Behind the Clip: Driven by the Wind

Ever since I can remember, the ocean has captivated me. I feel a connection with it, whether it’s blowing 50 knots, is a calm foil day, or I’m simply going spearfishing. When my parents decided to relocate from France to Greece when I was 11, it felt like the biggest gift I could have. Settling into our new life on the picturesque west coast of Greece, my passion for kitesurfing deepened. Later, I knew that I needed to spend more time at one of the windiest places in Greece, Mykonos, also called “The Island of Wind”.

From May to October, the Meltemi winds sweep down from northern Greece, passing through the Cyclades Islands and as far as Rhodes. Mykonos is situated right in the middle of that path. In Korfos Bay, where I spend my days at the Duotone Pro Centre honing my tricks and coaching other riders to push their skills to the next level, the topography intensifies the wind, making it even denser with more lift. Wishing to showcase this part of Europe, I planned a video series in collaboration with Porsche Greece and Duotone last summer. Unfortunately, because I’d injured my ribs, I knew I wouldn’t be 100% fit for shooting. I decided to rope in an extra rider, and I couldn’t think of a better match than Andrea Principi.

It was his first time ever in Greece, so it was great to show him around. After the first episode was finished, he returned several times throughout the summer, making the most of possibly the best wind in Europe. It was great to see him progress and land tons of world-firsts like the triple contraloop and other jaw-dropping tricks. But he wasn’t the only player; Aaron Hadlow also joined us and it was great to include him in the video too. We started off shooting at Korfos and had some solid days for the Big Air scenes.

One of my personal highlights was kiting at Little Venice, the top tourist spot on the island, popular for enjoying a sundowner. But I knew that the buildings here are a bit too high and that the wind shadows wouldn’t work well for kiting. So I added 12m line extensions to my 24m bar. At 36 meters high, the kite had no problem catching the wind above the houses, enabling me to perform crowd-pleasing jumps near the balconies. It was really cool to see all those tourists watching kiting for the first time up close, and it also meant lots of enquiries for lessons at the center the next day!

So far we had had amazing conditions, but I really wanted to take the others to the neighboring island of Rhineia, normally a 20-minute boat ride away. But that day we were the only boat out there and the journey ended up taking 40 minutes… it was blowing 45 knots and the swell was huge, and our poor captain even sustained an injury when he hit his head on the instruments. Once in Rhineia, where luckily the wind was a bit lighter, we headed to an offshore spot surrounded by archaeological ruins. Kiting there felt like a leap back in time.

Back on Mykonos later that day, and with the wind growing yet fiercer, Andrea, just hours away from his flight, couldn’t resist the urge for one last session. His talent shone as he executed several triple contraloops and massive loops, enthralling everyone at the center. Dropping him off at the airport an hour later, his face still coated in zinc sunscreen and beaming with joy, I bid him farewell, knowing I’d be seeing him for more adventures soon.