Discover a pristine kitesurfing spot in the Philippines with Camille and Capucine Delannoy! In this article, you'll follow the pair as they navigate the challenges of discovering a new location while shooting the new North collection. You'll be inspired by their approach to riding in unexplored waters and embracing a new culture as they share their 10-day journey into the unknown…

We've always done something involving the wind; our parents used to windsurf when we were younger, although we were always kitesurfers. Growing up, we saw North Sails everywhere! From clothing to windsurfing equipment, North Sails has always been a big name in the industry. So, seeing this new, highly recognisable logo on the latest equipment was amazing. It feels like we're part of a bigger brand and industry, and we were beyond stoked when we got the invite to shoot the new collection!

The Philippines is a location that is new to both of us. We were so excited when the North team told us about the spot they'd chosen for the shoot. It would be our first time in Asia, but we knew it would be a mission to get there. Capucine was travelling from Brazil and had a 24-hour trip to meet Camille in Tarifa, and together, we had another almost two days of travel to get to the spot. Tarifa to Istanbul, Istanbul to Manila, an overnighter in Manila, and then a domestic flight to Luzon Island, followed by a few hours in a car to get to the spot. It was pretty mind blowing knowing that we were about to discover just one of the 7,640 islands that make up the Philippines.

We met the team once we arrived at our destination in the northern part of this island chain. As riders, the team included us (Camille and Capucine) and Chucho, who would be riding wings. Rebecca from the marketing department coordinated everything while we were there, and Brand Director Mike Raper was there to oversee it all. The very talented media crew consisted of Frankie and Slater, who we already knew from the shoot in Maui, and some new faces, Adam and Miles. As you can see, we had all the ingredients for an epic shoot, as long as the conditions delivered!

When we arrived, the wind was pumping, and even though we were exhausted from the travel and the sun was only an hour away from touching the water, our desire to get on the water brought us back to life immediately. We were all so happy to be there, and everybody was keen to shoot. We hurried to get set up for our very first session, and in that first hour, on the first day, we got some of the best shots of the trip. What a great way to start - and we still had ten days to go!

We were excited by the epic first session that we only really took in our surroundings once we'd gotten off the water and could finally settle in. This was the first time we had heard of this spot, and trying to research it before our trip did not offer much insight, as only a few people have ever kited here. We had no idea what to expect from the conditions but were pleasantly surprised. 

Finding a spot with nobody around but 25-35 knots of wind every day, flat water, and waves is unbelievable. The water was warm and crystal-clear, and it was some of the most inviting kite conditions we've experienced, especially as we love the waves! The wave spot was about 200 metres out to sea, outside of the protective reef, but the flat water lagoon was only 20 metres from our rooms, making it possible to score perfect freestyle sessions until the last ray of sunshine. 

Our hotel was virtually in the middle of nowhere, but it was a lovely spot with a little cabana and restaurant right on the beach. The Philippines offered some of the prettiest landscapes we had ever seen, with rice fields all around, endless palm trees, and a pristine natural environment that felt untouched. The area we stayed in had several small villages but was otherwise not developed, with no big towns or cities nearby. It was nice to discover a new culture on this trip. 

Filipino people are incredibly kind, friendly, and open-minded. The locals at the spot were super curious, asking us questions about kiting, taking pictures, and just so interested in what we were doing there. Not many tourists or kiters come to this spot, and it was always a lot of fun getting to know the locals and sharing our excitement for our sport with them. The food was where we had our biggest cultural surprise, and our first breakfast was a unique experience! With only rice and meat on the breakfast table, we were confused! Where were the sweets? Where are the pancakes and maple syrup? But, honestly, the rice and meat were pretty delicious, and we quickly got used to having rice with every meal!

Shooting completely differs from a normal training session or free riding; it requires a lot of teamwork. You must communicate with the photographers, videographers, and other riders. In this spot, with the waves so far from the beach and a lot of current, it's really difficult to communicate with each other on the water. For us, having a clear plan with the media crew before we launch our kites is key. What kind of shot do we want? Which angle are we going to shoot? Which part of the wave do we want to shoot? We start the sessions by making these plans, and then we make it work! While we all have different passions, we are driven by the same goal: delivering the best shots. 

There was one session that neither of us will forget. We spotted this perfect wave breaking quite far out, but there was no way we could get into the water in front of the wave, so we had to walk down to the next bay. We arrived in the bay to discover that it was super sheltered from the wind, so Camille pumped up a kite, threw it into the water, and started swimming with the kite dragging behind him. He had to swim for so, so long before launching the kite from the water and riding 20 minutes upwind to get up to the wave.

After seeing the struggle to get out to the waves, Capucine, with the help of our super local guide, Chris, drove 5 km downwind to a beach where the wind was blowing. That upwinder was a massive one, but when we finally met at the wave, it became immediately clear that this wave, while perfect from the beach, wouldn't work in the slightest for kiteboarding. We turned right back around and headed downwind, and with kites dropping in the middle of the bay and another long swim back, it was definitely the fail of the trip!

Many of these spots were sketchy for kiting, with lots of rocks and cliffs and most of the bays being sheltered from the wind. We did a fair bit of swimming during these ten days, and when it came time to do a water launch, it was always with the hope that the wind was strong enough for it to work, all while alone in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, it was pretty scary; no jetskis, no boats, no safety. Having a backup plan when riding in places like this is incredibly important. We're always looking downwind, seeing what's in the next bay, and planning where we'll end up if the wind dies. Knowing you have a solid plan for what to do if something goes wrong makes the ride much more comfortable. 

On many occasions, we'd be standing on the beach, looking at the waves beyond the reef, wondering if we could ride them. Then, we'd swim out and try to make it work. Most of the time, it did work, which was always the best reward. We got some excellent shots, and it was well worth it! We did leave quite a few fins behind in the reef when riding at low tide, and they're probably still there somewhere…

While there's some anxiety when riding in spots like this, it is well balanced by the excitement of showing up to a place and knowing that only a handful of people, if any, have ridden there. We've shot in several locations like Mauritius and Brazil, where you're guaranteed to get good conditions and great shots, but those places are easy. In the Philippines, it was a real adventure, and it was the challenge that made this trip so memorable. 

We scored with the conditions; even though we only stayed ten days, we accomplished so much. We shot with three or four different kites and all the surfboards in the range and explored every new spot we could find. Riding the new gear and seeing the new logo was a special experience. The new Carve was very intuitive and super reactive, perfect for the wave portion of the shoot. It's great to be on a kite that is so easy to adapt to while riding in completely new conditions. We also spent some time riding the Code Zero, which is impressively light and surprisingly fun to ride in the waves! 

This was the first shoot where the whole crew stayed in the same hotel and shared every meal. In some of the other shoots we've done, we're not always together like this, but with the North team, we came together like a family. Being so connected for that time, we shared so much and built new friendships. It made the trip all that much more special and that much harder to leave! After we set off to our next competition on the wave tour, the rest of the team continued to the south of the Philippines to meet up with Jesse, Mark, Nick, and Karlie to shoot the rest of the collection. We can only hope they had as much of an adventure as we did!

 

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One North | North Kiteboarding
By Camille Delannoy

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