On The Fly
Issue 99 / Tue 6th Jun, 2023
On The Fly is the place to go to catch up on the latest industry news! Find out what's happening at the upcoming C Kite Festival in Mauritius, get to know breakout wave rider Sophia Abreu, and catch this season's most inspiring video release, The Art of Adapting. Don't miss out on the latest news from Gin, Ride Engine, and Airush Kiteboarding. It's all right here in On The Fly!
COMING UP // C Kite Festival in Mauritius!
On July 14-16th, 2023, the beautiful beaches at C Mauritius are ready to welcome back kite enthusiasts for the second edition of the star-studded C Kite Festival! Join Antoine Auriol, Youri Zoon, Tom Hebert, Paul Serin, Victory Hays, and more of your favourite national and international champions for a mesmerising display of colourful kites in Palmar on the east coast of Mauritius.
We caught up with Antoine Auriol during a quick stop-off during his adventure with The Ocean Race's Team Malizia, and he says, "I can't wait to be back on my kite in July in Mauritius! When you go out of your comfort zone, as I'm doing now, I think life and all the details about life are much tastier, and that's why I think being back in July at C Mauritius for the 2nd edition of the C Kite Festival will be amazing! It will have a special flavour this year, especially after such a great adventure around the world with an amazing crew."
Check out the video recap of last year's event to get an idea of what to expect at the 2023 C Kite Festival in Mauritius!
Are you interested in attending this unforgettable event in paradise? Click here to find out how!
MAKING WAVES // Sophia Abreu
Brazilian shredder Sophia Abreu has launched onto the scene with her impressive performance in the GKA Kite-Surf World Tour. Recently joining the North and Mystic teams and starring in the "New Season, New Prospects" release video from Mystic alongside Oswald Smith, Tom Bridge, and Camille Delannoy, we found out more about the shoot and the talented Sophia!
Who is Sophia Abreu?
"I feel like kite surfing is an extension of surfing, which is one of my greatest passions. Being able to surf with no wind and then kite surf when the wind starts to blow is just the perfect combo for a perfect day. Kitesurfing allows me to surf and do manoeuvres fully powered, and I love that!
I'm inspired by a routine based on sports, mostly in the water! I feel renewed every time I go for a kite or surf sesh. In the ocean is where I feel most alive, where my worries fade away, and my only focus is to catch a good wave.
I feel like being where I am today is the consequence of my life choices. I chose the athlete life besides the college and "normal" life. It's definitely more enjoyable but not easier. To be an athlete, you need to have the courage to let go of some "certainties" you might have when you follow a "normal" life (school, university, normal job). I just felt like enjoying my life and following my dream, which is being a professional athlete, was worth all the risks. And I don't regret it! I guess my motto would be: Dream big, work hard and never give up!"
"Summer" Shoot in Florianopolis, Brazil
"It was super nice to have the team come over! We had a lot of fun and had to work out the unexpected, which ended up pretty well. 🙂 Conditions were a bit tricky, but we managed to find good enough conditions to make the shoot happen! The weather was cold, and I actually had to kite with a shorty because there was just one full wetsuit, and it wasn't my size! Haha, at least it suited Karlie. Anyways, I did my best to stay in the water as long as possible, and we managed to get some shots."
What's next?!
"Right now, I'm focusing on travelling to create content for my sponsors, but I might show up at one contest or another! 😉 My main goal as a pro kiter is to inspire new generations and to inspire more women to get into the sport and improve their abilities! To show them that it is more than possible for girls to have a lot of fun while kiting. 🙂 Other than that, I'll be looking for the best conditions in the world to kite surf and get better and better in what I do!
Cheers,
Soph"
SHORT FILM // The Art of Adapting
Stop what you're doing and watch this compelling film by Miriam Joanna featuring Gabriele Steindl and Jaimen Hudson. "The Art of Adapting", released as part of ION's Write Your Own Chapter web-series, is one of the most powerful video releases of the year so far!
SYNOPSIS BY MIRIAM JOANNA
"The Art of Adapting" serves as a beautiful reminder that in life, just like in the surf, it's all about impermanence and constantly adapting to the surge of always-changing and unpredictable conditions as they arise. Navigating the ebbs and flows, embracing and thriving on the continuous change of the colours on our canvas of life with its associated highs and lows, is an adventure in itself.
Originally from Austria and with over 80 countries under her explorer belt, Gabi first came to Western Australia (aka "WA") on a kitesurfing mission in 2007. Falling madly in love with the raw, rugged and isolated wild beauty of Australia's largest state (2.6 million km2), she adopted Western Australia as her home shortly after.
The film tells Gabi's story of devoting her life to Western Australia, to its waves and embracing the coastline's solitude. In bold road trips to the most remote corners of the state in search of new spots, Gabi is left to her own devices, often heavily challenged by the capricious moods of the elements. Constantly adapting to Mother Nature's rhythm and the typical rise of unexpected situations on her explorer journeys, Gabi lives and breathes for the autonomous search to pursue her passions.
On such a road trip in WA, Gabi meets Jaimen Hudson, a quadriplegic wildlife photo and videographer. After suffering a severe spinal cord injury in his teens that stopped him from enjoying most of the things he loved doing (motocross, surfing, diving etc.), Jaimen had to adapt and excelled in the challenges that life threw at him. Developing his skills to the point of becoming the award-winning drone artist he is today, Gabi proposes to Jaimen to film her kitesurfing. The two bond in an incomparable way.
Two completely different life stories, yet both are fuelled by the same strong connection to the two elements: air and water.
GEAR GUIDE // Gin Geek 4
There's a new board on the market: the Geek 4 from Gin Kiteboarding, in collaboration with the First Trick Lab, a cutting-edge research and development facility nestled in the picturesque mountains of Verbier, Switzerland.
Several values bond Gin Kiteboarding with the First Track Lab. The first component is really about the "Swissness" of the project. The Geek 4 is premium and handmade in Switzerland, with a minimalist and efficient design. Another key element that connects Gin and the First Track Lab is innovation, trying to find the best combination of materials and production processes to get the best product that will be innovative and give the user the best experience. Lastly, they share a strong common interest for the passion for riding sports, should it be on water, on snow, or wherever.
Watch the video to dive into the world of Geek's Craftsmen and go behind the scenes of the board's development with Yoann Chapel as he reveals their meticulous fabrication process, the unique features of their kite boards, and their exciting future projects.
Click here for a more in-depth look behind the new Gin Geek 4!
WEB SERIES // El Camino
Ride Engine's El Camino is a 6-part web series where viewers experience each Ride Engine team rider transported to some of the most remote, exposed, and challenging point breaks in the world. The team explores Chile's rugged coastline, and we caught up with the athlete filmed in the first episode, Manuel Selman!
Manuel Selman: "I took a special ride down memory lane and landed right... in the land of lefts! Haha. Chile, my home country! Now, I haven't been back in couple of years thanks to the pandemic. But this time, it wasn't just for a contest, visit or a family reunion. This was an epic wind sports trip! And it all began when Gary Siskar from ride engine had the idea to gather a crew of ridiculously talented riders in their respective sports. And just like that, "El Camino" burst onto the scene!
One of the highlights was staying at Jesse Faen's house. Not only did he have the inside scoop on all the mind-blowing spots, but he also knew exactly what each spot demanded. It was like having a real-life surf and wind forecast as our host! But the absolute best part was how everyone in our crew was so ridiculously talented that we could handle anything Mother Nature threw at us.
No wind? Small waves? We grabbed our foils and got epic sessions. No wind and waves? We hopped on our surfboards and got an epic surf. And when the wind and waves teamed up, we all suited up for a kite and wing session; that was so rad. Oh, and let's not forget about Bryan, the windsurfing wizard who worked his magic like a boss out there! Breaking masts and sails… but besides windsurfing, we were all sharing surf, kite, wing and foils sessions; I'm telling you, we were a bunch of water sports superheroes, and it was the sickest thing ever! Can't wait for the next trip with that amazing crew!"
NEXT GENERATION // Valentín Hoenderop
There's a new rider on the big air scene who is making a big impression! Valentín Hoenderop, just 16 years old, stood out with his performance in the recent Lords of Tram event in France. With the recent move to the Airush Kiteboarding team, this young athlete is on his way up!
Click here to learn more about Valentín, and don't forget to tune into the GKA Big Air Kite World Championships in Tarifa this June to see how he stands up against the world champions!
Videos
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.
