A SERIES OF BRIEF TASTERS OF WHAT'S COMING UP IN KITEWORLD 26 IN MARCH which comes with a free 84 page Holiday Guide supplement

“I didn’t grow up near the ocean but I can’t remember a time that I didn’t feel the pull to be a part of it. As a kid I would beg my Dad to make the two-hour drive from our landlocked house to the beaches of Northern California. Once we were there I would spend hours in the cold waters with no wetsuit, getting walloped by icy waves and seeking out swells to slide down. Afterwards it would take a few days to get rid of the shakes from the chill of the sea but my enthusiasm for being immersed in it was amplified with each visit. Today, besides my tolerance for the cold, nothing has changed. The wilder and rougher the conditions the more focus is required and the more in awe I am of the surroundings. There’s not much that's more refreshing then the feeling after having experienced a great session in the wind and waves.”
PETER TROW: GALLERY – MOMENTS IN LIQUID

“The beach at Ras Sudr is huge. You could kite upwind for hours before having to jump all the way home to make it back for jaw-dropping sunsets over the mountains. There is almost unlimited space for learners too, with a shallow water area stretching out nearly 100 metres with a perfect side-shore wind.”
RAS SUDR: THE KITEWORLD GUIDE TO: HOLIDAYS

“However you choose to ride, don’t be influenced by what others tell you you should be doing. Surfing is about expressing yourself, and of course having fun. Just bear in mind that while any kind of gear is acceptable and can be made to work, bad style is still bad style, so don’t stick your arse out. And riding the wave 20 metres away from the peak will NEVER be cool!”
MARK SHINN: MARK MY WORDS

“My whole leg was red from blood and the first thing I saw when I looked up was this tourist with his little sun-hat on, camera round his neck and he's just staring at me with his eyes wide-open like, 'Oh my God are you alive?!' But to me, I've got my balls all out and I'm like, 'Dude, what are you looking at, you know?'”
DAVEY BLAIR: INTRODUCING

“Another lesson and a new student resurfaces from their second face plant. Frequently wondering if they’ll ever get it they look toward Perry for reassurance. He often points at me as I cruise past fully lit, serving as a unique motivational tool. A rather large notch on his instructing belt and in no way the stereotypical kitesurfer, reiterating it can be done.”
CHERYL HARRISON: CHERYL MEETS…

“The kite loop is unique to kiteboarding and the feeling of surrendering to the seemingly merciless power of the kite is as addictive as it gets.
Add to that a casual spin and you'll be well on your way to feeling so good about yourself that you'll be skipping to work like a dizzy school-girl for weeks.”
MOTOR DRIVE: BACK LOOP KITE LOOP

“Not only that, but it's so light in your hands unhooked. You have very precise control. Not the most powerful C kite, but still with plenty under the bonnet, and very stable, too. This is one of the most adept freestyle kites I've used.”
MARK SHINN: C KITE TEST

“Once you’ve picked your spot, stay crouched, both to iron out the bumps, and to keep your rail and fins engaged. Carry on looking directly at the point you’ve picked. It’s way better to have the back hand off the bar now so you can start to open up your upper body - you will be better balanced, and dragging that hand will automatically ensure you keep leaning right into the turn. Ideally you should tighten up your turn here to really drive back up the wave, aiming for an almost vertical attack if possible. If you're hooked in then this is where bow kites and hybrids come into their own with the extra depower they offer, allowing you to pinch a few extra degrees and kite away from the kite and more vertically up the wave.
Now you have to get ready for the lip.”
NEAL GENT: TURN AND FACE

If you want to judge me properly, come free-ride with me.
RUBEN LENTEN: RIDER UNCOVERED

“If you like to do long carves and want to travel around on a wheeled surf board then this is for you. It flexes and pushes in all the right places and you would never believe that a deck this long could handle the way it does. A bit big to be comfortable at high speed, it's the ultimate cruising and carving board - just make sure you have got lots of space and you will have a never-ending tarmac wave to play on. Stick it with a kite and it's like wave riding on a surfboard.”
ADAM JONES: TURBULENT TRIALS

“But it's an impressive fish…it wouldn't even fit in my truck. The tail was completely hanging out the back when I was driving through town. It was a proud moment.”
WILL JAMES: SPY NETWORK