With 2021 almost a wrap, it’s a good time to hit pause and reflect on the past 12 months. In that spirit, we have opened up this year’s archive to share the big adventures and insider stories to celebrate the best parts of 2021.
Open-Ended Innovation
SHAKING UP THE STATUS QUO
Delving into the mind of Airush’s Brand Manager, Clinton Filen, we examine the heady themes of continuous innovation, disruptive evolution and Airush’s long game focus on establishing industry benchmarks.
Seeking Silence in the Details
AN INTERVIEW WITH CORE’S FOIL DESIGNER
From composite bike parts to homemade kiteboards, Jan Termöhlen’s engineering work catches the eye of Core Kiteboarding and leads him on the quest to build the ultimate foil platform for some of the most technical and meticulous customers around.
Welcome To Stiltsville
WHAT’S LEFT OF IT
With a nod to prohibition era history, Chris Bobryk escapes the onerous restrictions of Miami’s kiteboarding beaches and finds refuge in a shallow sandbar a mile offshore.
The Park in Flux
SAND, SWEAT AND SLIDERS
In uncertain times, Xander Raith, Noè Font and Colleen Carroll converge on the southeast shores of Baja to reinforce kiteboarding’s status as a core boardsport and keep the momentum of park riding alive.
The 40-Hour Kite Week
GRABBING A REAL JOB
For many of us, kiteboarding is often a distracting force, a seductive call to disassemble and reprioritize our lives around the wind. Luke McGillewie swims against the stream in reverse, building a life dedicated to kiteboarding’s constant pull.
Released and Reloaded
BEN WILSON’S RETURN TO SLINGSHOT
Having ridden a culinary degree into surf paradise, Ben Wilson pivoted into kitesurfing and forever changed the direction of the sport. After a decade on his own, Ben is back with Slingshot to write the next chapter.
Maxime Chabloz
IN PURSUIT OF THE NEXT TITLE
A master of all trades, Swiss kiter Maxime Chabloz hits his stride on the freestyle world tour while kickstarting a professional freesking career. Dominating just about any sport on a plank, Maxime charges ahead with unreal natural talent hardened by firm discipline and razor-sharp focus.
Abrolhos Islands
BOATING INTO NO-MAN’S LAND
Forty miles off the Australian west coast sits a small group of coral-lined islands known for their surly fishermen and magnetic affinity for catastrophic maritime disasters. Kite adventurer Gabi Steindl sends it deep into the Abrolhos frontier, skirting calamity and scoring uncharted kite sessions.
Le Tutour de America
A GREAT AMERICAN KITE TRIP
Gwen Le Tutour jumps behind the wheel of a giant motorhome, kicking off Cabrinha’s coast to coast kiteboarding tour. From daring ocean activist to documentary filmmaker, Gwen is the exact jack of all trades and freakish machine of efficiency needed to pull off a nationwide sweep.
The Bandits of Baja Sur
CHASING THE CACTUS PARTY
Celebrating 15 years of the Bandit kite, the F-One team heads into the sizzling heat of Mexico’s summer. Amidst Baja Sur’s lesser known outposts, the team pits dueling freestyle and wave Bandit models against one another in the land of contrast and cactus.
Survival Sessions
ONE RECORD-SETTING GORGE DAY
Vetea Boersma syncs up with professional photographer Richard Hallman on one of Hood River’s windiest days. Amidst power outages and airborne roofs, Vetea braves the Columbia River under the influence of record-setting 70-knot gusts.
Want more stories like this?
Dedicated to authentic, long-form storytelling and designed to explore the people, culture, travel and art of kitesurfing, The Kiteboarder Magazine brings together the finest stories of kiteboarding history, tech, exploration and adventure.
A print/digital subscription arrives quarterly and gives you digital access to our archive of 50+ back issues including yearly buyer’s guides, gear guides, travel guides and instructional guides.