On The Fly
Issue 90 / Tue 7th Dec, 2021
From the warm waters of Brazil and the Dominican Republic all the way to the cool European conditions in France and the Netherlands, we check in on what your favourite riders and brands are up to. Read all about it in IKSURFMAG’s On The Fly!
CRAZYFLY // 2022 Shoot with Laci Kobulsky
The goal of this shoot was pretty simple - take the best possible action shots of the new CrazyFly gear! We started in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, but did most of the shooting at quieter beaches on the North Coast. We were doing both stills and videos, and we tried to match each spot with the right gear.
In Las Terrenas, we shot foiling with the new Pure board and Infinity kite. In windy Buen Hombre, we focused on the Sculp and Raptor Extreme. It helped a lot to have local rider Posito Martinez on the team. For me, having somebody who knows the local spots is a necessity. I've been on shoots where we were unfamiliar with the spots, and it's always tricky and inefficient. We also had CrazyFly all-star Liloo Fourre on the team, adding energy, charm and smiles. Alex Soto also joined us for some foiling in Las Terrenas for a few days.
The best trip for us was a day boat trip to Cayo Arena from Kite Buen Hombre. You get to kite in amazing flat water next to mangroves and then do an incredible downwinder back to the main spot. They have a "7 islands trip" for more advanced riders, which is a full day kiting adventure.
One of my favourite shots of this trip is of Posito high fiving Giovanna, my girlfriend who was on the trip as an assistant. Not only did she love the trip, but she also proved very useful both behind and in front of the camera. This shot was very spontaneous! Giovanna was helping me with the flash in the water, and as soon as we were done, Posito, just for fun, gave her a high five in the air - a trick I am sure he practiced a lot to impress chiquitas, haha! And boom, the shot was made! 🙂
ELEVEIGHT // Hello Sunshine
Check out the release of the new Eleveight FS V5 in Hello Sunshine. Join Raiarii Fadier and Arthur Guillebert for some early morning gold, and go behind the scenes of the shoot with Raiarii!
Raiarii Fadier: The plan was to shoot a video featuring Arthur Guillebert and myself to present Eleveight's new kite, the FS V5. It is the perfect freestyle machine; It delivers good slack, and the kite is really responsive. I really like it, and I don't just use it for freestyle; I also use it for big air and kiteloops!
We were lucky to get perfect conditions in Gruissan, in the south of France. This spot is really unusual because you have to drive 20 minutes down a chaotic road before arriving at the beach. Then, you drive on the beach until you get to the spot. Most of the time, the car gets stuck in the sand, and that's exactly what happened to me! Luckily, we found some friends to help push the car.
In this spot, the wind is usually too strong for freestyle, but sometimes, the wind gets lighter. On this day, the wind blew from 7 am to 11 am, so we managed to time it perfectly. The water was flat, the sun was rising, it wasn't too cold; Everything was perfect for the shoot. Arthur and I just enjoyed our time on the water, sending some tricks together and making the most of a perfect morning.
LIEUWE // Brazil with Roderick Pijls
For several years the entire kitesurf industry has been following the windy season in each continent, with one of the most popular locations being Brazil. I've been visiting this country for more than a decade. This time, instead of only staying in Cumbuco and Taiba, I decided to explore further and experience Brazil's entire northern coastline. Together with a couple of friends and photographer Arnaud Plas, we loaded up a 4x4 and hit the road!
We scored in the waves from side off-shore sessions in Pecem to mind-blowing waves in Baleia. However, we still wanted to ride some freestyle! On the search for something special, we did a downwinder near Moitas and found an undiscovered lagoon, impossible to reach by car. What we found was butter-flat water, consistent wind, and a completely private lagoon - insane!
We finished up our trip in Barra Grande, where we saw a completely new scenery and vibe that we hadn't seen in Brazil before. It was like Jericoacoara, but ten years in the past. What a way to end the adventure! I cannot wait to head back next year to spend even more time exploring Brazil's northern beaches.
AIRWAVE // Maxime-Luan Desjardins
When it comes to Hydrofoil Freestyle, you can be almost certain that you'll see Charles Brodel and Fred Hope at the top of the podium. This time around, a new face knocked out one of the greats during the recent GKA Hydrofoil Freestyle World Cup in Brazil.
The talented 19-year-old Maxime-Luan Desjardins had an incredible performance, sailing through the air on his colourful Airwave KOALA! Maxime knocked out Fred Hope to earn his place in the semi-finals of the event before going on to take 2nd place, sharing the podium with fellow French rider Charles Brodel.
Congratulations, Maxime and the Airwave team!
NAISH // The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The latest feature kite film to arrive from the mega windy Netherlands comes from filmmaker Edwin Haighton, who documented a season of sessions with Stig Hoefnagel. We got the story behind the scenes from Edwin and Stig!
STIG HOEFNAGEL: Edwin and I have been making videos together for almost five years now. Because Edwin is a kiter himself, and I have some experience filming, we form probably the best duo for projects like this one! We always have a little chat with each other before the session to check if we are on the same page, and as soon as we both know what we want, then we can start shooting without having to talk to each other anymore because 90% of the time, we're thinking the exact same way!
Our first session was filmed in March and the last one in October. I enjoyed every moment of making this movie. I wanted to make something that was honest, not just showing the best sessions of the year and telling how amazing it is when it's not! I wanted to share what is actually happening and show that it's not always flowers and roses.
EDWIN HAIGHTON: Filming in stormy conditions is something I really enjoy. It's great to feel the power of mother nature all around you. Visually speaking, these are my favourite conditions; Sand flying, waves smashing on the harbour walls, there are epic images everywhere you look.
To be able to shoot a nice film, you need someone who can handle the conditions. Stig is a real waterman, a jack of all trades, and he can rip it in any discipline, especially in nuking winds. Kiting in Holland is making the best of the diverse conditions you get. We tried to find that perfect storm that all big air kiters long for - 45-50 knots and massive kickers. We chased down a lot of forecasts to get those truly epic storm conditions, but they didn't work out as planned.
That's just how it goes in Holland, so we decided that should be the story of this film: Some sessions are good, some are bad, and some are just plain ugly. But no matter the conditions, we always enjoy going out!
Videos
By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.
