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interview

PROFILED: Brian Smith AKA BCS

Brian Smith grew up in Arlington, VA, and used to work at a marina on the Potomac River where he would spend his summers working, sailing, kayaking, and wakeboarding. After learning to kiteboard on a family vacation to Cabarete, he was hooked. ... Read More...

PROFILED: Maika Monroe Buckley

At just 17 years old, Maika Buckley has decided to finish her senior year of high school online so she can move to Cabarete to train. Maika said, “I love Cabarete. All of my friends do not understand how I could leave high school my senior year and go live in a third world country. I think how could I not?”... Read More...
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From the Ground Up: Interview with Slingshot’s Amery Bernard

Sporting dreadlocks and a goatee, Amery Bernard blends in with the typical kiteboarders on the beach, but when he looks at a kite, he sees all the details the rest of us miss. Amery’s path to becoming Slingshot’s Kite Designer was not a typical one if there even is such a thing in this industry.... Read More...
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CLOSE UP: Oli Berlic

As Matt Sexton’s roommate at Eckerd College, Oli Berlac helped found the Collegiate Kiteboarding Association (CKA) after first trying to learn with a 12m kite and no harness. After finishing school, Oli moved to Brazil for a few years and is now the resident coach living onboard Meercat, the Zenith Ocean Voyages catamaran.... Read More...
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Close Up: Karolina Winkowska

When she was just 13 she tried kiteboarding for the first time with her dad, who attached her to a rope so she wouldn’t fly away. Now Karolina is 20 and travels the globe on the PKRA circuit, finishing the 2010 season in second place in freestyle.... Read More...
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INDUSTRY PROFILE: Peter Trow

At the beginning of the sport I became completely absorbed in kiteboarding. I had the opportunity to be a team rider for Flexifoil and to work closely with the international team and designers. Everything just sort of evolved from there. ... Read More...
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Close Up: Jannicke Stav

We normally focus on North American riders for our profiles, but I met Jannicke at a recent KB4Girls clinic hosted by Kiteopia at Sherman Island in Northern California. At just 29 years old, this native Norweigan’s vibrant spirit and passion for kiteboarding so inspired me that I felt compelled to share her story with others in hopes of motivating you to pursue your own dreams, share the stoke of kiteboarding, and explore the world. ... Read More...
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Close Up: Sean Mertens

Growing up with windsports-addicted parents, free (and sometimes mandatory) rides to the beach whenever it was windy didn’t give Sean much of a choice. It was either learn to kite or be bored to tears.... Read More...
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TKB PODCAST: Aaron Hadlow

This week, our special guest on The Kiteboarder podcast is pro rider Aaron Hadlow. At just 21 years old, Aaron started on his path to becoming the five time world kiteboarding champion on the PKRA tour at 10 years old when he first started flying his dad’s kites. ... Read More...

The Man Behind the Scenes: The Story of Naish Kiteboarding

Mention Naish Kiteboarding and most people immediately think of Robby Naish, the man who basically put windsurfing on the map and has been killing it as a kiteboarder since the beginning of the sport. Most have never heard of Andy Church, the brawn on the business side of the company, who has been working behind the scenes at Naish for years.... Read More...
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Born & Bred in the USA: The Story of Slingshot

Slingshot was one of the first companies who was strictly a kiteboarding company in an emerging market of manufacturers who produced both windsurfing and kiteboarding gear. Their cool graphics and unique approach turned heads quickly.... Read More...
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GUMBALL SPEAKS: Interview with Best Kiteboarding Co-Founder Alex Shogren

Best Kiteboarding is one of the most controversial brands in the history of our sport. In their first year of business, they were blackballed from certain magazines, banned from a demo testing event and often criticized for their aggressive marketing strategies. Under mountains of opposition, Best has matured into a major player in our sport.... Read More...