Kitesoul Magazine #10 English Edition

96
STORY
Patri McLaughlin - "Mr. Big Waves"
Patri McLaughlin
Mr.
Big
Waves
“We just went to Lanes to kitesurf.
Patri, what were you doing?"
“Today I went freediving in
Lahaina. I made it 100 feet (30
meters) deep in 2.5 minutes. I’m
pretty psyched, and it was super
fun. I went deeper than I have
ever gone before!" answered
26 year old Patri McLaughlin. At
first we were a bit speechless.
Patri says that you must free
dive with partners. It’s dangerous
to dive deep without a partner.
No question, Patri is a “big
wave” kitesurfer who also trains
in various ways. Apart from free
diving, he also goes to the Gym
several times a week for normal
strength training and Indoor Cycling.
“I train on the bike for 20 minutes
to warm up. While keeping
the bike at a steady pace I hold
my breath for 30 seconds, and
breath steady for 30 seconds.
Sometimes people look at me
funny in the gym,” he laughs.
“After 19 minutes I try to hold
my breath for a full minute. After
about 50 seconds, I think I’m
going to die. It's very very hard,”
he adds. All this is to prepare for
sessions at Jaws. The water is
40 feet deep in spots, and you
have to be ready for a long hold
down.