Changing Tack

At the beginning of 2024, I decided to stop competing on the world tour, both in Big Air and freestyle competitions. However, since joining the Eleveight team – which I’m stoked about – my new gear, in only a short period of time, has completely changed my mind! After experiencing the performance of the latest XS model, I am thinking of rejoining the Big Air competitions. If I am going to start competing again it’s good to visit different spots and get to practice in different conditions. So I am grateful that I recently got to do some traveling.

I have just spent a couple of months in Turkey. My girlfriend lives with me in the Dominican Republic but she is originally from Turkey so we went there to visit her family. They are from Istanbul but two years ago they moved to Ayvalik on the west coast. Before heading over I checked the internet to see if the kitesurfing in Ayvalik was any good and it sounded like I was going to find an amazing kite spot there. On arrival the local kiters welcomed me with open arms. Turkish people are so friendly. I found a spot with flat, shallow and warm water, and it was windy almost every day between 25 to 35 knots. Kiting there is becoming more popular and for sure Ayvalik will become my second home spot. It gives you everything you want for wonderful summer times!

While in Turkey I thought I would try and visit Tarifa, the hot spot for training Big Air, but it’s so expensive for me to travel there right now. Instead I spent a week in El Gouna, Egypt where I met up with some friends from Poland. We kited a lot every day and I was so happy to be back there again. The place has changed a lot – it’s not the same El Gouna that I visited five years ago when I did my last freestyle competition there. There are more restaurants, hotels and kite schools, but I think it’s a positive change as it is providing more employment opportunities for local people. They were looking so happy about their jobs and that makes me happy. Also I saw a lot of young talent developing in the Big Air discipline and I can’t wait to see them on the tour killing it!

The young kids have taken Big Air to another level. Every day there seems to be new action and new tricks. I can’t imagine how the level will evolve in the coming years. Since the level in Big Air is so high at the moment, I’m not quite ready to join the World Cup again but I know the potential in me and without any doubt I can find it together with my new gear. The XS is so fast in kiteloops and I’m working towards doing doubles. I don’t have any fear to try double or triple kiteloops. It is just a matter of having the right wind and the right product. With my current gear, I feel totally secure to try these tricks. I just need to be somewhere where there is strong wind.

Now I’m back in Cabarete where I share my experience and knowledge of kiting with other people. I do kite coaching for people of any level from beginner to advanced who want to improve, and I think Cabarete is one of the best kite and wingfoil spots in the world. Right now there is a lot of investment in hotels and houses, so that tells me that Cabarete is growing a lot. When I’m not coaching I’ll keep training hard in Big Air and I still enjoy doing the odd freestyle trick when the wind is light. But it has been a great few months for me, and I look forward to seeing what the upcoming months bring