Should I stay or should I go? While the debate on whether to stay local or shred global continues, the machine that is the kiteboarding industry needs wind to keep running. We caught up with the Duotone team to see what they've been up to. Hear the latest right here at IKSURFMAG!

When an international border slams closed, does it make a sound? I can imagine it sounds something like a double overhead wave smashing you into the - hopefully sandy - ocean floor. A deafening roar finished off by an eerie ringing as you sit in a mild state of shock, confused by what's just happened.

What about when it opens again? If the last 15 months are any indication, the sound might be more akin to a creaky cupboard hinge that makes an irritating shriek every time it opens and closes. Naturally, this has to happen repeatedly to see how creaky it is. Suffice it to say, 2021 is one big kitchen with lots of unlubricated doors.

As the vaccinated population grows rapidly, whispers are circulating of a world where travel is allowed, nay, encouraged! In the meantime, we've all just been trying to get on with it.

Nobody seems to want travellers from South Africa, which is certainly reasonable, so I've been laying low in Cape Town, where the wind is weak, but the waves are world-class. At our headquarters in Wales, Publishing Editor Rou Chater has spent more time locked down than most. Normally he'd be racking up enough air miles to make Greta Thunberg have a tantrum. These days though, with wings firmly clipped by the pandemic, he's busy trying to catch moles and a decent kite session, which seems to be proving elusive at his local spots.

Now that loosening travel restrictions have made it possible, albeit with the cost and inconvenience of several swabs up the nose, Web Editor and brand new mom, Jen Tyler, finally escaped the gloomy UK to visit her home and family in Egypt. On the other side of the world, our Brand Manager and the newest addition to the team, Anastasia Pankina, may as well not have a passport as she's down under in Australia and very much not going anywhere anytime soon! Except, perhaps, New Zealand, if she's lucky. Liam Dredge has been using his time at home to build the IKSURFMAG Test Centre in Littlehampton, which we are all incredibly excited about! Our terrific Technique Trainers, Christian and Karine in Portugal and Heliarde in Brazil, have continued to find their way onto the water to keep us schooled and styling with even more new tricks to try. 

Travel is, undoubtedly, a luxury. Yet, in the world of kiteboarding, it is also a way of life and, often, a job requirement. While the debate on whether one should stay local or shred global continues, many pro riders and brand representatives have had to find their way to the wind to keep the machine that is the kiteboarding industry running smoothly. While hearing how our team at IKSURFMAG has been getting along may be of mild interest, many of you would much rather hear what's happening with our beloved pro riders. 

How on earth did Hannah Whiteley get that incredible cover shot at home in the UK? Where did Lasse Walker go when King of the Air got postponed? How is Lewis Crathern staying busy close to home? Can Noè Font stay sane without a competition calendar? Luckily for you, we've caught up with Team Duotone to see what's been going down - or what hasn't!

With one of the most exceptional studio shots we've ever seen, Hannah Whiteley landed square on the cover of Issue 87 with her innovative approach. Hannah tells us what it took to get the shot! 

HANNAH WHITELEY ON STAYING LOCAL

I believe it's the struggle that makes greatness, not the triumph. As an athlete, I'm used to pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Being comfortable in the uncomfortable is always a challenge. No one expected that a year later, the pandemic would still be ongoing. I have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. In the beginning, I enjoyed the novelty of slowing down from travelling so much. Going from country to county, different time zones, packing, unpacking, shooting, competing and always being on the go can be exhausting. I love what I do, but it was nice to have a break. As time went on, I started to find my time at home in lockdown quite hard. I missed being busy and travelling. I have not spent this much continuous time in the UK since I was a child. My anxiety was high, especially going into wintertime in the UK. It's been ten years since I've spent an entire winter in the UK. 

Leaving the UK was only becoming more complicated, with many restrictions for UK residents and no direct flights. I had a trip booked to Cape Town for the beginning of January. I was excited and motivated to get there with some cool projects lined up. Unfortunately, our flights were cancelled, and the UK government announced that anyone returning from South Africa would have to do a mandatory ten-day hotel quarantine. Cape Town was a no go for me. 

'Stay Local Shred Local' is what we should be taking on board when we plan to go kitesurfing - only travelling to our local kite spot for the time being. While I would usually be shooting somewhere much warmer at this time of year, at the moment, I am still wearing a 6mm wetsuit with a hood, boots and gloves at my home spot in Lytham St Annes (North West of England). 

My extended time in the UK and the struggle to adapt to the harsh British winter has forced me to be more creative than ever. I have never had so many projects or shooting ideas in my mind before! Sometimes, when you have no choice but to stand still, creativity is re-wired, and ideas begin to spark inside. What if I made the "perfect kite shoot" happen right now in the UK? Time to take #StayLocalShredLocal to the next level!       

We made a makeshift studio in my friend's gym, putting black material up on the walls and floor. My dad, Pete Whiteley, was a big part of the jigsaw puzzle with the logistics. He set up a pulley system from a roof beam where I would be suspended by a rope hooked around my harness. We tied my kite lines to a second roof beam. For this shoot, I knew I needed someone talented behind the camera. I came across photographer Chris Priestley on Instagram. He was super keen to shoot and loved the concept! It was all systems go! 

I can't tell you how difficult it was to hold different grabs whilst dangling like a yo-yo from the roof. It may sound simple, but my core was on fire after a few seconds! About every 10 seconds, I had to stop for a break and shout to my dad, who would run over with ladders so I could take a breather! It was hands down the most brutal core workout I have ever done - and I've done some serious workouts! 

Whilst Chris was taking the pictures, my brother Joseph had a smoke machine on the go to add some atmosphere to the shots. My dad was blasting me with a leaf blower to create the wind in my hair while someone else was throwing water at me. It took quite some time to get the "perfect shots".  

It was surprising how many people needed to be involved behind the scenes to make it happen. Big thanks to all those involved who helped make it happen; Chris, my dad, my brother, Sara at Pretty Strong Fitness, and makeup artist Rebecca. There was something special about this shoot, done in my home town. It's the first time shooting where my family were able to participate, and they were an amazing support team! 

While Hannah was unleashing her creativity close to home, fellow team rider Lasse Walker followed the wind to South Africa to train for the 2021 Red Bull King of the Air. Like many other competitive big air riders left hanging in Cape Town, he had to get creative with his itinerary! 

LASSE WALKER ON ESCAPING THE CAPE

What seems like the entire big air industry moves to South Africa for their windy season. I've spent many winters in Cape Town, training for Red Bull King of the Air and doing photoshoots and R&D with my sponsors. This year, we hoped to continue with business as usual. Unfortunately, the situation got worse and worse. After Red Bull postponed King of the Air, my hopes for a good season went out the window. With rumours of a lockdown on its way and a situation no better at home in the Netherlands, I decided to travel to Bonaire. 

Bonaire is a small island, part of the Dutch Caribbean and part of The Netherlands, making it a safe and simple choice. Besides that, I've been going to Bonaire for over ten years, and I know how good the conditions can get! Bonaire offers perfect free riding conditions, really flat water, and wind from 15 to 25 knots. It's not extreme big air conditions, but riding bigger kites in calmer conditions was a nice change. I had a great time practising more old school and free ride tricks, board-offs, Jesus walks, old school rotations, and everything else! 

After Bonaire, I went back to the Netherlands. I was looking forward to going snowkiting at Red Bull Ragnarok, but, unfortunately, that also got cancelled. Even so, it's nice to spend time at home, riding with friends at all the beautiful spots The Netherlands has to offer. In this session in Wijk aan Zee, it was super gusty and insanely cold, especially after I made the stupid choice to ride without boots and gloves! It was intense, but we managed to capture a unique angle with the industrial factory in the background.

Even with temperatures less than 5 degrees and water temperature possibly even lower, most spots are still so busy! It's crazy to see how the sport has grown here and the full-on STOKE everybody has. I'll be staying in The Netherlands for a little while, and when things go more towards normal, I'd love to travel to some windy beaches again! It is so cool to see how we have still been doing what we love and how much we, individually and as a community, have grown since this pandemic started.

Lasse wasn't the only rider tripped up by the Red Bull schedule change. Lewis Crathern claimed his spot in KOTA after Jesse Richman's untimely injury, only to be thwarted by the postponement. Always optimistic, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity to spend some time in Worthing!

LEWIS CRATHERN AT WORK IN WORTHING

In November, I went to Namibia on an incredible 10-day expedition up the coast with Aaron Hadlow. It was a trip of a lifetime organised by Inti at Ligabue and Carsten from KiteArmada. Namibia had a very low rate of infection with Covid, and the trip was a welcome break from the situation in the UK. We were lucky enough to see the country with very few tourists. It was the best kitesurfing trip I have ever been on in 18 years of kiteboarding. Other than that trip to Namibia, I've been back home in Worthing, and I have absolutely loved the time back at home! 

The most significant exclusion to my usual calendar was Cape Town and King of the Air. I have travelled to Cape Town annually for 13 years, competing in KOTA eight times in a row. While I love Cape Town and how big a part of my life it has become, KOTA and the pressures you put on yourself as an athlete - to be riding well and staying fit and focused - can take its toll. I welcomed the break. I really enjoyed observing the UK seasons change in detail, having not paid attention to it for a long time while being away 5-6 months each year.

I loved kitesurfing in Worthing through January and February and connecting with the same community I rode with when I first started out. The time at home was great for my relationship with my cats and my partner. I guess it's not easy when you have a partner that is travelling a lot (I would not know), but being home gave me a lot of time to think about the next part of my career.

I have now signed with the Global Wind Energy Council. Together, we will take my school programme global to educate the younger generation about wind power. I will represent GWEC and the global wind industry at global kitesurfing, wind industry, and climate events and collaborate on further initiatives to highlight the benefits of wind power and its role in combatting the dangerous impacts of climate change. 

Lewis has been making the most of his time in Worthing on a mission to inspire and educate. While the UK has left the EU, the wind sure hasn't! Noè Font tells us about how he's adapted to this unique European season.

NOÈ FONT SCORES IN SOUTHERN EUROPE

I'm out in Italy with the team at the moment shooting some new gear. I've kept it fairly local in the past year, spending most of my time in Spain, Portugal, Sicily, and a trip to Mexico to break up the winter. It was almost surreal to go so far away during these times. Travel restrictions for many countries change daily, and it's always uncertain if you'll be able to travel at all. Hence, this past year, many of us have opted for driving instead of flying. Kiteboarding being my job, it wasn't an issue to get around to spots for shooting, but otherwise, we would've had trouble with the authorities on a few different occasions.

I moved to Portugal for part of the off-season, where we captured these photos. I love how rugged it is - the diversity of spots and different conditions. You can kite a lagoon, waves, strong and light wind all in one day. In the off-season, the shoreline is very exposed to storms, wind, and swell, which can be very good but also very rainy sometimes. It's all about timing your sessions nicely to avoid rain showers. In general, the country is much quieter than in summer, but you still score plenty of water time. If you embrace all this stuff and have no expectations, you'll be surprised at how good it can be. Just be prepared for whatever the weather might throw at you!

The highlight was a session with Laci Kobulsky at this "street spot" I found, located in the river/boulevard of the town where I lived. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to do a stall on the handrail off the wall, which turned out to be much harder than I thought. However, we put in the work, and Laci got some incredible photos. It's always more rewarding when there is a story behind the photos you get.

In the past years, I'd usually spend 80-90% of the year away. This year, I spent most of it at home. I think it's been good for everyone to slow down and appreciate many things we take for granted, no matter how big or small. With more time on our hands comes more opportunities, a new hobby or just more time to yourself. I have been getting very into Paragliding and learning how to navigate the sky using thermal activity, clouds and so on. It's a whole new level of understanding air that we know very little about from a kiteboarding perspective.

As of now, there isn't much in the events pipeline, but we have some trips and video projects planned. I sure am excited to shred global as soon as restrictions ease off!

Whether it's in our backyards or on a tropical beach somewhere far away, we are fortunate to have the tools to turn a windy day into moments of magic. And if there's no session in sight due to travel restrictions or an unfortunate forecast? Hang in there! Even if it doesn't seem like it on social media, you're not alone. Whether you're staying local or shredding global, keep it safe and keep it stylish!

 

By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.

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