December 2009 - The Kiteboarder Magazine

ClOSE-up
ARUBA BAJA MAUI JERICOACOARA PUNTA SAN CARLOS
CABARETE COCHE LOS ROQUES MARGARITA ICARAIZINHO
AGE: 28 HEIGHT: 5’6” WEIGHT:120 lbs. YEARS KITING: 4.5 FAVORITE SPOTS: La Ventana, The Gorge
FAVORITE CONDITIONS: Big days in the Gorge when it is blowing 25-35 mph, 20-25 mph flat water
freestyle session and shoulder to overhead waves strapless on my surfboard FAVORITE MOVES: Raleys
to blind, mega loops, powered unhooked kite loops SPONSORS: Naish, Dakine, MLK
GEAR SET-UP
Boards: 130 Naish Momentum, 5’4” Naish Fish Surfboard Bindings: Naish straps, just picked up
a pair of boots from Slingshot, strapless or w/straps on surfboard Kites: Naish Torches and Helixes
Lines: Standard lines Harness: Dakine Wahine waist harness
NEW IN 2010 -HOOD RIVER
COOL PLACES
A holiday in La Ventana ignited Britney’s passion for kiteboarding.
Be sure to stop by Big Papas when in the Gorge!
1. Kite with people who are
at your level or better. It is
amazing how much you push
yourself when you see others
going for it.
2. Focus on your pop. Hooked in
or unhooked, without pop a
trick lacks style and grace.
FRIENDLY FACES
By Marina Chang | Photos Photos Erik Boomer
Britney’s family moved from Utah to Hood River,
Oregon, when she was four years old. Her mom tried
to get her into windsurfing, but she never took to it.
In the eighth grade, Britney learned to snowboard
which became her passion. She did a few big air
and slope-style competitions and decided that after
college she wanted to be a snowboard bum. In
2005, Britney graduated with a BS degree with an
emphasis in biology, anatomy and physiology. That
winter, she and her boyfriend Justin Menasco bought
a 1975 Toyota Chinook camper and headed down to
La Ventana. Since then they have changed their entire
lives to work around kiteboarding, with winters spent
in La Ventana where they both teach kiteboarding and
manage a small resort called Mokies. Their summers
are spent back in their hometown of Hood River,
where they are also kiteboard instructors and just
recently opened a small restaurant called Big Papas
at the kiteboard beach. Britney still intends on using
her degree and working with animals some day, but
while she is young and able, she is going to fully take
advantage of her current lifestyle.
When, where and why did you start kiteboarding? I
learned to kite in 2004 when my mom took me to La
Ventana over winter break. I traded a holiday gift of
scuba lessons for kiteboard lessons.
Have any other sports or disciplines helped
influence your kiteboarding? Living in the Gorge, I
get to wakeboard, snowboard, longboard, and cliff
jump. All help – well maybe not the cliff jumping!
What riders influence you the most/inspire you?
There are a lot of pro riders that are inspirational,
but I am mostly inspired by the people I ride with,
mainly my friends Marie Leclerc and Shannon
Gormley, who are both awesome riders. In the pro
world, John Van Malsen is smooth and fun to watch.
Also the Richman Brothers are such powerful and
energetic riders.
How did you get sponsored by Naish? Between
heats at the 2009 Bridge of the Gods competition, the
local Naish Rep Nick Stuart told me they were going
to start giving me gear on terms. I couldn’t complain
considering I was already riding the Torches at the
time and having a hard time funding them.
3. Relax! Fly your kite and know
how your safety systems work.
When you freak out your kite
freaks out.
What standout features do you most appreciate
about your current gear? I am stoked that Naish
has kept a C-kite. If you learned on a C-kite, there
is just something about them that is hard to beat in
freestyle. I am also happy with the Helix, because
out of all the SLE kites I have ridden it is the closest
feel to a C-kite, plus it has the range and depower
for waves that an SLE kite offers. Their new board,
the Momentum, also has good rocker and lots of
pop, making it a really fun board to ride.
What do you do off the water to help you on the
water? Yoga has always been something that has
helped with my kiting. Both practices help to develop
good core strength. Teaching kiting has also given me
a new perspective on my kiting. Teaching the basics
can relate to learning a more challenging trick. It is all
about kite placement and bar pressure.
What trick or style are you currently working on and
what is the challenge? I am currently working on
rotations to blind and the trick I really want to conquer
is a blind judge. I am always working on better pop
and getting inverted in my rotations. The challenge for
every trick is timing, kite placement and bar feel.
What is your favorite style of riding and why? I
love freestyle, because of the challenge. There is
always something new to learn, whether it is a new
trick or just trying to make a trick you know more
stylish. Kitesurfing is also another favorite. There is
something about getting turns on a peeling wave that
is exhilarating. Anytime I come off the water after a
good surf session I feel rejuvenated.
How was it to win the Bridge of the Gods contest
in your own backyard? It was a lot of fun! I had
so many friends and family there supporting and
rooting for me, it got me pumped up, which is
something I need to perform well.
What is something about you that you do outside of
kiteboarding that most people wouldn’t know? I own
a twice baked potato stand called Big Papas which
offers good and easy food for all of you hungry sport
junkies who need fuel to perform well. Our goal is to
have a Big Papas at all the big kiteboarding and surf
beaches around the US and possibly internationally.
What is your worst wipe out/scariest kiteboarding
experience? My worst wipeout was up in Nitinat,
Canada. It was blowing a steady 26-28 mph and my
friend Max had a camera. I went for a big mega
loop. My board started to come off and I landed
with my foot halfway out of the strap and sprained
my ankle.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing
the kiteboarding industry? The current economy —
there are so many companies on the scene these
days that kite companies are having to work extra
hard to push their gear.
Where is your favorite place to kite and why?
Currently, the east side of the Hood River sandbar —
when the wind is good it can be a freestyle paradise.
I still however feel as though I haven’t found my
favorite spot to kite and look forward to finding it in
the years to come.
What is your most memorable kiteboarding
experience? In La Bocana, Mexico, a dolphin
surfaced in front of me then continued to ride
underneath me like I was the bow of a boat. I felt
like I was one with the ocean.
What are your must haves that you can’t live without?
My family, my friends, my dogs and my kiteboard gear.
Any words of wisdom you want to share with our
readers? Live life the way you want to live it, not the
way you are told. Make your dreams your reality.
34 thekiteboarder.com thekiteboarder.com 35
www.velawindsurf.com
Powered by
LEARN IN PARADISE
CALL NOW! 1-800-223-5443
www.dare2fly.com
PRO INSTRUCTION
GREAT GEAR
email: info@velawindsurf.com