Q&A: King of the Air Contestant Marc Jacobs

What does King of the Air mean to you? What is it all about?

King of the Air is the true meaning of kiteboarding - Big Air! It’s been my dream ever since I started competing in KOTA to win it. I have competed three times in Kota now. This will be my fourth. Despite my result, last year was big for me, because I brought a new level or new tricks. I feel like I proved that Big Air still has plenty of room to push progression and innovation.

How are you feeling going into it this year?

This year I’m feeling great, I’m very prepared this year. Riding the Orbit since August I feel very tuned with it. NZ was also a great off-season this year. Which has given me good practice to train my switch foot stance for Capetown conditions. I’m ready to show this!

What sort of conditions are you hoping for?

I’m prepared for any conditions - as long as my kites flies, I’m ready to roll.

How do you measure your own readiness? Are you ever truly ready?

If you’re confident in riding in strong winds and throwing the advanced moves that you need to be throwing for Kota, then you’re well prepared. The more strong winds I ride in, the more confident I feel.

Any new tricks we can look out for? What would you say is your "signature move"?

I do have a few new tricks, but I have a bag of tricks I will stick too first. But definitely planning on throwing something new in there if things go to plan. My signature trick will definitely be the megaloop board off double late roll, that I pulled last year.

Watch Marc Jacobs preparing for KOTA

What's your most important piece of equipment for the comp?

It will be the combination of kite, board, bar, harness. All play a very important role for any comp.

Do you have any feedback on the North equipment? Has it surprised you in any way?

I must say I’m absolutely loving the North product range. It’s given me confidence to push myself even further. Pat has done a fabulous job with the Orbit. It’s what I would say is perfection for big air. Height, hangtime and megaloop are all in balance.

Back home in NZ, your dog Ace is quite famous for accompanying you out there on the board - what does she think of your new North gear? 

Haha yes, she is amazing. It was quite a story about how I became her owner; in short, her old owner was my former flatmate. He got deported so I started taking care of her, very soon realizing she could kitesurf. I fell in love with her instantly and had to adopt her. She is very stoked with my new North gear, and she is a massive fan of the Orbit. The hangtime is giving her much smoother and softer landings than ever before! 

And what's your story - lets start at the beginning... where were you born?

Tauranga, New Zealand. A relaxed port city on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Tauranga is near the white sand surf beach of Mount Maunganui (NZ’s answer to Surfer’s Paradise) and is surrounded by a beautiful harbour and outlying islands that are home to all kinds of wildlife. 

Where is home?

Auckland, the City of Sails. It’s less than 30 minutes drive to either coast - Muriwai Beach in the West or Orewa Beach on the East, although you’ll often find me at my local Point Chev beach or at the cable park on the Manukau Harbour.

When did you start kiting?

I started landboarding first in 2005. After one year of doing this, I decided I wanted to learn in the ocean. From then onwards, I was hooked and became utterly obsessed with the sport.