Liam Whaley needs no introduction. From promising grom to freestyle world champ to big air contender, Liam continues to charge. He has a new sponsor and some big goals for 2018. Read the Liam Whaley Interview here.

Liam Whaley just entered his first KOTA event and stormed onto the podium taking a deserved second place behind Kevin Langeree. Liam has always been a tour de force on the freestyle scene and now has cemented his place among the legends of big air! In a shock move he’s also just joined the F-One Team for the 2018 season, Lindsay McClure caught up with him to get the low down!

You got into Red Bull King of the Air as a last minute qualification, then absolutely crushed it. What was your mindset in this event? What training went into making sure you were prepared to go all out?

KOTA was a last minute event for me. I didn’t train for it, so I didn’t put pressure on myself to do well. I just went out there, felt how far I could push it without things getting too dangerous and things worked out. The crowd on the beach were definitely a factor that helped me land tricks that I’d never tried before and go big without fear.

Will Red Bull King of the Air have a regular spot on your calendar in the coming years?

Definitely! Hands down it’s the best event in kiteboarding. It gave me some hectic adrenaline and which is exactly what I thrive on!

Congratulations on making the switch to F-One. What factors influenced your decision to change sponsors?

I have had a great relationship with Cabrinha over the past 6 years, but they have a different vision than I have. I talked to F-One and they told me that I could be really involved in product development and that our partnership will be long term. This partnership is exactly what I was looking for.

What is your current gear setup and what are you stoked on?

I am super hyped on the WTF line up. The C kite gives me insane pop and has felt comfortable in my hands from day one. The board is lightweight, strong and has a shape that I like!

Fill us in, what’s the latest with the freestyle world tour? What are your competition goals this season, and what can spectators look forward to?

The freestyle tour is a bit of a mess, as per usual. We keep choosing the wrong people to run our tour. The riders and I have put so much energy and hope into building a solid tour, but everything keeps on getting crushed because of internal politics. This year I am just going to focus on my riding. I’ll be competing at events that are gonna bring me good media and a good show to the fans. Obviously my passion is freestyle and it always will be, but for now I just have to adapt.

What are your plans for the rest of 2018, and how do you find a balance between traveling, training, shooting media, competing, personal time? Are you working on any exciting projects at the moment?

It’s a balance that I love. I’ll be competing as much as I can and, apart from that, I want to make more videos this year. Whether it be blogs, quality edits or movies, I want to put content out there and let people get to know the real me.

You have shown you can dominate many disciplines in kiteboard competition. Have you got any interest in competing in park or racing events?

Not for now. Everything comes at the right time. I don’t really have the facilities to train for park and racing doesn’t really interest me.

Tarifa has been a big part of your life, what does it mean to you?

It’s a place where I come back, relax and evaluate everything I’ve done over the past weeks or months and also make plans for the future. Of course, I still go out when the conditions are prime and have fun with my mates!

How much do you workout off-the-water and how does cross training translate to on-water success?

At home, I’m in the gym almost every day. I’m working on new ways of training, trying to innovate things that can relate to kiteboarding, a lot of balance, coordination work, etc. I think training off the water gives me confidence on the water. If I feel strong and ready, then I go ride with a different more daring state of mind.

What advice can you offer to up and coming riders? How have you continued to stay focused and stay in the game as you’ve transitioned from up-and-coming grom to World Champion?

Just keep at it! Find ways to always stay motivated no mater what. If you’re bored of kiting, go do something different and then get back on your board when you’ve got that fire within you again!

Thanks for taking the time to chat to us Liam, good luck with the new team and the upcoming season!

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By Lindsay McClure
Lindsay is a pro rider from Hood River in the USA, she works for IKSURFMAG as our Features Editor and is an integral part of the team. Lindsay is really into wakestyle riding and can be found in the Hood River Slider Park during the summer months, she also travels all over the world with the World Class Academy helping younger riders develop through kiteboarding!

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