Kitesoul Magazine #17 English Edition

SPOT 

_ Paradise Los Roques 

>>TUTORIAL 

_ North Kiteboarding Academy 

_ Freestyle: MobyDick Nose Grab 

>> AdVENTUREs 

_Wild Tasmania 

>> ITW 

_ Jerrie Van de Kop 

_ Camille Delannoy 

>> EVENTS 

_Blue Palawan Open 2017 

_Sal-Boavista Downwind 

W W W . K I T E S O U L . C O M

Introducing the most advanced 

kite canopy material ever made 

* 

OVER 30% STRONGER = Unmatched durability 

OVER 30% STIFFER = Prevents distortion for ultimate control 

QUADRUPLE RIPSTOP = Minimal stretch in every direction 

PERFECTLY BALANCED WEAVE MATRIX = Optimal strength-to-weight ratio 

UNPARALLELED RESPONSIVENESS 

-MADE Worldwide leader in high-performance textiles 

AN INDUSTRY FIRST, EXCLUSIVE TO NAISH 

20/ KI TE RANGE 

PIVOT 

FREERIDE/WAVE 

SLASH 

PURE WAVE/STRAPLESS 

TORCH 

PRO PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE 

SIZES 

5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 

SIZES 

4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 

SIZES 

5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 

*ALSO FEATURED ON 2017/18 KITES 

Agenzia per l’Italia: Ocean Avenue . info@oceanavenue.it . +39 328 6442519 

NaishKiteboarding naish_kiteboarding naishkites.com

Editor 

David Ingiosi 

david.ingiosi@kitesoul.com 

Wave Thecnique Editor 

Mitu Monteiro 

Freestyle Thecnique Editor 

Alberto Rondina 

Thecnical Expert 

Renato Casati 

Photo & Video 

Maurizio Cinti 

Design 

Giuseppe Esposito 

Translations italian-english 

Daniela Meloni 

APRIL 2017 - MAY 2017 

TWO-MONTHLY 

Texts 

Alberto Rondina, Camille Delannoy, 

Claudia Guzmàn, Denny Morrice, Diego 

Facchetti, Erik Volpe, Jeremie Tronet, 

Jessika Winkler, Tom Court, Reo Stevens, 

Romi de Jesus, Sensi Graves, Ulrich 

Frank. 

Photos 

Svetlana Romantsova, Toby Bromwich, 

JT Pro Center, Bianca Asher, Fukajaz, 

Rafael España, Maxi Gomez, Gabriele 

Rumbolo. 

Cover: 

Rider Forest Bakker 

Photo Svetlana Romantsova 

Publisher and advertising 

VISU Media 

Via Cavour, 20 

24030 Ambivere (BG) 

Amministratore Unico 

Federico Sugoni 

fs@kitesoul.com 

Registration Tribunale 

di Bergamo n°10/2014 

del 15/04/2014. 

Periodicità bimestrale 

Copyright Kitesoul Magazine 

All content is copyright of Kitesoul 

Magazine / Visu Media Srl. 

FEDERICO SUGONI 

Publisher 

He’s a manager and a businessman. 

He fell in love with kiteboarding 

almost 10 years ago in 

the wild and amazing North 

Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). Aside 

from kiteboarding there is 

only one other important 

thing in his life: his baby 

daughter. 

He’s responsible for the 2014 

launching of KiteSoul Magazine. 

DAVID INGIOSI 

Editor in Chief 

Professional journalist and 

video maker with a solid 

experience in sailing, sea 

adventures, travels and water 

sports, he has been reported 

the “blue world” from the 

inside for more than 15 years. 

He fell in love with kitesurf 

several years ago in Sardinia, 

then travelled all over the 

world as Iko instructor. 

MAURIZIO CINTI 

Film-maker 

Movie buff and keen photographer. 

He’s a skater, snowboarder 

and wakeboarder, 

but he actually burns with 

passion for kiteboarding. He 

started off with freestyle a 

few years ago, but nowadays 

he’s more into chasing big 

and powerful waves. This is 

what he loves the most. 

GIUSEPPE ESPOSITO 

Art director 

Kiter since he was in the baby 

pram, he is a rider for RRD 

Italia and he have a Bachelor 

in Comunciation Design at 

Politecnico di Milano. 

With this assignment, he 

finally has been able to put 

together his two passions: 

kite and design.

KITESOUL MAGAZINE 

Feel The Flow 

MITU MONTEIRO 

Technical Editor-Wave Riding 

He comes from Sal. Official 

F-one and Manera rider. 

2008 KPWT World Champion 

and three-time Vice World 

Champion. He started to surf 

and windsurf as a kid and but 

he definitively fell in love with 

kitesurf as soon as he discovered 

it. 

ALBERTO RONDINA 

Technical Editor-Freestyle 

He’s the best Italian rider of 

the competitive kiting world. 

Cabrinha, Neil Pryde and 

GoPro official team rider 

and four-time Italian Champion. 

Alberto has won the 

2001 edition of the European 

Championship and third 

place in the 2012 PKRA World 

Championship. 

RENATO “DR. KITE” CASATI 

Technical Expert 

RRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder 

since 2000, he has 

been PKRA athlete and judge. 

He’s a professional sportswriter 

for several technical 

magazines. He lives between 

Como Lake and Sardinia, but 

he spends every winter in the 

waves of Cabo-Verde. 

DANIELA MELONI 

Professional translator 

Daniela mainly lived abroad 

where she graduated 

in Law and worked. She 

discovered her passion for 

water actvities back in 2007 

when she moved back to the 

Sardinian west coast and met 

her husband, the kitesurfer 

Enrico Giordano. Professional 

translator since 2009. She is 

a SUP lover and an amateur 

photographer and never 

misses to photo or video 

shoot a Kite or Sup wave 

session!

When kiteboarding starts selling 

perfumes, well, that's it! 

In this modern and iper-communicative era, increasingly devoted to marketing it is 

very simple to understand when a sport becomes really popular and successful. That 

is what happens when a sport activity and the world of values represented by it transcends 

the boundaries of technical publicity and invades the world of mainstream 

advertising. Therefore, no more adverts of just equipment, components and apparel 

which publicize any particular trade brand and communicate with their target of enthusiasts 

through shared stylistic languages and codes. Quite the contrary, you take 

the sport in question and perhaps an athlete or a character representing its top in 

terms of popularity, style and personality and make him the perfect testimonial to 

advertise and sell any product on the market: soaps, cars, holidays, drinks, you name 

it. This is exactly what is currently happening to kiteboarding: telecommunications 

companies, pharmaceutical brands and automobile businesses have all understood 

how cool this sport is, because it means fun, social relations, nature, bravery and 

well-being. And they begin to use it as they best see it fit. The latest mainstream 

advertising campaign that fully drew from the world of kiteboarding is the one by 

the prestigious fashion house Armani. The occasion was the launch of the famous 

perfume Acqua di Giò for which they produced a beautiful video, refined and alluring 

in total Armani style, starring the British rider Tom Court. Stylish black and white 

images shot in South Africa, show the North international team athlete performing 

spectacular manoeuvres and enjoying the adrenaline and excitement of riding and 

capture his wild and seductive soul. At 25 years old, Tom Court is not only one of the 

best athletes out there, but he is upsettingly handsome and he also radiates extreme 

charm, as his You Tube Channel proves https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4U- 

3I1RkE1bVHKQXz1azDw. The new video advert is the first one of a series of episodes 

entitled The Scent of Life with which Armani aims at representing through various 

characters the scent of life. Kitesoul reached Tom in between one of his journeys and 

asked him about this experience which somehow is going to change the world of kiteboarding 

in terms of mainstream communication. Here is what he told us: "Firstly 

I was asked by Xtreme Video to go to Paris and consult at a Youtube Lab project for 

some brands. To see where and how they could naturally include extreme sports into 

their brands. As it turned out one of these brands was Armani. After discussing ideas, 

they decided that Kitesurfing was a good fit for them and something that we could 

work on. I pitched my schedule in South Africa and then we made a plan to shoot in 

Cape Town this January. The filming itself was about three days, working with Red 

Cameras, I chose the team of Jason Hearn, Bas Koole and Noe Font to work with and 

we pushed to get it completed as quickly as possible. Working closely with the Armani 

art directors from Paris. It’s hard to get anything finished that quickly, however

working with the right team makes a big difference. The final version of the video 

was released last week and has already has 1.5million views on the Armani channel. 

It has always been my dream to take legitimate Kiteboarding in a more mainstream 

direction, as I am a big believer that health and fitness is a big part of our future as 

humans. Action sports have a big part to play in that! It only makes sense that these 

big brands start to use our minority sports to represent something that is genuine 

and people that do real sports. Hopefully this is project has made some steps in the 

right direction!". 

David Ingiosi

SUMMARY 

PORTFOLIO 

EVENTS 

DOWNWIND 

16 28 46 

The Philippines: Kite 

Park in true tropical style 

My 75 km in the Atlantic 

Ocean: adrenaline, fatigue 

and endless joy 

ADVENTURE 

ITW 

Characters 

88 

Beautiful, powerful and 

wild Tasmania 

96 

Jerrie Van de Kop: "Kitesurfing? 

Never extreme 

enough for me 

112 

Camille Delannoy: " 

Strapless riding is freedom 

for me" 

awards 

FOCUS 

BASIC STRAPLESS 

170 

Daniela Moroz: she is 

blond, young and invincible 

178 

RRD - Freezip Wetsuits 

F-ONE - Bandit 

F-ONE - Mitu Pro Model 

184 

Jibe by Reo Stevens

COMPETITIONS ENDURANCE KITE TRIP 

60 72 76 

The snowkite feast at the 

2017 World Championship 

at Roccaraso 

Kitesoul becomes media 

partner of the 2017 

Crossing Race 

Vzlakite: a kite safari 

in the paradise of Los 

Roques 

ATHLETES 

DIDACTICS 

EXPERIENCE 

128 

Erik Volpe: kitesurfing 

makes us better people 

140 

Portfolio North Kiteboarding 

Academy 

156 

Portfolio A day in the life of a Kite 

Instructor 

WAKESTYLE 

188 

Mobydick Nosegrab by 

Alberto Rondina

16 

PORTFOLIO 

Airton Cozzolino 

RIDER: AIRTON COZZOLINO 

PHOTO: JTPROCENTER

18 

PORTFOLIO 

Camille Delannoy 

RIDER: CAMILLE DELANNOY 

PHOTO: GABRIELE RUMBOLO

20 PORTFOLIO 

David Tonijuan 

RIDER: DAVID TONIJUAN 

PHOTO: RICK PRYCE

22 PORTFOLIO 

Jerrie Van De Koop 

RIDER: JERRIE VAN DE KOOP 

PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA

24 PORTFOLIO 

Sensi Graves 

RIDER: SENSI GRAVES 

PHOTO: TOBY BROMWICH

WWW.KITEWORLDSHOP.COM 

THE EUROPE- 

AN’S ON LINE 

KITESHOP 

KITEWORLDSHOP.COM is the ultimate online store for 

enthusiasts of any board sport who want only the best 

for their passion. 

A booming catalogue that includes: Kitesurf, 

Kiteboards, Surfboards, SUP, Wetsuits, Clothing and 

original Accessories from the best brands at the best 

price, always available 24/7 365 days a year. 

Great offer, ease of purchase, transaction security, best 

price guarantee, return policy extended to 30 days, fast 

shipping and a Customer Service always there to satisfy 

any of your queries as well as help you make your 

choice. All of that makes KITEWORLDSHOP.COM your 

perfect companion for your secure online orders.

Photo: Alanvan Gysen – Courtesy Cabrinha 

HOT LINE: +39 02 400 30 467 

RIVENDITORE OFFICIAL DEALER UFFICIALE

28 

Blue Palawan Open 2017 

The Philippines: Kite Park in true tropical style 

The Philippines 

Kite Park in true tropical style 

The tropical country of the Philippines. Not the first 

place you'd think of having a kiteboarding slider 

park. Nevertheless, nestled on the shoreline among 

the mangroves, lies Blue Palawan, home to Asia's 

first slider park. The island nation of the Philippines 

is privy to countless islands but the most famous 

for kiteboarding remains Boracay. Blue Palawan 

and Blue Kiteboarding are seeking to change that. 

Last year marked the inaugural event of the Blue 

Palawan Kiteboard Open, an invitational contest 

that brought the best in the world to ride the newly 

minted slider park. In February 2017, the second 

annual Blue Palawan Open proceeded without a 

hitch. Join me as I take you on a whirlwind trip 

through the Philippines. Prepare to get wet. 


Sensi Graves 

Photo Credit: Tom Bromwich

30 



The Blue Kiteboarding Park and Blue Palawan are housed on 

the shoreline of Palawan with on-shore winds buffeting the 

grass-thatched-roof cabins that serve as accommodations 

for the guests. Owner Jorja Mitra didn't initially envision a 

slider park or kiteboarding at all for that matter, when he 

built Blue. His foray into resort construction and management 

was geared more toward the typical tropical vacationing 

guest. But, when the winds didn't stop blowing, a wrench 

was thrown into his plans for a high-end serene beach retreat, 

and lucky for us, he decided to make Blue into a highend 

kiteboarding hotel and destination. 

Blue Palwan looks east out into the China Sea and the predominant 

winds are westerlies. An outer reef protects the 

area in front of Blue from full on waves crashing and the 

inner area is shallow and tidal controlled. This combined 

with copious amounts of dark, green seaweed make for oil 

flat conditions for most of the day. The tidal lagoon in front 

fills and empties with water creating a serene, mirror-flat 

kiteboarding location. 

The second annual Blue Kiteboarding Open was a far cry 

from the windless week we experienced last year. Last year, 

the air was constantly pierced with the whistling of the locals-their 

"calling of the wind" that we hoped would soon 

be drowned out by our fair maiden herself. But in the end, 

she didn’t show up, with the women's final occurring on 15 

and 17 meter kites. This year, the holding period for the contest 

was 10 days instead of seven and the wind gods smiled 

upon us. "I told you guys it was windy here!" event organizer 

Paula Rosales kept saying throughout the week.

32 



Chilled atmosphere and swimwear as our uniforms 

The vibe of the event is truly island style-with laid-back 

riders meetings, fruity cocktails and board shorts and bikinis 

serving as our daily uniforms. The sun is unforgivingly 

harsh, beating down on the competitors relentlessly. It's a 

struggle to balance getting enough sun protection with not 

overheating from the baking rays. The female competitors 

often wore leggings and long sleeve rashguards to protect 

them. The males were much more nonchalant (“a t-shirt 

should help right?”) but everyone wore the blue facemasks 

that served as our event standards. 

We started the week in good spirits as competitors from 

around the globe descended on Blue. Opening day occurred 

on the 8th and the breeze started filling in early. The judges 

deemed it a warm up day and all riders took to the water in 

droves to hit the features. With three features in the water,

the scene quickly became crowded but nothing fuels progression 

like riding with all of your friends in steady conditions, 

showing off for each other and the media. 

Girls in the competition: not many but very 

good ones 

February 11th was the official first contest day with semi-final 

heats scheduled. The wind started picking up first thing 

in the morning and by 12pm the contest was on! We started 

the women's heat with all 6 riders: Annelous Lammerts, 

Victoria Soloveykina, Isabel Von Zastrow, Manuela Jungo, 

Colleen Carroll and yours truly. 

The level of the ladies has really stepped up this year 

and every single one of the girls was charging. We cycled 

through each feature (Air Asia Roof Top Rail, North Fun Box, 

and the Solaire Kicker). Annelous Lammerts really stepped 

it up by landing the first Double Pass, a toe-side Backside 

540, to ever be done by a woman off of a static feature in a 

competition. The crowd went nuts!

34 


The Philippines: Kite Park in true tropical style

The style and technique of Annelous 

Due to the relatively few number of women, we decided to 

run two “finals” heats. The first round dubbed the semis and 

the second round dubbed the finals, were combined to give 

a final overall score. The top score on each feature from 

each round combined to give the rider their overall score 

and ranking. 

After the semi-final round, Annelous Lammerts was in first 

place with her Toe Back 540 and solid rail hits putting her 5 

points above second place. Isabel Von Zastrow, a new-comer 

to the KPL scene, showed control and poise and had two 

of the highest scoring rail hits of the day, putting her in second 

with a score of 18.5. Colleen Carroll was right behind 

with 18.3 followed by yours truly (Sensi Graves) with a 16.6, 

Manuela Jungo with 14.5 and Victoria Soloveykina with 13.5. 

An epic day for Kite Park 

On the men’s side, the 18 competitors were broken up into 

three groups, with last year's Kite Park League rankings determining 

the seeding in the heats. The top two men from 

each heat would move on to the finals and the next three 

would move in to a "dingle" round. For the men, it was Brandon 

Scheid and Craig Cunningham, Ewan Jaspan and Sam 

Light, and Eric Rienstra and Noe Font respectively from the 

three heats moving on. Each displayed unparalleled control 

and style on the rails and massive kicker hits. Brandon Scheid, 

for example, threw down a Mobe 540 and a Moby 540 

off the kickers. 

At the end of the day, we were all exhausted, sun burnt and 

sore but claims were thrown that it was the most successful 

day of park riding competition as far as anyone could re-

36 



member. With stable winds throughout the day and a steady 

progression of the heats, we were able to get a lot done 

and everyone was stoked. 

Parks are not a piece of cake 

Day 5 dawned. My stomach was tight with nerves and I 

took deep breaths to calm myself. Kiteboarding on sliders 

is difficult. If you’ve never tried before picture this: you’re 

kiteboarding along approaching a large, plastic obstacle in 

the water. You’re trying to maintain your consistent speed 

(hard), unhook and line up with the feature (hard) and make 

it across the whole thing while spinning, pressing and looking 

super stylish (really hard). The wind variables that we 

are all familiar with play a huge part in how you’re able to 

execute your tricks across a feature. This difficulty is part 

of what I love about park riding but also what I loathe. Can 

the wind please just cooperate? 

Luckily it did and Feb. 12th, ie. the finals day for the women 

and the dingle round for the men was a success. We started 

the day with the men’s dingle round, where two competitors 

would earn a spot in the finals. The guys ran through all four 

features consecutively. Scoring was based on a variety of 

factors, including technical difficulty, speed and execution 

with the latter being the most definitive factor. If you were 

going to try a hard trick, you better make sure that it looked 

effortless. In the end, it was the Tack brothers, Christophe 

and Axel that outscored the competition and moved into the 

finals. 

Lots of tricks keeping an eye on the main draw 

Then we ran the ladies’ final. Conditions started out strong 

from the get go and we soon found ourselves pumping up 

10 and 11-meter kites (quite a few meters smaller than what 

we rode in the finals last year!). Because it was the “finals”, 

we ran through all four features in one-go with no break or 

stopping period in between.

38 



The ladies started on the left-foot forward Roof Top Rail. 

Coming into the rail with power and speed, Issy did a Front 

90 on to Front 180 to front board to Back 270 off laying 

down the standard for the rest of us. 

Next up was the right foot forward kicker. Manuela threw 

down a clean Backside 360. Annelous did a toe-side Front 

Side 540 and Victoria wowed the crowd by throwing a massive 

Front Side 540 scoring one of the highest points on 

that kicker. 

Immediately following the kicker, we tacked back upwind to

40 



the North Fun Box. The highest scoring hit on that feature was 

from Sensi Graves who transferred to the ledge with a Front 

180 and did a Back 180 pass off. 

And last but not least, riders ended on the left foot forward 

kicker. Colleen Carroll took the top spot this time with a big 

mute Grab Front 360. Three out of the six women threw Front 

540’s, showing how far the skill set on the women’s side has 

come. 

Despite the lower number of female competitors, the level of 

riding between all of the ladies was extremely close, with minor 

differences in style, consistency and technicality. 

A group of kiters bound by common goals 

In between contest and media days, we floated in the Blue 

pool, went island hopping and dined out at the myriad of cuisine 

that Puerto Princesa has to offer. Competitors broke off 

into groups but still mostly existed as a cohesive unit. And 

therein lies the difference between most kiteboarding competitions 

and their competitors and those on the KPL. In the KPL, 

a lot of the riders are involved with making the KPL events 

happen. It’s a group effort and as we play around with various 

formats and get more and more experience with events, 

we’re working out what is the best method for moving forward. 

Therefore riders become close-knit, supportive and working 

toward a common goal. 

The men’s final was reserved as the last round of the competition. 

9 riders took to the water. Tensions on the beach were 

high-the level of the men is so progressive at this point that 

it’s a raw-dog fight to the finish for first place.

42 



The whims of the wind which drive riders mad 

One of the toughest parts of competitive kiteboarding is 

working within the confines of the wind. It’s not always cooperative. 

And it was during the men’s final that this frustration 

was most felt. Competitors started out on 11m and 12m 

kites but switched down to 8m as the wind started howling 

and then up to 10m and then back down and so on and so 

forth. 

Riders threw down a myriad of tricks, Double Handle-Passes 

and huge inverted tricks on the kickers, Front and Backspins 

on and off the rails and super technical presses and 

combinations on the two sliders. The men also stepped up 

their game by turning one of the sliders around and hitting 

it backwards, resulting in a massive ollie-on. It was a sight 

to watch. 

In the end it was Sam Light taking home the top spot, followed 

closely by Ewan Jaspan and finally Noe Font. For 

the women, newcomer Annelous Lammerts maintained her 

1st place position, followed by Colleen Carroll and Sensi 

Graves. 

What is it about the Palawan event that makes it 

unique? 

Is it the fact that there’s a miraculous slider park sitting in 

the middle of seemingly nowhere? Is it because the trees 

start rustling in such an enchanting way that it makes you 

want to get out on the water? Or because there are endless 

areas of green mangroves to explore? Or perhaps because 

as soon as you get off the water, the beach boys are there 

to help you land and wrap up your kite? Or it just might be 

because you can dive in the pool and have a drink in your 

hand seconds after landing your kite? But mostly the Blue 

Palawan Kiteboard Open is enticing because of the camaraderie 

of the group. The kiteboarders that attend the KPL 

events are all working to make our aspect of the sport more 

well-known. Those good vibes are contagious. We hope 

you, dear reader, will continue to watch us, support and us

44 



Sensi Graves 

an icon of female 

kiteboarding 

Sensi Graves, from Hood River, Oregon (United States), 

one of the best American kite spots, is one of the most 

famous female riders in the world. At 26 years old she 

starts hanging out in the scene of the Kite Park, a discipline 

which in recent years is literally exploding and of 

which she is not only one of the undisputed main characters 

but indeed one of its ambassadors. Sensi discovered 

kiteboarding thanks to her dad who in 2007, as a present, 

took her for a beginners course in the Outer Banks spot, in 

North Carolina. Coming from water and board sports, she 

immediately fell in love with this discipline and straight 

after college she decided to invest her life and career in 

it, becoming a professional athlete and instructor and 

gathering a lot of experiences by travelling around the 

world. The true strength of Sensi Graves though, lies in 

her being a bubbly supporter and true icon of the female 

kiteboarding movement. Her message says that not only 

women are now fully part of a sport that had the wrong 

reputation of being purely for men but also that women 

are rapidly bringing an inner change and enrichment to 

it. Inspired by her hands-on experience and hundreds of 

hours spent on the water, she created her bikini line dedicated 

to water-sports and more generally to beach sports 

and life: not just fashion items but especially functional 

to and ideal for sports activities and which have had a 

great success and are now distributed everywhere at international 

level. In other words, Sensi Graves is now giving 

kiteboarding a lot of the same love and passion that 

she received from this sport right from the start. 

Info: www.sensigravesbikinis.com.

46 Sal-Boavista Downwind 

My 75 km in the Atlantic Ocean: adrenaline, fatigue and endless joy 

-Diego Facchetti- 

My 75 km in the Atlantic Ocean 

adrenaline, fatigue and endless joy 

The account of the 2017 Open Ocean Crossing 

Sal - Boa Vista in the words of Diego Facchetti, who 

flew out from Italy to take part to this kitesurfing 

endurance challenge among the islands of Cape 

Verde. So many emotions for such a unique race that 

entered the hearts of all the participants and was 

marked by the purest seafaring spirit. 

Last year, when I chose Boa Vista as winter 

resort for my kitesurfing school, I could have 

never imagined that this short stay would have 

given me such great and unforgettable emotions. 

Not only because of the extraordinary 

beauty of the island of Cape Verde, but especially 

for the event to which I had the opportunity 

to take part to: the first edition of the 

Open Ocean Crossing between the islands of 

Sal and Boa Vista, a 50 km crossing over the 

Atlantic Ocean scheduled on February 11th 

2017. 

It is a downwind of 40 real nautical miles (75 

km) starting from the beach of Sal, where 

there is the centre of Mitu Monteiro and arriving 

at the beautiful Turtle Beach on Boa Vista: 

a non-profit event, in fact the remaining of the 

paid fees were donated to the "One click for a 

smile" association. 

When I heard about the event on schedule, I 

realized that surely it was one of the reasons 

why I was on the island. No way I could miss 

the opportunity to take part to it.



A limited entry event: the 

requirements to register 

In order to register to the event it was necessary 

to take part to a selection process by 

sending the personal CV as a kiter to the organizing 

team. In fact, the event had a maximum 

number of participating athletes and the 

curriculum was necessary for the selection. 

The requisites were good physical conditions, 

a good level of kite experience and it was advised 

to train before the event. As I do not 

lack experience, I immediately forwarded my 

registration request without wasting any time. 

The organization was flawless thanks to Ulrich 

Frank, the event organizer, who handled 

the organization of the support boats, the 

transport of the equipment, provided all the 

information related to the crossing and kept 

all riders always up to date. 

For the downwind, the organizing 

team required to: 

• take kites of different sizes so to cover the 

various wind range (the unused kites would 

have been taken back on the support boats); 

• make sure about the good conditions of the 

equipment through a double check: harness, 

safety leash, board, bar and kite; 

• hold a specific kitesurfing insurance. 

It was also advised to wear: 

• a long sleeve-wetsuit; 

• high-factor sunscreen cream; 

• sunglasses and a hat. 

About ten days later it was published the list 

of the selected riders. I was one of them! I just 

had to start getting ready. 

Downwind tests with the GPS 

I decided to undergo a few days of training to 

test through the GPS how long it would take 

me to cover 50 km riding downwind. 

This way I could get an idea of the energy level 

and effort required during the downwind, 

aware of the fact that sailing offshore would 

still be different. 

I rode 50 km in an hour and 40 minutes quite 

easily. Any good level kiter can achieve that 

result without too much trouble in a couple of 

sailing hours. 

In fact, the distance is not the only difficulty 

in this type of experience. The difficulty 

comes also and especially from the sea and

wind conditions. Along the crossing from Sal 

to Boa Vista the wind conditions can be significantly 

different as well as the sea conditions. 

As the date approached, both the excitement 

and the indecision on which kite to use kept 

on growing, together with the concern about 

the possibility of being failed by our friend Aeolus 

right on the big day. I do not think I've ever 

checked the wind conditions so much in advance 

for days and days on. 

The briefing and one doubt: which kite to use? 

For us the event begun on Friday 10th already, 

as with part of the group, we transferred by 

domestic flight Boa Vista – Sal. Nearly all the 

riders left Boa Vista with just the kites in their 

bags as the organizing team had taken care of 

transporting boards and surfboards. 

Once landed in Sal at about 2 pm, each of us 

went to the accommodation, which we had individually 

booked, and we had to meet up all 

together at 6 pm for the pre-event "meeting". 

During the "safety meeting", the first time all 

of us athletes met together, Ulrich explained 

in detail the times of the crossing and how it 

would have taken place: 

• wind and sea forecast; 

• the course; 

• the starting point of the final 8 km race. 

Special emphasis was placed on safety guidelines, 

it was required to know the self-rescue 

procedure, in case of difficulty or fatigue, while 

awaiting the intervention of the support boat. 

The organization consisted of two boats to 

ensure maximum safety: the first would guide 

the kiters, while the second one would remain 

right behind the last athlete completing 

the group. We had the indication to remain as



close together as possible during the downwind. 

In fact, the race would have started only 

near the island of Boa Vista, just before the 

harbour, after the alignment of the group and 

the starting signal. However, the main problem 

for us remained what kite size to use! 

Heart racing at the starting 

line! 

Finally, the big day arrived in a combination 

of excitement, adrenaline and a great desire 

to start! Early get up and rich breakfast. The 

get-together was at 8 am at Kite Beach spot 

of Mitu Monteiro. Thirteen riders, including a 

female one, 4 Cape Verdeans, 3 Italians and

6 from other countries, 4 riders using the twin 

tip board and the other 9 the surfboard. Each 

one dealing with one's own emotions before 

the start. 

At the get-together, each rider, including me, 

immediately started to rig the chosen kite. 

The wind conditions forced me to inflate my 

biggest kite: the DNA 14 m. Although at Kite 

Beach there were about twenty knots and I 

could have chosen a smaller kite, the wind expected 

at Boa Vista was lighter and off-shore 

therefore normally gusty too. With a big kite I 

could manage to get back more easily. Actually, 

I would have loved to cross the ocean with 

my Union 8 m, but the boats were not allowed 

to depart in strong wind conditions and the 

event would have been cancelled. About an 

hour later, the luggage and the unused equipment 

were put on taxis headed to the harbour 

and then loaded on the support boats. A little 

later came the long-awaited moment. At Ulrich's 

signal, we launched our kites and I was 

one of the first ones to enter: I couldn't wait 

any longer. Once all ready in the water, with 

racing hearts with excitement we headed towards 

the harbour of Sal where the support 

boats were. That's where our great adventure 

in the middle of the ocean really began. 

Crossing the Atlantic Ocean accompanied by 

the dolphins 

The wind direction was expected to be from 

North/East, so to be sailing slightly by the lee. 

But it did not go that way. The true wind direction, 

more from the North, forced us to a 

sharper sailing by the lee. Therefore, the support 

boat proved even more important as it 

showed us the course to follow. 

At the starting line, I was definitely full with my 

DNA 14 m completely de-powered. When we 

got at the harbour, the sea was quite flat, as 

the wind was off-shore, but the more we distanced 

ourselves from the island of Sal the 

greater became the waves. The forecast was 

for a 2,50 metre wave and more or less it was

52 

Sal-Boavista Downwind 


just so. However, despite the sea was very 

wavy it doesn't really show from the videos 

and photos taken during the crossing. 

I was waiting for the time when we would have 

been in the open sea, with both coastlines far 

enough and no longer visible. A beyond-words 

emotion. I was holding my GoPro and I recorded 

all my feelings in short videos, we then 

used to make a video of the whole crossing 

posted on Vimeo. Actually, I could not get too 

distracted as the waves came from every direction. 

Not only that, along the way dolphins 

and huge flying fish kept us company! It was 

really exciting. 

The downwind went smoothly and nobody 

had any problems. Some of us, me included, 

had taken water and snacks to nibble! The 

navigation was slow in order to keep the group 

close together and that is why, as far as I'm 

concerned, the required level of energy was 

below my expectations. That doesn't mean it 

was an easy challenge! 

The fatigue felt when approaching the finish 

line 

The arriving point of the race was North of 

Boa Vista harbour. The guiding boat stopped 

at about 8 km from the arrival point to allow us 

athletes to align ourselves: everybody fairly 

tired, after more than three hours of sailing off 

shore and about 65 km of downwind. At the 

starting signal, we put all our efforts straight 

to the arrival point, on the beach where there 

is the Morabeza restaurant. However in order 

to get there, it was necessary to ride as much

54 



as possible close to the wind, because once 

passed the harbour the wind is off shore, gusty 

and light. Any less than that meant missing 

the set point. 

Despite not knowing the spot, I immediately 

found myself in second place. Once passed 

the harbour though the wind was not sufficient 

for me and close to the finish line I arrived 

third. I cannot deny that in these last 8 

km of race I did feel my legs fatigued! 

Everyone has arrived let's party! 

Well done everybody! The taste of victory remains 

in the realization of this challenge: getting 

from Sal to Boa Vista on a kiteboard. The 

enthusiasm of us riders did not fade upon arrival, 

where a lot of people were waiting for us, 

applauding and congratulating us. All's well 

that ends well: group photos, awards -giving 

and just like in the best occasions, sparkling 

wine shower, buffet lunch and beer offered by 

the Morabeza restaurant. 

Now the real waiting begins, the one for next 

year's crossing: the second edition of the 

Open Ocean Crossing Sal - Boa Vista.

RANKING 

1 st place: ROMI DE JESUS 

2 nd place: FEDERICO MARCHESINI 

3 rd place: DIEGO FACCHETTI

56 



A n u m e r i c a l b r e a k d o w n 

o f t h i s d o w n w i n d 

13 2 

participants 

support boats 

1 4 

woman 

twin tip 

4 9 

Cape Verdeans 

surfboards 

75 

50 

27 

km 

actual distance 

covered downwind 

km 

Sal – Boa Vista 

crossing distance 

km 

linear distance 

Sal – Boa Vista 

9 11-14 3 

sqm 

other nationality 

kite sizes used 

with the twin tip 

h 

crossing time 

3 9-12 

Italians 

KITE sizes used 

with surfboards 

sqm 

16-18 

average wind 

intensity 

Kn 

w w w . k i t e - d o w n w i n d . c o m

THE winner 

Romi de Jesus 

strong emotions, from the flying fish to my dad's hug 

at the finish line 

The event was something 

very good and innovative with 

all the credit to my friend Ulrich 

Frank who had this brilliant 

idea and who dedicated 

himself 100% in the organization. 

It was a very good novelty 

which will bring great benefits 

and help the development 

of the sport on the island of 

Boa Vista. Going to Sal Island 

was a lot of fun because I had 

the opportunity to do kite in 

Ponta Preta and Kitebeach 

for the first time. 

The night before the event 

was marked with a very important 

safety meeting elaborated 

by Ulrich with all the 

details of the Downwind. The 

athletes had the opportunity 

to present their doubts that 

duly clarified. The Downwind 

day started on the right foot 

with breakfast as nothing 

less than a good "Cachupa 

gizada" a very famous and 

strong traditional dish. Then 

we checked out all the nec- 

essary equipment and headed 

to Kitebeach more exactly 

at Mitu & Djo' s kite centre. 

Olga, Yuri and I were the last 

ones to leave the beach. In 

Santa Maria, we met with the 

two support boats and from 

there we started the descent 

to Boa Vista. The beginning of 

the descent was exciting because 

many of us were shouting 

and making some jokes to 

pass around the others. In the 

middle of the sea, my brow Elton 

and I hit a Hi5 and that felt 

good. We had the opportunity 

to see many flying fish and 

as we approached them, they 

flew in different directions. 

The waves were considerably 

large. I remember Yuri a few 

times, some 20 meters ahead 

or behind and I could only see 

the lines and his kite as he was 

hidden by the waves. Yuri was 

the guy who most helped to 

control the entire downwind 

team. He was always behind 

to check that everything was 

in order. We had a small situation 

where one of the riders 

had some difficulties during 

the downwind but Yuri and I 

had about 60% of the time on 

downwind with him. The arrival 

at Boa Vista was marked 

with the start of the race. It 

was very tiring because the 

athletes had to use the maximum 

of their physique to 

achieve the best result. I managed 

to pass 1st place some 

700 meters before the finish 

line with some luck. A very 

strong emotion on arrival at 

Kite Kriol where I was hugged 

by friends and my father."

58 



Ulrich Frank 

my dream came true 

The story of how it all started 

it’s pretty much a dream 

come true. I visited the Cape 

Verdian islands for the first 

time back in 2015 and who 

ever created the world did a 

really good job here. The 

distance and the angle to 

the trade winds between Sal 

and Boavista is perfect for a 

downwind. So, I said to myself 

“Let’s organize this!” It was 

not an easy job, the mentality 

on those Islands is really relaxed, 

it’s all about "no stress" 

which makes things difficult 

at times but also gives an insight 

of a different culture 

and not only I did accept it, 

but I started to adapt to the 

rhythm and things worked out 

pretty well. Kiting in the Atlantic 

Ocean with no land in 

sight, knowing exactly what 

was swimming underneath us 

was an awesome experience. 

I cried when we left Sal, finally 

I realized that things got real, 

that we were really doing it; I 

was so overwhelmed by that 

sensation, pure joy. Now, you 

can just imagine the arrival! 

That was the first Kite Downwind 

and I am already planning 

the next one for February 

2018.

60 Competitions 

The snowkite feast at the 2017 World Championship at Roccaraso 

The snowkite feast 

at the 2017 World Championship 

at Roccaraso 

From March 2nd to 5th, it was held in Roccaraso, in the Alto Sangro skiarea, 

in Abruzzo, the IFKO World Championship 2017, an event that 

aims at being not only a sport event but also a feast for such a spectacular 

discipline, which is increasingly widespreading. The German Felix Kernsten 

won in the Ski category whereas in the Snowboard category the victory 

went to the Italian Davide Bizzotto.



A lot of wind and many athletes from around 

the world for a great show of colourful 

kites against the backdrop of the snowcovered 

slopes. From March 2nd to 5th, the 

mountains of Roccaraso, in the Alto Sangro 

ski-area, Abruzzo, hosted the IFKO World 

Championship. The competition was carried 

out for 4 days overall, with two race days 

during which there have been 7 races: 

the German Felix Kernsten won in the Ski 

category and in the Snowboard category 

it was the Italian Davide Bizzotto to get the 

victory. 

A competition appreciated 

by both the athletes and 

brands 

A success for the organizers of this prestigious 

international event, who managed to 

complete all the races despite the weather 

conditions which were not ideal. As usual the 

event involved the best Snowkite and Kitesurf 

riders who challenged each other on the 

mountains of Abruzzo. The Snowkite World 

Championship is organized and promoted

y the working team of the Snowkite Centre 

of Roccaraso (www.snowkiteroccaraso. 

com), with the essential contribution of the 

Municipality of Roccaraso, of the Alto Sangro 

Skipass Consortium and of the BCC bank. The 

organizers have their ideas very clear about 

the motivations and objectives related to the 

organization of the snowkite champioship in 

the Alto Sangro ski-area. "The objective is to 

offer the companies innovative formats related 

to emerging and spectacular disciplines by 

leaving the traditional sponsorship schemes 

and creating an event with a race format 

that will be appreciated by the athletes. Two 

fundamental elements for the success of the 

event ", said Niccolò de Simone.



Two race tracks: Aremogna 

and Monte Pratello 

Although snowkite has a lower number of 

practising people compared to sail, ski, 

snowboard and freeride it does create a lot 

of interest because of its spectacularity. The 

race formula chosen for the competition was 

the Race format with the use of buoys set up 

on two main tracks: on Thursday 2nd March, 

competitors used the Aremogna spot and on 

3rd March, they moved to the spot of Monte 

Pratello, two of the most beautiful areas 

for snowkiting. "The success of the event – 

continued Niccolò de Simone – has led us 

to immediately confirm the 2018 event and 

secure 22nd February 2018 as the date for 

the next edition. The format chosen for the 

next edition will be probably the Freeride and 

GPS formula."

Alto Sangro, a paradise 

within a flight reach 

The Alto Sangro ski-area confirms to be a 

great destination for the snowkite enthusiasts. 

In fact, the area offers many places for kiting 

which are served by ski lifts. The Alto Sangro 

ski area is also easy to reach thanks to its 

central position in relation to the main Italian 

airports: 200 km from Rome, 100 km from 

Pescara and 130 km from Naples, making 

this location easily accessible to the athletes 

and offering many spots for snowkiting. Last, 

but not least, the seasonal attendance data 

makes it a very much-appreciated destination 

by those sponsors who want to promote their 

brands: in fact, from November to March 

the average attendance registered at the ski 

resort is of about 3.000.000 people. 

In the past recent years, the IFKO World 

Championship has had a steady growth 

especially in relation to the interest by the 

media. There have been numerous TV reports 

that reported the event as well as numerous 

accreditation requests by journalists. Such 

results are determined primarily by the 

spectacularity and hybrid nature of Snowkite 

which combines skiing and snowboarding to 

sailing.



Lots of supporters for an 

event that everyone loves 

A special thanks to all the sponsors and 

partners who made possible the organization 

of the event: the International Federation 

IFKO for its professionalism and rigor; the 

Municipality of Roccaraso which has been 

supporting the organization of the event for 

4 years; the Alto Sangro Skipass Consortium 

which made it possible for all the athletes to 

reach the race spots through their ski lifts; the 

BCC bank of Roccaraso; the Pizzalto hotels; 

Paradiso and Sportvillage for hosting some 

of the athletes and journalists; the DMC Alto 

Sangro hotels which offered competitive rates, 

this way facilitating the participation of the 

athletes. Also, the Guardia di Finanza Station 

of the Soccorso Alpino of Roccaraso, which 

oversaw the safety of the event; the Station of 

the Carabinieri Forestale of Roccaraso. The 

manufacturing companies, such as Flysurfer, 

Ozone kites, HQ Powerkites for sending over 

their best athletes; the new kitesurf website 

Kiteordie and, in particular, Juan Gambino 

and Mauro Berti for their professionalism in 

relation to every aspect of the communication; 

the MOO design company for the creative 

direction; advertising Tesone for the printings 

and set ups; the Lago d'Avoli restaurant for 

offering such a special location for the awards 

ceremony; the RRD athlete, Greta Menardo, 

for representing the event; Gopro and Athena 

distributions for the supply of the state of 

the art cameras that allowed the working



team to follow every stage of the event; the 

Mancinistore shop in Castel di Sagro and the 

Clinica dello Sci of Roccaraso and lastly the 

Azzurra Ski school for their support to the 

organizing team. We look forward to seeing 

you all in February 2018!

The snowkite feast 

at the 2017 World Championship 

at Roccaraso

70 

Competitions 


The event organizer 

Niccolò de Simone, the pioneer of the Italian snowkite 

Niccolò de Simone, kitesurf enthusiast, discovers the snowkite 

discipline in 2003, and in 2004, he founds one of the first 

schools in Abruzzo, Italy. During the first years, he combines 

his work with his passion for the sea and the mountains. He 

carries out some sponsorship projects with the aim of offering 

companies innovative forms of promotion. Amongst these, the 

kitesurf and snowkite long distances and the World Snowkite 

Contest, in collaboration with Tommaso Caldani. Today, after 

a continuous collaboration with the ski -area of Alto Sangro 

he decided to consolidate his experience and passion with 

the goal of organizing events that can further benefit the 

companies and to the territories that host the events.

72 

Endurance 

Kitesoul becomes media partner of the 2017 Crossing 

Kitesoul 

becomes 

media partner 

of the 2017 

Crossing 

The digital magazine dedicated to kiteboarding 

supports as media partner and marketing agency 

one of the most original and extreme events 

in the Mediterranean, the Continent-Island GPS 

Race that in 2017 celebrates its 10th edition with 

already more than 40 registrations.

The aim is to endure. Gliding at 

full speed grinding miles for as 

long as your legs, lungs and the 

palms of your hands on the bar 

can bear it. Meanwhile offshore, 

you have to orient yourself, 

avoid crossing boats and other 

riders, control the strong currents, 

handle the variable winds 

and just hope that when you 

left the beach you did so with 

the right equipment. Because 

now, while you're launched into 

this breathtaking ride in Strait 

of Messina, one of the most 

difficult sea stretches in the 

Mediterranean Sea, you can no 

longer reconsider it, give up or

74 

Endurance 

Kitesoul becomes media partner of the 2017 Crossing 

go back. All you want is just accomplish 

this challenge, cross 

the finish line and start breathing 

again. 

From 26th to 30th July will be 

held the Continent-Island GPS 

Race, also known as the Crossing, 

the international long distance 

race across the Strait of 

Messina departing from Reggio 

Calabria. It is a unique competition, 

where every year kiters, 

windsurfers and sailors compete 

against each other over a 

23 km course. An extreme endurance 

challenge and a traditional 

event in the international 

scene that celebrates its 10 

years in 2017 and which only 

5 months apart from the start 

counts already over 40 registrations. 

This year the Continent-Island 

GPS Race has a special ally: 

Kitesoul Magazine is the exclusive 

marketing agency in relation 

to the technical sector of 

the event as well as its media 

partner that will follow it from 

the pages of its digital platform 

with reports, interviews and 

news. 

Therefore, everything is ready 

for the new challenge that will 

happen at 40 knots, in a chase 

for a new record. Kitesoul will 

be there. You just have to try 

enduring! Info: info@traversata. 

it

From 26th to 30th July 

will be held the Continent- 

Island GPS Race 

We are waiting for you!

76 

Kite Trip 

Vzlakite: a kite safari in the paradise of Los Roques 

Vzlakite 

A kite safari in the paradise of Los Roques 

The story of the first kite safari with Vzlakite signature: 40 

participants amongst which some professional riders such as 

Liam Whaley, Erik Volpe, Maxi Gomez and Val Garat, riding 

and doing manoeuvres in the clear lagoon of Los Roques in 

Venezuela amongst idyllic spots, enchanted islets, exciting 

downwind sessions and late night parties. All of that in the 

magic of the Caribbean’s.

text credit Claudia Guzmàn 

Photo: Bianca Asher, Fukajaz, Rafael España e Maxi Gomez

78 

Kite Trip 


Vzlakite was born in Adicora on a windless day as a way to keep 

the Venezuelan kite scene connected. It began as a local thing, 

but little by little its founder Rodolfo Corona took it to a worldwide 

level. After almost 2 years, it has become a reference to the public 

in general and a way of exposing professional riders. The community’s 

concept has evolved, and Corona’s vision goes further away 

than just an Instagram account. 

Location: a breathtaking natural park 

Also known as “The Kitesurf Network”, since 2016 Vzlakite has 

taken its first steps into event organization with kitesurf as their 

main character, of course. On this occasion, the location for their 

first Kite Safari was the paradisiacal Archipelago of Los Roques. 

It is located at about 160 kilometres north of the capital Caracas 

in the Caribbean Sea. The protected area contains more than 300 

islands and cays surrounding a 400-sq.-km lagoon. The archipelago’s 

coral reef is popular with snorkelers and scuba divers. The 

park is renowned for its isolated, white-sand beaches, kitesurfing, 

windsurfing, fishing and sailing. 

Constant winds and great conditions all year round make Los 

Roques the best playground for kitesurfers from all over the 

world, even if you are a beginner it is an ideal place to start. The 

guys from “Play Los Roques”, the biggest school in town, are ready 

to welcome riders and show them the best spots, the locals sure 

know how to share the stoke. 

Meeting up, getting to know each other and sharing 

Vzlakite’s first Safari started even before the plane took off to Los 

Roques, when everyone met in the airport to start the journey, 

you could already feel the excitement building up for what was to 

come. The group was welcomed in the Island by Rodolfo Corona 

and his staff, just in time to unpack and let the riding begin. People 

received a kit filled with things to make their trip even better; zinc, 

Vzlakite hat, np surf lycra and sunglass retainers. 

The first day was spent in Saqui Saqui, where usually Play Los

80 

Kite Trip 


Roques gives lessons, as it is an ideal place to start kiting with flat 

and crystal waters. What better way to start a trip than spending 

the day in your own kitesurfing island? Special guests where all 

over the place, you could see Liam Whaley bursting tricks in the 

air, Erik Volpe bringing some old school riding, Maxi Gomez behind 

the lens and Val Garat getting ready to enjoy his first time in 

Venezuela. 

A 50 km downwind: an experience to the senses 

The real adventure started on the second day when everyone 

hopped on a boat and arrived to Cayo Vapor where the director 

of Play Los Roques gave the instructions and security measures 

for the Kite Safari before 39 kiters (a record for the school) including 

two international riders; Erik Volpe and Val Garat, started 

sailing 50 km filled with crystal water and beautiful sightings. 

The journey was a 360 degrees experience to the senses, you 

could fill your lungs with the sea breeze, delight your eyes with the

eauty of the place, feel the warm Caribbean water on your skin 

and amaze yourself with the sight of starfish, turtles, rays, and so 

many animals that live in the reef. After two hours and a half, the 

group made it to Crasqui, a cay with water so clear that it is hard 

to tell apart the sea from the sky. They spent the rest of the afternoon 

getting to know each other, kiting, and most important of all 

having a blast. 

Erik Volpe & Friends Show 

On the third day the group sailed from Cayo Vapor to Saki Saki 

where great things were about to happen. Wind was blowing and 

the island was packed with people from Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, 

Argentina, etc. As the day went by, riders started to arrive; 

Max Gomez, Val Garat, Erik Volpe, Liam Whaley, Airton Cozzolino, 

Ricardo Campello and the 10x windsurf champion Gollito Estredo, 

whom made sure people enjoyed a great display of action and 

sport until the sun went down. Back in Gran Roque, still excited 

about the day, people were looking forward to the hype of it, as 

Venezuelans call it “la rumba”, which kept them dancing the whole

82 

Kite Trip 

Vzlakite: ua kite safari in the paradise of Los Roques 

night. 

Two more days of discovering and riding passed and Vzlakite’s 

first safari came to an end, but leaving people wanting more. This 

event was only the beginning of what’s to come, in the words of 

Rodolfo Corona. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what’s 

the situation in Venezuela, Los Roques is a place where you can 

disconnect from everything and just enjoy the ride.

84 

Kite Trip 


Vzla 

A kite safari in the p

kite 

aradise of Los Roques

All photos Vincent Bergeron 

Learn more about Liquid Force and all our products at liquidforcekites.com

The 

Solo 

SINGLE STRUT | FAST TURNING | ULTRA LIGHT WEIGHT 

SOLO SIZES: 3.5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15.5 | 17.5 

Mission 

Control Bar 

CONNECTED | INTUITIVE | SIMPLE 

ONE SIZE FITS ALL: 49CM TO 55CM

88 

ADVENTURES 

Beautiful, powerful and wild Tasmania 

Tasmania 

– Beautiful, powerful and wild – 

Some friends, a hire car, a map to search for the best spots for strapless 

and epic sessions and in the background the unspoilt, peaceful and 

wild Tasmanian territory. An island swept by southern winds, which 

gives the emotions of an adventure. 

credit Danny Morrice

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Tasmania. 

Since it’s only an hour flight 

away from the urban delights of Melbourne, 

where I‘m writing this now, 

I really wondered how wild it could 

possibly be. 

It didn’t take long before our flight 

started to make its approach down to 

Hobart runway to get a better idea. 

Even from the plane, you can see 

places all around the island that are 

on a par with loads of the world’s best 

kite spots – from the Hood River to 

Sandy Point in Perth. Tazzy’s a gift 

for kitesurfers and surfers alike. The 

aim for our mission was to suss out 

as many good kite sessions as possible 

and see what this beautiful island had 

to offer on our journey. Wild camping 

was on the agenda, so having loaded 

up our trusty budget hire car, we 

embarked on a journey on Wednesday 

afternoon to our first stop, which we 

thought would work with the wind direction 

for the following day. Friendly 

Beaches, part of Freycinet Nation-

90 

ADVENTURES 


al Park, was the place we chose for 

our first night. We rumbled into the 

camping ground at dusk, grinning at 

the kangaroos that were all over the 

place. Then, we set up camp in what 

was to turn out to be a wet and windy 

night. Trying to live on the cheap, we 

were slightly unprepared with our 

$30 K-Mart tent. We were awoken at 

6 am by a northerly gale and buckets 

of rain. This was our first grasp of the 

never trust a Tazzy forecast’ rule that 

someone had already told me. Sodden 

through, we decided it was time 

to hunt down good coffee and head 

north to find a beach that would work 

with the northerly winds. After a few 

hours of exploring rocky inaccessible 

beaches, we headed up to Bakers 

Beach on the northern side of the island. 

This was a tip off from a local 

who seemed to know this could be 

the place to score a Tazzy northerly 

session like no other. When we eventually 

arrived we only had a small 

window of light left, with very little 

beach for a launch and 30 to 40mph 

gusty bang onshore winds. So, it was 

an interesting start but we stuck at it 

and headed out. Soon, we were locked 

in for a fully powered strapless air 

session. Coming off the water, feeling 

pretty stoked by the raw power 

and wildness of the session that had 

just gone down. After spending the 

night in a cheap and cheerful holiday 

park up north, we headed back down 

south to Bruny Island. With a South 

West wind again howling on our way 

down, it seemed that we could be on 

to score a second full power session. 

The ferry crossing to Bruny is only 

about 20 minutes, but as soon as you 

arrive there and start driving, it feels 

a load more desolate than mainland 

Tazzy. We first went to check out a 

spot along the Great Bay Road. With 

epic clean waves on one side and a 

massive, flat water bay the other, it 

could have been the set up for some 

of the greatest sessions ever. However 

today it wasn’t going to work, the 

wind was a bit too offshore for a session 

without support. But, if you’re 

ever there, it’s definitely somewhere 

to go and ride in a strong southerly 

with a large swell. Changing tack and 

searching the map for south-facing

92 

ADVENTURES 


beaches, we came across Cloudy Bay. 

We arrived there to a super strong 

onshore wind, and a massive sandy 

beach. It actually looked a lot like 

south coast UK on a strong southerly: 

full white out of water and again an 

epic looking 6m strapless air session. 

This time, I headed out alone in what 

felt like eerie conditions, with big 

punchy squalls coming through thick 

and fast. It was a constantly watching 

game of what was out at sea and heading 

my way. After a post-session stop 

at the closest winery, we headed off to 

find our camp spot for the night. We 

drove over to the east coast of Adventure 

Bay, where we would be sheltered 

from the howling gale that was still 

going on. There, we stumbled upon 

one of the most beautiful beaches I

have ever been on in my life. To make 

it even better, a completely still night 

gave us some peaceful sleep. The next 

few days were spent windless, exploring 

Bruny Island’s hidden treasures. 

What with sampling plump oysters 

from Get Shucked and knocking 

back some of the best coffee I’ve ever 

found from The Penguin café, we 

weren’t short of things to do to pass 

the time. Our next destination was 

Eaglehawk Neck, the next Island up 

north on the east coast of Tasmania. 

Accessible by bridge, it was a lot busier 

than Bruny but the view from the 

cliff as we arrived into the bay looked 

really promising. There was a steady 

15-knots breeze coming in onshore, 

with some decent looking waves on 

the inside. I headed out from the main

94 

ADVENTURES 


Tasmania 

– Beautiful, powerful and wild – 

beach on the 13 for a short but sweet 

session in shoulder high waves. The 

wind was a bit strange – seemed there 

was definitely some local thermal affecting 

it, with hot and cold patches 

of air coming into the bay, killing the 

wind for five minutes then returning 

strong.

Charming Hotels 

and Constant Winds. 

Let this 

Brazil 

surprise 

you. 

members of egroup.net.br 

Visit our websites and book your next kite trip! 

JERICOACOARA • CEARÁ • BRASIL PREÁ • CEARÁ • BRASIL vilakalango.com.br • ranchodopeixe.com.br

96 

ITW 

Jerrie Van de Kop: Kitesurfing? Never extreme enough for me 

Jerrie

Van de Kop 

Kitesurfing? 

Never extreme enough for me 

The Dutch athlete Jerrie Van de Kop, RRD team, tells us 

about his obsession for the most extreme dimension of kiteboarding. 

His talent was born on the beaches of Zandvoort 

and supported by his parents ever since he was a kid when 

he switched between the difficult sessions in the North Sea 

and training sessions with the simulator set up in his home 

garage. 

David Ingiosi 

Photo Credit: Svetlana Romantsova

98 

ITW 


Jerrie, you are part of a new generation of Dutch riders 

who actually dominate the kitesurf scene. Why in 

your opinion Holland is getting such a big impact in 

the kite movement? 

Holland is full of good kite spots! However, not all the 

spots are so easy to ride. Most of the North Sea spots are 

choppy with messy waves. Pretty difficult conditions to 

kite in. Besides that, we have a lot of variation in wind 

direction and strength. This is how you get used to all 

kinds of conditions. Waves, choppy, flat water, gusty, 

stable, strong and low wind. Training your kite skills 

in perfect conditions everyday makes it hard to ride in 

difficult conditions. I think this is why the Dutchies are 

good in the sport! 

Which kind of relationship do you have with the other 

Dutch riders? Are they friends? Do you support each 

other and train together? 

It is always hard to train together because we all have 

our own travelling schedule. 

Sometimes we meet at competitions or events. Sure, 

we are all friends! We hang out and surf. It is a privilege 

to train with friends that have your level of skills or 

have better skills than you to improve your own skills. 

We need each other to push the sport to the next level! I 

try to support the other Dutchies as much as I can! It’s 

only in comps that we try to kill each other hahah!

100 

ITW 


You started kiteboarding when you were 9 years old 

thanks to your parents working on the beach. What do 

they think about the level you reached in this sport? 

Did they expect you to become a professional athlete? 

My parents have a small beach house in Zandvoort. 

Perfect for holidays and windy weekends! They like to 

chill and hang out on the beach! My dad used to be a 

competitive windsurfer! My grandparents and my mom

always supported my dad in his competitions. That is 

what my mom and dad did with me as well. And still 

do actually! In the beginning, my parents were always 

there on the beach to support me and help me. Until I 

was old enough to travel alone. My parents did not expect 

me to be a professional kitesurfer. We started the 

competitions because I liked it, They are always there 

for me for the things I love to do. Big up for my family.

102 

ITW 

Jerrie Van de Kop: Kitesurfing? Never extreme enough for me

Parents’ support is really important at a young age, it 

motivates you in the things you do. 

When you are young you live the sport as a game. How 

does it change when you become a pro? Is there still 

some room for just having fun with it? 

If the game changes to "not having fun anymore" it’s 

better to quit! I do it because I love it! Especially competitions 

are so much fun! The only thing that changes 

are the crashes... they get harder and harder haha! I just 

like to push myself at every session, in new tricks but 

also in working on my current tricks by adding grabs 

for example. For me the game only gets more and more 

fun! 

Professional Kiteboarding is getting more and more 

extreme, powerful and spectacular and you are one 

of the main riders of this new dimension of the sport. 

How do you feel about it and what are your deep motivations? 

For me the sport can’t be extreme enough! I always 

liked extreme sports. Kiteboarding has changed a lot 

in the last years in a good way. Freestylers look like 

ninjas and big air riders look like pilots! The evolution 

of the sport is related to an increased physical demand 

for the rider. Besides this, I think that the quality of 

the equipment we are using is getting more important. 

Kites get more specifically developed for each discipline. 

My motivation is just the big adrenaline rush you 

get while looping your kite at a height you never done 

before! I will always chase this feeling.

104 

ITW 


You have faced some accidents and injuries in your 

career. How do you take care of your body and what is 

your approach to the risks of the discipline? 

After my hernia surgery, I have been focusing a lot on 

training outside the water as well. By pushing the limits, 

you have to stay fit until the storm comes! In no 

wind days, you will always find me in the water doing 

other sports or in the gym. Most competitive riders 

have had some serious injuries. It is hard to avoid 

them. By training outside the water too, you decrease 

the chance of getting injured! Also stretching helps me 

a lot to avoid injuries. 

When you were a boy you used to have a simulator bar 

hanging off the roof of your garage. Do you still train 

with simulators? Did you improve somehow this kind 

of training tools? 

Yes, when I was a kid this always helped me a lot! The 

more you simulate the movement of the water the easier 

it goes on the water. Especially at a young age, it’s 

hard to pass the bar with ‘strength’ so the technical 

part of the trick is really important. 

In wintertime, it was hard for me to travel to a warm 

place to kite. By doing the tricks in the garage, I didn’t 

forget the movement so quickly. Riding and training on 

the water will always the best thing to do. I always tried 

to spend as many hours as possible on the water!

106 

ITW 


Let's talk about the gear. They say, "If you have skills, 

it doesn't matter too much what gear you are using". 

Would you like to tell us the real ratio between human 

skills and equipment that really counts in this 

sport? 

In my opinion, at the beginning, it doesn’t really matter 

which kite you ride. You can learn all the basics with 

any kite. I think in the beginning it should be 90% the

ider who makes he’s riding. 

Then as you choose your discipline, it’s important to 

ride with a kite that fits your riding style. I have been 

learning all my basic freestyle tricks with an SLE kite. 

These kites are just super all round and ‘oke’ in all disciplines. 

After the basics, I knew I wanted to freestyle 

and changed to C shape kites to make more progress 

with my freestyle tricks and loops! The better your rid-

108 

ITW 

Jerrie Van de Kop: Kitesurfing? Never extreme enough for me

ing gets the more important the kite shape is. For example: 

you don’t want to ride a C shape kite to foil with 

and you don’t want to use a race kite for some extreme 

megaloops. The more specific your riding gets the more 

important the kite shape is for your progression. 

I feel like I learned a lot with my RRD Obsession Pro. I’ve 

been working close with the kite designer from RRD to 

make the perfect freestyle kite. I was very lucky to develop 

a kite for the riding style I wanted to push. I feel 

super comfortable with my Obsession Pro and that’s 

what you want to fly, a kite that you feel comfortable 

with. Besides this, you want a kite that supports any 

further progress of your riding style in your discipline. 

We have seen you at Kota 2017. How did you feel about 

being part of that event and what about your personal 

result? Did you expect that? 

The Red Bull king of the air is the sickest event in kiteboarding! 

A few months before the event everybody 

gets crazy already! In this event, we push limits and 

go more extreme than ever before! I am already looking 

forward to next year and I can’t wait to start riding 

storms and train for extreme big air. I worked hard for 

the 2017 event and trained a lot to start top fit in the 

competition. 

What I would like to see in the next KOTA event is a 

more transparent judging system. I think this is the 

way forward to make the scoring system clearer for the 

public and the riders as well. I’m happy with my result 

because I know that a 7th place gets me pre-seeded for 

next year’s event. But, I hope that we can develop a system 

that improves the clearness on the judging. Then 

with a system like that, I think my result would change 

as well. 

I actually never expect anything before the competitions. 

My goal is to make a big show and have a lot 

of fun with my mates on the water! I think we try to 

push extreme kiteboarding all together with this event! 

And this is the kind of vibe I feel every year! My goal is

110 

ITW 


to push my riding harder for next year’s event and to 

come with some crazy new tricks! 

What are your plans for the rest of this season? 

My plans are to push extreme big air. I would like to 

make some trips to locations were the wind just blows 

out! I have some other big projects going on... But that 

is still top secret ;)

112 

Characters 

Camille Delannoy: Strapless riding is freedom for me 

Camille Delannoy 

Strapless riding is freedom for me 

The 17-year-old French rider Camille Delannoy joined the F-One International 

team in 2016 and he is one of the promising young Strapless riders. He is 

a pupil of Mitu Monteiro and lives a little bit in Brazil but also, in Cape Verde 

and Europe and whilst playing and having fun, he dreams about becoming 

the best one day. 

Credit: David Ingiosi

114 

Characters 

Camille Delannoy: Strapless riding is freedom for me

Kitesurfing is a fast sport not only because in the water one glides as fast as thunders. 

But because it is a sport discipline that gets you there fast: you discover it 

when you are still a teenager and if you do things properly, you find yourself amongst 

the best athletes in the world in just one season time. Just look at the current competitions: 

full of youngsters, boys and girls aged 15-16 years old driven mainly by the 

fun and the playful aspect of it, but also ready to get serious when that’s necessary 

to put a trophy in their showcase or a prestigious title in their kite-bag. 

What counts is to get noticed and join an international team like Camille Delannoy 

did who although being only 17 years old, last year joined the amazing international 

team of F-One. He is French and comes from a family of doctors passionate about 

sports; Camille moved to Brazil with his parents and that’s where he discovered 

kitesurfing. After a knee injury, he switched from the twin tip to the surf board and 

today he is one of the greatest promises in the Strapless scenario. He is a pure talent, 

and his master, Mitu Monteiro, closely watches upon him ready to support and 

guide him through one of the most technical and spectacular disciplines in kiteboarding. 

He is happy, Camille, to do what he loves, travelling, visiting new spots trying to 

improve and being competitive in the contest field without however neglecting his 

studying. A difficult balance between having fun and the responsibilities of being a 

future champion, but that does not scare him, quite the contrary.

116 

Characters 


Camille, how did it come that an ex skier 

and passionate of mountains as you are 

fell in love with the sea? 

I’ve always wanted to do kiteboarding, 

since I was 8 years old. I was doing windsurfing 

but the thing that I really wanted to 

do was kiteboarding. When I was 12 years 

old, my parents moved to Brazil (as well 

as me). I started kiteboarding there and 

since that day, I never did windsurf again. 

You come from a sportsmanlike family 

and you have been practising several 

sports, ski, wake, windsurf, before kitesurfing. 

What do you really like about 

this water discipline?

118 

Characters 


My whole family practices lots of sports. 

I started skiing when I was 3 years old, I 

was barely able to walk and I was already 

on the ski. What I really love about water 

sports is that you have to be very concentrated 

on what you are doing or it can be 

dangerous. You only think about what you 

are doing right then and that’s what I like. 

In all of these sports, you also have a freedom 

feeling that you can get only there! 

You spend most of the year in Brazil. How 

is your life over there? How do you spend 

your days? Do you have local friends and 

a fiancé? 

I’ve been living there for 6 years now. My 

life over there is kind of simple (but also 

super cool!) I wake up, have breakfast, 

study (yes, I also study), go in the water, 

work out, sleep and repeat. The culture between 

Brazil and Europe is very different, 

but I have some friends there (Brazilian or 

not), and most of them are kiteboarders. 

You chose the Strapless discipline at its 

maximum popular time. Is it a coincidence 

or you just like it better than Freestyle 

or Big Air or Kite Park? 

When I started kiteboarding, I was only 

doing twin tips. When I was starting to do 

some passes, I hurt my knee pretty badly, 

so the only thing that I could do was 

strapless. Since then, I’ve never been riding 

with a twin tip again. Freestyle is also 

good, but I think that the freedom feeling 

that you have in strapless is way better (of 

course, this is only my point of view).

120 

Characters 


A famous Brazilian poet, Vinicius de Moraes, 

said: "Life is the art of encounter". 

In your life, you met Mitu Monteiro. How 

did it happen and did that encounter really 

change your life? 

I think that Mitu really changed my life or 

at least my «relationship» with kiteboarding. 

I was 15 when I met him, and I was 

starting to get at a good level in strapless 

but I’ve never thought about competitions. 

When he saw me riding, he was pretty impressed 

and told me that maybe, I should 

start doing competitions. And that’s how I 

got to kiteboarding more seriously. 

The Strapless discipline makes kitesurf 

go back to surf and its wild power and 

freedom. But it seems pretty much technical, 

doesn't it? 

This is the best part about strapless: freedom! 

But yes, it is technical. I think we 

can compare it to surf, there is so much to 

learn and even if it’s a bad session where 

you didn’t take any wave or landed a single 

trick, you are still learning a lot from it,

122 

Characters 


and that’s what I like: it seems that there 

is no limit (or we haven’t reached it yet). 

They all say you are the next "big thing" 

of Strapless. How do you feel about it? Is 

it a responsibility or just fun for you? 

Ha-ha, I don’t know if I’m the next big thing, 

it seems so serious when you say it. I’m 

still young and I’m trying to have as much 

fun as I can in the water. But of course it’s 

not just fun: I’m riding and training a lot, 

as much as I can, to be able to be part of 

the best, and why not, one day, be the best. 

In 2016 you joined the F-One international 

team. How do you feel about being 

part of this big Brand? 

When they told me that I was entering the 

F-One team, I couldn’t be happier! I’m very 

proud to be part of this team. It’s a true 

family and everybody is super cool there. 

I’m also starting to develop some gear, 

and this is really exciting! I’m glad that 

they give me this chance. 

Tell us about your favourite quiver and 

what you really appreciate about it... 

For the kites, I’m riding with the Bandit, 

especially 7m and 9m, stable for freestyle

124 

Characters 


and reactive for wave, it’s the perfect combo. 

For the board, I’m riding most of the 

time with the Mitu pro Model Carbon 5’6, 

but I’m always working with F-One to test 

some lighter and better boards, we are doing 

some constant innovation! 

What are your plans for this 2017? 

I’m going to Tarifa right now for 3 weeks. 

Right after I’m going to Peru, and after 

there is the Manera shooting, and after 

more trips, more competitions and more 

shootings! It’s a busy life but I love it! 

Which new tricks are you learning at the 

moment and what are your best ones? 

My best trick (I landed it a couple of weeks 

ago in Cape Verde) is a triple frontroll. For 

the new tricks, well, maybe you’ll see it in 

the next competition.

COL 

ORS 

The HAAPITI’s got style but doesn’t sacrifice on 

technique. It uses a performing 4-way stretch fabric 

and the material repels water like a charm. Good to 

be worn both in and out of the water. 

TECHNOLOGY 

WWW 

MANERA . COM 

MANERA BOARDSHORTS 

N E W C O L L E C T I O N 

20 

17 

Italian distributor: lucamarcis@hotmail.com

STYLE 

O N L A N D 

PERFORMANCE 

O N W A T E R 

COL 

ORS 

TECHNOLOGY 

The SQUARE-FLEX is our most technical boardshort 

with core features such as lightness, flex, waterrepelling 

surface and comfort. It is built to be 

forgotten on water and to dry fast while on land.

128 

Athletes 

Erik Volpe: kitesurfing makes us better people 

Erik 

Volpe: 

Kitesurfing make 

us better people 

Credit: David Ingiosi

s 

The Italian athlete has just joined the Liquid Force international 

team and prepares to yet another season of training, 

competitions, journeys, but also projects dedicated to 

youngsters to convey them those values that only kitesurf 

can give.

130 Athletes 


Some riders in the water are like animals, beasts 

launched to the victory capable of bringing out a drive, 

bravery and competitive strength out of the ordinary 

just to perform at their best and beat their opponents. 

However once they get that number off their back, those 

same riders lose that warrior-rolling halo and return to 

be normal people even with a surprising shyness, humility 

and generosity. See, this subtle balance between 

being a fighter in a competition and an outspoken and 

down to earth person in every day life belongs mainly to 

true champions. 

Kitesurfing is still a genuine sport, light years away from 

the billionaire splendour of other disciplines such as 

football or Formula 1, there are many champions, and 

one of them is surely Erik Volpe. This boy from Puglia, 

now 25 years old, has already gone a long way. Competitions, 

international titles, prestigious teams, Freestyle 

and Big Air victories, he certainly did not fall short of 

anything. Also, some serious accidents that weaned and 

fortified him. Above all, Erik travelled around the world 

driven by his enormous passion for kitesurfing and he 

still spends his life training, competing, visiting new 

spots and living adventurously. 

We got in touch with him in Venezuela where he has 

just returned after a long stay in South Africa. His 2017 

agenda looks full of engagements, which he faces with 

his usual enthusiasm.

Erik travelled around the world driven by his 

enormous passion for kitesurfing

132 Athletes 

Erik Volpe: kitesurfing makes us better people

So, Erik, how are you? 

I am good, I have just returned to Venezuela, 

which has been a little bit like my 

second home for years now and I’ll be 

staying here for a couple of months. 

What is the situation like over there? 

Here in Italy we understand it is not 

so good... 

Yes, that’s true the situation is not 

good. Right now, the worst thing is the 

extremely high inflation rate. Just think 

that when you change a euro you get up 

to 4.500 bolivar. Of course, it is a lot 

for a European tourist like me and the 

cost of living is very low, but you have 

to consider that people here are starving 

and the average salary does not 

exceed 60 euros. You can feel the situation 

is tense and after seven o'clock 

in the evening, although I wouldn't call 

it curfew, there is no one the streets. Of 

course, I try to take precautions too. I'm 

now used to live in this area of South 

America. 

In spite of everything you love 

spending your time there as a kiter, 

don't you? 

Absolutely, just think that here it is 

summer all year round and it is always 

windy. There are flat water and wave 

conditions, any kind of chop; you can go 

out in the ocean and in the lagoons. In 

my opinion, it is even better than Brazil. 

I live in Adicora, a small village on 

a peninsula located on the northeast 

coast of the country opposite the island 

of Curaçao. In less than 10 km, I can access 

at least five high-quality spots. In 

the next few days, I'm going to train for 

a week in Los Roques, a historic spot, 

where some international outstanding 

riders will gather, amongst which Liam 

Whaley and Youri Zoon. 

In the past months we saw you in 

Cape Town, South Africa. Do you like 

it there too? 

Yes, Cape Town is also a wonderful 

spot. I have been going back there for 

at least six years for a 2-3 months stay. 

Not only it is full of great spots, but now 

there is also a range of quality services. 

Moreover, for disciplines like Big Air 

and Freestyle it is definitely one of the

134 Athletes 


best spots in the world. That's where 

some time ago I achieved my personal 

jumping record by scoring a height of 

23,01 meters. I doubt I could have made 

the same in any other place. In addition, 

I have many local friends who take me 

to some amazing places. 

Talking about Big Air, were you not 

meant to take part to the 2017 Red 

Bull King of the Air? 

Correct, I could not miss such a prestigious 

event. I sent my video to the organizers 

to be selected but unfortunately, 

although I was close I did not qualify 

for the competition. The level of the 

athletes is now very high and the set 

quota for this competition is quite limited. 

I will definitely try again next year. 

On the other hand, that same video 

got me selected for the The Megaloop 

Challenge, the Big Air event organized 

by Ruben Lenten in the Netherlands in 

April. I can't wait. 

You have just joined the Liquid Force 

international team, are you happy 

about that? 

Yes, I am very pleased. Last year, in 

Cape Town where they have a big centre, 

I took part to a Big Air contest and

136 Athletes 

Erik Volpe: kitesurfing makes us better people

it is technical, diversified and designed 

specifically for each discipline. On top 

of that, the graphics are beautiful and 

the bars are fantastic. 

What is the equipment with which 

you feel comfortable the most? 

With strong wind conditions definitely 

the HiFi, a pure C-kite thanks to which I 

can express myself at my best in Freestyle: 

it is slow enough during the manoeuvres 

and allows me to have safe 

sessions and comfortably ride upwind 

even in overpowered conditions. But, 

for lighter wind conditions, I use the NV, 

a kite with which I can do anything from 

Big Air and Freestyle to Wave riding. 

they were impressed. They contacted 

me and we immediately got on, and I 

joined the international team for the 

Freestyle and Big Air disciplines. A few 

months ago, we were in Portugal near 

Lisbon to test new equipment and make 

the first video and photo shooting. They 

are very good and I really like their gear, 

What is on your agenda after Venezuela? 

I go back to Italy, to Calabria to be precise, 

for a kite-teaching project for 

children aged 9 to 12 years old. It is 

something I really care about and which 

makes me incredibly satisfied. I started 

to kitesurf when I was 9 and not only 

this sport changed my life but it also 

transformed my personality: I used to 

be shy and would not talk to anyone as 

well as being quite insecure. Kitesurfing 

made me confident because when 

you are at sea you are on your own and 

you must be able to manage. It also allowed 

me to be more outgoing, friendly

138 

Athletes 


and gave me a right discipline. I very 

much love teaching children to whom 

I would like to convey all these values, 

as well as help overcome the barrier of 

what appears to be an extreme sport 

but which with the right tools can get 

anyone involved included kids and be 

a healthy way of having fun. Those children 

are waiting for me, and they text 

me almost every day, saying that they 

cannot wait to start. I feel very happy 

about it, as they are the future. 

Any other long-term projects? 

In October, I will definitely be at the 

Sardinia Grand Slam, which represents 

the Italian home event and can by no 

means be missed. I have also had an 

idea for a project for quite some time 

now but I am still struggling to get it 

realised with the Italian riders. I have 

a formula in mind: 5 riders travelling 

along the Italian coasts and telling 

about the spots, but also about themselves 

as athletes and as individuals. I 

think it is a good concept, but I cannot 

find anyone willing to share it, which 

does not make sense to me. In my career, 

I have been in international teams 

and got together with the best athletes. 

Abroad they come up with creative 

ideas and get together to achieve them. 

That is the only way to access any necessary 

budget. Here in Italy apart from 

Gabriele Garofalo who I was able to 

keep involved for a short time, up till 

now I have found no one else. But I won't 

give up.

140 

Didactics 

North Kiteboarding Academy 


The North Kiteboarding brand has recently launched an 

important multimedia project dedicated to didactics. It is 

called North Kiteboarding Academy and it includes quite a 

significant archive of high quality video tutorials entirely 

free and dedicated to every rider from beginners to wild 

experts of Foil, Freestyle and Strapless. Jeremie Tronet, 

North team rider and owner of the JT Pro Center tells us 

about this project, shot in the marvellous spot of Union 

Island, in the Grenadines (Caribbean). He will describe in 

detail what the project is about, the long-term objectives 

and the behind the scenes of the production work carried 

out at his home spot. 

David Ingiosi 

Photo Credit: JT Pro Center

142 

Didactics 


How and when did you and North Kiteboarding 

get together? 

Growing up on a small beautiful Caribbean Island 

(Martinique) and being passionate about 

Kitesurfing from the very beginning. Over 16 

years ago I already knew that I wanted this 

sport to be a big part of my life and a way 

for me to discover the world and see what 

other wonderful places and kite spots I would 

find around the world. Photography and video 

making was also a big part of this passion as a 

way to share my experience with other kiters 

through some of my first video edit and magazine 

features. After a few great years with my 

former sponsor Ocean Rodeo, I decided that 

I needed a change as I was setting the first 

JT Pro Center Kite School on Union Island in 

the Grenadines. During this transition time, I 

spent a year focusing on the center when Tom 

Court, North kiteboarding rider and a good 

friend of mine, introduced me to the North 

Kiteboarding team manager, we then decided 

to start a great partnership by including me 

into the team. Getting to know the team and, 

everyone working for the brand, was a really 

big revelation for me. The professionalism of 

the brand and quality of the gear I have the 

chance to use, together with the freedom of 

being able to create content to market both 

the brand and my kite center has been an 

amazing opportunity and I couldn't be happier.

144 

Didactics 

North Kiteboarding Academy

How many shootings have been done at 

your amazing place already? It´s product 

shootings, all your shootings plus the 

Academy now, am I missing sth.? 

One of the main reasons why I decided to 

settle and drop my board bags on Union Island 

to create my kite center is the beauty 

of the place. The beautiful clear warm 

water and location of the center allow you 

to shoot amazing pictures and videos right 

outside of your doorstep. This spot is a real 

content factory, there are so many things to 

shoot, so many different angles that I still 

discover every day. 

North Kitebaording came to visit with the 

whole team a couple of times already for the 

product shoots aboard a catamaran. Craig 

and Colleen spent a few weeks at home to 

shoot a really cool video which we uploaded 

on YouTube. The JT Pro Center is now home 

of the North Kiteboarding Academy and we 

also come up with different videos, photos 

and fun content every day on this spot. 

It never ends to surprise me and I never get 

bored of how beautiful it is here so there 

will definitely be a lot more content coming 

from this part of the world uploaded online. 

How did the idea of a North Kiteboarding 

Academy come up? 

I was actually contacted directly by North 

Kiteboarding about a big project they wanted 

to shoot with me at my home spot. When 

the concept of the North Kiteboarding 

Academy was presented to me I right away 

thought it was a great opportunity as it is 

something I have always wanted to do and 

shoot but was too lazy to set it up as such 

a project has to involve several people, a 

lot of time and energy to be done correctly. 

Sandra & Chris from Motion Manager both 

studied sport science and had already focused 

on visual multimedia based training 

methods during their studies at University. 

When they fell in love with kitesurfing the 

idea for the North Kiteboarding Academy 

was born! Thanks to an innovative marketing 

strategy of the professional North Kiteboarding 

Marketing Team it was possible to 

produce super professional video clips with 

camera drones, super slow motion cameras, 

innovative pov camera mounts and sophisticated 

graphic animations that help every 

kitesurfer to push their kitesurfing to the 

next level. All that shot in one of the best 

kite spots you can imagine! Chris and Sandra 

from Motion Manager Production Company 

would be our camera team and have 

proven to be really cool people to work with 

on such a demanding project. 

What was the intention of the academy? 

A very big project like the North Kiteboarding 

Academy had to be initiated by a big 

Kiteboarding brand as it demands hundreds 

if not thousands of hours of work, several 

people and a consequent budget to be able 

to do it at a professional level. 

Just like anything posted online it obviously 

has a marketing reason which is to let people 

know about the wide variety of Kiteboarding 

range that North Kiteboarding has to offer

146 

Didactics 


but not only this. For once, we wanted to put 

all the energy and budget into something 

that would be extremely useful to every rider 

at any level. It is a way to create content 

that would help everyone improve their riding 

style and give back to our existing customers. 

I really believe marketing can have 

so many different ways to have an impact 

and when done right it should benefit both 

customers and the brand. This is what the 

North Kiteboading Academy is about.

148 

Didactics 


How many clips are out there and is anything 

more planned? With which riders? 

At the moment there are a little less than 

30 clips in the North Kiteboarding Academy. 

They are organized into Beginner, Hooked, 

unhooked, Foil and surf categories so it 

would benefit the widest range of riders. A 

lot more clips have been shot already and 

are being edited as we speak so make sure 

to stay tuned for the upcoming future videos. 

I am the rider in most of the clips shot 

during the past season and, while I am writing 

this, the team is back on Union Island to 

shoot several additional tricks both hooked 

and unhooked. We now have the chance to 

have the impressive strapless Airton Cozzolino 

from the North kiteboarding team 

who will be featured in the next videos for 

everything Surf and Freetyle strapless. 

Why is your spot so perfect for the academy 

clips? 

We chose the JT Pro Center on Union Island 

for several reasons. First of all, we have the 

chance to have amazing wind conditions 

throughout the windy season from November 

to July and on top of this the beauty 

of the place allows us to shoot very clean 

and nice looking videos. One of the most 

convenient aspects of shooting here is the 

time we save to shoot every day. Everything 

here is at walking distance, from your hotel 

room, to the kite center to the town centre 

where you go for lunch or dinner, there is 

always no more than a 5 min walk between 

everything. The spot features several locations 

with shallow water and not too many 

riders which allow us to set up the cameras 

and get the angle we want without being 

disturbed too much. And being able to 

use all the boats, gear and staff of the kite 

center to assist us shooting has proven to 

be a great asset as well. 

We couldn't find an easier spot to create 

content efficiently and this is why everyone 

is back this year to shoot the second part of 

this amazing project. 

How long did it take you until you had the 

first clips done? How hard was it for you? 

As everyone came to shoot this project at 

the beginning of our season here I was a little 

afraid that I wouldn't be able to dedicate 

my full time to the project or that the wind 

wouldn't be strong the whole time. We set 

ourselves some goals and my experience 

in shooting on this spot saved us a lot of 

time in finding the right location. We really 

wanted to try and shoot as many tricks 

as possible so we could reach every rider 

out there (the wannabe foilers, freestylers 

or beginners). After the first couple of days 

we already had 3 or 4 clips shot (not edited). 

This was very surprising and when we 

finally got into the right redeem we decided 

to try and shoot as many clips as we could 

think of doubling our goals. This season is 

a little different, we know we did great last 

season and we want to make sure we can 

reach our goals. The team is here for one 

month so hopefully we will also have some 

time to show them around and explore our 

beautiful spots on our days off from shooting 

for the Academy. 

How can customers benefit from the clips? 

The North Academy has several purposes 

depending on what our customers are look-

150 

Didactics 

North Kiteboarding Academy

ing for. The beginner section is in no way 

here to replace Kitesurfing lessons as everyone 

wanting to learn Kitesurfing should take 

lessons in a certified Kite centre or with a 

certified Instructor. This section is here to 

remind beginners what they have already 

learnt during their lessons but also to help 

wannabe Kitesurfers discover the sport and 

give them an idea of what the basics of the 

sport is about and hopefully trigger them to 

go and sign up for a proper kite course. The 

other sections are here to push every rider 

to try new tricks and improve their levels. 

There are several videos all over the internet 

showing different tricks, but with the 

North Kiteboarding Academy we try and cre-

152 

Didactics 


ate a database of every trick people should 

try and every video follows a similar type of 

explanation, graphics and editing which will 

put the viewers in confidence and hopefully 

help them improve their level. 

How can schools benefit from the clips? 

I really believe the North Kiteboarding is a 

great tool for every kite centre: whether 

they use it as a tool to explain some manoeuvres 

on a big screen before going out 

in the water, in addition to the instructor’s 

tips. Or as a way to direct their students towards 

some of the videos for them to review 

the important key points after their lessons. 

Were you surprised about all the positive 

reactions when the Academy was launched? 

I wasn't really surprised by how well the 

whole project was received as I was sure 

that such a big catalogue of free online videos 

will make people very happy. 

What I was surprised about was how grateful 

some of the people were in some of the 

online comments or when meeting them on 

the beach. 

Most people were thanking us for releasing 

such videos saying that they had been waiting 

for this for a long time and now it was 

finally out.

This is a great motivation for us to get back 

in the water and create more videos. 

What are the advantages of the Academy? 

We really tried to get the perfect product 

for the customers by creating the North 

Kiteboarding Academy. First of all the quality 

of the videos is like nothing you can 

find online, the camera work, explanation, 

graphics and editing have been carefully 

polished to create a very nice product. The 

big challenge in such a video project is to 

make something so professional but also offering 

it for FREE to every kiteboarder out 

there and that is what makes the Academy 

so special I believe. Such a big project and 

time spent would usually require a paid subscription 

but luckily, none of the Academy 

clips requires any form of payment and never 

will. Creating the content was only one 

part of the project, at a time where mobile 

viewing is everything we incorporated the 

whole North Kiteboarding Academy into 

the North Kiteboarding App which you can 

download for free for your iphone or your 

android phone. By downloading the App you 

have access and can stream all the videos 

in each category, you can comment or ask 

for tips on how to land such or such other 

trick but the main feature is the offline view-

154 

Didactics 


ing. The North Kiteboarding App allows you 

to download each video onto your phone so 

you can watch the videos again and again 

when on holiday somewhere or on the beach 

far from any internet connection. The videos 

are also available on YouTube by visiting 

the North Kiteboarding YouTube Channel or 

directly on the North Kiteboarding website 

and all of this for free just a click away. 

How do customers get to you so they can 

experience your training and the beautiful 

spot? 

At the JT Pro Center we pride ourselves into 

giving every guest the best Kitesurfing experience, 

whether they come to learn kitesurfing 

for the first time or want to improve 

their riding style. We offer advanced lessons 

to learn new tricks but also discovery 

trips of the islands nearby. The Kite center 

is located on one of the best spots in the 

Grenadines and we offer rooms literally on 

the kite spot with the option to sail around 

the island by joining one of our day tours. It 

is the ultimate Kitesurfing holiday, you get 

transported directly into all the beauty you 

have been watching at home. 

To find all the necessary info about this 

amazing spot and to book your stay here 

visit www.kitesurfgrenadines.com.

156 Experience 

A day in the life of a Kite Instructor 

J e s s i c a

W i n k l e r 

A day in the life of 

a Kite Instructor 

Many people dream of living the life of 

a kite instructor travelling the world, 

working on the beach and meeting all 

sorts of people. For ten years I have 

worked for and owned my own kite 

schools and I can tell you that not 

everyday is a party. There are many incredible 

experiences and sometimes 

it can be gruelling. I want to share with 

you a typical day for many of the hard 

working kite instructors out there. 

Jessica Winkler



My alarm rings at 6:30 am to which I reply with 

hitting the snooze button and trying to stretch 

out my stiff body. I'm so tired from the full day 

of kite lessons the day before, I don't feel like 

I've even slept. Just before the countdown on 

the snooze ends and my phone makes a plethora 

of annoying noises, I get up, swear then stumble 

down the hallway to the kitchen and turn on 

the hot water to make coffee. I now have exactly 

17 minutes before I need to leave the house so I 

begin rushing around like a mad woman putting 

together my kit: Instructor shirt, hat, BB Talking 

radio, helmets, lunch, sunscreen, wetsuit, sweater 

and iPad. 

I pour the coffee into a togo mug, I grab my bag 

and head out the door. Opening the door to my 

car, I'm hit with the offensive smell of yesterday’s 

forgotten wetsuit top curdled by the late afternoon 

sun. Rolling down the windows and driving

fast I try and fumigate my car. Once at office I 

switch vehicles and take our work van to the 

beach I remember we have an eight year old student 

today so I quickly load a 6m kite with short 

lines and a 115 cm board in the van causing me to 

arrive thirty min before the first student.



Open the school while I sip my coffee 

Still sipping my morning coffee and desperately 

trying to fictitiously energise myself, I juggle 

it amongst the two kites, board, harnesses and 

my personal bag needed for my lesson. Whilst I 

walk down the deep sand path, I drop a harness 

and as I bend down to pick it up, I spill coffee on 

my shirt. Thank god I did not put my instructor 

shirt on yet so it didn’t matter. Muscles straining 

I manage to pick up all my stuff and make it 

to the picnic table where we set up for the day. 

I drop all my belongings in one swoop and I exhale 

and remind myself that this job makes me fit 

and healthy. I'm on manager duty so it's my job to 

set up the flags, trainer bar and sandwich board. 

As I'm walking back to the van to grab the (what

feels like to me) 50 lbs sandwich board the rest 

of the staff shows up and each one grabs its own 

kit. We all say good morning to each other with 

tired tanned faces and walk back to the picnic 

table. 

Shortly after, our first group of students arrive. 

I see bright smiling faces of parents trailing behind 

a gaggle of children. Then I pair off each student 

to the instructor best suited to their body 

type and personality. Naturally, I take the mother 

because I used to specialise in doing women’s


A day in the life of a Kite Instructor

kite camps for women between forty-five and 

sixty-five years old. I always found them to be 

the most rewarding because normally they were 

terrified and after spending so many years worrying 

about kids and their household, they really 

lost touch with themselves. I always found it so 

rewarding to see the shear elation on their faces 

when they got up on the board for the first time. 

The journey from the first moment they touched 

the kite to the getting up on the board is something 

that they will remember for rest of their 

lives. It's such a blessing to be a part of this 

growth. Suzanne is a lovely woman who used to 

be sporty back in her day but now is insecure 

about her abilities like most women are. The one 

thing teaching thousands of people to kite has 

taught me is how to put a person at ease. 

Teaching women: pleasure and pain 

Women are different from men, in the fact they 

want to know the How, Why, What if and go at a 

pace they feel comfortable with. I’m very attentive 

to my body language and the tone and cadence 

of my voice. I go into great detail explaining 

How the kite works and Why I want them to 

hold the bar in a certain manner. I am also very 

clear to combat all the What ifs. 

She begins to visually relax and we move on to 

getting out in the water. During the walk out to 

sea in the slightly crisp knee-deep water, she 

asks me the standard three questions every single 

tourist asks us. Where are you from? How 

long have you been here? How long have you 

been kiting? Honestly I cringe every time I hear 

this but I do my best to make it sound like it’s 

the first time someone has ever asked me these 

questions and I used the opportunity to distract 

her from what we were doing as I casually hook 

the kite on to her harness. 

In my experience, women like to chat and when 

I offer small talk in amongst the instruction they 

have a lot more fun and learn to fly the kite with 

ease. After an hour and forty-five minutes of 

constant chatter, I'm getting tired of hearing the 

sound of my own voice so I check my watch to 

see how much time is left in the lesson.



Thankfully, we are at the point to give her a try on 

the board so I sit her down in the water and grab 

the bar. I tell her I will help her fly the kite so she 

can focus on the board. 

The toil of a kite instructor 

When she is ready, I dive the kite for her and push 

her up. This technique is one I've really found to 

be successful even though it is physically hard 

on my body. As a small woman, my teaching style 

does tend to leave me more tired at the end of 

the day but I want to see my students succeed 

so I sacrifice myself. She manages to get up for a 

few seconds then sinks back in the water. I congratulate 

her on doing a good job and run through 

the water to grab the board then her to try again. 

On the second attempt, she goes a bit further but 

takes a tumble. I laugh and cheer to the almost 

confusion of my student but I’ve had the most 

success with students not getting frustrated or 

scared when you can make them laugh when 

they fall. It is such a great tension easer and it 

makes them remember to have fun with it. By the 

end of the lesson, she has had a good little ride 

and has a smile a mile wide across her face. One 

of the best things about being a kite instructor 

is seeing the person in two short hours go from 

total fear to happy success.



Multilingual lessons? No problem 

Sitting back on the beach in my red plastic chair, 

exhausted, another instructor walks up to me 

and says someone wants a lesson but doesn't 

speak English. I get up and walk over to the person 

to quickly realize he is Brazilian. Thank god, 

I lived in Jericoacoara from 2007 to 2009 so I 

can speak Portuguese. He wanted to start a lesson 

right away so I put on my instructor shirt on 

and fumbled my way through a lesson. I have no 

problem chatting in Portuguese but I have not 

taught a lesson in the language in more then five 

years so it was a struggle. Somehow, he managed 

to understand me and got up riding by the end of 

the lesson. Success! 

At 3 o’clock, I was starving so I jumped in the 

work van soaking wet and sandy to the corner 

store for a Haitian patty. For two dollars, it fills 

you up and tastes good enough. As I jump out of 

the van, a group of locals whistle from the bushes 

and all I hear is dam girl. I laugh and wave at them 

because I see them everyday. The exchange is 

harmless and flattering. It’s nice to be noticed. 

Teaching kids is the true challenge 

Back to the beach for the last lesson of the day, 

an 8 year old 54 lbs girl. I’m not going to lie I was 

nervous about teaching such a small girl but the 

tide was very low and I knew her parents well. Her 

dad had her flying a trainer kite for years already 

so she had a good concept of the kite. As soon as 

they arrived she came running up to me yelling 

“Jessica, Jessica”, I’ve never been a kid person

so her eagerness to see me was somewhat troubling. 

She wrapped her arms around me tightly 

yelling “let’s kite, let’s kite”! Feeling a little uncomfortable, 

I peeled her off me and showed her 

how to set up the 6m Cabrinha Switchblade with 

short lines in a game-like manner but her dad 

persisted on butting in and getting all technical. 

I kept thinking to myself, why is he telling her 

stuff she can’t possibly comprehend? But I assumed 

it was a father-daughter bonding thing so 

I let it happen. It can be really frustrating sometimes 

when the parents intervene too much in a 

lesson because a lot of the time they have bad 

habits themselves and I don’t want the younger 

generation to pick them up. 

Rule n° 101: avoid talking about what the sand 

is made of! 

After some time, I began to gain control of the 

lesson again and we moved on to kite control. 

Walking out in the water, I asked my little student 

if she knew what sand was made of. She said no 

and I told her it was parrotfish poop. Upon hearing 

this she began screaming, jumping on my 

leg and began climbing up like a tree of safety. I 

thought this was hilarious. At this point fish poop 

was a hot topic of conversation. Looking back, I 

should have not mentioned fish poop. Kid lesson 

101. I thought to myself how on earth am I going 

to get this kid focused again and came up with a 

great idea. 

Get her in the air so she stops screaming about

168 

Experience 

A day in the life of a Kite Instructor

standing on the sand. I put two leashes together, 

clipped them on to her harness and told her to 

bring the kite above her head and pull the bar. 

Her little body was immediately air born and her 

screams of terror turned into screams of joy. We 

continued to do this over and over, until her dad 

got irritated and forced us to get on the board. 

She had absolutely no interested in this and I 

whispered in her ear if she got up on the board 

for her dad we could go flying again. Eventually 

her lips started turning blue and I suggested we 

go in the beach and warm up. 

Once we got back, she ran over to her brother 

and started building a sand castle. Her father 

was so excited about having his daughter out 

on the water he booked me all week for lessons. 

I was flattered but at a complete lost on how I 

was supposed to entertain this child who clearly 

did not have the mental capacity to manage the 

board and kite together. Distracted by my sudden 

thirst for a beer I hugged the father and told him I 

was excited to see them the following day. 

Enjoying the last sip of my beer, I stared at the 

three kites set up on the beach I still had to pack 

up. Sluggishly I waddled over to the first kite careful 

not to irritate my freshly chafed thighs any 

further and began folding. Reflecting on the day, I 

smiled to myself. It really is paradise and no matter 

how tired and sore my body is, I love what I do.

158 

Awards 

Daniela Moroz: she is blond, young and invincible 

The American kiter Daniela Moroz is only 17 but on 2nd March 

2017, she won the US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year 

Awards 2016, one of the most prestigious international awards 

that a sailor can achieve. A well-deserved award following her 

amazing 2016 season of competitions crowned with two world 

titles.

Daniela Moroz 

she is blond, young and invincible 

Watch Daniela Moroz’s video in 

Mexico during the winter: 

David Ingiosi _ Photo Credit: Mika Petrikof e Neil Howe

158 

Awards 


"Today was one of the craziest days of my life 

and there are a million things going through 

my head right now. All I can say is do what you 

love, and always remember to have fun. This will 

always make the journey completely worth the 

final result, whatever that may be. Thank you to 

everyone for following me along on this journey. 

I couldn't have done it without your support". 

Daniela Moroz 

she is blond, young and invincible

That’s what the kiter Daniela 

Moroz (https://danielakitesurf. 

wordpress.com) on 2nd March 

2017 wrote on her Facebook 

page after being honoured 

with the US Sailing Rolex 

Yachtswoman of the Year 

Awards 2017, one of the most 

prestigious international 

awards that a sailor can 

achieve. This prize is awarded 

every year by the United States 

Sailing Association (US Sailing, 

http://rolex.ussailing.org), and 

it praises those athletes who 

during the previous 12 months 

have achieved incredible 

results. 

This is an important award for 

Moroz for two reasons: first 

because Daniela was only 16 

when she won it becoming this 

way the youngest athlete to 

ever receive it. This award has 

been conferred over the history 

since 1961 to true world sailing 

icons such as Paul Cayard, Ed 

Baird, Steve Fosset, Dennis 

Conner, Ted Turner and Anna 

Tunnicliffe, just to name a few. 

The second reason is that 

Daniela is a kiter who broke 

a barrier by convincing the 

international judges to extend 

this award not only to a totally 

new sailing discipline such as 

kitesurf, but for the first time 

to confer it to a woman kiter. 

Before her, only the rider 

Johnny Heineken had won it

158 

Awards 


2012. When she received the 

prestigious award during the 

ceremony set up in the elegant 

Model Room of the New York 

Yacht Club in Manhattan, 

Daniela did not hide her own 

surprise “I was completely 

surprised when they told me I’d 

won,” said Moroz. “I didn’t think 

I would get it because I don’t 

regard myself as a sailor. Kiting 

is a very different sport and I 

thought they would choose a 

sailor. “While sailing and kiting 

have their differences, we’re all 

sailors,” Moroz said. “We have 

a passion for the wind that no 

one else understands". 

Moroz had a phenomenal year 

in 2016, just her first year of 

international competition. The 

high school sophomore won 

the IKA Formula Kite World 

Championship last September 

in Weifang-Binhai, China. She 

followed up that success by 

winning the female division 

of the inaugural Hydrofoil Pro 

Tour, which included victories at 

the final two stops in Mauritius 

and Rockingham, Western 

Australia. 

Moroz was bitten by the sailing 

bug before she was even born. 

Her parents, Vlad and Linda, 

are both avid windsurfers and

competed nationally. Her mom, 

Linda, sailed a windsurf regatta 

on San Francisco Bay while 

pregnant with Daniela. By the 

time Daniela had to choose 

between windsurfing and 

kitesurfing her father had taken 

up the latter and she saw it as 

the next wave of water-borne 

participatory sport. 

“Kiting is an extreme sport and 

can be dangerous. By the time 

I started learning it had gotten 

a lot safer than when my dad 

started five years earlier,” 

said Daniela Moroz. “A lot of 

windsurfers are transitioning to 

kiting. It’s easier on the body 

and you go a lot faster. I’d 

done windsurfing when I was 

younger and kiting is the next 

progression of water sports.” 

Moroz looks up to Johnny and 

Erika Heineken, the legendary 

brother-sister kitesurfing duo, 

but also to her instructor, Sandy 

Parker, who provided the right 

amount of guidance to develop 

a world champion and Rolex 

award winner before she even 

earned her driver’s license. 

“She’s an amazing girl, very 

mature for her age,” said 

Parker. “When we first met her 

dad introduced us and I didn’t 

believe it when she said she 

was 11 years old. She’s tall for 

her age. 

“The hardest part of kiting is 

understanding how the wind 

works and how it interacts with 

the kite,” Parker said. “Daniela’s 

windsurfing background helped 

her understand all of that early 

in her lessons. Kitesurfing is 

about multitasking, flying the 

kite and controlling the board. 

She was able to put it all 

together very quickly.” 

What she really does is putting 

together her passion for the sea 

and water sports with a pure 

talent, just as an outstanding 

athlete, this is Daniela Moroz.

Conquer 

Every Set 

MAD DOG SERIES 

PERFORMANCE WAVE 

Get one step closer to pro. Born from the DNA of our pro-model boards—which are ridden by the world’s 

top watermen, such as Kai Lenny—the Mad Dog series fuses elite shaping and constructions with 

accessible design. With low-profile rails, significant volume and approachable widths, Mad Dog boards 

strike the perfect balance between stability and responsiveness, so you can carve with confidence. 

CARBON PRO 

LIGHTWEIGHT & STIFF 

CRISP & DIRECT FEEL 

BAREBONES 

CLASSIC, SURF-STYLE FLEX PATTERN 

EASY ON THE WALLET 

LENGTH 

WIDTH 

VOLUME 

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 

101L 

8’1”/246.4 cm 

29”/73.7 cm 

111L 

8’6”/259.1 cm 

29”/73.7 cm 

121L 

Agenzia per l’Italia: Ocean Avenue 

. 

info@oceanavenue.it 

naishsup.com NaishStandUpPaddling NaishSUP 

. 

+39 328 6442519 

frankiebees.com, Rider: Kai Lenny

178 

PRODUCT FOCUS 

RRD 

Product focus 

AMAZONE PRO ZIPLESS 4/3 

www.robertoriccidesigns.com 

Text & Photo: RRD Courtesy 

SIZES: 6/8/10/12/14 

THICKNESSES: 4/3 • 3/2 

FEATURES 

• Internal fabric tape only on seam joint areas 

• Quick dry linen on front and back main panels 

• 360 ultrastretch back panel 

• Antiskid deck protection liquid tape on side seams 

• Drain holes 

• Ankle water lock straps

The new Amazone PRO ZI- 

PLESS combines the most flexible 

wetsuit panel design with a 

zipless entry, to further improve 

flexibility, warmth and freedom 

of movement. 

The inside front and rear panels 

use quick dry linen to improve 

warmth and reduce drying time. 

The Amazone PRO ZIPLESS is 

the new choice for PRO RIDERS 

looking for the thinnest neoprene 

thickness with the best warmth/flexibility 

ratio.

180 

PRODUCT FOCUS 

F-One 

Product focus 

RRD ZERO B/Z 

www.robertoriccidesigns.com 

Text & Photo: RRD Courtesy 

MEN'S SIZES: XS/S/M/MT/L/LT/XL/XXL/XXXL 

THICKNESSES: 5/3 • 4/3 • 3/2 • 2/2 

FEATURES 

• Flatlock stitching 

• Mesh panel on shoulders and 

chest 

• Superstretch top panels 

• Drain holes 

• Velcro ankle straps 

The right wetsuit for those looking 

for the best ratio between 

warmth, price and performance. 

Made with Superstrech 

neoprene top panels for the 

upper body, combined with Durastretch 

neoprene for the rest 

of the suit. 

The ZERO Backzip offers an additional 

warm potential thanks 

to the special chest and back 

panels, where mesh neoprene 

accelerates wind drying time.

182 

PRODUCT FOCUS 

F-One 

Product focus 

F-ONE BANDIT 

www.f-onekites.com 

Text & photos: F-ONE Courtesy 

SIZES/range: 

4m² : 

35+ knts 

5m² : 

30+ knts 

6m² : 

28+ knts 

7m² : 

25+ knts 

8m² : 

20 > 35 knts 

9m² : 

15 > 30 knts 

10m² : 

12 > 26 knts 

11m² : 

11 > 24 knts 

12m² : 

10 > 22 knts 

14m² : 

8 > 18 knts 

17m² : 

8 > 16 knts 

The design is very exciting, with 

a very wide array of performance 

and flying abilities, which is 

rather uncommon for an individual 

kite. When designing the 

kites, power is always prioritized 

for the development of larger 

sizes while strapless and wave 

riding are the main design criteria 

for the smaller sizes. For its 

10th edition, the Bandit keeps 

all of its original qualities but 

becomes even easier and more 

comfortable to fly. The development 

work has been focused on 

traction and speed. 

Powerful enough to achieve 

early planing, the kite seems to 

self-regulate naturally to pull 

you effortlessly. We got rid of 

the lateral pull so that you can 

ride with less pressure on your 

back and legs. Riding upwind 

is amazingly easy, traction is 

softer and totally regulated. 

This new version of the Bandit 

is the must have kite for wave 

riding and Camille Delannoy can 

confirm it!

Product focus 

MITU PRO MODEL CARBON 5'6 

SIZE 5'4'' | 5’6’’ 

DimensioNS 162 x 46 cm | 167 x 46.5 cm 

Volume 18 L | 19 L 

Weight 3.05 kg* | 3.11 kg *Due to the custom manufacturing process 

The level of strapless riding has 

increased so much for both the 

professionals and the average 

rider. When riding strapless, any 

weight loss translates into a direct 

advantage for the wind to 

keep the board pressed against 

your feet. We have focused our 

development work on the technology 

and materials to offer 

the best possible construction 

following two main criteria: 

The weight: the construction 

out of HD Foam carbon composite 

with a brushed finish has 

been done to get an extremely 

light and reliable board. 

The comfort: we have worked 

specifically on the flex of the 

board, as carbon tends to naturally 

bring more stiffness. The 

45° bi-axial carbon fabric gets 

rid of the longitudinal fibers and 

keeps the flex of the board. 

The Mitu is transformed and 

provides incredible sensations.

80 

Wave strapless 

The Jibe 

THE 

JIBE 

So you’ve mastered the art of the twin tip and have decided to take the next step towards 

expanding your board riding abilities by taking on the directional surfboard. You find 

yourself up and riding without a problem until you realize that you’re no longer on a doubleender 

and you are going to need to turn around by switching your feet. One of the easiest 

ways to do this is to Jibe. A Jibe is a downwind turn.

1. 

Release your edge and start riding flat 

on the board. Begin to bring your kite up 

towards the 12 o’clock position. 

2. 

As you begin moving your kite to 12 

o’clock, start turning your board downwind 

and shifting your weight forward 

onto your front foot.

80 

Wave strapless 

The Jibe 

3. 

As your kite approaches the 12 o’clock 

position and you feel yourself becoming 

lighter on your board from the lift of the 

kite, you switch your feet. The lift of the 

kite making you lighter on your board is 

a key part to smoothly transition your 

feet. 

4. 

You should be able to swap your feet in 

two steps: your front foot should be at a 

45 degree angle to your board so when 

you feel yourself light on the board, take 

your back foot’s big toe and place it as 

close to your front foot’s big toe. This will 

be your most unstable point so be sure 

to spend the least amount of time in this 

position. Feel free to use the pull of the 

kite and the bar to help keep you steady. 

5. 

he moment you feel your back foot steady 

on the board, take your front foot and put 

it where your back foot was. At this time, 

your kite should be passing 12 o’clock 

and heading to 11. 

6. 

Your feet are switched, so continue to 

bring the kite down towards the water to 

keep your forward momentum going and 

head back the direction you came from. 

W a v e s t

TIPS 

You can switch your feet before, after or 

during the turn; the choice is up to you 

as whatever feels the most natural will 

be easiest, but the steps to changing 

your foot placement will be the same. 

Keeping your weight centered on the 

board is key, by doing so you will keep the 

board stable. Stepping wildly around and 

off centered on the board will increase 

the difficulty of staying on the board and 

completing the Jibe. 

Remember, you feet are simply switching 

positions, not creating new ones. 

Your back foot becomes your front and 

your front becomes your back. You went 

into the turn with your feet in the ideal 

spot on the board so it only makes sense 

that is where they need to be when you 

finish the turn. 

Taking your back hand off the bar allows 

you to twist your upper body and counterbalance 

yourself throughout the turn. 

Switching your feet by jumping is not 

ideal, it can be done, but unless your feet 

land perfectly in place, you will fall off of 

the board. 

r a p l e s s

188 

Tutorial Freestyle 

MOBYDICK NOSE GRAB 

MOBYDICK 

A L B E 

T u t o r i a l 

F r e e s t y l e 

NOSE GR

R T O R O N D I N A 

AB 

passing the bar so early makes it look a 

lot different. 

S t e p S : 

1. Look for a proper steep kicker, unhook 

and get ready to leave your back hand 

straight away. 

2. As soon as you hit the kicker, push 

with your head backwards to start the 

rotation but also keep the bar close to 

your front heap to do the pass. 

3. Pass the bar behind your back, but 

keep on pushing with your head to keep 

the momentum going. 

4. As soon as your hand leaves the bar, 

go look for the nose of your board. Be 

sure to be bending the front leg enough 

to reach the board with your hand. 

The Mobydick is one of my favorite tricks 

off kickers! Yah ‘cause the Moby is pretty 

different from all the other tricks especially 

in the take off where you don't have 

to edge at all, but basically spin downwind. 

I figured out that the take off was like 

doing a Back Flip on a trampoline and it 

feels exactly the same to me. Basically, 

it’s the same rotation of a Front Mobe but 

5. Think about grabbing the bar with the 

other hand as soon as possible, this will 

help you finish the rotation and land 

heelside but also keep the kite in the 

same place. 

6. Bend your knees and get ready for a 

soft landing!

KITESOUL È ANCHE IS ON SU APP APP STORE! STORE! 

SCARICA DOWNLOAD LA NOSTRA OUR APP APP ANDE 

FEEL THE FLOW 

NON PeRDete IL PROSSIMO NEXT next ISSUE NuMeRO ISSue jUNE GIune - JULY DICeMBRe - out JuLY on out - GeNNAIO the on 2 th th of IN APRIL uSCItA JUNE 2017 IL 2 DICeMBRe 2015 

Per informazioni o suggerimenti More info at: contattateci info@kitesoul.com all’indirizzo info@kitesoul.com 

Per la pubblicità sul magazine Adv: adv@kitesoul.com 

o sul nostro sito adv@kitesoul.com

Kitesoul Magazine #17 English Edition

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?