It's all a bit over-sized this issue to be honest. The bumper 132 page Kiteworld issue 24 will thud on doorsteps and hit the newsstands and kite shop racks around the world from the beginning of November.
“I was running for my life. The speed of the swell there is incredible and as it gets closer to the reef the more insane its shape becomes. The water ahead rapidly drained towards me clearly revealing the reef. I was unhooked, riding switch and going so fast that there was no wind in my kite and my lines had lost all tension. Behind me a massive tube opened up and I heard a crack of thunder…”
They are Julian Sudrat's words after taking on the whopper on the cover at the place known in Tahitian as, 'The Wall of Skulls', and that we all know as, Teahupoo. Against The Wall contains the rider's eye views of three riders that were tempted into the jaws of the heaviest wave in September this year.
You voted, we counted. It's by no means a definitive list, but we've included your comments alongside those from the industry to bring you Under The Influence – 15 individuals who we believe, led by you, to be the most influential people in kiteboarding right now.
Back in the real world, the Motor Drive Project this issue brings you various incarnations of the down loop. As if there wasn't enough power in your kite as it is, we're going to show how to add some (bordering on illegal in some states!) grunt to your engine and how to handle her after. If you fancy injecting your moves with some over-sized pop then we have all you need to know to get you hauled off the water. But it's not all about the boy racer, we've included some dynamic moves for the slick Ricks out there too, including the down loop bottom turn to top turn, down loop toe-side carve and boosted jump with down loop.
Judging from all the news we've been getting this issue it seems that autumn really was the month that was. The west of the UK got battered by the odd hurricane on their journeys north and everyone seems to have got out and had their fill. The wave season is here and we've noticed more and more riders out on the beaches on surfboard shapes and the poll on our website shows that for 30% of you a surfboard will be your next purchase. So we filled the van with seven of the latest kite surfboards and headed to Ireland. On The Rails is our first kite surfboard buyer's guide.
We've also crammed in an interview with Kirsty Jones, a mini-interview with North kite designer Ken Winner, a look at Norway though the lens of Christian Nerdrum and of course, much, much more.
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