On The Fly
Issue 91 / Mon 7th Feb, 2022
From race reports to snowkiting to the lagoons of Brazil, we check in with a few of your favourite riders and brands to see what’s going on. Don’t miss out on the latest industry news, rider stories, and product releases, all right here in On The Fly!
RACE REPORT // Axel Mazella
French kitefoil racer and Ozone team rider Axel Mazella just had a stellar 2021 season, winning the KiteFoil World Series and the Formula Kite European title, both for the third time. The 24-year-old was also just pipped into second place for the coveted Formula Kite World Championship crown by French team-mate Théo de Ramecourt. On a two-month winter break to the south Pacific island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, to rest and recharge, Mazella took time out to talk to Ian MacKinnon about his coming year, the building pressure of the Paris 2024 Olympics, and what he does to switch off.
Ian: 2021 was a big year for you, winning the KiteFoil World Series, the Formula Kite Europeans, and taking the second podium step at the Formula Kite Worlds. Which are you most pleased about?
Axel: I’m super-happy about my season. It’s my best season so far. I never did that before, winning the KFWS and finishing second at the Worlds. For me, it was a big accomplishment. There was a lot of work beforehand to prepare for all the events. Now, also, kitefoil racing is bigger and bigger and so tight. It’s not like it was at the beginning of the sport where you could win all the races at an event. It’s become like a real sailing sport: you can finish one race first, then fifth, then tenth. So it’s really intense. I can’t complain about my results, because in all the events this year I made the podium. So it’s definitely my best season of racing. I’m super-happy.
Now I know what I have to work on for the next year. I have a lot of strong guys in front of me, like Théo de Ramecourt, first and foremost. But we are great friends too, that’s why we’re travelling together and spent a lot of the year together. But still, I know what I have to work on for the coming 2022 season. Trying to win the Formula Kite World Championship is the top priority because it’s the only one I haven’t won so far.
I: What are your goals for the 2022 season?
A: That’s easy: a European title, the fourth in a row. But most of all, to win the Formula Kite World Championship because it’s the biggest event of the season for everyone, especially the French sailing federation [FFV]. We have to have good results to get support from the federation. It’s the most important event for everyone, so we really have to be ready. I will mostly focus on the Europeans and the Worlds this year and go to the World Series events if they’re not too close to others.
I: Now, in 2022, we’re just two-and-a-half years from the Paris 2024 Olympics and kitefoil racing’s debut. Does being a home Games put even more pressure on you?
A: No doubt, and it will come round very quickly. In 2022 we will start to have qualifiers for the Olympics. We start to have more and more pressure from the federation. We already have a lot of support, but they expect good results from us from the Games because it’s our home Olympics, and the French government wants a lot of medals in 2024. Yes, it’s more pressure, especially for me because the sailing events will be in Marseille, which is a one-hour drive from my home. If I participate in these Olympics, I will have all my family and friends supporting me, which is super-good for motivation. But playing at home, you have to stay really focused on what you have to do and not crack under pressure.
I: How do you switch off and recharge for the challenges ahead?
A: That’s what I’m doing here, right now in Tahiti. It’s really important for me in the wintertime to do something other than kitefoiling. For two reasons: by the end of the season, we are super-tired, not bored, but there are many races during the season, and I know I have to do something different because my body has to be ready for next year. Also, I need this time to rebuild my mind for the new plan and get more motivation. Even during the season, I have to take some time to rest, especially before a big event. I really enjoy spending time with my family. We’re always travelling the world so much, so it’s good to get time to see them. So I go to my family house and enjoy spending time with my cousins, parents, grandparents, and brothers. And if I’ve got the conditions for flying, I’ll go flying. And surfing too, if the conditions are right. I really love surfing.
MOVIE PREMIERE // "The Hitchhiker"
Creativity and kiteboarding meet in “The Hitchhiker”, presented by Knot Future. A short film with a story, kiter Marek Rowiński and filmmaker Aleksander Lewandowski team up to bring this creative concept to life. Unlike your average Brazilian freestyle edit, “The Hitchhiker” started with a script, taking inspiration from the album An American Prayer. Marek and Aleksander went to Brazil with a plan, spending a few weeks battling light wind and camera malfunctions, but still managing to gather each shot they needed to tell their story. Ready to see the final result of this creative project? Press play to watch “The Hitchhiker”.
LIEUWE // Creating Custom
What goes into creating a Lieuwe custom board? In this Q&A, we chat with artist Jenny Lloyd, the creator of the new Paradise Series, to find out all about the process!
Jenny, tell us a bit about yourself and your background!
I'm an artist and designer from the UK, now happily based in beautiful Amsterdam. I originally trained and worked for over fifteen years as an illustrator and graphic designer. However, more recently, I was encouraged by my enduring obsession with visual culture to start integrating collage into my portfolio – one of the most fun, rewarding developments of my creative career so far. I love to create artworks featuring natural forms, fine detail, colour and light.
For me, my love of collage comes from an attraction to curation: the process of bringing together disparate elements to make a coherent whole... like a visual remix that pays homage to the source material but also obscures its original context. I'm drawn to building diverse, escapist worlds, where fresh stories and feelings emerge to be explored, and each piece has a spirit of its own. I'm captivated by the human experience as it relates to nature and our environment, striving to make work that reflects and supports that feeling. I aspire to bring playfulness and magic into my art, a sense of wonder.
How did you connect up with Lieuwe as a Featured Artist? Are you a kitesurfer, or where did the relationship start?
I'm not a kitesurfer myself, although it does look like it would be amazing! I'm a freelance collage artist and designer based in Amsterdam; Erik contacted me early last year through Instagram. I think someone there suggested my work to him as being potentially a good fit for Lieuwe and a campaign they wanted to create, which would feature their handcrafted kiteboards with unique artworks by various artists. I actually don't know who that person was, which is a shame because I'd love to thank them for the connection! Shortly after we were first in touch, I received an email from Erik with a potential concept for a brand new board – the tropical flamingo-themed 'True Nature' – and after a chat on the phone about the project, I was excited to accept the commission and start work on the piece. Having had a lot of fun creating that first project for Lieuwe, I was delighted when Erik contacted me again in November with an idea for another custom board. That concept later expanded in scope to include more designs and became the Paradise Series.
What was the design brief that you received?
For the Paradise Series, I received a detailed visual brief covering everything from location inspiration to main visual themes and overall vibe and detailed design notes. The first design idea for the 'Cape Town' leopard board changed significantly between the first draft and the final piece. It was tough at first to get the energy exactly right, especially for the expression of the leopard, but in the end, I think we nailed it.
What is your creative process from brief to final design?
My process does vary from client to client and according to the needs of each commission. With Lieuwe, normally, they will first send me a brief with their ideas and give me an overview of the project and its scope. Once we've agreed on the deliverables, we arrange a delivery date for the first draft, which is usually a simplified rough collage artwork for the bottom of each board; a kind of 'sketch' with basic composition, element placement, and colours. Following feedback from Erik and the team, I'll then make suggested changes, going through a pre-agreed number of revisions until the design is just right. During this process, I'll also take certain elements from the artwork and create a simpler collage piece based on those for the top of the board so that we get a nice consistent theme for each design.
What sources did you seek out for inspiration on the kite paradises of Mauritius, Brazil, Tarifa, and Cape Town? Have you visited these destinations before?
I've actually never visited any of the destinations of the Paradise Series, so it was fascinating and really enjoyable to research! I looked at many different sites online; everything from typical tourist or conservation/local nature websites to travel blogs and Instagram kiteboarding feeds, stock photography sites such as Shutterstock or Unsplash, and other inspiration like vintage travel posters. Although we're all familiar with the kind of clichéd 'tropical' aesthetic we see everywhere, I try to be more specific and look at locations and cultures in more detail, so that hopefully the featured designs (especially a more complicated piece such as the Cape Town leopard) seem a little more authentic than they would otherwise.
Did you have to take the production process into account? Were you in any way restricted with the colours and details of the graphics?
For sure! For a while, I was definitely on a learning curve with the ideal colours and shapes for the simpler board designs, especially where there is a cutout effect for the logo. We have to be very careful that the design doesn't interfere too much with the legibility of the type over the honey-coloured wood and texture of the board. In addition to that, details mustn't get cut off the edges, no matter the selected board size, and I also have to bear in mind where the screws, handle, and footpads are all situated when refining each piece. It's a lot to think about! I'm happy to say that the more kiteboard collages I create, the more my experience enables me to instinctively take the production process into account, which means it's a little easier every time.
See more of Jenny's art online and check out the Lieuwe Paradise Series on their website!
RIDE ENGINE // Left of Nowhere
Alongside the release of the Ride Engine 2022 product line is their new brand video, Left of Nowhere. Gary Siskar, Global Brand Manager, brought the team to one of his favourite places in the world, the magical north of Peru.
"We were able to fan out and search beyond the "known" spots for epic conditions for kitesurfing, kiteboarding, wing surfing, and windsurfing. What we discovered is that being in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place for being somewhere special."
The Ride Engine range features accessories for watermen and waterwomen to pursue their waterborne passions at the highest level. Learn more at ridengine.com.
SNOWKITING // Sensi Graves
I'm not going to sugar-coat it--chasing a snowkite session is hard work. Often you arrive at the spot hours early to wait for the wind to fill in. Rigging is strenuous, especially if you're on a snowboard (sinking up to your knees is HARD), your fingers get cold, and it's hard even to fit your harness around all your jackets. But there's something to riding in snow that gets me every single time.
I love kiteboarding for about 50,000 reasons, not the least of which is the fact that you can experience so many different disciplines, ride in new locations and keep it fresh. Doing something new is stimulating and draws you into the present. Because I can count the numbers of great snow-kiting sessions I've experienced on two hands, kiteboarding in the snow really does that for me. So when Jennie Milton asked if I could coach at her all-women snow kite camp, I immediately said yes. We drove 10 hours from Hood River to Idaho to get that fix.
There's less resistance when you're snowkiting, so you can ride in much less wind. The feeling you get when you glide over untracked powder, being pulled by your kite, is unparalleled. Add to that the ability to pull yourself up the mountain, ride over new and fun terrain and session natural features, and kiting on snow is a new and exciting discipline. Our camp got three days of wind in a row, and we took full advantage of it--riding over sagebrush, sessioning a snow-covered "wave", and slashing powder in front of our cameraman. Despite the cold, the exhaustion and the effort it takes, snowkiting might just be one of my new favourite things.
CATCHING UP // Capucine Delannoy
We've had great freestyle conditions so far this year in Prea, Brazil! The wind picked up on the day these photos were taken, and I went out for a long session with my brothers. It was a great day to kite - the sun was shining, the wind was consistent, and we had a lot of fun on the water!
The strapless kite loop is a trick that took me a long time to land perfectly, and not only when I was being lucky! With this trick, the most important thing is to not be scared. The more you pull on the bar the better it is, because the loop will go faster and the landing will be easier.
I'm training with the North Comp 2022, a board that allows me to improve my tricks, making them higher and more consistent each session. The feel is totally different from the previous version, with the board being half the volume. My 4'10 has only 10L of volume, so I have way more control in the air due to its lightweight. I'm currently focusing on my strapless freestyle skills before we go to a wavy spot. See you next time!
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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.
