LEN10 – Ride Hard, Punch Hard

Win a €100 Voucher for Duotone Apparel this issue in our FREE subscriber prize draw.

Watch Ruben Lenten’s double eject crash in the Semi Finals of the #KingOfTheAir and hear from the man himself exactly how he busted his hand! Imagine the disappointment of trying so hard to win and then having another huge wipeout for the second time in your heat. It all got too much for the young Dutchman and he let his frustrations show with some serious results…

“My dream vanished in a couple of minutes… and that is frustrating after all the love, hard work and effort I put into it.

Winning the King of the Air in 2005 has defined my way of riding and ever since I have been pushing extreme kiteboarding full power. Working on my skills, setting myself new challenges, developing special gear, organizing events, promoting the sport worldwide through content and showcases, stimulating talent and inspiring people around the world. This is what I love to do!

The moment of impact! Photo: Taken from Rubens FB Page

This time around my challenge was winning the King of the Air 2015 by playing the game and stomping my signature moves. Unfortunately I made a wrong decision due to lighter winds by riding 22m lines instead of my usual 20m lines, which made my timing a little different. I experienced two of my worst crashes ever, first getting the biggest heelside blockside of all times ripping out of my boots 20 seconds into the semi-finals.

The X-Ray – Photo: Ruben Lenten

Getting back on the board and getting into the groove by rocking a nice Boogie Loop. Followed by a my signature Skycatcher handlepass, which I mistimed and crashed really really hard… broke my board in half and felt my body was pretty beat. Feeling all the frustration of seeing my dream vanish in minutes I hit the sand and hurt myself even more… luckily only dislocated my hand!

It all comes down to myself and I’m grateful about the lessons I learned and the progress I’m making. Feeling very happy about myself and can’t wait to be back in action in a few weeks. In the meantime Eyeforce and I will finish our webseries 10 days with LEN10 so that we can share some great moments of life with you.

Keep well, ride hard, fly high and punch hard (not).” – Ruben Lenten