On The Fly
Issue 97 / Fri 10th Feb, 2023
Big waves, big air, Brazil sessions, and kiting in blizzards; it's all right here in On The Fly. We've wrapped up the latest news from your favourite brands and riders. Stay in the know with On The Fly!
JULIA CASTRO // A Big Day on Fuerteventura
As I write this, I have this sort of fear running through my veins. If you didn't know, Fuerteventura is a paradise for watersports, but, Houston, we've got a problem.
When the Coronavirus pandemic started, we, the people born on the island, thought all the tourists would go home and only come back after it was all done. But what happened was unexpected. Many tourists decided to stay, and right after the pandemic "ended", they started to buy all available properties in Fuerteventura. Housing prices increased 3x, as did the number of people on the water.
I don't blame them; I was born in Fuerteventura to parents from elsewhere; 40 years ago, they also discovered the quality of life Fuerte had to offer and made it home. But, such an increase in three years was just too much for the locals. Now, every wave, kite or windsurf spot has too many people on the water and, on top of that, people don't know the basic sailing rules, creating a dangerous situation.
Why do I tell you all of this? Because by writing this, I am afraid you also will want to come en masse to enjoy our paradise. I just hope that if you do, you will respect the locals. I hope that if you see 15 people on the water, you go find another spot because 15 people sharing a couple of waves is already a lot. I hope you ask before going on the water how the spot works, so we don't have to rescue you, especially on a big day like this one. Well, here I go…
THE DAY WE WERE ALL WAITING FOR
Reading the forecast here is not easy; there are a lot of variables, and the forecast changes drastically every two days. If you see epic wind and waves coming up in a week, there's a big chance it won't happen. But, one day, I checked the forecast ten days in advance, and a wild forecast appeared, with Hawaii-like conditions. We're not lucky enough to have epic swells every day, but wintertime is perfect for those "once in a lifetime" sessions. I expected the forecast to decrease as the big day approached, but this time, it did not change a bit.
I planned to drive to the spot and sleep in my van so I could be the first on the water, but with unseasonable rains over the past few days, it was too muddy to reach the spot. I parked as close as I could without getting stuck, hoping for sun the next morning to dry the way.
The next morning, surprisingly, there was no wind. I could not believe that, after everything, the forecast wasn't going to happen. Not ready to give up, I drove to the spot with my good friend and one of the best sailing photographers in the world, Jesús Renedo from Sailing Energy, where we waited for several hours.
The waves were pumping; I won't want to say how big they were because you can see for yourself from the photos… but we were missing about 5 knots of wind. Big wave kiting is tricky because the waves are so big that they momentarily and almost completely take the wind away for a few seconds. Your kite control must be flawless, and you have to be familiar with this scenario and choose the perfect kite. If your kite is too small, it will fall straight from the sky; if your kite is too big, you'll ride perfectly in between waves, but on the wave with the added speed it gives you, you'll be way too overpowered to ride.
I don't know how much time I spent on top of a small rock, viewing the conditions from the highest point I could find, and trying to choose what size of kite I would go with. In the end, I chose the Duotone 9m NEO SLS and joined Philipp Koster (5x Windsurf World Champion) and Josep Pons (one of the best windsurfers in the Canary Islands) on the water. Getting in and out of the water at this spot is quite sketchy as it's almost fully offshore and rocky, with no sand. Luckily, I've been running around these sharp volcanic rocks since I was born.
THE SESSION
When conditions this big come to Fuerteventura, I'm usually very nervous. If something goes wrong, if my kite falls on the wave, if I fall off my board, or if I tangle with anyone, I am in big trouble. The truth is, I would likely not make it out of the water, still breathing. It is strange to talk about it, but it is a reality. These waves are incredibly powerful, so I always enter the water with the utmost respect, having analysed every possible emergency situation and how to solve it. But, that day, I wasn't nervous. I knew what I had to do, and I was lucky to have Josep, an ION teammate, on the water. He saw me catching some biggies and gave me some tips to go even deeper.
My only regret was not hiring a photographer, jetski, and ski driver to take pictures from the channel. The images I have burned in my memory from that session are just insane - like the videos you see at surf bars from epic waves in Hawaii. The photos you are seeing right now are amazing, but they will never compare to what I saw with my own eyes. For over an hour, it was just the three of us on the water before everybody else arrived - and it was so beautiful!
I was shouting my lungs out with emotion every time one of the boys got a huge wave. I, myself, can say I was very lucky to have an amazing session. It is hard to describe what it means to watch Mother Nature doing her thing so close up. I promise next time I'll bring a whole army of media staff to immortalise the moment!
JAMIE OVERBEEK // Best Day of My Life
Dutch teenager Jamie Overbeek became the youngest athlete to land a podium after a storming run to the final of the 2022 Red Bull KOTA in Cape Town. The Ozone Big Air team rider's runner-up place, with two other teenagers alongside him on the podium, marked a remarkable changing of the guard at the iconic contest. Here, Overbeek, still 16, talks to Ian MacKinnon about his remarkable KOTA run.
Ian MacKinnon: You were in the Porsche Golden Ticket qualifier for KOTA but came second and were lucky to get in the main event, where you stormed to the final. How did that feel?
Jamie Overbeek: It felt amazing. If Airton Cozzolino hadn't been injured, I wouldn't have gotten into KOTA. Then in the first round, I was up against Marc Jacobs (then reigning "King") and Andrea Principi. I was just thinking to myself I'm never going to win, but I'll just do my best. That gave me a lot of energy to push through to the final. When it came to the final, it was just something else.
In the quarter-final (against three-time KOTA winner Kevin Langeree) and semi-final (against Beto Gomez) I thought, I can't be beaten now. My goal was to get further in the competition instead of getting kicked out early every time. As I got further and further, I just didn't want to lose any more. I wanted to win, and I would've been disappointed to go out in round three.
IM: You had your family and friends as your support team on the beach in Cape Town. How important was that for you?
JO: Jerome Machire, a friend from my home spot in Workum, my brother Sean, and mum Lynda, were caddying. My dad, Pete, was filming. It meant a lot to me to have them there. Everyone was doing what they were told to do. Sean was holding the double loop kite (6m2 Ozone Enduro V4) in the air. Jerome had my 7m2 Ozone Edge V11 when I needed to change. I could just hook in and go. My mum was landing kites and giving me food and drinks and telling me when my heats were coming up.
IM: Were you nervous or fearful of pulling such massive and complex tricks in those extreme conditions?
JO: Not at the beginning. But in the quarters and semis, I definitely was a bit nervous because it was gusting to 50kts. I had to do the craziest and most difficult tricks to win the competition. That was definitely a bit scary. But I just did them and landed them. I would never have done the tricks I did in those winds if it had not been in competition. It's scary. But I did them.
IM: Amazingly, during the competition, you did some tricks you'd never done before. What were they?
JO: I think it was a boogie double loop and a double loop board-off. I felt I had to do them. The others in the final had many days of double loop training sessions. But I hadn't because back home in Holland, we don't really have the wind, so there were only one or two days for double loop training sessions. But during the competition, I just figured that if I could do a normal kite loop board-off, then I could do a double. I just sent it.
IM: Did you have many crashes during KOTA that made you think twice before pulling more tricks?
JO: I had one big crash in the final at the end. There were about 30 seconds left in the heat, and I came to the beach for one more jump. Then, I just thought, I've done enough; I did my best. I'm not going to injure myself now, right at the end. About a week and a half after the final, I still had some pain in my upper leg and ribs from that crash.
IM: You described your second podium step at the 2022 Red Bull KOTA as the best day of your life. You must have dreamt of glory, but did you think it would happen like that?
JO: For sure, it was the best day of my life. I knew I had the potential to do it. But not this early, in my first-ever KOTA. I thought I could get on the podium eventually, but not this soon.
IM: Now that you've finished school, what are your plans, hopes and dream for the future?
JO: I definitely want to ride in more competitions. Not all the competitions, but the main Big Air events and one or two of the BAKL stops. That'll be the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge, KOTA, the GKA Big Air Worlds, and the GKA event in Barcares, France. My dream is still to get first in KOTA, and I hope I can get more podium places in the next few years. I'll be kiting for my work, and I just want to keep enjoying it.
Read the complete interview, including Jamie's kiting journey, his competition experience, and his thoughts on the rapidly rising stakes in Big Air, on our website!
FOIL FOCUS // Armstrong
Armstrong Foils released its much-awaited MA range just two months ago. These MA (Mid Aspect) foils are designed to deliver a next-gen combination of glide, low stall speed, intuitive carving and instantaneous breach recovery. If you're a foil frother, you've more than likely already seen the video announcing the release.
But did you catch the release of the all-new stabilisers that just dropped a couple of weeks ago? The Surf 205 and Flow 235 were developed in conjunction with the new MA range, offering a fine-tuned ride for foilers who know what they want out of their session.
Check out the Surf 205 stabiliser if you've got waves on your brain. This tail wing offers high manoeuvrability and the potential for critical turns, the ideal set-up for those who want to step up their foil surf game and experience ultimate freedom on a wave.
If you like a smooth ride, give the Flow 235 a try. This wing is all about stability and predictability and will be a do-it-all tail wing to use across several disciplines. With this stabiliser, you can push your progression with confidence.
Click here to learn more about the new MA range at Armstrong Foils, and stay tuned for our review in an upcoming issue of IKSURFMAG!
ELOI RONDEAU // A Snowkite Firework
Gin Kiteboarding has been one of the majors in the snowkite industry for a while now. What keeps us thriving every day in that industry is our passion for nature and thrills, with no limitations whatsoever. We want to push forward the idea of going back to basics - just a kite connecting you to the wind. The secret sauce is pretty straightforward at Gin Kiteboarding: a Shaman or one of our closed-cell kites, combined with a Gin Ice Bar, and you will be in for an unparalleled ride.
To emphasise that state of mind, Gin Kiteboarding is lucky enough to count on passionate and relentless riders who embody the brand and its values, as Eloi Rondeau has since 2018. He is the type of person who would ride day and night if he could, constantly pushing to master new tricks and techniques, but never without a good dose of fun. Although he kites intensely all year long, he will always be seen as Gin's French snow king.
Where does your passion for sliding sports come from (especially the ones hauled by a kite)?
Eloi Rondeau: As a child, I caught the kite virus, which, as I grew up, turned into a regular practice of kite and paragliding. It turns out that my region offers perfect conditions for these activities; wide areas, wind, lakes, and mountains; Auvergne is a perfect playground to juggle between disciplines. As I liked skiing, I had a preference for snowkiting from the beginning, which is now my speciality. This led me to take part in many competitions on snow in racing or freestyle disciplines. I was the French Champion of Snowkite Freerace in 2019 and second at the World Snowkite Masters 2021 in Freestyle Skiing.
How much of your time do you spend on your passion?
ER: Too much, according to my relatives, but never enough for me! The good thing about practising various sports is that I can easily adapt to the weather conditions, allowing me to do something almost daily. In the summer, I can practically fly or glide every day. In the winter, it depends more on the weather.
Do you have a treasured secret spot?
ER: A secret spot is meant to remain secret, right? Of course, I have a crush on my home spot, Les Estables, a small village surrounded by wide spaces covered in snow and overhung by the mythical Mont Mézenc. But there are many magical places that I would be happy to help riders discover. Without being chauvinistic, when the snow is there, Auvergne offers some of the most beautiful snowkiting spots I have ever ridden: Cézallier, Sancy, Mont Lozère, and more.
In which direction do you see kite and snowkite evolving?
ER: The arrival of single-skin kites has really facilitated the practice of snowkiting. Nowadays, we almost exclusively see these types of kites on the spots. On the water in our country, the foil has clearly revolutionised the kite practice. This allows kiters to make the most of recurring light conditions on our lakes. The association of a half-single skin like the Marabou and a foil seems the perfect combo for the majority of riders around me.
Speaking of evolutions in kiteboarding, Gin Kiteboarding also support Alan Roura, a world-class sailor who recently took part in the Route du Rhum. I could easily see those big boats towed by a kite someday! I participated in the development of a kite boat in Brittany, and I can say that the feeling of piloting a kite while sitting in a boat is truly amazing!
And while we are at it, let's dream a little bit more. Maybe we will see snowkite at the Winter Olympics?!
Which Gin kites are you currently using?
ER: For me, the strength of Gin Kiteboarding is to offer kites adapted to every discipline, so I use almost all of them! Thanks to its reduced weight, minimal bulk and secure 5th line, the Shaman is perfect for high-mountain rides or multi-day hikes on the vast plateaus around my home.
The Marabou 2 is for when you can't choose: kitefoil, snowkite, and kite skate, all in perfect safety.
I use the future Quiver tube kite to face the strong Tramontane in the south of France, specifically for freestyle, unhooking or big kiteloops.
And, of course, the Spirit, my favourite kite that goes with me everywhere. The 10m could be my only kite, both on water and on snow. By playing with the line length, it goes from a race kite to a freestyle and slope-flight kite. It's probably the best kite I have ever had!
MICHAELA PILKENTON // Big Air Is For Everyone
Michaela Pilkenton, Naish International Team Rider and Big Air kite competitor, spent part of her winter in Cape Town to train, compete, and give back to her community. In the midst of a busy schedule, she carved out a windy weekend day to host a free women's Big Air kite clinic.
"There are not a lot of resources out there for women by women in the Big Air space," shares Michaela. "I did it for free because I'm genuinely passionate about helping women of all levels progress, especially in Big Air. I want there to be access no matter how much money you do or don't have."
"The bond women develop through coaching, and learning is super special," says Michaela. "We're able to communicate with each other in a relatable way. I feel like it's easy for the dudes to tell us to just go out there and send and put a lot of pressure on us. Women working together can talk about the fear, share how hard it can be to be a woman in a mostly male discipline, and support each other through the emotional side of the sport."
Scott Trudon, Naish Brand Manager, is extremely proud of this clinic. "Michaela is an exceptional human who truly cares about women in kiteboarding and shares her knowledge and stoke every chance she gets. Naish is very fortunate to have her on our International Team not only as a World Class Rider but as an ambassador for women's kiteboarding."
Click here to read the full article covering everything that went down at Michaela's free Big Air clinic!
PHOTO REEL // Cauipe Lagoon, Brazil
Andrew Gadelha Da Rocha shared his highlight reel from an amazing day with his friends at the Cauipe Lagoon in Brazil. As Andrew says, "It was just the perfect conditions and the perfect spot. Cauipe is paradise, and what better place to ride the LIEUWE Shotgun Paradise Series than here?"
TEAM MOVES // Cohan Van Dijk joins North
It's that time of year when riders are changing teams left, right, and centre, with some major surprises in the world of pro kiting! With the meteoric rise in popularity of the Big Air discipline, it's no wonder that kite brands are on the hunt for the next big thing in Big Air! North Kiteboarding, who has represented some of the biggest names in the Big Air world, has set its sights on 20-year-old Cohan Van Dijk, the latest addition to its roster of talented athletes.
North Brand Direction Mike Raper says, "Cohan has been on our radar since a young age with his wake background, freestyle prowess, and now Big Air domination. We're excited to see what his future holds as he joins our team of athletes progressing the sport."
Click here to read more about Cohan Van Dijk!
EVENT ROUND-UP // 2022 Snow Kite Masters
This past December, the SKM Snow Kite Masters event celebrated its 20th anniversary in the Serre Chevalier Vallée. The event welcomed avid snow kiters from near and far to celebrate the opening of the snowkite season at Col du Lautaret. This has long been a community-oriented event with freestyle, racing, and gear. At SKM, snow kiters of all skill levels are welcome; maybe you'll be at the next one? Here's to 20 years of pushing the boundaries of snow kiting and to another 20 years to come!
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