Tangled Lines: Tom Bridge

TKM

You recently sent us photos of a video shoot you did on a Virgin cruise ship. What the devil was this all about?!

Yeah it was quite something and was three years in the making. It looks pretty simple but dealing with big multi-national corporations is tricky. Especially when you are trying to jump off the top deck of a cruise ship full of paying passengers… Red Bull really made this project happen and without them I wouldn’t have had a clue how to even go about doing something like this. It was an amazing project and I was pretty relieved when I finally put that board down on the water.

Xander Raith

Have you ever considered filming for a full-length kite movie? You are incredibly well known for your involvement, progression and creativity within freestyle kiting. If you were to do a movie, how do you foresee it playing out?

It’s funny you ask… I think doing a proper video is something anyone in any board sport strives to do – to put your everything into a video and create something that will go on and hopefully put a stamp on a lot of people’s lives and give back to a sport which has given you so much. It’s like a musician creating an album and a duty for anyone who has the talent to do so. This, despite 2024 being full of TikToks and Instagram Reels, and that being what the brands want… It’s completely understandable but unfortunately it’s nothing anyone will ever remember, and if it sells kites that’s brilliant. But myself, Zane and Noè have been working on a video for the past year which we are all extremely proud of which will be online early 2025. It might not sell kites instantly and get a million views overnight but maybe it’ll inspire the next generation to go out and film with their mates and push themselves to do the best kiting they can do…

Marc Jacobs

Do you plan on competing in the GKA event in Brazil again this year?

Yeah. If it happens…

Noè Font

What’s the most ridiculous day you’ve ever lived?

God there’s been a few. A good Cape Town day always feels pretty ridiculous – the intensity of the kiting in the day time and the city overnight is also a good laugh. But for sure this recent Virgin project was pretty mental, having years of planning and hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent and it all coming down to one hour on a random morning in June was quite intense. And it was bloody brilliant once it was over.

Xander Raith

I know a lot of your inspiration comes from industries outside of kiteboarding, such as skateboarding, music, fashion and the people you choose to surround yourself with. Who or what has had the greatest influence on you as a person?

It’s hard, there’s no singular industry or person who has had the greatest influence on me. I try and live many different lives; with social media you can be tapped in to so many different industries which are totally unrelated to kiting, which I think has been huge for me. Sometimes I need to leave kiting altogether and do something completely different to keep myself excited to go kiting and have new ideas. I think if kiting was all I thought of and all I did I’d go insane and end up just doing the same thing.

Michaela Pilkenton

Kiting-wise where do you draw inspiration from to continue to innovate your unique riding style?

I don’t really. Anything new I come up with it’s usually an accident or something I’ve thought of for a long time. I think my brother kites really nicely. Noè and Zane are the guys I travel with the most too, so those two lads probably give me a few ideas.

Tom Court

How important do you find it to take influence from other sports and bring it across into ours?

I think it’s extremely important, I think if all I looked at was kiting I’d have an impact vest on and a handle between my knees. It’s easy, I just like things which look cool and try and make kiting look fairly tasteful too.

TKM

Growing up as the youngest in a family of kiters was it inevitable you would get into kiting too? Did you ever want to rebel and become a librarian instead?

I don’t think there was ever any pressure to be a kitesurfer or try and make a name for myself in the industry. It was always very relaxed as long as we were busy and doing what we wanted it was chill. You never know, there’s still time for me to be a librarian I reckon.

Guy Bridge

Do you think if we built a brand together it would work? 

Definitely. We’d need to have Dad doing the numbers and tax return else it would definitely make a loss.

Colin Colin Carroll

Favorite Peep Show episode and why?

Has to be the Conference episode with Project Zeus – it will go down in history as one of the most daring business strategies.

Xander Raith

If you were given the opportunity to create your own pro model board and kite, what might they look like? 

It would be simple. Kitesurfing is such an outrageously complex sport with so much going on. I think a lot of graphics are overdone and I think a lot of kites would look better without the words “performance freeride” written on them. I mean, what is performance freeride?

Ramiro Gallart

After so many years of riding, what are you currently pursuing most in kiting?

Yeah I’ve been flying a kite for a while now. I’ve been really into filming this video with Noè and Zane this past year. We’ve all totally bankrupted ourselves but the trips we have been going on have been amazing and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. It’s also the best I’ll ever ride so I’m pretty happy it’s being filmed.

Marc Jacobs

Do you ever travel anywhere without your Nutella and bread?

I do. I haven’t had Nutella on bread since Brazil last year. And I’ll be having it in Brazil as soon as I get back there in November. That’s my Brazil diet – Nutella sandwiches and passion fruits. Oh, and Red Bull of course.

Kyle Cabano

Buttery flat water or perfect kickers in the surf for a shred sesh?

Definitely a session in the waves – flat water is fun but only when the conditions are perfect. When you’re in waves the wind doesn’t have to be brilliant and you can still have such a good time. There’s so much more depth and so many more opportunities to find unique lines and ways to ride in waves. For me I find it a lot more rewarding – there’s certain stuff I’ve done in waves that I don’t think I’ll ever do again in my life because that specific setup won’t line up again like it did – I find that quite cool.

Kyle Cabano

Buttery flat water or perfect kickers in the surf for a shred sesh?

Definitely a session in the waves – flat water is fun but only when the conditions are perfect. When you’re in waves the wind doesn’t have to be brilliant and you can still have such a good time. There’s so much more depth and so many more opportunities to find unique lines and ways to ride in waves. For me I find it a lot more rewarding – there’s certain stuff I’ve done in waves that I don’t think I’ll ever do again in my life because that specific setup won’t line up again like it did – I find that quite cool.

Xander Raith

You are a bit of a jack of all trades and seemingly incredible at anything you touch or put your mind to. Are there any areas in your life where you feel vulnerable, or is there anything in particular that you find difficult?

Well it’s extremely nice of you to say but it hardly feels that way, I’m pretty terrible at most things other than flying kites. A girl I was seeing recently told me that she’d never once seen me look “employable”. I found that quite funny. Of course there’s things every day I struggle with but what really keeps me up at night is thinking of ways to excite people to go kitesurfing and get into such an inaccessible sport and how to give back to a sport which has given me so much.

Richard Boughton (TKM tech Ed)

Definitely Maybe or What’s the Story, Morning Glory? Do you wish you’d been born in the 90s?

Definitely Maybe. Live Forever is my go-to karaoke song and I sing it terribly. I think the 90s would’ve been an amazing time to be alive in terms of music and having a brilliant time. But I don’t mind 2024, you can get to Cape Town overnight. That’s pretty nice.

Noè Font

What would you be if you weren’t a professional kiter?

Bored… I’d love to be in a band, but unfortunately I have no musical talent whatsoever.

Guy Bridge

What’s a business idea you want to pursue in the future?

Sips and Bites. ■