Wie is Gijs Wassenaar?, de Nederlandse big air kiter wordt door Airush een aantal vragen voorgelegt.
Gijs Wassenaar is an Airush Big Air rider from the Netherlands who started his Airush journey in 2019 when our Team Manager scouted him after a 29-meter jump he performed at Misty Cliffs, Cape Town.
This guy brings a vibrant energy to the team with his dad jokes and Dutch accent.
Tell us a little bit about your kiteboarding journey so far.
When and how did you get into kiteboarding? Who taught you how to ride?
About 15 years ago I was surfing in the north of Spain on a stormy day when peddling out felt nearly impossible. At that moment a guy was cruising out with a kite and a little board. When I saw that, I knew that this was the next sport I wanted to learn. About a year later I got lessons together with my brother and we bought a set of gear together… from that moment I was addicted to the sport and never regretted it.
Photographer: Danny Houwaart
How did you get into Big Air riding?
The Big Air part has always been the part I enjoyed the most, and still do. Although I really enjoy all aspects of the sport and think that switching it up benefits your riding, I enjoy proper Big Air sessions the most.
Being a Big Air rider – you must have had a kitemare before right? Tell us about was your worst one yet?
Yes, I have had many but one that stands out is when I crashed a kite loop with so much speed that I cartwheeled straight into my lines while the kite was dropping from the sky. Fortunately, I managed to untangle myself just on time to not get caught in a potentially life-threatening situation!
Photographer: Chris König
What was the first trick you ever tried?
My first ever trick was a back roll.
What was the last trick you landed?
Does a tack on a foil board count?