Kitesoul Magazine #15 English Edition

TRIP
_Melanesian dreaming
"NEW CAL STYLE"
_INDO
ITW
_Moona Whyte
Matchu
Lopes Almeida
GKA Wave & Strapless Freestyle
Rider of the Year
AdVENTURE
_500 KM of adventure
from Dakhla spirit to Mauritania
W W W . K I T E S O U L . C O M

WAVE | SURFSTYLE
Foto: Jason Wolcott
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Editor
Roberta Pala
roberta.pala@kitesoul.com
Wave Thecnique Editor
Mitu Monteiro
Freestyle Thecnique Editor
Alberto Rondina
Thecnical Expert
Renato Casati
Photo & Video
Maurizio Cinti
Design
Giuseppe Esposito
DECEMBER 2016 - JANUARY 2017
TWO-MONTHLY
Texts
Keahi de Aboitiz, Colleen Carroll, Abel
Lago, Julien Leleu, Gabi Steindl
Photos
Mariano Arias, Alexandru Baranescu,
Frankie Bee, Maxence Blanc, Bertrand
Boone, Toby Bromwich, Gilles Calvet,
Gill Chabaud, Gianmaria Coccoluto, S.
Ducandas/DIL, eyes around the world,
Ludovic Franco, Light bros creative,
Laci Kobulsky, Patrice Morin, Eyefly
Pacifique, mediahouse.one, Martin
Rendo, Svetlana Romantsova, RRD
Spain, Gabi Steindl, Lukas Stiller, Roger
Wanke, Jason Wolcott
Cover:
Rider: Raphaël Salles
Photo: Gilles Calvet
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.
ROBERTA PALA
Editor
Sports photographer since
1997, kiteboarder since 2001,
she has worked for the most
exponential kite magazines
for the last 15 years.
A free and wild soul, she
has left the luxuries of town
living for a life in contact with
nature: a sea and wave lover.
Nowadays you can find her
on the shores of Capo Mannu,
Sardinia, one of the most
beautiful spots of the Mediterranean
Sea.
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!

EDITORIAL
Rider Keahi de Aboitiz | Photo Jason Wolcott

The winter season is upon us, who’s leaving for
Brazil is getting boardshorts and colourful lycras
out from the wardrobe along with small size kites
and boots, or else those heading to Cape Verde
and South Africa are carefully packing their
surf-board, or those who with their pickup truck
are getting ready for the Snowkite World Contest
in Roccaraso. The season which should be dedicated
to some "rest", it’s in fact the most active,
lively and varied time of the year.
After the end of this year KPL competitions, Colleen
Carroll too chose to spend five weeks in Brazil.
She shares with us her opinion on the world of
kiteboarding, in this issue focused on a profound
consideration about the far too big confluence of
kiters in the Brazilian lagoons ... could it be that
we have reached the maximum capacity in those
kiteboarding paradises?
This is the season for training, after the conclusion
of the great world competitions which however
brought some twists and some big surprises.
2016 saw Matchu Lopes Almeida triumphing at
GKA, he is now the GKA Wave & Strapless Freestyle
Rider of the Year. We virtually joined him
for an emotional interview about his success, but
also about his personal growth, since when, back
in 2011, as a young kid unbelieving and clumsy,
he answered my questions, up to this young man,
fresh from one of the most exciting and rewarding
moments of his career.
Talking about great events, Sardinia in Italy, just
hosted the IKA final for Freestyle and Big Air of
the 2016 World Kite League. Some of the athletes
from the international panorama along with
many of the participating Italian ones, who did
not miss this important event, battled it out offering
a great show in the spectacular scenery of
the Bay of Porto Pollo.
The feats of the two "brothers" of lightbroscreative,
Julien Leleu and Forest Bakker, engaged in a
fascinating and challenging downwind from Dakhla
to Mauritania. The breathtaking panoramas
of New Caledonia and of those huge waves that
perhaps many of us will discover in this article, in
a paradise that, for years, we've seen as the land
of endless lagoons with water smooth as glass...
Indonesia with challenging conditions in the journey
of Keahi de Aboitiz....
The characters in this issue range from who lives
in a remote place, in front of one of the world's
most incredible waves in Tahiti, and glides fast
with his foil, like Mathieu Fouliard, RRD rider. A
young Hawaiian woman, Moona Whyte, three times
world champion already, who lives on the
ocean and in the ocean, in a perfect symbiosis.
And the youngest one in the Garat family, Val,
French talent that aims at the top of the freestyle
world circuit.
Also, some questions to the "father" of F-One,
Raphaël Salles and about his Bandit, which is
now at its tenth edition, the longest- running kite
in the entire kiteboarding universe.
While waiting for the snowkite world event in
Roccaraso, which will take place in March, some
will be reading these pages about beaches in
some sunny paradise where a constant wind that
blows on the skin, others will dream over the pages
of the magazine, every one though, brought
together by the same Kite-soul…
Roberta Pala

SUMMARY
EVENTS + ITW
50
18
Portfolio
RIDERS COLUMN
32
Colleen Carroll
EVENTS
34
Sardinia Kiteboarding
Grand Slam
GKA Dakhla
Matchu
TRIP
66
Melanesian
dreaming “NEW
CAL STYLE”
ITW
84
Mathieu Fouliard
TRIP
94
INDO
ADVENTURE
110
500 KM of adventure
from Dakhla
spirit to Mauritania
PRE-EVENT
118
World Snowkite
Contest 2017

ITW
124
Moona Whyte
ITW
138
Val Garat
BASIC STRAPLESS
154
Backroll Grab
STORY
160
148
ITW
Raphael Salles
Story behind the
RRD harnesses
FOCUS
166
F-ONE Foil
F-ONE Furtive
RRD Emotion
RRD Obsession
ION Winter Jakets

18
PORTFOLIO
Colin Heckroodt
RIDER: Colin Heckroodt
PHOTO: Svetlana Romantsova

20 PORTFOLIO
Alberto Rondina
RIDER: Alberto Rondina
PHOTO: Laci Kobulsky

22 PORTFOLIO
Jason Blanchard
RIDER: Jason Blanchard
PHOTO: Mediahouse.one

24 PORTFOLIO
Set Teixeira
RIDER: Set Teixeira
PHOTO: Gilles Calvet

26 PORTFOLIO
Colleen Carroll
RIDER: Colleen Carroll
PHOTO: Toby Bromwich

28 PORTFOLIO
Alex Neto
RIDER: Alex Neto
PHOTO: Svetlana Romantsova

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RIVENDITORE UFFICIALE

32
RIDERS COLUMN
Colleen Carroll
We’ve all heard the stories,
seen the videos and
many of us have even visited the
Latin hotspot….Brazil, most notably,
the state of Ceara and the
Northeast coastline, THE go-to
kite spot from late September to
early December. Adored for it’s
hairdryer winds, glassy lagoons,
endless downwinders, buggy
strewn beach highways, strong
cocktails and antioxidant rich
Acai.
Year after year, pros, as-
piring pros, vacationers and the
like flock to one of the many established
kite lagoons or coastal
spots to spend their holiday or
even their entire fall season at
the thriving kiteboarder’s paradise.
Brazil’s popularity as a kite
destination continues to skyrocket,
attracting more people each
year to it’s idyllic locales. Having
just returned from 5 weeks spent
at my personal favorite Brazilian
lagoon and witnessing by far the
most crowded conditions I’ve
ever kited in, I can’t help but ask
the looming question…. is
Brazil’s stellar popularity leading
to it’s demise? Have the perfect
flat-water lagoons exceeded
their max capacity?
What once felt like the ultimate
kiteboarding wonderland
now at times feels like rush hour
when you’re already late
for work. Of course the wind is
still constant, blowing around
the clock with a steadiness
that is unparalleled but is that

The Brazilian Buzz
× Colleen Carroll ×
RIDERS COLUMN
Text Colleen Carroll | photo Toby Bromwich and Lukas Stiller
enough to maintain the growing
popularity of the spot? Or will
it find it’s tipping point where
the lagoons simply become too
crowded to make the most of?
There’s no question that
the kiteboarding conditions in
Brazil are a step above the rest
and are the breeding grounds
for up and coming talent. Maybe
this overcrowding is simply
a phenomenon similar to what
happens at any popular surf spot
where locals and more advanced
riders run the rotation. Or maybe
Kiteboarders are simply cut from
a different cloth and relish in the
hustle of the jammed spots and
it will forever be the more
the merrier.
I can’t say I know what is to come
of our beloved South American
lagoons but if we look at it
as a litmus test for the general
well being of the industry, I’d
say we’re doing great. And who
knows, maybe the overcrowding
is just the push we need to break
out of our comfort zones to take
the road less traveled once the
leaves start to fall. Or possibly
the next ‘it’ spot is already on the
rise waiting to be exposed just
as Brazil was only a short while
ago. One thing I’ve learned for
sure is that Kiteboarders are insatiable
when it comes to time
on the water during their holidays;
so whether its Brazil or
somewhere new, the buzz is only
getting stronger.

34
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
Sardinia
Kiteboarding
Grand Slam
2016 IKA Kiteboarding World Championship
text Roberta Pala | photo Roberta Pala - Alexandru Baranescu - drone by Gianmaria Coccoluto

Gianmaria Coccoluto
For those enthusiasts of water-sports connected with the wind, Porto Pollo in the Italian Island
of Sardinia is certainly one of the most popular destinations. Every year, thousands of amateurs
and professionals come to train on this beach. The wind is pretty much permanent and often very
strong, due to the Venturi effect that strengthens the currents from NW on this stretch of coast. This
is where the IKA decided to hold the world finals for the Freestyle and Big Air titles, certain to have
the right conditions and the perfect location, also thanks to the wonderful support of the Sporting
Club Sardinia, with its entire staff, which made perfect every moment of it, in and out of the water.
As Carlos Mario defected, the rank leader up till now, Posito Martinez wins amongst the men and
achieves the victory of the Big Air leg event and the world titles for Freestyle and Big Air. Great
showcase for the Italian athletes, who had just finished the Italian freestyle championship in Porto
Pollo, and they were therefore numerous in the IKA finals. Great performance of Gianmaria Coccoluto
who finishes in second place behind Tom Bridge and of Andrea Vicari, who won the fourth
position beating, at the quarterfinals, the future World champion, Posito Martinez.

36
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
The last World Championship in the waters of
Porto Pollo, dates back to 2001 when during a
spectacular sunset, Julien Sudrat won the victory
of the leg event of the then world championship.
It took 15 years to see again professional
kiteboarders battle it out in the wind of one of
the most famous bays, especially in the European
scenario.
The Sporting Club Sardinia is the venue chosen
for the competition area, downwind to the isthmus
of the Isola dei Gabbiani (Isle of Seagulls),
in an area usually absolutely forbidden to kitesurfing
and dedicated to windsurfing.
The international athletes are not many, but the
Italian ones enrich the Main Event. Among the
international ones, those who stand out are the
very young Tom Bridge, returning to competitions
after a bad injury, Ariel Corniel, for whom
Italy is his second home, Posito Martinez, the
future world champion, Hoppe, Burgers and
Lewis Crathern, leader of the Big Air raking and
great performer of that discipline.
Weather forecasts are not optimal for the initial
days, but it doesn't take long before the wind

ANDREA VICARI
Tom Bridge
shows up and on 20th October and starts blowing
in the clear and warm sky of a Sardinian
October. Tom Bridge makes things immediately
clear, it won't be easy to beat him, after his
knee injury the desire for redemption is big for
the youngest one in the Bridge family, and the
results are not long in coming.
The battle for the title is between Ariel Corniel
and Posito Martinez, and it's Bridge who immediately
stops Corniel, while, among the women,
the Brazilian Rosa, stakes a claim on her victory,
through her clean and confident performance,
her 313 and s-bends make it impossible for her
opponents to beat her.

38
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
During the first day of Big Air, the gusty wind of
this bay made things a little difficult, quite challenging
to interpret it and for the choice of the
right kite size, powerful kiteloops and passes in
the sky for the men riders. Everything is still possible
as far as the men are concerned, whereas
for the women, Bibiana Magaji, rank leader
proves to be the favourite one to the victory.
On the fourth day of competition, 20 knots and
the sun guarantee that it will be another intense
day and that all the finals will be held and therefore
all the results will come out. In the women
Big Air, Bibiana Magaji dominates, followed
by the Swiss Franziska Otth, a Porto Pollo local
by adoption, where she teaches kiteboarding at
the Kite Porto Pollo School Naish (Sporting Club
Marcus Hoppe
Sardinia). Her stellar high loops were not sufficient
to beat the high and clean manoeuvres
of Bibiana, but nonetheless she gets a second
place for the leg event and the title of vice Big
Air world champion! In freestyle, the Brazilian
Rosa confirms her domain with s-bend to blind,
313, back side 313 and back mobe.
In the men's Main Events, the battle is more intense.
In the Big Air, the riders all have very close
Lewis Crathern

scores, Crathern, the rank leader,
feels the pressure from Martinez
and Hoppe, in the water kiteloops,
handle passes, and board off to
great heights all come one after
the other. Martinez gains the victory
and his score puts him on a
tie with Crathern. The new Big Air
world champion will be revealed
only at the closing ceremony!
In the freestyle, Ariel Corniel is out
of the games for the title, Martinez
must get at least the fifth position.
The Italian Andrea Vicari tries
to stop the victory of Martinez,
beating him during a spectacular
heat in the quarterfinals and making
him compete for the fifth position with his
friend Del Rosario. Only the following day it will
be known if Posito Martinez will manage to take
home the title of World champion.
The two finals are Ariel Corniel against Andrea
Vicari and Tom Bridge against Gianmaria Coccoluto,
two Italians in the top four positions, a
really important result for these young athletes.
Andrea Vicari fights manoeuvre after manoeuvre
against Corniel who tries his hardest to get the
third place on the podium of the event. Gianmaria
Coccoluto, only just crowned Italian Champi-
Hendrick Burgers

40
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
Posito Martinez
on tie with his brotherly friend Gabriele Garofalo,
gets to the grand final against Tom Bridge with
a load of powerful manoeuvres that he showed
throughout the competition, but the pressure in
the grand final is big. It's cut and thrust between
Tom and Gianmaria, often with the same manoeuvres,
where the execution represents the
fine difference. The 317s of Coccoluto is spectacular
and only few seconds away from the
end, he's on the lead for sure... but the backside
315 by Tom Bridge shatters the dreams of Coccoluto
and of all the Italian fans on the parterre.
Once the top positions results have already been
established, the penultimate day of competition
is dedicated to heats for the assignment of the
positions up to the twelfth one and particularly

eyes are locked on the heat for the fifth place
between Martinez and Del Rosario, Posito must
get the fifth place to mathematically win the title.
Del Rosario lands almost all of his manoeuvres
off the competition area, letting this way Martinez
access the heat against the Italian Francesco
Contini, 2016 Italian junior champion. The battle
is on a score after score, and just five seconds
away from the end of the heat, Posito Martinez
lands a powerful 315 that assures him the fifth
place and the title of World Champion!
Once the competition is over and the leg event
results are achieved, the final day is dedicated
to some free session photo-shooting for the athletes
and to the event closing ceremony in the
Piazza Fresi in Palau, before the Mayor Francesco
Pala and the authorities of the Harbour Office.
The President of IKA, Mirco Babini leads the
ceremony and the award of the trophies to the
winners of the leg event, Posito Martinez and
Bibiana Magaji for Big Air, Tom Bridge and Estefania
Rosa for Freestyle.
FRANCESCO CONTINI
Sofia Tomasoni

42
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
Thanks to the points won at the Sardinia
Grand Slam, Posito Martinez, Estefania
Rosa and Bibiana Magaji are the 2016 Kitesurf
World Champions!
In 2017, always is Porto Pollo, there will be
a new edition of the Sardinia Grand Slam
event.
A superb organisation by the patron Giorgio
Bevacqua and his staff. Thank you also to
Pietro from the Ristorantino, for having pampered
the athletes and the press for the entire
week.
The event has been organized by GLEsport
with the technical-sports support of the
Sporting Club Sardinia of Porto Pollo, under
the aegis of IKA (International Kiteboarding
Association), and with the support of the Regione
Autonoma (Autonomous Region) of Sardinia
together with the Department of Tourism
and the Municipality of Palau.
ARIEL CORNIEL

Franziska Otth
GABRIELE GAROFALO

44
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
ANDREA VICARI
Gianmaria Coccoluto
GABRIELE GAROFALO
Thanks to: Regione Autonoma della Sardegna,
Assessorato del Turismo, Artigianato e Commercio,
Comune di Palau, Capitaneria di La
Maddalena/Palau, GLE sport Organizzatore/
promotore, Logistica e organizzazione locale
Sporting Club Sardinia, World Sailing, IKA, FIV,
CKI, JEEP, FOX sports HD, Radio Dee Jay,
Adrenaline, Easy Jet, Operatori Porto Pollo,
Windguru, SIGG, Victorinox, Fenix, GoalZero,
Eagle Creek, Porto Pollo- sardegna wifi, Chia
Wind Club, Wavexpression.com/we.

Bibiana Magaji
Estefania Rosa

46
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
FRANCESCO CONTINI
Tom Bridge
ARIEL CORNIEL

Sardinia Kiteboarding
Grand Slam results:
Freestyle Men:
1st Tom Bridge (ENG/North)
2st Gianmaria Coccoluto (ITA/North)
3st Ariel Corniel (DOM/Naish)
4st Andrea Vicari (ITA/Cabrinha)
Freestyle Women:
1st Estefania Rosa (BRA/Cabrinha)
2st Bibiana Magaji (SVK/Flysurfer)
3st Sofia Tomasoni (ITA)
4st Giulia Piccioni (ITA/Airush)
Big Air Men:
1st Posito Martinez (DOM/Da Silva)
2nd Marius Hoppe (GER/CORE)
3nd Lewis Crathern (GBR/North)
Big Air Women:
1st Bibiana Magaji (SVK/Flysurfer)
2nd Franziska Otth (SUI/Naish)
3rd Estefania Rosa (BRA/ Cabrinha)

48
EVENTS
Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam
2016 IKA Kiteboarding World Championships Final Results
Big Air Men:
1st Posito Martinez (DOM/Da Silva) - 1855 pts
2nd Lewis Crathern (GBR/North) - 1855 pts
3rd Marius Hoppe (GER/CORE) - 1830 pts
Big Air Women:
1st Bibiana Magaji (SVK/Flysurfer) - 2000 pts
2nd Franziska Otth (SUI/Naish) - 915 pts
3rd Ines Correia (POR/North) - 915 pts
Freestyle Men:
1st Posito Martinez (DOM/Da Silva) - 2040 pts
2ndCarlos Mario (BRA/Slingshot) - 2000 pts
3rd Youri Zoon (NED/Silingshot) - 1915 pts
Freestyle Women:
1st Estefania Rosa (BRA/Cabrinha) - 2615 pts
2nd Bruna Kajiya (BRA/Airush) - 1915 pts
3rd Annabel Van Westerop (ARU) - 1855 pts
Wave Riding Men:
1st Pedro Matoz (BRA/North) - 1000 pts
2nd Filippe Ferreira (BRA/F-One) - 915 pts
3rd Sebastian Ribeiro (BRA/North) - 855 pts
Wave Riding Women:
1st Ines Correia (POR/North) - 1000 pts
2nd Milla Ferreira (BRA/Cabrinha) - 915 pts
3rd Jia Lin Hou (TPE/F-One) - 855 pts

50
EVENTS
GKA Dakhla

Matchu
Lopes Almeida
GKA Wave & Strapless Freestyle
Rider of the Year
The final event of Dakhla crowned the young Cape Verdean
Matchu Lopes Almeida as the GKA Wave & Strapless Freestyle
Rider of the Year. We had a chat with him about his last
great year and also made a leap into the past, his beginning
as a young 17 year old leaving his Isle of Sal for the first time
to face his first competition.
Text Courtesy GKA | ITW Roberta Pala
Photo Ydwer van der Heide & Ludovic Franco /Courtesy GKA

52
EVENTS
GKA Dakhla
Big Wednesday - The GKA
Wave Finals
And so draws to a close the
2016 GKA Wave and Strapless
Freestyle Tour after a long
day of back-to-back heats that
whittled down the competitive
field to just two riders, Keahi
De Aboitiz (AUS) and Airton
Cozzolino (ITA). A real clash of
the titans.
The waves had been steadily
improving as the tide dropped
and as Keahi and Airton took
to the water they ramped the
level up, giving us one last 15
minutes of flair with the sizeable
sets coming through. Going
wave for wave for the entire
heat, they put on a show of astounding
ability and vastly different
styles.
Airton was all commitment and
power, driving hard through
bottom turns and attacking
the lip with a vengeance while
Keahi calmly sought out the

est waves he could before
carving them to pieces in his
smooth, unfaultering style.
At the end of the heat, to the
onlooker, it was impossible to
guess who’d come out on top
and the reaction in the judges’
tower reflected that with a
very small margin between the
two riders’ score sheets. After
a tense wait as the judges
totalled up the scores, Keahi
was crowned the winner and,
in doing so, he increased his
run of undefeated events here
in Dakhla to four. In the losers’
final we saw Paulino Pereira
(POR) triumph over Jan Marcos
Riveras and also take third
place in the overall rankings.
However, the final drama came
as we waited to hear who
would be crowned the GKA
Wave & Strapless Freestyle
Rider of the Year. Such was the
close run points race for the
title, when Matchu Lopes (CV)

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EVENTS
GKA Dakhla
was announced as the champion,
after being dramatically
eliminated by Keahi in the
quarter finals, the beach went
wild with Matchu himself lost
for words before being hoisted
on the shoulders of his fellow
competitors and draped in the
Cape Verdean flag.
The four women in their division
competed in one mega
heat late in the day when the
wind was at its strongest and
Milla Ferreira (BRA) took the
top honours, continuing on the
impressive form she displayed
in Mauritius, while Kirsty Jones
(UK), a rider with a great deal
of competitive experience, finished
in second followed by Tarifa’s
Carla Oria Herrera (Spain)
in third.

GKA Dakhla Results
Men
Women
1 – Keahi de Aboitiz 1 - Milla Ferreira
2 – Airton Cozzolino 2 - Kirsty Jones
3 – Paulino Pereira 3 - Carla Herrera
GKA WAVE & STRAPLESS FREESTYLE
1st Matchu Lopes (Cape Verde)
GKA Wave & Strapless Freestyle Rider of the Year
2nd Airton Cozzolino (Italy)
3rd Paulino Pereira (Portugal)
4th Jan Marcos Riveras (DR)
Thanks to Dakhla Attitude and event sponsors, Cabrinha

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Matchu Lopes Almeida
GKA Wave & Strapless Freestyle
Rider of the Year

KS_ I still remember the first time you came here, you were 17 years old,
it was 2011 and you had been invited to the Capo del Capo, the beautiful
competition held at Capo Mannu, Sardinia. At the end of that week,
I told you that I would have interviewed you... I will never forget your
face when I told you that it would have been at least eight pages long.
That competition also caught the interest of North and that’s where it all
started. Matchu 2011 and Matchu 2016, what are the differences?
MLA_Yeees, my first journey out of Cape Verde, my first competition, wow!
Beautiful memories, I remember it as if it was yesterday, also one of the most
beautiful summers I've ever had so far.
Ok then, Matchu 2011 haha. At that time I worked, studied, and never
stopped. During the day, I taught kitesurfing to the guests of the Crioula
Hotel from 9.00am to 16.30pm. At 17.00pm, I would catch the bus to go to
school till 23:00 at night and on the way back home, I would go out dancing
until 3 or 4 in the morning and didn't go to sleep....Apart from that, I badly
dreamt of having a sponsor that could make me become like Mitu in kitesurfing.
He was and I believe he will always remain my idol in kitesurfing and as
a person. I'd watch him going strapless and I wouldn’t get in the water to try
my things as he was so good and innovative.
At that time, it was always the three of us kiting, eating together, working
at Libero's school, going out at night. Often when conditions were epic we
would get out of the water when it was dark ... so dark that you could not
see the kite anymore, so many hours in the water without eating but riding
waves, laughing, trying and inventing new manoeuvres ... fantastic moments.
After 5 years many things have happened and changed even my own height
has changed, haha. Many dreams have become true, my passport lasts less
than a year as I need to renew it because of the so many stamps for coming
in and out of different countries. Everything that happened is just so beautiful
and still is the way it goes on. Of course, if I hadn’t had North Kiteboarding

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Matchu Lopes Almeida
and ION by my side I do not think that I could have achieved all this.
I hope to and I want to always be that simple boy from Santa Maria, always
kiting at kite beach, who is friend with everyone ... as long as you don't drop
in on me, ok?! haha

KS_What was the first thing your father told you after winning the title?
MLA_Waaa, you did it at last. Now I can sleep easy...
KS_One Eye, in your opinion, what was it that made the difference for the
victory? What is it like to be inside the barrel of one of the world's toughest
left-hands?
MLA_ To win there I had to keep very calm and have an excellent strategy
for every heat.
Nobody expected what happened, not even myself to be honest. Airton eliminated
at the second heat, Mitu, Paulino and many other big names eliminated
at the quarter-finals, couldn't figure out what was happening. I tried
to stay calm and do what I had to do and out of nowhere, like that, I found
myself at the semi finals and finals ... I thought to myself "here we go, you
can't miss this one out". But it was still a surprise.
The barrel in Mauritius makes your legs shake, yeah yeah haha, but if you get
the right one, which opens up before you then you get an amazing tube ...
but if it shuts you down, ouuuch, haha.

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Matchu Lopes Almeida
KS_ How did you feel when Keahi beat you in Dakhla? Did you work out
the scores already or was the proclamation unexpected?
MLA_I got so jealous, haha! But that's the way competitions go and every
time you lose you learn and either you become stronger or weaker...
Keahi is a machine. I admire him very much also as a person, he has been
three-time world champion, and therefore it was not a heat to be taken lightly.
During the heat, there wasn't much wave and if I'm not wrong, we got
three not very big waves each, I was up-wind for the entire heat and I left him
the first wave, a medium size one.... and that wave has made the difference
over the heat. I was so angry when I heard the score of that wave ... Since
the waves were not good, after a while I changed my tactic but it was not
enough because there was no wave. But I still loved that heat because there
was a good flow in there and it was a very balanced heat and, well......I lost...
When the results of that heat came out, I felt like a beginner for many reasons,
first of all because if I had won it I would have won the tour without needing
any other factors. Secondly, I could see that the only person who could beat
Ai in the finals was Keahi or perhaps Paulino therefore not everything was
settled yet... I kept an eye covered when watching the heat ha-ha ha-ha.

KS_ Finding yourself wrapped in the Cape Verdean flag, with you friend
and brother Airton who congratulates you. What did Airton and Mitu tell
you on this success?
MLA _ I think it was a very hard and harsh time for Ai, it would have been so
whoever won. But I was happy because he congratulated and celebrated
me together with everyone else. Mitu, or rather The Master, was very happy
too and he also partied and got drunk, haha.
Personally I was extremely happy to have placed the flag of my heart and of
my country up there, on the top step of the podium...
KS_ Your Double Front Shove It video is spectacular, how would you describe
your style in both wave and freestyle? What is the style you feel
most comfortable with?
MLA _ "Mamma mia!" That trick, it took so long to land it inside my head
first ......let alone in the water, haha. I wanted to go home right after I closed
that trick, I couldn't believe it.
Both disciplines give me a unique flow and often times, before going in the
water, I am not sure whether to go on the waves first or freestyle strapless,
that’s when I’m out at kite beach in Sal. However, if I am at Ponta Preta it is
only wave riding, no jumps.

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Matchu Lopes Almeida
KS_Being a Kitesurfer athlete is not easy, we all know well what travelling
and other expenses are like... After winning the title, did you get any new
sponsors? Do you have any important news for 2017?
MLA_Of course Roby, the expenses for travelling around the world are very
high and without North Kiteboarding and ION, probably today I wouldn't be
who I am. This is why I pay a lot of attention to what I do and to how I treat
them.
Absolutely nothing at international level. However in Cape Verde I have been
contacted by a telephone company, so not bad I would say, I am waiting to
see what they intend to do and what’s their offer.
KS_What about your gear, what materials do you choose for wave riding
and freestyle strapless?
MLA _ Some of my friends call me mister "set up" because I always have
something modified, (customized, even if it isn't really), but yes, I like to
keep my things tidy. What I mean is, for example, when I go wave riding
to Ponta Preta, I want a different type of fin from the usual one, the two
front ones harder and the back one smaller and with more flex, with larger
fin base, etc. etc. Things that make little difference really, but it's always a
difference and it helps. Another example is that for three years, I have been
using a rope in the harness and I love it.
My favourite board for wave and freestyle strapless is the Pro Surf 5'11'',
this board is a killer, haha. I use it in any condition and it is perfect. I also
like a lot this year the Whip model one, it is really beautiful. Riding with this
board with light wind and small waves, gives you a different flow.

KS_Out of all the heats of this year, which one do you treasure the most
and why?
MLA _ The one in Mauritius, in the quarter-finals against the Hawaiian, Reo
Stevens. Another legend in the wave riding scenery.
Reo was very ill that day, he would finish the heats and go to sleep and
could not eat properly, maybe that’s the reason why I won but I felt really
good during that heat. Conditions were so perfect that I felt like at my home
spot. Anyway back to that day conditions, One Eye was not at the top, the
wind kept on dropping and picking back up and although the waves were
good they could have been better, I mean a bit more than "head high".
When we entered into the water, the wind was going down and it was very
off shore, as we passed the reef to start the heat, the waves went more
sideways, this way we could get to the bottom of the wave more easily and
surf it all the way down. We got something like 5 or 6 waves each, and each
wave was such a great wave, I felt exactly like home, Ponta Preta, sunset,
empty line up, and I had to do and use the same techniques as when I am
home the only thing is that One Eye is the other way round, it’s a left. What
a cool heat, I enjoyed every bit of it but I felt really sorry for Reo who at the

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Matchu Lopes Almeida
end of it was very sick and couldn’t do the heat that he would have wanted
to...
KS_Going back home, how did Cape Verde welcome its world champion?
MLA _ I arrived very late at night, so not many people were at the airport,
but the ones that came to pick me up were certainly good, my family, my
dad, my sister, my aunt, a few friends, the national TV, a radio station and
some reporters.
However, in the following days, every time I would go out to buy something
or have breakfast somewhere, people hugged me, kissed me, thanked me
etc etc. and this went on for two weeks, haha.
KS_ Amongst all the people around you, do you have any special thanks
that you feel you would like to say?
MLA_ So many of them that I wouldn't know where to start and all of them
are people who I have to thank since I’ve been kiting, windsurfing, surfing,

" T H A N K S E V E R Y O N E A N D F O R
E V E R Y T I N G F R O M T H E B O T T O M
O F M Y H E A R T . I l o v e y o u
a l l "
bodyboarding, this is why I just prefer to say a giant THANKS EVERYONE
AND FOR EVERYTING FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I love you all.
KS_ And now? What are your projects for the coming winter and next
season 2017?
MLA_ Build my house. Give my father the opportunity to continue and improve
his craftsmanship job which he really likes. Live and take up residence
in Fuerteventura. Take part to a lot of competitions and continue improving
in everything I do.
KS_ Could you try to describe your feelings for this amazing year...
MLA_Epic.
Thank you Champion!

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MELANESIAN DREAMING “NEW CAL STYLE”
MELANESIAN DREAMING
“NEW CAL STYLE”
Laboratory perfect wave conditions fringing
the World’s largest lagoon…
Arriving for sunrise at the reef-pass that we
were frothing to surf that morning, after getting
up at 4am, driving 70kms by car and another 6
nautical miles by boat, and being greeted with
less than average/perfect conditions, we made
the call to navigate the zodiac back to shore.
“Ombak” (“Wave” in Indonesian) was put back
on the trailer and we cruised another 30kms up
the coast to another boat-ramp. After launching
Ombak a second time and nearly flying
above the water for another 5.5 nautical miles,
we arrived at another reef-pass, this one was
awaiting us glassy and near perfect. The notion
of “checking the surf” got a new dimension for
me that morning. All the best things in life have
their price…
Text Gabi Steindl
Photos S. Ducandas/DIL, Eyefly Pacifique, Patrice Morin, Gill Chabaud, Maxence Blanc, Gabi Steindl
© Gabi Steindl 2016 www.kitegabi.com

PH:EyeFly Pacifique

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PH:Gill Chabaud
In New Caledonia, if you are addicted to waves
like me, you better also be addicted to boats. The
little country that’s composed of a group of islands
- The Main Island (“Grande Terre”), Loyalty
Islands, Isle of Pines and a myriad of other small
islands - is situated in the heart of the South Pacific,
1500kms East of Australia. Surrounded by
a coral barrier reef that stretches over 1,600 kilometres,
New Caledonia boasts the world’s largest
lagoon (24.000 square kilometres). Needless
to mention, it’s absolutely perfect for our sport
and any kiters dream! The lagoon is listed since
2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
recognized as one of the three most extensive
reef systems in the world. In some places along
the coast the reef is only a few kilometres from
land, at others it’s over 65km. The wave-action
for kite, wind, and surfers is happening at the
reef-passes offshore, along the outer edge of
the lagoon. There the best waves form due to
the combination of deeper water in the channel
and adjacent shallower water near the reef.
Captain James Cook first discovered New Caledonia
on 4th September 1774 on his journey
to New Zealand. He saw the main island and
named his discovery after Caledonia, which
was the former name for Scotland, because the
mountains in the Balade section of the Grande
Terre reminded him of similar mountains in Scotland.
New Caledonia became a French colony in
1853 and a French Overseas Territory in 1946.
The staff of Aircalin, New Caledonia’s Nation-

PH:Gill Chabaud
al Airline - www.aircalin.com - were incredibly
helpful at Melbourne airport when I checked in
my 85kgs of toys. One wants to come prepared
to paradise! I couldn’t believe my luck, when I
pulled up at the ”Le Meridien“ - www.lemeridiennoumea.com
- the only 5 star hotel in Noumea,
New Caledonia’s capital. New Caledonian
Tourism had set me up here for my first two
nights as a “Bienvenue” to their country. Victor,
the porter, had a big smile for me and took care
of my funny looking rental utility van and luggage.
I was so grateful, the trip from my home in
Margaret River had taken nearly 24 hours and all
I had to do now was to kick back on the balcony
overlooking the lush garden and mind-blowing
infinity pool. The hotel was located right at the
city’s two best kitesurfing spots, Le Meridien
Beach and Aquarêve.
Indulging in some amazing Tuna Sashimi the
next morning, I was in heaven. A country that
serves raw fish for brekkie, that’s my kind-aplace!
With a massively bloated stomach after
completely overeating (I normally don’t even do
breakfast), I stumbled back to my room, and
sent Ludo, one of the local wave-kiters, who I
had been in touch with already from back home,
a message. Shortly thereafter the phone rang
“Bonjour Gabi, ca va? Would you like to come
for a drive in the boat on the lagoon and perhaps
a kite on the reef or are you too tired of
your travel“? “I would love to come for a drive
Ludo, yew, merci beaucoup!!“ I was out the door

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instantly, on my way to find Victor in the lobby to
show me the luggage room to set up my gear. I
had a huge grin in my face when Victor helped
with the golden hotel-luggage cart to wheel all
my toys outside, where Ludo was already waiting
with his car and the boat on the trailer.
Ludo’s boat was a 5.3m rigid hull-inflatable with
a 4-stroke 70-horse power engine, a popular
kind of ocean wave-wagon amongst the locals
as I realized over the course of my trip. 10 nautical
miles (18.5 km) and a good 35 minutes boatride
later, we arrived at “Dumbea Left“, aka “Mini-Chopes“,
one of the best waves in Noumea’s
vicinity. The ride there was fast and rough. I
had to cling with both hands onto the rail of the
waterproof compartment that was right behind
Ludo who was at the steering wheel. With my
eyes fully focused ahead on the water surface,
I anticipated each swell, absorbing often rather
heavy impacts with the knees. There was absolutely
no way of sitting down. When you’re hungry
for a kite-session and the reef is many miles
out to sea, it’s only natural that you want to go
as fast as the conditions allow...
We were the only boat at the pass. I could make
out the beautiful silhouette of Grand Terre’s
mountains in the distance but essentially we
were out in the middle of the South Pacific. Anchoring
in the channel right beside the break
and watching the first sets roll in, I understood
why the locals affectionately call Dumbea Left
the mini-version of its big brother in Tahiti. It
was unlike any wave I had ever seen or kited
before. Seeing the sets approaching from out
the back was really hard at first with the hollow,
fast waves suddenly standing up literally ”out of
the blue“, and dredging off the shallow reef. Figuring
out how the wave worked was one thing,
the other challenge was the boat-launch. I had
never launched a kite from such a small ves-

sel before and I can’t deny that it was a rather
nerve-wracking exercise doing it for the very first
time. With hardly enough space to roll out the
kite, the canopy was hanging over the engine,
wing tips floating over the sides of the boat in
the water. Pumping up the kite, with the bar and
lines already attached on land, in this tiny and
unstable space, was quite something. Flipping
the kite over, I placed it onto the water surface
and sat down on one of the rubber pontoons of
the zodiac. Letting it drift away, I ensured the
front lines were tight, to avoid it taking off too
soon or rolling over. My heart was beating quite
heavily and I breathed a massive sigh of relief
when I finally flew the kite up in the air. Still sitting
on the side of the boat, I grabbed my board,
stuck it on my feet and off I went.
I became more confident in my boat-launch
over the weeks and was quite an expert by the
end of my stay. Still, I have to admit, on each
PH: Patrice Morin

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PH:Gill Chabaud
launch I had the adrenaline going, not due to
the pumping waves or the fact that one kites so
far offshore, the scariest part about it all was the
thought of something going wrong and missing
out on the session, having to stay on the boat
watching.
I had a big grin in my face, when I escaped a
near crash with a massive turtle that suddenly
came up during that opening kite-session at
Dumbea. During the course of my trip the frequency
of this happening reminded me of dodging
big kangaroos whilst driving in the Australian
Outback.
Another rather overwhelming experience out

there at the reef-passes near Noumea is when
humongous cargo or cruise ships that are heading
through the channel towards the capital
come by the break extremely closely. On several
occasions I waved to the captain, crew and passengers
of absolutely giant sea vessels whilst
kiting.
Heading back to Noumea with the zodiac, I
realized that what I had experienced as rather
“rough” on the way to Dumbea was absolutely
nothing compared to driving back straight into
the wind. Once I got home, sitting down eating
dinner, everything around me was still rocking.
PH:EyeFly Pacifique
Ludo was the angel who took me out for my first
ride, he was also the one who introduced me
to ”New Cal Style Surf Camping“. Imagine an
island, so small, you can walk around it in 5 minutes.
Big green shady trees, perfect to set up
a tent beneath, surrounded by turquoise crystal
clear waters. We were the only people on this
tiny piece of paradise, located in the lagoon only
a few nautical miles (and thus much closer than
from shore) from my favourite surf break. Surfing
this amazing long left-hander in bikinis, with
turtles popping up everywhere, returning to the
island for a bite to eat and a rest, just to do it all
over again, sinking into sweet dreams, after a
feed of some freshly caught fish bbq’ed over the
camp-fire, under a star lit night sky, it all felt like
in a dream and I never wanted to leave.
New Caledonia averages over 220 windy days
per year. That explains why kiting and windsurfing
are so popular here; it truly is absolutely superb
for our sport! I personally planned my trip
during the off-wind-season (May-September).
That’s when the winter-swells roll in, generated
by the southern ocean lows. Feeding straight
onto the coral reefs off New Caledonia, they produce
waves of much larger size than in summer.
Tenia is “the“ place to be when it’s pumping, a

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perfect long peeling left-hander that can hold
the largest swells that hit the coast of New Caledonia.
I simply couldn’t wait to see Tenia’s setup
and the wave. Cramped into a tiny zodiac
with two frothing windsurfers, the photographer,
all my stuff, the camera and sailing gear was
already an experience in itself. “The mission“,
70kms drive by car and then a good 25-minute
boat-ride makes everything even more exciting.
There are no webcams, swell buoys or any “live“
data found online. The anticipation and adrenaline
heading out with the boat is a real rush.
Over the weeks in New Cal the local forecast
turned out to be the most unreliable I had ever
come across, changing quite drastically over the
course of 24 hours. We had a running joke going
that the local meteorologists obviously must
be deciding the weather by the paper, rock and
scissors technique...
Also that day, the weather bureau didn’t get
it right and instead of the forecasted 18 knots
south easterly wind, we found the break a sheet
of glass, with overcast skies. Thank God, I had
managed to squeeze in my surfboard and I
surfed for nearly 4 hours that day.
On standby for the next ”swell alert with wind“
for Tenia, I decided to head up the West coast
and check out Bourail, another of the country’s
surfing-hot spots. Bourail is also home to Poe
Beach, one of the top flat-water kiting grounds.
It boasts a massive shallow lagoon in the most
beautifully coloured waters, where you can
camp right on the waters edge. I stayed at the
Nekweta Surf Camp at Roche Percee (translated
“The pierced Rock“), the only surf spot in New
Cal that’s actually on the coast but only breaks
when massive swell hits (a few times per year)
and I was in great hands. Manu Hernu a fifth
generation local, surfer and fisherman, built the
surf camp, an authentic little guesthouse from
scratch by hand 9 years ago. He is the man,
who knows all the right spots to go for a paddle,
snorkel or fish. His lovely wife Stephanie is
cooking the most amazing meals for the guests.
Many species of turtles come to the beaches of
Bourail and Roche Percee in spawning season
(mid-November till end of February) to hatch
their eggs. A turtle lays 100-120 eggs at once,

which stay for 75 days in the sand. The life cycle
of these turtles is quite remarkable. Hatchlings
travel as far as the coast of Chile and Peru before
returning to the area where they hatched
when they’re about 29 years of age and start to
breed for the first time themselves.
Tenia delivered at the next “alert“. When we
arrived at the break, there were two boats anchored
with a couple of windsurfers who already
had broken all their gear. Blue skies and straight
lines were hitting the reef superbly. I will never
forget kiting waves so clean and perfect with a
massive smile in my face till shortly before sunset.
It was high time to pack up and steer the
boat towards safety before it got dark.
Launching a boat became pretty much a daily
routine, just like brushing my teeth. And – not
taking sleeping-time into consideration - I spent
way more time on boats and on the water than
on land. In New Cal it’s not about the car you’re
driving, it’s all about which boat. For ocean, wind,
and wave-lovers seeking to be free to enjoy the
elements as Mother Nature dictates, a vessel
is the absolutely indispensable “must-have-essential”.
PH: Patrice Morin

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PH:Gill Chabaud
It didn’t take me long to make lots of new friends
and I always managed to find a ride to the reef.
In any case, there are several commercial taxiboat
operators who will take you day tripping to
the reef or the islands. The “Bouts d'Brousse“
taxi-boat company specializes in surfing trips
to Tenia and Ilot Tenia, a beautiful little dream
island just a few kilometres north of the reef
pass. A popular camping-spot for kiters, surfers
and families alike with amazing flatwater kiting-grounds
on all sides.
Then the ”Day of Days“ popped up on the
weather charts, a high period groundswell with
perfect winds and waves over 4 metres. The anticipation
and excitement on the drive was huge
and the day mapped out as absolutely epic.
Even Patrice Morin, a seasoned New Caledonian
photographer-legend, whose back doesn’t
allow him anymore to shoot from the boat, came
out in a helicopter to capture the action from the
air. Still rocking, and absolutely exhausted, the
stoke and adrenaline of this session kept me lying
in bed awake unable to sleep for many hours
that night.
One beautiful sunny day, I hooked up with my
North teammate, Old School King and New
Caledonia local Tom Hebert. We took his boat
to Ilot Maitre (Master Island), A nature reserve
and true freestyle-paradise located just 3 or 4
nautical miles from Noumea’s shore, with waist
deep waters and kite-able in all wind directions.
Kite-schools and freestylers flock here on windy

days, and I couldn’t believe how many kites
were up in the air!
The day that I spent exploring the red-earth terrain
of the Great South region was absolutely
magical. I hired a mountain bike in the Blue River
Provincial Park (“La Rivière Bleue“), about an
hour’s drive from Noumea, and even was lucky
enough to spot a Cagou, an endemic bird and
the emblem of New Caledonia that can’t fly and
whose singing sounds like barking.
I could not miss out on visiting the Île des Pins
(Island of Pines), also nicknamed l'île la plus
proche du paradis ("the closest island to Paradise")
and certainly don’t regret booking myself
a ticket for the 25-minute flight over to the island.
The Island of Pines is a breath-taking natural
jewel, with truly mind-blowing scenery, in
waters of a blue that almost hurts the eyes. As
the name suggests, the whole island is covered
with dense forests of pine trees, that reach up
PH:EyeFly Pacifique

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to 50 metres. Swimming in the “Natural Pool”
of Baie d’Oro (the Oro Bay) in colours that you
couldn’t even get that fluorescent in Photoshop,
framed by the massive pine trees, was totally
surreal. Another morning, I took a 3 hours sailing
trip on one of the traditional pirogues (dugout
canoes), carved from the trunk of a pine tree, in
the magical Upi Bay. A mini Stonehenge-looking
religious memorial, totems with tribal carvings,
depicting wild animals and birds in the Baie
de St-Maurice, was absolutely fascinating too.
Kitesurfing is forbidden on the island, however,
you can ask permission from the local tribes. On
the last night at the Isla des Pins I celebrated my
amazing time there with the local speciality, a
dozen of massive Île des Pins’ escargots (snails)
and a glass of French wine.
New Caledonian “island-life“ is unlike anywhere
else in the world I have ever experienced. A
civilized rather western style island, on which
despite invasion, colonization, and decimation
of tribal populations through slavery and introduced
diseases, a great deal of the indigenous
culture has been preserved. French style meets
Rasta-man vibrations here, and this special mix
creates an interesting potpourri of Euro (mainly
French) and Melanesian locals, their different
customs and lingual tastes (33 native languages
are still spoken here).
The Kanak people are the native people of New
Caledonia. They comprise just under half of
the 250.000 total population. The East coast
is where to experience Kanak culture best. I
spent nearly one whole week there exploring
and camping. Authentic and undeveloped, the
coastline is a series of small villages, with many
traditional tribes and lush, green mountains
that drop straight into the Pacific. More humid
then the rest of the island, it’s a tropical setting
boasting majestic waterfalls such as the one in
Tao, luxuriant valleys, large rivers and estuaries
everywhere. The famous Poule de Hienghène, a
strange little island looking like a brooding hen is
one of the sights in the area around Hienghène,
the cultural centre of the east coast. Mostly
Kanak, it’s known for its cliffs of lindérlique,
black limestone formations. One of the most
dramatic landmarks along the Northeast coast
is the mouth of the Ouaiéme River, the last river
without a bridge in the country that’s crossed by
an authentic ferry.
Kanak society is organised around clans or
tribes, which are both social and spatial. I decided
to spend my last full moon with one of them
to truly immerse myself into their ancient culture.
I chose the “Tribu Tiendanite“, the tribe of
Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a remarkable man in New
Caledonian history, politician and leader of the
Kanak independence movement, who was assassinated
in 1989.
When you visit or stay with a tribe, it is a customary
gesture, to bring a present. You may give
a piece of manou (piece of coloured material),
often together with a 500 CFP (French Pacific
Francs) or 1000 CFP note. More than the object
itself, it’s the gesture that counts. As with that

PH: Patrice Morin
moment you are their guests, they will protect
you. It was a privilege for me to hand over my
present to the second chief of the tribe, Felix
Tjibaou, the cousin of Jean-Marie. Cooking fish
over the fire with the kids and falling into sweet
dreams to the sounds of the river in the dense
rainforest outside my little hut was another unforgettable
memory of my journey through New
Cal paradise.
Everything came together for one last adventure
shortly before leaving. Two massive shipwrecks
are dry-docked on the outer reef. I spotted one
of them in the far distance whilst surfing. First I
thought, it was an island and started to investigate.
The story behind the two wrecks, the
"Ever Prosperity 1 + 2 " is funny and a rather
unusual one. They were twin ships ("Liberty
ships"), with the same name and same base
port in Monrovia, Liberia. The first "Ever Prosperity"
went straight up on the West Coast barrier
reef in 1965. The second one did exactly the
same in 1970. It was the same captain, a Korean
man, who had been commanding each ship at
the time of her grounding! I wanted to check out
one of the wrecks from close and so I did, with
my kite.
New Caledonia is absolutely dazzling and there’s
no doubt I had found kiters’ paradise. This country
is kite perfection paradise, in fact it's kite
perfection paradise on steroids! The laboratory
perfect wave conditions, the boating-life, the
crystal clear waters of the humongous lagoon,

80
TRIP
MELANESIAN DREAMING “NEW CAL STYLE”
PH:Gill Chabaud
surfing with turtles in a sheet of glass, the sheer
beauty of nature, 50 metres high pines growing
at the edge of the most luminous waters I have
ever seen, the delicious French and Melanesian
cuisine, the tribal vibes, and making so many
new friend-ships are only a few of the memories
that I’m taking away from this trip in my heart for
the rest of my life.
Gabi Steindl
www.kitegabi.com

NEW CALEDONIA USEFUL
FACTS & INFORMATION
Contrary to many countries in
the South Pacific, in New Caledonia
tourism is, with roughly
only 100.000 tourists per year,
still in its infancy. Thus you will
often find yourself all alone
on hikes in National Parks, at
sights and also in the water! As
the world's 4th largest supplier
of nickel, the mining industry
is the major sector of the local
economy and constitutes
much of the wealth on the island
(one of the highest average
incomes per capita in the
Pacific).
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Aircalin is the national airline,
offering flights to NC from
many mayor international hubs
like from Paris in codeshare
with Airfrance. New Caledonia’s
Tontouta International Airport
is located 52km northwest
of the capital Noumea. Alternatively
connect with Aircalin
in Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne.
There are also flights
from various Pacific Nations,
New Zealand, and Southeast
Asia.
Book at www.aircalin.com
VISA
Not needed for stays up to
three months for EEC, US, Australia,
New Zealand, Japan and
South Korea passport holders.
GETTING AROUND, MONEY
& COSTS
New Cal generally is not a
budget destination and prices
can be rather ’exy’.
However, it doesn’t have to
be super expensive! BYO tent
there and do a drive-and-camp

82
TRIP
MELANESIAN DREAMING “NEW CAL STYLE”
holiday. There are a number
of car rental companies and
countless (and so many are
incredibly beautiful, heaps of
them even free!) camp-spots
all around the island.
Instead of going to restaurants,
grab some fresh sushi and delicious
French baguette sandwiches
from the supermarket
or nearly any petrol station!
Taxi-Boat Company, specializing
in trips to Tenia: Bouts
d’Brousse, find them on Facebook.
ACCOMMODATION
Cheaper than hotels are
“Gîtes“, which are guesthouses
or self-catering holiday homes
(houses, bungalows, chalets
etc.) for rent. Don’t miss out on
a tribal home-stay too!
My personal recommendations:
Grande Terre:
Le Méridien Nouméa
www.lemeridiennoumea.com
Nekweta Surf Camp
www.nekweta.com
Isle des Pins: Gite Nataiwatch
www.nataiwatch.com
WEATHER
New Caledonia has a semi-tropical
climate. Between October
and March, ”Les Alizés“, the
trade winds blow consistently
like clockwork (15-25 knots).
In summer, average sea temperature
is a toasty 27 °C,
thus all you need is boardies
and rashie. Even in winter
(April-September), the water
is still around 22 °C, so bring a
springy or steamer then.
GOOD TO KNOW
Ideally do a crash course of
French before visiting! I was
fluent back in the days at Uni,

so thankfully could remember
a great deal .
You might come across slightly
heavy localism at some of the
surfing spots. Once you’re in
New Cal, you will know which
ones those are. Easiest to just
avoid them, there are many
others. Please be respectful
towards the locals at all the
spots!
Many more useful country and
travel facts are available on the
website of the NC tourism bureau:
www.visitnewcaledonia.com.

84
ITW
Mathieu Fouliard
M a t h i e
Text and photo Courtesy RRD

NAme:
Mathieu Fouliard
Nationality:
French
D.O.B.:
23 March 1973
Residece:
Tahiti
u F o u l i a r d
Discipline(S):
Sup, surf, windsurf, foilsurf, bodysurfing...
Signature move(s):
Big bottom turn
Favourite gear:
iWave V2, Dolphin Foil
Favourite spot(s):
Home spot called Jecko here in Tahiti
Hobbies:
Photography, music
Facebook:
Mathieu Fouliard
Instagram:
Mathieu Fouliard

86
ITW
Mathieu Fouliard
Where did you grow up?
MF_I grew up in Africa until 18.
How long ago did you
decide to move to
Tahiti and why?
MF_At 18 I moved to Tahiti with my family
and never left this place.
How does an average
week look like?
MF_First I check the forecast to organise
my different activities and shootings for
R.I. Then I try to spend time with my wife,
friends and my dogs who love swimming
with us to the reef and back.
How do you make a
living?
MF_Nothing, my wife works hard. No, seriously
I'm lucky to have a rider budget with
RRD
When did you become
a professional
photographer and whom
did you learn from?
MF_I started action photography when
gopro launched the first Hero cam couple of
years ago. Then I improved my skills taking
a lot of pictures everyday, trying new angles
with different backgrounds. Then I got my
first Nikon and together with my wife, we
learn how to use it.

Do you sometimes
suffer from ‘island
fever’ and do you have
to get to the main
land?
MF_No never ever, I love my island life and
when I see the international news on TV, it
makes me sick.
Tell us about the
locals.
MF_Polynesian people are definitely awesome,
friendly and relaxed. All my friends here
are pure watermen and have a big respect for
the ocean.
Do you have a wife and/
or kids?
MF_I share my life with a beautiful South
American mermaid, two cats and for dogs.
Kids are on the way.

88
ITW
Mathieu Fouliard
Do you leave the island
to visit friends and
family or do they
always visit you?
MF_Sometimes, I like to travel to USA or
Europe to visit my friends and discover other
cultures and food. People don't come often
due to the price of the ticket plane.
Tell us about the
different conditions
and seasons…when is
the best period for
kitesurfing?
MF_The best period for kitesurfing is
definitely between August and November
with a strong South wind and some big South
swell. This is also the sunniest time before
rain season.
What is your favourite
sport as a waterman
if you would have to
choose?
MF_Foiling in different ways like kitefoiling,
foilsurfing, windfoiling...
Do you catch your own
fish?
MF_No, I let my dog Coca fish for me.

Tell us more about
kitesurfing on Tahiti,
any tips for people
to come on a kiting
holiday?
MF_Tahiti is an advanced rider destination.
The wind always changes direction and intensity.
Also, there are not a lot of beaches to
take off. You need to be confident when you
are out there on the reef side.
Any memories that you
want to share about
your best session ever?
MF_The famous wave of Teahupoo always
brings some good memories when you ride it.
Big and noisy barrel.
Did anyone get hurt
when you guys went for
that huge wave on the
RRD megairsup?
MF_No, but that day there was maximum
security with a jet ski for safety and a good
rescue team.
Did you ever compete?
What is your best
result?
MF_No never ever, I only love living under
pressure and cross my own limits.

90
ITW
Mathieu Fouliard
What is your favourite
gear?
MF_I love the PASSION MK8 such a good
freeride kite associated to the new Dolphin
Foil.
What is your favourite
spot?
MF_My favourite spot is the big lagoon of
Mataiea close to my house. Pure crystal clear
water with an awesome background.
How do you see
kitesurfing evolving
in 10 years?
MF_More girls, more surfers and probably
an evolution of the kite structure with carbon
slats?
Is foiling the future?
MF_Yes, because the new generation of foil
like the dolphin are really easy to ride.
What are your goals
for 2017?
MF_More adventures and more shootings
for R.I. I can't wait to discover the new toys
and innovation for 2017.

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and Constant Winds.
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94
TRIP
Indo
text Keahi de Aboitiz
photo Jason Wolcott

Over the years, Indonesia has become one of those places
I can almost always rely on. For pretty much four
years straight, I’ve been getting over there in September/October
and it never seems to let me down. There’s
no real wind forecast, but if you go and spend a week
or two there during peak season, you’re basically guaranteed
to get some good conditions, especially if you
go during a swell. Sure some years the wind is a little
weird, but you can always rely on a few good days to
get your fix and pumping surf to help fill in the gaps.
It’s pretty fair to say we all went into this trip with
high expectations, and I’ve started to learn that can
be a problem. Both Matt and myself have had some amazing
trips there in the past and although it was Moona’s
first time, she’d seen enough photos to know exactly
what we were there for.
trip

96
TRIP
Indo
It had almost become a routine
for us there in the
past: see a swell, make the
journey over with kite gear
and surfboards and we’d get
the best of both worlds.
Most days would usually
consist of surfing most of
the morning until the wind
would come in at around 11,
then kite from midday onwards,
and pass out at 8pm

to do it all again the next
day. Sure there had always
been weird instances where
the wind didn’t cooperate
completely, but we would
always get something and
end the trip feeling like
we got exactly what we came
for.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t
one of those years. Driving
into town and seeing
how green everything was
this year probably should
have given us a decent idea
about what was to come. Anyone
that has spent time in
Indo knows that it tends to
be very dry in those winter
months and to be honest I’m
pretty sure I’ve only seen
it rain all of about 5 or 6
times in the previous times
I’ve been. Still, ahead we
went, hoping for the best.
This particular area of
Indo has always had its
own weird weather system
and still to this day,

98
TRIP
Indo
I’m yet to figure out any
real pattern to the wind
there. Never in my life
have I been so confused
about what the wind will do
at a spot. I’ve been asked
the same question there so
many times. “Do you think
it will be windy today?”
and the answer is always
the same. “I hope so, but
honestly I don’t know.”
Every year we come up with
new theories but to no

avail. I’ve stared at the
wind line that sits 200m
beyond the breaks all day
and never comes in too many
times that now I just stop
guessing and become thankful
when it actually fills
in. It really seems to have
a mind of its own and in a
way, it’s actually kind of
refreshing in a world ruled
by forecasts. Sometimes not
knowing is a nice thing as
when it does finally hap-

100
TRIP
Indo
pen, it really is that much
better.
Every day this trip, the
weather would play games
with us. We’d get a couple
ok days of wind and
no swell and then days of
pumping swell without any
wind. Most days would start
looking like it was going
to get windy, then a
big black cloud would form
behind the mountains and
kill the wind just as it

was starting to fill in. As
much as I hate to admit it
we got skunked this trip,
but in a way it was almost
a blessing in disguise. We
basically had no real wind
at the main spot for two
weeks so it forced us to
explore the area a little
more and step outside of
our comfort zones. We just
had to take a drive on our
mopeds to find wind.
Each day, after seeing that
it wasn’t getting windy at
the main spot, we’d load
up our kites and boards
and head off to find a new
spot. We’d drive down the
road that was almost completely
overgrown with
bushes on either side,
dodge the goats standing
in the middle of road, and
pass through small villages
with local kids playing
with homemade kites.
As we drove up the coast,
we would see the wind getting
stronger and stronger.
We searched and we found
some super fun waves that I
didn’t even know about in
previous years. They weren’t
perfect barrels, but
they were still fun. And
every day, the big cloud
would start pushing over
the mountains and head
straight in our direction.
Most of our sessions ended
with rain and us barely
making it back to the
beach. We had to make the
most of every session because
we knew it be cut
short by the cloud. After
the wind died we’d drive
the bikes back to grab our
surfboards and go for a
surf with perfect offshore
conditions. The day would
end with a Bintang and
talk of all the reasons we
thought it would surely get
windy tomorrow.
But it never got windy like
we hoped. Our 2 weeks were
up and we never found that
magic session. It was time
for everyone to start heading
back but with one more
all-time looking swell on
the forecast I knew I had
to extend the trip and roll
the dice one more time.
Convincing Jason to hang
out for a little bit longer
wasn’t easy as expectations
of it getting windy were

102
TRIP
Indo
very low, but we both knew
if it did turn on without
us there, it would sting
more than being there for
another windless swell.
We waited and hoped and
when the swell finally arrived
it was even more perfect
than I’ve ever seen
it. With a longer period
and a better swell direction,
it was handling the
size much better then usual
and we watched as perfect

spitting barrels continued
to detonate on the reef one
after another. The lack of
wind had groomed it to perfection
and it was almost
hard to watch as empty perfect
ones continued to go
through unridden. Just like
every other day it slowly
started to look windier as
the cloud started to form.
It was still too light but
I knew I had to try so I
made the journey out to the
reef just hoping we could
get some kind of window to
get a couple. We didn’t
need much, but just a couple
to go home feeling accomplished.
This day goes down as one
of the hardest times I’ve
ever worked for a session
in my life. With it finally
picking up to about 10
knots I jumped off the reef

104
TRIP
Indo
and bodydragged my way out to a
boat in the channel where Jason
was sitting to see if it
was doable. It was too light to
go upwind but the waves were
so perfect I had the boat drop
me upwind and outside the wave
to see if I could hop my way
into one. As I waited for the
boat to get back into position
I couldn’t help but think how
stupid this whole plan seemed.
Here I was bodydragging back
and forth, waiting for a set
with barely enough wind to
keep the kite in the sky as
waves slammed onto the almost
dry reef inside. Luckily
for me, I’ve had a little
bit of experience with
this in years past but this
was lighter wind and bigger
swell so I wasn’t quite
sure how it would go down.
With a solid set showing up
I looped my kite and pumped

myself into a perfect looking
one. The wind was still super
light but with the side off
angle it was just enough to
keep the kite in the air as
I found myself getting spat
out of an absolutely perfect

106
TRIP
Indo
drainer. That one wave alone
had already made the trip worth
it but I wasn’t done. As the
day wore on, the wind picked
up another knot or two and I
was able to bodydrag/hop my way
upwind and into a few more gems
for a couple hours before the
black cloud inevitably moved in
and killed the wind once again.
Honestly I was content. We had
to work hard for it, but in
the end we accomplished what
we came here to do. It really
is amazing what we’ll put
ourselves through for that one
perfect wave and I would do it
all again in a heartbeat.
Even without the last session,
it still would have gone down
as an epic trip and in a way,
it was a good reality check of
what can happen sometimes on a
trip. We scored pumping surf,
explored some different areas
and still honestly had an epic
time. As kiters we are dealing
with Mother Nature so we really
never know what we’re going to
get. Forecasts will always give
you an indication but it’s not
something you can always rely

202
TRIP
Indo
on. I didn’t necessarily go
home completely satisfied this
trip, but that doesn’t make me
not want to go back again. If
anything it’s made me hungrier
and when that epic trip comes
around again, it will be even
sweeter. One thing I took out
of this trip is you can’t take
things for granted and when the
weather throws you a curve ball
go out and explore.

Until next time indo. I’ll see
you again next year…

110
aDVENTURES
500 KM of adventure from Dakhla spirit to Mauritania
Text Julien Leleu
Photo eyes around the world, Mariano Arias,
RRD Spain, Light bros creative

500km
of adventure
from Dakhla spirit
to Mauritania
with Julien Leleu and Forest Bakker
Seekers of adventure
I think it’s very important from time to time to escape our fast
contemporary society, and go back to the roots, connect to what
drives us, binds us together, and sparks our fire, the elements.
This year, 25 unique personalities ranging from a complete variety
of different ages, nationalities & professions, sharing the
same passion for kitesurfing have had the opportunity to do so.
Embarking on a journey down 500 km of un-ridden coastline
overcoming challenges, crossing boarders, and exploring the
unknown.
From Dakhla to Mauritania, sometimes you need to get lost to
re-find yourself, somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
Thanks to all the organizations that supported and cushioned
our expedition, bringing security, comfort and transport.
It wasn’t a smooth ride all the way, Mother Nature has its times

112
aDVENTURES
500 KM of adventure from Dakhla spirit to Mauritania
of overpowering predictions.
But that to me is the true spirit of adventure.
During 1 week riding around 80 km per day was a good work out
for some of the group haha!
The organization was setting up tents every night to camp in
the middle of the desert. The team was there to provide us with
amazing vibes and local food.
By night everyone was playing music, chilling together around
a good fire and a nice beer.
The trip was accompanied by 9 Volkswagen Tuareg, driving

114
aDVENTURES
500 KM of adventure from Dakhla spirit to Mauritania

all the camp and gear through the desert roads. Big thanks to
Volkswagen Maroc for the pimp ride!
On the last day, one of the security boats capsized because of
the big swell and we had to stop before reaching the last checkpoint.
With luck, the Moroccan army has security checkpoints every 3
km on the coast.
They welcomed us with such generosity and gave us local tea
and food.
You could see how happy they were to be helpful! Indeed it’s not
so often they can see kitesurfers…

116
aDVENTURES
500 KM of adventure from Dakhla spirit to Mauritania
A real human experience.
We had to wait the army truck to come rescue us as
all the roads are full of mines and just the military
knows the right roads haha!
A sweet last ride to end up the trip!
Then we drove back to the Dakhla Spirit camp (RRD
Camp) to celebrate the end of this sick experience.
The best of all was to be reunited with my bro and
teammate Forest Bakker to realize the video of the
event! We’ll have the video ready soon on our official
facebook page: “light bros community” but also on
our personal ones.
You can also find some contents on our Instagram
pages:
@julien_leleu”@dakhla_downwind”
@forestbakker"

118
pre event
World Snowkite Contest 2017
WORLD
SNOWKITE
CONTEST
FREERIDE/RACE

text courtesy Snowkiteroccaraso.com | photo Bertrand Boone
World Snowkite Contest
R o c c a r a s o – I t a l y
From the 2nd to 5th of March 2017 the fourth edition of the Contest
will be held with a new freeride format. The event was confirmed as
a important step in the international panorama. It will be a competition
open to all snowkiting lovers who will have the opportunity to
participate and test the equipment of the brands who will be present
at the event. There will be present the teams and the shops of
the most important brands of snowkiting for four days dedicated
to this wonderful discipline.

120
pre event
World Snowkite Contest 2017
Below some important informations:
REGISTRATION:
The mandatory pre-registration will take place
on the website www.snowkiteroccaraso.com not
after February 15. Athletes will have to enter theire
data into the application form.
The registration will take place at the Hotel Pizzalto
in Aremogna on the 2nd of March from 9.00
to 10 where you will have to sign a participant disclaimer
for the race.
RACE FORMAT:
We introduced an event using the GPS and a
complex calculation on craving for freeride,
identifying the outer perimeter of a track as an
objective measure. Today we'll introduce substantial
change to the roccaraso format with two
types of races:
Freeride format: On the plateau at 2000 meters
in the middle of Aremogna, Monte Pratello and
Monte Greco the organizers will set up 6 clearly
visible and fixed buoys all over the area. The
Race Director, depending on wind and weather
conditions, will select, in the morning preceding
the task, the buoys valid for the race.
The riders must reach those buoys, without a
prearranged order, choosing them according to

the strategy that will decide to adopt, and head
back to the starting point. The judges will verify
the validation of the reached buoys
Below is an example of a race, with valid buoys
4-3-5, with two valid strategies.
Race format: with a distance of not less than 10
km. From 1 to 3 turns. The athletes will have to
complete a given number of rounds to be in the
running for a podium position.

122
pre event
World Snowkite Contest 2017
SAFETY:
The competition does not have predetermined
routes and each rider will decide according to
their possibilities the way to go. For this reason,
the organization won’t limit the competition area
but will indicate some major dangers during the
briefing. Each rider must be aware of the risks
involved. Is advisable to study the spot before
the race and are welcome to check-in before the
competition starts to test the field. Please be
cautious at all times, and pay attention to weather
changes. Participants must be able to decide
what kite size to use by themselves based on the
wind and weather when arriving at the rigging
area. All Riders have to bring: helmet, goggles,
fluids, SPF, snack, GPS/mobile phone. ARTVA,
Probe and Shovel are necessary for the freeride
format when there is risk of avalanches.
RULES
All riders must wear start number, helmet, and
bring at least 2 Kites
Competitors are obligated to help if they see that
there is an injury or problem that require immediate
assistance
Protests must be handed written to the race director
before 20:00
Kite equipment related:
All kite types are accepted
All types of harnesses are allowed
It is possible to bring several kites to the rigging
area and change kite during the race.
Ski/Snowboard related:
All types of skis are allowed

All type of snowboards and split boards
are allowed
The use of ski touring, snowshoeing and split boards
are recommended in freeride format: If an
athlete to reach the mark were to be located in a
windless area can walk to look for the best wind
conditions!tavole split, sono raccomandati nel
format freeride: se un atleta, per raggiungere la
boa, dovesse essere situato in una zona senza
vento, può camminare per cercare migliori condizioni
di vento!
COMPETITION CLASSES:
There will be 4 classes:
Ski Men - Snowboard Men - Snowboard Women
- Ski Women
RACE DAYS
The event will be from Thursday to Sunday with 4
possible days of snowkiting. The race will be conducted
from a minimum of 1 day at a maximum
of 3 days.
TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES
Roccaraso is a major ski resort in the Italian Centre
and is 190 km from Rome, 150 from Naples
and 90 km from Pescara. The riders who arrive by
plane must hire a car to get around.
For all riders are provided facilities:
- Free ski pass
- 50% discount on the hotels of the area
For all the info about school, events and snowkitecamp
www.snowkiteroccaraso.com

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Moona Whyte

Moona Whyte
Name: Moona Whyte
D.O.B.: May 25 th ,1994
Home Spot: Mokuleia, Hawaii
Sponsors: Cabrinha, NP, Stickybumps
Wax, Baby-G
Years kiting: 8
Best spot: my home spot!
Wall of fame: two-time world champion
Other sports: surfing, hiking
ITW Roberta Pala
Photo Toby Bromwich and Jason Wolcott

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Moona Whyte
KS_Hi Moona tell us something about yourself, where are
you from, where do you live…
I was born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. I
learned to surf at a young age, but was always more focused
on school and my school sports like canoe paddling and
sailing. My dad, who used to be a professional windsurfer,
taught me how to kite when I was 14. From then on, I always
needed to kite and surf everyday.
KS_Growing up in Hawaii has certainly played an important
role in your life and in the choice of wave riding, do you
think the world's best conditions for training are there??
And if so, why?
Yes, the reason I learned on a surfboard and got into wave
riding so quickly is because my home spots are just perfect
for it! There is wind most of the year, and since we live on an
island, there are almost always waves somewhere. That really
helps in being able to train year round.
KS_One Eye, an aggressive and quick left, insidious for
a regular rider who surfs back side: what about the GKA
competition in Mauritius?
One Eye is definitely one of the quickest waves I’ve been to,
but it’s perfect with a kite. While the men’s competition was
on, I had some time to practice riding on my backhand, and
by the time they ran the women’s event, we had perfect sized
waves with a good wind direction. I think it helps to ride
backside when the wind is that direction because you don’t
have to worry about turning the kite too much.

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Moona Whyte
KS_What about your gear? What's your choice for the perfect
day? And what is the perfect day for you?
My favorites right now are my 7m Drifter, Fireball bar, and
5’7 S-Quad surfboard. The perfect day for me is 3-4 ft. clean
waves with side-offshore wind. I’m blessed to get conditions
like this at home!
KS_Your feedback on the new Cabrinha Fireball?
I think the Fireball bar is a great idea. It simplifies the connection
point to your harness, and gives the whole bar a little
more freedom to move around. You don’t notice it as much
going frontside, but I’m glad I had the Fireball on my last trip
where I was always going backside, and the bar needed to be
to the side rather than in front of me.

KS_What are the characteristics that you love about the
Cabrinha gear?
I love my Cabrinha Drifter kite. It does exactly what it’s named
for, and is great in the waves. It would also be good to learn
on the Drifter because it’s so stable. I also like that Cabrinha
is being innovative and creative with things like the new bar.
KS_Frontside, Backside, do you surf the lefts frontside now
and again?
I tried going switch-stance when I was first learning to go
left, but I found that I preferred going backside much more. It
felt a little more natural for me, so I continued to practice like
that. When I am paddle surfing a left, I also go backside so
that’s one of the reasons why I’m more comfortable that way.

130
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Moona Whyte
KS_The Cabrinha team, one of the strongest wave riders
teams in the kitesurfing scenario, what is it like to be a Cabrinha
rider and what is the relationship with the patron
Pete?
It’s an honor to be on the Cabrinha team with guys like Pete,
Reo, Keahi etc. who have helped pave the way for kitesurfing
in waves. I went on one trip on the Cabrinha Quest boat with
Pete, and he’s super nice, has a good energy, and is always
stoked to get out on the water. I like that he’s so supportive
of wave riding, which is what I am most passionate about in
the sport.
KS_You have recently been to Indonesia, what have you
brought home of that experience?
Indonesia was a culture shock. The people there live so differently
than we do, and don’t have the same luxuries as us in
America or Europe, and yet they always seemed happy. It makes
you want to live a simpler life, just enjoying nature and the
perfect waves they have over there! We did not get as much
wind as we wanted during our trip, but I could see what a great
place it is for kiting and surfing, even compared to Hawaii.
KS_Your dream journey
My dream journey is to stay on a boat somewhere tropical
with perfect waves and wind with no crowds. I think I’ve experienced
some of my dream journeys already!
KS_What about Moona when she is not in the water, your
family, studies, friends, love …
I just graduated this summer from the University of Hawaii
with a degree in graphic design. Now I’m finally free for the
first time, and all I want to do is spend time in the water! When
I’m not on the water, I’m working on my t-shirt business (The
Shallow Reef Studio) and one of my favorite things to do is go
adventuring with friends finding new hikes and places on the

132
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Moona Whyte
island. I also started doing yoga and it feels great for my body
and helps prepare me for the next kiting session. ;)
KS_What’s the influence of the Ocean and of kitesurfing in
your life?
The ocean has been the biggest influence on my life more
than anything else. It dictates what I do everyday depending
on conditions, and it even decided where I went to university,
and who my best friends are. It also has influenced my artistic
style, and shaped overall who I am as a person. For me, kiting
is just a vehicle that lets me experience the ocean in the best
way possible.
KS_How would you describe your style?
I think my style needs lots of improvement, but other people
have described my riding as smooth and flowing.

KS Getting to a first big event and win it. Do you remember
your emotions of that day? And when you won the world title?
Yes winning my first competition ever was the best experience!
I had no expectations for myself, so I was relaxed and just
had fun with it. The next year when I won the world title there
was a little more pressure, and I was so nervous, especially
right before the final, trying to think about my strategy and
which waves I would catch. Our scores were very close in the
end, and I was so relieved to have won. It was great to have my
parents there supporting and watching both times, and I got
to make my dad/kitesurfing teacher proud.
KS The level of women has grown a lot in wave riding over
the years, who are the strongest rivals and what are the
characteristics you admire in them?
I think my strongest rival is Jalou Langeree. She has always
been a tough competitor to draw in competition, and now she
has even improved so much more. Her style is very powerful
and she’s not afraid to charge big waves. She definitely inspires
me to push myself harder!

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Moona Whyte

KS_You study Graphic Designs at the University of Hawaii,
what do you see in the future of Moona? Would you like to
remain in the Kitesurfing world?
My number one priority has always been the ocean (even though
I didn’t tell my teachers that), and I intend to keep it that way!
Nothing else is as rewarding as a good session on the water,
and as they say, the best education is to travel. Kiting is a great
way to travel and experience the world first hand, and I hope to
continue to do that next year and keep competing around the
world. Plus, with graphic design I can work from my computer,
so I could take my laptop everywhere if I needed to.
KS_You live in one of the paradises for waves, are you also a
surfer?
Yes, I love surfing! It’s a perfect sport to mix with kiting, because
I have something to do when there’s no wind, and it’s basically
like training for the same thing!
KS_How do you spend your days? Tell us about a typical day
on Oahu …
On a good day, I will wake up early and surf, eat a big breakfast,
kite in the afternoon, watch the sunset from the water, probably
spend too much time on my computer, then go to sleep to recharge
for the next day.
KS_Moona’s project for 2017?
I hope to do a lot of kiting and traveling, and compete at every
stop so I can win another world title!

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Moona Whyte
KS_ Our magazine is called Kitesoul, because we believe that
our soul has a solid bond with this sport. How do you feel while
you are at sea whether during a competition or a sunset
free ride session?
No matter if it’s in a competition or free riding, when I’m having
fun in the waves, I get adrenaline, stoke, and a feeling of being
connected to nature and the ocean that I can’t find anywhere
else.

138
ITW
Val Garat
Val
Garat
Name: Valentine Garat
D.o.b.: 27 February 1994
Home Spot: South of France, Montpellier
SponsorS: Core Kiteboarding, Matahi,
Mystic, Jeewin
Years kiting: 10
Best spot: Greece
Other spots: New Cal, Brazil and Home

ITW Roberta Pala
Photo mediahouse.one

140
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Val Garat
KS_Hi Val tell us something about yourself,
where are you from, where do you live, what
does kiteboarding mean for you.
VG_Hi, I’m a Pro Kiteboarder from South of
France in Montpellier, enjoying my life to the
max, totally addicted to kiteboarding and
sharing my happiness everyday with the people
I love.
KS_You changed brand just a month ago,
what do you think about your new Core gear?
VG_I’ve been trying the gear before changing
for CORE, and I fell in love with it straight after
my first session. I was able to do all my tricks
during my first session, as if I had been using
this gear for years. I was also really impressed
with the construction of the kites, all the details,
it’s for sure, one of the most solid constructions
in the market !
KS_What’s your favourite quiver for competition
and free sessions?
VG_My favourite quiver for competition or free
session is my 11m Impact and the Bolt 139, perfect
set up for freestyle!!
KS_This year you won the title of French
Champion, who are the most difficult opponents
to beat that you have?
VG_There are lot of good riders in France, Antoine
Fermon, Julien Leleu, Paul Serin… they are
all big opponents, but they are good friends
first of all, and we love riding and training together.

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Val Garat
KS_You often train in Brazil, with whom
do you usually travel? What is your typical
training session like?
VG_What’s better than Brazil for training… I
usually travel with my good friend Julien Leleu,
and when I go to the Posada Vidaboa in Uruau,
I always meet lots of French riders who also go
there for training.
A typical training session starts with a good
breakfast, then I always warm up with few simple
tricks and then I go only for doubles in Brazil,
and I try to get it constantly.
KS_Any plans for next season world championship?
VG_My goal for next season will be to end up in
the Top 5… training hard for that!
KS_What do you think about all that happened
in freestyle competitions last year?
VG_That was a shame, politics and sport never
match so well… All the organisations that
wanted to run the Freestyle world tour didn't
really care about the riders, they were thinking
of their own profit before everything, and that
was really bad for the sport! Hopefully now with
the big help of Danny Galiart and all the World
Kiteboarding League crew, we have a nice and
promising tour, « by the riders, for the riders »!
KS_How would you describe your style?
VG_It’s hard to describe your own style, but I
would say powerful, and CORE… haha!

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Val Garat

KS_Being the "youngest one” in the family...
what was the sport relation with your brother
like?
VG_Being the youngest one in the family is
pretty cool I would say. When I was younger, I
saw my brother performing in competitions,
travelling the world, kiting everyday. My dream
for sure was to be like him, as good as him (or
better haha), and to become a professional
Kiteboarder. As I grew up, I was more and more
able to travel and kite with him, and now we
are pushing each other and sharing the same
passion. It’s a dream coming true living that
with my brother, and seeing him proud of me
as I was proud of him when I was younger.
KS_Cryotherapy ... what can you tell us about
it?
VG_I’ve discovered cryotherapy during my rehabilitation
for my knee injury. It’s really good
to recover faster after a big training, for the
muscles. It also helps when you have some
pain somewhere, to heel all the inflammations
and it helps you feeling better.
KS_How do you spend your leisure time?
What do you love doing?
VG_Most of the time I’m in the water, kiting or
surfing. I also spend a lot of time at the gym.
I need to do sports anyway. And at home, I’m
with my friends and my girlfriend, partying
sometimes.
KS_What’s your dream travel destination
and why?
VG_I think it is New Caledonia, because I’m
going there in two days with my brother!!! I’ve
been there visiting him 6 years ago when he

146
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Val Garat
was spending a lot of time there, and I remember
New Cal as a paradise. The wind is so stable,
with crystal blue water, big lagoon… If there is
no wind, you can also get some perfect waves
to surf, and an amazing life style… I don’t know
if you can get any better than New Cal …
KS_ Our magazine is called Kitesoul, because
we believe that our soul has a solid
bond with this sport. How do you feel while
you are at sea whether during a competition
or a sunset free ride session?
VG_For sure, when you get to that sport, you
get addicted pretty fast, and then you live for
that. Kiteboarding is everything for me, it’s my
passion, it’s my work, and it gives me so many
opportunities to travel the world, meet a lot of
people… So for sure, my soul has a solid bond
with this sport!
When I’m at sea kiting, it’s just me, my kite, the
wind and the sea. Kiteboarding gives me this
freedom and makes me feel so stocked on life!

148
ITW
Raphaël Salles – Bandit X
ITW
Raphaël Salles - Bandit X
KS_There is a saying that goes "Never change
a winning horse" ... Ten years of Bandit, no
other kite has had a similar success before,
what do you think this is due to?
RS_First of all we have started with the Delta
concept and it proves to be the right option.
We develop the Bandit and implement it in the
new trend of our sport like when the strapless
arrived we adapt the Bandit to it more and
more every year. The Bandit is not stuck in a
one discipline and can perform at high level
even in competition from waves to free style.
I think most of our customers can jump from
one discipline to other even in the same day so
they can always keep the same kite. Because
we mainly always work on the Bandit and for 10
years we know it so well that we can go into the
last details that's make the difference.
KS_The great strength of the F_one team
is due to the continuous tests in the water
and to a testing team that has been working
together for years, how much time do you
spend trying the kites? According to the discipline,
do you have different testing spots?
RS_Mika and myself are doing the tests and
we're the same team since the Bandit1 so we
know each other so well that some time we don't
even have to speak to know what we should do.
We have developed a testing process that allows
us to be ultra-precise and be able to test
a lot things. We spend about 100 days a year
testing together and a week of testing in Cabo
Verde represents more than 400 km on water
for each of us. The Bandit process is representing
about 70 prototypes and we test them in
the south of France or Cabo Verde during the
winter time. In the south of France we have so
much wind conditions that it is perfect to finalize
all the range.
KS_Since some years Robert Graham has
joined the team, sailing designer, paragliding
designer, and now kite designer, what
has changed since his arrival?
Having Robert joining us was a great chance:
he is so precise that we could go into much
deeper details and keep improving the Bandit.
Robert has the capacity to understand our
needs and feelings and transfer them into the
cloth is fantastic. He also have a high capacity
of work, it means we can develop new range of
kites like the Breeze or Furtive or foils kites. We
cannot tests all the things he would like! We
need few more years before we can test all his
new ideas!

ITW Roberta Pala
Photo Gilles Calvet

150
ITW
Raphaël Salles – Bandit X
KS_The shorter bar, a more manoeuvrable
kite, what are the benefits you have worked
on for the different specialties?
RS_We have the same bar length since the beginning
but the kite are feeling lighter. I like the
big sizes to feel like a smaller kite. Our main
goal on the Bandit is to always improve the
wind range and make it easier as possible. Because
even a pro like Mitu will always improve
if the kite is easier and so our customers too.
And then it helps on a twin tip to have a gentler
kite.
KS_How were the sales for the past year?
Here in Italy we have seen a strong increase...
RS_Since our first day in 1997 we have always
increased our turn over and sales sometimes
slowly but surely and sometimes bigger. We
had great increases of 20 % the last two years
and it was quite heavy for the team at the office,
this year we will have about the same turn
over as last year. This allow us to hire new people
and improve our tools for the future. In Italy
we have change our distributor and now Lucas
is our new agent and we can see a great progression!
KS_An immense range, from 4 to 17 square
meters, eleven sizes ... do you work in groups,
i.e. small, medium, large sizes or else how do
you develop your work and how is it structured?
RS_Yes we have different group in the Bandit
range and they're not all for the same program.
The 4-5-6-7m are the more waves, strapless,
high wind great controlled kites, the 8-9-10m
are the most for all disciplines kites while the
11-12-14-17m are more light wind oriented.
We start by the 9m and the 5m for testing and
then we move to the 12 m. From these 3 sizes

we can build up the others and whenever the
wind blows we always have something to test.
KS_Quality and safety control in the manufacturing
process and the used materials ...
what are the strengths that you seek in the
choice of the materials?
RS_Material are a big part of the quality of
your kites and its performances we are using
the Teijin Japanese cloth since 2002.
KS_Where does the production develop during
the various phases? From the first design
draft, up to the finished product? And how
does a kite project come to life?
RS_Our factory is building all the prototypes
with the same cloth and process that is use or
will be used for production. So we are testing
new design but as well new building process
and materials.
Our testing process is working by generations,
we explore a new idea by group of 3 to 5 prototypes.
When they're tested we jump into a
new generation that is sometime a mix of the
different idea of the previous group. We test
about 25 prototypes of 9m and 25 prototypes
of 5m² every year to have great improvements
of the Bandit. Then we need few prototypes
of each sizes and some for the big sizes too.
We only start production when we're satisfied
that's why sometime we're a little late.
KS_Have you been working with the same
factory for ten years? What are the characteristics
that you look for in those who produce
the materials?
We have the same kite factory since 2002 so we
have established a quite strong relation and we
know each other well. They are involve into our
R&D and they well know that if we improve our

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Raphaël Salles – Bandit X
products in term of design, quality, look ….we
will sell more and so do they. So they're fully
behind us. Production capacity and deliveries
in time are as well important criteria.
KS_The incredible results achieved by the
Bandit in the various disciplines and specialities,
do you think there is still something
to improve?
RS_After that itw I think now you know the answer:
Yes!
But a new discipline is starting his revolution
into our sport : the hydro foil ! And the way the
kite is pulling a foil is different than a twin tip
or surfboard so we have now a need of different
kites and we see the limit of the one design
concept.
That is why we have now some new specific
range of kites like the Diablo, Breeze and Furtive.
But we have had the foiling into the Bandit
process so we can learn how to improve it for
that discipline too without loosing its others
performences!

154
BASIC STRAPLESS
Backloop Strapless Grab
Backloop
Strapless
Grab
Basic Strapless
The backloop grab is one of the easiest
strapless jumps, so let’s start with the first
strapless rotation. Search for a good and
vertical ramp, in the beginning do not go
for the big wave, otherwise, you risk to over
rotate.
When you hit the wave your kite must
be a bit on top of 45º but not really high
and in the same direction you are going,
push hard with your back foot and face
the nose of the board upwind.

text Abel Lago | photo Martin Rendo
The take off moment is critical, you have
to face the bottom of the board with the
wind and start to spin back pushing with
your back foot and letting go the pressure
of the bar on your front hand.

156
BASIC STRAPLESS
Backloop Strapless Grab
When your board is at the top of the jump
is the best moment to grab it but you can
also start the grab when you take off. To
better reach the board flex a lot your front
knee and push forward your back foot.
When you start falling down from the jump
it is better to have the hand on the rail and
the kite really high.
To finish the rotation you need to release
the pressure on the bar and do not push
hard on it, or your kite will fly too much
backside and you will follow it and crash.

The landing is the most difficult thing, the
kite is already in the new wind window and
you have to start pushing the bar down to
have some pressure and do not fall, let go
your hand and flex your knees.
When you land, you need to do a kiteloop
to bring the kite back. Pull the bar really
hard and make the kite loop fast, because
you land very downwind and this way the
kite will not pull you away from the board.
Finish the kiteloop and start kiting again
searching for a new ramp.

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Get one step closer to pro. Born from the DNA of our pro-model boards—which are ridden by the world’s
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LENGTH
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7’10”/238.8 cm
29”/73.7 cm
101L
8’1”/246.4 cm
29”/73.7 cm
111L
8’6”/259.1 cm
29”/73.7 cm
121L
7’10”/238.8 cm
29”/73.7 cm
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8’1”/246.4 cm
29”/73.7 cm
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naishsup.com NaishStandUpPaddling NaishSUP
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frankiebees.com, Rider: Kai Lenny

160
Story
Story behind the RRD harnesses
Story behind
the RRD
harnesses
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
text Courtesy RRD | Photo Svetlana Romantsova

162
Story
Story behind the RRD harnesses
Your choice of harness needs
to fit your style of riding,
stance, local conditions and
the natural shape of your
back. Therefore the RRD
harness range consists off 3
different shaped harnesses
to fit different needs, rather
then claiming each of their
harnesses do it all for each
and everyone.
Erwin Janssen is the product
designer and has many years
of experience in developing
harnesses, his background is
developing sewn products
for medical use next to harnesses
and wetsuits. He designs
products to make the
day to day life of people with
a disorder more pleasant.
people in wheelchairs for
example. He knows all about
the human anatomy and is
an expert kiter, windsurfer,
surfer and SUP rider himself,
because of that and this
knowledge and experience
in product design reflects in
his unique way of creating a
harness for different type of
riders with a different natural
curve of the back.
Choosing the proper harness
is a critical decision that is
often overlooked. Finding
the right harness can make
or break your experience on
the water so you must choose
wisely. RRD takes an unique
approach to developing harnesses
with two main factors
in their development decisions;
The shape of the body
and the forces created by
the pull of a kite or sail. We
use a mathematical formula
to calculate the amount of
force endured and exactly
where it occurs on the body.
This allows us to position the
support or flexibility in the
exact location it is required
to maximize comfort and
functionality. In additions to
the physics, we also focus on
the physical.
A harness needs to contour
to the natural shape of your
back as well as fit your style
of riding, stance, and local
conditions. Rather than claiming
each of our harnesses

164
Story
Story behind the RRD harnesses
do it all, our range consists
of three different shapes to
ensure the perfect fit.
It is our goal to provide you
the best harness regardless
of the complexities of your
specifications and maintaining
the superior standard of
quality that RRD is known
for. As an example it’s easy to
understand the difference in
kite-pull, body position and
thus harness requirements
between overpowered riding
on a twin tip, fun freeriding
or (downwind) waveriding.
The RRD waist harness range
comes in 3 different types of
fit, suitable for different body
shapes and differences in
riding style, so there is always
one that fits your personal
needs best.
Try them out and decide for
yourself!

166
PRODUCT FOCUS
F-One FREERIDE KITEFOIL
Product focus
F-One FREERIDE KITEFOIL
www.f-onefoil.com
text and photos courtesy F-One
FREERIDE 600 WING
FREERIDE 800 WING
Freeride 90/600 90/800
90/1000 Hybrid Kitefoil
- Mast Aluminium 90cm
- Front Wing Carbon Freeride
600/800/1000
- Fuselage SST Carbon Freeride
42cm
- Stabilizer Carbon Freeride
300cm²
- KF-Box
Accessible, progressive, performing,
light and maneuverable,
the F-ONE kitefoil range
has been created to provide the
best dedicated weapon to all riders.
Foiling is more than a new discipline;
it’s a whole new world.
The F-ONE kitefoil range has
been developed with the most
experienced foil riders and
every element of the foil has
been designed to deliver the
best imaginable experience out
on the water whether you about
to start or if you already master
the magic of foiling.
With innovation deeply rooted
into its DNA, the F-ONE team
has worked tirelessly to design,
engineer, test and optimize this
new piece of equipment. The
shapes and profiles have been
carefully selected and optimized
by F-ONE’s in-house naval
architect, and the foil assembly
concept was completely thought
back towards ease of use.
The F-ONE HYBRID ALUMINIUM/
CARBON foil masts are very
user friendly offering both ease
of use and performance. Using
a specific aluminum extruded
profile designed to be fast but
forgiving and a medium chord
length of 11 cm, its lightweight
makes the foil easy to carry and
move around both on the shore
and in the water. Equipped
with the patented connecting
system FAST CONNECTION
DEVICE and constructed from
PRE-PREG carbon, this mast

CARBON 600
offers a unique and innovative
assembling concept and comes
with great modularity and ease
of use as one single bolt is all
that’s needed to assemble the
main parts together. Compatible
with all F-ONE wings and foil
parts, it is also completely watertight
and corrosion free.
The Hybrid masts are available
in many different lengths: 55 /
65 / 75 / 90 cm, to fit everyone’s
need from the beginner to
the advanced foil rider, among
all the disciplines: Wakefoiling,
Supfoiling, Windfoiling & Surf
Foiling. Easily fitted to an F-O-
NE FOILBOARD thanks to the all
conical DEEP K-F BOX, this mast
offers great potential to enjoy
the thrills of foiling. This mast is
available with a KF or Deep KF-
BOX.
WING 90/600
Area: 600cm² Aspect Ratio: 5.6
Weight: 0.78 kg
Designed with less area but a
higher aspect ratio than the
Freeride 600 Wing, this one offers
greater performance potential
and can be controlled
with ease, showing some predictable
and intuitive characteristic.
It’s 600cm² offer enough
grunt to lift you out of the water
effortlessly and the wing remains
easy and fluid to handle
at pace thanks to its very sound
profile.
Built using Pre-preg carbon
over a Forged carbon central
core, the stiffness of the blades
has been finely tuned to make
it as stable and predictable as
possible.
With great directional control
provided by the arched span
and enough area to rely on, the
Freeride 600 wing can be pressed
hard to reach higher speeds
if this is what you’re after and
will be a great all-rounder for
freeride performance foiling.
WING 90/800
Area: 800cm² Aspect Ratio: 4.5
Weight: 1.05 kg
Designed as our first step into
the range, the Freeride 800
wing impresses with its ease
of use and predictable behavior.
With a medium speed this
wing is very controllable, while
its large surface area makes it
a weapon for light air foiling. Its
low take off speed ensures easy
access to the world of foiling.
Manoeuvers will also be easier
as you progress along the learning
curve as the wing will let
you complete your transitions
at lower speeds thanks to a tailored
profile.
The wing is built using the high
technology pre-preg carbon
process over a Forged carbon
central core for maximum strength,
stiffness and durability.
A great freeride wing to enjoy
foiling at any level.
WING 90/1000
This wing is specifically designed
for the needs of SUP Foiling
in waves. The generous
area and high lift profile provide
a very early lift-off and were
tailored specifically to enable
low speed foiling. The compact
outline and low aspect ratio will
limit acceleration to keep control
of the foil and remain on the
wave when surfing. It will also
make this wing easy to maneuver
while the sweep angle ensures
good pitching stability to
make the wing very user-friendly.
The wing is built using the high
technology Pre-preg carbon
process over a PU injected core.
The Forged carbon central core
remains at the heart of the assembly
for maximum strength,
stiffness and durability. Perfect
to discover the thrills of SUP
wave foiling, the early lift off

168
PRODUCT FOCUS
F-One FREERIDE KITEFOIL
STABILIZER freeride
FUSELAGE 42
90 CM CARBON MAST
90 CM ALUMINIUM MAST
and limited acceleration provided
by the Surf/Freeride 1000
make it also ideal for all-round
wind-foiling.
STABILIZER
Area: 300 cm² Aspect Ratio: 5.8
Weight: 0.24 kg
Solid, versatile and progressive,
the Freeride stabilizer can be
combined with any of the freeride
or carving front wings and
fits a very large range of practices.
Equipped with generous winglets,
the stabilizer blade offers
fantastic control with enough
surface area to provide full confidence
in all situations.
Built in Carbon Composite and
designed to be securely mounted
on F-ONE fuselages, its profile
and angle of incidence were
tuned to achieve a very intuitive
balance which will help you get
your foiling maneuvers in more
easily.
FUSELAGE
Length: 42cm Weight: 0.47 kg
Built out of Pre-preg carbon fibers
around a steel core, the
F-ONE fuselages are designed
to be extremely stiff and provide
perfect control with a low
drag sectional area. With a full
stainless steel tail, the assembly
with the stabilizer is solid and
very reliable. The tail matches
the angle of incidence required
onto the stabilizer to guarantee
an intuitive balance whatever
the wing combo selected. The
42cm fuselage provides better
directional and pitch stability
which helps a lot at lower and
medium flying speeds. Recommended
with Freeride 800, 600
wings.
Freeride 600 Carbon Kitefoil
This full carbon foil gathers the
best of design and technology
to reach amazing racing perfor-

600 hybrid
800 hybrid
mances
Mast Full Carbon 95 cm - Front
Wing Carbon Freeride 600 cm²
- Fuselage SST Carbon 42 cm -
Stabilizer Carbon Freeride 400
cm² - KF-Box
MAST
Length: 95 cm Chord: Bottom=
11 cm / Top= 13.2 cm Thickness:
Bottom = 1.2 cm / Top=1.33 cm
Weight: 1.50 kg (K-F BOX) 1.70 kg
(DEEP K-F BOX)
Benefitting from the latest racing
developments in terms of
shape and construction, the
F-ONE Carbon masts provide
amazing speed potential with
top precision in all conditions.
With their high performance
profile evolving from 1.2 cm thick
at the bottom to 1.35 cm at
the top, these masts deliver an
impressive feeling of glide and
top of the range performance.
The intricate profile and chord
length prevent turbulence and
make them very secure and
stable at speed. Their elaborate
carbon PRE-PREG one-shot
molding construction makes
sure these masts meet the required
demand on torsion and
bending stiffness to keep the
control of the foil at any moment
and especially when pushing
hard. Equipped with the
patented FAST CONNECTION
DEVICE constructed from PRE-
PREG carbon, these masts come
with great modularity and ease
of use as one single screw is all
that’s needed to assemble the
main parts together. The Carbon
masts are compatible with
all F-ONE wings and foil parts
and are available in many different
lengths: 65 / 75 / 95 cm,
to fit all the needs for Supfoiling,
Windfoiling & Surf Foiling.
Top end foil masts for ultimate
speed, control and lightweight.
This mast is available with a KF
or Deep KF-BOX.

170
PRODUCT FOCUS
F-One FREERIDE KITEFOIL
WING
Area: 600cm² - Aspect Ratio:
5.6 - Weight: 0.78 kg
Designed with less area but a
higher aspect ratio than the
Freeride 600 Wing, this one offers
greater performance potential
and can be controlled
with ease, showing some predictable
and intuitive characteristic.
It’s 600cm² offer enough
grunt to lift you out of the water
effortlessly and the wing remains
easy and fluid to handle
at pace thanks to its very sound
profile.
Built using Pre-preg carbon
over a Forged carbon central
core, the stiffness of the blades
has been finely tuned to make
it as stable and predictable as
possible.
With great directional control
provided by the arched span
and enough area to rely on, the
Freeride 600 wing can be pressed
hard to reach higher speeds
if this is what you’re after and
will be a great all-rounder for
freeride performance foiling.
STABILIZER
Area: 300 cm² - Aspect Ratio:
5.8 - Weight: 0.24 kg
Solid, versatile and progressive,
the Freeride stabilizer can
be combined with any of the
freeride or carving front wings
and fits a very large range of
practices. Equipped with generous
winglets, the stabilizer blade
offers fantastic control with
enough surface area to provide
full confidence in all situations.
Built in Carbon Composite and
designed to be securely mounted
on F-ONE fuselages, its profile
and angle of incidence were
tuned to achieve a very intuitive
balance which will help you get
your foiling maneuvers in more
easily.
FUSELAGE
Length: 42cm - Weight: 0.47 kg
Built out of Pre-preg carbon fibers
around a steel core, the
F-ONE fuselages are designed
to be extremely stiff and provide
perfect control with a low
drag sectional area. With a full
stainless steel tail, the assembly
with the stabilizer is solid and
very reliable. The tail matches
the angle of incidence required
onto the stabilizer to guarantee
an intuitive balance whatever
the wing combo selected. The
42cm fuselage provides better
directional and pitch stability
which helps a lot at lower and
medium flying speeds. Recommended
with Freeride 800, 600
wings.

172
PRODUCT FOCUS
F-One Furtive
Product focus
F-One Furtive
www.f-onekites.com
text and photo Gilles Calvet and Courtesy F-One
SIZES:
5 - 6,4 - 8 - 10 - 12 mq
High performances/
hang-time
After two years of development,
the Furtive is ideal for long-distance
racing, speed riding and
hangtime sessions.
2017 will see the release of the
tenth edition of the BANDIT! To
celebrate this, we have decided
to assist it with some other
specific kites. These products,
which we call “satellites”, are
designed to meet some specific
demands which are not part of
the program of the BANDIT but
the BANDIT remains more than
ever at the core of our range.
In 2014, Alex CAIZERGUES
asked us for some custom kites
to beat his own speed record
of 56.62 kts. The design brief
was to reach a maximum speed
by riding over-powered with
a 6.5m2 on the speed run with
an average wind of 50kts... We
have therefore worked on a kite
with more aspect ratio and 5
struts. But during the development,
two things happened:
- First we were surprised by the
enjoyment we had when riding
with this kite. This is due to the
thrills it provides thanks to its
performance (who doesn’t like
speed and acceleration?) but
also thanks to its hangtime.
- Then the foil riders in search
for a long distance weapon became
interested in this kite and immediately
wanted to use it.
DESIGN:
The FURTIVE features a high
aspect ratio for high performance
and 5 struts to control
the profile. The leading edge
arc is reduced to develop maximum
power for a given area.
Its profile has been developed
to ensure maximum traction at
the edge of the window. Its W5
bridle is totally innovative and
brings together the function of
a bridle and a 5th line!
We have called it W5 due to
its W pattern which includes a
central line to control the leading
edge arc, like a 5th line. It
provides perfect distortion control
and the central line further
helps with the depower of the
kite.
ON THE WATER:
The FURTIVE provides a variety
of sensations.
TWIN-TIP RIDING:
The kite is stable and the motion
is fully under control. Bar
feedback is super clear which
makes you want to go faster
all the time. Get ready, you are
going to be willing to over-take
anything else on the water! Performance
usually comes with
jumping abilities. To improve
this aspect, we have worked on
the bar feeling, its maneuverability
when sending the kite to

the zenith and its boost during
the jumps. The kite lifts you really
high and glides very well
afterwards. Hang-times records
are up for grabs!
LONG DISTANCE RACING - GUN
OR TWIN-TIP:
Comfortable and fast, this kite is
made for long distance courses
and provides you with enough
control to regulate your efforts
during the long runs. Its flying
range provides great tolerance
to wind variations, especially
in the high range. Going hard
upwind feels quite exceptional
as the kite gives you the
feel of being on an open reach.
Its traction is really oriented
towards the edge of the window
with good support which saves
you from pushing too much on
the legs or on the back. When
reaching or going downwind,
this kite will let you ride at full
speed, helping the board to
wipe away the sea state.
Foil riding:
To foil at high speed requires a
lot of control and avoiding parasitic
movements in the kite,
especially wingtip flutter. If the
kite moves, then you move too
and so does your foil which inevitably
results in losing control
of your direction and balance.
Controlling the distortion of the
kite during all flying phases has
been the hardest goal to achieve
during the development for
foil riding but it has clearly benefitted
all other disciplines.
Colors:
YELLOW/BLACK/GREEN
GREEN/YELLOW/RED
YELLOW/BLACK/ORANGE
MONOLITH BAR SETUP
SAFETY SYSTEM
Designed to work effectively
even in the most critical situations,
it can be triggered under
load but also when the lines are
slack. A stopper at the top holds
the kitebar to make sure the
system works even when the
bar is pushed towards the rider
and blocked in the lowest position.
Its new push-away system
enables to trigger the release
with minimal force even under
the highest loads (tested up to
400 kg). The 2016 quick release
is provided with stronger elastics
and the upper part was shortened
by one centimeter .

174
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD Emotion MK2
Product focus
RRD EMOTION MK2
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Text courtesy RRD
Photo Svetlana Romantsova e Courtesy RRD
sizes:
12 - 14,5 - 17 mq
“A complex search for simple
solutions”
The EMOTION is a strutless kite
developed for those who are
looking for a kite that is specifically
designed for light wind
performance with great hangtime
and boosting power while at
the same time being something
practical that packs 30% smaller
than a conventional three
strut kite. The Emotion MK2 has
a redesigned body profile that
is progressively flatter towards
the tips which increases upwind
performance and flies into the
wind window. A lightweight,
simple, clean, and easy to use
kite with exceptional relaunch
ease is the standard for the new
RRD Emotion MK2.
Developing a stable profile in
low winds, gusty winds and
overpowered conditions while
maintaining exceptional relaunching,
was a design challenge.
After several prototypes and
over 8 months of testing, we
have found a new design concept
that has shown us fantastic
potential for future developments
for all of the kites in
our line.
The decision to offer a new thrilling
alternative for those kiters
that want to simplify their quiver
and be able to be the first
one on the water was an easy
one. Perfect for frequent flyers
that want to keep the luggage
size to a minimum and for
those who need less volume in
their vehicles, the Emotion is
the clear choice. It is truly amazing
how compact this kite is
and how little wind it needs to
fly and get you riding. Suited
for all disciplines, from freestyle
to freeride, to waves. The Emotion
MK2 is a faithful companion
that will enhance your stoke for
the sport.
The beginning of a new age for
kiteboarding has just started.

FEATURES
• Redesigned body profile progressively
flatter towards the tip
to increase upwind performance
and fly into the wind window
• Internal extra reinforcements
on every leading edge panel, to
secure long lasting stitching &
rigid connection
• Quick Air Flow Valve for easier
pumping and deflating, with
special moulded protection cap
• Strutless kite specifically designed
for light wind performance,
with great hang time and
boosting power

176
PRODUCT FOCUS
RRD Obsession MK9
Product focus
RRD Obsession MK9
www.robertoriccidesigns.com
Text courtesy RRD
Photo Svetlana Romantsova e Courtesy RRD
sizes:
5 - 6 - 7 - 9 - 10,5 - 12 - 13,5 - 15 mq
‘There is no substitute’
The Obsession MK9 is in a league
of its own. Because of the
major redesign on the MK8, the
new MK9 has only received minor
adjustments. The shape of
the kite remains the same but
we changed the bridle and the
pigtails so the kite becomes
more stable in the air.
This kite is light, fast, powerful,
stable, and easy to be de-powered.
The Obsession is a full bodied
three strut high performance
kite that is ideal for the
kiter who desires an aggressive
freestyle machine. Do you want
to have some huge boosts, radical
maneuvers, and constant
power on tap? The foil profile
allows the Obsession to float
through the air and brings a
more direct type of feeling on
the bar while always having an
abundance of power when fully
sheeted in. Due to the profile
and a tighter leech tension, we
have achieved amazing hang
time, an abundance of stability,
and a greater range of use.
Today, the Obsession MK9 in sizes
10,5 and smaller can also be
used as a Wave Kite, combining
the freedom of improved maneuverability
with an immediate
and effective depower-ability
in any wind condition.
What seemed impossible is now
possible on the new Obsession
MK9.

FEATURES
• 3 struts design body to save
weight and improve handling.
• Trailing edge reinforcements
and leading edge protections
on every seam. Longer lifetime
for your kite.
• Exclusive Strut/Leading edge
reinforcement panel sawn at 45
degrees: this spreads the impact
loads on a wider area.
• Quick Air Flow Valve for easier
pumping and deflating, with
special moulded protection cap.
• Radial reinforcements on the
tips to improve durability.
• V-TIP design back line attachment.
This specially designed
panel and heavy duty construction
allow a better load
spread on this hi stressed area.
• Tips equipped with bridle anti-tangle
device.

178
PRODUCT FOCUS
ION WINTER ACCESSORIES
Product focus
ION WINTER ACCESSORIES
Neo Cruise Jacket
Features & Materials
. Pre_curved arm sleeves
. Solid front zip
. Versatile neoprene
. Chest Pocket with Key_Loop
SIZES: 48/S - 50/M - 52/L - 54/XL
www.ion-products.com
Text and photo Courtesy ION
In the ION point of view the
smallest items in the product
range deserve the same dedication
and precision as every
complex item. Therefore the
Neo Accessories are a small
but essential part of the whole
equipment and sometimes these
small items decide whether
you have a great day on the
water or you go home in deep
frustration. Extend your session
with our selection of Neo Accessories
- protecting you and
keeping you warm.

Neo Hoody
Features & Materials:
. Two harness hole openings
. Warm Hood
. Relaxed fit
. Bright neon colored lining
. Big kangaroo pouch including Key_Loop
SIZES: 48/S - 50/M - 52/L - 54/XL
Neo Hoody Light
Features & Materials
. Big kangaroo pouch for storage and warmth
. Two harness hole openings
SIZES: 48/S - 50/M - 52/L - 54/XL
Neo Cosy Coat (women)
Features & Materials:
. Ergonomic shaped hood with elasticated Draw_Cord
adjuster
. Solid front zip with centred opening for harness hook
. Two comfy hand pockets including Key_Loop for storage
and warmth
. Extended upper wrist with Velcro closures for a cozy
feel
SIZES: 36/S - 38/M - 40/L - 42/XL

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