Kiteworld Magazine | The original international kitesurfing magazine

KW 95 – FINDING FLOW

Cover: Jalou Langeree / Photo: Ydwer van der Heide

As kiters we’re constantly searching for new ways to progress our riding and to find new challenges and experiences within the sport. That’s why this issue’s all about finding flow and expanding your horizons. Whether it’s rethinking your goals and trying out a new kiting discipline, travelling to a destination you’ve not yet visited or rethinking the pace at which you’re living your life – in KW 95 we’re delving into adventures anew.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE

The Land of Untouched Lagoons

Betti Menzel travels to Namibia in southwest Africa on the hunt for wide open spaces, solid kiting conditions and new perspectives in a country that comparatively few kiters have yet to visit.

The Kingdom

You don’t always need to leave the country to discover epic new spots and, if you’re in the UK, then what you’ve got right on your doorstep in Cornwall is well worth checking out. We lift the lid on the true home of British wave riding this issue.

TECHNIQUE

We open up new avenues for advancement in KW 95 with the first instalment of a series of articles that aim to build both your technical knowledge and practical skills in foiling that we’re co-producing with our friends from Progression. This one’s all about knowing how to choose the right foil for you – whether you’re new to foiling or have been foiling for a while. Logically, it’s called Foiling 101!

Also, strapless freestyle extraordinaire and barrel-hunting savant Willow River-Tonkin takes us through the surfboard air-gybe – one of the first air tricks you’ll learn on a surfboard.

Strike Mission

Ever wondered how it all comes together on a photoshoot? What you see in a magazine is the finished article but sometimes a crew has to get creative to pull it all off. When the Cabrinha team were struggling to get the conditions they needed for their 2019 product shoot on Maui they had to think outside the box. They took a chance on a last minute trip to Oahu to score a rarely ridden wave and it paid off! They talk us through it this issue.

Boelen Around

GKA Kite-Surf World Tour style technician Ralph Boelen talks us through chasing wind and waves around Europe in his van, the ever-evolving level of competition on the tour and how it felt to make the leap to his new sponsor – RRD – after many years with North.

Wabi Sabi

Gabi Stiendl has a knack for thinking up adventures that offer up an enlightening kiting and cultural experience. This issue she heads to Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, where she encounters a population that lives in tune with their surroundings and the natural pace of the world.

TESTING

A whole new world of 2019 gear is opening up right now and KW 95 includes the first of our new season’s gear tests. We review the Dice, Duotone’s multi-faceted freeride / freestyle hybrid, as well as RRD’s one-strut light wind engine for all-round freeride feels – the Emotion MK4. On the board front, we’ve put a host of the latest twinnies from Ozone, RRD and Duotone to the test and we’ve also tried out Manera’s new Eclipse harness – a hardshell with a difference.

REGULARS AND NEWS

In the new issue you’ll find insider info on what’s going down on the international competition circuit, happenings on international and domestic scenes, the latest gear release news and our own take on the continuing rise of the hybrid kite as 2019 gear hits the market.

There’s also in-depth analysis as standard from our expert columnists and Sensi Graves outlines a way forward for women in the sport as more and more domestic kite comps begin to award equal prize money to men and women in light of the WSL’s decision to do the same over in the world of pro surfing.

All that, plus the sport’s most inspirational images, insights and more than a smattering of gossip to enjoy with your brew.