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09 December 2024
Francesca Wins Coveted Red Bull King of the Air Crown!
Sunday, the 8th of December 2024 was a day for the history books as North rider Francesca Maini won the 1st-ever Red Bull King Of The Air Women's Division!
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04 December 2024
Day Two | North X Red Bull King Of The Air 2024 recap
With Tibo Slock at Kite Beach, Cape Town, SA
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04 December 2024
Red Bull King Of The Air 2024 – Day 1 recap
From Tibo Slock at Kite Beach, Cape Town, SA
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25 November 2024
The 2024 lineup is set!
The 2024 Red Bull King of the Air lineup has been announced. The sky is their stage. Now we wait patiently for wind... follow the forecasts and tune in live here to see all the action with North.Red Bull King of the Air November 23rd - 8th December.
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22 November 2024
The impression score
In our previous videos, we covered the tricks riders will perform and how judges score them. Here, we dive into the impression score.
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21 November 2024
Judging criteria explained
With the Red Bull King of the Air wind window fast approaching (23 November 2024), we figured its time to explain how a trick gets scored and what the judges are looking for.
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21 November 2024
Big Air Tricks Explained
Big Air tricks are evolving, and all the riders are getting more creative with their combinations.
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15 November 2024
Meet the Cape Doctor
The prevailing South East tradewind known as the Cape Doctor is back... right on time for the 2024 Red Bull King of the Air.
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20 September 2024
Josue Qualifies!
North Team rider Josue San Ferreira qualifies for 2024 Red Bull King of the Air.
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01 December 2023
Tough battle for Cohan
"I'm a powered rider, so I need wind to perform, and I really had to battle to make it happen, and yeah, just didn't get enough out of the wind and the waves. I just did my best"
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29 November 2023
Green Light - GO
Day One of the 2023 event is done and dusted. It wasn't the nuking wind we wanted - most riders were underpowered on 10m, but we saw great kickers with 11 sec periods.
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27 November 2023
Yellow Light
The yellow light has been given, signalling a potential start to the 2023 Red Bull King of the Air event within the next 48 hours.
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25 November 2023
Home Turf. Luca Ceruti.
Luca Ceruti talks mindset, competition pressure and finding his happy place while competing.
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24 November 2023
Marc Jacobs X Orbit Pro
Listen to North Team Rider and 2021 Red Bull King of the Air Champion Marc Jacobs' introduction of the new Orbit Pro - competition-driven, podium-proven.
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23 November 2023
Big C - Cohan Van Dijk
Meet Big C. Listen to Red Bull King of the Air favourite Cohan Van Dijk on Kitesurf 365.
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22 November 2023
Next Gen Josue San Ferreira
Josue Ferreira talks life as a North Next Gen rider, beating the pros and making it on to the Red Bull King of the Air lineup.
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22 November 2023
Extreme Action. Extreme Air.
"It's an exciting time for the Big Air discipline," said Red Bull King of the Air Sports Director Sergio Cantagalli. "It's truly heartening to see this new generation of talented individuals dominate the sport."
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28 November 2022
Winds of change
The 2022 Red Bull King of the Air was one of the most exciting and extreme showdowns ever witnessed in Big Air kiting. Heat after heat we watched jaw-dropping tricks performed at a completely new level. Proudly brought to you by North.
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25 November 2022
Born ready
They say Big Air begins at 40 (knots). We're holding on to our seats as a good frontal zone south of the Cape approaches, creating favourable SSE wind conditions for the weekend. The reigning King has scored plenty of airtime in gusty conditions along the Cape, and will be working hard to defend the throne.“Excited to be here and get into it.” - Marc Jacobs. This is how Kings are made 👑
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25 November 2022
Is Luca ready to challenge?
Is the new kid ready to step into this arena?"I’ve been training super hard on and off the water. Whenever there is no wind, I’m in the gym, but when the wind is strong, we find new places to explore, chasing wind along the Cape. It’s quite intense but definitely having a lot of fun” - Luca Ceruti. Bring on the weekend 👑
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24 November 2022
Jesse's Orbit Tuning Tips
Jesse Richman shows you how to set up the King of Big Air kites, the Orbit 2023. "Big Air sessions can be crazy and exciting, so it is about being mentally and physically prepared. Spending time learning the equipment is essential to boost confidence in any condition. The more you send the kite, the better you’ll feel.
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24 November 2022
Extreme Technical Big Air explained by Colin Carroll
Technical or extreme? What tricks will score points at this year's event? Colin Colin Carroll explains the Double Loop, S-Loop and Snake Loop, and tells us why handlepasses could just be the winning ticket.
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24 November 2022
What will the Judges look for?
There’s more than one way to loop a kite. But is this what will sway the judges?
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21 November 2022
When will the 2022 Event Run?
Red Bull King of the Air Window opens this Thursday The wind window will officially open from 24th November – 9th December, but when will the 10th-Anniversary of the world’s most extreme Big Air kiteboarding event kick off in Cape Town, South Africa?Become a forecasting guru with a PredictWind Subscription. Follow the wind forecast live and ENTER NOW to win a free year of forecasting!Blouberg Beach in Table View is known as the Capetonian Mecca of kitesurfing. The beach is perfectly angled for riders to make the most of the prevailing summer south-easterly wind (the ‘Cape Doctor’) as well as the westerly swell needed to provide the ramps for the kiters to launch off. The Cape Doctor trade-wind is created when a high-pressure system formed in the Southern Atlantic Ocean meets the warmer, low-pressure system rising off the land. When the sun gets hotter during the day, more heat rises off the land and the pressure increases, so you’ll find the wind starts to blow stronger. By the afternoon it’s fully pumping. Former King of the Air champion Nick Jacobsen says the side shore winds give riders the ultimate lead up towards the kickers rolling in; “as you ride straight out, you can really plan your takeoff.“It’s unreal how epic the conditions are at the event. Not many places in the world have a setup like this. The Doctor delivers these conditions throughout the summer in Cape Town, which means the competing riders get the chance to practice and train in repetitive conditions for a while leading up to the contest. Nick Jacobsen. Photo by Craig Kolesky. “You get the almost same conditions every time it’s windy, which is a lot. Training in the same conditions over time means you’re able to finetune your tricks and moves.” – Nick Jacobsen Become a weather-guru and win The PredictWind App lets you access live 1km-resolution forecasts on the go. Follow their online tutorials for tips on becoming a gun forecaster here. Test your forecasting ability using PredictWind at northkb.com/kota and be in to win a year’s PredictWind subscription valued at USD$29. Find us on Instagram @northkiteboarding and @predict_wind to share your predictions.Read more KOTA Stories hereGo back to KOTA page here
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12 November 2022
North backs 10-years of Big Air
Recognised as the single biggest driver of progression in the sport of Big Air kiteboarding, this year’s Red Bull King of the Air marks the 10th anniversary of the event being hosted in Cape Town, South Africa.
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08 November 2022
The Prince's Portrait
The making of a King. What actually happened at the 2021 Red Bull King Of The Air? Shot and edited by Colin Colin Carroll, this documentary follows the rise of Marc Jacobs to the most esteemed title in Kiteboarding.
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07 November 2022
The South Easterly Explained
Learn more about the ideal weather conditions needed for Red Bull King of the Air To get big air, you need big wind. Simple really. “There is not a minimum limit of wind speed needed to give a ‘go' to the event,” explains Sportive Director, Sergio Cantagalli. Rather what the team look for are suitable and sustainable conditions in which to start the event. “Ideally – and unless straggled for unexpected reasons – we will hardly consider any wind below an average of 25 knots (46km/h) to start with, and with a forecast to rise to 35 to 37 knots (65 - 69km/h), if not more,” he says. According to Sergio, the ideal wind direction for Kite Beach is the proverbial 'Cape Doctor' south-easterly. “The prevailing weather in summer comprises the South Atlantic High-pressure system sitting a lot more south,” explains weather guru, professional surf forecaster and founder of Wavescape.co.za, Steve ‘Spike’ Pike. “Cape Town is situated along the eastern edge of this anti-cyclonic system. Simplistically, the counter-clockwise flow around the High forms the basis for the summer southeast trade wind that blows during summer. The dry, denser air that creates the High pressure also means sunny, dry weather.” To radically paraphrase the climatology - warm, sunny days and consistent winds. Strong winds:“The interplay between areas of high and low atmospheric pressure form the basis for ocean weather patterns. High pressure (above 1013mb) comprises cool dry air that is sinking (creature more pressure on the sea surface). The air around High pressure moves counter-clockwise. Low pressure (below 1013 mb) is warm air that is rising. Air around the Low moves clockwise. Air moves from High pressure towards Low pressure (to replace the rising air) and this creates wind. As the land heats up, more air is rising off the land and the pressure gradient between the two increases, making the air flow faster, and therefore the wind stronger, which is why the SE is often at its strongest in the afternoon.” The west coast section of Cape Town – from Milnerton, up past Table View, Big Bay and beyond – runs in a similar direction to the southeast wind, meaning the winds are blowing across the beach, not onshore or offshore. “This means that the riders can tap the wind back and forth parallel to shore, riding across the nearshore surf line,” Spike says. This also means they can power up along the wave face for long periods of time, creating epic wave-riding opportunities. “Unlike most European countries, which go totally flat for months in their summer season, South Africa has plenty of swell during summer.” Written by Jazz Kuschke, Red Bull.
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13 September 2022
The new King of Kites - Orbit '23
"The new Orbit is unreal. I love how I can ride it in such totally overpowered nuking conditions" - Graham Howes. For 2023 we've constructed the Orbit leading edge and struts in our lighter N-Dure Dacron to save significantly more weight without compromising strength or durability. We've also introduced two additional bar pressure options so you can choose from a lighter, more forgiving feeling in cruise mode, right through to ultra-direct steering with shorter depower travel in megaloop mode. This new fourth setting gives you the confidence to loop the kite even lower on those crazy 40knot + days.
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13 September 2022
Big Air '23. Courage is calling.
North launches new Big Air Collection - Orbit, Atmos, Astra and Flex. Even the courageous feel fear. As kiters, what sets us apart is our ability to rise above it. North has engineered its new Big Air ’23 Collection to rocket you skyward on that journey. Refined it to feel even lighter, faster and perform more intuitively. Courage is calling.
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08 July 2022
New kid on the block
The young South African taking the scene by storm. "I don't remember a more meteoric rise in Big Air." - Adrian Kerr, Kitesurf 365.
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22 November 2021
Kiwi Marc Jacobs takes the crown in world's most prestigious kite event
NZ professional kiteboarder Marc Jacobs edges out three-time champion Langeree to win the Red Bull King of the Air 2021. Kiwi Marc Jacobs celebrated his 32nd birthday in style when he beat three-time champion Kevin Langeree and rookie Stig Hoefnagel in an action-packed final to secure the Red Bull King of the Air 2021 title in Cape Town, South Africa - the most extreme international event in kiteboarding. Jacobs, who claimed the iconic trophy after 22 heats and six hours of competition spread over the two days, said: "I'm beyond stoked with the win. It's been four years of full-on dedication to make this come true. The fact that it happened on my birthday and that it played out exactly how I envisioned it is just crazy. It feels so good. We had a really good training season in New Zealand from June to October, so coming straight here was perfect timing.” Event Commentator Jim Gaunt said: “It’s unbelievable how he has transformed his riding to perform in both directions – left foot forward. Clean, technical, powerful. He just keeps it coming, stomp after stomp after stomp.” After a quarter-final against North Team Rider Tom Bridge, Jacobs came up against Liam Whaley in the semi-finals, with the points playing in his favour. Three-time champion Kevin Langeree narrowly beat the megaloop-master Nick Jacobsen, progressing through to the finals against rookie Hoefnagel and Jacobs. Jacobs won the event with two Frontroll Contraloop Boardoff, a Boogieloop Double Rotation and a very high overall Impression Score of 9.08, to gain a total score of 32.28. The fact that he pulled off 16 landed tricks versus his competitors nine put pressure on his competitors early in the heat. He rode with incredible power and precision. Jacobs said: “I completely changed my game plan two years ago, it’s taken hard work and dedication. I’m no-one special, I just worked my ass off”. 12 x NZ Kiteboarding Champion, Jacobs competed on the World Freestyle Tour for 10 years before turning his skills to Big Air. This was his 5th King of the Air Contest. Jacobs is an International Team Rider for Auckland-based North Kiteboarding, and spends a good deal of his time testing with the North Product Team here on the constantly windy coasts of Aotearoa, New Zealand. North Product Manager Uli Sommerlatt said: “Marc has trained so hard for this and shown so much dedication and commitment. He’s the full package! Well deserved, what an athlete. When he won he brought tears to my eyes.” Brand Director Mike Raper agrees: “Marc is a passionate kiteboarder who is also extremely humble. He has dedicated his life to kiteboarding and NZ should be so incredibly proud of this amazing athlete. I know Marc’s recently been working with a sports psychologist, which has helped him to visualise the win. We’re so excited to see where he takes it next.” Not only did Marc take a well-deserved win, it was also his birthday, and only three days before he flew out for the competition, he married his sweetheart Sophie. The wedding took place in Waikato during lockdown, so her terminally ill Mum could be there for the wedding day. Marc is returning to New Zealand to MIQ for two weeks on 5 December. The NZ kiteboarding community has suggested making the 21st November “Marc Jacobs Kite Day” - an NZ public holiday. New Zealand Kiteboarder Marc Jacobs crowned Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: Tyrone Bradley Find out more about Marc Jacobs HERE RIDER NAME: MARC JACOBS AGE: 32 HOMETOWN: TAURANGA, NEW ZEALAND, LIVES IN AKL KOTA: 5 BEST RESULT: WINNER 2021, SEMI-FINALS 2020 MEMORABLE: FIRST TO LAND A BACKROLL BOARD-OFF QUIVER: ORBIT KITE 9M OR 10M, NAVIGATOR 45-50, ATMOS 138, FLEX GO TO TRICKS: BOARD OFF ROTATIONS, CONTRA LOOPS AND KUNG FU HANDLE PASSES WINNING TRICK: FRONT ROLL CONTRA LOOP BOARD OFF Here is all you need to know about the Red Bull King of the Air: - Traditionally run in a strong wind weather window from late January to early February, the big-air kiteboarding event took place in great Kite Beach conditions in the new waiting period from late November to early December. - With non-elimination Round 1 completed on Saturday, the forecast looked ideal to finish the event on the Sunday, with winds predicted to reach around 30 knots (55km/h) south-southeast from 14:00. - Heralded by the iconic 'table cloth' of cloud being pulled over Table Mountain, the infamous Cape Doctor wind showed up fashionably late (just before 15:00), but didn't disappoint and stayed constant throughout the afternoon - giving athletes enough of an opportunity to perform. - It signalled a new era in the sport - something which the event has been known for throughout its history. Heats were close with the impression score often being the heat decider, while Spaniard Liam Whaley bagged the Mystic Move of the Day thanks to a front roll kiteloop board-off. - Sportive Director Sergio Cantagalli declared: "The sport is growing and developing fast. We are keeping track with that. They are fast! It is exciting times for the sport. Also we have a new King, he was consistent throughout and he brought a lot of technical moves with extreme height." For more information and to watch the Official Replay visit our Red Bull King of the Air 2021 Event Page HERE (Final heat: 3h22min)
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21 November 2021
Car Confessions with Nick Jacobsen
Graham Howes has a unique talent for getting the dirt on everyone... in this episode of the Car Confessions, Graham takes Nick Jacobsen, Jalou's brother Kevin Langeree and Lasse Walker for a drive in a sweet Porsche 911.
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21 November 2021
2021 Red Bull King of the Air Review by Kite Magazin
Arne Schuber of Kite Magazin, Germany, reviews the Red Bull King of the Air 2021 READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN KITE MAGAZIN By Arne Schuber ROUND TWOTom vs. Airton: Two exotics that couldn't be more different: Tom in Boots, Airton strapless. The chop now sloshed even harder than on day 1, which didn't make Airton's life any easier. But he seemed to give a shit as always. Because he was holding a full carrot on it again. Tom drove playfully and mixed some freestyle elements into his tricks, such as his megaloop late backroll, in which he unhooked himself before landing and sat up blindly. This was followed by Airton's Megaloop Late Backroll Boardoff in the tried and tested all-in manner. One-handed kite control cannot be rated highly enough. Unfortunately, he had a lot of bad luck with his landings and crashed often, so that Tom got one lap further. THE QUARTER-FINALTom vs. Marc: After the core thriller between Josh and Janek, the audience first had to bring their pulse down again. Marc and Tom, team-mates at North, helped because the balance of power seemed to be clearly distributed in this heat. Tom managed to score a few extra style points with his creative to-blind landings, but Marc left no doubt that he would go far in this event. With the powerful and clean style that is known from him, he pulled a squeaky clean front roll contraloop boardoff, followed by a backroll kiteloop boardoff, a Grabbed Boogieloop and a Grabbeb Late Backroll Megaloop for a solid 8.08 counters. Tom put a late backroll kiteloop to blind against it and received an 8.3, but in total he did not come close to the high level of the New Zealander. THE SEMI-FINALMarc vs Liam: It actually almost hurt to know before the heat that one of these two would not make it to the final, because everyone would have the potential. We had seen contraloops, kung fu passes and violent megaloop boardoffs from both of them before and these are the tricks that should probably lead to victory. Marc fired machine gun volleys of high scores within the first two minutes: Boogieloop Triple Rotation, Grabbed Frontroll Contraloop Boardoff - plus really deep loop angles. Liam obviously did not miss it, because after a crash at Trick 2 he followed Boaroff with a super high backroll kiteloop and was the first to get an 8-point score. But things didn't go really well for the new Porsche driver, because Trick 4 also ended in a crash, while Marc hammered trick by trick into the deep end and was able to extend his lead with a massive front roll board-off contraloop, which was worth 8.46 for the judges. Liam caught up with Marc with a front roll boardoff kiteloop and immediately put pressure on with an extra blatant Kung Fu pass. Fart dry, the kiwi immediately pulled through his handle pass, but with less height. Shortly before the end, the two separated only 0.04 points! Seconds before the whistle, Liam slammed out another incredible dangle pass, which briefly put him in the lead. Again, the overall impression had to decide this heat - with Liam having an unusually large number of crashes on the scorecard. And the judges didn't ignore that: Marc made it into the final with a wafer-thin margin. Nick vs Kevin: This KOTA really wasn't boring. In the last heat of round 3, the two buddies, big air legends and KOTA winners Nick and Kevin met each other. The wind has now nailed well over 30 knots - both of them stand on it, because it suits their riding. Accordingly, the "old men" were on fire. Both did what they always do: Kevin tried maximum height and control, Nick unpacked his signature move, among other things, with which he won the KOTA in 2017: Megaloop one-footer on the way to the beach. Kevin, for his part, countered with a massive, babbled Onefooter Megaloop. In the meantime, the two only separated 0.26 points on the rating slips. The kiteloop boardoff show was impressive, only the really outstanding innovations did not bring both veterans with them. A year or two ago it would have been a worthy final heat - all six tricks rated were clearly above the 7 mark - but neither of them dared to attempt contraloops or dangle passes. In the end, Kevin prevailed with the significantly higher impression score. THE FINAL We're honest, we didn't necessarily have Kevin and Stig on the slip for the final, but Marc did. But none of the three undeservedly put on the Lycra to start the last heat of the KOTA '21. Another 15 minutes of full throttle! Kevin changed the kite right after the first trick. Apparently the wind had eased a little. While Marc was already booking one trick after the next and collecting lavish points, Kevin surprisingly had to put up with two crashes. Stig once again had one or the other problem in making the right jump. In the previous heats, he was able to iron this out every time, but now he didn't succeed. A finale like this is likely to be quite a pain in the ass. Both Dutch people had a hard time. Kevin lost valuable time because he lost his board. Halfway through the heat, he only had two rated tricks on his watch - a boogie loop and a grabbed megaloop, both of which are not very likely to win. Stig seemed to be struggling and pulled a little closer to Marc with a boogie loop, a kiteloop boardoff and a grabbed late backroll kiteloop. He in turn confirmed his outstanding form impressively: Frontroll Boardoff Contraloop, Grabbed Late Backroll Kiteloop, Dangle Pass with double rotation - his standards left little to moan and were honored accordingly by the judges. Nothing could get too hot, especially after Kevin crashed again a minute before the end of the heat and had to fish for his board again. The name of the winner of the 2021 King of the Airs is at least as clear as it deserves: Marc Jacobs. Congratulations - on your victory and your birthday! You still make the most beautiful gifts yourself. And props go out to Jesse Richman for his prophetic abilities. “Two years ago I completely changed my game plan. It took hard work and dedication. I'm nobody special, I just worked my ass off for it, ”said the Kiwi humbly after his triumph in the fifth attempt and thanked his sponsors politely. In the meantime, the corks popped at the North Headquarters, because with the Orbit the brand is once again producing the winning kite. WATCH THE REPLAY HERE
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21 November 2021
The Leaderboard going into Round 2 Red Bull King of the Air
Round One is done and dusted! Round Two kicks off from midday CET Sunday 21 November. North Teamriders Nick Jacobsen and Marc Jacobs have progressed straight through to Round Three. Tom Bridge, fully committed to boots, kicked off the 2021 event with the first megaloop late backroll and in a nail-bitingly close finish, progressed to Round Two. What will happen next?
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20 November 2021
Driving force Marc Jacobs talks to Graham Howes
"If you do not know how to control your mind, you will not perform in King of the Air" - Marc Jacobs, Red Bull King of the Air 2021 contestant. Has Marc been Jedi training with Yoda? Find out in Graham Howes' Porsche Car Confessions... What advice would Marc give his 14-year-old self? Watch the Car Confessions to find out here!
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19 November 2021
Who are the North Team at Red Bull King of the Air?
2017 Champion and 2020 Runner-up Nick Jacobsen (Denmark). 2020 Highest Jump Score and Semifinalist Marc Jacobs (NZ). British Boots and Loops legend Tom Bridge. Will one of them take home the 2021 Red Bull King's Crown? Check out their stats in this Q&A. RIDER NAME NICK JACOBSEN DOB 10 JANUARY 1987 (AGE 34) COUNTRY OF ORIGIN DENMARK KOTA CONTESTS MANY BEST RESULT WINNER 2017 MEMORABLE MOMENTS MEGALOOP BOARD-OFF MYSTIC MOST EXTREME MOVE 2020 EQUIPMENT / SIZE RIDDEN ORBIT 9M, NAVIGATOR 45-50, ATMOS 138, FLEX GO TO TRICKS 2x NEW TRICKS UP HIS SLEEVE - SAVING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT Q&A: What wind conditions are you hoping for this year? Serious wind What advantage will that give you? I don’t unhook, so I want it big! So, we hear you’re about to become a Dad – is that distracting you at all from your gameplan here at KOTA? It’s allowed me to focus as I’m here on my own and I know that I should be at home in Denmark, so I need to perform well to make it all worth it How has training been for the event? Was even training my caddy today - practicing kite changeovers.. What gear are you planning to ride in KOTA? Ideally a 9m Orbit, Atmos Carbon and the Navigator. What’s so great about the Atmos? The carbon means it’s stiff so great for big air, you can hold an edge in really high winds RIDER NAME MARC JACOBS DOB AGE 31 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN NEW ZEALAND KOTA CONTESTS 5 BEST RESULT SEMI-FINALS 2020 MEMORABLE MOMENTS FIRST TO LAND A BACKROLL BOARD-OFF EQUIPMENT / SIZE RIDDEN ORBIT 9M OR 10M, NAVIGATOR 45-50, ATMOS 138, FLEX GO TO TRICKS BOARD OFF ROTATIONS AND KUNG FU WINNING TRICK DOUBLE BOARD OFF Q&A: What wind conditions are you hoping for this year? 35knots What advantage will that give you? I can still go big but not so windy that I can’t kung fu Has anyone trained harder or longer than you? Probably not How much weight have you dropped for KOTA (or was it the wedding suit)? 10kg How has training been in NZ? Auckland is a perfect kite playground, beaches to serve all wind directions and Muriwai provides conditions that are similar to cape town. During Auckland lockdown you drove south chasing storms for two months and staying at the top of the Woo leaderboards, for 2 whole weeks - only Cold Hawaii changed it Newly-wed? – not here with Sophie, she’s at home with her mother who is sadly terminally ill. What’s the bigger challenge – a wedding in lockdown or getting to Cape Town? Getting back will be harder (2 weeks in quarantine hotel)! RIDER NAME TOM BRIDGE DOB 29 MARCH 2001 (AGE 20) COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UNITED KINGDOM KOTA CONTESTS 2 BEST RESULT ROUND 2 MEMORABLE MOMENTS FLYING IN ON DAY ONE EQUIPMENT / SIZE RIDDEN ORBIT 9M, 22 LINES, FLARE, NAVIGATOR GO TO TRICKS THE STEEZIEST LOOPS ALIVE WINNING TRICK ANYTHING INTO BLIND Q&A How has training been in Brazil? I took off toeside all day long We hear you lost your luggage coming home from Brazil – did you manage to get it back in time for KOTA? No, I’m only here with 1 kite and 1 board, lol Do you consider yourself a competition rider? God no, I like video parts How do you feel about being the only boots rider in the event? Proud. #bootsandloops What gear are you planning to ride in KOTA – what’s so great about the Flare? Flare has got a lot of rocker with is good for soft landings What wind conditions are you hoping for this year? Less than Cold Hawaii please! What advantage will that give you? I might be able to unhook…
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15 December 2020
Third year in a row - North is the official kiteboarding sponsor of Red Bull King of the Air 2021
North Kiteboarding is proud to announce our continued partnership with Red Bull South Africa, as the Official Kiteboarding Sponsor of Red Bull King of the Air 2021 – for the third year running! King of the Air is the most extreme kiteboarding competition worldwide and it’s safe to say it is not for the faint-hearted. All the elite Big Air riders around the world to come together to compete in one of the most extreme kite spots in the world, Blouberg, Cape Town. Primed with the relentless Cape Doctor South Easterly winds and huge kickers, it’s the perfect big air playground. Like everything in 2020, things were a bit different for riders to be accepted into the event this year. Rather than the top five, only the top three riders from last year were given a place automatically – two of whom were our North team members, Nick Jacobsen (runner up) and the King himself, Jesse Richman. For everyone else, in order to compete, they were to submit a video submission of their biggest, most badass kite loops and tricks possible. We are proud to share that Marc Jacobs was awarded a place through his video entry and Tom Bridge was given 1 of 3 wildcards into the event. Read more about North’s team in KOTA here. This will be Tom Bridge's first competition representing North & Mystic and we have no doubt he'll put on an incredible performance. The wind window is from 30th January – 14th February 2021, where all of the Big Air legends will be in Cape Town, ready to send it to extreme heights. North Brand Manager Mike Raper is extremely proud to be supporting such an important event for the industry once again. “Partnering with Red Bull for The King of the Air is a wonderful opportunity to push the limits together of the growing discipline of Big Air. Watching the riders push themselves and challenge others to their most extreme, is honestly thrilling. As the gear improves, the riding does too, and it’s been incredible watching the industry progress. I’m extremely proud to be the official kiteboarding sponsor of this famous event.” “Given the year we’ve had, we are lucky that the event is able to go ahead safely. We are hoping for some strong winds during the wind window, to see the 2021 Orbit kite fly to new heights. We’re are excited to see all the kiting community come together to tune in to the live broadcast.” Last year, as thousands of people lined Kite Beach in Cape Town, the North Team claimed a full sweep in one day as the Cape Doctor blew 30 knots. Riding the infamous Orbit Big Air Kite, all three riders took a prize home, with Jesse Richman taking 1st place. Read all about the incredible event last year here. This year, crowds won’t be permitted at the event due to coronavirus restrictions however we’ll be on the ground giving you live event updates, rider profiles, competitions and giveaways. Stay tuned @northkiteboarding. You can ride like a King too. Get yourself excited for KOTA 2021 and try or buy the 2021 Big Air collection at your local North Kiteboarding dealer here. Photo credits: Ydwer van der Heide & Red Bull Content Pool Rider credits: Jesse Richman, Marc Jacobs, Tom Bridge
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11 December 2020
North Riders confirmed for King of the Air 2021
King of the Air 2021 Riders have been announced and the North team are in! The most talked about rider right now After landing a world-first Toe Slim to Blind & Toe 313 Rewind in his latest edit 'Light Work', Tom Bridge is argubly the most talked about rider in the industry right now. Tom's style of riding is like no other, he is distinctive, creative and provides a different angle to the sport. Therefore, it came as no surprise that Tom was to be one of the three Wild Card Entries for King of the Air 2021. KOTA 2020 WOO Highest Jump Winner Marc Jacobs, winner of the WOO Highest Jump at KOTA last year, and 4th place in the event is locked in for 2021. Marc is known for huge megaloops and ridiculous height. He is a driving force and is ready to have the trophy in his hands come February. Watch his KOTA 2021 Entry Video here. The Most Extreme Move in 2020 Last year's runner up and winner of the Mystic's Most Extreme Move award, the legendary Nick Jacobsen is back with a vengeance. Coming in the top 3 in KOTA 2020, Nick was not required to submit an entry video this year. Check out his extreme move in his KOTA 2020 highlight video here and find out how Nick 'becomes a warrior at King of the Air' here. The King. And of course, the King of the Air 2020, Jesse Richman will be there in February 2021, ready to defend his crown. Riding the King of Kites, the Orbit. Watch Jesse claim it last year here and get to know the King in a Q&A here. Want to try or buy the King of the Kites, the Orbit? Head to your local North dealer. We're SO excited to see what will happen in KOTA 2021, are you? Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date.
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28 April 2020
The Next Level | Marc Jacobs Interview
Feature: The Kite Mag #36 Marc Jacobs has carved out an impressive career in the world of kiteboarding. A regular feature on the PKRA podium, he has now progressed (along witha number of other riders of his generation) very firmly into the world of Big Air. And having taken out the Biggest Air award at this year’s KOTA, he is now very much one to watch when it comes to those 30 knot+ hold-on-to-your-hat days... HEY MARC, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO TALK TO US. SO YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE SCENE FOR SOME TIME NOW – CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHEN AND WHERE YOU BEGAN KITING? My kiteboarding journey began in 2005 when I came across Dave Edwards [also known as Mad Dave!]. I watched him over the years which motivated me and inspired me to take up kiting. After saving for three years and working as a paperboy, my mum and I went halves on my first ever inflatable kite. I always remember my 15th birthday as an important milestone. I rode on the beach with my mountain board and would jump off sand dunes practicing flips and rotations until my 16th birthday, when I got my first board. From that day on I knew this was my passion in life and it became my full focus, to be the best. HOW IS NEW ZEALAND FOR CONDITIONS – WE HAVE SEEN SOME EPIC SHOTS OVER THE YEARS BUT DO YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME WAITING FOR THE RIGHT CONDITIONS AND DRIVING AROUND? New Zealand has pretty amazing conditions for kitesurfing. We have a lot of epic spots where it’s just you, the ocean and no one else. But I normally stick to my city spots which aren’t too far away and I have plenty of options to head to depending on the conditions, the direction and the tides. The wind here is normally pretty decent all year round. February to May tends to be not as good as the winter/spring season, but you can always find wind in Wellington NZ, even if you have to chase it. "I always give 110%. Not just in kiting, but in everyday life." TELL US ABOUT YOUR DOG, ACE. There is quite a funny story behind Ace, she was actually my flatmate’s gift to his girlfriend. However, he got deported when Ace was six months old. Ace was left at our flat with no one to care for her, so one day I thought I should take her to the beach kiting to see how she would react. From that day I knew she was meant to be mine. She leapt up on my board and into my arms, so excited she could barely contain herself. I would kite up and down the beach and she would chase after me barking, wanting to jump on again. I never had to train her, it was like fate all along. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR TIME ON THE FREESTYLE TOUR? The freestyle tour was an amazing experience. I learnt a lot about competing, and riding with the pros really helped me reach my full potential. I still love competing and pushing my freestyle, but now I really want to push my Big Air riding and I’m fully focused on pursuing that. YOU HAVE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE A RIDER WHO GIVES 110% AND LIKES TO INJECT PLENTY OF POWER INTO THEIR RIDING – DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE THIS MIND-SET WHEN YOU ARE ON THE WATER? I feel like this is a part of who I am. I always give 110%. Not just in kiting, but in everyday life. I always want to push myself and go harder every time and make each session count. AT KOTA 2019 YOU BLEW A FEW MINDS IN THE KITESURFING COM- MUNITY – CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THAT EVENT AND YOUR TRICK SELECTION? 2019 was the year I really pushed my goofy stance and focused on new tricks. I thought that bringing new tricks to KOTA would give me a good chance of win- ning. But I learnt that doing tricks coming towards the shore, not out, wasn’t going to be rewarded as much as going out and using the waves as kickers. So this year, I fully focused on my switch tack and learnt all the moves switch. It definitely paid off. I feel I need one more solid year to get my switch riding level higher and closer to my goofy tack, and feel I will have a good chance to win. THE GUYS NOW AT THE TOP OF THE PACK IN KOTA AND OTHER BIG AIR EVENTS SEEM TO BE – TO PUT IT POLITELY – A LITTLE MORE ‘MATURE’ THAN THE GUYS SHREDDING ON THE FREESTYLE TOUR! WHY IS THIS DO YOU THINK? I think that having KOTA as the only proper Big Air event, it makes it hard for up and comers with no competition experience. A lot of people, including myself, have folded under the pressure of this event. There is so much hype around the event, and only having one chance to prove yourself, there is no room for error. There are a lot of good riders who can land all the tricks, but if you don’t have the mental state to handle it, you don’t have the mind to per- form. State of mind is everything in an event like this and is what a lot of riders are lacking experience in. SO HOW DO YOU TRAIN FOR THE EVENT? It has been my biggest dream to win a KOTA title. But it also has been very frustrating as I’m such a dominant goofy foot rider, I don’t get the chance to show my full potential in a favored regular foot forward kite spot for this event. In the past, when we had the Big Air Tour, I showed that I can come out on top in other kite spots. I just really hope one day we get a Big Air Tour again. But until then, I will continue to improve my switch skills and push myself to achieve my dream. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT? This year was new and exciting for me. I trained very hard in order to do well, not just physically, but mentally. This year I worked with a mental coach who helped me feel very relaxed and in control. I was able to enjoy every moment of it on the day. I felt like a new improved rider, and it seemed to pay off. YOU JOINED NORTH RECENTLY – AS A KIWI AND WITH A LOT OF THE TEAM BASED OVER THERE, WAS IT AN EASY DECISION AND HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? Yes! I joined forces with North kiteboarding in August. Their office is based in my home spot in Auckland, New Zealand, so it made sense for both of us. I couldn’t have been happier to sign with North. I love riding and pushing my limits, but I also love being involved testing and developing the new gear. With the amount of hours I spend on the water, I feel I fit this role perfectly to truly test all the gear before it hits the market. WHAT OTHER SPORTS OR CROSS-TRAINING DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE NOT KITING? I do a lot of gym work. I hate being injured so I work very hard on being well balanced with no weak muscle groups to prevent getting injured. I also do a lot of cable wakeboarding on the no-wind days and I feel it helps my kiting as well. HAVE YOU RIDDEN ALL OF THE KITES AND WHAT IS YOUR PRE- FERRED SET UP? I have ridden all of the gear apart from the wave kites and boards. For freestyle, I love to push it on the Pulse kite and the 141 Focus Carbon board. If the winds get over 25 knots I then prefer to train for Big Air, so I switch to the Orbit kite and 138 Atmos Carbon board. I am very stoked with my current set up. It gives me a lot of motivation to push my limits even further! SO, KOTA IS DONE – WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR? I will continue to train and perfect my switch tricks for KOTA. I’m also con- sidering trying the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge this year, if I get in by video entry. And of course working closely with North on all the new and upcoming gear. Exciting times ahead! Photo credit: Ydwer van de Heide Check out The Kite Mag for the full article. Read more about Marc Jacobs here.
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13 February 2020
Shred with the North riders
In Cape Town and keen to shred with the North team riders? Downwinder happening from Dolphin Beach to the Open Ocean Shop in Big Bay. Always wanted to ride with the North legends and keen to try the winning kite at Red Bull King of the Air? Saturday 15th February is your chance! Throw loops with King of the Air, Jesse Richman. Boost high with winner of the WOO Highest Jump, Marc Jacobs. Go wild with Nick Jacobsen, winner of the Mystic Most Extreme Move and kite alongside Vice World Champion Annabel van Westerop. Jesse, Nick, Marc and Annabel will be at Dolphin Beach, Bloubergstrand in Cape Town for a downwinder to the Open Ocean Shop in Big Bay. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to shred with the masters of kiteboarding! If you want to demo the North gear or don’t have your own gear with you, it’s not a problem. Meet at the Open Ocean store in Big Bay to choose your Orbit or Carve kite, Navigator Control System, Flex bindings and choice of Twintip board. There will be two shuttle services from Big Bay to Dolphin Beach, leaving at 4pm and 4.30pm, so get there early. All the team are stoked to ride with you, so see you this Saturday, 15th February at 5pm! For any questions, contact Donovan here.
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12 February 2020
It's a wrap! Red Bull King of the Air 2020
On Thursday 6th February, 24 riders from twelve nations went to battle in over 30 knots of wind, making jumps of over 20 metres and pulling off the most extreme moves ever seen at King of the Air. By the end of the day, Hawaiian Jesse Richman would claim the coveted African Trophy.Here's the blow-by-blow account from Kite Beach, Cape Town, where North team riders Jesse Richman, Nick Jacobsen and Marc Jacobs went to battle with the best in the world. 10 am. Rider Briefing. It was already blowing 30 knots, and nerves were palpable as the riders buckled in for the seven-hour event ahead. With only 15 minutes to prepare for the first heat, they were straight into it. Round 1: Marc Jacobs New Zealander Marc Jacobs was to come up against two South African locals; Stuart Downey and Jason van der Spuy. Marc had been training hard to perfect his left side jumps, in line with Kite Beach kickers and looked sharp. Despite the choppy conditions, Marc stomped a backroll kiteloop with a tic-tac and cruised straight through to Round 3. Making history in Round 1 were wildcard AIRTON COZZOLINO, the first and only strapless rider, and ANGELY BOUILLOT, the first female to compete in the event. Both were the talk of the town, but unfortunately after a couple of big wipeouts, neither made it past Round 2. Round 3: Marc Jacobs, Jesse Richman, Nick Jacobsen The first North rider to compete was Marc Jacobs. In Heat 13, he was up against one of the crowd's favourites, Lasse Walker from the Netherlands and Ewan Jaspan. Marc landed the biggest back-loop dangle pass King of the Air has ever seen, followed by the only Kung Fu pass ever landed at the event while heading out to sea. Marc was on fire and won the heat by 7 points, taking him straight to the quarter-finals. Next up from North was Jesse Richman, versus Joshua Emmanuel and Reno Romeu, three very experienced riders. Jesse looked comfortable from the get-go, landing a boogie loop with a grab. He then threw a massive back loop handle pass, getting a lot of height and a lot of hangtime on the Orbit. With a top score of 8.42 for this trick, Jesse soared through to the quarter-final. Into Heat 17 already and Nick Jacobsen, the crowd’s favourite, was against Stuart Downey and Antonin Rangin from France. With his signature backroll mega-loop with a board off, Nick took to the skies. This won the judges over and Nick was straight through to the quarter-final. Photo Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool Quarter-finals: Marc Jacobs v Lewis Crathorn, Jesse Richman v Kevin Langeree, Nick Jacobsen v Antonin Rangi The event was gaining momentum, and by the quarter-finals, the crowd had doubled in size. First, Marc Jacobs competed against Lewis Crathorn. Lewis, between competing, was also commentating at the event. Marc landed a clean backroll dangle pass, (himself and Jesse and were the only two in the competition to land this). After a backroll board-off tic-tac, Marc beat Lewis and was through to the semi-finals. It was getting even more intense as last years' finalists Kevin Langeree and Jesse Richman, went head to head in the quarter-finals. 3 x King of the Air Champion, Kevin Langeree, was no match for Jesse who stomped another dangle pass early on, scoring a whopping 7.8. The Hawaiian only needed to land three tricks to impress the judges and was through to the semi-finals against teammate, Marc Jacobs. #BBD0E0 »
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06 February 2020
North claims a clean sweep at KOTA 2020
Our North team riders flew the Orbit to unprecedented heights at the world’s biggest and most extreme kiteboarding event yesterday, taking out three first-place wins in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at Kite Beach in Cape Town. 27-year-old Jesse Richman soared past former champions Nick Jacobsen and Aaron Hadlow to be crowned Red Bull King of the Air. The ‘Mystic Move of the Day’ for a kite-loop board-off that scored a 9.02 out of a possible 10 went to Nick Jacobsen of Denmark. And the ‘Woo Highest Jump of the Day’ was awarded to New Zealand's Marc Jacobs after soaring 22m into the air. Hawaiian Jesse Richman was elated with his win, achieved after seven hours of intense competition and 34 heats, on the event's biggest single-day of competition yet. “Oh man, today was magical,” said Jesse. “In the last few years all these events have been held over multiple days, but today was like the year that I won in 2013... just one epic day.” “You get into your zone, you get into your rhythm and you just keep on building” - Jesse Richman. Photographer Tyrone Bradley. “Aaron and Nick are friends that I've had for a very long time and I couldn't respect them more. They shred so hard, and it was anybody's game, so being able to share that final with them and just give it everything we've got was a dream come true. “My strategy has changed over the years and I'd say this is the most confident I’ve ever felt. It’s pretty awesome to play it through and have it all work. “The contest isn't won today. It's won in the countless hours you put into preparing and training and getting everything dialled.” Jesse Richman. Photograph Tyrone Bradley. North Brand Director Mike Raper was incredibly proud of what has been accomplished by the winning riders, product designers and engineers: “What a team. At the one-year anniversary of the Orbit, Jesse Richman, Nick Jacobsen and Marc Jacobs all killed it. “Out of the 24 riders chosen, only three North riders made the cut. All three progressed to the semi-finals, to achieve 1st, 2nd and 4th equal. That says something. “50% of the kites in the Semi-finals were the Orbit, proving the kite’s now iconic status as the most predictable in the unpredictable. “Working with Jesse has been a privilege and an honour for everyone at North. As a new father, he is an exceptional role-model for the next generation, and his dedication to pushing the limits clearly shines through. He is the King. “It was gut-wrenching to see Jesse have to knock out fellow team member Marc Jacobs to progress to the final. Both Marc and Nick had outstanding performances. They were the ultimate showmen, and they sent it bigger than we’ve ever seen before.” Thank you to everyone involved, at all levels. I can’t thank you all enough. This is only the beginning,” said Mike. Congratulations also to the other 21 riders who used the monster waves and wind to produce stunning tricks for judges and fans, and put their best on the line today to give us an unforgettable event. Sportive Director Sergio Cantagalli was pleased with the result: "We managed to score the perfect day. It was arguably the best day we were going to get during the weather window. It is very unusual that we could start so early on in the day and have consistent conditions throughout." The event featured a new format with Rounds 1 and 2 (video entry winners, wildcards and the four 'Fly to Red Bull King of the Air' winners) completed before lunch. The top six from 2019 then joined the fray as seeded competitors in Round 3. Podium winners 1st Jesse Richman, 2nd Nick Jacobsen, 3rd Aaron Hadlow Nick Jacobsen (2nd) with the North Atmos Carbon, Jesse Richman (1st) and the Focus Hybrid, and Aaron Hadlow (3rd place). Watch the replay on Red Bull TV HERE.
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01 February 2020
Red Bull King of the Air Official Opening Ceremony
31st January: Red Bull King of the Air Official Opening Ceremony Judges House, Bloubergstrand, Cape Town Spirits were high at Kite Beach today after the green light had been called for Rounds 1 and 2 to be on tomorrow. Kite Beach down to Big Bay, was packed with hundreds of kites, as the Cape Doctor came through in the afternoon around 3pm. The riders competing in Rounds 1 & 2 got their final training session in and the buzz for tomorrow’s event could be felt throughout Bloubergstrand. The wind continued to blow into the evening, as the riders, judges and friends of Red Bull gathered at the Judges’ House in Bloubergstrand for the official opening ceremony. Backed with a pink Cape Town sunset, the traditional South African Braai got underway. After everyone knocked back a few drinks and had a good feed, the Sports Marketing Manager for Red Bull King of the Air, Martin vaan Staden announced over the mic that the draw will happen in 5 minutes. How the draw works:Riders are placed in the draw based on their ranks. They are ranked according to their performance from last year’s event. Every year, there are riders who have not yet competed in the event so cannot be seeded. Red Bull comes up with a unique way to rank them fairly each year. This year, it was musical chairs. Angelie Bouilot (France), Airton Cozzolino (Italy), Ewan Jaspan (Australia), Clement Huot (France), Ryan De Witte (Netherlands) and Jason Van Der Spuy (South Africa) lined up in front of the crowd for a classic game of musical chairs. The DJ blasted the music and in the first round as the music stopped, Angelie Bouilot, the first female rider to compete in Red Bull King of the Air, was the first to be left standing. Angelie was therefore 18th seed in heat 6 up against Lewis Crathern and Posito Martinez. Next without a chair was Ryan De Witte, who was placed in heat 3 against Ross-Dillon Player and Josh Emanuel. With three chairs left, Jason was slow to make it round, leaving him ranked next in Heat 2 against Stuart Downey and North’s Team Rider Marc Jacobs.Everyone laughed as Ewan Jaspan snuck in next to Airton Cozzolino, leaving Clement Huot in Heat 5. As the music played for a final time, Airton, the first strapless rider to enter King of the Air grabbed the single chair from Ewan Jaspan, leaving Airton in heat 4 and Ewan in heat 1 against Aaron Hadlow and Oswald Smith. Check out the full draw for Red Bull King of the Air 2020 below; After the official draw was successfully announced, the riders filtered out to rest up before the big competition tomorrow. Stay tuned for daily updates @northkiteboarding.
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01 February 2020
Day 1 of Red Bull King of the Air 2020 - The Waiting Game
With only 5 minutes of the first heat completed before the heat was called off, we give you the lowdown of what happened and what to expect! People were skeptical about the forecast for Day 1 of Red Bull King of the Air 2020 as it was a 'black south easter' which tends to be gusty and unreliable. However, the morning of the competition, it looked to be a promising 20 knots that was building later in the afternoon. As the crowds began to line the event area in the afternoon, the rider briefing was held in the Red Bull tent at 3pm where the judges ran through the rules and judging critera and riders were able to ask any final questions. The event was scheduled to happen around 4pm, an hour after the rider briefing. However with the far from ideal conditions, the first possible start time was pushed back. People filled the time by purchasing their Red Bull King of the Air 2020 apparel, browsing the North Kiteboarding & Mystic pop up to sign up to win both a custom King of the Air Atmos twintip and Stealth harness, or by camping out on the beach. Some riders competing in Rounds 1 & 2 even went out for a session to pass the time. Just before everyone had given up, with only a few hours of daylight left, it was announced that 6.45pm was the first possible start. They were going to give the conditions a go, so the riders in Heat 1 headed down to the beach to prepare. Heat 1 consisted of 2 x Red Bull King of the Air winner, Aaron Hadlow (UK), the South African local Oswald Smith (known as Ozzy) the only competitor riding boots and Ewan Jaspan (Australia), the wakestyle/ park legend who took Yanek Grzegorzewski’s place after a skydiving injury. Shortly after, North Team Rider, Marc Jacobs who was competing in Heat 2 headed down to the beach to prepare with his trusty caddy and team member, Nick Jacobsen. There was a sense of relief that competition would be going ahead as crowds lined the beach and waterfront. Ozzy got the crowd cheering landing a huge late-backroll megaloop right in front of the crowd before stomping a huge front-roll megaloop seconds later sending him flying downwind and out of the competition zone. Aaron Hadlow, 2 x Red Bull King of the Air winner got in two backroll megaloops and Ewan Jaspan was rewarded with a huge cheer for landing a back roll megaloop and early tic tac. With the sun setting, when rider silhouettes’ made it above the horizon you knew it was a big jump. Half way through the heat, the judges voted on whether to continue or not. With the current weather prediction not looking promising, the decision was to put the heat on hold. Unfortunately, this meant the rider’s performance in Heat 1 would not be counted. After a slightly frustrating day for all, the crowds at least were able to enjoy the incredible sunset and some of the riders headed out for a fun session together. There is a new interesting weather system on its way and everyone is on standby for Thursday 6th as the next possible start. The riders are enjoying some rest to recuperate mentally and physically in the meantime. We’ll update you as soon as the 48 hour countdown is on. Meanwhile, stay up to date with all the Red Bull King of the Air 2020 news and more here.
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30 January 2020
Red Bull King of the Air Registration Day
Excitement was building in Cape Town on Thursday, as riders from all over the world gathered at Big Bay Surf Club to register for the 2020 Red Bull King of the air. The atmosphere was abuzz as riders greeting each other as both friends and competitors. Hawaiian Jesse Richman said, “you can feel everyone is relaxed, but the tension is building”. After photos and registration formalities were completed, they began a 90-minute discussion on safety and judging criteria. With a strapless freestyle rider in the competition for the very first time, judging criteria has become a hotter topic than ever. The judges stressed that height will only get you so far, this is not the mega loop challenge. Therefore riders will be rewarded for innovation and technicality at height, with a current ratio of 70% height to 30% extremity. Scores will be given for the top three tricks, amounting to 75% of the score, whereby the next 25% was for the “overall impression of that heat, and your performance”. Riders were vocal on the intricacies of “overall impression”. North athlete, Jesse Richman questioned the decision to score innovation from the entire heat rather than the top three scoring tricks. “Under that ruling, a riders three highest scores could technically be the same trick. And they could add in tricks during the heat to count for the innovation,” said Richman After close to 60 minutes of discussion, the scoring criteria remained unchanged but the judges welcomed all feedback and stressed that they were after variety. Alex Vliege, Head Judge said they would be “looking for variation” and “if your whole heat is the same variety you will not score as highly, we are looking for the most extreme riders on the podium”. “We want to make sure you guys are representing what extreme kiteboarding is”. Highest scoring tricks come from combinations of categories; megaloops with board offs for example. “Your board has to be off during the critical stage of the loop to score highly” said Vliege, meaning that technicality through the most extreme stage of the loop will score the highest. Between the legs is counted as a board off, but it was up to the judges whether to reward that for difficulty. On the topic of strapless riders the judges said, it’s your choice whether you ride strapless, boots or straps. “You could do the same trick, but with more extremity you could win” Chris Bull said comparing riding boots to strapless. “You should put a handle on it” Aaron Hadlow commented towards Airton. Kevin Langeree was particularly interested in butt checks. And the judges confirmed they will still be counted, as a trick but points would be deducted. Grabbing the chicken loop instead of the bar during handle passes would also be counted as butt checks. One topic came up that sparked discussion, was whether 8 minutes was long enough for the first heat. Sergio Cantagalli, sportive director, said that he had been watching riders over the last week and was both concerned and impressed with the amount of hang time and distance that riders had been showing in the last week. Stealing a glance at Jesse Richman, it may well be because of the Orbit’s extended hang time. With the 2 week wind window beginning on Saturday, North Kiteboarding will be on the ground providing live updates as they happen. Find out more about the new judging criteria for 2020 here.
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28 January 2020
Dirty Car Confessions
What happens when North teamriders Graham Howes and Nick Jacobsen get together in front of a camera with Marc Jacobs and Liam Whaley? The Red Bull King of the Air Dirty Car Confession we've all been waiting for... 2017 Red Bull King of the Air Champion Nick Jacobsen, New Zealand Champion and 4x KOTA competitor, Marc Jacobs and 2015 World Champion, Liam Whaley talk business (kind of) with Graham Howes in the latest Dirty Car Confessions. Check it out here.
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24 January 2020
Jesse Richman's Leap of Faith
Maui-born professional kiteboarder Jesse Richman had only four hours on the North kites under his belt before going out in the 2019 RedBull King of the Year, the biggest competition of the year. “At first, I thought I would use the kites I had been riding for many years - I knew them like the back of my hand. But once I tested the new North Kites, I felt the lift, power and height of which they’re capable,” says Jesse. The King of the Air prototypes were early versions of our now refined North Orbit - the kite Jesse claims is the best Big Air kite he’s ever ridden. “The perk with this kite is that I can still unhook on it; something I’ve never experienced before. I need gear that I can trust with my life. I need to know that my equipment will work not just some of the time, but all the time. I’m with North because I know the brand will have my back.” Jesse’s choice to put his trust in the prototype version of the Orbit in 2019 saw him take out the ‘Mystic Most Extreme Move’ award with his powered Kung Fu 1080 handlepass, on day one. He then battled it out with winner Kevin Langeree and 3rd place winner Liam Whaley, to place second in an extremely close final on day two. Watch Jesse in action at the 2019 King of the Air A Surreal Ride North Jesse started kiteboarding at the age of 9, and by 13 kiteboarding had engulfed his life. He left the traditional schooling system to learn on the kiteboarding road and completed high school over the internet. At 16, he won his first world title and realised that this fun pastime had already taken him around the world and now was going to be his career. “My ride as a professional kiteboarder has been nothing short of surreal,” says Jesse. “For many years, I looked at the countless compromises I made and was able to easily justify them with the experiences they yielded and the knowledge of life I acquired. Over the years, I’ve soared to unimaginable heights and also experienced intense lows. Winning events, pulling off crazy stunts, riding giant waves - all feel amazing. “But real character is shaped by the worst hold-downs and the extreme injuries, where recovery is questionable. And by the countless hours pushing to make it in a small, crowded and competitive industry. “It is our hardships that shape us, and mine have inspired me to live this life to the fullest and go for the impossible/unthinkable.” Photographer Ydver van der Heide Joining the Dream Team Jesse signed on as a Team Rider with North Kiteboarding several months before the brand’s August launch. He says becoming part of the design process has fuelled his hunger for creating the best gear the world has ever seen. “It’s been a crazy period of development with North, and such an incredible experience to test gear that feels amazing from the get-go. As a rider, I’ve always been involved in product testing. Going into this with North, I knew this would be a significant component of the dynamic. What I didn’t realise was how epic it would be to work with this crew and how brilliant they all are. “I’ve spent years learning how to feel the ever so subtle difference when tuning kites and have acquired the skill set to put the gear to the limits. The North design team has the expertise to take all my feedback and apply changes to the equipment within seconds. Travelling with the North Team Riders in New Zealand "We have a kick-ass team, and every single individual comes to the table with a vibrant background and character. We are all in our prime and symbiotically have found the project we have always been seeking. Every member is both humble and knowledgeable, which makes for a very smooth and fun collaboration. And there’s a very familial vibe amongst the riders because we’ve all been friends for years, and finally get to work together on a mutual dream," says Jesse. #BBD0E0 »
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21 January 2020
Q&A: King of the Air Contestant Marc Jacobs
Known as "the most powerful rider in the world", Kiwi Superman Marc Jacobs is famed for his ridiculously overpowered riding. On any given session you'll see him throw down monstrous mega loops, command the wind and push the limits in Big Air and Freestyle, and also dominate the Cable Park. As a 2020 Red Bull King of the Air video entry winner, Marc Jacobs (NZ) will make his fourth KOTA appearance in Round Two of the 2020 event the most prepared he's ever felt. “The off-season training conditions in New Zealand have been awesome. I’ve had a lot of 8m, 9m and 10m time on the Orbit since August.” We caught up with Marc at Kite Beach in Capetown. 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. #BBD0E0 »
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21 January 2020
The Official Kiteboarding Sponsor of Red Bull King Of The Air 2020
North Kiteboarding is proud to announce our continued partnership with Red Bull South Africa, as the Official Kiteboarding Sponsor of Red Bull King of the Air 2020 - the biggest and most badass kiteboarding contest in the world. King of the Air is not for the faint-hearted. Here, the world’s 24 best and most extreme Big Air specialists go head to head, competing for the coveted African mask. Three of our International Team Riders; Nick Jacobsen, Marc Jacobs and Jesse Richman, return to Kite Beach, Cape Town to battle it out during the wind window from 1st to 16th February. In keeping with the constant innovation of the event, the competition format has changed for 2020, seeing four "Fly to Red Bull" winners, along with 14 video entry winners, competing in rouncs One and Two of Red Bull King of the Air. These rounds will take place at a mobile venue, which offers the best conditions on the day, either the Witsand/Misty Cliffs area or Kite Beach, Blouberg. From there, the winners will advance to Round Three to take on the top six riders from the 2019 Red Bull King of the Air Event. North Brand Manager Mike Raper is extremely proud to be able to get behind such an important event and support the industry once more. “The King of the Air offers us a wonderful partnership with Red Bull - pushing the limits of the sport. It is thrilling to watch the athletes challenge themselves and each other to come up with even more extreme moves. “Our fingers are crossed for 30-40knots of wind so we can see another strong event this year, and we wish our three North riders in the competition the best of luck. With the scoring being based on 70% height and 30% extremity, this competition pushes even the most extreme riders to their limits. We are excited to see all the kiting public of the world tune in to the live cast.” We'll be broadcasting live from Kite Beach, so stay tuned to northkb.com and @northkiteboarding for your daily Red Bull King of the Air event updates, rider profiles, competitions and giveaways. In last year's event, around 9000 people lined Kite Beach to watch the remaining six riders contest the semi-final and final, as the Cape Doctor wind blew a whopping 30 knots. Both Jesse Richman & Nick Jacobsen had an outstanding performance in their first 2019 heats whilst debuting the new range of North equipment. Jesse landed an insanely high back loop handlepass, one of the most difficult moves in kiteboarding, and Nick was sending it with his mega kiteloop board offs, taking them both straight into the semi-final to go head to head. On Day Two of the event, it was time for Jesse & Nick to show the judges what they were made of. Both riding the same North Orbit kites, this heat was really down to skill, as they went trick for trick, coping well with the chop. Unfortunately for Nick, Jesse was on fire and managed to steal a spot in the Red Bull King of the Air final along with Kevin Langeree (Netherlands) and Liam Whaley (Spain). With little time to spare, the crowds were going wild as the three finalists took to the skies. Each rider gave it absolutely everything, landing the most impressive kite loops, and aggressive tricks in the savage winds. As the buzzer went off and the competition came to an end, Kevin Langeree took the infamous African trophy home for the third time in a row, with Jesse as runner up and Liam in third. #BBD0E0 »
