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Kiteworld Magazine editor, Jim Gaunt, runs you through the content highlights of issue #98 and the free 156 page 2019 Kiteworld Travel Guide supplement

 

WHITE KNUCKLE RIDES

Commitment is relative. Seen employed at its most extreme, we find it hard to look away, even if it is through the gaps between our fingers. Equally, just committing to learn to kitesurf is a massive step for most of us, and can be no less exciting (and occasionally harrowing) of course.

2019 has already delivered incredible action, through both the King of the Air and the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Cape Verde – the first event of the GKA’s Kite World Tour season that saw the world’s best wave riders put on a magnificent show. All eventually had to bow to the barrel hunting prowess of Mitu Monteiro, the maestro of the wave at Punta Preta. We have sensational images and comments from both events this issue. Mark Shinn gives us his thoughts on his first live King of the Air experience on page 36 and the Punta Preta action takes over this issue’s entire gallery from page 22.

 

 

 

Moona Whyte won the women’s division and just a month earlier had been on a hunt for her own first barrel ride with friend Adriana Harlan, to the Marshall Islands. She got pitted! Her story is on page 118.

 

 

 

On the cover this issue is Patri McLaughlin, a Maui resident who has found life’s meaning when dealing with Jaws at 40 feet. When the World Surf League’s Peahi Challenge was abandoned for a day because the injury list was building at an alarming rate, that left the swell open for Patri and Jesse Richman to see if their chances with a kite would be any better. Sessions starts on page 46.

 

 

 

A story that was pitched to me with the subject ‘Riding a Toxic Lake’ certainly had a good chance of making the cut in an issue stitched together around the theme of commitment. Roderick Pijls isn’t completely mental, but he did have to prepare correctly for a timeless photoshoot with photographer Rein Rijke, whose ‘Salt & Surf’ project aims to illustrate the world as a playground. ‘What’s Your Incredible’ starts on page 54 and saw Roderijk and Rein head to the Tanzanian mainland in search of Lake Natron.

 

 

 

Sebastian ‘Buzzy’ Witzelman is one of the most unique characters I’ve ever met in kiteboarding. Truly. And that’s no small claim given the extroverts and loonies who pick up a kite. I first met him at a Core dealer meeting several years ago and was blown away by his Mach 10, hold-nothing-back attitude on and off the water. He won’t get credit for it, but he was one of the first guys properly pushing kite loops, and later, short line kite loops with the rest of the Core team. He got into hydro-foiling relatively late in 2016, especially if we’re referring to him as some kind of pioneer.

 

 

 

 

Fast forward two-and-a-bit years and he’s already pushing the envelope for wave kiting on a hydrofoil. It all seems so complicated, given the slower response sensations of the gear when turning and the practicalities of not severely hurting a limb when you fall off. Yet, if you just think a little bit about what we already know when it comes to foil efficiency, then we can surely imagine that eventually it will become ‘something’ in waves. Check out his thoughts on the subject in ‘Cutting Edge’ from page 64.

 

2019 ANNUAL TEST SESSIONS: CAPE TOWN 

This issue we hope to reflect the feelings of the brave while also helping all riders navigate their way towards the gear that’s perfectly suited to them – as this is our main annual Cape Town test issue of the year.

 

 

 

Chris and I have tested together for over ten years (more recently of course we’ve also been testing with Matt and others). We rarely get to ride our own gear because almost every session we’re trying something new, or on different settings. Our focus has always been on squeezing out the character of the equipment. We’re not testing for pros. Our commitment is to you, which is why once again the brunt of our Cape Town test sessions (and those we did in the UK in late 2018 – which you can now find on kiteworldmag.com) are based on the freeride sector.

FEATURED EQUIPMENT TESTS: 

FREERIDE KITE TESTS: 
Cabrinha FX 10m 
CrazyFly Sculp 9m 
Duotone Dice 8m (Very high wind specific test) 
Duotone Rebel 8m 
Naish Dash 9m 
Naish Pivot 9m 
Naish Triad 9m 
Ocean Rodeo Razor 10m 
RRD Addiction 8m 
RRD Vision 9m 
Slingshot RPM 9m 

FREERIDE TWIN-TIP TESTS: 
Airush Apex 138 
Cabrinha Ace 138 
CrazyFly Raptor 137 
F-One Trax Lite & Carbon series 137 
Naish Monarch 135 
Ocean Rodeo Smoothy 139 & 130 
Shinn Ronson Player 138  

WAVE KITE TESTS: 
Duotone Neo 8 & 6m 
F-One Bandit XII 8 & 6m (2nd test – this time wave specific) 
Liquid Force Wow V4 7m 
Ozone Reo V5 7m 

KITE SURFBOARD TESTS:
Airush Amp II 5’6”
Duotone Pro Session 5’8” & Pro Wam 5’8”
RRD C.O.T.A.N V3 5’2”

 

 

2019 KITEWORLD TRAVEL GUIDE – FREE SUPPLEMENT!

 

Of course, being March, this issue comes with our 13th free annual Travel Guide. Thirteen may be unlucky for some, but you can certainly make it your best year for kiting if you commit to taking time off and smash out sessions day-after-day in some of the best locations in the world.

See you on the water! 

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