With flat, crystal clear water and steady Meltemi winds, Greece is an irresistible spot for kiteboarders from all over the world! Naish’s Louka Pitot joins his friends and team riders for a freestyle adventure on the Greek mainland. Click here to read the article!

They say work hard, play hard. I agree. I moved from Mauritius to France four years ago to attend university, and I lived in Montpellier, studied International Business, and shot off for a session in Gruissan whenever possible. 

As the summer started in Europe, the beaches on our home spots were getting packed. Between kiting restrictions in France and the never-ending traffic to get to the beach, it was about time to catch up with a few mates for a freestyle trip. So Nathalie Lambrecht, Tom Seager and I put our heads together to develop a plan, and that plan was Greece. After completing my final exams, I was ready to get my head out of the books and into some crystal clear Greek water!

When you find an excellent kite spot, you tend to keep going back. Greece is a spot that I haven’t been able to resist returning to every year since I’ve lived in Europe. Kiters know Greece for its Meltemi winds and the famous islands that offer an endless playground. However, our mission here was slightly different; we were on the hunt for perfectly uncrowded spots. Of course, it’s not only the excellent kiting conditions and opportunities for progression; it’s the friendly people and atmosphere that keep me coming back. 

This trip was a little more complicated than usual. I would be flying from France, Nathalie from Egypt, and Tom from England. With the rapid increase in travel to Greece due to relaxed COVID restrictions, finding accommodation and rental cars at the peak of summer was a mission. With hotels and guest houses packed to the brim, we would have to change our AirBNB every few days if we wanted a roof over our heads. We knew it would be tricky, but well worth it!

Upon landing in Athens, we rented a small van and set off. We had chosen to stay on the mainland to avoid the holiday crowds on the islands. With a vehicle, we could follow the wind and visit Athens and other cities along the way, such as Patras, Lefkadas, Nafpaktos, and Lamia. On the search for a perfect freestyle session, our first stop would be at a secret spot we had heard referred to as “Brazil in Europe”. By that, I mean butter-flat water and steady wind. 

After three hours on the road, we arrived in our kiters paradise. We were stoked to see our Greek friends who we’d met the previous years and some international riders already on the spot. With wind every day, we could get out on the water every morning in 18-20 knots of steady wind with the ideal flatwater freestyle conditions.

For these conditions, I was ready with my go-to freestyle kites, the Naish Torch, in 10m and 12m. They’re stable in the air and provide the perfect slack for freestyle tricks. On the rare occasion when the wind was too strong, I’d pump up the 8m Pivot and go for a big air session. 

We spent a few days here, kiting every day, indulging in delicious Greek food - especially my favourite, the Pita Gyros. A few of these after a session, and you will sleep like a baby! They must have given me the fuel I needed, though, because I was finally able to land a 319 again after several years!

Things were getting better by the day; Spanos Luxury Cars would lend us a new Defender 90 to support our search for special sessions and let us enjoy maximum comfort and luxury on the road. We traded in the van for the Defender, with loads of space for gear and more electronic gadgets than we knew what to do with! 

After spending a few more days at the kite spot, Tom looked down at his phone and said, “Oh, Tack and Hela are coming!” Christophe Tack (2014 World Champion), Helena Brochocka, and their dog Morty were on their way from Portugal in their campervan. I knew Christophe from seeing him in Brazil and judging the French Nationals, but I had never ridden with him that much before. I was excited to have the opportunity to learn from this freestyle legend. 

When I joined Naish at the beginning of 2020, I knew it would be the right decision. It had always been a goal of mine to ride for a brand that does it all. Naish is a strong brand with a rich history, and now I get to ride everything Naish; Foils, wings, kites, and every other toy I could dream of! Besides that, the people who work at Naish are all passionate riders, and I wanted to be surrounded by passionate people who love what they do. 

I’m one of the younger riders on the team, but it’s quite a solid and diverse crew. We’re lucky to have Ewan Jaspan and Christophe Tack to help mentor us and push our progression. After spending some time on the water with Tack, I was impressed by his technical approach; he has thought every trick through. We all benefited from his world-class coaching on this trip. 

My priority was the Pete Rose 7, Hela and Nat were training the Front Blind, and Tom was trying to land a Slim 5. I’m always a bit scared to have a bad crash while learning new tricks, but that extra push from Christophe, especially on the technical toe-side tricks, was a major motivator. 

More than anything, it was amazing to be surrounded by my teammates and to share moments with people who share the same passion and interest. We stayed in the same spot for most of the trip to push our riding and try new tricks in these consistent conditions.

As every trip calls for unique encounters, we met Australian photographer Christopher Poole (CJP Photography) on the spot. He has been living in Cyprus for the past few years and visits Greece regularly. He is one of those good vibes only types of people, an amazing and interesting person that helped us push our riding. While we haven’t seen him on a kite yet, I’m sure we will see that next year! 

Chris’s passion is photography, but his kiteboarding knowledge is incredible. He knows the names of all the tricks, and that’s an impressive feat considering how many there are! Just before our trip ended, Chris joined us in the water with his camera and took the stunning shots that you see in this article. 

The rest of the trip was the best you could hope for in a dream kite trip. We spent three weeks on the mainland with wind every single day. It was session after session, with few days off the water. When it was too windy, we’d go winging or do some big air, and if we were too sore, we’d head into the city for a massage to help get us back into action for yet another session. 

Outside of our Naish team, we met people from all over Europe in Greece. We were lucky to have a perfect spot without crowds and to be surrounded by so many inspirational riders who were pushing each other day in and day out.

As we made our way back to the airport and onwards home, we knew it had been a fantastic trip, and the moments we shared in Greece were magical. On this quest to adrenaline, your path will cross exceptional individuals, and that’s where the magic happens. These adventures into the unknown make us even hungrier to get out there and have fun. I’m looking back at a fantastic time in Greece, and as the year continues, I look forward to meeting all these shredders again in the Brazilian lagoons in a couple of months!

 

By Louka Pitot
Born and raised on the beautiful island of Mauritius, Louka Pitot moved to France 3 years ago to study and train. There, he met the french team, that are now his best friends. They travel around the globe all year long, looking for the best kite spots.

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