The Interview: Tom Bridge

In this issue, we caught up with the legend himself, Tom Bridge! Hear about how this talented athlete rider has built an impressive international career, from how he got started to his World Championship hopes, thoughts on Red Bull King of the Air, and more in this exclusive IKSURFMAG interview!

Tom, thanks for joining us! The last time we interviewed you was 10 years ago when you were 10. What's going on in your life?

Yeah, no worries, it's been a minute. So I'm currently back at home; I was on a trip to Cape Verde a couple of weeks ago, where I, unfortunately, broke my ankle on one of the last days. It's nothing bad, though, and I should be back on the water by mid-April.

How old were you when you first got into kiteboarding, and what was your impression of the sport when you got started? Did you know early on that you would be making a career out of kiting?

I was about six when mum first put a little power kite in my hands. I remember flying the power kite for nearly a year before I went on the water, so as soon as I had a board under my feet, I didn't have to focus on the kite. The kite control was already there from the year I did on land, so it made the progression of getting to a decent level a lot faster. I never imagined it turning into a "career"; it was only about going out and having fun and being the best kiter I could be. I still have the same objective now. Even if the money wasn't there, I'd be doing the same stuff I'm doing now. 

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Do you still spend a lot of time on the water with your family or hanging out around Edge Watersports, or are you doing your own thing?

Yeah, it has become a lot rarer to have the whole family at home now, but it's always good to get on the water together when we all are. There's just been a new development on the Exmouth seafront, so it's a whole new shop. Also, my brother Olly has his cafe (Hangtime Time) in the same place, which is going well for the lad.

You could land blind before most kids could even ride a bicycle! What drove you to push so hard as a young athlete?

I don't think I was ever thinking about "training" or "pushing". I was just trying to be the best rider I could be and doing what I enjoyed doing and never putting myself into a category of riding style, you know? If it got too windy to unhook, I'd be chucking loops and anything else, or if I got bored of that, I'd ride in the waves. I think it's stupid when people only do one thing. At the moment, that being big air and seeing people doing loops on 12s… it's not it.

Your first competition was in 2009 when you were only 8 years old, and you claimed the Junior World Championship 3 times in a row, in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Are you still pursuing a World Championship in Freestyle, or has your focus shifted recently?

Christ, you know a lot more about me than I do! When I was younger doing the junior contests, it was such a good stepping stone to get to the men's tour. Back then, the men's tour was so good, and I think it was a much more viable career option than what it is now. Maybe I'll do one event and see what happens, but at the moment, with the tour being as it is, I'm not going to commit to all of them.

You've got a trick named after you, the Bridge Flip. Have you claimed any other new tricks or NBDs recently?

I've done quite a few "NBD" tricks in the last year. I don't feel like putting a name on anything or claiming anything. I'd rather put it out there and have people claim it.

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Let's talk about your signature riding style! Did you draw inspiration from other sports or other riders, or how did this unique style come about?

Not really; I don't watch a lot of watersports online, only surfing. I think I was just getting bored of doing conventional "freestyle". I want to go out and have fun and do something I haven't done before. I wouldn't even say it's that unique, maybe that everyone is a bit boring, I guess. All I'm doing is taking off differently and passing with both hands. If you've got power when you land, why not do another trick?

"Light work" was such an epic film and an incredible display of your talent. Linking multiple tricks together down the line is not something that we often see in pro kiting. How difficult is this?

It's not too bad with the kite I'm on at the moment. The North Pulse is the best for it because it just doesn't stall, and it's got heaps of power, so I can land one trick and go straight into the next without worrying about the kite. I think a massive part of it is trick selection, and linking the right tricks together is critical.

Red Bull is known for putting together some insane video productions with their athletes, like Speedriding Through an Alpine Resort and some of the wake projects with Dominik Guhrs. Do you have any goals or plans to do a project of this scale?

Yeah, they do some crazy stuff, and I have got a load of ideas. I've got a big video that just came out on March 29th, probably my biggest yet. I'd been working on it since I went to Brazil last year, so I'm really excited to show everyone.

You put on an impressive performance in the 2021 Red Bull King of the Air! Was it a challenge combining your freestyle moves with extreme big air tricks?

King of the Air was fun! All I wanted to do going into the event was get a few people talking and hopefully make a heat, so I was happy. I didn't think too hard about what tricks I was trying to do, and I just wanted to do what I usually do on a regular session when I'm doing loops. So even when it's super windy, I would still be trying to unhook and do passes - it's just what I'm into.

Riding against fellow Red Bull athlete Airton Cozzolino must have been a wild experience. What do you think about the evolution of strapless riding and strapless big air?

I think he's one of the best guys in the contest. The day before the event, everyone was on the water, and he was going crazy. I didn't understand how he was doing it. My brother, Guy, and I would be sitting on the beach watching him do his thing; it was mind-blowing! 

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Back in the day, you listed Marc Jacobs as one of the riders you admire most. Are you two pretty close, especially now you're both riding on the North team? What was it like having him take you out of the event in Round 3, and go on to win it all?

I've known Marc for ages. I was always on the tour when mum was doing the PKRA racing events, and my brothers and I would always be on the event site running around in the riders lounge, annoying everyone. Marc was always around and helped me with whatever I needed, so I've always been close with him, and it was cool to see him go on and win the King of the Air. I guess there's no better person to go out to!

When it comes to KOTA, there has been some controversy about equipment choices and some shifting trends, notably the lack of riders continuing to use boots. You were one of the minority in boots; can you tell us a bit about why they remain your personal preference?

I just don't feel comfortable in straps, and also, for me, the thought of doing board offs doesn't excite me. To stick to boots wasn't really a thought for me.

Do you hope to return for the next edition of KOTA? Do you think we'll see any other equipment innovations like a competitor riding on a hydrofoil in the next event? 

Yeah, for sure, I want to keep doing it. But, in terms of foils, in King of the Air, personally, I don't really think it's ever going to be a thing. I think jumping with a foil looks silly. Foil kites, on the other hand, I think have massive potential.

Back in Issue 33, you said you do some wave riding and strapless freestyle for fun. Do you still spend some time on the wave board? What about foiling and winging?

Yeah, I love to ride a wave board! I love to surf, so I find it really fun and whenever there is a sniff of swell at home, I'm always either surfing or kiting on a surfboard. And yes, when I was in Cape Verde a couple of weeks ago, I had my first winging session. It's fun. I was on a boat of a board and a massive foil, but just riding some waves was pretty fun. I doubt it's something I'm going to go hard for, but, yeah, I can do it.

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By the time this issue goes live, you'll have celebrated your 21st birthday.. So happy birthday!! Any big plans for 2022?

I've got a trip to Cape Hatteras with some of the Knot Future guys at the start of May, which I'm very excited about. Then, I want to go to Tarifa and Greece; I'd love to do that in the summer, but it's all very relaxed. I am just going to get this ankle going again and see where we are!