Meet Annelous Lammerts, Dutch charger and reigning Kite Park League champion. Annelous was blessed with both talent and work ethic. She’s driving the level of ladies riding, both park and freestyle, way up. Find out more about Annelous in our Female Focus interview!

Annelous Lammerts, reigning Kite Park League champion, is a Dutch kiter who lets her riding do the talking. Annelous was blessed with both talent and a strong work ethic. She’s driving the level for the ladies, both park and freestyle, way up. If her meteoric rise through the KPL ranking is any indication of what she’s capable of, we can’t wait to see what she’ll get up to in 2018!

Annelous, 2017 was a fantastic year for you. Which achievement from the last year are you most proud of?

Thanks! 2017 was my best year so far. The achievement I am the proudest of was landing the first double handle pass, the toeside backside 540, off the kicker, helping me win the first Kite Park League stop of 2017. From that moment, I knew I had to go for the overall title.

After claiming the 2017 Ladies Kite Park League title, what’s next?

This year, I want to focus on pushing my riding. I have some new tricks in mind that I want to learn, and I’m working on filming a video part. Also, standing on top of the Triple S podium is still a big goal. Last year I got second place, and winning the biggest park riding event is still a dream that I want to achieve.

Freestyle or park riding? Why?

Both, that’s the beauty of it! I love to do both, and when I get tired or a bit stuck with one I switch disciplines and, just like that, I get a new boost of motivation. The best sessions I’ve had were this winter in Brazil at the Kite Mansion. We built a kicker and put our rail in the lagoon so that we could combine park riding and freestyle. We even managed to do some slider-freestyle combo lines. It was so much fun to do an air trick and, without hooking back in, hit the rail.

When you first started kiteboarding, you would bike 17 kilometres to the beach with all your gear, and you still seem super motivated to kite as much as you can. How do you keep the stoke alive?

Kiteboarding is part of me. I can’t go long without it! When I started kiteboarding, I didn’t mind cycling all the way to the beach. All I was thinking about was getting on the water. Missing a session was the worst thing in the world, and even though I spent hours on the beach waiting for wind and being frustrated, I would do it all again the next day. When I started park riding two years ago, I got a new burst of motivation because I had so much to learn. I also started looking to other boardsports for motivation, seeing women pushing their limits in wakeboarding, skate-boarding and snowboarding. Watching what other women are doing inspires me a lot for both park riding and freestyle.

How have your sponsors helped you achieve your goals?

When I started kiteboarding the guys from my local beach club saw me passing by on my bike every windy day. One day it was snowing a bit, and I still wanted to go kiteboarding. After my session, the owner of the beach club told me he wanted to help me out. From that moment they supported me and helped me as much as possible, even though I could barely do any tricks. Thanks to them, I got in contact with new sponsors. I’m super happy that I joined Cabrinha International one and a half years ago. Also, my sponsor Maltem Consulting saw the passion that my boyfriend Alex Maes and I have for our sport, and thanks to their support I can continue pushing my riding as much as possible.

Is there anything new and exciting in the works over at Cabrinha that we can look forward to?

There is a lot happening at Cabrinha, and there are some great products coming soon. I’m excited about the girl's board, the XO, that is back in the lineup. It will be released at the beginning of March.

I enjoy sessions with you because you are always having fun, pushing yourself, and encouraging others. Who inspires you on the water and why?

I love to ride with people who are not only riding for themselves but who ride together, pushing each other and cheering for each other. I love to ride with Alex Maes because he is always pushing me and helping me land new tricks. This winter, Nicolas Gilomen, Manuela Jungo and James Boulding joined us in Brazil, and we had some amazing sessions. Everyone was trying new tricks, taking hard slams and cheering for each other, creating the type of environment that inspires me and pushes me the most.

How do you think the experience is different for men vs women who are at the top of the sport of kiteboarding?

The experience for men vs women who are on the top of kiteboarding can be quite different. Personally, I think that women tend to overthink what they are trying to do. When I get stuck with a trick or have a bad result, I spend time thinking and worrying about it. A lot of guys who I ride with have an easier time separating from their thoughts.

You have travelled the world over to kite. Where is your favourite place to ride, and where’s the next place on the map you want to explore?

My favourite place to ride is at the Kite Mansion in Icapui, Brazil. We discovered this lagoon three years ago, and it has the best wind, flat water and no one around. This year, I really want to go to Hawaii. It’s the home base for Pete Cabrinha, and since before I even started kiteboarding, I've wanted to go to Hawaii.

You’ve produced some great videos over the last few years. Can you share some advice about how to produce interesting and unique kite videos?

I have always loved to film and edit videos. For me, it is a way to show everyone what I love to do and to share my passion. Working on a video also pushes me to work on my style.

When you are only competing, you might find yourself doing the same tricks over and over and just working on things that the judges want to see. But, when you are working on a video, it is about what you want to show the world. It’s a chance to be creative, try new tricks and add different grabs. The most important tip I can share is that you can never start too early with filming. Trips pass by much faster than you expect, so it is important to start accumulating footage from the beginning.

How do you stay fit and healthy?

Most of all, I just ride a lot, not only on my twin tip but also on my surfboard and foil. I love to spend as many hours on the water as possible. Practicing different disciplines helps me to stay fit. When it’s not windy, I ride a lot of cable. In addition to being on the water, I have a training schedule from my physiotherapist at KiteMedical that helps me prevent injuries.

Any tips for the up and coming shredders?

Spend as much time on the water as possible! Go ride in strong wind, light wind, flat water or big waves. It might be hard to do your tricks in difficult conditions, but one day you will notice that all those sessions helped you to become a better kiteboarder. Work hard, save money and chase the wind. You can make it if you work hard enough!

Videos

Welcome to the Team Alex & Annelous (Cabrinha Kitesurfing)
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!

Comments