The Interview - Ewan Jaspan
Issue 65 / Fri 20th Oct, 2017
Ewan Jaspan is on fire right now. Get to know the fun-loving Australian who was just awarded 2017AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year and pocked a second place finish in the 2017 Kite Park League overall standings. Ewan kites for the love of the sport, and he spends more time on the water than anyone. Lindsay McClure caught him in between sessions to find out a bit about the life of Ewan Jaspan.
Ewan Jaspan has been an up and coming grom on the kite park scene for a couple of years now. Touted by some of his peers as the best park rider out there right now he proved that by taking the win at the Triple S event in Cape Hatteras this year. Lindsay McClure caught up with him to discover what makes him tick.
There are infinite paths through life, how did you find yourself involved in kiteboarding and what do you love about it?
I grew up in Scotland and wasn’t very interested in boardsports. I’d done a fair bit of skiing, tennis, football and some other sports but it wasn’t until I moved to Australia in 2004 when I picked up kiteboarding. We moved closer to the beach, and I had always had an interest in flying kites when I was younger, so when I saw kiteboarding, it was the first thing I wanted to do. The sport has now taken me to so many amazing places around the world, and that’s almost what I love most about it and what I’m most thankful for. It’s such a rare opportunity, and hopefully, I can keep it up for years to come.
You show up to the beach and throw open the back of your 1998 Ford Explorer. It’s jammed full with a quiver of Naish Dash’s, a quiver of Naish Torches, twin tips, surfboards, foil boards and loads of other toys. How do you pick which discipline you want to practice on any given day?
Ah the Exploder, note to self and any readers thinking of buying a car, do not buy a Ford Explorer, which most of you probably know, but if you’re a rookie like myself, then you will only make the mistake once. They are called Exploders for a reason. I guess I can thank Naish for having all this amazing gear on hand, and what to choose depends on the conditions. If it’s perfect weather, then I go out to ride the park and work on my riding, the reason being, park kiting has so many variables and when they all line up, you have to make the most of it! And the rest just depends on what I feel like. I’m loving foiling on the light days at the moment. To just to go out and cruise around, it’s like a completely new sport and way to explore wherever I am. My advice for any kiteboarder who can afford it is to invest in a foil because it gets you on the water almost every day and brings a whole new element of exploration to the sport.
We’ve seen you and your friends take some terrifying spills. How do you gauge when it’s an appropriate time to push the limit, and when do you decide that the risk isn’t worth the reward?
The crashes are what keep us all in check. The scariest thing about kiteboarding, especially in Hood River, is that half of the crashes are out of your control and in the hands of the wind and chop. You can come into a trick perfectly and do everything on your behalf right, but if the conditions don’t co-operate, you’re done. This year, towards the end of the trip, I had a bad crash into shallow water (always a bad idea) doing a gap transfer on the mutant rail we set up. As I launched into the air, the wind just lulled and I dropped off the side of the rail into the sand. I twisted my knee going for a trick I’ve landed 100s of times. The water was low due to the dams generating power during the heat wave, but we had to film for my latest video.
I think risk vs reward is influenced mainly by the conditions. When the wind is steady, and I feel comfortable, I start pushing my limits more. You have to be in that mood where you really feel a trick or situation and can imagine yourself stomping it in your head if you can’t visualise that, then don’t bother, that’s when things go wrong.
How many countries have you visited this year, and which was your favourite trip?
So far this year I’ve been travelling a lot, but not to nearly as many countries as previous years. I started the year in Perth, Australia, then went home and off to the Philippines. After that, it was home, Maui, home, North Carolina for the Triple S, Hood River, Seattle, Squamish (Canada), back to Hood, and now I find myself finally resting for a month at home. I head off to Wales in a few weeks for the final KPL stop of the year, with stops in Scotland and England to visit family. After that, I think I’m going to try and spend a full summer at home and explore a bit more of what Australia has to offer. My favourite trip so far this year was to Cape Hatteras for the Triple S. We scored so hard with conditions and of course I won the event, which was the best moment of my career so far!
What advice do you have for kiteboarders who are looking to get into the park riding side of the sport?
The best way is to build your own rail to start with and go from there. It’s an addicting addition to freestyle kiteboarding and super easy to do. I made my first rails for $100-200, and they are the perfect thing for learning on and getting into the discipline. Another thing that helps a lot is riding cable. If you have a cable park close by, get yourself a membership and start riding. It’s the best way to progress on features. Kiting is challenging and most of the time features are a massive mission, but when it all lines up, they’re the best sessions you can have.
Where do you find inspiration, and what are your goals for the future?
Inspiration comes from everywhere and everyone, whatever the sport and whatever the level of riding. Sometimes it’s seeing a certain trick or idea from snowboarding or wakeboarding and trying to bring it to kiting. Sometimes it’s seeing something and knowing you could do it better or striving to one-up it. Sometimes it even comes from seeing something you don’t like, whether it be video of yourself or of someone else, and then knowing you don’t want to do that trick or style. The best thing is just to do what you want and put your own flare on it. I touched on it earlier, don’t just try to copy people, take things from everywhere and put them together how you want. Or, if you’re good enough or creative enough, make up your own style.
In the future, I want to have a go at the King of the Air, continue to push the park side of the sport and even look at the foil racing, which is a new interest of mine. I did a bit of it last summer and was really starting to enjoy it before I had to focus more on park riding again. Who knows, I’ll just take it as it comes!
Congratulations on your Triple S victory! You came out with a big win against a stacked field of competitors. How did you end up celebrating your Triple S win with a pet pig?
Thanks! The Triple S was a highlight this year. The pet pig was our house mascot, and on the last night at the party, my good friend and competitor Brandon Scheid gave me the pig and told me to look after it for the night, the rest of the details of that night can stay there, but it was a party for the ages!
What’s next for Ewan Jaspan?
I’m at home having a bit of a rest right now, going to the gym a bit and trying to eat well and prepare myself for the upcoming Australian summer. This time of the year is really the only time I get to stop for a bit and recover from the constant riding and travel. I guess the next step is to try and take my career to the next level and try and make a bit of a living! Being a professional kiteboarder is a dream lifestyle, but definitely doesn’t give you a dream bank statement. Other than pushing my riding and trying to continue to do what I love, I’m exploring some options and avenues that may help me move into my own place and start planning for the future a bit more.
Ewan Jaspan’s Guide To Kiteboarding
How to read a wind forecast: It’s all about being a local or asking for local knowledge. I’ve almost never been to a spot where you can take the forecast for what it says, but after spending some time at a place, you learn to think like a local. I think the hardest place to pick the wind is Hood River. Last year I lived in a van for months and spent every day at the marina. Even then, after trying to figure out the angles, gusts, trends and everything, it’s still just a case of, if it’s good, go kiting, and stay out until it turns to sh!t.
How to eat good food while on the road: This one is tough and depends on where you are. Sometimes it’s too expensive to eat really well as a pro kiteboarder (limited budget). The best thing to do is go in with a few people on meals and find people who are healthy. I find one of the biggest issues for me isn’t eating healthy on the road, it’s eating enough, although eating big portions is never an issue in America. Fast food is also always a bad option.
How to stay healthy and motivated so that you can ride all day every day: To stay motivated don’t get stuck in a routine with your kiteboarding. Try and spread your riding across many different disciplines and think of new things to do and try. I also try and spend time in the gym working on my fitness whenever I’m not riding. I’m always looking at other people riding boards in any sport for inspiration. I think that is the key as well, to look for inspiration, not just to look towards what is winning a competition and try to emulate that. Make what you want of your riding instead of copying someone else. I am pretty critical of my riding, and I think striving for execution means you can always do better, and I’m not satisfied with a trick until I’ve done it as best as I can.
How to make a viral kiteboarding video: Don’t do anything technical, difficult or that people won’t understand. Become a circus act, and you’ll be viral.
How to pick a fitting nickname for everyone in your crew: This one takes time. Nicknames come after many hours and no effort. The best nicknames come effortlessly and naturally and can’t be forced. It’s all about evolution and repetition. If you ever meet Pierre Vogel (MMCheesyP) ask him where it all came from and you might get a better (or worse) understanding.
How to plan the perfect kiteboarding trip: Make sure the spot you pick is windy and has good food. If those two things come together, then you’re going to have a good time. A backup activity is also helpful.
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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!
