Ten Questions: Luke McGillewie

Luke McGillewie is a ripper from South Africa who knows the area around Cape Town like the back of his hand. He gets our Ten Questions this issue!

Luke McGillewie slays waves like no other! Born and bred in Cape Town, Luke makes the most of the unruly adventurous environment around him. He's in his element when he's being sandblasted on the beach or hammered by waves testing equipment. We got the chance to catch up with Luke, and we're stoked to have him featured this issue!

Luke, you are known for slaying waves in nuking winds in Cape Town, tell us how it all began? When and where did you start kiteboarding?

I live for slaying waves! I started back in 2005 in Cape Town, which was probably one of the windiest seasons; you couldn’t get away from it! I was at the beach every day, and all I wanted to do was kite. That season, Grant Ross gave me kiteboarding lessons, and in return, I set up boards, untangled lines, and fixed bladders. My first lesson sealed the deal. Every day after school, I would do repairs for Grant and have a kiteboarding lesson with him, until he was happy enough for me to start using the school's equipment.

Cabrinha | View in Mag

Eleveight Kites | View in Mag

How was your childhood in South Africa? What were your interests besides kiteboarding?

It was fantastic! You can’t beat the scenery and the access to adventure sports we have here in Cape Town. I used to surf before I started kiteboarding, so it seemed like the natural progression. I also enjoyed motocross, surfing, foil surfing, and road trips. There’s way too much to see and do around here!

You must take quite a beating on the waves, have you had any severe injuries in the past? Can you share one of your craziest stories with us?

It’s quite refreshing and humbling to get a good hold down every once in a while. It puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate Mother Nature, and the risks you take to get that perfect wave.

I had a gnarly hold down in Cape Point a while back on an offshore day. I launched my kite and jumped off the rocks into the swell. I didn’t realise until I was already out there that I was severely underpowered. I went for a hit on a sizey 6 ft. wave and had no power to pull me out of turn, so I ended up in the impact zone getting smashed against the rocks. Not my proudest moment!

I’ve also had a few bruised ribs from going over the falls and landing on the rail of my board, and a pretty nice slap to the face, which ended up on @kookslams! At the end of the day, it’s all part of the game!

Who inspires you and what have you learned from them?

MituMonteiro is the one guy who has always encouraged me and helped me along the way. In 2012, when I was competing on the KSP tour, Mitu always had advice for me to help push my riding to the point where I had a few wins against him! I can never thank him enough. It may have been a small thing for him, but it was a massive help to me.

FacePlant | View in Mag

Ozone | View in Mag

How long have you been riding for Liquid Force and what is your go-to set up? What are the main changes in the 2019 line up?

I’ve been on the Liquid Force team for five years. It’s been a fantastic time, and I’m looking forward to future seasons with them. My go-to setup is the Wow V4 with the Mission Control V2 bar. I’m riding Appletree carbon boards in my custom shape made in collaboration with Dutchie, a local shaper in Cape Town. I’m doing some big kite loops with some heavy landings on the strapless board, and the Appletree is the only one I can’t seem to break!

The Wow V4 is another level of excellence for wave kites. We’ve put a lot of time into developing a dream kite, and there are some significant changes from V3 to V4. It’s got the ideal combination of fast turning, light bar pressure, tons of depower and drift. Any kiteboarder that’s into wave riding must demo this kite!

You're involved in the R&D at Liquid Force, what direction would you be interested in taking in the future?

I’m stoked on R&D in the kiteboarding industry, especially on the wave side. I’ve been involved in testing kites at Liquid Force since the Wow V1 and have continued to provide more and more input through each version. It’s been a lot of fun working with our designer Julian to perfect the wave kite. I want to stay involved in the testing and development of kites throughout my career. I can’t see myself in a 9-5 job unless I’m getting sandblasted on the beach or hammered by waves testing equipment!

Winds on, who is the first person you call for a session?

That’s a tough one! In Cape Town, everybody wants a session. I always call my friend Alessandro for secret wave chasing missions. For the crew sessions, there’s always an epic downwinder to be had at Kite Beach, and a million chat groups to hit up!

South Africa is known for its insane kiteboarding conditions, so we're guessing it's pretty hard to find a place that quite compares. Where is the next best kiteboarding spot you've visited?

You are 200% right! There’s nothing quite like home. We have everything from flatwater to insane waves. There’s a lot of spots that are undiscovered that I’m still stumbling upon; nothing quite compares! I have to say though, Mauritius would be my first choice for a wave trip, and that’s not too far from home.

Flysurfer | View in Mag

Eleveight Kites | View in Mag

If you could give yourself advice ten years ago, what would it be?

Don’t drink beer! It makes you fat or fatter, thanks to Rich Sabo.

Do you have any exciting trips or plans for 2019 that you can share with us?

The 2019 season is starting with a Liquid Force team trip (the destination isn't confirmed yet) followed by a trip to Canada with my girlfriend to go snowboarding. From there, we’ll take a road trip through kite spots in North America and see where we end up!