Big air kiter and industry personality Mike Mac Donald, known online as Get High With Mike, has had quite an influence on the Cape Town and global big air kiteboarding scene. In this Interview, we find out all about Mike and get a look behind the scenes of the Big Air Kite League!

Mike, we've got to get the obvious one out of the way… Tell us the story behind "Get High With Mike"!

Haha! I love this question. As I recall, my sister actually came up with the name. It is indeed a double entendre. I was a not-so-secret cannabis enthusiast at the time, with a business making and selling bongs. I was brainstorming names for my coaching business with my family and we had such a laugh about this one! So I went with it. It was perfect because I love being edgy. It sets a precedent that makes me feel free to be my own person.

When did you first start kiting? What - or who - inspired you to fly a kite for the first time?

I started kiting nine years ago. Surfing was my first love, but we had a season when the waves were a bit slow, and I was desperate to get my fix somehow. I saw some amazing kiting photos from Kyle Cabano, and those photos inspired me to buy my first kiting setup!

Was big air always in your blood, or was there a clear moment that triggered it?

Big air isn't in the blood, but extreme living definitely is. One of the defining characteristics of big air kiters is that we love to take calculated risks. I've always been drawn to sports like motocross or charging big waves. I feel most alive when I've got the elements telling me to pack it up and call it a day, with the voice inside my head fighting back and telling me to take the elements on. 

I remember watching KOTA at Big Bay in 2013 and being so inspired! I hadn't even started kiting yet, but I remember thinking that if I tried hard and gave it my full focus, I could fly like those guys one day. One thing led to another, and here we are - big air kiting is now my life!

It's hard to think of a better place in the world for big air than your home town of Cape Town. Tell us why you love this spot!

Easy! Cape Town regularly delivers 40+ knot conditions. Sometimes we're even lucky enough to score 50+ knots! But that's not all: the wind is typically steady, the kickers can be steep, and the run-ups to the kickers can be long and flat. If these conditions weren't enough, combine them with the fact that you can do a 5km downwinder from Sunset Beach, flying off of kickers one after the other before you finally reach Doodles.

Unfortunately, the conditions aren't like that all that often and some seasons are better than others. But even when the wind isn't blowing, Cape Town is the most magnificent place I've ever been to. The people, the lifestyle, the sports, the weather, the food, and the natural splendour. I've been travelling non-stop for the past six years, and Cape Town is still at the top of my list, which is why Jasmine and I have decided to build our lives here.

What's your favourite kite spot outside of South Africa? Why?

Brazil! The weather's wonderful, and the people are awesome! If you go up North towards Guriu, Tatajuba or Macapa, it's 30 knots every day in season. Some people only enjoy staying in remote, sandy places for a short time, but I work remotely, so I'm happy to spend three months there every year.

You were the mastermind behind The Big Air Kite League. What was your goal with BAKL?

I wouldn't say I was a mastermind. I was trying to solve quite a simple problem: There were so many amazing riders in the world, but there weren't enough spots in competitions to give them all a chance. We basically only had KOTA and Megaloop, and the same fleet was getting in every year. There was so much talent just begging for a chance to shine!

I have been in many bodyboarding and surfing competitions throughout school and university. The organisers would put these simple comps on with minimal effort, and we loved them! So I rallied a few helpful volunteers (thank you, Dennis and Andrea!), and we ran the first edition of The Big Air Kite League.

All the riders were frothing after the first one, so we decided to keep it going. And now here we are! It's 2023: we've got the best riders in the world competing - not only because they rallied to our war cry but also because BAKL has fostered their talent. These athletes regularly go head-to-head and push one another to conquer new tricks and new heights.

There were 20 riders in KOTA 2022 (including the Golden Ticket round), and 13 of them were regular BAKL competitors. There were nine new riders in 2022, and 8 of them came from the BAKL.

The recent event in Cape Town was absolutely epic and showed some massive progression in the world of big air. What was the most exciting part of the event for you?

I'm going to have to choose two things! One was the level of the women riders. Seeing them flying at the kickers and throwing huge loops was epic! They're kiting with such power and it's honestly incredible to see how far they've come!

The other was the insane steez with which the guys were performing their tricks. Not only are they performing kiteloop board offs with 4+ rotations, but now they're holding the board in their hands while they pull their heli loops, demonstrating insane control. Cohan was definitely a favourite to watch. I wonder where they're going to take it next…

It was groundbreaking when Francesca Maini and Angely Bouillot became the first women to land double loops in competition for the first time without having ever tried them before the event! What's your take on the rise of women in big air?

For the longest time, Angely led the charge in women's big air. She was doing late backs five years ago - before me, by the way! Five years down the line and women from all over the world have been inspired by her, and they've joined her to blaze the trail of women in big air. These ladies are brave and strong yet gentle and compassionate. Have you seen the Valkyries in Wonder Woman? The badass chicks who ride winged horses and vanquish evil fuckers? These women are just like the Valkyries!

The ladies have only just gotten started; 2021 was the first year of regular competitions for them and 2022 was the first year with a women's division in The Big Air Tour. Huge congrats to Justine Avril for winning The Big Air Tour in 2022! What an amazing accomplishment.

We've seen the role that competitions play in the development of our sport, and if they continue to face off against each other, who knows how good they're going to get!

P.S. I agree with Adrian Kerr that Francesca should focus on big air! As well as all the other women. They may not realise it, but they're at the forefront of something really special in women's kiting!

What about big air in general? It's the most popular sub-category of kiting. What do you think is coming up for the future of this discipline?

It's clear that the riders haven't reached their physical limits yet, and the gear is developing rapidly, so I think the progression will continue to be off-the-charts! As for the growth of the sport, we at BAKL have some huge things planned for 2023. I'm excited to share the news with you when we're ready!

You've got a lot on your plate with BAKL, your vlog and technique guides, the new shop in Cape Town, and kiting! How do you find enough time for everything?!

Haha! Don't forget about my Advanced Kite Coaching or my other e-commerce business! The short answers are delegation and an understanding of the value of my time. I highly recommend reading "The 4-Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferris. I don't actually work 4 hours a week - I could if I wanted to, but I love my work! So nowadays, I hire people to do the things I'm not good at or that I don't enjoy (typically, the two go hand-in-hand) and spend my time where it makes sense. My default is to do everything, but I've learnt that I need to delegate.

I'm excited to be hiring a few people to help take BAKL to the next level! I can't wait to introduce the world to the team that will rock the world of big air kiting in 2023 and beyond!

What is your go-to kite and board setup for sending it?

I love my Carved Imperator 7 135cm with 1.7" fins and my Core XR7 7 in 40+ knots. Those are the sessions I live for!

You're well-known for always wearing an impact vest when you ride, which came in handy during your recent gnarly crash. Can you tell us what happened? How are you doing now?

Haha, I didn't realise that was well-known! So I was riding a prototype kite, and we were filming the session. My mind was in the wrong place (thinking about prototypes, haha), and I wasn't in the moment. I hit a kicker, planning to do a boogie, a trick I've done a thousand times, but I didn't bring the kite up to 12 during my take-off. Instead, I left it around 10 or 11 o'clock. The next thing I knew, I was getting pulled super-fast into an oncoming wave. I turned onto my back to prepare for the impact and slammed into the wave. It was the hardest crash of my life, and I was on fire with pain. I was still conscious and body-dragged to the beach, coughing up blood. My wife and cameraman rushed me to hospital, where they discovered I had a lung contusion and a minor compression fracture to my T-3 vertebra. 

If I weren't wearing an impact vest, I would have been mega-fucked-up! Pro tip: wear it under your wetsuit (watch my YouTube video if you want to learn why).

Do you think more kiters should consider using some extra safety equipment?

Sure! For starters, impact vests are a must! Helmets might be a good idea. I'm on the fence about them. I think it's extremely rare to need one, but Andrea just had a gnarly crash where the board went smashing into his helmet, and he's stoked he had it on. CTI knee braces being used as a preventative measure might be a thing of the future. Let's see!

It takes serious dedication to stick new, extreme tricks, especially with the memory of old injuries haunting you. Do you often think about the potential risk when you ride, or are you able to leave these thoughts on the beach?

I felt super confident after my knee and ankle injuries 14 months ago. I was starting to progress again and try new tricks, which was hella exciting! I don't think I'll be afraid to push my limits again after the back injury, but let's see. Over the years, I've learnt to expand my comfort zone little by little rather than trying to make huge leaps. This strategy won't allow me to keep up with the BAKL shredders, but I'm happy to race my own race and do my best to stay injury-free.

Your wife, Jasmine Cho, has been on an insane progression track. What's it like watching your partner doing crazy megaloops?!

Ya, she's absolutely crushing it! She's riding with insane power in her edging and throwing huge loops with rotations. There's a tiny part of me that's scared for her, but that's the irrational part. The rational part of me has total faith in her abilities, her judgment and her talent as an athlete. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world that I get to share this sport at this level with the woman I love!

How did you two meet? Was it love at first kite?

We met at a kite spot in Hood River, and she was looking like an absolute babe - and still is, of course! I was riding upwind of her one day, and she was trying her best to land her first board offs. She wasn't managing to get the board back on, and she had some big crashes, but I loved seeing her tenacity and courage. I was really impressed! Quickly but surely we got to know each other, fell in love and I shortly there-after I proposed to her, haha! I knew she was the one. I've never met anyone like her.

What do you have planned for 2023? Which trip or project are you most excited about?

I don't know about you or the readers, but I never used to know what I was doing three months from now. Nowadays, I have the whole year planned out in my calendar, and this year is looking INSANE!

We'll be running 4 big air comps, 5 big air clinics, have a 6 week surfing trip, freediving training in Egypt and more on the calendar. I will travel with my videographer and bring my spectators along for the journey.

The years fly by these days! Soon we're all going to be dead, haha. We better make the most of it!

On that note, I'm going to get back to some fun work. Thanks to everyone who's taken an interest in my journey, and thanks IKSURFMAG for the interview. What an honour!

 

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.

Comments