It took him only a short time to win the January 2023 Big Air Kite League event in Cape Town on his new Orbit.
“On the road to joining North, I was thinking I’m joining this big brand which I look up to – now I want to put something on the map, give them something that has a wow factor. Then came the event. The conditions were challenging. I came off the water and thought, I’m not sure if I got this one. But this year I won by 0.02 points. It came down to the contraloops and the more difficult 6 or 7 tricks I did in that heat.”
Until recently, his most significant achievement was competing in Red Bull Megaloop and winning a Golden Ticket for the 2022 Red Bull King of the Air – a lifelong dream come true after three years of training in Big Air. 20-year-old Cohan worked his way through a superstar fleet from that wildcard entry to the semi-finals, knocked out only in the final minutes of his heat against the overall event winner.
Cohan’s kiting dream started when he was around six years old. “I got taken to the beach to sit and watch my dad kite (probably to launch his kite, haha). Since I was young, I have been very active in trying different sports and have loved to do them all, but I never found the passion in all those sports. Me on the beach watching my dad do kitesurfing was the thing that pulled me. But little me was too young because the spot was dangerous.
“My dad promised my kiting dream would start when I passed my swimming lessons. In the middle of winter, when I was ten, my swimming lessons were done. But kite school was closed, so I forced my dad to teach me how to kite in the ice-cold lakes of Holland.
“When I cannot kite, I make sure there is something to do. At home, there is work to do with my dad. After working with my dad, I usually go wakeboarding during summertime. In winter, I hit the gym a minimum of 3 times a week after work. While travelling for kiting, my code is to go to the gym if there is no wind. Besides, I love exploring the world by hiking, cycling, and being with the kitesurf family.”
In 2017/2018, Cohan won all the Dutch Freestyle competitions and was the 2017 Dutch Wakeboarding champion.
“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.” – North Brand Director Mike Raper
