The Low Road episode II
The second episode of The Low Road produced by Nate Appel of Cineaptic Digital Media has just dropped! This episode features myself and Brandon Scheid at home in the slicks of the outer banks. Thanks to Nate and Best Kiteboarding for bringing this episode to life!
Catch the episode here:
http://www.bestkiteboarding.com/The-Low-Road-2
SW Juice
Photo: Bryan Elkus Photography
The wind has been all time in Hatteras this July. Check out some photos taken by Bryan Elkus of a recent session with the crew at http://www.bryanelkus.com/slick-session-sw-is-back/
Keep a look out to see the good ones in print soon!
The Low Road
During the winter of ’10-’11 I was able to link up with Nate Appel of Cineaptic Digital Media in various parts of the world- specifically the Baja peninsula of Mexico and the northern coast of Puerto Rico. Here is the first episode of Nate’s new series entitled The Low Road that made to document the trips. Enjoy!
Special thanks to Best Kiteboarding for helping to make this Project a reality and a success!
2011 Triple S Invitational
The Triple S Invitational is the world’s most progressive wake and surf style kiteboarding event bringing in the best riders of each discipline from around the globe. It went off in Cape Hatteras, NC at REAL Watersports last week. The event started out with light winds so wakeboarding and winching were going down every day. The last three days had perfect South-West winds which set the stage for some of the best riding I’ve ever witnessed or been a part of!
When all was said and done, I was able to come out with a few results to be proud of. I managed 5th in the slicks discipline behind the big guns, Aaron Hadlow, Sam Light, Billy Parker and Brandon Scheid. The next podium position I took was slightly less of an achievement but one none the less.: 2nd place in the “Best wipeout” category. The final results announced were the Men’s overall. I was overwhelmed with excitement to hear my name called for the 2nd place overall position with Brandon Scheid to my right in 1st and Billy Parker to my left in 3rd.
Photo: Bryan Elkus
All in all the event was killer and one of the best experiences of my life. HUGE thanks to REAL Watersports for putting on the event, Lifethereal for the daily video updates, and BEST Kiteboarding for putting great gear in my hands and under my feat.
Check out all of the Daily updates here:
Recent Magazine Coverage
Here are a couple shots from Bryan Elkus Photography in the most recent Kiteboarding and Kiteboarder magazines:
All-Time in Hatteras
So far this spring Hatteras has been delivering some insane conditions. We’ve had everything from glassy barreling surf, nuking SE kitesurfing sessions and PLENTY of days riding the slick. We have been shooting quite a bit with Nate from Cineaptic Digital Media for future projects but for the time being, here is a little clip my friend Toby put together of some of the crew sessioning a little log jam Brandon and I set up:
BonK from Toby Diggens on Vimeo.
Kahoona V3 Video
So we’ve been in Puerto Rico for a little over a month now doing some testing and filming of a few of the 2011 BEST products. Here’s a video of the Kahoona V3:
2011 Triple-S Invite!
The list of invited riders to the 2011 Triple-S invitational is out! I was lucky enough to make the cut, alongside 25 of the world’s best wake and surf style kiters. The Triple-S put on by REAL Watersprots is, in my opinion, the best kiteboarding contest in the world. It is formatted in a open free-ride style so all of the riders have the whole week to show everyone what they’ve got. The triple-S stands for Surf, Slicks and Sliders… my three favorite aspects of kiteboarding, what more could I ask for in a contest!
You can follow the event here on the Triple-S facebook page
Lord of the wind success!
Just got back from Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico and am pleased to say the trip was a huge success! I went into the event knowing that it was mainly a course racing event but thought there was a freestyle section too. When I showed up, i found out the the big air (which I thought was freestyle) was truly a big air contest. Never the less, I decided to enter that along with the downwind slalom racing… with very low hopes. I ended up blowing my expectations out of the water and won every heat all the way to the final round where I placed third! On the final day The event organizers decided to throw a prize purse towards a freestyle event. There was a one heat free for all with about 25 men and women competing at the same time. I managed to land pretty much everything I wanted and came out on top with the biggest $250 check I’ve ever seen!
Best Profanity Video
Here’s a video Showcasing BEST Kiteboarding’s new Wakestyle board. Shot on location at REAL Watersports in Cape Hatteras.
Brazil Video
Here’s a video from my trip to Brazil:
Joining the team Video
Here’s a little courtesy of LTR to commemorate my new link up with BEST Kiteboatding.
BEST News Yet…
I’m super excited to say that I’ve joined up with BEST Kiteboarding as one of their team riders. Best and I share the same vision of pushing the sport to new levels and making the highest performing gear around. I’ve been riding the Black Team kites and the 138 Sam Medysky Balance, and have already noticed an improvement in my riding. The SW winds are in full swing here in Hatteras, so keep an eye out for some footage and pic’s in the near future!
2010 Triple-S Wild Card Video
SO…
Over the last few days, Kite Low media has been putting in some work to pump out this video for SSS 2010. Enjoy!
P.R thus far…
Word…
PR has been pretty sick so far. I am finally all settled in to a nice little house on Shacks Beach with a few friends. We also picked up a 1990 Chevy Astro which is proving to be the ultimate beach-mobile. The Surf has been Insane here! I’ve surfed almost every day, multiple times a day, in perfect conditions. The wind has been light for the most part, but if the swell keeps pumping I won’t be too bitter about not being able to kite. After all, I’m sure I’ll get plenty of freestyle sessions in the slicks once I get back to the springtime south-westerlies of Hatteras!
More Coverage
Here’s an Elkus shot from summer ’09 in Hatteras that was published in the same issue of Kiteboarding EU that features Sleezy J on the cover. Thanks Elkus!
Playful session in Rincon
Today I had a nice head high + session at domes in Rincon. The waves were pretty mellow and ripable so I had a ton of fun. I surfed my 6’0″ Stretch Ratboy and it was glad to finaly surf something sizeable for the first time in a long while. Hopefully I have a repeat tomorrow!
Here are a couple shots I snapped from the beach before I paddled out and from my room while the sun was setting tonight…
PR is SWELL
Just Arrived in Puerto Rico and the swell is FIRING and as a matter of fact, it will continue to fire for the foreseeable future thanks to all those snow storms up north. Hopefully I’ll get a good session in Rincon tomorrow. Check out the forecast:
http://magicseaweed.com/Dunes-Surf-Report/452/detailedLongRange/us/
Florida Cable Footage
Here’s some clips from McCormick’s and OWC from my trip to Florida with Evan. We decided to throw the fins on and film some corner tricks the day we were at McCormicks, figuring that we’d be back the next day to film rails. The wind was up the next day so instead of heading back to McCormicks to film, we kited in St. Pete with Matt Sexton, Alex Fox, Tripp Hobbs and Billy Parker.
Enjoy.
Cable Footy from Brian Smith on Vimeo.
Stormy last day in Wilmington
Yesterday, Evan Netsch and I had an interesting last session in Wilmington. We had been getting stoked in previous days looking at the forecast for our last day that showed strong southwest winds. Little did we know it would end up blowing 40-50! Because were in Wilmington, which normally isn’t very windy, neither of us had small kites. Evan put up his 7.5 and I put up my 8 RPM. Needless to say, we were blown off the water after a few minutes. Here’s a screen shot of the wind meter…
Headed South!
So In a couple days I’ll be heading south to Florida to ride cable at McCormick’s and OWC as well as to kite for a couple of weeks. Getting an HD Camera tomorrow so check back for pics and video from my trip! Here’s a sick video from some Slingshot riders at the McCormick’s cable in tampa:
Spring/Summer ’09 Recap
Its starting to get cold these days which has reminded me of all the good sessions that I had this season on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My season started in the end of march and flew by like a blur. I am currently at college in Wilmington, NC so I am still getting a session here and there but not to the same extent as this spring/summer. Here are some Pictures/videos to recap my season…
Here’s a video from June of some fun slider action with the boys and girls at REAL