains one, sometimes four hours, but rarely all day.
FLY:
-TAP Air Portugal takes you from Lisbon/Portugal to Fortaleza/Brazil in
about 7 hours. Tip: Multi-hour stays in Lisbon are great for touring downtown.
Furthermore, KLM with attractive connections from Amsterdam.
CAR:
We basically have 4x4 cars on our trips to Brazil, which makes it even
more flexible on the beaches. Partly can be with these Hilux', Volkswagen
Amaroks and so on… also to cope with other routes on the beach. The 4x4
cars cost between 85-125 euros a day, buggies and other cars are around
40-60 euros a day.
WIND AND WAVES:
From June to January the constant wind blows from the right and can
reach wind forces up to 35 knots in the best months.
The waves are dependent on the swell and wind as well as low and high
tide. The tidal range is about 1 to 2 meters.

90
MARKET
DEMO TOUR RRD 2018
WWW.ROBERTORICCIDESIGNS.COM

Here we go, time to take off again! The 2018 RRD International Demo
Tour Italian stops are finally out, a great opportunity from one of the top
world-wide brands for kitesurfing equipment production to make the
large audience of enthusiasts try all the equipment in the catalogue of
the Italian brand and for anyone planning to buy something new. Many
spots and so much new equipment to try with the international team
athletes, among which the wave and freestyle professionals Tony Cili
WaterMan, Greta Menardo, Gabriele Garofalo Kiteboarding and all the
international guests which we’ll unveil stop after stop.
We start on 1st April in Puglia where we’ll visit the Impact-Shop Bari.
See you on the beach!
The 2018 RRD International Demo Tour will run from
1st April to 7th July. Here are all the stops: Bari, Gizzeria,
Anzio, Calabrone, Vada, Maccarese, Puzziteddu,
Stagnone, Senigallia, Igea Marina, Lake of Santa
Croce, Torbole, Campione, Gera Lario, Talamone, Salto
di Fondi, Marina di Grosseto.

GLOBAL BAR V8
SIMPLE / FUNCTIONAL / SAFE / DURABLE
Simplicity is our mission.
We remove any unnecessary items, instead of adding them,
to make every component more functional.
Simply said : ”you cannot break what does not exist”.
-THE RRD EXCLUSIVE RIGID THREAD LINES-
We obviously still deliver you the bar with the exclusive RRD Rigid thread lines. These lines are made with using the most recent
fibers and an innovative production process. Not only are the lines easier to untwist, but most importantly, they don’t stretch!
EXTREMELY COMPACTED
DYNEEMA BRAIDED SOCK
DYNEEMA UNI-DIRECTIONAL
FIBERS

ONE BAR FOR ALL KITES
No need to ‘change any game’ with the release of our 8th version of the RRD Global Bar.
Because of the great history of performance, we have kept our new version simple, reliable,
and packed with the same great features of the previous versions. But with the V8,
we now take another step forward with new components and redesigned parts.
RIDERS: ABEL LAGO -KITE: RELIGION MK8 - PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA
“OUR LINES DON’T STRETCH”
-NEVER LOSE YOUR TRIM-
INDUSTRY STANDARD BRAIDED LINES
CAN STRETCH UP TO 25.0 cm
RRD RIGID THREAD LINES
CAN STRETCH UP TO 2.5 cm
MAXIMUM STRETCH ON A 25 m LINE
www.robertoriccidesigns.com

94
TRIPS
The magic of Dakhla and the beauty of kitecamps
The magic of
Dakhla and
the beauty
of kitecamps
Text: David Ingiosi | Photo: Mariano Arias

As we go down the staircase of the
plane, a cool and furious wind hits
us on the chest. Smiles grow bigger
as we exchange looks feeling
chuffed in the evening darkness.
We came to Dakhla wind hunting
and what a better way to start our
adventure? It's a nice party of 20
people, medium-high aged, several
career professionals, some girls,
many Tuscans, several Romans,
the northerners of course and a
Calabrian relocated to Switzerland.
Everybody happy to be on
holiday and only one thing in their
mind: kite as much as possible in
Dakhla paradise. Some of us are
beginners, others more experienced
with more than one exotic
trip around the world. Lorenzo Leoni
is our trip manager, true-blu
from the Maremma region, experienced
look, ready wit and iceeyes.
Lorenzo owns the kite school
and Iko centre, Kite's Angels Beach
in Castiglione della Pescaia and
for four years has been organising
kitecamps to Dakhla. "I travelled
loads and kited in some amazing
places, but nothing compares to
Morocco in terms of quality conditions",
positively explains in a very
strong Tuscan accent.
DAKHLA ATTITUDE: ENTHUSIAST
RIDERS AND INTERNATIONAL
ATHLETES
We couldn’t possibly disagree with
him and the strong welcoming
wind at the airport just pleasantly
proves his words. We put our luggage
and equipment in the vans
and off we go to what will be our
accommodation for the next 9
days: the Dakhla Attitude resort.
In recent years Dakhla lagoon has
seen the creation of many hotel
facilities along its coasts, all deeply
aligned with kiters' needs which
come here from all over the world.
However, the Attitude, strictly
managed by Moroccans, was one
of the first hotels and capacity
wise it’s still today one of the biggest
and for sure the most prestigious:
proof is the fact that every
year it hosts the Pro Tour athletes
and the related international competitions.
With its cobalt blue bungalows,
recently repainted, that
stick out among the white sand
dunes and Cabrinha flags everywhere,
it surely cannot escape notice.
Check-in, welcome tea and
off we go to our rooms. It's past
midnight and we start feeling tired
from our journey from Italy.
SESSIONS WITH 30 KNOTS: NO
WORRIES
The morning after we wake up at 8
am, have breakfast and start getting
our equipment ready. Each of
us receives the keys for the storage
closet and as it happens, we
exchange opinions on our kite and
board quiver. Our attention however
is drawn to it, the lagoon of
Dakhla in full splendor. Moroccans
call it "Rio de Oro" because according
to an ancient legend, at sunset
the golden fish came to the surface,
colouring the entire expanse
of water. In this sheer of salted wa-

96
TRIPS
The magic of Dakhla and the beauty of kitecamps
ter surrounded by the desert, the
wind never stops blowing morning
till evening and never below
20 knots average from March to
September, whereas thanks to its
nearness to the Tropic of Cancer,
the climate is dry and day temperatures
range from 25° to 30° C. At
night, on the other hand they suddenly
drop by even 5-8 degrees. A
winter coat is necessary.
The wind is super strong: over 30
knots fill the water with spume
and make quite a consistent chop.
Many of us are not used to go on
the water with such conditions
and the initial impact it's quite intimidating.
The small kites, like 7
or 6 are fast and super responsive
on the bar and it takes some hours
before becoming familiar with
it. In the afternoon there are the
first lessons: helmet, life jacket,
short lines, the students enter the
water monitored by Lorenzo and
the other instructors, all Iko certified.
Everyone is full of adrenaline.
The great thing about kitecamps
is sharing everything, happiness
and anxiety. Being together is the
real power of kitesurfing which no
wonder creates intense, longlasting
and always very special friendships
which last well over the trips.
Go out together, support each
other, progress, swop equipment,
debate on tricks, stance and style.
As the days go by we familiarise
with the lagoon, the strong wind
and the hundreds of other riders
cutting through the crystal-clear
waters. On the beach a team of assistants
from the hotel kite school
looks after the riders: Rashid,
Mustafà, Kamal, Nabil, Moroccan
boys with a generous smile, tireless
and super efficient. The beach
is very wide and it’s just amazing
watching them going back to the
school dragged by the kite, digging
barefoot long furrows in the
sand with such exceptional mastery.
SPEED AND WAVE ADRENALINE
SESSIONS
Close to the Dakhla Attitude there
is a super flat-water spot: it's

called Speed Spot and it takes a
10-minute transfer organised by
the hotel. Wind is off, and a rescue
boat is included in the service.
Here it is common to bump into
international athletes, mainly freestylers,
that gather here to train for
the next competitions. We greet
Paul Serin, F-One, and Mikaili Sol,
young Brazilian athlete from North
Kiteboarding team who is climbing
the world championship rankings.
At high tide some of us rush into
a downwind to Dragon Island, a
pointed-shaped islet with emerald
green waters and breathtaking
sceneries. For those who
prefer waves, there are several
wave spots on the Atlantic coast:
West Point with the namesake hotel
dedicated to surfers, Point de
l'Or safe also for learners, Foum
Labouir one of the most famous
beaches in Dakhla with right-hand
waves, deep and fast, beach break
and lastly for the experts there is
La Sarga, inaccesible and wild, at
the far end of the peninsula of Dakhla.
After the sessions we chill by the
Attitude beach bar, sun bathe,
mess around, some do yoga, and
some enjoy a well-deserved massage
in the hotel's Spa. Of course,
you also make friends with other
groups of kiters: Spanish, German,
and French who are the majority
here, given the Moroccan cultural
heritage as former French colony.

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TRIPS
The magic of Dakhla and the beauty of kitecamps
Another quite popular pastime is
looking at the photos taken in the
water by Mariano Arias, Argentinian
professional photographer who
spends his days capturing the riders
with amazing shots. Perhaps
those photos express the true essence
of these trips: smiles, emotions,
the joy of practising the best
sport in the world, living in touch
with nature, travel the world and
breathe the scent of freedom.
Thank you Dakhla, Bsslama!

Grazie
Dakhla,
Bsslama!

102
KITETRIP
Philippines, a trip out of the norm
Philippines
A TRIP OUT OF THE NORM
Text: Ewan Jaspan | Photo: Frankie Bees

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KITETRIP
Philippines, a trip out of the norm
It’s always exciting visiting new kite locations, but
even more so to a place where the kite spots aren’t
even kite spots yet. This was the case when we were
visiting the farthest North East province of the Philippines,
Cagayan, to explore the rough and rugged
coastline and find windy paradise.
Our trip started in the bustling metropolis of Manila,
not only home to 22 million people, but also the most
densely populated city in the world. This was a bit of a
shock to the system, arriving to the middle of the city,
surrounded by pollution, traffic like I have never witnessed
and heat that initiated a few clothing changes
throughout the day. Wading our way through the city
we explored all its crevices and hot spots with our local
tour guides Paula and Dane, who know the city
better than anyone. It’s a very confronting experience
amongst all the homeless on the side of the streets
with young children and babies lying between traffic,
as we were walking around with expensive kite
gear and camera equipment, it definitely felt like we
were a little out of place and definitely privileged to
be wandering the city in our circumstances rather
than some others. At the end of the day returning to
our hostel and the cool breeze of the air conditioner
was a reward like no other and after two days it was
definitely time to escape up north to the trade winds
and tropical waters of Cagayan. Manila was an experience,
it’s great to see and do this kind of thing every
now and then to gain perspective on how so much on
the world functions and lives.
All packed up and ready to go at night, our bus arrived
in the middle of town and we boarded what was
supposed to be an eight-hour 600km drive through
the countryside, this ended up being a bigger mission
than expected. We got in the bus and had a good
sleep, and I awoke expecting to be pulling up in Santa
Ana (the town in Cagayan) but then checking the
map, eight hours in we had barely left the city and
were only about half way. The roads are small and

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KITETRIP
Philippines, a trip out of the norm

chaotic throughout the entire country, where buses,
trucks, cars, tuk-tuks, scooters and animals all share
two lanes limiting our cruising speed to something a
little under what we expected. Finally, after 15 hours
we arrived at our hotel, a vast resort with its own runway
and casino, but no one to be seen other than
staff.
Our first day was spent exploring the locations for our
shoot. The locals put it all on for us with cars and jetskis
at our disposal to search out new spots around
the islands and reefs. After sussing out the spots that
would work for the cycle of trade winds rapidly approaching,
we finished the first day tow foil surfing at
the most picturesque reef break I have ever ridden. It
was my first time foil surfing and what an experience
it was, whipping into a lump of water and going from
gliding to all of a sudden feeling a surge underneath
your feet and the foil is powered. We towed ‘til the
sun went down and we all had some great long rides
linking peaks together then cruising back to base with
a purple sky, cold beers and feeling totally refreshed
and reborn after our city stopover and never-ending
bus ride.
Our first morning waking up in the north and we were
welcomed by wild conditions. 30 knots and rain were
not what we were expecting but it sure made for entertaining
riding and a tough job for our camera crew
Olivier and Frankie. We shot the first day at the marina
in town where all the local fishing boats come and
go. Jesse and myself enjoyed a big air session as the
locals were left speechless, never having seen something
like high wind kiteboarding before, let alone
former King of the Air champion, Jesse Richman, going
wild boosting over their boats and looping over
the pier. We had a great time amusing the crowd and
stacking some crazy kiteloop shots against a jungle
backdrop whilst testing the new Naish Dash and getting
accustomed to it’s looping power and lively feel.
After hours of riding we ventured to the next spot
on the other side of the headland, tired and sore, we

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KITETRIP
Philippines, a trip out of the norm
were just at the start of this photoshoot and Damien,
in charge of the shoot, was not going to let up on Jesse
and myself until there was no wind, light or shots
left to get.
Throughout our four days of kiting in Cagayan we
explored every kite spot possible and rode some untouched
picturesque slices of paradise. We ventured
into the waves, which ranged from mellow fat slow
rollers to crunching triple overhead slabs, found flat
water, hit the reef and foiled through the lagoons and
everything in between. On our last day after exploring
all the mainland had to offer (or maybe not even
scratching the surface) we boarded the traditional
fishing boats and made way for Palaui, an island just
off the coast voted to have beaches in the top 10 in
the world and kite spots surely nearing there too. After
our first session, Paula had organised us to do a
beach clean up from the kite beach down to the village
primary school. Our aim was to raise awareness
and educate the locals about the effect human waste
has on the environment and to protect and cherish the

110
KITETRIP
Philippines, a trip out of the norm
beautiful piece of earth they live in. We involved all of
the local boat crew in the clean up and by the time we
had reached the school, we had about 20 large garbage
bags filled with trash, from food wrappers, old
fishing equipment, plastic bottles and even old shoes.
I think delving deeper into this issue with the locals
and really showing them how many little bits of trash
have built up in their habitat really made an impact
and they were all super motivated to make a change
and keep their paradise, paradise. The school kids all
cleaned up their school and we talked to them, with
the help of Paula, about the issue and what effect it
is having on the environment worldwide. It’s amazing
to see such a happy community of people who live
such a simple life and shows that real happiness is not
materialistic, but about making the best of what you
have and caring for each other, family and friends.

Afterwards, we took the kids back to the kite spot and
they all played with the kite gear and leading by example
we made sure to leave no trace and finish our
trip with the island in better condition than we found
it. It’s definitely important to try and give back to the
environment as we spend our lives in it and want to
preserve it for future generations to come.
On the final day of wind, after completing all of our
tasks, Frankie and Olivier stacking all the shots we
needed and Jesse and myself completely out of energy
we celebrated with a great local dinner and then a
trip to the Casino to see what was going on. The food
was great, local fish and delicacies partnered with
fresh juices but what we found next in the casino was
jaw dropping.

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KITETRIP
Philippines, a trip out of the norm
Walking in we went through all the security checks,
so common in the Philippines, and walked into a vast
open room jam packed full of tables, hundreds of
staff, but very strangely, absolutely no customers. We
had never seen anything like it, the amount of empty
tables and money obviously invested in the casino,
for no customers and no one to be seen. Apparently,
it was a Chinese online Casino where rich Chinese
people hire locals to gamble for them online and
spend an absolute fortune. It turns out that almost
half the people in the town work at the casino but
they’re either working on a table dealing, or gambling
on someone else’s behalf, something I for one, didn’t
know even existed.
Cagayan was full of surprises and the whole trip was a
great experience with a tight knit crew. We made the
best of every situation and had a real adventure. After
shooting on Maui for years the trip was something so
far from what we were used to and pushed us all to
our limits to make it all happen. From the senseless
city to the rural outskirts of the country we experienced
all the Philippines had to offer, paradise, poverty,
happiness, sadness, wind, waves, man made and
natural jungles and the amazing people, we had an
unforgettable time and recommend the trip to anyone
looking for a trip out of the norm.

114
ITW
David Tonijuan: as an athlete I believe in hard work
as an athlete I believe in hard work
23-year-old David Tonijuan is an all-round athlete who
loves Freestyle, but indeed he practices every aspect of
kiteboarding and that includes its lifestyle and the love
for travelling that comes with this sport. Since a few
years now he is part of the F-One international team
and he switched from excellent competition seasons to
others not quite so, but he grew up a lot especially as a
professional and as a person. Funny thing is that he was
born in Barcelona, a city with no wind…

116
ITW
David Tonijuan: as an athlete I believe in hard work
David, you have been doing several extreme sports.
Can you please describe why kitesurfing is so attractive
to you?
Since I was a little boy, I always needed to have a
board under my feet and I can say I was sort of born
with that attraction inside me. Kitesurfing is magical,
not only because of its purity as a sport but so it is also
the lifestyle it brings you when you attach yourself
to it. I like all sports, but not all of them allow you to
travel, to know new cultures, to learn languages and
to practise it with natural resources from our world
like the wind or the sea. I kind of see Kitesurfing as a
mix between different sports and this might be the
reason why it has attracted me so much. You can be
“surfing” as many waves as you want, you can do such
great “wakeboarding” tricks with the help of the kite,
you can use a “paraglide” to fly and you can use the
kite and the wind to lift you up when “snowboarding”
in the mountains…

Why do your friends call you "Handel"?
It is mainly my best friends who call me that, and it
comes because of kiteboarding. We all know, that the
advanced tricks in freestyle were called handle-passes
because is the one way you can do several horizontal
spins without getting tangled with all the bar and
lines system. A friend of mine, when we were kids,
started to call me that without even knowing what
the meaning was, but it seems it stayed there for a
while.
What do your parents think about the level you
reached in this sport? Did they expect you to become
a professional athlete?
I think none of us expected it at the beginning. My father
started kitesurfing at the outset of the sport and
I always wanted to follow him. I must say, the level
came with the motivation of having fun riding with
my kite mates. I am ambitious, and when I saw someone
doing a new trick I needed to do it just to make
sure I was able to do so. My parents have always sup-

118
ITW
David Tonijuan: as an athlete I believe in hard work
ported me, however I appreciate a lot that they have
also pressured me with my studies. Kitesurfing is extremely
beautiful, but it is still a minority sport which
makes it hard to live from it forever.
How has your life changed after joining the F-One
team?
F-One opened a new world to me. My life is fortunately
the same but with two extra years of experience.
Since I started with F-one, lots of things have
happened and I tried to learn a lot from them; I got
my best result in competition but also my worst, I
have been able to learn so much by getting involved
in the design of the WTF freestyle line, I got to know
closer the functional departments of a kiteboarding
company and I have been able to meet incredible
people and visit awesome places.
How have your sponsors, including F-One, helped you
achieve your goals?
The term “sponsor” is the most frightening one for a
rider in every extreme and minority sport. You probably
know what you want but it is also true that you
can’t do it without some sort of support. Sponsors
have been essential for my achievements so far which
I don’t consider to be outstanding yet. My goals have
been changing over time and somehow you start to
appreciate that once you achieve one, suddenly a new
one appears. When I decided I wanted to compete I
was very worried about it: “How someone from Barcelona,
a place where there is no wind and it’s forbidden
to kite during summer time, could ever get into
the elite of the sport without having the support of
a sponsor?“ I knew that without a sponsor I wouldn’t
have been able to travel and train to reach the level
needed. I must say, that together with a good friend
of mine who always told me “work hard, show it and
the sponsors will come” and my family, I am where I
am and have achieved it thanks to them.

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ITW
David Tonijuan: as an athlete I believe in hard work

Tell us about your favourite quiver and what you really
appreciate in it...
I am riding ¡¿WTF !? kite, the eleven is my favourite
and the 138cm board size. I have been riding its variations
already for more than two years testing tens of
prototypes we built for its development. I think that
together with the good performance of the equipment
on freestyle and my personal love for it have
been the main reasons why I appreciate it so much.
Which new tricks are you learning at the moment and
what are your best ones?
I am focusing on rewind tricks and kicker stuff trying
to make them with proper execution. We are in
a moment when in competition everyone is always
training for the 5 trendy tricks that scores highest. I
am trying to work on tricks that are same high level
and that could score as high as a “typical one” but
they look “cooler” because you don’t see them very

122
ITW
David Tonijuan: as an athlete I believe in hard work
often. Tricks are about a combination of double handle
passes mixing switch and rewind rotations. I am
also focusing on the single handle passes but powered,
solid and trying to make them stylish.
Where are your favourite spots to ride in the world
and why?
I have an easy answer for that: Brazil is and will always
be the best spot in the world! Six months a year nonstop,
20 knots, flat water lagoons, 30 degrees and
such a good lifestyle. What else could you ask for?
Professional Kiteboarding is getting more and more
extreme, powerful and spectacular. How do you live it
personally and what is your deep motivation?
It seems like big air has come back and strong. It’s
funny to see how the sport is changing starting at its
origins with boots and dangle passes, changing into
straps and wakestyle tricks and now it seems like it is
moving and asking for big jumps again.
I must be honest and say I like all disciplines, but none
is like freestyle. It is sad to see how badly freestyle
suffered last years and see how it is right now. However,
we are professional kiteboarders and I personally
think we have to adapt for what it has to come, it
is the only way to move forward and keep straight up.
Our body suffers more than everyone could think.
People think is just water, but the sport is asking more
and more power to evolve and our knees, back and
shoulders are the ones suffering the consequences.
In order to avoid that or slow down the arrival of injuries,
the out of the water training is a must for every
freestyle competitor.
What are your plans for the rest of this season?
I am still under calendar’s confirmation of the new
“World Kiteboarding Championships” to see what will
be happening at the end. But I want to announce I
will be focusing partly on some video-projects, I have
never felt I had time for that while competing but
looking at the situation we have now, it seems I will
be able to dedicate time to that which is something
I’ve always wanted to do.
How do you take care of your body and what is your
approach to the risks of the discipline?

124
LAND KITE
99.62 km/h: Thierry Collado sets a new world speed land kiting record
THIERRY COLLADO SETS A NEW WORLD SPEED
LAND KITING RECORD

Land kiting, also known as kite landboarding or
land kiteboarding, is one of the most underrated
disciplines in kiteboarding. Nevertheless, and
despite the fact that it is performed on terra firma,
riders can reach high speeds. Surprisingly, or
maybe not, land kiteboarders are nearly as fast as
their fellow water performers.
On February 18th 2018, Thierry
Collado set a new world speed
land kiting record. The rider living
in Ventura, California, drove his
equipment at 61.9 miles per hour
(99.62 kilometers per hour, or 53.78
knots) at La Franqui, in France.
"I really didn't expect it because
there was still standing water in
a few spots, and a lot of slippery
areas. But I found many places to
do my thing. The wind was not
strong. Instead, it was 'disgustingly
gusty,'" explained the man nicknamed
Akkrew. "Suddenly, a gust
stronger than the others carried
me beyond my hopes. I heard my
bearings screaming, and I had the
impression to go a little faster than
usual."
Collado checked his GPS and
quickly knew he had a world record
on hands. He continued riding
his kite, but the wind decreased,
and Thierry started feeling tired.
"I am so close to reaching my goal
- the 100 km/h mark. I am very excited
and will be back soon. But,
for now, I am happy to be back on
first place in the world ranking,"
concluded Thierry Collado.
At the moment, the fastest kiteboarder
in the world is Alex Caizergues
with a remarkable world
speed record of 57.97 knots (66.71
mph or 107.36 km/h).

126
TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
JUMP
how to go higher
One of the things that always appealed
to me about kitesurfing
was the possibility of jumping, fly
high, almost like a seagull, even
if only for a few amazing and unforgettable
moments.Over the
years, I’ve often asked myself
about the key factors necessary to
improve this basic skill of my favourite
sport and slowly I made it
to 23-m height.Here, I put together
some tips, which don't aspire
to be a final guide, but more like
an introduction to take you to the
next level, because "the next step"
is always round the corner once
you've learnt how to fly; you will
find that jumping is highly adrenaline-charged
and it’s a hard-togive-up
addiction, always chasing
bigger heights.

BOARD LOAD & POP (EDGING)
TECH-
NIQUE
One of the main problems of jumping high is the loss of "grip" of
the board while loading the jump, resulting in a long jump instead
of a height one, with a likely fall of the kite when landing
because you pass under the lines during the flying phase. That’s
because the kite tends on pushing you forward and you must
contrast that by leaning backwards with your body as much as
possible.
This is the typical mistake due to the technical inability while you
are riding to properly edge and pop the board as you invert with
the bar. Being overpowered often forces you to shift forward
the weight of your shoulders and consequently of your body, in
order to increase your depower capacity and be able to load. This
aspect can be improved through a simple exercise: try to firmly
increase the upwind angle, as if about to jump but without actually
jumping. Then leave the edge and take it quickly back and
so on and so forth. Once you have familiarised with this exercise
you will be able to make small jumps, even just 1-m high, but by
using your back leg pop to lift and not the kite.Try to focus your
attention on your back leg and on the nose of the board properly
pointing upwind. Slowly combine these movements to the bar inversion,
making sure the board is kept upwind as much as possible
until the pop, as if you were about to do a back roll when you
start going up.
In short, the basis for a good jump is a fantastic pop with the
board which is the result of a proper EDGING, in other words
keeping the rail at high speed upwind or when riding beam
reach. Without this basic skill, bigger kites or any other trick are
useless... this is really the FIRST basic aspect to set up properly.

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TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
HANDS' POSITION ON THE BAR BEFORE THE
JUMP
Keeping your hands at the centre of the bar creates less inversion
speed and greater physical effort. Therefore, it is useful to keep
your hands as far apart as possible on the bar so to maximise the
lever when inverting, with the least physical effort.
This rule works all the more if you have the right or a small kite
size. In strong overpowered conditions the kite’s responsiveness
is greater therefore, your hands can remain more centred on the
bar.
TECH-
NIQUE
SPEED & BODY POSITION DURING LOADING
To jump high and long it is necessary to have advancement speed
which proportionally creates an always increasing tension on the
lines. SPEED is crucial, it is not possible to jump high if riding
slowly.
We must distinguish between riding types and lines’ tension. A
super upwind creates maximum tension on the lines, but you
lose some speed and the pop is easy. A normal upwind, tending
to beam reach, gives you much more speed but makes the lines
looser and a more complicated pop. Therefore, the best riding for
loading is one in between the two, which is "the maximum speed
during which you can make a proper and effective pop without
losing speed nor tension on the lines”.
Your body posture during the jump loading phase is crucial,
because when pop-upwind and legs are spring-loaded ready to
burst you must not lose tension on the lines letting your body
forward.
Your body must go backwards, as if to touch the water with your
bum to counter- balance the kite going back up and keeping the
same tension on the lines.
KITE INVERSION & HANDS’ ACTION
To go high the kite must be inverted as fast as possible by properly
using your hands on the bar. Most people invert too slowly
keeping a prolonged pressure on the bar which makes the kite go
forward and not up, losing this way the edge too fast due to the
physical inability to keep the strong kite acceleration.

The inversion speed is extremely important, and it is crucial to
focus on your hands' ACTION which must be diametrically opposed,
one hand pulls hard but the other must push and not
remain inactive! Careful, as the most common mistake in kitesurfing
is pull with both hands, which nullifies the speed inversion
and, a greater speed inversion means greater verticality and
therefore more height.
During this phase a widespread mistake, even with the correct
inversion procedure, is loading with both hands too soon,
that’s when the kite is still moving forward. If you observe the
kite movement while inverting, you’ll see that for a sec it moves
forward and that's when you should stop pulling so that the kite
can verticalize as fast as possible over your head instead of going
forward. If you pull, you favour the forward movement. If you let
go, the upwards one. Recapping: the inversion must be done as
fast as possible with your hands doing two diametrically opposed
actions. Once the inversion is finished, the kite moves forward.
Now, slightly leave the pressure off your hands to let the kite

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TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
breathe and make it verticalize for few tenths of a second and as
soon as you feel it’s verticalizing, that's when you must symmetrically
pull with both hands as hard as possible to make you go
up to stellar heights.
Mistakenly, many believe that to jump higher the kite must be
sent to extreme positions such as 13.30 or 14.00.
But this would result in awfully messy jumps in the air and badly
landed with ridiculous hang times.
The secret to fly high is to be as one with your kite as much as
possible, by being aligned with it during the flying phase. There-
TECH-
NIQUE
POP AND JUMP
Once the previous aspects are all checked, you are ready for the
best possible pop.
The spring-loaded legs and the kite inversion will take you to a
point where you will be slung upwards (Momentum), when you
will finally have to go along with this phase as much as possible
with your body which from its full counter-position will switch to
a total go-along with the power of the kite position.
During this phase, focus on the board which must keep the edge
for as long as possible, without flatten it out before the pop,
even if losing some speed. Also, after the pop the board must not
go too much behind your body, as in Raily style, nor remain too
horizontal on the water.
This pop balance, focused on the board position, guarantees an
optimal body flying position with an excellent balance of all the
joint segments.
There is a long-lasting debate on whether it would be better
to favour a pop speed, sacrificing the hard pop which makes
you lose speed, or keep less speed with a super powerful pop.
Of course, the mix of the two characteristics would be top, but
that takes many years of practice to refine the timing, crucial
for combining the two elements, as well as having remarkably
trained legs to keep that type of strain at high speeds.
If you have a wave as a ramp, your entire visual attention must
focus on the growing kicker to hit it on its most vertical point.
KITE POSITION DURING THE POP AND WHILE
FLYING

fore, the best final position to stop the kite while ascending is
12 - 12.30, starting from about 10.30, even better if you can keep
even lower positions, i.e. 10, with the board on inverted pop.
The type of kite you use also makes the difference: a C kite will
better work from 11.00 to 13.00 whereas a Bow kite from 10.00
to about 12.00. Thing is that a lot of people have a wrong timing
with the pulling hand, pulling for too long, without the opposite
hand pushing to counter-call it, which takes us to the next point.
BAR POSITION DURING FLYING
After quickly inverting the kite, the focus must shift on counterbalancing
the inversion with your hands to stop the kite at 12 /
12.30.
Once the kite has settled at about 12.30, then we can move to a
loading phase and that's when both hands do pull on the bar to
near it to the maximum power point and further load the flying
phase. All that happens in a wink, these are "automatisms" that
come with time and practising lots of jumps.
This loading phase with both hands must end when we feel that
the kite is about to pass us backwards. That’s when your hands
distance the bar from your body to let the kite "breathe" so to
move it back ahead of us and speed up the landing phase, perhaps
with a downloop. Then your hands go back to the pull/push
action, ending the previous stage where both pulled.
BODY POSITION DURING FLYING
After having been thrown in the air, your body must find a balanced
position which will depend on the load and pop phase.
Tucking up while flying, legs on your chest becoming smaller,
helps keep an optimal centre of gravity during the aerial phase,
moving your body as little as possible to avoid loss of balance.
You can imagine that by becoming smaller the wind will have less
surface to act on and get us off balance or slow us down.
Often, we find ourselves in an over-rotation condition because
we didn’t properly execute the previous steps. However, during
the flying phase it is almost always possible regain the lost balance
even after the pop, by using shoulders/head in the opposite
direction to the pop over-rotation.

132
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TECH-
NIQUE
KITE RECALL
When the ascending and the stalling phase end, it's time to think
about the landing and change the position of the kite that was
holding us at 12 o'clock / 12.30.
Timing is crucial for a soft-landing, therefore neither anticipate
too much nor delay the phase of moving the kite forward to get
it back at about 11 o'clock.
If you anticipate the kite too much you will have heavy forward
landings, like belly flat with face smacked on the water because
of too much pull. If you delay it too much, your bum will always
touch the water because when you'll get to the surface the kite
won't have any pull yet as it was left too much behind.
Once you start jumping over 10-m high and even more so if over

15 m, you will realise that you must definitely learn the downloop
landing, also and especially with kites smaller than about 9 m,
because a small kite descends very fast and from a certain height
it does not give enough support to land properly using the simple
swing procedure. If you use C kites, the downloop is part of
the game even for moderate heights, if you use high elongation
AR kites the lift during landing is greater and the downloop not
always necessary.
LANDING
The landing must be "favoured" and not hindered therefore we
must act in favour of the kite pull instead of opposing to it.
During the landing phase we must focus on the nose of the board
which must always point downwind, avoiding loading only the

134
TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
back leg, which would stern-down the board, pound on the water
and eventually fall. This downwind phase quickly removes tension
from the lines so to decrease the speed and get back to the
upwind angles.
Also, remember not to put the board immediately on the rail, but
flatten it as much as possible to get more stability at high landing
speeds on higher jumps.
EQUIP-
MENT
EQUIPMENT
Only after making sure all the previous steps have been properly
mastered, you can shift your attention on the best equipment for
jumping, those that will give you greater drive to further improve.
Up to a certain height, which I empirically appraised at about 10
- 13 meters, almost every kite works just fine, so don't blame the
kite for not jumping, but turn to your technical limits, perhaps
get somebody film you so to later analyse it and understand your
mistakes.
It's no point in having a Ferrari if we can hardly drive a FIAT 500,
so don't rush into the ultimate kite or the best board because the
equipment makes a difference only once the technical level is
good.
Once your level is good, you will then find that the right kite can
actually make you gain something when combined with many
other small details.
KITE
Of course, if a kite has been engineered for wave riding it won't
be exceptional for its ascending capacities as it would be an
engineering nonsense developing a kite that must be as close
as possible to the water and then it jumps extremely high when
inverted. Therefore, although any kite could take you to reasonable
heights if your technical skills are fine, undoubtedly a 5-strut
kite, engineered for hang time, can better perform jumps compared
to a 3-one engineered for wave riding.
The magic word is often "A.R.", Aspect Ratio, the relation between
the length and the width of the kite. Without getting too
technical, there is a logical principle which can make you understand
the type of reaction that the kite will have in the air: if you
have a low AR kite, i.e. 3.5, it will have a kind of balloon shape,
very roundish. On the other hand, with a high AR, i.e. 6.3, the kite
will have a very "elongated" shape, for example the F-One Furtive

or Foils such as F-One Diablo.
The difference between these two A.R. worlds is enormous,
because if on the one hand a low AR gives the kite an amazing
responsiveness during inversion, slinging you upwards in a nanosecond,
it’s also true that it will end its ascending phase quite
early as the wind has less horizontal surface on which project its
propulsion and, above all, it will descend far too fast, as it lacks
of "floating" capacity, due to its too small horizontal shape.
Nowadays every manufacturer has in its catalogue Big Air or
Hang Time models and I would advise to buy at least a couple of
different sizes if you are serious about Big Air.
A further feature that a good kite for jumping should have is an
excellent Top End, that is the ability of performing well even at
the high wind limit for which it was designed, that's because,
often, who jumps high is overpowered and if the kite doesn't
depower properly, the bar remains distant from you while riding
and you will not be able to load the pop properly. C kites are
excellent for jumping high, but with equal wind they must be one
or two sizes bigger to reach the same height as the bow or hybrid
ones and above all they definitely have less hang time. So,
they reach stellar heights but fall back very fast and you must absolutely
master the downloop when descending to avoid traumatizing
your knees too much on landing.
BOARD
Any board is ok for jumping and there are basically two schools
of thought on this, both good depending on your likings:
1 - FAST BOARD AND SMALLER KITE
Some people rather have a very loose board, with less grip but
with significant pickup, which means more speed and a smaller
size kite which is faster and verticalizes earlier.

136
TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
2- SLOWER BOARD AND BIGGER KITE
Some others prefer a slower board, with a very strong edging,
as it gets the necessary pickup from the kite and the great grip
guarantees an impeccable control of the pop when lifting.
EQUIP-
MENT
Either way, a good pop must be an intrinsic feature of the board.
In my opinion, the board size, long or short, it’s personal as there
are clearly pros and cons. A short and narrow board, for example
a 127x36, gives amazing control over speed, therefore allows to
accurately load the jump during the pop, but it isn't so brilliant
over the chops, penalizes the landings and tends to slow down
in wind lulls compared to a longer board while you are trying to
pickup to gain speed. But it allows you to better handle the overpowered
conditions.
A longer board, for example 139x42 favours speed and chops
overcoming and facilitates the landings, but it is harder on the
legs and can lead to excessive acceleration resulting in an inability
to edge properly while riding and pop while loading.
Those really skilled can make good jumps with any size, therefore
don't get paranoid about 5 cm more or less. Instead try to understand,
by borrowing your friends' ones the grippy or loosy feeling
the board gives you, which is more important than the size per
se.
I personally prefer very short boards at the expenses of the
landing a little, but I have a fantastic control over the pop, as I
said, it's extremely personal and some jump very high with more
generous boards by having a slightly longer fin so to have more
edging, legs' strength permitting.
HARNESS
A seat harness allows to handle greater overpowered conditions
as the lower centre creates a contrast with less effort. Basically,
one can better lean backwards and arms/shoulders remain further
back and stretched, favouring greater contrast.
I mean, if you look at the pro riders they all use waist harness for
jumping, but those are people with muscular structures different
from 90% of us mere mortal kiters. It's worth noting that also pro
riders emphasise the importance of not having the waist harness
rise up too much otherwise the abilities to edge, proportionally
decrease as the hook rises.
However, the advice would be to do some jumps, same day with
same wind, but with the two types of harness and evaluate the

esults through Woo or Piq: you will appraise the differences
between the two harnesses, even more so if your abs are not the
same as Hulk...
PADS & STRAPS
Landings can be hard, especially from substantial heights. Nowadays
every binding has been equipped with soft Pads, some of
which even with interchangeable bearings which allow to adjust
the "softness" of the pads, by simply changing bearings. Therefore,
soft pads help preventing inflammation injuries to knees
and tendons.
What sometimes gets overlooked though is the width of the
strap. Hard landings create a serious risk of finding your instep
up to the strap limit, which can cause unwanted injuries to ankles.
My advice is to firmly tighten the strap so to block the
instep halfway through, preventing it from shifting too much forward
and your ankle can quickly exit backwards if necessary.
Bindings are excellent for getting the best possible grip and surely
allow a totally different feeling, but only few can actually use

138
TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
them with ease for jumping high, as there are good chances of
possible injuries to the knees during the destructive falling phases.
WEATH-
ER
CONDI-
TIONS
FINS
The grip of a twin-tip board is given by its rails and any channels
in the shape but also by the fins. Sometimes to make a board
more grippy just slightly lengthen the 2 fins on the leading rail.
Don't underestimate this aspect, it’s easy, immediate, cheap and
effective!
WIND AND
OVERPOWER
It is understandable that 40 knots can project higher than 20.
Not only because of the propulsion power, as the same power
could be reached by using bigger kites with light wind. Stronger
winds allow to use smaller kites, therefore faster during inversion
to go vertical, bringing this way height instead of length.
However, pro riders rarely use kites any smaller than 8 m size,
even with 50 knots: I saw people on the water with a 10 m and 40
knots which is insane! Therefore, do not do it, unless you weight
100 kg, or you master the necessary technical level!
But what makes them go out extremely overpowered is the principle
according to which, with that wind intensity the excessive
overpower makes highly responsive even a bigger kite which has
the advantage to make you go back down from stellar heights
with a lot more lift compared to a smaller kite and has bigger
surface during the ascending phase. Of course, you must also
have the technical skills and physical ability to handle it, which
makes all the difference. Consequently, being capable of handling
overpowered conditions with very strong wind is a fundamental
skill to reach significant heights, but one can easily get up
to 10-15 metres with normal kite sizes, the ones of everyday sessions.
Jumping overpowered is pointless if you cannot load the
edge and when you pop, assuming that you do, you get projected
forward instead of upwards. It is often said "use the biggest size
you can" and that's true, but the last two words do make the difference
“you can", which means that you can handle, keep, that
you can pop and verticalize.
Of course, you need to appreciate that being overpowered is

dangerous for you and others around you, therefore only with
years, a lot of sessions and experience and very slowly, you will
be able to increase the basic kite sizes, bearing in mind the risks
you take.
FLAT WATER, CHOP, WAVE, WIND DIRECTION
Surely there must be a reason if every pro rider jumps high in
South Africa. Water conditions are extremely important. Water
with little chop allows to reach higher speeds which turn
into height when you invert. If during the pop phase you add a
"kicker" (that is a wave), this will create greater contrast as you
strongly slow down on the wave while you invert. As if you had
someone holding you from behind while you invert. Clearly a
1-m wave will make you go up less than a 5-m one, therefore the
height of the ramp is essential. And 40 knots will make you go
higher than 20.
Last but not least, the wind direction, side/side off, which makes

140
TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
PUMP
O FOIL?
REAL
TEST
a greater traction on the lines and makes you slow down on the
wave even more.
All these elements together create the best theoretical condition
to fly as high as possible. And South Africa is top for its beaches
that offer these amazing conditions.
I often wondered in how many metres this ideal heavenly condition
materializes compared to the standard ones that we often
have of side-on or even on-shore wind, bloody messy chop and
2-m wave, if even that... Unfortunately, I still have not been to
South Africa to experience it personally, but some of my friends
who in Italy jumped some given meters, after having been there
improved their heights of about 2.5 to 5 m, not a minor increase
given by that insane mix of factors just mentioned.
F-ONE FURTIVE 10 VS DIABLO 9
All the tests we made with Piq and Woo were carried out over
about a hundred trials in over 30 days at El Medano (Tenerife),
at the spots of Pigsbay, Muelle, Cabezo, Flashpoint, alternating
wave condition and wind angle.
The kites used for the tests were F-One, as the tests also aimed
at finding the differences between the pump universe and the
foil one in relation to the reached heights.
Over the last years, I occasionally jumped switching between the
two universes because as far as jumping is concerned, the foil
kite is undoubtedly a fighting machine and I highly recommend
you to try it if you still haven't as it is a hardly forgettable feeling,
so much so that for some time you'll be tempted to leave the
pumps aside and use only foils.
Having said that, foils have several considerable structural limits,
with which you must inevitably live with if you want to jump with
them. They are more complicated to handle during launching, not
only because a bigger area is necessary, but mainly because with
strong wind or in strong overpowered conditions the launching
can become very dangerous because, unless 1 or 2 people hold
you from behind, you will be projected forward and upwards,
even if you launch from edge of window which isn't easy either
with strong wind.

In addition, handling gusts with a foil is totally different compared
to a pump, so I strongly discourage you from using them
with very gusty wind or you will often find the foil that flag opens
and violently and suddenly folds back in and gives you brutal
jerks or it falls bundling up resulting in a swim for you. Also forget
about kiteloops or downloops as the AR are so extreme that
the rotation arch is far too long to do it effectively, unless you
use very small foils. So, why are they so attractive?
KNOTS: 15-20
DIABLO 9 FURTIVE 10
Max Height m.
5 Jumps Average m.
Best Hang Time Sec.
11,8
9,8
6,4
8,9
7,6
5,2
KNOTS: 20-25
Max Height m.
5 Jumps Average m.
Best Hang Time Sec.
13,2
11,9
7,8
10,3
9,1
5,9
KNOTS: 25-30
Max Height m.
5 Jumps Average m.
Best Hang Time Sec.
15,8
14,4
8,5
15,3
13,8
6,8
KNOTS: 30-35
Max Height m.
5 Jumps Average m.
Best Hang Time Sec.
ND
ND
ND
17,2
14,9
7,4

142
TUTORIAL
Jump: how to go higher
PUMP
O FOIL?
REAL
TEST
Because they do jump in light and medium-light wind range,
more than pumps, and their hang time is significantly better, so
much so that, if you try some old school and board off with the
foil you'll realise quite unexpectedly that you are better than
usual.
This higher Air Time is given by the greater lift while descending
due to the more elongated shape with greater AR. However, to
avoid these feelings remaining such, we asked F-One, which we
thank for their precious collaboration, for a FURTIVE 10 m, pump
kite which comes from the Top for Big Air within the inflatables
and a DIABLO 9 m, kite foil that comes from the Top Race within
the Foil kites, but which in theory could have great hang time
qualities. We then compared them, with the same rider, same
wave and chop condition, same spot, with different rising wind
intensity, and recorded them both with Woo and Piq.
The following are the average scores of an excellent rider weighting
75 kg. Don't try copy him! You would get hurt. It is a test in
overpowered conditions with a fit and technically skilled rider.
It clearly appears that Foil kites perform better in light and medium-light
wind range, while pump kites tend to equal and
outdo the foils in medium-strong and strong wind range. That's
for height. On the other hand, Hang Time wise the Foil universe
maintains a winning gap. The Diablo was not used during the 30-
35 knots test as at 25-30 knots it was already in an overpowered
condition (F-One recommends using Diablo with maximum 25

WOO &
PIQ?
knots) and handling an overpowered Foil with gusts is really dangerous
for anybody. However, the nearly converging score of 15.3
m vs 15.8 m already with 25 knots suggests that the pumps outdo
the foils with more intense wind, with a much easier handling of
the kite as well as being less dangerous with strong gusts normally
carried by strong winds. The natural and appropriate objection
then would be "why don't the pro riders use them then?"
There are many reasons which can be explained with the risks
of the foils for jumping as above described. And let's not forget
that the KOTA for example, it's not a Big Air competition where
who jumps higher wins, but who throws powered manoeuvres at
substantial heights and downlooping with foils is an inadvisable
experience to say the least. But with not too strong and gusty
wind conditions and the only objective of going as high as possible
or having more hang time for old school manoeuvres, foils are
by far the best choice, as long as their intrinsic disadvantages are
appreciated.
To measure the height of the jumps you will need a measuring tool which
will make you progress really fast. Currently, top market products are
Woo, the 3.0 version is about to be released these days and, Piq North.
If you are uncertain on which to buy or you simply would like to know
better about their pros and cons, stay tuned as we will tell you all about
it in our next Kitesoul Issue.
Now then, after all this talk, all you need to do is go in the water and try
your best, day after day and in time your results will only improve.
Have fun!

146
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
Product focus
POISON LTD V5 WOOD
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Text & Photo: RRD Courtesy
The Poison LTD V5 is a coveted
creation and the most wanted
freestyle board in our range
since its introduction. The LTD
construction consists of Biaxial
Carbon layers on the top
and bottom of the board with a
special mix of Paulownia and lighter
weight wood, CNC shaped
core. It’s 20% lighter, thinner,
more responsive, and of course,
provides loads of pop. Once you
use the Poison, you’ll immediately
fall in love with it. There is
something about it that makes
it feel just right.
A new outline shape will take
the V5 and its riders to new
heights. This board has a more
continuous but subtle curve on
the outline providing comfort
and control in a wide range of
conditions. A new lamination
technology combined with the
incorporation of unidirectional
carbon stringers, resulted
in less negative flex and more
rigidity. This new lay-up combined
with slightly more flex from
the top results in more explosive
pop, increased speed control
and reduced vibration.
The more squared/swallow tips
provide more surface area for
grip and increased pop. This tip
shape creates a higher angle
of attack on the water surface
and increased control. The Poison
is an amazing freestyle board.
This version has a carbon
reinforced track system that, in
combination with our Rad Pads
or boots, enable the rider to
make the smallest adjustments
needed to perfect their stance
for maximum performance.
Picking your Poison is now easier
than ever as the Poison V5
defines the Status Quo of freestyle
boards.

STANDARD Features
• Deck and bottom Biaxial Carbon 450 grams
• Anti-torsion box tip design
• Deep concave in the middle of the board
• 5mm sidewalls
NEW Features
• CNC shaped mix of Paulownia wood core
• New tip profile on squared/swallow outline
• Reduced Thickness
• Unidirectional carbon stringers
• Carbon reinforced ABS track channels for pads
Adam Super about the
Poison Ltd V5:
“The Poison can be easily described
in one word, incredible.
The flex pattern is just right;
blending comfort and performance
seamlessly into an aggressive
freestyle machine that
can be appreciated by all skill
levels. I love the pop and response
from the carbon that is
paired perfectly with smooth,
buttery rides from the more
continuous outline. The boards
stiffness, speed, comfort and
control allow me to maintain my
laid-back style, even in tough
conditions. It’s easy to be steezy
when you got a Poison LTD
under your feet.”

148
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD
Product focus
10 KNOTS V4 LTD
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Text & Photo: RRD Courtesy
Do you want to be the
first one on a twintip
out there as soon as a
breeze comes up?!
The 10 knots v4 LTD is the new
premium twintip light wind machine
that represents the spirit
of free riding. The very flat scoop-rocker
line of the board and
the new tips design allow incredible
ease of kiting and an amazing
grip while going upwind in
the lightest breezes.
”As soon as a breeze comes up I want to be
the first one on a twin-tip out there!”.
TECHNOLOGY
The 10 Knots LTD V4 is completely
built and assembled in Europe
with a new exclusive even
lighter technology and is laminated
with pre-preg Biaxial 220
grams Carbon on deck and bottom,
has ABS sidewalls and a
CNC PVC core, which makes the
board a planet of its own.
LAMINATION
Laminated with pre-preg Biaxial
CARBON 220 gm deck and bottom.
Special Features
• Pre-Preg Biaxial Carbon
• Pvc superlight core
CORE
CNC PVC Core + reduced weight
ABS sidewalls.

150
PRODUCT FOCUS
F-one
Product focus
LA LINX BAR DI F-ONE
www.f-onekites.com
Text and Photo: F-One Courtesy
The LINX bar is our brand new
updated control system for
2018! We’ve taken all the best
bits of the Monolith Bar and added
some great features to create
the ultimate connection to
your kite.
The LINX bar is available in two
sizes, 52-45cm and 45-38cm;
this allows you to choose the
perfect size bar for your quiver.
Our new integrated floats on
the rear line not only offer a cleaner
look; they also house the
mechanism to adjust the size of
your bar too.
A new One Line Flag Out safety
system features this year and is
now the standard for all F-ONE
kites. There’s a high-quality corrosion
proof Inox steel hub on
the front lines that allows one
line to slide. The first 6m of the
front lines are larger in diameter
for durability, and there is a
stopper to prevent the bar from
travelling too far away from you
when the safety is engaged.
We have also added a manual
swivel on top of the chicken loop
this year; it uses a high-quality
ball bearing and is easy to rotate
even when powered. This
allows you to untwist your front
lines after performing rotational
tricks and is a feature every ri-

der is going to fall in love with!
The Lifeline safety connection
has an added swivel, so there
is no danger of twists affecting
the release of the kite, and the
same goes for the leash too.
The safety can be set up in suicide
mode for freestyle riders
while still retaining full functionality
when the chicken loop is
released as the loop can slide
through the Lifeline safety connection
with ease.
There’s a new Inox steel ring on
the front lines; riders can choose
to run the front lines through
this ring to give the kite a short
V on the front lines. Or you can
run the lines outside of this ring
to have a full front V. Kites like
the Furtive perform better with
the full front V, while the Bandit
flies better with the short V. This
feature of the bar means you
only need one kite bar regardless
of your quiver of kites.
We’ve retained the ability to
tune the rear lines, so if a line
does stretch, you can still tune
the bar so all the lines are equal,
and the kite will still fly properly.
The LINX bar features a smaller
diameter to make it comfier in
your hands and reduce fatigue
and, of course, we have new
fresh colours for 2018!

152
PRODUCT FOCUS
Core
Product focus
CORE Section 2
Un miglior drifting, più leggerezza e un vero wave kite
www.corekites.com
Testo & Foto: Core Courtesy
The second gen Section is built
for both traditional and freestyle-wave
(surfstyle) enthusiasts
with serious depower for downthe-line
drifting and incredible
control off the lip. “Weight management
is a critical component
in performance wave kites,”
Chief Designer, Frank Ilfrich
begins, “and we’ve leveraged
our proprietary fabrics to achieve
further gains.”
CORE’s no-stretch ExoTex Dacron
frame incorporates a unique
radial reinforcing thread
pattern that enables higher
pressure airframes with smaller
diameters. It improves airflow,
flight stability, and rider
feedback by substantially increasing
tube strength and rigidity
despite reducing diameters.
“ExoTex creates a lighter
yet more robust canopy that’s
ideally suited for wave riding,”
Frank concludes. The Section
2’s acclaimed ExoTex airframe
holds a better shape in gusts
and improves water relaunching
in big waves.
The Section 2 carries over its
small diameter ExoTex airframe,
lightweight surf construction,
and super quick reflexes from its
predecessor. The design team
found additional weight savings
and rigidity improvements on
the airframe. And they simplified
the intelligent trim system
that customizes bar feeling and
turning speed.
CORE’s no compromise Section

2 is designed to improve every
wave riding experience with effortless
directional control and
the right amount of pull to keep
strapless riders upwind and
on their board. Freestylers will
love the confidence and in-air
control to land those physics
defying aerials. When it comes
to waves, the Section 2 is ‘all in.’
Perfect for foilboarding too!
This drifting phenom with huge
range pairs perfectly with any
foilboard. Its lightweight construction,
nimble behavior, and
reduced lateral forces make it
an unexpectedly awesome foiling
kite. It won't yank you off
your board, and it zips through
lulls with ease. Yup, the Section
2 will amaze you with its foiling
pedigree.
Section 2 LW: Small Wave Phenomenon
The new Section 2 LW departs
somewhat from traditional
wisdom in that a bigger kite is
counterproductive on waves.
The new Section LW’s immense
range lets riders easily spill the
wind so they can focus on surfing.
The LW’s agility and surface
area to weight efficiency give
the feeling of a smaller kite and
yet it still has the pull to get you
out of trouble in the lulls. And
gusts are held in check with its
incredible depower. It’s easy to
question the efficacy of a 12 or
14m wave kite if you haven’t ridden
one. If you ask Rob Kidnie,
a CORE team rider in Indonesia,
which Section 2 is his favorite,
he’ll say the 14m LW. “The old
rule of thumb that a smaller kite
is always better may no longer
apply to the LW,” suggests Bernie
Hiss, CORE’s CEO and avid
wave rider.

154
PRODUCT FOCUS
Core
SECTION 2 SIZES:
4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 11.0 | LW 12.0 | LW 14.0

SECTION 2 FEATURES:
1. Ultra Light Frame: Super light yet amazingly rigid and durable.
2. Surf Profile: Wave tuned camber and aspect ratio.
3. ExoTex® Ultra Rigid Dacron: Zero stretch airframe.
4. CoreTex® Triple Ripstop Canopy: Extreme durability and UV protection.
5. Future-C Shape: True C-kite feel. For snappy turns with a controlled and consistent
pull.
6. Radical Reaction Tips: C-style shaped wingtips for faster bar response.
7. Short Bridle System: Improved kite feedback.
8. CORE Intelligent Trim (CIT): Customizable “power steering” and turning speed.
9. Instant Auto Relaunch: Reliable waterstarts in difficult conditions.
10. Speed Valve 2: Quick, reduced effort inflation.
11. Speed Pump System: Super fast all strut inflation.
12. Sensor Bar Ready: For maximum kite feedback and control.

NEXT ISSUE JUNE - JULY OUT ON THE 2 TH OF JUNE 2018