Keahi de Aboitiz - The Swell Hunter

Rou sits down with one of the most talented watermen on the planet, Keahi de Aboitiz to talk about his new project hunting down the best waves on the earth, if you like waves, you need to check this out!

Rou Chater talks to Keahi de Aboitiz about his new film project, which is going to blow everyone’s mind early next year…

There are a handful of kitesurfers I hold in really high esteem, by that I mean riders who I genuinely think are the full package. In a sport where anyone can spend three years riding every day and become a freestyle champion, it takes a little more to get my attention. This accolade usually goes to riders who transcend more than one discipline or change the direction of the sport as we know it. Kiteboarders who can handle a multitude of conditions and craft, and be a master at all of them. 

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There are probably only a handful or two of them in our sport. Keahi de Aboitiz, for me, is right up there with the best of them. He’s not only a multiple kitesurfing world champion, but he’s also a world-class SUP athlete in the waves, one of the best surf foilers around and he’s been nominated for Wave Of The Winter at Backdoor. Just let that last one sink in a bit, Backdoor is the right at Pipeline, one of the most hardcore waves on the planet. The place where the best of the best in the world of surfing hang out. To even get a wave there is incredible, to get nominated for Wave Of The Winter? Shut the front door. 

Keahi has pulled back from the competition scene over the last year or so to concentrate on a full-length movie project. After being treated to an exclusive preview this year, I thought it was high time one of my favourite kitesurfing athletes answered some questions. As ever, Keahi doesn’t disappoint!

Hey Keahi, we really enjoyed watching the preview for your upcoming movie when we were in Germany this summer, can you tell us a little bit about how the concept was born and why you stepped back from the GKA and competitive riding?

Stoked you liked it! Basically, it all just came about after spending some time with some surfers on a couple strike mission trips between events. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the competitions when we have good conditions, but the biggest problem is it’s always a long, expensive mission to get there for potentially sub-par conditions. Since I already have 4 world titles in kitesurfing, one more wouldn’t really mean that much so it’s been nice to be able to put some of those funds and energy towards some passion projects I’ve had in mind for a while now. So far it’s been a dream come true, and I’ve checked some amazing waves off my list

Watching the preview, it seems like you’re not making any plans until a big swell rears its head somewhere on the planet, and then chasing it down. How difficult is that to do logistically, especially when you are headed to some super remote places?

Generally yes. It’s definitely a little trickier logistically and more stressful, but it’s really the best way to properly score on a trip. Since a lot of these waves don’t actually get good that often sometimes it’s the only option. Luckily I’ve got some good friends and contacts in some of these places, which makes things a little easier in terms of logistics once you’re there. It’s always a bit of scramble trying to line everything up in time, but it is so rewarding when it all comes together

This year, where was the highlight spot for you?

Although I’ve had a few amazing trips to choose from, I’d have to say Skeleton Bay. This is somewhere that I’ve had on my bucket list the last few years, and with the events in Europe that time of year, I’ve just never found the right window to go. To finally score, it was a dream come true! 

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Big wave surfers have been doing this schedule for a while now, hunting down the good spots when they are on. How liberating is it to surf the best waves at any given moment and not be sat on a beach waiting for a heat to start when it’s flat?

It's pretty amazing, but it does come with its ups and downs. It’s generally a lot of travelling and jetlag going straight into marathon days, but you forget all about that when it all comes together. It truly is the best feeling ever scoring one of those once a year sessions like that instead then be stuck on a flat beach somewhere.

Do you miss the tour at all and do you think you might ever go back?

I definitely see myself doing select events if I’m in the right place or the conditions line up, places like Cabo Verde are always going to draw me in. I still really like competing if it’s firing and I’m pushing it with the guys, but I don’t see myself following the whole tour again right now. It’s just such a big money and time commitment at the moment if you’re not based in Europe. Maybe I’ll find that drive again in the future, but I’m really enjoying a different challenge right now. 

You’ve always been a bit of a master of many trades, winning SUP titles and now you’re heavily into foil surfing too, as well as cruising on the e-foil. What’s the excess baggage like, it must be hell getting that toy box around the world?

Haha, its a bit brutal at times but I’ve gotten pretty good at handling it. It generally all depends on what the specific airlines charge, so I’ve gotten pretty good at understanding all their policies. They’re all pretty strict now, so it's pretty hard to sweet talk your way through or bawl your eyes out unless you’re a girl. I’ll try to limit it to 2 sports at a time, but its always a mission when I’m heading somewhere like Hawaii for the season. I think I had 5 bags to check-in plus my 2 carry-ons this past trip back here. It’s always hilarious to see the looks people give as I’m precariously wheeling out my Tetris stack on a trolley. You’d be amazed at how much you can fit on one of those things!

In the film we saw you riding some pretty light conditions at spots like Cloudbreak, I remember asking you about the kite size you used, and you said a 13m was your biggest. You also have some pretty radical tricks for getting back upwind in less favourable conditions, would you care to share them with us?

Actually, this trip I didn’t have the 13 so was stuck with an 11 in about 12 knots of wind. Sometimes it’s all about going back to basics, and it's not uncommon to see me body dragging back upwind these days. It sounds crazy, but in side offshore winds it works surprisingly well since you’re basically going upwind when you’re on a wave. Although you’re moving slowly, you can point a little bit higher into the wind, so it usually means getting upwind faster in light conditions. When I see a wave, I work the kite and pump into it, and the apparent wind of the wave does the rest. In bigger waves and side offshore winds, you can really use the energy from a swell to help give you the extra speed to point upwind. This is why it’s a good idea always to try to stay in the line-up when it gets light cause if you ride too far out to sea you won’t have the swells helping you upwind any more.

How important is your gear when you are on a mission like this, I’d imaging equipment failure in the middle of the Pacific isn’t an easy fix?

It’s pretty crucial, but luckily the Cabrinha kites are solid. Thankfully I’m pretty good about not breaking kites these days and always take a few sizes which you can still make work if you break one. I only broke one kite in the last few years, so I guess I’m doing pretty well. In most situations, unless the kite gets barrelled by an 8 footer, it’s usually alright as long as you’re not holding on to it making tension. The advantage of kiting waves is I can always think about my regular surfboards as a backup to use if I break my kiteboards.

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You spend a fair bit of time on the North Shore in Hawaii, you even got nominated for Wave Of The Winter at Backdoor, how did you get so good at riding waves like that coming from Australia, how do you even get a shot at the line-up?

I guess it just comes from that drive to always push myself to get that same feeling of adrenaline by chasing bigger heavier waves. When I first started spending the seasons in Hawaii, I was pretty intimidated, but it grows on you with time, and now I enjoy it. I was lucky we grew up surfing good waves at home at Noosa on special swells, so that gave me a pretty good background as well as getting me a little more comfortable surfing in crowds. It is tricky getting a good wave off the pack here, but sometimes you get lucky, or people don’t want the gnarly ones. If you put in your time, show respect and don’t pull back on heavy one, you can definitely gain a little respect over here and get a few some waves. That Wave Of The Winter one is still stuck in my mind with one of the craziest feelings I’ve ever had.

What’s a perfect day like for you on the water?

Basically just sharing perfect barrels with a group of friends. There’s no better feeling. The craft doesn’t matter whether I’m kiting or surfing, but there’s something extraordinary about those pumping days with just your friends.

You scored the mythical Skeleton Bay in Namibia about as good as it gets, it’s a tough trip to line up for a surf, how hard was it to get the wind as well?

Yep, that one has been on my list for years, and it feels incredible to check it off. I actually know a few guys who tried before me and was getting mixed reports about it since it sounded like the wind angle might be a little too onshore. That area does get a fair bit of the wind, but the biggest problem is that the wave is moving so fast that you start to outrun your kite if you’re not careful with your kite control. It was definitely a little tricky on some, but thankfully the Drifter is a drifting machine. It’s definitely up there for the best session of my life with two minute long rides and multiple barrels on a wave. That wave truly is incredible! 

Did you ever get totally skunked and let down by a forecast during the project?

Almost in Fiji. I remember booking the trip and seeing what looked like the perfect forecast. Multiple swells in a row and wind all week, then the day after I booked it, the wind started vanishing. Because of the area, Cloudbreak is in, it has its own little microclimate, and the weather forecasts fluctuate all the time. Sometimes it’s hard to trust the forecast any more then a couple days out. It looked like it was going to turn into a surf trip (which is not terrible), but thankfully the day before the swell, the forecast showed light trades, and we ended up getting lucky with a little wind. It ended up being a light wind session requiring some body dragging but in a way that kinda helped as it kept the waves super clean and beautiful. After that, the rest of the swells got downgraded, and that was kinda it. Thankfully that one perfect day was all we needed.

Who’s been helping you out along the way, are you working with any go-to photographers or videographers?

It’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s always fun shooting with good friends like John Bilderback in Hawaii, but a lot of the trips have been linking up with some of the photographers there, or getting lucky and finding out that someone might have captured those epic moments. That one barrel shot from the Cyclone Oma swell in Australia was a good example of that and a pleasant surprise when I saw it a couple days later. I’m going to have Anders Kruger put together the movie (he’s the guy who used to make all the epic Cabrinha films); I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do with the footage. It’s going to be epic to relive some of those trips, and I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been up to!

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You’ve been working with GoPro a bit more and also Noir Matter and the Quark, what difference have tools made like this to your media production?

Having the ability to shoot things, yourself is a game-changer. Not having to rely on others to film or the costs involved and then also being able to get those unique angles that a fisheye allows for. It’s refreshing to be able to show people my perspective and its always fun to watch the sessions back myself. With the introduction of products like the Quark, it’s been fantastic in making line mount footage watchable. It still trips me out some of the angles I can capture with it, and it’s basically like having your own personal photographer shooting fisheye in a barrel

What’s the one thing you can’t leave home without?

I’d have to say a surf foil. I left it behind on one trip this year, and it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make haha. It’s the best trip saver ever since it turns the most average waves into a hell of a lot of fun. It definitely can save a skunking on a trip.

What’s the most useful tip you can give to someone thinking of chasing the swell rather than planning a trip?

Do your homework, so you’re ready when the time comes along. 

How long before we get to see the full movie? Is it finished yet?

Most likely going to be the beginning of 2020. I’ve still got one more mission on the list that I’m hoping I can check off before the end of the year then we’ll get it going. Looking forward to showing everyone what I’ve been up to!

Cheers Keahi, thanks for taking the time!