“Warning Cabarete Local” graphics. –rr - The Kiteboarder Magazine

CLOSEUP
Age: Born in the 70’s! Height: 5’7” Weight: 140 lbs Years kiting: 4 + years
Favorite Spots: The Jetty, The Klick, Kite Park at the Dam, Australia, the Yucatan
Favorite Conditions: Sunny, warm, and windy
Favorite Moves: Double S-Bend, but I can’t do it. Sponsors: North Kites, Jimmy Lewis Boards,
Dakine, Native Eyewear Competition Placements: What’s that?
GEAR
Boards: Jimmy Lewis customs Bindings: Straps by Jimmy
Kites: North Vegas and the Rebel in the waves
Bars (size and line length): North 5th Element
Harness: Dakine Wahine Waist Harness
By Marina Chang Lens Gregg Gnecco
Tonia Farman makes her home in the Gorge.
She co-founded the Women’s Kiteboarding
Association last year and has been a driving
force behind encouraging more women to get
into and stick with our sport. Her aggressive
yet fluid riding style and can do attitude have
inspired many other women to progress their
own riding levels as well, including me! Tonia’s
infectious smile is hard to miss. It is even bigger
than normal as she prepares to get married this
year to photographer and videographer Gregg
Gnecco. Congratulations Tonia!
When, where and why did you start
kiteboarding?
My friend Chris Wyman, from Slingshot, sent
me a trainer kite. I didn’t really know what
to do with it, so I looked up“kiteboarding
lessons” on the internet and started going to
Kite Nights, put on by The Seattle Kitesurfing
Association. After flying that trainer to death, I
got one kite – a 2001 Fuel 8m, which I learned
on and rode in all conditions!
What other sports helped influence
your kiteboarding and what is your
training regiment?
I’m not sure if my other sports significantly
Get involved (even at the smallest
level) to maintain and improve your
local kite beach.
If you’ve never ridden a Jimmy, try
one. Kiteboarding’s never been so fun.
Always keep your gear in your car.
You’ll always get the perfect conditions
the day you forget your gear.
Don’t get caught up in hype – do/ride
what feels right.
Lose the ego and smile more! It’s just
kiteboarding!
influenced my kiteboarding. A lot of it is mental
patience, the ability to remain calm in chaotic
situations, and a ‘just charge it’ attitude.
What riders influence you most?
Watching good wakeboarders rip behind a
boat is so inspiring to do the same with a kite.
Following Jason Slezak snowboard through
waist-deep powder –his smooth style on snow
is just as powerfully engaging as he is on the
water! Watching Ben Wilson surf, Tobias, Chris
Wyman and many un-named individuals who
just love to ride and never take the sport too
seriously.
What do you do off the water to help you on
the water?
Pilates. Seriously – three times a week and
you’ll notice a difference in your kiteboarding,
and your abs!
What is the latest trick you are working on and
how is it going?
Getting into a big wave without getting
worked. Sometimes my legs shake and my
heart pounds when I see a wall approaching
me, but I think it’s both excitement and
anxiety. What I’m learning is that it’s 90%
mental and 10% luck.
Where is your favorite place to ride and why?
The endless and remote beaches of Western
Australia, from Lancelin to Margaret River and
everything in between. A close second is the
Oregon Coast, which would be first if it wasn’t
so cold!
What is something about you that you do
outside of kiteboarding that most people
wouldn’t know?
I’m Creative and Marketing lead for a web
development company in Hood River.
Wanna website?
You co-founded the Women’s Kiteboarding
Association. What are the orgs plan for 2007?
In WKA’s first year, we learned that partnering
with retailers and brands to put on events
around the globe was a pipe dream. So, this
year, we will be playing a more facilitative
and supportive role. We are building a new,
comprehensive resource website to link
women to lessons, camps, and gear as well as
putting on beginner clinics to facilitate those
first steps in the sport!
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