We are all different, and that's what makes life so interesting. Find out what strange things can happen when you take a bunch of pro riders and head out into the wilds of Africa to do a photo shoot…

A team manager, a photographer, a videographer and four pro riders head to Cape Town to create some magic… 

The life of a pro kiteboarder might seem somewhat charmed, travel the world competing and doing photo shoots and get some gear and a bit of cash thrown in to boot. Prepare to have your dreams shattered however, as we go behind the scenes with the photographers, videographers and riders from a recent photoshoot. It turns out its mostly practical jokes, flatulence and long hours spent in airports and cars travelling to the ‘perfect’ spot!

Cabrinha had a bunch of their riders in Cape Town for a recent dealer meeting; it seemed sensible to make the most of the opportunity and send them off into the wilderness to get all the footage for the upcoming launch of the 2017 Switchblade. You couldn’t ask for a more motley crew with James Boulding playing the role of “Dad”, Lars Daniel Terkelsen shooting stills, and Anders Kruger taking video footage. The roster of pros went like this; Liam Whaley: ‘the sleepy young one’, Keahi de Aboitiz: ‘the wave slaying smelly one’, Nick Jacobsen:‘the crazy one’, and Graham Howes:‘the even crazier one’ - if that is even possible!

I warn you now dear reader, the following might well shatter your illusions of what it is like to not only be a pro rider, but also what is involved in a trip such as this. The necessity is to create as much media as possible while scoring the best conditions and all getting along in some very confined spaces…

Where were you and what were you doing before the photo shoot started?

Nick Jacobsen: I flew down to Cape Town three weeks before the shoot, to start training for King of The Air.

Anders Kruger: I was home for once, or at least where I’m from and where my family lives. I got to spend five days in Denmark last year before going to Cape Town, so I spent them with friends and relatives.

Graham Howes: Being a Cape Town local I had to put up with these guys for a month, they arrived in Cape Town coming in hot, from all over the world. I am used to visitors now; they arrive full of energy and ready to burn the town down. They want to do anything and everything possible, and then have ‘leaving’ parties every night of their last week! Meanwhile, I’m left at the start of summer feeling like it’s the end of summer already...

James Boulding: Before the team shoot I’d just finished up with the Rhosneigr Park Jam, it was the first international UK kite competition held in many years, so I wanted to see it succeed and get the riders from around the globe amped on kiting in the UK.

Keahi De Aboitiz: I was actually in Morocco for the last GKA wave event of the year. Although we didn’t get the best conditions, I was stoked to come out on top again. Since I was already on that side of the world, it made perfect sense to hang out in Morocco for a little longer after the comp then head over Cape Town. 

Liam Whaley: Before the photo shoot I was in Mauritius for the Mauritius Kite Jam! It is a great event organised by the Russian Cabrinha distributor. Lots of entrepreneurs and celebrities come together and learn how to kite, surf, and of course there are also some great parties.

How long did it take you to get to South Africa, and were there any travel woes on the way?

NJ: I was in Dubai for a few days before flying to Cape Town. It took me around nine hours straight from Dubai.

AK: Probably around twelve to fifteen hours from Copenhagen, with one stop somewhere on the way. I travelled by myself and took selfies with sleeping people next to me with their mouths open!

JB: My journey was about twentyhours, I set off from the UK via Qatar and arrived in Cape Town. There are tricks you learn from years of travelling to help sneak as much baggage as possible onto the plane, but the main thing is to check what your allowance is. There’s nothing worse than turning up at the airport without knowing all the facts of your particular airline and what you are allowed on paper, then the art is pushing that limit further if you need to travel with extra gear.

KA: For how close it is on a map, it probably took a lot longer than it should have! I ended up flying Casablanca – Qatar – Cape Town, which took about nineteen hours with one stop. Unfortunately, since Morocco is not the most common place to go, it’s pretty hard to get a cheap fast route otherwise. This trip was all pretty straightforward, except for the five hour taxi from Agadir to Casablanca before I left due to super expensive flights!

LW: I came from Mauritius, so it was pretty easy. You can get direct flights which take around four hours, but I bought a flight which had one stop in Johannesburg as it was cheaper.

What is the goal for Cabrinha from a shoot like this, and what’s your aim?

KA: This one was a little lower key. What originally started as just trying to have some riders there for the dealer meeting turned into an excellent opportunity to bag a bunch of content for a few different projects, since we were all relatively close. The primary goal was just to get a diverse group of riders and riding styles together and showcase the versatility of the Switchblade. My goal on shoots like this is always just to have fun and to try and bag as much good content as I can.

NJ: The aim of the trip was to shoot the Switchblade. I was exited to ride the kite since I’ve only ridden it a few times. My personal goal was just to perform as well as possible, and have a good time with my fellow teammates.

AK: Cabrinha always have certain products in mind that we have to highlight when going on a shoot like this. For this particular trip, we were mainly focusing on the Fireball control system and the Switchblade. Getting the whole team on the Switchblade and Fireball and showing how versatile it is, demonstrating how well it handles all the disciplines. My goal is to make these videos, so they highlight the equipment, with beautiful product shots, but still make it fun and entertaining to watch for everyone.

GH: Having the team together in such a great location as Cape Town is extremely productive. The only ‘issue’ is each ‘spot’ is in a 200km range around the coast, so we spend half the time driving chasing the wind - and waves, thanks to Keahi! I enjoyed being a tourist in my town, stopping to take pictures and slow-mo shots of every baboon we passed and of course time-lapses of every sunrise and sunset.

Is there a “dad” of the trip, someone who makes all the decisions and does the thinking for everyone?

NJ: On this trip, we had a few dads! Lars is always a bit of a father figure. James also managed to pull off a daddy role. With a bunch of surfers like Liam, Keahi and myself, it’s needed!

AK: James and myself are kind of responsible for getting the shots we need. We have a shot list in our mind and overview of captured footage along the way. However, on a trip like this in Cape Town, where we have a lot of local knowledge from Graham and Nick, they have an enormous impact on the decisions we take and what spot we decide to spend the day.

GH: James is on it! Dealing with guys who live on the islands (Keahi and Anders) is pretty tricky, if you turn your back for a second, they will be taking a nap under a tree somewhere! So James did a great job keeping everyone on their toes. He also babysat Liam; he’s still a grom, and James has to constantly hang Liam’s wetsuit up from the middle of the front door floor!

KA: Haha, I guess that would have to be James, but that’s not to say he made all the decisions. We still had plenty of confusion and enough driving around in circles some days figuring out what to do. It can be pretty hard with such a diverse group to make the right decision about where to go.  That being said, I think we did pretty well in the end!

LW: I would say James B was the dad of the trip. There always needs to be someone that is in charge so that things get done.

JB AKA Dad: The great thing about our team is that everyone knows their roles and duties and when these trips come along everyone knows the results that need to happen.  There isn’t much whip cracking; I think when you are pushed too much with a stick you go into your shell a bit.  We concentrate on specific conditions; when the waves are firing Keahi has to step up and go out for long multiple sessions in a day while Liam can perhaps take it easy, but then when the focus turns to freestyle when conditions line up he knows it's his turn to lay it down.

What was the most memorable moment for you?

NJ: We had a lot of fun throughout the trip. It was nice to shoot with the crew in Cape Town, which is almost my home spot. I was happy I got to show the team a good time with a lot of wind and good parties!

AK: When we drove out to Cape Point at 5am in the morning, forgot a pump and the light, wind and waves were looking good. Lars didn’t get his morning coffee and was grumpy, and a little school kid randomly saved the day with his sh!tty duck-taped pump which was meant for his air mattress!

GH: One night we were at the Cabrinha dealer meeting party, we danced, drank lots of wine, had standup paddle races across the swimming pool in our clothes, got wet and danced some more! Then at 1am on the way home, I showed the boys a picture of the waves that day in JBay (Jeffreys Bay) which is an eight hour drive. Keahi and Anders got back and packed their surfboards right away and drove the eight hours to arrive at the best right-hand point break in the world; it was firing! They surfed for two hours and then drove the eight hours back. Now that’s commitment!

DAD: There were so many memorable moments, most revolve around Anders, our videographer. He just sees life so differently from anyone else I know, and his little quotes are priceless. Most nights out in the bar, he got his hair lit on fire, it’s so dry, and straw like! It became the go-to activity after a few beers; it would stink out the bar every time. He definitely went home balder than when he arrived.

KA: Probably our ToyWarsdownwinder! After mucking around with some balls and stuff in the past, I thought it would be a good idea to go to the store and grab an assortment of random toys and balls to mess around with. It turned out to be a blast, and we ended up pulling off some epic tricks in the end. That has to be the hardest I’ve laughed while kiting in awhile. It was great to see all the stoke from everyone, even Anders who decided to join us on a kite for that session!

LW: We had a few mental big air sessions with about 45 knots. I’ve never boosted so high in my life! We also went to a sick party/festival that was held at Blue Rock Cable, such good music and vibes!

What was the worst moment?

AK: When Graham set my hair on fire…or when Lars locked me out of the house at 3am in the morning!

KA: Probably chasing after Nick’s kite that flew half a kilometre out to sea at one of the sharkiest beaches in South Africa during some kite tosses in light wind. Only having boardshorts in ten degree water didn’t help the situation at all either. Luckily I got it back before it drifted too far out in the offshore wind. I’m pretty sure he may still owe me a few beers for that one!

LW: One night I went out until 6am and then had to shoot an unexpected freestyle session at 8am. It worked out pretty well, but I did feel like puking on a couple of landings!

NJ: None. But if I have to mention something, I would say that spraying the team with fire extinguishers is something that I enjoyed, but, for some weird reason, it wasn’t accepted as much as I would like.

GH: Fart contests in the car with five guys and child window locks on, every day, or being the one stuck in the back of Nick’s dark, stinky van alone for the hours of road-tripping. At least we had walking talkies to play ‘I Spy’ with the follow car.

Where is your favourite spot in South Africa to ride?

NJ: We rode Kitebeach and Dolphin Beach a lot this time. I do like Big Bay as well.

DAD: I love Big Bay for kickers, when it’s good it’s hard to beat for left foot kickers, they roll in with huge gaps between so you can line them up way in advance and hit them square. 

KA: Funnily enough I think my favourite session there was in the pure flat water at the channel spot, which is a bit of a secret location. I couldn’t believe how much fun it was riding through the perfect little channels in the reeds and messing around with the guys there!

LW: My favourite spot for freestyle is probably Witsand or Hermanus, they are both flat water spots a few hours away from Cape Town. For hitting kickers and big air, I enjoy Dolphin Beach!

Do you enjoy riding for photo shoots, or is it hard to get that perfect shot?

NJ: I like shooting. It all depends on who you shoot with. You don’t want to go crazy if you aren’t sure that the photographer will capture it correctly. Yet shooting with James, Anders and Lars is always a pleasure since you just know that they will get the shot!

DAD: The hard thing with photo shoots is trying to do things differently. When you score at a shoot it's an awesome feeling, and you can be enormously proud of the content. The difficult thing is then thinking of the next one you have to try and better it. Getting shots can be testing depending on the locations. Cape Town can be tricky, the water is cold, the currents and waves are strong, so shooting from the water becomes a lot harder.  The other thing is that it has such a famous backdrop it’s challenging to try and mix things up and get different angles. Magazines have been rife with Table Mountain backdrop shots for years.

KA: I usually enjoy them especially with guys like Anders and James. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating trying to nail something, but it’s all worth it when you get that perfect shot. It is always motivating to see the stoke of the guys shooting too. This always makes me want to perform my best.

LW: I enjoy hanging with the crew and the adventures we experience on shoots, sometimes repeating a trick a hundred times can be frustrating, but that’s just part of it.

Who had the worst habit?

NJ: Liam Whaley

AK: Graham always has the worst habits. He likes to do everything stupid and film it for his excellent Dirty Habit web series.

DAD: Car parks getting ready for sessions were the scene for most pranks. Graham took the biscuit between his selection of fireworks, talc powder and an air horn; you had to watch your back constantly!

KA: Possibly me with draining the car battery and needing a push start three times in one day. (Thanks Anders for the pushes!)

LW: Probably me, I need a siesta every day!

Give us a bit of dirt on one of your teammates from the trip; it can be anything you like…

KA: Anders is not afraid to wear the same clothes indefinitely and believes that turning his shirt inside out makes it appear cleaner and gives him more days to wear it!

GH: Keahi has the worst smelling farts out of anyone I’ve ever met, and he’s not afraid to use them in small spaces.

DAD: Keahi definitely has the stinkiest farts.

LW: Anders, our videographer, is a sloth.

NJ: One of the guys (no names mentioned) took a dump on the beach, and played tennis with it using a kiteboard.  (!!!)

Was the trip a success and were Cabrinha happy with the results?

JB: I think we got some excellent media; we have a good vibe at the moment with our team. We have the very top level of riding in our World Champions and mix it with a smile and a not too serious take on things. There are certain brands out there that just take everything too seriously, and their riders still can’t match the level of our guys in what they do.

KA: I think so. We ended up shooting nearly everything possible in the end, and I know we all had a lot of fun. It's nice to have somewhere so diverse like Cape Town for a shoot. As long as you explore, you can find virtually any conditions you like.

Where was next for you after the shoot and what plans have you got for the year?

NJ: King Of The Air is just around the corner. After that, I’ll be travelling for a bit for different projects. Then back to Cape Town for an NP shoot. Lot’s of plans this year.

AK: I went to Bali where I’m currently based now. From here I can do the editing and get my ritual morning dip in the ocean. I will probably head straight to Maui next where we will start filming all the 2018 products!

DAD: I’m off to the Philippines for the Blue Palawan International comp, then I’ll be heading over to New Zealand for a secret product shoot trip before continuing to Maui for the main product shoot and help work on the new collection.

KA: After a quick stop at home and a little demo trip in Australia, I was stoked to finally get back to Oahu for the winter. I hadn’t been back since injuring myself earlier in 2016, so it felt amazing to be back and get some good sessions under my belt again.

LW: I went back home and had to do some rehab with a heel injury. Now I am fully healed and have started training for the 2017 World Kiteboarding League competition season! I’m so excited to get on tour and hopefully get back to the top!

So there you have it, it’s not all kite, kite, kite. The logistics involved can be enormous, organising so many different personalities on a daily basis can be tough, and you’ve got to watch out for flatulence too. Do you reckon they would have behaved differently had there been a female influence on the trip? I guess boys will be boys…

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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!

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