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Jett Bradshaw and Nick Jacobsen have been friends and fellow team riders for a long time. So when the industry’s premier stuntman launched his own kite brand, it was almost inevitable that Jett would join the fold. We got in touch with the young protégé to find out more about him and this new chapter with the jacobsen team.
Kiteboarding is a massive part of who you are today. Was the ocean always your playground?
Life before kiting was all about dirt bikes. I liked the ocean but wasn’t a huge fan of it. I just wanted to ride dirt bikes. I wasn’t against kiting but I didn’t like the thought of hanging out on a windy beach. It was just motorbikes, motorbikes, motorbikes. Then we went on a family holiday to Mauritius and my dad, trying to steer me away from bikes, suggested I try kiting. I told him I didn’t really want to go to the beach when it’s windy, but he offered to get me my first lesson. The minute I touched the kite, I knew it was for me. I didn’t even get on the board in that first lesson, but I remember saying to my dad, as I came off the beach, that I was going to become a pro at this sport. I just knew straight away.
Having had a taste of adrenaline on two wheels, was Big Air the only way to scratch that same itch?
To start with, I actually wanted to get into wave riding, but coming from Durban, there wasn’t much of a wave riding scene, nor the conditions for freestyle. I was surrounded by Josh Emanuel and his crew in the beginning and it was all about pure Big Air for them. I love adrenaline and Big Air is of course the most extreme discipline, so I think it was inevitable that I was going to get into it. I do enjoy wave riding but only when I go to Mauritius, and I do a bit of foiling here and there, but yes it’s mainly Big Air for me.
Well it’s certainly led to some career highlights. What have been some of your favorite?
My biggest highlight so far was getting selected for the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge. That was a dream for me from the time I started kiting, having looked up to Josh on short lines and him always talking about that event. Another highlight is being the first person in the world to land a double loop on short lines. That was another big one, just because so many people said it was impossible – and I like to prove people wrong… Another great memory was the trip I did with Graham and Nick to film in Patagonia. It was the most insane trip, not just from the kiting point of view, but also the experience and being with those two was insane, beautiful.
Graham played quite an important role in your kite career, right?
Graham was definitely the main person who saw a lot in me in the beginning. I think without him, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to join the North team. He actually pitched me to North and I don’t think any of them were impressed with me at first! I got to meet them in person when they were in Cape Town for King of the Air, but I think it took a lot of convincing from Graham to invite me onto the team. So without him, I probably wouldn’t have broken into the professional kiting world.
You’ve now joined the jacobsen team. How does it feel to be working closely with Nick?
Super, super cool. We were on the same team for North, but it’s totally different being team riders and now working together, in a company. Working with him though is like working with a friend. I don’t see him as a boss – I see him as a friend. We look at kiting differently but I think we have the same vision and that’s what got me really excited to join the team. It’s not about competitions. It’s about having fun, creating sick content, and going on cool missions. It’s a cool combination.
And will you get involved with the R&D side?
Ever since I started kiting, I’ve not been too into R&D, but I do like giving feedback on how the kite performs. I don’t have as much technical knowledge as some other riders. I tend to go on feel and I don’t really know what to change on a kite to make it fly how I want it to. But I’ve now been testing with Nick quite a bit and it’s great working with him and all the designers who know exactly what they’re doing and explain what they’re doing, and I’m learning quickly. I’ve already learned so much since joining jacobsen about how changing certain things on the kite can make it fly a certain way.
What have you guys got planned for the next few months?
When the season in Cape town comes to an end, we’ve got some cool, out-of-the-box plans coming up. We might be heading to America and I’ll attend events, like I want to be in Tarifa in case Full Power goes ahead. Then there’s the Megaloop Challenge and an event in St. Peter Ording, maybe Sicily – I believe something cool is happening there. Otherwise just showing off the brand and the rawness of our brand and getting people stoked on kiting!
Last question – does your hair give you special powers?!
I’d like to think so, but sadly I don’t think so.
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