Sertões – Return of the Rally

This was year four of the Sertões Kite Rally, a kitesurfing event like no other with its roots in the Rally dos Sertões. Beginning in 1993, the Rally dos Sertões is the largest and longest running car rally in the Americas – so it’s a big deal. With the huge team, infrastructure and sponsors built to sustain that event, the decision was made in 2020 to also use the setup they have to leave Brazil’s terra firma and head to its coastline, and the Sertões Kite Rally was born.

Now into its fourth year, the Sertões Kite Rally offers a truly unique experience in the world of kitesurfing, with the opportunity to embark on one of the greatest challenges in our sport, and to do it with 100+ likeminded, super friendly and kite loving individuals. The event is broken down into four stages, which sees you on the water for between 2-4 hours a day. But this is not ‘Sunday cruising’, this is full-power nonstop kiting. It’s fun, but at the end of the day, it is a race…

This year’s event saw all four stages take place within Ceará, beginning in Fortim and ending at Preá, in Cruz. Can you imagine a route that takes in more iconic kite spots?! There are beaches and lagoons that have seen World Titles decided and launched many a kitesurfing career, and are now some of the most popular kite spots in what is quite probably the #1 kitesurf destination on the planet (testament to this is the fact that we passed at least five pro rider ‘clinics’ en route). It’s an overused term, but this really is kitesurfing nirvana. The water is warm, the wind is as consistent as you will ever find, and the backdrops are insane. It actually makes the pain worthwhile…

I was back for my second year at the Sertões event. Last year I was invited to come and check it out. I was blown away by the event but also did not know entirely what to expect – I only usually ride in the waves and had not completed many downwinders in my time. Thankfully this didn’t matter too much – I was never going to be at the front of the fleet so the best policy was “follow the pack”! This served me well and – as I was back for a second go – obviously I enjoyed the event, but it was also a learning experience and this year I was better prepared and knew exactly what to expect. And I wanted to do better.

My key takeouts from last year had been: 1) Conserve energy, you’re not 25 anymore! 2) Make sure your camelbak is full of iced water and, 3) You WILL run out of energy so make sure you have something to give you an extra burst when you need it. Last year (where I was entered in the Pro Category) on the toughest day I was riding for 4.5 hours in total. After three hours I felt the life and energy leave my body. It was tortuous – my mind was willing but my body was completely out of gas. I was dreaming of a handful of nuts, an energy gel, hell, even just half a bread roll! Those final 90 minutes were some of the toughest of my life, and this year I vowed not to put myself in a similar position. So I had a bigger camelbak, a smart watch that would tell me how far I had traveled, and I was fully loaded with energy gels. On every stage I checked the distance I had traveled and took one gel at one-third distance and the other at two-thirds. Psychologically, knowing that I had these made the difficult times easier to deal with, and gave the days on the water more of a rhythm. It made a huge difference. This year Naish had also helped me out with gear, so I had two box fresh Pivots (6 and 9m) and a Skater with a front strap. The perfect tools for the job.

The amount of planning and infrastructure behind the Sertões Kitesurf Rally simply can’t be overstated. At every finish there is a full media team present to film and to shoot the event, there are ice baths waiting to relieve your aching muscles and – most importantly – there is a never-ending stock of Sol beer… Every evening sees a briefing for the next day coupled with food and entertainment, and every morning sees the complete race team on the beach ready to begin the next stage. At all times there is a medical team ready to help you out with injuries, aches and pains and – for probably 75% of their customers – with blistered hands. Support if you need it is provided by Mitsubishi 4x4s which tail you along the beach, and Yamaha Waverunners which are on hand for any water-based mishaps. There are also support kiters who follow the rally and are ready to step in if you have any problems.

You may have thought about taking on a ‘downwinder’ before, but you should not consider the Sertões Kitesurf Rally to be a regular downwinder. You feel throughout that you are part of a ‘rally’, and you are exceptionally well looked after… As you are always on the move and you never spend more than one night in the same place, every morning you pack up your non-kite gear and it is put into a trailer, and every day you get to another insanely stunning Brazilian kite spot and your gear is waiting for you (as is an ice-cold Sol and your beachfront room where you can go and wash off a full-on day on the water). This year I was stoked to be part of the Duotone team (thanks Bruno!) who had three 4x4s and a complete crew 100% dedicated to ensuring that their riders had everything sorted and could just focus on the race…

And so to the days on the water…

This time around I was more prepared than last year and I was in semi-serious mode. I knew that this was a fun event, but also that your time each day counted. Whether you were one of the guys averaging 45+ km/h in the Pro fleet or – like me – sat in the middle of the Adventure fleet with the Master and Grand Master riders (averaging 25+ km/h), you wanted to do the best, you wanted to go fast, and you couldn’t wait to check the results at the end of day… All riders have a GPS tracker (as well as a “Shit it’s all gone wrong!” emergency beacon) which are collected and returned each day – so the results are all completely legitimate and every thousandth of a second really does count.

In terms of tactics, this year I learned that shallow water is your friend – most of the riders are riding the super flat sections of water within a few meters of the beach whenever possible, and just hopping over the small waves when they encounter them. With surfboard fins this was more challenging, but I could still get close enough to get on the super-speedy flats. Of course the contours of the coast change and the wind moves around but there are times (often for 20 or 30 minutes) when the stars align and everything is perfect – you move your kite up and down a little, you lean back, and you go full power along the coastline – it feels so easy and it feels so fast… Life is good.

At the other end of the scale, for certain points you’re in huge rolling swells and are just hanging on as you get launched down another wave and then ride up the back of the next one, or you are trying to avoid getting eaten up by the shorebreak and hammered onto the sand, or you are watching out for the sticks which are sunk into the sand by the local fisherman and can be barely visible above the water… Generally: you are 100% tuned in to both your surroundings, and to your kite and board. It is as mentally tiring as it is physically. And if you have one fall you can easily lose a minute trying to get your board back on and get going on. And one minute could easily be two or three places in that stage…

At the business end of the fleet, the results really matter… These guys are FAST and they are on a longer course which incorporates upwind laps before they get to engage the turbo and head off downwind. It’s full-power the whole time and like running a marathon every day…

Last year’s runner up, Yaron Moura, faced some super stiff competition in the form of Olympic kite competitor Bruno Lobo and Junior Formula Kite World Champion, Lucas Fonseca. And it really did come down to the wire, with Bruno winning as they went into the final day but with Yaron able to steal the title if he could take the win on the final stage… Which… He did. Local hero and resident of Preá, Yaron’s family (and last year’s winner Alex Neto) were waiting on the beach, and the tears flowed nearly as easily as the Sol. The women’s category saw another Preá resident, Gabi Reynard take her second title. She was in dominant form for all four days. So overall it was a great result for the locals and made for a truly celebratory vibe on the final night…

Across the other categories (Pro Business, Elite, Adventure, Master, Grand Master, Pro Junior) there were hundreds of stories and adventures – stages won and lost by seconds, crashes and tangles that cost titles, and pedal-to-the-metal sprints to the finish line. But whoever took the win on the day, back on the beach it was hugs and high fives, and friendships made that would last long beyond the event…

Reflecting on my second Sertões Kitesurf Rally experience I realized that it had just reinforced what I had discovered on my first: Brazil is amazing. The quality of the kitesurfing is incredible, the food is out of this world, and the accommodation is next-level. But most of all: the people. Hanging out with like-minded wind-loving people is of course great, but beyond that, everyone who you meet is friendly, helpful, brings good vibes and is proud of their country. And on the evidence I have seen, you can tell why…

Until next year Sertões!