THEKITEMAG ISSUE #47

“As the local crew explained, there are three factors in perfect snowkite conditions: wind, snow quality, and visibility. Usually you will get two out of three, and having all three will definitely guarantee the perfect session.”

Annabel van Westerop is joined by Josh Emanuel, Oswald Smith, Rita Arnaus and Youri Zoon in the high north for Finland’s Pallas Kiteweek. Cue plenty of snow kite action interspersed with huskies, Northern Lights, and as much hot chocolate as you can possibly drink…

“I had an idea, that I knew would be something special at an unspoiled spot – an iconic place in Tarifa where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean meet and the statue of ‘El Santo’ is located. This appealed to Samu, my good friend and photographer, who knew right away we could secure a masterpiece of a photo. It meant bending the rules because it’s actually forbidden to kite there, but it was worth a try…”

What’s a rule if it’s not there to be bent or broken? Sergio Turégano pulled out all the stops in his pursuit of a cover-worthy shot. And you know what? He nailed it….

“Supertubos was pumping like I hadn´t seen for a long time. I am always surprised how well it holds barrels with so much wind. It was a barrel fest with some crazy wipeouts, such as a kite release from James Carew that I picked up for him. In Supertubos if you let go of the kite you will never see it again…”

It’s a three session kinda day for Nuno “Stru” Figueiredo, who makes the absolute most of his Prolimit sponsorship deal perks… No wet wetsuits for him.

“Before we knew it there were around 40 kids jumping up and down, screaming for attention in the hope of getting a ride with one of us. The taxi service kept on going and we had happy faces upon happy faces, until even the parents started to get involved. Everyone was taking pictures with us and was loving it, until… the police showed up…”

Stig Hoefnagel and Cohan van Dijk take a break from their usual west coast training grounds and go on a mission to find some lesser frequented nuggets of kite perfection amongst South Africa’s southern townships. Despite what they’d heard, new friends were in abundance… And even more so when the Dutch taxi service kicked in…

“The next day I decided the first place I wanted to kite was in front of the church – you can’t miss it as it’s at the entrance of the port when you come in on the ferry. We got some shots, and piqued the interest of the locals as well… I guess I was the topic of the day on the island!”

It’s back to Greece for Youri Zoon, but a little earlier in the season than usual. The perks? Uncrowded waters, priority seating in the local restaurant, and plenty of opportunity to work on those world-class freestyle talents we all know and love…

The South American contingent showed up to shine at the recent inaugural GKA Kite World Tour stop in Salinas del Rey in Columbia, as riders begin the battle for the 2022 crown…

“Tom and I lack enough respect for one another that we’ll happily shout at each other about missing tricks or not being paid or nagging him to ride because that’s his one and only job or me being a bit demanding or him being a child. But do we get the job done? Sometimes.”

Colin’s back, and this time he delivers up 10 little known facts about his sometime kiteboarding muse, Tom Bridge…