Features

CCC: The diaries of Cohan and Steezy Pete

The premise of the Road to Megaloop video series is simple – take one seasoned pro, in the form of Cohan van Dijk, and give them one hopeless kitesurfer (me, Steezy Pete, long-standing compadre of Colin Colin Carroll) to coach, coax and cajole into pulling a megaloop, the most distinctive trick in the sport and the one every new kiter has dreamed of landing for the last 20 years. If I pulled it off, Colin, orchestrator and villain of the project, would be getting hanked, à la Nick Jacobsen in Hidden Lines, by Nick himself. If I failed, it wasn’t only my hair (and dignity) on the line, but Cohan’s as well. No pressure then…

My Beach: Langebaan

Luca Ceruti grew up at one of the world’s most popular kite spots, an hour north of windy Cape Town. No surprise then that he is an accomplished Big Air rider, participating in competitions such as Red Bull Megaloop and King of the Air. He recently joined the Flysurfer international team, so we thought we’d find out where it all began for him.

READ MORE

TANGLED LINES LEGENDS: Angely Bouillot

Angely Bouillot is perhaps best known for being the only woman to take part in the Red Bull King of the Air so far in the event’s history. Since then she continues to kill it in Big Air with her fearless style, recently breaking the women’s jump height record with a monumental WOO jump of 32.6m. Her fellow Big Air kiters and CORE team riders threw some questions at her.

I’M ON IT: Harlem Thrive

Harlem Kitesurfing was thrilled to welcome five-time World Champion Aaron Hadlow as well as designer Ralf Groesel to their family recently. We hear from Aaron about the Thrive kite that he and Ralf have been working on, which Harlem have just released.

Photos Aris Giannoukos

TECH & MATERIALS: Cabrinha Moto X

There’s a brand-new concept just come out of Cabrinha HQ – ‘Design Works’, a new program for their highest-performing products using the most exotic materials and construction methods. The Moto X is the first kite to launch in the Design Works series, and we hear all about it from James Boulding who took rider Stijn Mul to Mykonos to shoot these photos.

TELL ME ABOUT IT: Eleveight Process C+ V5 and Master C+ V6

We chatted to the Eleveight team about the latest versions of their popular Process C+ and Master C+
twintips. They also have a brand-new kite about to drop…

Photos James Kameda

THE COMMITTED: Karina Oliani

Brazil’s north-eastern coastline is famous amongst kiters for its epic multi-day downwinders, and if you’ve never done one you should definitely put it on your bucket list. But how about doing one with a difference? Join medical professionals and non-medical volunteers, and discover the thrill of a ‘medical’ downwinder, a journey of adventure and compassion, organized by Karina Oliani, one of the most committed kiters we’ve had the pleasure to meet.

Reflections: Kite for the Ocean

Warming up before kiting

The purpose of warming up before physical activity is to prepare mentally and physically for your activity. Warming up increases your heart rate and therefore your blood flow. This enables more oxygen to reach your muscles. A warmup also activates and primes the connections between your nerves and muscles, which improves the efficiency of movement. Additionally, your flexibility should be increased by dynamic stretching. Preparing your joints and nerves for exercise can prevent injuries and improve your performance.

This is a selection of a few exercises I do before every kite session. No matter what your discipline or level in the water, you should get your body ready for kiting action. I perform each exercise 10 times or for 30 seconds.