Nickname: Sus

Motto: You only live once, so you might as well make the most of it.

D.O.B: 18/05/84

Years riding: 8

Residence: Dominican Republic

Known for: Being small and blonde and kitesurfing

Favorite spot: La boca, Dominican Republic. And maui. And OZ.

Idol(influences): Dre, Tuva, Peter Griffin…

SESSIONS – Episode 3 from Susi Mai on Vimeo.

Hey Susi, what’s up?! How you doin’?

All good in da hood.

Where you at and what keeps you busy these days?

On a plane to Ireland at the moment. Been traveling quite a bit over the last few month, seems like there are endless events and fun things to do all year so I’m out doing trips and things that look like they might be good fun.

Have you had any outstanding trips in the past months?

Yep, quite a few actually. I enjoyed the roadtrip through the US, especially the stop in Chucktown. Also had a pretty epic trip to Mauritius with Dre.

We’ve seen you rocking out in some episodes of OTL, do you mind being filmed at all? Or is it something you get used to?

It’s definitely something you need to get used to at the beginning and sometimes it can get very tedious when you have to shoot scenes over and over again but in the end it’s always worth it when you see the finished product.

It seems like Red Bull is hooking you up quite nicely, what projects have they helped you with this year?

They gave us funding for a rail at my home spot in Dominican, which was fun, Aaron came out for it and we had some epic sessions on it.

You’re also doing some presenting work is what I’ve seen, what’s the deal there?

I’ve been getting involved with a few different non-kiting shows and it’s been really cool to get away from my sport and see what other people are doing. It’s allowed me to do some pretty cool stuff like meet one of the Torro Rosso F1 guys, sit in a Red Bull Air Race stunt plane, watch the X fighters in front of the pyramids and cliff dive with world champ Orlando Duque in Switzerland.

SESSIONS – Episode 4 from Susi Mai on Vimeo.

Traveling quite a lot yeah, ever get homesick?

All the time. But home will always be there so I can catch up on home time when I’m old…

Over the past years have you seen kiteboarding grow? Is this more in Europe or all over the world?

I think it’s definitely growing all the time. The place where it was most obvious was Asia. I went to places like Thailand and the Philippines where it’s still fairly ‘new’ and your average person still has never seen the sport and doesn’t have a clue what you mean when you say kiteboarding. Europe and the Americas are a bit more advanced in that sense already.

I’ve also been stoked to see more and more girls pick it up all around the world. YAY.

Kiteboarding is a very broad sport, lots of different disciplines like racing, freestyle, rail parks, hangtime. What is it that you enjoy most and where do you want to see the sport g(r)o(w)?!

I think racing is the best one, and speed. Kitepants make these disciplines even more awesome than they already are just by themselves. Oh and let’s not forget boarder cross. Awesome.

You did many years of competition riding, are you still into that?

Still like to compete every now and then, meet up with the old competition crew and stand on the beach for the finals cheering my friends. I think it’s important not to just forget about the competition aspect all together cuz it keeps you motivated to a degree.

Snowkiting in Norway looks fun, are you planning on doing more snowkiting next season?

Indeed, Tuva and I are going to go spend a few good weeks over there to get a bit better at it and hopefully not crash into the side of mountains anymore.

On Facebook you’ve got like 175.000 fans, is that normal?

I’m not sure and I’m sometimes scared

Do you ever get recognized on the streets and hassled by fans or how do you deal with that?

Streets not so much. Beaches yea, I get recognized, but people are usually very friendly and just wanna chat so that’s cool. I really enjoy meeting peeps that are just into the sport and love it.

Some people say kiteboarding is dangerous, what is there to know to make it safe?

I think most of the accidents that happen to people in kiting are actually that’s person’s own fault. The gear is so safe now that if you listen to your instructor, read the safety tips and make sure you have your wits about you when you’re on the water you’re not really in any danger.

One good piece of advice is don’t get too excited and always use your brains, even when you’re having too much fun to think.

The equipment is quite expensive for some people, is it worth it? Is it a sport or a lifestyle?

Always worth it. Hehe.

It’s a sport at first, then becomes a lifestyle.

Are you addicted?

Nah.

Are there many ladies that rock the kite these days? What’s your advice for the ladies?

Girls, get off those beachtowels and grab your boyfriends’ gear and get a lesson. Whatever you do, don’t try to learn from him because you will probably end up breaking up over it, hehe

What’s your next trip?!

Ireland. Going to film the next episode of Sessions with Cameron and some of the Cabrinha peeps.

Tell us more about your plans and goals for the time to come?

I’m looking forward to going around roadtrippin with the boys and filming on the loose actually, fingers crossed I come out of it in one piece.

I’m also very involved with Sessions, which is my little monthly video cast.

Something you really want to do or achieve (doesn’t have to be kiteboarding related)?

I’m going to space one day.

Okidokio Susinator, thanks for your time and we hope to see more of you in the next season of the tv-series On The Loose.

Yay

Peace out!

X

Nickname: LEN10

Motto: Always be honest, no worries!! Ride and enjoy as hard as possible…

D.O.B: 30/03/1988

Residence: The Netherlands

Known for: Being slightly more crazy and extreme than others…

Favorite spot: My own bed at home… Cape Town’s lovely for kiting and living life!!

Idol(influences): Aaron Hadlow, Travis Pastrana and my dad!

STORMSJEES 3 from KITECINEMA on Vimeo.

Yo Ruben, how you doing dude?!

-Hi man, what’s up…I’m doing great, cheers! Just had a good 8AM work-out on the beach with my personal trainer. Breakfast was quite nice too…

Sorry to hear that you’ve been out for a while due to an ankle injury right?!

-Yeah that was a bit of a bummer when I got to hear that I needed surgery on my left ankle. I was in South Africa and felt quite some pain in my ankle which kept me off the water. So I went for an MRI-scan and that told the doctor that my cartilage was worn out and it was basically a bone on bone situation. The corner of my ankle joint had already scraped off. So it was time to fix that once and for all.

I had my surgery done in Cape Town, South Africa because I was there anyways and had all my stuff sorted (house/car rented for 3months). The weather in Holland was awful so I decided to stay in the sun and deal with it there.

The doctor used this new technology were they clean out the worn out cartilage, then drill two holes in the bone so new stem cells come out. The new stem cells should fill the gab and create new cartilage so the bones will have smoother transition and without pain. It takes 6months to fully heal. I’ve been on crutches for a bit which is a pain in the ass, I’d rather jump on one leg.

Oh well, I’m five months in now and have a good feeling about it. Almost ready to rock again!!

NEW 2010 Ruben Lenten Video, The Mega Loop King! from Slingshot Sports Kite on Vimeo.

What you been up to in the last couple of months?

-In November I spoke to Aaron and he was in Brazil, so I went there for a week. Then I got injured but we still had our trip to New Caledonia planned. So I went on a trip to the other side of the planet and wasn’t able to kite. Now I can tell you that’s pretty dammn frustrating.

We started filming for On The Loose as well and had a whole camera crew planned and everything. Unfortunately I didn’t get in on the action. It was still good to see Aaron enjoy himself on the water tho…The parties were more my thing during that trip. Fair enough right… Then we went to South Africa where we try and spend at least 3 months a year. I’ve just been going to the gym and sorted a lot of stuff out behind the scenes for On The Loose. I kept myself busy, no worries.

It looks like On The Loose is up and running again, why has it been out of it so long?!

-Yeah I’m almost ready for action again, and the time off gave me room to sort out On The Loose again. Last year due to the economical crisis we had some budget cuts and weren’t able to film as much. But for now we’ve got everything sorted…Red Bull Media House is bringing a lot of structure to the table which helps us to create a better product. So now they’re actually making a real tv-series out of it.

For now it’s broadcasting in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on ServusTV with a German voice-over. But soon we’ll have everything rolling on here with the English voice-overs.

On The Loose on television, wow, that’s great news…How did this happen?

Yeah right, I couldn’t believe my luck when Red Bull decided to make a tv-series out of this. Awesomeness!! This is what I was aiming for, this way we can show our sport to a more mainstream audience so our sport can grow.

The power behind On The Loose, is that we don’t only show complicated hardcore action but we try to portrait the lifestyle that comes with the sport. This way more people will understand what we do and how we live, which is actually quite interesting. So I’m stoked and happy to make more and more episodes…

What are you focusing on these days and what are your plans?

-For now my main-focus is On The Loose but that’s just a project that is running about my life. So at the moment I’m still really busy with the best recovery for my ankle, and I also can’t wait to go ride again to film some stuff. Really excited to express myself on the water again, it has been a while…

I saw that you got your 2011 gear in already, how’s that stuff rocking for you?

-Yeah I recently got all my 2011 gear in from Mystic and Slingshot. Both parties have been working really hard to get this done in time for the photoshoots and first competition. I haven’t ridden it too much yet, just last week during a photoshoot in Morocco. But I was still taking it easy…I will get back to you on this asap. It looks and feels good for sure, yellow is what we’re rocking. Full details yet to come…

You’ve been traveling a lot with you mates Aaron Hadlow and William Milne to film the new episodes of On The Loose, how’ve you been enjoying that?

-Yeah I’ve known Aaron for so many years now, I think like ten years. He’s definitely one of my best mates and I can share the world with him. We push each other when we are out on the water and with filming we’re getting better and better as well. Things get easier and we both progress and reach our goals.

Aaron brought William Milne to the project who seems to fit right in, haha!! He’s a cool dude and he knows his shit…So I think we’re a good and fun crew who’ll last for quite some time. Lots more to come…Yoooo!

Your Facebook page says you’ve got too many friends, you can’t add anymore, what’s the deal here bro?

-Yeah I know what kind of deal is that?! I didn’t want to open a fan page as that sounds a bit lame to me…But I guess I get forced into one as the friend limit is 5000 or so!! Maybe I’ll just create one for On The Loose and update the shit out of that. Boooom!

What tunes do you listen to mostly, I’ve seen you’re into dj’ing a bit too?!

-Haha yeah I got into dj’ing last year because a few of my mates back home dj and I love a good party!! So I started off with a little midi-controller with two channels and no effects. I got to know my music a bit better and now I’ve got this new 4 channel mixer with effects and all. It’s still a midi-controller so I just hook it up to my laptop and the party can start. This is the only way I can travel with it in combination with my kiteboarding gear what already takes up a lot of space…

I’m playing mostly Minimal, Tech-House and sometimes a little Techno. I still need some practice but I freakin’ love it…Downloading new tracks from beatport.com now!!!

What’s your favorite food, healthy and unhealthy version please?

-I guess there’s not really a unhealthy version…I like most food as long as it’s healthy! I take quite good care of myself and friends with good breakfast with smoothies and everything. Making salads or cooking something up has been my thing as well while I was injured!

Is there lots of you to come after your injury or how do you plan on rocking the kiteboarding scene again?

-I’ve got quite a nice plan lined up so we’re filming non-stop and I’ve got lots of photoshoots and videoshoots to go to. All fun…But the thing I’m looking most forward to is this crazy trick I want to perform in August at a very windy spot. With that I hope to you the passion and balls I’ve got for the sport.

Are you 100% fit yet to rock the Triple-S invitational that starts on the 5^th of June?

-Well after ‘’resting’’ my ankle since the 29^th of December and training a lot with the personal trainer I feel I can deal with riding again. Still have to take care a little but I will. More than stoked to be back on the water…

What’s your advice to the rookies and maybe even the parents or older people that want to get into this great sport?

-I love seeing kids on the beach that totally love the vibe and feel of the beach. They can express themselves with a kite in their hands and learn or do whatever they want.

I can imagine it sometimes looks a bit dangerous to the parents but that’s why every beginner needs a lesson or two to know the safety procedures. You can go extreme or you can take it slow…So pick what you like!

What’s most fun for you about kiteboarding?

-I love being out on the ocean in general, just you and mother nature. The more you kiteboard the more comfortable you get. SO after a while you can explore your boundaries and push yourself for more adrenaline. I just love it that I can go as big as possible with the maximum amount of speed and still make a soft touch-down. It’s really the adrenaline that makes me addicted.

Ok man, thanks for your time…Enjoy the time to come!

Peace!

No worries, chat soon…Ride hard and peace out!

LEN10

Nickname: Azza or Shady to certain people.

Motto: Enjoy and make the most of your life. You can do anything that you put your mind to.

D.O.B: 04/10/88

Residence: United Kingdom

Known for: Winning the world championship 5x running

Favorite spot: Cape Town, has everything to offer.

Idol(influences): Kelly Slater, Travis Pastrana, Nick Davies.

Yo Azza, what’s up brotha?? How are you doing these days?

I’m pretty good these days, things are running smoothly and lots to look forward to in the  future.

Where are you at and what keeps you busy?

At the moment I am in the UK, I have just come back from a few trips, I was in China recently then also Portugal, Spain and Holland (KBO).

At the moment I am keeping busy getting ready for the next trip to the SSS. I have been kiting at my local spot, wakeboarding up at the cable park, playing football, hanging with friends and sorting out my equipment.

What is your motivation to wake up everyday and describe us what you like to do on a normal day?!

It depends where I am and who I’m with. Usually starts with some emails and stuff online, then a good breakfast with some friends, gym, Lunch/Chill, Activity (Kiting, Wakeboarding, Football, Whatever we are up to), a bit of PES then ready for some dinner and out to Town. I would be pretty happy with that.

Do you have many normal days where you stick to a routine or is it traveling non-stop? How do you find balance in your life?

The only time I can stick to any routine is when I am in Cape Town, I have my house and car there and I am in the same place for 3-5 months, that allows me to settle down a little. It is good for a bit but after those few months I am usually ready to travel again. It’s like a recharge.

What’s your plans for the coming year? Filming for On The Loose with me, I guess yeah…But what else are you planning on doing?!

Yeah most trips are to do with OTL but other than that I am working a lot on products, This year my name is starting to stand alone in the Flexifoil range, I have the new Kite coming out soon, then boards, bags, some clothes and eventually Harness, Wetsuit and the rest.

How does it feel after seven years of competing to not have to go to a competition? Do you feel you’re missing out or??

Not really, not as much as i thought I might, really it is nice not to be stressing and doing my own thing, 7 years is a long tome, especially when you are growing up with it. Now I think I look at it in a different way, before I was so caught up in it that it took over a lot of other things.

I feel that having a rest is working and that I will be really motivated to come back in the future. I am still following what is going on with the PKRA and it is a weird not to be at the events but I have a lot of other good things going on so its all good.

What does a perfect trip involve? How do you keep your trips fun? Is it the outcome of the footage, the new tricks, new gear or what??

Trips are always fun if they are with the right people, when we go away we will always have a good time, we just make the best of all situations.

Same with a few other guys. Before a result would determine a good trip, now it is the time you have completing your goal.

My last few trips have all been pretty different, I mean I was in China with Anthony the owner of Flexifoil, the trip was really fun and our goal was completed even though I didn’t even take kit. Then I went away with a friend to test kites and then met you and filmed for OTL. All the trips were fun, this month has been cool.

Lately we’ve seen quite some new videos of you that you created together with William Milne? What’s your motivation to do this and is it hard work?

Yeah over the last few months Will has been the main camera man, whether it has been personal or for OTL. In Cape town we shot loads together, it was pretty easy but thats because he is a chilled, cool guy, we had fun and we were totally focused on getting the best stuff, me in front of the camera and him behind.

My motivation is keeping everyone updated and my riding current plus releasing some nice videos for people to be stoked on.

How do you stay in shape and on top of your game?

I stay pretty active, whether I am kiting, wakeboarding, at the gym, playing football, I am always doing something, I am also riding a lot, I kinda of follow the wind so I am never away from kiting for that long.

Traveling so much you have fresh motivation to ride a new spot each time you go away plus its good to have a little break in between, come home to rest for a few days always helps.

You’re working on your new HADLOW gear with your sponsor Flexifoil. How are you involved in this and how do you manage things like this? You haven’t studied much, so how do you know what to do?

Everything has come in time, over the years I have met so many people and done so many things that you pick a lot up along the way.

I have been involved with the kite development for years at flexifoil now so I have learnt a lot about the design and what certain changes will cause.

Basically its the same with all the gear I ride, I know it so well that I can work to improve it and try to release the best products. With the help of Flexifoil and Anthony, owner and MD of Flexifoil, now I am able to get really involved with exactly how it turns out.

Managing it is pretty hard, you have a lot of people to follow up, getting it finished in time is really hard. It is really interesting though and I really enjoy it so I am sure it will work out great.

Some things that you’re really looking forward to??

In the near future I am looking forward to the SSS. After that I can’t wait to have all my products on the market. Then the end of the year Cape Town.

What kind of tunes do you listen to mostly?

I listen to all sorts, my ipod has loads of rap and hiphop (Biggie, Jay-Z, etc)  but I also like Minimal/Techno (well what you listen too), then my other mates just listen to loads of different Rock, HipHop, alternative stuff, so a bit of a mixture really.

What’s your favorite kiting conditions and what gear do you prefer?

I would love to be on a 9m at big bay in Cape Town right now. Smooth wind, good kickers and flat on the inside, perfect.

Any other sports you enjoy a lot?

I like Wakeboarding, its a good crossover, I don’t really do it to help my kiting, although I think it does, but it is just really good fun and loads of progression left for me. I love learning new things and everyday I go up there I see an improvement, I think that is why I am into it so much.

Have you got a girlfriend?

Nope.

What’s your favorite food / Drink…Give us the healthy version and unhealthy version!!

I love an English Breakfast but thats not so good for you hahahha I think a good BBQ in Cape Town with a classic salad is decent.

I don’t know, I like a lot of foods!

What do you absolutely not travel without? What pulls you through on a long trip?

Passport, Wallet, Laptop, iphone. If its a long trip I need loads of clothes and toiletries to stay clean.

And then of course all my equipment totally sorted and tuned to ride.

Aight bro, thanks for your time…Let’s go shred at the Triple-S next week!!