Rou Chater gets an invite to the Cabrinha 2024 photo shoot, a chance for him to finally visit the magical island of Tiree, which has been on his travel hitlist for over 30 years. Read about his journey in this article as he joins James Boulding, Alby Rondina, Hannah Whiteley, and the rest of the team for an epic adventure!

Tiree, the small island in the Inner Hebrides, has long been a mecca for watersports favoured by windsurfers. Kitesurfers soon discovered what this place had to offer: miles and miles of white sand beaches that face every direction, offering perfect conditions whatever the weather. Of course, being in Scotland, there is always weather!

I've had Tiree on my hit list for so long that it feels almost criminal that I haven't managed to visit the island in my 40-odd-year water sports career. I always remember reading about the Tiree Wave Classic, an annual windsurfing event that has been running since the dawn of time. It always seemed to showcase the UK conditions at their very best. 

I've had many friends visit, and they all wax lyrical about what the island has to offer; it's just never really aligned for me to find the time to go. Needless to say, when James Boulding called me up and asked me if I wanted to make the trip north at the end of last year for the 2024 photoshoot, I was booking a ferry crossing before I'd even put the phone down. 

If you've never heard of Tiree, I guarantee you will be keen to visit by the time you get to the end of this article! As destinations go, it offers the kind of adventure that you won't find in many other places. Perhaps the only downside is the distance you need to travel to get there, especially if you are from the south coast of the UK or driving from anywhere else in Europe. 

Travelling from further afield, you'll want to fly into Glasgow and then rent a car and head to the ferry. It's a mission, to say the least, unless, of course, you live in the North of England or Scotland, then it's the paradise island of dreams that happens to be on your doorstep. 

The ferry from Oban takes around four hours, and if you score some good weather, it's a breathtaking journey through some of the most beautiful Scottish Islands. I didn't know what to expect when I first arrived on the island, but it was definitely flat, and there wasn't a whole lot of civilisation. There is one petrol station, two grocery stores, two pubs and two hotels. A smattering of houses in small villages are dotted around the place, but that's about it!

It's worth coming prepared with food and drinks, although both the stores were well stocked when I was there. There can be issues in the winter in getting supplies to the island, so bring some food and supplies with you. Both the hotels have restaurants and bars; just be sure to book a table in advance, as they don't often have a lot of space for walk-ins. 

I was fortunate enough to book into an AirBNB that happened to be owned by an old friend of mine, Helen Thompson. She's lived on the island for a good while, and it's her stomping ground. She loves showing visitors around the place; in fact, she'd been doing this for James from Cabrinha since the early days, and that's where his love of the place had developed. I figured it was worth asking James a few questions about the place, as while it's known as the Hawaii of the North, it's not the usual pick of a destination for a brand with roots in Hawaii or the Pacific… 

How long have you been visiting the Hebrides, and what do you love about it?

I first went up to the Hebridean Islands when I was studying at university. It was in 2004, and I was still dabbling with kiting, getting my ass handed to me on a regular basis! Back then, the gear I was using wasn't the friendliest; combine that with some pretty poor quality neoprene and cold northeast sea temperatures, and most of my sessions tended to be survival rather than progression. It was definitely character-building and you really had to love it and have some sticking power. 

We had a great group of local kitesurfers, though, and they introduced me to the idea of going out to Tiree for a trip. I didn't really have any money, but I managed to tag along with them for a cheap week-long trip during study leave. Being not far from Scotland meant travel time to the ferry terminal in Oban was only a few hour's drive. I think this is one reason that keeps the masses away from the islands. For folks on the south coast, it is the same distance to drive to the Alps as it is up to Oban. 

I remember being pretty shocked the first time I arrived on the island; it was wild, hardly anything there, and the wind was absolutely honking with sideways rain! We did have some fantastic kiting days, though, during the trip when the conditions turned more favourable; I remember just thinking, whatever direction the wind blows, you are sorted as you just drive around to a beach that suits you. 

It only takes about 45 minutes to drive the whole island, so you really can cater your spot choice to what the wind and waves are doing. I'd never experienced something like that before. It definitely stayed with me, as I ended up going back there a few times. There's not much to do there other than get in the water, so you find yourself spending a lot of time focused around that.

Have you done any photo shoots there before?

No, I never really even thought about it, as there was always too much risk with conditions you ideally need for shooting, and there's definitely a sweet spot for the time of year that you want to hit to give you the best chance of conditions. Plus, in general, with a global team, it's often easiest logistically to find somewhere that suits everyone who's flying in from all over the world.

Cabrinha is a huge international brand that usually shoots its products on Maui or some of the other well-known kite locations around the world. Was it difficult to sell them on the idea of shooting on a little island in the north of Scotland!?

Ultimately, the buck stops with me for photoshoots, so it probably was on my head! I don't think anyone other than Dave Hastilow (Cabrinha Brand Manager), who is originally from the UK, had even heard of the Hebrides, so it certainly felt like we were going out on a limb a bit on my recommendations! I remember the first time I chatted with Dave about it, though, and he sounded genuinely stoked about the idea. 

It feels these days that all the big brands seem to fly off to far flung corners of the globe at great expense and flying time. The content always seems far from what the everyday kitesurfer gets to experience and the conditions he/she can ride in. Sure, the content is absolutely unbelievable, with perfect crystal water, barreling waves and the like, but I don't think it's very achievable for the everyday kiter. There was something really cool about the idea of going to a somewhat 'local' place and bringing our international team there to shoot an entire kite and wing product range.

What were some of the issues you knew you would face and must overcome with such a shoot?

Logistics-wise, it actually made a lot of sense and probably was the most carbon-neutral photoshoot we've done. The gear could all come in one batch to my place in the UK, and I could then easily drive up in a van and pick people up en route. Our team at that time of the year (September) would all be close by in northern Europe. Away from the logistics, we'd obviously have to fight against the notorious British weather, something I was very nervous about, but I thought with the right media team, we'd manage to at least make the most of whatever we were given, and I was confident that the scenery there offered us lots to work with.

Did you score all the conditions that you needed and get all the shots that you wanted?

No, but I think that is totally part of it; you can't expect perfection; you have to make do with the conditions on any given day. There's something exciting about that, and I think it builds character in the team, and ultimately, when people look back, it's these sorts of experiences they remember. We actually had quite a lot of warm weather and lighter winds, which was the opposite of what I was expecting, given how windy it can be up there. 

This did bring some fairer shooting conditions, though, which we really tried to maximise. It really allowed the team to put the new Moto XL through its paces. It also allowed us to explore the island like I've never done before on hydrofoils. Foiling really opens things up, and you can cover so much ground in threshold winds. It unlocked some new spots, and some of the drone imagery really shows off the beauty of the island.

We didn't get the strong winds you can expect in places like Cape Town or Tarifa, but that was going to be a given. It was all about creating something fresh and a bit different. The bays offer everything from rugged rocky coves to long, sweeping white sand beaches. Sheep happily graze in their own world while cows wander down onto the beaches to swim and rummage through the seaweed for tasty morsels. If you're willing to put in the effort, there are a million different angles and scenes to capture kiteboarding in. It certainly isn't the classic Tarifa or Table View background!

How did the riders find it, and did they enjoy the colder weather and the conditions? 

I think after the initial temperature adjustment, there wasn't any complaining and the majority of riding was done in 4/3 wetsuits. Hannah, very much at home, put in lots of time on the water and really enjoyed putting the new freeride kites to the test. It's not her first time there, and having her really helped make the trip what it was. She rides with a constant smile on her face and is always happy on and off the water, which is infectious with the others. 

Her story of growing up kiteboarding in the UK is very similar to mine, and I figured she'd play a big part in the success of this shoot. She's out kiting all year long in the UK, no matter what the temperature drops to; she just loves being out on the water. She was really in her element in Scotland.

Thankfully, we were blessed with some waves, which Hendrick and Alby enjoyed to the max, at one of our favourite cross-off surf spots. It also became the local morning cold water plunge spot, something that became a daily staple towards the end of the trip. An early morning 3-minute swim in the sea followed by a strong coffee from my espresso machine that I brought with me on the trip to keep everyone fired up with caffeine! 

What was the worst thing about the whole shoot?

James Boulding: The drive home was for sure a long one, but the scenery driving through Scotland is absolutely stunning; it's really not anything bad. I'm sure the others will have things they didn't like about it, but I loved it, and it's a trip I'll remember for a long time. I'm stoked with the edit that Mint did, and it'll definitely be a standout trip in my life.

Hannah Whiteley: I think you have to have a special character to spend a long time there. I spent just over a week there, and that was awesome, but any longer, you may start to go a little crazy.

Alby Rondina: The worst thing is there are only two pubs, haha! Seriously though, when the weather gets bad then no ferries or planes will get to the island, so you can get stuck with no option to get back to the outside world until the weather improves!

And what was the best thing about it?

James Boulding: I think everyone really enjoyed socialising with the locals and getting to know some of the local lingo. The week we arrived, there was a local wedding taking place with lots of people who came over to the island for a few days. They seemed to party like their lives depended on it, although this can be pretty typical of the Scottish, from my experience! We joined them to celebrate a few nights and had an absolute blast enjoying some local Hebridean music. I think Hendrick was a crowd favourite as he mixed his Cape Verdean style of dancing with the locals.

Hannah Whiteley: The sense of rawness in Tiree is pure and unpolished. Life is simple on the island and all about embracing the elements. 

Alby Rondina: Being there at the same time as the big wedding was super fun, but really, for me, it was the ability to drive around such a small island and find the most perfect conditions no matter what direction the wind was blowing. 

Would you consider that kind of shoot again, or do you fancy going somewhere else next time? 

James Boulding: I'd love to! There's something really special and memorable about doing something like that. It was perhaps more of a passion project of mine to do this. One thing I loved was meeting lots of local kiteboarders who were really stoked to see us shooting there. Just the fact we'd chosen to do such a big shoot in Scotland was quite unthinkable for them, given lots of the brand's imagery is set to its historical Hawaiian backdrop. 

Ultimately, it's good to shake things up and give them a fresh look. I open lots of magazines these days and see the same backdrops with the same riders. It's undoubtedly worth rolling the dice and getting some fresh perspectives, also for the riders. I think you learn a lot on a trip like that!

Rou Chater: Thanks for that, James; it's interesting to hear it from your perspective. As a Tiree virgin, I think there is a lot we can agree on there. The multitude of spots and options to ride is really surreal because the island is so flat, and the wind is really consistent at most of the beaches, even when it's offshore. 

I went for the second week of the shoot, and they'd scored some unreal conditions the week before, but I wasn't blessed with wind. I got lots of amazing foil conditions and enjoyed those with both the kite and the wing, and the surf was decent, too, so each day was a minimum of two sessions and sometimes three, always on different craft.

A lot of us are multi-sport athletes now; the island offers a real paradise. I think I took no less than nine boards with me, covering kite, wing, surf and even SUP. That way, you are guaranteed to spend as much time on the water as possible. I'd recommend coming on a good forecast, although, with the length of the drive and the need to book ferries and accommodation, which is in fairly short supply, this won't always be possible. 

By taking the biggest range of gear and the most open mind, you'll make the most of your trip. I was a little gutted not to score a good kite wave session, as there is so much potential here, but I surfed, foiled and winged my brains out, so there aren't really any complaints from my end. 

The experience of Tiree is what it is all about; it's wild, it's remote, and you feel like you are at the end of the earth, with pristine beaches and crystal clear water. The friendly locals make the place even more welcoming, and while it may have taken me years to finally discover the place, it won't be long before I go back…

 

Videos

Cabrinha 04 Collection
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!

Comments