TANGLED LINES LEGENDS: Ewan Jaspan

Louka Pitot

How do you still manage to excel at various different disciplines, taking the top spots in competition and banging out the moves, while now having a fulltime job as a designer?

Well, the designer role has only been a few years now, so I think I’m just hanging onto my old level! No, but in all seriousness, kiting and other water sports are still my hobby, and what I do in almost all my free time. I’m still obsessed with learning new things and motivating to push myself on the water, so whenever I get a moment I’m trying to learn new tricks. I’m in my 30s now so I know I can’t push my level in boots forever, so I’ll get it while I can! I also kite to test a lot, but that is not exactly conducive to learning new tricks, as it’s more just doing one tack, coming in and changing something, then trying again. And another thing that people don’t realize in kite testing is that most of the stuff you ride is bad, as you are trying new tweaks and ideas, and you have to get to the good through the bad, especially in the early stages of a career in it like me.

TKM

What did you want to be when a teenager and has the reality turned out anything like the dream? 

I have focused my life on kiting and the wind sports industry since I was a teenager, and although I have done some studies outside, I couldn’t take my focus off that. A lot of people told me not to put all my eggs in one basket, but I definitely did that! I don’t think I ever thought that I could be a successful rider though, as the top level always seemed to be unachievable watching Hadlow and Dre etc. growing up, but I do remember being younger that I wanted to have my own kite brand one day.

Ramiro Gallart

How many injuries have you had through your career? Which one was the hardest one to come back from?

A lot… I think that comes from freestyle/park and just constant riding, but other than some tendonitis I’m struggling with at the moment, the body feels a lot better than it did in my early-mid 20s. I think the hardest one to come back from was just after my shoulder reconstruction, and almost a year off the water, I broke my ankle and tore my MCL, requiring two surgeries over the next six months and another year off. I was 21, lost my sponsorship deal, didn’t ride for nearly two years and had a lot of pain when I returned. But in that time I learned proper discipline for fitness and diet and got motivated to be a better kiter when I returned, and within 3-4 months of being back on the water my level far surpassed where I was before and I got back on the international team for the next year! Since then I’ve luckily (touch wood) not had to have any more surgeries, just dealt with things like muscle tears, tendon issues etc, back pain, but nothing too long term. 

TKM

For a lot of young riders the “what next?!” question is a big one. You have transitioned smoothly into the world of design and “Naish life” – what tips would you have for other pro riders looking to move into the industry once their riding careers have slowed down? 

I think my main tip would be to not wait until your career has slowed down. Start building your career while you’re still ripping and have value, so that when your career slows down you don’t all of a sudden ask for a job with no built skills. I made sure to try and always get involved in testing, feedback, demo’s, shop visits, helping organize shoots etc. to prove my worth, and made the transition over slowly. Let’s be honest, when you’re a team rider you have a lot of free time on your hands and it’s not hard to start doing some of these things. I do somewhat miss the days of hanging out with friends, doing nothing but waiting on the next session and reviewing clips, but there comes a point where you will want more than that for some fulfillment in life, and I found after years of living the dream as an athlete, I not only wanted more, but also had the thought of ‘what happens if I get injured again’. So yeah, enjoy the free time as an athlete, but start planning for the future, as it will make things a lot easier in the long run! 

Eric Rienstra

Is there a trick that you aspire to do that would serve as the proverbial top of the mountain, where you’d sit back and be done paying dues, or are you more into the idea of pushing for that next step until the wheels fall off?

I definitely don’t want the wheels to fall off, but at the same time I want to keep pushing while I can. There are a few tricks on my mind that I would love to do, but may not be in my skillset, and there are a few tricks I would love to do, which I think I could actually do haha. All riders have strengths and weaknesses, and certain tricks have just never been for me, or felt forced, so you have to pick your battles. I think for me, double KGB off the kicker would be a dream, and something I think I can do, same on flat water. The trouble is finding the time to constantly ride and feel locked in enough for a trick like that these days. But even after that, there’s no way I’m going to just sit back and be done. I think there are many new tricks you can learn (grabs/switch/new flips) as you get older, especially with rails. Rails are the most chill thing to do in all of kiting I feel, and something you can still do when the wheels have fallen off! Another thing I would like to do are a few of the channel crossings in Hawaii on foil, but those are totally different to these tricks, and don’t really have a deadline attached to them.

Deury Corniel

What do you think is the best board size to do wake style?

My go-to is a 152. The reasons for this are: softer landings as the board glides more when you land, better ollie power, more nose and tail to work with on the rails, looks better (in my opinion), and better glide through the water just riding around allowing you better light wind performance.

Noè Font

I’ve asked this question before but what makes a great kiteboarder? 

I think this is constantly changing, even since last time you asked me, but I believe the core is still as before. You need to be in tune with the gear, be in control, and look confident and comfortable. You need to be able to do bar magic, I find this a pretty good test for a good kiter! I think being able to transfer skills across disciplines shows control and knowledge of the sports, and shows you can comprehend what you are doing, and not just hucking and hoping during tricks in one discipline. This can only really come from experience. It’s funny, there are some people who certainly rip, and have great comp results, but I don’t view them as good as a kiteboarder as someone who may not be as good in a contest, but overall is just better. It’s kite control, it’s knowing your gear is setup correctly, it’s being able to tell when something is wrong, it’s reading the wind and the weather, and also I think being able to teach well shows skill too. Many things come together to make a good kiter, and I think you need that range to be truly good at our strange sport. This is my opinion anyway, and I’m sure some will disagree and say ‘clearly Andrea Principi is the best example of a good kiter’ which of course he is, but I think there is more to it than crazy kiteloops and board-offs.

TKM

You’ve lived in Scotland and Australia and now the US. Do you have a long-term plan for where you want to live or are you happy in the US for now? 

For now I am happy in the US, but I imagine myself long term in Australia. For work it is going well in the US at the moment, but family, friends and the whole health care/life system in Australia means a return there is likely inevitable, not sure when, but it’s on the cards.

Annelous Lammerts

How did you transition from being a rider to also becoming kite designer? And how did you learn to transfer what you’re looking for in a kite while testing to actually redesigning it yourself? 

Just over time, slowly putting myself into the mix with designers, and honestly a bit of lucky timing with job openings. I have to really thank Robby and Andy from Naish for trusting in me to do the job initially. I hope that this came from just years of putting in the work, and showing loyalty and promise. From then on, the team at Kubus/Naish have given me endless support to do the job at hand, and have helped put me in a position now where I feel confident in my abilities to do a great job. I have a great team around me with Des who has insane knowledge and experience in the industry, and a team of testers who I can trust. In terms of transferring what I want into a kite, this is really where my whole journey began. I knew what I wanted, and then had to figure out how to achieve that. I guess others rely on other people’s feed back, but for me, I can ride all the products to a good enough level where I can help be the driving force for the direction, and then work with others together. You start with learning bits and pieces, and have to be a sponge and remember every tip, feedback, trick or change that someone teaches you, but also know when to drop certain bits of feedback from your encyclopedia. It’s a constant learning process, and I am sure designers who have been doing it for 20+ years are still learning to this day.

Mathys Rumelioglu

What is the coolest thing about being a designer? I guess riding a proto or a kite you designed yourself is super useful when it comes to changing and adapting it? 

The coolest thing is definitely seeing people enjoy the gear that I made. Sounds a bit cliche, but sometimes you forget it, and then seeing someone enjoying their time on your product is actually really cool. Same as seeing people rip on the gear in a contest, or get good reviews, and seeing the product out there. It’s hard to believe sometimes, as growing up it doesn’t seem like something you could ever think of doing, but here we are…. In terms of adapting and changing the gear, I don’t know how I’d do it without being able to ride all of the kites myself as well. If someone gives me feedback, I need to be able to feel it for myself. Some designers rely totally on feedback and past knowledge to design a kite, and I’m not sure how they do it. Maybe one day when I have 20 seasons of gear under my belt I’ll be able to sit at home on the sofa and churn out the latest and greatest, but for now, it’s hours and hours on the beach! Can’t complain about that.

Timo Boersema

What do you think of high handles on your board?

I think the question should just be ‘handles’. At least YOU are doing the board-offs by the fin! No other board sport in the world has a handle on the board, I think that says it all. Grab the rail and do it properly!

Tom Bridge

Do you ever feel conflicted having to put so much time and effort into designing Big Air kites when your roots and your heart is more into freestyle and park riding? 

For sure, but at the same time, I’m not sure what I would do to make a Torch all that much better. I did some tweaks on it lately, but I think those kites are just as good as can be these days. For the Big Air, I do sometimes find myself completely over going out in crazy overpowered conditions trying to test. I mean, honestly, riding around in those conditions is kind of miserable haha. Sore back, blasting sand – it’s fun for a session, but chewing on bridle lines in the sand and hours a day being overpowered makes you wish you could spend more time working on wave kites and foil kites (which is still a big part of the year). It is rewarding to see the kite improve though, as it is the discipline where gear matters a lot, and I do enjoy Big Air riding. I think I remember you saying the best thing about Big Air is just ‘having a look around’ when you’re up there, and all the kids doing the comps these days are missing out as they’re too busy spinning and board-offing to take in the scenery. So moral of the story is take in the views and it’s all good.

TKM

What has been your proudest moment in your kite career so far? And what has been your proudest product design or tweak?

Probably the best was winning the Triple S in 2017. It was my first major international comp win and really the moment I felt like I had ‘made it’. Also the scene at Triple S in those days was totally unmatched – big music acts, huge crowds, great prize money and a stacked competition field. The glory days… My favorite product to design and tweak has probably been the Triad kite. I have always wanted to work on a wave kite, and I couldn’t be more stoked with the way the kite has come together. It’s also the most fun thing to test as you literally just have to go out and see how it performs in waves, which is one of my favorite things to do.

Michaela Pilkenton

What has been your biggest challenge in transitioning from a full-time team rider to a kite designer?

Probably the workload! As a team rider, there are certain things that are hard, and yes you have to put your entire life into it to be successful, but it’s not like you have deadlines and a more structured schedule. I still ride a lot, and leaving behind 100% dedicated progression has been tough, but I am still competing and winning comps, so that side of me is still being fulfilled somewhat. When I first took the job I went pretty hard with work for 9-10 months and then went to a comp and missed the podium for the first time in many years, and I kinda had a moment where I thought I was done and that was tough.  Since then it’s been all good and I’ve won two world titles, so I’m definitely stoked on that.

Noè Font

Where do you see kite designs in 10 years? Is the Sigma kite going to make a comeback?

I actually made a revamped Sigma kite recently and it was pretty sweet – a few changes but the idea and theories behind the design really make sense, so who knows, maybe Sigma was just 20 years ahead of its time. Really though, kite designs have slowed down significantly, and I think designs will move forward with whatever discipline starts trending next, let’s hope it’s Kite Park hah! I think materials have been a big thing lately, but making materials that are more affordable and working on structures to gain the performance and stiffness without the price tag is a goal of mine. Otherwise, just keep chipping away at performance and feel.

Xander Raith

One of the best and most formidable pieces of advice that was instilled in me at a young age and becomes brutally apparent as youth transitions into adulthood is to “know your worth”. I believe this understanding and justification of oneself applies fundamentally to an individual’s identity. From a business standpoint, this becomes a fragile balance, especially for an athlete. When an athlete signs to endorse a brand, product or idea, they are not only selling their talent, they are also selling their identity. While monetizing talent can be largely straightforward, introducing a value for the worth of an individual’s identity is a delicate and often unfair settlement. When examining other sports such as soccer, American football, basketball, baseball, or even board sports such as snowboarding and surfing, the salary that top-tier athletes make seems largely justifiable where the financial outcome of their physical efforts and dedication is met or even surpassed by financial remuneration. In short, many athletes dedicate a portion of their life to their athletic skill and can live comfortably off of their efforts. Sadly, kiteboarding does not scratch the surface of this echelon. Even the best kiteboarders in the world who have and continue to dedicate their life, health, and mental drive to the sport simply do not receive a salary even close to the exertion of their personal efforts. From an analytical perspective, some might wonder, “If one of the world’s most talented kiteboarders isn’t in the upper echelon of industry value, how could anyone coming up ever hope to survive or make a name for themselves?” What has it been like dedicating your life to a sport where the monetary value undermines the effort that you (and many others) have dedicated since you were just a kid? Obviously, kiteboarding for you is much more than the earnings it provides, and I am curious, if you had to walk away from the industry today, what is something you are proud to have given or helped influence within the kiteboarding industry?

Big talk points, and true words. It is an insane time now more than ever, where the highest paid athlete at most brands makes less than the lowest paid employee. How can this be? For someone who is so highly skilled and dedicated, and near irreplaceable, to be valued at less than anyone else at the company. You also have to look at the fact that most people’s paid athlete careers are 10 years at best, and this is when you have to make your money. So yeah, it’s tough, and not always fair. But then you have to look at it as the fact that it was a choice I/we made, knowing the industry that we are getting into, and knowing that you are getting into it for the love of the sport and the incredible lifestyle that comes with it. I have been super lucky to spend 12 years traveling the world, seeing amazing places, meeting great people, and at the end of it saved some money – definitely nothing I regret doing, and if I had my time again, I would probably have done the same thing. I couldn’t have gone to university for years and then settled into a desk job, even though my bank account would have likely been a lot happier. Although saying that, it’s not the same for everyone. A select few do make good money from their athlete deals, but many more have never been able to make it work, and it sucks. It also sucks seeing that it works in many other sports with similar participation, and it sucks even more seeing how much better it was to be a team rider 10-20 years ago, when salaries were 2-10x what they are now. I think social media and the rise of easy tech has leveled the playing field, as anyone can fake being a pro on Instagram now, and content is much easier to get, so brands end up paying less for it or always finding someone to do it for cheaper. That was the fall of athlete contracts (or at least a big part of it). This, along with the diversification of our sport into so many disciplines has led to 10+ World Champions being crowned every year, instead of two, splitting up the pie into tiny slices.

To answer more of the question, it has been great dedicating my life to sport, I may have been luckier than some, but also made some of my own luck, and managed to do it for a long time and not totally burn out either. Sure, I didn’t get rich (or even close to it), but I had a great time (and still do), so I have got to be happy about that! I think expectations in this industry have to be managed, and savor the good stuff when you can! If I had to walk away from the industry today, I would be proud of sticking to my path, and doing what I wanted to do throughout the time I had. I didn’t move around and follow trends of certain disciplines, social media, etc. I am proud that I ride how I want and make media how I want, and it seems to have paid off. I think if I focused on vlogging and Big Air and spamming social media, I could have been more well known and better paid, but I wouldn’t have enjoyed my time as much or been as stoked with what I left and what I can look back on afterwards. I definitely focused on being a ‘rider’s rider’ so to speak and not really trying to please everyone and the brands. I was/am also lucky enough to ride for a brand that supported that vision, so big ups to Naish! I think I have hopefully showed that riders coming up can also stick to that career path, and although it’s tough enough now as it is, it is possible to do, and breaking the mold is more rewarding than trying to just follow what the rest of the world is doing.