Meet Arthur Guillebert, 2021 GKA Freestyle World Champion and top big air competitor! In The Interview, he shares insights into his recent triumphs, Eleveight's latest gear releases, and his preparations for the Red Bull King of the Air 2023. Read Arthur's perspective on the evolving kiteboarding scene, his favourite disciplines, dream destinations, and more in this exclusive interview!

Arthur, thank you for joining us for The Interview! We featured you in our "Ten Questions" segment five years ago… What have you been up to since?! What has been your greatest achievement in the past five years?

For the past five years, I have mainly been focused on following the GKA World Tour. Of course, I am happy to have already realised my dreams as I won the GKA Freestyle World Title in 2021 and participated in the Red Bull King of the Air for the first time that year!

What was it like winning the 2021 Freestyle World Championship? Is that a goal that you have been working towards for a long time?

It was incredible to win the title, and it was my prize accomplishment as a result of all my hours of training on and off the water. I made a lot of sacrifices to get there, and it's just the ultimate reward. There is no more prestigious competition in freestyle, so it is a personal achievement of an entire career. Since then, I have been fully focused on training, and despite past injuries, I am determined to win back the title. I recently won the GKA Freestyle event in Brazil, which proves I have what it takes, and I will keep fighting! Being in King of the Air this year is also an honour, and I do my best to send it big!

While you have been based in France for many years, you are originally from New Caledonia. How often do you get back there? What do you miss most about New Cal?

Yes, I grew up in New Caledonia, and I came back to France to follow the kite competitions. I try to go there every year, but recently it's been complicated to travel. My parents still live there so I would say that's what I miss the most, but I also have a lot of friends there, and of course the climate is amazing too!

You have been the star of the Eleveight team since the start of your professional kiteboarding career. What do you love about the team?

It's so great that we were able to grow and develop at the same time, both in my professional riding and, of course, for the brand to launch and then become the success they are today. I'm super happy being on the team as I also have input in developing the products and feel very much like part of the Eleveight family. We have had a lot of good times together, and we're still growing together today.

We saw you attended the Eleveight Dealer's Meeting in Tarifa a few weeks ago. What was it like spending time with all the dealers? How was the reception to the new 2024 lineup?

I look forward to the Eleveight Dealer Meeting each year, as it's like a big family reunion. In many ways, the dealers feel like friends, and it's always great to spend time together. This year, we were in Tarifa as it's such a great setup there, and the nuking wind at Balneario got all the Eleveight big air riders pumped to send it together. Some of our dealers are real weapons on the water, and it is so much fun to ride with them. 

It was super nice to see the reactions from everyone when the next season's gear was presented, especially as I played a part in the development and testing process. It's certainly a special lineup, and everyone couldn't wait to get their hands on their favourite setup. Luckily, we had wind every day, so testing the equipment and riding together was very cool!

Speaking of new gear, Eleveight has just released the RS+ V2. Tell us all about it! What sets it apart from the standard RS? What features do you like most about it?

The RS+ V2 has just been released after receiving amazing feedback when we launched the V1 last year. The main difference from the RS is in the materials used, as the RS+ is like a top-level pimped-up version. The lightweight Dynea Tex material is a more rigid and resistant fabric, which improves the performance of the kite. Along with the XS, I really like using it for big air as it's more responsive and steers better for extreme loops!

What do you think of Eleveight's newest model of the FS, the freestyle machine? How about the latest XS? Is this your go-to kite for big air?

The FS remains unbeaten as my essential kite for freestyle. I use it only for that, and it works perfectly. KOTA is a completely different ball game, and for that, I need Eleveight's true big air weapon - the XS! It's developed specifically for height and hangtime, so it's big air's best friend.

You also have a pro model twin tip with Eleveight, the Commander AG Pro. What elements of this board were designed for you? What type of rider should try out your board?

I was proud to launch my AG Pro board two years ago, and it's great to see our top riders put it into action. It's a high-level board for freestyle, created in honour of my world title. I worked closely with our board designer and even chose the design. Any rider who wants to advance their freestyle with straps or boots can still ride it as it gives extraordinary grip and pop. I used a prototype for the new version in my recent win at the GKA Brazil event, and it will be released soon. I can't wait to see the reactions!

As a pro athlete, you must balance the competition scene with supporting your sponsors in their marketing endeavours - two completely different worlds! What is it like to feature in a brand product shoot?

It's two completely different worlds, for sure, but each of them complements the other. Thanks to Eleveight, I have been able to develop my image and have more visibility amongst the general kite public. It's important to me as it gives me notoriety in competition and fuels my fire and my results. We've just finished our team product shoot in Brazil, and it was so much fun and something I look forward to each year.

It's clear that you spend most of your time on the water training, which shows in your performance in recent competitions. How do you handle the pressure on competition day?

I train a lot, and that's what makes me confident during competitions. I also train with a coach to help me mentally manage stress outside of my training on the water. It takes real focus for everything to line up and a lot of practice!

The Red Bull King of the Air 2023 is coming up in one month! What are you doing to prepare? What are your aspirations for the event?

Preparing for KOTA means riding in big air conditions for sure, but my recent freestyle competitions also helped me to be ready. Like I said before, managing stress is particularly important, and the level of the KOTA riders is very high, so I have a lot to prove. I will give everything to do my best, but it is a very tough competition, probably the toughest yet! I need that mental focus to be spot on and to let my riding shine how I want it to.

Big air kiteboarding has gone through an insane period of growth over the past few years. What are your thoughts on the current big air scene? What's next for big air?

It's so crazy watching big air exploding these past few years. There are more and more competitions, and it's great for us to ride them. Although, for me, it's becoming a bit complicated to manage both freestyle and big air at the same time! There are a lot of competition stops throughout the year, and some fall at the same time, but big air has a great future and is a very impressive discipline for the public as it's so incredible to watch.

What is your favourite kiteboarding discipline? Big air or freestyle? What makes it your favourite?

I don't have a favourite between the two because I come from freestyle, so I love it! Big air is a slightly different type of freestyle - hence, I love that too!

You've had the great fortune to travel the world as a pro kiter… which spot do you dream of going back to? Why?

There are a lot of spots that I love, Tarifa being one, but others in South Africa and Brazil stand out for me. Each spot is good for either freestyle or big air, so I travel a lot to train and compete in both disciplines. I also love incredible spots with amazing nature for filming, like Los Roques in Venezuela or around my home spot in New Caledonia.

Of all the kiting photos you've been in, which is the most memorable? What is the story behind the shot?

It may seem obvious, but my favourite photo is the one taken after my World Championship win in 2021 (pictured on this page). All the pressure of the competition was gone, and I had a huge feeling of accomplishment; I said to myself, "That's it, I made my dream come true"!

With so much accomplished in the last five years, what can we expect from the next five?

I hope that the next five will all be as exciting and with equally good results in competition. In any case, I will have a lot of fun riding, so watch this space and see you in another five years!

 

Videos

Eleveight International Dealer Meeting 2023
Eleveight Product video RS+ V2
Arthur Guillebert entry King Of The Air 2023
By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.

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