The Interview: Giel Vlugt

Giel Vlugt is one of the biggest names in the world of Big Air kiteboarding, having achieved a rapid rise to fame with his innovative tricks and hardworking approach! "Double G" brought some World Firsts to the sport, landing the first-ever double loop and pushing the trick selection in big air to new levels. In this exclusive interview, we catch up with Giel as he starts the new year chasing new heights with Team CORE!

Congrats on your recent move back to Team CORE! What's it like returning to the family?

Thanks! I'm very happy to be back and excited to be moving forward. Honestly, as we're shooting right now and testing gear, it all feels so familiar that it feels like we're still going instead of starting over. After speaking to the team, I've found they agree as we continue to push forward together.

It looks like a lot of the athletic and development team are here in Cape Town now! How has it been riding and working with the crew?

It has been absolutely amazing! And, as I mentioned above, it has felt right at home. The media team, in particular, has been incredibly easy to get back to as I feel like both sides instantly connect. And working on R&D has been a very smooth operation so far. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of new riders and young talent, and I'm very excited for CORE's young guns as they enter the scene.

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How was it working so closely with the Ocean Rodeo team to develop their ALUULA range and launch their products into the global market?

I had a great time working with the Ocean Rodeo team. It's obviously a lot smaller, but the people working there were passionate and motivated. Together, we have changed the industry with ALUULA, so it's definitely something I'm proud of having accomplished with them. I'm very thankful for all the lessons learned.

What would you consider to be your greatest achievement with their team?

Introducing ALUULA to the public but mainly to the brands. Almost every brand is either selling it, working with it, or testing it. And we can't forget the first ever Double Loops and bringing back the S-Loop in new fashion ever since Ruben Lenten did it years ago!

What was the main drive behind your decision to leave?

Since CORE has a massive team and I get along with them really well, it was always in the back of my mind. Three years ago, we stopped working together because our personal goals did not align. Now that they absolutely do, it was only right to pick up where we left off and push CORE to the top. I also believe that the main goal of Ocean Rodeo was to introduce ALUULA to the market. Once we successfully did so, I felt they were happy, and it was time for me to look forward to the next chapter.

You've rejoined CORE's team as an international athlete, but you also have some involvement in the development process. Tell us what a week in the life of Giel looks like today!

On a windy day, we're focused on improving the prototypes we have at the moment. The future is looking very bright as CORE is looking forward to introducing a kite that will fill the hole we currently have. I can't tell you much about this kite yet; apart from that, it boosts, doubles, and probably will triple! On a non-windy day, I'm definitely keeping in shape with at least one workout a day but also allowing my body to get some rest if it needs some. I'm pretty bad at the last part, but we'll get there, haha!

How are you supporting the development team to take this upcoming kite to the highest level?

A big part of why I feel like I add a lot of value to the development team is the fact that I've already been riding ALUULA for close to 3 years now. Since kites need to turn faster in order to double and potentially triple, I feel like I'm the right guy to ask what a kite needs to do and how it should feel in order to rotate a certain way. And when it comes down to testing, I know I'll have the right mindset to make the kite do things it has never done before.

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You've been riding the XR8, XR Pro, and the new prototype kite seen on the cover of this magazine! Would you pick a different kite to fly for different conditions or types of riding, and which model suits what conditions or style?

The XR Pro is the absolute boosting machine. It also has an aggressive kite loop that will most definitely score in competition. The new prototype will be all about performing way better for doubles and, potentially, triples. Also, the 12-metre prototype is doing very well in light winds and allows you to do kite loops, so that definitely fills a void that the XR Pro will not.

Which kites will be in your competition quiver for the 2024 big air season?

I'll ride the XR Pro in 8m and 9m, and the prototype in sizes 5m, 6m, 7m, and possibly 11m.

If anyone hasn't seen the Fight For Flight web series yet, they should probably make some time to do that immediately! Episode 3 of the series covers your story. How was it being part of this series production? What's it like watching your episode back and seeing your story on the big screen?

Fight for Flight is, in my opinion, easily the best docu-series kitesurfing has seen yet. The quality and storyline are epic and very entertaining to watch. I'm, of course, honoured to have my very own episode. It's a little weird to hear and see your own story on the screen, but it is a pretty good story if you ask me!

Going back to the early days, what brought you to kiting? 

I actually learned how to kite in school. The school "ROC Sport en Bewegen" is a school that basically shows you how to be a teacher. And within this school, you had a couple of directions you could choose from. I chose Leisure & Outdoor, so we learned how to ski, climb, windsurf, kitesurf, etc. The teacher there, Hermen Schoenmaker, said he saw it in my eyes from the start - not that I'd make it this far, but that this new passion would take over my life.

In a way, you were "late to the game" with your age and timing of becoming a professional athlete, but it's clear you've changed the game since you've been on the scene! Was it a scary decision to pack away your instructor's rash vest and give it your all to pursue professional kiting?

Not at all! I mean, yes, it was a gamble, but I was thinking: what's the worst thing that can happen? That I spend one year travelling and living like a professional athlete and spend all my money? At least I can say I genuinely tried, and I would just have to get back to working and figure out what to do next. 

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You're still putting the instructor hat on here and there doing coaching and clinics. What do you enjoy about working with other kiters to help level up their big air game?

In the future, I will definitely coach up-and-coming talents. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and seeing other people excel will get me hyped every single time. Now, I like to do some clinics here and there to help passionate people out. It always feels like going back to the roots, if you know what I mean.

You're a case study of hard work paying off - Zara, too! Does it help to have a partner who is working as hard as you are to reach your maximum potential?

Oh absolutely. Zara does not sit still and keeps me sharp and on edge. She pushes me to get the maximum out of myself and tells me when I need to calm down and give my body some rest. It's unique and special to have a partner perform and compete on the same level you do, and neither of us takes it for granted. 

What's the story behind the Double G nickname?

Since I didn't want to claim the first double loop with a signature trick name, I guess the community just went with Double Loop - but friends and other riders started calling me Double G since the first letter of my name starts with a G. It sounded funny to me, so I just went with it. Later on, Antonio Herrera Trujillo and I shot a 2-minute YouTube video dedicated to doing everything double and called it "Double G." From then on, it stuck with pretty much everyone.

When you first landed the double loop, it was captured on camera in Cape Town and shared far and wide. What inspired you to give this trick a go? Did you ever have doubts that it was possible?

I felt like I wanted to do something nobody was doing. Riding competitions, you have to wow the judges in order to win. But if everybody is doing the same tricks, it's hard to stand out. I felt like with this idea, I could make a proper name for myself, but I could never have dreamt of it changing my life like this.

How does it feel seeing riders doing S loops, triples, scorpions, and whatever else they can dream up and do on a kite these days? 

It's a lot of fun to watch all the riders take those tricks and give them their own style. My goal was always to make it look as extreme as possible, so I personally always prefer extreme tricks over technical ones. But some riders manage to combine both, and those make it look incredible. In my opinion, Jeremy Burlando is ticking all the boxes right now; he's one to look out for.

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Do you think competitive big air is going in the right direction? What style of big air riding do you think is the future? 

I believe big air is becoming very technical and harder to understand. It's good that we get new tricks almost every day, but I believe the scoring shouldn't always just rely on who does more rotations or loops. It still needs to be big and extreme. When done right, a late backroll should be able to score higher than a doobie board off with an added rotation if performed with more power, height and style. But this isn't up to me; it's up to the judges to decide, and then it's for me to adjust my riding to what scores in competition if I want to win.

There’s a lot of change happening inside the industry today. What do you see happening with the sport over the next few years?

We have all seen that new materials get us higher and higher. In my opinion, doubles and triples or even quadruples are fun and keep it exciting. But we all start kiting for one reason and one reason alone. We all want to fly as far and as high as we can possibly get. Three years ago, almost nobody jumped above 30 metres. Now, people jump 30 metres every week, so I see us touching 40 metres in a couple of years, without a doubt... Maybe even before the end of this year!

What about for yourself?! Will we see you hunting podiums this year? Putting in more work behind the scenes?

I'm far from done with competing, and I'm hungry to prove myself once again. Some people think I am starting to slow down. Let me show you.