Profile: Figo van Ekeren

Great meeting you Figo! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Amsterdam and spent my first years growing up in Zandvoort, a beach town on the Dutch coast. My parents love kitesurfing, so we spent a lot of time at the beach there. I already had a small trainer kite at the age of three and was always flying it on the beach. Even back then I was already dreaming about kiting myself one day.

My parents meanwhile had always dreamed about going on an adventure and living abroad somewhere with wind and great conditions almost all year round. Tarifa is known as the wind capital of Europe, so it felt like the perfect place for us. When we moved there I was eight and still mostly flying my trainer kite on the beach. I spent a lot of time watching the riders on the water and imagining how it would feel to ride myself. When I was nine I finally got on the water for the first time, and that’s when I really fell in love with kiting.

How were those first sessions on the water?

I loved it straightaway. In the beginning it was a bit challenging, like it is for everyone, but I was really motivated to keep trying. The first time riding on the water and doing my first little jumps felt amazing. I had already spent so much time on the beach flying my trainer kite and watching other riders, so that definitely helped me learn faster.

And are you loving the adrenaline? Do you ever feel fear?!

Yes, I definitely love the adrenaline part of kiting. Big Air gives such an amazing feeling when you boost high and try new tricks. Of course sometimes you feel a bit of fear, especially when you try something new, but I think that’s normal. It also helps you stay focused. For me the adrenaline is one of the best parts of Big Air.

Tarifa is great for Big Air, and now you’re spending a few months in Cape Town, also a mecca for Big Air. Would you like to get into the other disciplines or are you happy just doing Big Air at the moment?

Big Air is still my main focus because that’s what I enjoy the most. Tarifa and Cape Town are amazing places for it because of the strong wind and big kickers. But lately I’ve also been practicing more airstyle. In some competitions I noticed the wind conditions can be different than expected, so you have to adapt and still perform good tricks. Airstyle gives you more options during a heat, so it’s really useful in competitions. So Big Air is still my favorite, but I’m definitely working on improving my airstyle as well.

You’ve done a few of the Youth competitions already. What was your motivation to start competing?

Competitions really motivate me to improve. When you ride with other talented young riders you push each other to get better. I also really like the atmosphere at competitions and meeting riders from different places.

Your younger brother is also into kiting. Will he join you in competing?

Yes, my younger brother Saul, who’s 10 years old, also loves kiting and we ride together a lot. It’s really fun to share the same passion and push each other. Maybe he will start competing in the future as well.

What tricks are you working on at the moment? And where do you learn your skills?

Right now I’m working on improving my rotations, board-offs and adding more style to my tricks. I learn a lot by watching other riders, especially the pros when they train in places like Cape Town or Tarifa. I also watch videos and ride with other experienced riders who sometimes give me tips.

You’ve no doubt met a lot of pros in Cape Town. Have any in particular given you inspiration?

Cape Town is amazing because there are so many really good riders training there. Watching them ride is super inspiring and you can learn something from almost every good rider on the water. Lately I’ve also been spending more time with the CORE team. Because I ride for CORE now, I’ve been in contact quite a lot with Giel and also with Shahar. It’s really cool to be able to ask them questions and get advice. They were super welcoming and supportive. Riders like them are definitely a big inspiration for me, and being part of a strong brand like CORE and riding together with the team is really motivating.

What CORE gear have you been riding?

I’ve been riding the CORE XR Pro 2 and the Pace Pro, and they’ve been amazing for Big Air. The XR Pro 2 has a lot of lift and hangtime which is perfect for boosting high, and the Pace Pro feels really fast and playful in the air. Both kites feel powerful but still very controlled, which gives me a lot of confidence when trying new tricks. At the moment I’m also testing some new kites for CORE, but I can’t say anything about that yet… only that they’re epic!

What are your kiting plans for this year? Will you do more competitions?

This year I mainly want to keep progressing my riding and hopefully do more youth competitions. As far as I know there is a Big Air competition for the U14 category in St Peter-Ording in August, but depending on the conditions there it could also have a slightly different format. There is also the U16 Spanish competition in Tarifa, which I would really like to compete in. Hopefully there will be more youth competitions added during the year. But my main goal is just to keep learning new tricks, gain experience and spend as much time as possible on the water.