Thekiteboarder.April 2006.Pdf
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On the Cover: Former pro skimboarder turned professional kiter Brian Lake shows how to combine both sports, ripping the top off an Oahu monster all strapless on his skim. Lens: Stephen Whitesell 012 The designers sewing table LAUNCH Lens: Jim Semlor Ben Wilson continues his search for the world’s best wave riding. 014 411 Daphnee Laliberte joins EH Kiteboarding. We pulled out all the stops for the The Kiteboarder 2006 Gear Guide. Inside you will find 020 Video Reviews flat kites, bow kites, foil kites, twin tips, surfboards, landboards, mountainboards, foot- Autofocus, etc. straps, waist harnesses, seat harnesses, bindings, impact vests and slam vests. The defini- tive guide to this year’s product line, we also give the names and inspiration behind the 023 Tips from an O.G. new products. See something you like? Great! We also give the company’s website and Bruce Eliashof outlines the etiquette for riding at Waddell. customer service information to take your research one step further and get the answers you need to buy the gear most suited for you. Enjoy! 024 Shop Talk Cline Street: Establishing a presence in Corpus Christi. 028 Lost on Lana’i Photographer Kim Kern follows three riders to Hawaii’s best kept secret. 038 The Marlboro Man of Kiteboarding The Neil Hutchinson Interview. 042 06 Gear Guide Twenty Seven manufacturers reviewed in our annual section. 061 Exposed Big air, big waves and the faces that make up kiteboarding. 083 Trailing Edge Final thoughts on hitting the last reach of the day. 7 Look Around You My phone rang the other night and it was Neil Hutchinson checking in as he usu- ally does every week or so. Our conversations never seem to change. We talk about the latest industry gossip, and then Neil quickly brings me up to speed on the southern East Coast kite scene. Our conversations always then drifts back to the good old days of island hopping in the Caribbean. As I said goodbye, I thought back to how I met Neil. He had just completed his kite crossing to Cuba, and I was assigned to interview him. We did our interview over the telephone in 2001, and our friendship has grown into a brotherhood ever since. I feel very lucky to have been given that assignment knowing what I know now. I spoke with Andy Hurdman the other day. Andy and I have traveled quite a bit together, and he has given me tips throughout the years on tricks and gear. Andy is a phenomenal kiteboarder, surfer, and skateboarder. He also rides a dirt bike better than most pros. Andy quickly brought me up to speed on what new tricks he has been working on and told me how he just tried snowboarding. Of course the kid is a natural and can probably school some of the best. As I hung up the phone, I thought back to when I first met Andy four years ago in the Miami Airport. I feel very lucky to have randomly been booked on the same flight that day. This afternoon my mobile phone starting buzzing. I was in a meeting and saw the 808, so I knew it was Hawaii ringing in. As I answered the phone, I heard “Whad up Riggatelli this is Felix,” in the classic Felix Pivec voice. I started laughing, and said, “Where are you at Pivec?.” Felix is the friend that always Photo: Clark Merritt calls me from differ- ent sides of the world at random hours of the day. Felix just happened to be in the airport traveling to California on another one of his adventures. Felix and I have toured dozens of countries over the years, and some things never change. We BS’ed for about twenty minutes until Felix’s plane started to board. As I hung up the phone I thought back to Kitebeach, Maui in 1999 when Pivec and I first met. I feel lucky to have crossed paths with one of the coolest Australians I have ever met. I was driving home from a session when I started thinking about what I was going to write for this issue’s editorial. I was checking my messages and quickly realized how many friends kiteboarding has brought into my life. I am sure my story is no different than yours, and I apologize to my friends that I left out. I want you to take a moment and think about all of the interesting faces you have met along your journey of becoming a kiteboarder. There are so many different personalities that make up our sport. Next time you are down at your local beach; take a moment to look around you and appreciate all of the new friends Kiteboarding has brought into your life. Enjoy! 8 EDITOR RYAN RICCITELLI [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR PAUL LANG ART DIRECTOR JIM SEMLOR SNOW/CREATIVE EDITOR JAMES BROWN SAFETY EDITOR RICK IOSSI TOWSURF EDITOR ERIK AKISKALIAN TOWSURFER.COM TECHNICAL EDITOR GARY MARTIN EDITORS AT LARGE ALEXIS ROVIRA SENIOR WRITERS Marina Chang, James Brown, Emi Marino, Bucky Ashcroft, Gary Martin, Rick Iossi, Sierra Lake, Jim Semlor EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Neil Hutchinson, Damien Wright, Joe Bidawid, Lou Wainman, Matt Nuzzo, Trip Forman, Paul Menta, Kevin “Top Hat” Senn, Gregg Gnecco, Jay Crawford, Henry Dupont IV,Sean Driscol, Bill Lee, Jeff Skoll, Paul Lang, Jeff Howard, Cliff Stone, Stefan Ruether, Jeff Burton, Corky Cullen, John Romais, Eric Akiskalian, Ben Wilson, Ruca Chang CONTRIBUTORS Ben WIlson, Brendan Richards, Gregg Gnecco, Matt Nuzo, John Romais, Greg Norman Jr., Buster Tronolone, Jesse Richman, Kim Kern, Dave Burden SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Semlor, Kim Kern, Sierra Lake, Matt Cotton, Paul Javier, Michelle Zuniga, Gus Schmiege, Gregg “Tekko” Gnecco, James Brown, Morton Skoll, Charles Oreve, Stefan Ruether, Josh Marinos, Matt Mink, BOK, Buster Tronolone PHOTOGRAPHY Stephen Whitesell, John Bilderback, Gust Hurst, Gibson, Ben Brown, Clark Merritt, Alexis Rovira, Lance Koudele, Jimmy Lewis, Gary Martin,Victoria Tap, Frederick Pattou, realkiteboarding.com, Gus Schmiege, Bertrand Boone, Denice Romanov Thanks to all editorial and photography contributors for support- ing this magazine! SUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] PUBLISHER Get a year subscription (6 issues) and MARINA CHANG (805) 459-2373 one of The Kiteboarder Magazine’s [email protected] cool new T-Shirts in either white or ADMINISTRATIVE/ADVERTISING OFFICE black. Don’t miss an issue of The 1356 16th Street Los Osos CA 93402 CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS Kiteboarder, 100% made in the USA by 300 Carlsbad Village Drive Kiteboarders. Suite 108A #238 Carlsbad, CA 92008 HOOD RIVER OFFICE 1210 Quinton Street The Dalles Oregon 97058 MOUNTAIN STATES OFFICE 1360 S Ivy Way Denver CO 80224 Correction: The opening spread in last issue’s feature Just 34.99$ for an annual subscription and T-Shirt! “Globetrotting” was incorrectly credited to Gus Hurst. The amazing photograph was taken by contributing photographer Frederick Pattou. L DEPARTMENT /$81&+ wilson Fishing in Mentawis ‘05. Lens: Gibson TThe session you im your best dream Photo: Gibson agine in s. The wave riding in “West Oz” is exponential. Lens: Bilderback This is one of those perfect moments in your life. Photo: Gibson We explored countless riding spots in“West Oz” this last February. Lens: Biderback ver since Slingshot decided to ways to ride a wave with a kite. Over the years I have done boat support my search for the most epic One is to use the power of the trips in the Mentawis occasionally, waves around the world to ride with kite to ride the wave and the other but hadn’t made it back there since a kite, I have felt like the luckiest is to use the power of the kite to I started kiteboarding. It’s some- person alive! Not only have the last whip you into the wave, and then where I have always wanted to kite, year’s travels given me the best use the power of the wave to surf. but just never had the opportunity. kiteboarding so far in my life, but Neither is right or wrong. It really This year, a group of us got togeth- they have also let me enjoy all the comes down to doing what you like, er and spent two weeks cruising the other things I love to do. I have but for me it’s all about using the islands looking for wind and waves. spent the last year not only kiting, power of the wave and making it We didn’t score epic kiting, but we but also surfing, fishing, and just look like surfing. To accomplish had a good taste of the potential having a good time traveling with this, I have been concentrating on along with some of the most incred- my best friends. hitting the spots I would normally go ible surfing I’ve ever had. Just Just in the past few months I for surfing. being out there on a boat is what Ben Wilson focusing while in Singapore. He was on his way to the Mentawis, and what turned out to be the trip of his life. have hit America, Mexico, Fiji, it’s all about. Nothing feels better Lens: Gibson Indonesia, Australia, Tasmania, Highlights than having everything you love Europe, and Asia. Each one of The two highlights of my travels right there at your disposal. these places has their own incredi- would have to be Fiji and the ble story, both good and bad. I Mentawis. I spent four years of my Holy Grail have always said that you can have life living on Namotu Island in Fiji The places you go and the peo- By Ben Wilson a bad time, but you can never have and every time I return it just gets ple you meet are such a big part of a bad experience.