Colleen Carroll is one of the most impressive women in kiteboarding, having been a regular podium winner in freestyle, sliders, surf and more! In this Insight feature, Jen Tyler takes Colleen for a trip down memory lane, the highs and lows of competition, and finds out what she's up to these days. We've got it all right here - exclusively on IKSURFMAG!

Colleen, it's great to have you featured in 'Insight' this issue; we're stoked to have you here. You grew up in the Northwest, USA, in an outdoorsy family. Can you tell us a little about your childhood living between the Puget Sound and the North Cascade mountain ranges? 

I grew up near Seattle, Washington, which afforded my family and me many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Growing up, we spent a ton of time in the woods, mountains, lakes and Puget Sound, with the ability to do a variety of action sports right from our front door, which I believe has inspired the lifestyle I still live today.  

With snowboarding, mountain biking, wakeboarding, and surfing in the Pacific Northwest, it was only a matter of time before you ended up on a kiteboard! Who initially introduced you to the sport?

My parents were really into windsurfing throughout the 80s and early 90s and regularly loaded my brother and me up in our camper van headed to Hood River, Oregon, for weekends and extended trips from the time we were babies. It's also where we first saw kiteboarding, which we soon had to try! At this point (the early 2000s?), my brother and I were avid snowboarders and wakeboarders, and we were immediately drawn to kiteboarding. Some of my parent's friends were early adopters of the sport and took us out to give it a try. One close friend, in particular, Jose Gruart, took us under his wing, and once the gear became relatively safe, he started to teach us more regularly. I didn't take to the sport immediately as, at the time, it seemed so complicated, and I couldn't afford to own my gear.

When did you start working at the local kite shop, and did you ever imagine you'd eventually be a pro kiter?

I met some friends who worked for a teeny shop/school in Bellingham, Washington, where I went to University, who were way better at kiteboarding than I was. I was still borrowing my dad's gear, who lived an hour and a half away from me, proving to be a bit of a deterrent to my progression! The crew who worked for what is now known as "Kite Paddle Surf" offered me loaner kite gear in exchange for helping them pack up and ship out online orders, which were quickly becoming overwhelming. Once I had equipment that I could use anytime I wanted, I was hooked. However, I never thought I would become a professional kiteboarder in any way! 

When did you first get into the Park riding scene? What's the general park vibe like today compared to when the Kite Park League was running? 

I moved to Hood River sometime around 2010 and was quickly drawn to riding in the Slider Project Park. With my background being in snowboarding, I immediately related riding in snowboard parks to riding in kite parks. Unfortunately, it's hard to say much about the general park vibe at the moment because the pandemic put a big pause on all kite park events and the KPL. However, I haven't travelled nearly as much in the last two years, so I can only speak to the park vibe in Hood River, which is very much alive and well from June to August!

Being a former Park and Freestyle Kiteboarding Champion, can you share the highs and lows of competing? If you could turn back time, what would you do differently, if anything?

The high you feel when you stomp a difficult trick you've been working on in a heat is unbeatable! To feel the hard work pays off when it counts will keep you putting in all the hours and effort even when the events are over and cameras are turned off. As for lows, for me, it's probably just the opposite. You feel like you don't rise to your potential, and you underperform in an event. The worst feeling is knowing that you let yourself down. Scoring lower than someone who is absolutely crushing it is not a loss if you still did your best.

The only thing I wish I had pushed for harder and earlier on in my career is equal pay for male and female athletes. Looking back to the start, I felt so lucky to be a part of it all, and I didn't want to upset the status quo. But now, I know that we should have stood up for ourselves earlier to make things more equitable for female athletes, which unfortunately is something we are still working for today.

Do you have any injuries from the past that you still suffer from today?

Nothing too severe, but I have injuries from kiteboarding that I will be maintaining for the rest of my life. My right shoulder, right ankle, and mid-back have lingering injuries that I must be careful of and make sure I am correctly training off the water to keep them strong and pain-free.

What was it like working with the Duotone USA crew? How did you end up in that position, and what did your job role include? 

As the Marketing Coordinator for Boards & More North America (which, in addition to Duotone, also encompasses Fanatic & Ion), I loved working with the USA crew. I have been close to these people for many years, so it's such a natural fit to work behind the scenes with them. After a while, I was looking for more tasks to diversify my skills and earn some money that didn't directly relate to physically kiteboarding. There was a need for help in the USA office with marketing, so it seemed like a good match. As with many jobs in kiteboarding, I wore many hats in that role, and each day or project could be totally different.

You've gone in a new direction recently, with a career in Real Estate! How has this new career path changed your life? 

Yes! I have added Real Estate to my resume as of lately. It has kept me super busy at home during the past year and a half while the pandemic shook things up. It has been an excellent way for me to grow and learn a ton, and it's been a great way to continue to work with kiteboarders! Most of my Real Estate clients are all kiteboarders which I love because real estate transactions can be quite intimate and stressful at times, and it is a huge benefit to start on this common ground.  

Have you been able to find a balance between career development in Real Estate and putting time into your kiting career?

At the start, I was putting almost everything I had into Real Estate. It was necessary to learn as much as possible as fast as possible (and our demanding market). Still, it was also because travels for kiteboarding and my work in marketing had abruptly come to a standstill, so it felt like the right thing to do at the time. Now that I'm going on two years as a licensed agent, I am finding more balance between the two industries. I am still incredibly passionate about kiteboarding and am now winging and supporting Duotone, Ion, and Fanatic. I will be spending more time on the water and being involved with our brands.

Can you tell us a little about Strut Kiteboarding? What inspired the project, and how has this season been going for you and Sensi?

Strut Kiteboarding is a company that I started with Sensi Graves, where we host women's kiteboarding progression camps. Both Sensi and I have always loved coaching kiteboarding and empowering other women on the water. And so, about five years ago, we decided to try out our first week-long women's progression camp in Mexico.  

We often met women who lacked female camaraderie on the water and would reach out about how to progress to their next level, which is precisely what we offer in our camps! The camps have been going great, and we run camps all year long, having taken a short break due to travel restrictions last year. We are currently full for the following two camps, but we will announce our summer and fall camps very soon, so keep an eye out!

Loading up the van for the weekend with all your toys, what do you take and where do you go?

All the gear all the time! I bring my full quiver of Duotone Kiteboarding Dice SLS, throw in a Mono or two, as well as my DLAB Juice if there are light wind conditions on the forecast, Team Series 134 with boots, Jamie 136 with NTT straps, and Pace with Carve foil setup. These days, I always have to throw in my Duotone & Fanatic Foilwing gear as well, just in case a session presents itself. I love having equipment for both sports to maximise time on the water. As for the weekend destination, I'd still stay close to home in the Columbia Gorge. There's nowhere I'd rather spend a summertime weekend!

Are there more 'Sum of 5' trips booked in the foreseeable future?

I was just discussing that with our marketing manager last week! We have some plans on the cards… so stay tuned!

Congratulations to you and Rich - fantastic news! The honeymoon photos looked stunning. How was Greece?

Thank you! Greece was AMAZING. I had never been before, and it was even better than I had expected. I started the trip with my Duotone Kiteboarding teammates living aboard Mobius Yacht and shooting for the new Evo SLS. We scored some insane conditions. We had everything from 12m freestyle sessions to foiling at night from the back of the yacht to nuking 40kts+ and boosting huge on 8m kites. After the shoot was over, Rich landed in Athens, and we went full tourist mode - which I never do! It was such a treat to travel with almost no plan. We had a blast; Greece knows how to do hospitality right!

We've got to ask, what's the deal with @colin_colin_carroll?! 

There's no blood relation, and I've actually never met him! But I find his banter quite entertaining, although I completely disagree with his opinions at times! However, he seems to like ruffling feathers, so I feel that this would be just fine with him.

Any exciting plans in the pipeline for 2022?

You have no idea - Probably my most exciting plan to date, but I can't announce it just yet! 

Exciting!! Thanks so much, Colleen. It was great to catch up with you.

And you too, Jen! Thanks!

Videos

REUNION
The Sum of 5
By Jen Tyler
Italian/Egyptian Jen Tyler grew up on the sandy beaches of the Red Sea and has been on the IKSURFMAG & Tonic Mag team since 2017.

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