Female Focus - Silke Caswell
Issue 58 / Tue 9th Aug, 2016
Lindsay McClure chats to Silke Caswell, she moved to Venezuela a few years back and now calls it home…
Why are you in love with kiteboarding?
Kiteboarding means a lot of things to me. It’s a great way to unwind. I’m one with nature, so the ocean always inspires me and makes me happy. While training, I can push my limits. Kitesurfing is an extreme sport, and for some tricks, I have to commit all or nothing. I love the adrenaline rush. I learn a lot about myself when I’m out there alone. I feel free while I'm on the water.
What was your life like before kiteboarding, and how did you get into kiteboarding?
I saw kitesurfing for the first time in 1999/2000 in Cabarete, where I was living at that point. That was the first time kitesurfing was on my mind. However, I decided to move back to Germany to study, and it is hard to start the sport because I was living in Berlin and the ocean was far from reach. When I saw that the Kitesurf World Tour (PKRA) had a tour stop in St. Peter-Ording in 2006, I applied for a job and was accepted. I worked for them for four years. In 2008, I became a flight attendant. I took my vacation during the Kitesurf World Tour stop in Germany each year so I could continue to work for the tour. Finally, during my vacation on Boracay Island in 2009, I took a kite course and was hooked right away. One year later I moved to El Yaque, Venezuela, and since then I've been all about kiteboarding.
You live on the picture-postcard island of El Yaque, Venezuela; is life on this beautiful island as idyllic as it seems?
For me it is. On the water I forget everything. The country is facing problems with food shortages, power outages, and water issues, but I love Venezuela. It’s the most beautiful country I've seen. In El Yaque we have about 300 days of wind a year. Coche is a perfect spot for freestyle with butter flat water. On the other side of Margarita Island, we have waves and great spots for surfing. It’s always sunny and, most importantly, the water is warm. What else do I need?
What is the riding scene like at your home spot of El Yaque, what are the conditions like, and who do you usually ride with?
The wind is strong in El Yaque. I usually kite on my 6m or 8m kite. Morning sessions are better because afternoon sessions can be gusty. The water is choppy, but there’s a lagoon at the entrance of El Yaque where the water is flat. On the other side of the island are wave spots and Coche Island is butter flat. A lot of kiters come to visit El Yaque every year, so it’s always nice to see the same people again. And, of course, everyone living in El Yaque knows each other. It’s a big kite family. I kite alone or with my best friend, Maria Alejandra Gonzalez, a local kite instructor. Or, I kite with my husband. He is mainly into foil kiting which I also enjoy, but my passion is freestyle.
What is your favourite place in the world to kite, and what’s your favourite travel story?
I’ve travelled to 60 countries, and I've kited at a lot of spots in the world, but my absolute favourite place is Los Roques, Venezuela. It’s paradise! My wildest travel story was crossing over from Venezuela to Colombia by land to go to a kitesurf competition in Riohacha and Cabo de la Vela, Colombia. I wouldn't recommend doing that. I flew from Margarita to Maracaibo and from there my friend and I took a taxi to the Colombian border with all our kite equipment. We then walked over the border to Colombia, and then took a shared taxi to Riohacha. It was not the safest way to travel, but I made it, and I loved the kite spot Cabo de la Vela.
What are your favourite pieces of kiteboarding equipment, and what do you love about them?
I love my Cabrinha Switchblade kites. They are durable, have a great wind range and perform in many conditions without losing the ability to be a great BFF for freestyle. I adore my Cabrinha X Caliber carbon board. The pop is amazing.
How do you like Cabrinha’s new Fireball connection system, and could you describe this system for our readers?
I haven't had the chance yet to try out the new Fireball system, but as soon as I receive my new kite equipment, I will spread the stoke. Cabrinha consistently strives to create innovative products and, in my opinion; they have the best products on the market for riders of all levels. I think that a lot of women can benefit greatly from the Fireball system as it reduces forces and makes kiting easier on your body. It also resolves the problem of the bar being too far away. Women are smaller and have shorter arms. The new Fireball system makes it easier to reach the depower, which is essential for safe kiting.
What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
My best decision was to move to Venezuela. I had never been to Venezuela when my husband asked me if I would like to live on Margarita Island in 2009. I loved my job as a flight attendant, but living by the ocean had always been my dream. So, we sold everything at a flea market in Munich and booked a flight with no return ticket. Now, I've been living here for 6.5 years, and I’m the happiest I've ever been.
If you could change one thing about the sport of kiteboarding, what would you change?
I would love it if kiters knew the right-of-way rules. And, I wish kiters were more aware of their surroundings. I always try to help other kiters. I have been in a couple of situations where a kiter was close to another kiter in need, but they weren’t paying attention to the person in trouble.
What do you do outside of kiteboarding to push your level and keep progressing?
I do a lot of sports including TRX, yoga, SUP, surfing, skating and running. I also love to dance. Kiting can be quite hard on my body when I’m performing advanced tricks. I find it helps to strengthen my muscles and stretch a lot. Balance is the key to everything.
What philosophy guides your life, and what’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Stay positive. Don’t be hard on yourself. If you can dream it, you can do it. Don’t take life too seriously. The best advice came from my stepfather, who passed away in 2006. He explained to me the phenomenon of the self-fulfilling prophecy: “Positive or negative expectations about circumstances, events, or people affect the behaviour of others in a manner that (unknowingly) creates situations in which those expectations are fulfilled." In other words, you can cause something to happen by believing it. This advice helps when I’m learning a new kiteboarding trick. I have to believe that I will get the trick, even if it takes forever. But, if I believe I can’t, I won’t.
What impact would you like to have on the sport of kiteboarding?
On my last trip to Los Roques, I met a girl from Chile. She came up to me to get a photo with me because she is following me on Instagram. She told me that she's super motivated by me, and she is trying new tricks because of me. She was learning how to do an s-bend. I gave her some tips, and shortly afterwards she managed to land the s-bend. She was super happy and that made me happy. I hope to have such an impact on more women.
What are your short-term and long-term kiteboarding goals?
My short-term kiteboarding goals always include learning new tricks. My long-term goals include hosting more kite clinics, especially for women, and organising more kite trips like the one my husband and I organised last year, our Kite2Unite kite cruise in the Caribbean.
Thanks Silke for taking the time to talk to us!
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By Lindsay McClure
Lindsay is a pro rider from Hood River in the USA, she works for IKSURFMAG as our Features Editor and is an integral part of the team. Lindsay is really into wakestyle riding and can be found in the Hood River Slider Park during the summer months, she also travels all over the world with the World Class Academy helping younger riders develop through kiteboarding!
