Mikaili Sol is an incredibly talented young rider from Brazil, part of the F-One Next Generation Team she is destined for big things having won two World Championships already!

Mikaili Sol is a promising young lady from Brazil, she’s won the Junior World Championships twice now and at the tender age of twelve has her sights set firmly on competing on the World Kite League in the next couple of years!

Can you tell us about your family, your childhood, your pets, and how you learned to kiteboard?

My name is Mikaili Sol, andI’m 12 years old. I have a 10-year-old brother, Kaiki Mar.  My mom is American and my dad is Brazilian, and I speak both English and Portuguese. I live on the beach in a small village in northeast Brazil called Preá. I have a lot of pets! I have four cats and three big dogs. I grew up with dogs, cats, horses, sheep, donkeys and chickens, but now we have just dogs and cats because we travel so much.

I am very thankful for such an amazing childhood. According to my parents, since I was a baby, I was extremely active and coordinated. I learned to ride horses when I was just three years old. By four, I was riding bareback and galloping. My parents used to call me the “Wild Indian” because I rode horses like the American Indians! I climbed my first coconut tree when I was four years old. Then my parents started calling me “Macaquinha” which means “little monkey” in Portuguese. I also started surfing in Jericoacoara when I was four years old. My godfather bought me my first Honda 110 dirtbike when I turned eight years old. I learned how to ride in the sand dunes. So, until I started kitesurfing, I was always playing, surfing, swimming and riding.

My parents were both kitesurfers, and they lived in the times of two line kites and kitemares. Every time I asked them if I could learn to kitesurf, their immediate reaction was NO! Finally at the age of eight and a half, my mom gave in and said I could take a kitesurfing lesson. I learned to kitesurf on the beach of Preá where the wind blows 30 knots and the ocean is choppy.  I learned on a 2.5m kite with 15meter lines. My mom was so scared she couldn’t even watch. She was a nervous wreck, but I picked it up very quickly and before she knew it, I was doing back rolls. It was kind of a bummer because at this point my parents also let my little brother learn and he was six and a half. So really, they should have let me learn when I was six and a half, too!  

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of learning to kiteboard at such a young age?

I don’t think there are any cons to learning to kitesurf at a young age but the pros… well, there are many! The good thing about starting to kitesurf at a young age is that you are not afraid. You learn faster than adults and soon you will be kitesurfing circles around your parents. If you crash, you don’t break all of your bones. Adults tend to get hurt more easily. I know because my mom is always limping around after a good session.

You’ve won the freestyle Junior World Championships twice already. Can you describe the feeling of winning a world title?

Winning a World Title is really exciting.  It is not like getting second place or third place. When I was walking up to the platform and going to step on the highest platform, I felt so proud of myself and realized all of the hard work was worth it. I had so much adrenaline going through my veins that I just wanted to scream, “I did it!”  Getting the first place trophy is so exiting. For me, no matter how many times I do it, it always feels like the first time!

Who inspires you, and how?

In kitesurfing, BrunaKajiya inspires me because she is one of the most powerful girl riders in the kitesurfing circuit. She rides hard and really goes for her tricks. She doesn’t hold back. She rides like the boys and that is what I want to do too, ride as good as the boys. Also, she is really kind whenever I see her off of the water. She is a good role model for all of us.

How do you keep up with school while training full-time?

I am homeschooled so I have the privilege of arranging my school day around the wind and my kitesurfing. I go to school for about four hours each day with my teacher. Then, of course, I have homework and independent work, too. When I take a day off from kiting, I usually have a full day of school. I even do schoolwork on weekends and holidays. I don’t really follow a typical school year. When I travel or compete, sometimes I get a little break. I like homeschoolingbecause it gives me the opportunity to train and still get a good education.

Outside of kiteboarding, what are your passions?

I love to play with my friends, swim and surf. I also love to travel, see new places and meet new people. I like to be outside and enjoy nature.

In your opinion, who are the most talented up-and-coming riders, and who are your favorite riders to train with?

I think the best up and coming girl riders are 13-year-old OsaiaReding, 15-year-old Nina Font and 16-year-old Claudia Leon. It is funny because all three of these girls are from Spain. I have fun when the four of us have opportunities to kitesurf together. Last year, three of us went to the same kitesurfing camp in BallenaAlegre, Spain and we had a blast.

My favorite riders to train with are Set Teixeira and Carlos Mario. They both live in Cumbuco, Brazil and they always take the time to give me tips on the water. My family and I are moving to Taiba this year so I hope I will have the opportunity to train with these guys on a regular basis.

What new achievements do you think your generation will conquer in the sport of kiteboading?

I think the girls from my generation will finally master the double handle pass. Well, at least that is my goal!

You’re a member of the F-One Next Generation team, how does this project help you achieve your goals?

F-One is the only kitesurfing brand that really pays attention to their groms. I am so proud to be part of this amazing brand. Once a year, about 10 kids from around the world get together somewhere in the world to train on and off the water for ten days with Etienne Lhôte. He helps us with our new tricks and also helps prepare us both mentally and physically for competitions. He helps us set kitesurfing goals for the year. If we have questions throughout the year, Etienne is always a message away. He is also present at the junior competitions to help us. And of course, we have a lot of fun with the Next Generation Team. Having fun is definitely my main goal, remember, I’m still only 12 years old.

What is your vision for the sport of kiteboarding for the next 20 years; how would you like to see the sport change and evolve as you grow older?

Wow, how can I relate to 20 years? Well, in the next 20 years, I would hope to see kitesurfing in the Olympics, not only race but freestyle as well. It would be cool if this happens soon so I can be part of it.

What drives you to continue to improve? Is your focus competing or freeriding?     

What drives me to improve is the desire to be the best I can be by pushing my kitesurfing skills to my personal limits. I set new trick goals for myself and I get so excited when I reach those goals.

Right now, my focus is on competing. In the next year or so I would like to be able to compete on the WKL Pro Tour. I am thinking that in 2018 I will go on the tour. If I train as hard as I can this year, I will be ready to compete in 2018.

I also enjoy free riding very much. There are several days that I do not train freestyle at all, I just go strapless and enjoy a good downwinder, playing in the waves with my friends!

What are your goals for 2017?

I have several goals for 2017.  First, I would like to defend my Jr. World Kitesurfing Championship title. I would also like to participate in a few World Kitesurfing League Pro Tour stops to get more experience riding with the pros. But mainly, I would like to train really hard this year to prepare myself for the 2018 WKL Pro Tour.

Thanks Mikaili for taking the time!

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!

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