The Interview – Matt Elsasser

Hailing from the US, Matt Elsasser is a shredder of the highest order, he’s as comfortable in the barrel as he is punting huge airs over punchy waves, we catch up with him and find out what makes him tick.

Matt Elsasser has been quietly going about the business of slaying waves and improving his riding for some time now, his talents on the water are inspiring. We sat him down for 15 minutes to find out what makes him tick and to see if he and his twin brother are telepathic…

Where is home for you?

Home for me right now is on the Central Coast of California as I’m finishing up my college career here. I usually spend the year bouncing between Maui, California, and Oregon. I will be heading up to Oregon for this summer!

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You've got a kite surfing family that includes a twin brother, who's the best rider in the clan?

I can honestly say that my whole family can rip! It’s awesome to see the whole family out on a solid wave day with everyone charging! I think my mom and dad kite more often than I do.

Twins are often said to have powerful mental connections with each other; when you get barrelled do they get barrelled too?

Unfortunately, I can’t say that we have twin telepathy. However, Cole has been climbing gnarly mountains and skiing down them in the Pacific Northwest, so I have been living vicariously through the pictures. Hopefully, now that we are both graduated we will get to go on some sick trips soon!

What's the best spot at home and who do you ride with?

I guess it depends on where we are considering “home” to be. When I’m here in California, I spend all my time riding with the BIP (Barney’s in Paradise) crew, and they would kill me if I revealed the spots! When I’m on Maui I usually ride with my family or the Cabrinha team; I love riding the outer reefs on Maui. In Oregon, I ride in Hood River and on the coast a lot, with whatever crew is around, there are always tons of people to shred with!

How did the kitesurfing scene at your local beach influence your riding style?

Whatever beach I was at I kind of did whatever the conditions were best for. Eventually, I ended up spending more time in California and Maui, which pushed me to work on wave riding.

You focus all your riding around waves and strapless riding, was your background as a surfer a good platform to build from?

I came into kiting with a background in skating, wakeboarding, and surfing. So they all helped a lot, anything on a board seems to relate to kiting. I’m a far better kitesurfer than surfer; so at this point, I would say that kiting has helped my surfing. It’s awesome to be able to surf a wave in the morning and then kite it in the afternoon. I tend to pay a lot more attention to how a wave is lining up when I’m surfing it, so by the time I’m kiting it I feel like I’m in the right spot at the right time.

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Where do you think the future of strapless wave riding is headed?

I think right now the strapless wave-riding sector is at a point of refinement. The radical progression of a few years ago has slowed down a bit. Right now most of us are working on handle passes and doubles in the air game. I think everyone has gotten significantly more fluid on the waves and linking multiple solid turns together, the advancements in kites have helped this a lot. There is also a movement to get really solid barrels. Guys like Jesse, Patri, and Keahi are all pushing that sector and its fun to try to follow in their footsteps a bit. There is no better feeling than a nice barrel.

Are you on board with the strapless freestyle movement, or are you more of a wave rider at heart?

I have fun doing the strapless freestyle stuff, but I try to work on airs that can be converted to the surf. I would much prefer riding in the waves, but when there are no waves I have fun messing around with the strapless freestyle stuff and working on airs for when there are waves.

There are going to be some wave events this year in Morocco, does competing appeal to you and will you make the trip?

I’m a somewhat competitive person so I love doing contests, and they help to show me what areas of my riding I need to improve and push me to be better. I plan to make it to every wave event this year. Right now the world tour(s) are a bit of a mess, so hopefully they can sort it out and get us back on the water in jerseys soon!

You've travelled around the world a fair bit over the last few years, where is your favourite wave to ride and which ones are on your bucket list?

So far from the waves I have ridden, Cloudbreak is at the top of the list. It is such a perfect long wave! I would love to check out P-Pass in Micronesia and some of the waves in Tahiti next. I’m also excited to get over to some cold-water spots like Canada and Iceland.

Have you got any advice or tips for kitesurfers travelling with loads of equipment?

Make sure you know the rules and regulations for surfboard bags on the airline you are flying. Often I will get to the check-in counter and have to teach the booking agent what their policy on surfboards is; they will rip you off if you don’t know their rules and pack around them. Other than that, just be patient and relaxed, most of what happens at the airport isn’t in your control, and you just need to go with the flow.

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Any horror stories along the way, broken boards, lost bags, stolen passports?

So far I’ve been pretty lucky! Knock on wood; I haven’t had any major issues other than being stuck at airports overnight due to delayed or cancelled flights. I have had some bags go missing for short periods of time but have been lucky not to miss a good session because of it.

What's the best piece of advice you could give to a travelling kitesurfer?

Either plan a long trip way in advance or plan a strike mission based on the forecast. This is the best way to avoid getting skunked from my experiences. Other than that, go places where there are more things to do than just kite. Also, if you’re travelling anywhere near water, always bring a kite no matter what your plans are. I have seen kiters in places like Indo, and they didn’t bring a kite, it must have been miserable to watch without gear…

Would you rather have a crappy mushy day at home with a bunch of good friends or a solo session on a perfect point break with no one around to enjoy it with?

I think the best is to have a mix of both of these situations. In my opinion, the best crowd to share perfect conditions with is with one close buddy. That way you both get tons of waves and get to watch each other ripping! It makes perfect waves even more perfect when you get to watch your buddy on a sick one.

You're passionate about filmmaking, how did you get started down that path?

I’ve always liked shooting pictures and video because my Mom and Grandpa were always really into it, my mom grew up with a darkroom at her house. From there my passion for it grew because I knew if I wanted to be able to travel and make money from kiting, I would have to get pretty good at documenting those travels so that my sponsors would send me on more trips.

What camera gear are you using at the moment?

Right now I use a Sony fs700 for video and a Sony A7ii for photos. I use Nikon prime lenses and stuff all my gear in Thule camera bags!

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What advice would you have for someone making their first ever kitesurfing edit?

Keep it interesting. You don’t have to be the best rider to make a great video; I love edits that are funny or really show the culture of an area. If you can’t seem to do any of that, film a cute girl in a bikini, it usually racks up the views! Haha.

In a nod to female equality we took a stance not to publish those cheap trick bikini vids anymore, so if you want to be featured on IKSURFMAG keep it about the riding! (Ed)

You've been on the Cabrinha team for a while now, what is it that draws you to the brand?

Great gear and great people are what attracts me to the brand. I love being able to work and learn from a really smart crew of people. Every conversation I have with the crew that I work with I learn something new, or I’m inspired to do something new.

What's your current favourite riding set up and why?

I love the Drifters and the new Trimlite bar. The Drifters are hands down the best wave kite I have flown and with the addition of the Trimlite bar; there is an all new level of simplicity which is excellent for wave riding. The range of Cabrinha surfboards also kicks ass, because we have a board to suit every condition.

Do you get involved with any of the development of the products there?

Whenever I’m on Maui, I spend some time testing with the Cabrinha crew. It’s great that they listen to their riders’ feedback and implement that into the gear. When the final prototypes are made we log a lot of hours on the equipment to ensure it will hold up to Cabrinha's high standard of durability and craftsmanship.

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Is there anything on the product horizon that you are excited about?

There is some very exciting stuff coming for 2017 in the Cabrinha line, I wish I could tell you more, but you will have to wait and see!

How has kitesurfing changed your life?

I owe so much to kitesurfing; it has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime. So much of what I have has been given to me by kiting. My job, my friends, my role models, my travel, and my most fun activity have all come from kiting. I really can’t even begin to imagine my life without kiting.

Cheers Matt thanks for taking the time!

Cheers! See you on the water soon!