After a King of the Air with more upsets than our travel plans this year, it's clear we're in the midst of a big shift in the world of Big Air. We take a look at what the new generation of Big Air kiting looks like, with words from retiring kings, first-time competitors, and more, right here in this exclusive IKSURFMAG feature!

It's nearing the end of another year on our windy blue planet, and yet again, one of the few things saving our sanity is the existence of this incredible sport that we call kiteboarding. Or kitesurfing, though I'll leave the debate on kite-whatever-it-is-ing aside for now.

What a way to end the year! A flurry of Big Air events starting from Cold Hawaii to Lords of Tram and ending with a Red Bull King of the Air that had nearly as many upsets as all of our travel plans for the year. While we're a bit disappointed that great new talents like Lorenzo Casati, Andrea Principi, and Jamie Overbeek didn't get a chance to show us their stuff at KOTA, we're certain they'll be front-runners for invitations to the next event! If one thing is clear, there is definitely something in the air. 

Now, I did everything in my power to avoid bringing up the obvious, but I failed. Allow me just this one paragraph. The airborne irritation that we can't seem to shake was definitely in the air in late November in Cape Town. No, I'm not talking about the inconsiderate kiter that does a massive air or kiteloop without so much as a courtesy glance at the landing zone downwind. Though, there were plenty of those around as well. All I'm saying is, as much fun as King of the Air was, the newest event to make headlines is Covid in the Air, and, spoiler alert, there are no winners!

This ongoing pandemic is nothing to laugh about, but it's about all there is left to do for many of us! Psychologically, laughing as a reaction to an incredibly stressful situation is quite common. 

According to neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, "We have nervous laughter because we want to make ourselves think what horrible thing we encountered isn't really as horrible as it appears, something we want to believe." So, here I am, chuckling awkwardly, as I try to stand upwind of the other kiters on the beach in fear of the big bad Omicron!

Thankfully, this article is actually about kitesurfing, so let's get back to that! Something big is in the air, and it looks a lot like the winds of change.

There is a big shift happening in Big Air, and the voluntary withdrawal from KOTA by reigning King Jesse Richman was some incredible foreshadowing. Jesse said, "This year, I'm turning down my spot at KOTA and giving it to the next rider in line. I'm so excited for the next generation of big air kiteboarders to step up and show the world what they have got. No one wants to see me up on that podium again; We all want to see something new and exciting. Someone new. We are here to have fun and make the world a better place for those who come next. I welcome the next generation to step up and make us proud, to assist in the natural evolution of our sport."

The next domino to tip itself over was invited rider Steven Akkersdijk, withdrawing from the event to focus on other disciplines, including foil, strapless riding, and sharing his skills through his SA Masterclass videos. In an open video message to his followers, he said, "In the past years, I've lost a little bit of interest to ride competitively with the twin tip. Of course, I still love boosting, but not for four hours a day, which I think is necessary if you really want to compete at the top... I really want to give a chance to all the young guys out there, the guys that do spend four hours a day on the water and are super stoked about the sport, and for them to enter the big stage at Red Bull King of the Air, and not me as an older guy, holding onto the spot just because I can."

Making way for the next generation is an honourable action; These young up-and-comers certainly deserve their chance at glory. That's not to say that the old legends can't still be competitive - they were. However, we've been talking about them for aeons. 

In honour of the incredible performances of the first-time competitors in the 2021 King of the Air, we chatted with the next generation of Big Air riders to find out what it was like competing to be King. 

First, some words from Stig Hoefnagel, King of the first-timers, and our Issue 90 cover star! "Because it was my first time competing in KOTA, I was just stoked on being there and not that focused on actually doing well. I went into that first heat with a good mindset and spirit; I knew that if I were having fun, I would be capable of winning. After I won my first heat (against Kevin Langeree and Tom Bridge), I felt like I was in the zone and was able to achieve a lot more than my first goal, which was making it into the semi-finals."

Stig fought his way through the event and ended up in the finals, achieving an incredible 3rd place in his KOTA debut. We asked him how it felt, and he said, "Standing on the podium is something that I have dreamed of for years but never knew if it would ever be reality. Already being super proud of making it to the finals in my first KOTA almost felt a little awkward because no one - including myself - thought that I was capable of such a thing."

South African Michael MacDonald, who was selected as a reserve rider, entered the event upon Steven Akkersdijk's withdrawal. Unfortunately, his powerful performance in the first heat was interrupted by a heavy crash. He left the event in the back of an ambulance and returned on crutches to watch Day 2 from the sidelines. Still, his excitement for the sport hasn't subsided one bit! "I think the future of big air looks INSANE! It's only just begun. This is such a new sport and every single week we see some innovation - especially coming from the youngsters. Can I swear? IT'S FUCKING RIDICULOUS! Haha!"

Another impressive performance came from Giel Vlugt, who many punters had tipped for a potential podium position. His first-time jitters nearly got the best of him, and he told us about the challenge of going up against the cool and collected riders with years of experience. "I was feeling confident going into Round 1 against Marc Jacobs and Lasse Walker. I was way too hyped before going into that round, so when the heat started, I just went for every single kicker I could find instead of looking for a good kicker and a good gust. I finished last in that heat and had to calm myself down to make sure I would perform in the next heat."

He was quick to rebound from that setback, taking out Lewis Crathern in Round 2 and scoring an impressive win against Aaron Hadlow in Round 3, stamping his envelope to the semi-finals against Stig. "I felt in the zone. I was finding the right kickers and managed to land almost every trick attempt. Round 3 was my idea of a perfect heat, and I was very happy to show the world what I could do. Overall, I'm very happy with my performance, but as a competitor, you always feel like you could have done more. So I will most definitely be back next year!"

GKA competitor Val Garat had a tough run in the event but had some excellent insight about the discipline of Big Air, "It's crazy to see how the level of Big Air has improved the last two years. We see way more Big Air specialists, and they for sure contribute to push the sport. I think every rider has his own style, and I like to see some good technical tricks but still with a lot of power and nice loops."

While Val is an impressive rider in his own right, he was impressed by the performance of the more experienced riders. "Marc Jacobs showed he was able to do everything, and Kevin, coming 2nd, proved that the older riders still have their place and that it takes years and experience to win a KOTA." Since the event has finished, he's more focused and inspired than ever, "I still love Freestyle, but I think I will put way more effort and time into my Big Air, as it was a dream to get into the KOTA, but now my main goal is to get this trophy one day. I know it's possible, and I'll focus on that for the next years!"

Speaking of Marc Jacobs, we can't write an article about King of the Air without talking about his incredible triumph! When we spoke to him before the event, he said, "I feel like I have a lot to show in Big Air... my main focus is to win King of the Air in 2021." 

Well, win, he did. The hard work he put into training his switch side to satisfy the conditions and judging criteria of the event paid off! Undoubtedly, his road to Cape Town was the longest of all the riders, leaving New Zealand shortly after his wedding to fulfil his dream of winning the event. His prize for winning - on his birthday! - was the glory, respect, and excitement of the entire kiteboarding community... and a nightmare of a trip home thanks to the emergence of the Omicron.

There's no doubt that we're about to see a big shift in the world of Big Air kiting, and we couldn't be more excited. Bring on 2022! Let's hope the only thing flying through the air is balls-to-the-wall kiteboarders!

 

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.

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