Flexifoil Newsletter April 2010

NEWSLETTER

FLEXIFOIL’S

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CONTENTS

To our loyal FlexiFoil Family

I would like to welcome you to the first edition of our Flexifoil Newsletter. In 2009, Flexifoil emerged as a global business having grown distribution from 28 to 43 countries worldwide. The brand is now in the strongest position it ever has been and is close to launching a superb range of products. Last year brought some incredible results for our Team Flexifoil riders, with three world titles, two national titles and one European title. Bruna Kajiya brought home the PKRA Women’s World Title, Peter Tyushkevich was crowned KPWT Freestyle World Champion, whilst young Forest Bakker took the KPWT Overall Junior Title. Meanwhile, in the BKSA Tour in the UK, Flexifoil dominated the land-side with Will McKean taking the freestyle buggy title and Lewis Wilby the landboarding. Jemma Grobbelaar became the European Kite Speed Champion. I would like to offer my congratulations to all of you for your fabulous achievements!

I would like to thank every distributor and retailer for supporting the Flexifoil brand. You are the people who push our products into the hands of consumers around the world. I am grateful to all of you. With an amazing new selection of Flexifoil products approaching their launch dates in 2010, a Team which is stronger than ever, and an exciting new Team Trip on the horizon, we have a lot to look forward to this year. I would like to extend my gratitude to Martyn Hogg, Chris Allen, James Slayford, Sue Barclay, Feng Pan, Josh Sowter, Andy Preston, Peter Vanden Bussche, Johara Sykes-Davies, Craig Sparkes and James Williams for their corporate input. These are the people who keep the wheels turning everyday at Flexifoil’s head office. I would also like to thank Peter Collier and Alan Catton from NatWest Bank, Paul Naylor from the Government Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and Paul Head and Clare Rowson from the University West of England. A huge thank you to all our distributors, retailers and team riders for everything you have done for the Flexifoil brand. Finally, I thank Theo Van Dort and Wendy Van Dort for supporting and believing in this magical brand.

So a warm welcome to our new Flexifoil Newsletter. Please send in news that you would like included in future issues: from past events, to future events, to fun sessions you have had, send them through to [email protected] and we will endeavor to include what we can in the forthcoming issues.

Thank you for choosing Flexifoil and have a great year!

Anthony Van Dort Managing Director

NEWSLETTER

[ Intro by Anthony ] [ 2010 Products ][ Team roundup ][ Events ][ Forthcoming newsletters ]

Andreas throwing a flat 3Flexifoil Team at Snow Kite Masters

FLEXIFOIL BULLETIN 2010 / APRIL

FLEXIFOIL INTERNATIONAL / LIVE TO FLY 3

FlexiFoil ProducT range news 2010

KiTesurF ProducTs:

ProTon

This year we will introduce the brand new Flexifoil Proton. A solid kite with swept back wingtips for improved relaunch and depower. The Proton has stable performance and is perfect for beginner and intermediate kitesurfers, though the most seasoned kitesurfers will love this product too. (The Proton is not a delta kite).

The Proton is due to launch in May 2010.

ion

Andy Preston has worked his magic on the new Ion. We have dropped the ‘name number’ so this kite is being marketed as the Flexifoil Ion. The kite has a curved panel cut instead of the traditional straight lines; the designs have been refined to give a far more accurate representation of the original intended design. The new Ion has a familiar feel with subtle refinements.

The Ion is due to launch in April / May.

Hadlow

The new Hadlow specifications are still being finalised. Be sure to see the usual tweaks and refinements in shape and performance to meet Aaron’s demanding requirements. Also being tested is a new depower bridle that Aaron’s Dad has been using for the past year. He has been riding in South Africa on a 2009 Hadlow Pro 9m and strapless surfboard so we are confident we can transform this kite into a fast, responsive wave kite! We are finding new ways to stiffen up the leading edge to assist with relaunch whilst maintaining the kite’s performance.

The Hadlow is due to launch in June 2010 and maybe earlier.

The Proton, Ion and Hadlow have a new leading edge construction. Tests have demonstrated a 40% increase in the bursting pressure when inflated using a compressor (up to 1.4kgcm-2 from 1.0kgcm-2) – a kite pump can usually inflate a kite to around 0.6kgcm-2 [8.5PSI] at the most!

All the kites have new sail seam constructions, which give a stronger and more accurate construction; along with a cleaner, smoother and more accurate canopy shape. Andy has been able to utilise lap seams on the canopy to achieve this.

All kites have a new strut to leading edge interface. This is far more accurate, neater and stronger.

All kites will have a new reinforcement patch material that is unique to Flexifoil kites… (until our competitors ‘borrow’ the idea!) This is made of a Kevlar / Neoprene laminate which is extremely tough and allows the stitching to recess into it for further protection from abrasion.

KiTeBoards

Our 2010 kiteboard range launched in September last year will continue through into 2011, although we may see new graphics later on in the season and two more shapes are on the drawing board.

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Bar

The existing control bar design will remain for the forthcoming season, but with a longer 35cm center line and adjustable leader lines. Leader lines with landing handles will be an optional extra. A budget has been allocated for a new bar to be developed by the end of 2010.

ProducT TesTing round uP

The last test trip to Dakhla in Morocco was really successful. We managed to fly Ions, Protons and Hadlows in a variety of wind conditions. Martyn Hogg spent one day trying to break an 8.5 Ion, in about 25-30knots, by repeatedly slamming it into the water as hard as he could. He couldn’t break it, so he gave it to the locals and they couldn’t break it either, so the new construction techniques are perfect! The Proton relaunch is the easiest of any Flexifoil kite we have ever made and still has great flying characteristics that won’t hold you back!

land KiTe ProducTs:

craZe

New to the range this year will be the Craze. This kite has been designed to fill the gap between the Sting Range and the Rage Range of kites. It is an entry-level traction kite that has ample performance for kite flyers who want to learn kite sports and progress further into land traction sports. Andrew Jones has worked on this design and it has been a careful balance of production cost vs. performance.

The Craze is due to launch in June 2010.Blade V

We have allocated a development budget for an 8.5m Blade V kite. This kite will be available to team riders and then we will take a view to produce these kites commercially. We will involve the sponsored rider team with the development of this kite.

mega BuZZ

The Mega Buzz will be a 4 line Buzz – based on a 2.4m Sting with new colours – to extend the entry-level recreational kite range later on in 2010 and also depending on the success of the Craze.

Land kites SummaryThe intended product range for the future (but by no means finalised) would be as follows:

Buzz – Big Buzz – Mega BuzzStacker6 – Proteam8 – Super10CRAZE 2m – CRAZE 3m – CRAZE 4m – CRAZE 5mBlurr 2.5m – Blurr 3.5m – Blurr 5.0m – Blurr 7.0mBladeV 4.0m – BladeV 4.9m – BladeV 6.5m – BladeV 8.5m

We have the 380kg x 25m 2-line sets available (as requested previously by the land team) in stock.

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In the meantime, Johara is always available to forward your queries onto the relevant team member at Flexifoil’s office and we will keep you informed whenever we can… [email protected]

Thanks goes to Andy Preston, Peter Vanden Bussche, Karl Roels, Valerie Van Renterghem, Craig Sparkes, Josh Sowter, Martyn Hogg, Aaron Hadlow, Andrew Jones, Mel Ramoudt, Rob Hills, Richy Stones, Sy Leonard, Mathias Hennebel, Lewis Wilby, Novan Lee, Mark Thornburrow, Kingsley Chan and to everyone else in the design working party; who have worked tirelessly – researching, developing and testing our new product range. All feedback, however large or small, contributes towards the success of our products.

general news

We are trying to improve the way we collect feedback from riders, retailers and distributors, in a method and format that we can act upon. We will keep you updated.

We are considering using web questionnaires because these are great tools for obtaining a consensus and then acting on the most popular opinion. This would work by getting riders, retailers and distributors to suggest what questions we should ask about products rather than providing specific feedback. The questions can then be put to everyone and the results can be collated and reviewed for inclusion into the next available design change.

It would also be great to be able to capture all your new product ideas, and again, this needs to be done in a structured manner. When assessing new product ideas, we need to be able to assess the potential market size and the commercial viability of the project.

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Bruna Kajiya

Aaron Hadlow

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Team rounduP

…Don’t you always wonder what the Flexifoil Team are up to… here’s your chance to keep up with the Team!

AARON HADLOW

2009 started off pretty well for me. I won the first 2 PKRA events, so I was on track for a 6th title. There were unfortunately a lot of event cancellations, and points awarded differed

between events. So with only four events in 2009, I ended up finishing 3rd overall. It was quite disappointing because of the circumstances but I think setbacks only make you stronger.

Right now I am in Australia filming and entering the Core Slider Jam. This is a specialized competition all about hitting rails. I will be back in Cape Town for February where I will be filming a series of movies, finishing up the testing of the new Hadlow Kite and also finishing off some other products… I will keep you all posted.

For 2010 I am changing my tactics. I will not be competing and will be releasing lots of videos. I will also be doing a lot of demos and promotions for my sponsors, especially Flexifoil, so you may see me at a beach near you this year. Check out the videos to see all my trips, the lifestyle I lead and also tips on tricks and info on equipment.

You can stay updated @ aaronhadlow.com, follow me on twitter @ twitter.com/aaronhadlow, check behind the scene videos and updates on my facebook fan page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aaron-Hadlow-Official-Page/231076987710?ref=mf

BRUNA KAJIYA

The year of 2009 started rather slow for me and it’s amazing how it turned around and finished as the best year of my career so far. It was a year of great achievements but also of a lot of work and hard

times... all more than worth it! Becoming the World Champion has always been a goal of mine and I’m very satisfied to have achieved it. Now there are lots more goals to pursue.

I’m excited to start this 2010 season together with Flexifoil and I believe we’ll get great results from this partnership. Now it’s time to start training all over again!! MARTYN HOGG

2009 was a great year on a successful BKSA Tour. We had wind at every event and I managed to get my one token podium position at Bridlington in light winds, using the magical 14.5 Ion. A trip to Tarifa at the start of the year and Turkey in the summer got me some sun and wind, but the winter has been hard!

2010 will see me back at all the BKSA events to support any Flexi riders taking part, but I might actually retire from competitions so I can freeride more at the events and support other riders. I hope to get another trip or to go abroad and keep pushing Flexifoil R&D and testing.



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FOREST BAKKER

Hey!For me 2009 was a really cool year!- Even with just competing in 2 PKRA events, I ended up 22 overall for 2009. I was especially happy with my performance in Germany, where I

passed into the main event with a perfect heat and almost beat a top PKRA rider.

- I have been improving a lot with my riding and my movies!! Watch the latest on http://www.vimeo.com/7734872, http://www.vimeo.com/6335743

- I also managed to become Junior World Champion! Over 5 special events, of which I won 2, were in the heavily contested tour. I was stoked about it! Thanks to Flexifoil for kites that fit my wishes!

- I am really motivated and happy to be able to move on to compete in all the PKRA events for 2010!

- For 2010 I want to improve my style, put in more power in my tricks, learn new tricks, try to win as much as possible and keep on having lots of fun on and off the water.See you there!

JOHARA SYKES-DAVIES

I started 2009 back on the snow for the Snowkite Masters in Serre Chevalier, after 6 months off the water with a foot injury. It is so good to be able to spend time in the mountains again and mix it up with kiting as well!

After the SKM I went to Kenya for the MEAK Charity Kitesurf event in February. I went with TRAD Film competition winner Andrew Cockcroft. We worked on a 12-minute film for his entry to the competition, which was great fun. I also won the girl’s freestyle at the event which was great.I then spent some time kiting with fellow Flexifoil chick Erika Lindberg in Tarifa and then onto the first PKRA in Leucate. It was howling and I managed to finish 5th. I then headed on a video trip to Turkey with Flexifoil distributor Adrenaline Sports along with Robin, and then onto Germany PKRA. I was stoked I won a heat against Kristin Boese and finished 7th which was ok. The Brazil PKRA was cancelled so I decided to go early to New Caledonia for the final comp. I stayed with Flexifoil’s Noumea Kite School, which was perfect. The spots in New Cal are just amazing! I managed to finish 4th in New Cal which means I was 5th overall. This was my aim from the beginning of the year so I was pretty happy.So I have started 2010 back on the snow at the Snowkite Masters and at the 2S Echo in La Rosiere. I finished 2nd in ski at the SKM and 1st in ski at the 2S Echo. I am now going to spend some more time on the water and on the snow before the start of the PKRA again… BRING ON 2010!

SANDER LENTEN

As you all know or are going to know after you’ve read this, I stopped competing in ‘09 to get my airline pilot’s license. I spent about half of ‘09 in Brussels, Belgium, to complete the theoretical course and the other half of the year I spent in

the dessert in Mesa, Arizona for the practical part of the training. In between the transfer from Belgium to the USA I had a week off to go nuts on the water in Holland. I was very fortunate with the wind that week, as I was powered up on my Hadlow pro ‘09 9m2 for most of that time. I also hooked up with the photographer Sebastiaan Hoogenboom (kiteshots.nl) and shot some great stills for a few magazines. During my flight training I couldn’t keep kiting out of my mind, even though I was in the middle of the dessert. I found a couple of lakes in the area. Only one had some potential. There were mountains surrounding the lake from all sides, a rocky launch, the wind was on for about 15 minutes, then dropped for about 45 minutes to an hour. The water smelled and tasted like boat fuel, but all-in-all it was beautiful scenery. I probably was the first kiter skilled and stupid enough to have given it a try...twice. Both times I had a blast for about 15 minutes, after which the wind completely died. After these two attempts I gave up on that spot and only went kiting when I went to Malibu, California for the weekends. I had some great sessions there... The water was nice and flat, in between the nicely timed kickers that were rolling in, it was not too cold, but a long sleeve, short-legged wetsuit was the bare minimum. I had some time off at Christmas and New Year, which I spent with my girlfriend in the Virgin Islands. We didn’t get too much wind, but we had a good amount of nice surf.

When I got back from my New Year’s break I had to do a few more missions and a check before I moved on to the multi-engine. If all goes well, I’ll be a commercial pilot in just under 2 weeks! After that check ride I will be going back to Europe to finish the rest of my course and will be completely done around May, so perfect timing for the start of the kiteboarding season.

I will be attending some kite events. I have some cool ideas that I’d like to get worked out with Sebastiaan Hoogenboom and some magazines. If I can find the time I’d like to do a kite trip through Europe... pilot style and see what we’re going to do from there...



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Kiteloop from Richard Boudia

RICHARD BOUDIA

I had a few great trips with Kirsty in 2009 for freeriding, waveriding, shooting photos and video for the magazines, whilst promoting Flexifoil wherever I go...

2009 took me to…- January: Morocco- February/March: Puerto Rico/ Dominican Republic- May/June/July/August/Sept: Promo and test tour in France- November: Madagascar- December: Morocco

In 2010 I will be in Hawaii in March, the Canaries in April and Europe from May until October. SY LEONARD

2009 was a strange year for me in terms of kiting. My son Herbie was born at the end of 2008 and obviously this changed my life completely! The opportunities to get out flying were a lot less than I had previously had and so on the occasions I did manage to get out I enjoyed the session that little bit more.

I did attend a couple of events but as ever, the wind gods didn’t play along and so flying was minimal.

I still teach and I had several lessons throughout the summer as well as working on a couple of projects to get kiting into schools (something we are still working on).I also attend regular meetings to keep access open to our favourite spot in Norfolk.

Something I have always been keen on is scouting new locations to buggy on and film. 2009 saw us try a few new spots out and in doing so, have a minor brush with the local constabulary! Luckily some smooth talking (and offers of free lessons) kept us from spending a night at her majesties pleasure!

From a filming point of view, again, a quiet year really. A few sessions were filmed but it was only at the end of the year that I decided to edit everything I had together. The result was “Flexi Bugs and Rock n Roll”. A five minutes slice of buggy and board free riding and freestyle featuring the usual Flexi riders from this side of the country. It shows some of the new sites we rode including a cliff top run, hedge jumping and even a sea wall buggy ride as the waves crash in. Check it out on Youtube or Vimeo.

So what do I expect from 2010? More riding would be nice! I certainly hope to attend a few more events this year with several already pencilled in. More lessons, getting as many people as possible into kiting.

Herbie has already had his first taste of buggying (sitting in my lap, obviously), but this summer I expect him to spend more time at the beach with me and hopefully sharing the passion I have for the sport. I think this will be an exciting year to be involved with Flexifoil and I look forward to the blue skies and warm winds arriving soon.

ROBIN SNUGS

I started 2009 over in South Africa where I was just chilling out after busting my knee. I then returned home for the BKSA round one where I had just got back on the water after my knee injury, so went and caught up with the UK van crew! The rest of my UK time consisted of washing dishes and teaching kiting. I then went to Turkey with Johara, Jo Wilson, Ania Grzlinska, Ali B and James Boulding to film a kite movie for Adrenaline sports, my Turkish sponsor. I then went to Turkey for 3 months to help train the

Adrenaline Girls, Nesligul and Arzu. I had an amazing time again, checking out the spots and riding with a new set of people. I’m currently in the Philippines where I’m spending the season riding and teaching. So all is good for me after taking a step out from competing in UK after my knee.

Onto 2010… I’m currently spending some me time on Boracay Island riding, building a better website and working on some videos, while I’m in the Philippines. The KTA will also come here so I will compete in that. I will then travel to Turkey for the summer where I will work with Adrenaline sports to keep pushing Flexifoil there. My plan is to get back into the competition scene for 2010. One of my plans at the moment is to work on a world record, so within a few months I will know where that is heading too. Take it easy…


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ERIKA LINDBERG

2009: The past year was my first with Flexifoil and I was so happy with my kites. They are really the best you could ride! It was also so much fun to hang out with all the guys in the team. It was so inspirational to train with Johara and Bruna,

and really cool that Bruna took the title this year, congratulations! It was also really fun as well to get to meet the buggiers from the team. They really ride so well, and with no fear, doing kite loops on land! This year I really have to start learning buggy and landboarding! 2010: Right now I’m in Stockholm, in my home country Sweden. There is a lot of snow everywhere and frozen water! I really appreciate being here when it’s so beautiful, a nice contrast to the beach and surf. I feel so motivated to train for the next season. It is going to be so much fun to start travelling again for the PKRA competitions!

ROBBIE SHIRE-MAIDMENT

2009 was a busy year in which I attended all the BKSA events around the country, even fitting a road trip in between two of them. The best one for me was Bridlington, where I got my best placement so far – a third place! The conditions were hard, but

the event went ahead thankfully. My overall ranking for the year was 5th in the Juniors. In 2010 I would like to take part in all the BKSA events, even though they go further north than I have been before. My goal for 2010, with the support of Flexifoil, is to achieve a top three ranking in the BKSA Juniors – watch this space!

LEWIS WILBY

2009 has been a very good year for my Landboarding! I’m pleased to say that I finally achieved my goal of becoming British Champion, after a good few years of missing events; this

year was finally my year! I also won my first kitesurf competition, which has now motivated me to take it further in 2010! My goals for this year are a little different from my previous years. Since winning my first kitesurf competition, I would like to focus a little more on that side of the competition with my landboarding becoming more about free riding and making videos. But who knows, if I get time at the 5 BKSA Kiteivals, I might try winning the landboard competition again too!! This year is already well under way after attending the Snow Kite Masters and placing ninth. Although for me, it was all about the free riding, pushing my riding just as hard as I do on the land and water! I’m beginning to like the idea of doing all disciplines so who knows where it’s going to take me!

ROB HILLS

Well, as for last year, it was a bad one for me. With the loss of my sister, my outlook on life was not so good and my mind was not on kiting as much as it has been in previous years. Added to this, I had a rather big wipe out in

late October whilst buggying at Westward Ho! which resulted in a slight break to my left collarbone. Third time lucky! How many times does it need breaking?! Three apparently, before it gets titanium RSJ bolted to it.

So this year I hope to be back in the buggy taking it a bit steadier. Some would say it’s time to slow down, but I’m not sure I understand what that means. Without a doubt I’ll be on the water on those windy afternoons at Westshore. That is if I can remember what to do after such a break!

The last couple of winter months has seen me out on my mountain bike, taking it easy, and heading to the gym in the mornings trying to build up my lazy broken self into some kind of shape, ready for a summer of wearing budgie smugglers and looking dashingly handsome…What ever!!

I will also be putting my feet up with a brew and watching the sun set over the bay and getting lost with my GPS in the mountains on those windless days and summer evenings.

CRAIG SPARKES

2009 didn’t start off too well for me. My previous back injury was aggravated after a car accident so it meant I had to take the first half of the year steady, missing a couple of competitions. As the year went

on I started to return to normal and traveled around to all the major events in the UK to promote the freestyle side of the sport. On top of this, I also traveled to Europe a few times to demo on foreign soil, including the PKRA in Germany. Through the year I shot some video, which is now in the process of being edited and put online for all to see.

This year I want to up my game and carry on with the competition side but also want to push the freeride element of the sport. I have several ideas for some spots/locations that could be amazing but need some planning and preparation but have not been ridden before in this way! I want to push the sport as much as possible while I’m in the position I am, whether this be pushing the boundaries of what is possible and coming up with new styles and tricks, to attending the events and getting people into the sport, or gaining media attention. 2010 is looking very solid and I cannot wait to push it this year on all fronts!


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WILL MCKEAN

2009 has been pretty successful for me. Winning the first BKSA Buggy freestyle championship was AMAZING and I can’t wait for next years Kiteivals! Myself, Dave Roberts and Craig had an awesome

time out in Germany at the PKRA doing a buggy freestyle demo. Some of the people’s faces when we carried the BMX landing ramp out into the middle of the arena was amazing! Atmosphere 09 and the Quiberon meet were just a few more events that I went to and really enjoyed!

I had loads of fun at Plymouth University in 2009 helping to run the Uni kitesurf and wakeboard club! I have many funny memories of nights out as well as awesome sessions at Bantham and Bigbury.

2010 will hopefully bring lots of kiting. It is great to be back on the Flexifoil team for 2010 and I’m looking forward to many events and trips along the way this year. The BKSA will be a challenge this year with more stops and locations and more people expected to be at them, which can only be good for the sport! I think I’m most excited about the chance to go back out to the German PKRA to do another demo and the chance to go back out to NABX!

While this is all fun and games, I’ve still got the serious side of Uni to knuckle down with! With my Dissertation starting soon on training and fitness around kitesurfing, exams and my Offshore Yacht master qualification on the horizon, I’ve actually got to do some work!

But with that said, you’re all welcome down to our Student abode in Plymouth for a night out any time! I wish all other Flexifoil Team riders the best of luck at all they do this year!

DAVE URSELL

2009 was a great year, the wind rocked and so did the kites, learning new tricks and getting to new heights was amazing and we’ve released our best videos so far on my website documenting all

of it. I’ve got big plans for this year. I’m already teaching in the freezing cold of 2010 and can’t wait for the freestyle winds to hit us again. I’ll be riding and teaching in every spare minute this year. A new website with picture and video galleries, and info on learning with me on the latest Flexifoil gear will be up very soon, www.pushkiting.co.uk!

RICHY STONES

The last couple of years have been hectic with a new career and a new house, forcing me to make significant changes to my life style. I’m pleased to say all the better for kiting! Moving to Westward Ho! in North Devon puts me in the same postcode as one of most social and kite-friendly venues in the UK. My new career in teaching gives me fresh opportunities to get out and make the best of the conditions.

My involvement with local clubs continues this year with input in to WWKC.com and Tews Lanes Community kite clubs. Both clubs hope to expand their memberships this year with a big push on introducing new people to the sport in North Devon.

If that wasn’t enough to keep my interest, the new Blade V’s will be making a big appearance this year, allowing us freestylers to push it even harder and higher! If there is enough time left before the autumn, I’ll see if I can get a few more hours on the water too. Wish me luck!

What ever you do this year – fly safe and have a good one!FLEXIFOIL INTERNATIONAL / LIVE TO FLY 19



inTroducing new snowKiTe Team rider andreas ToVerud

A little bit about me…

My name is Andreas Toverud, I’m 21 years old and I currently live and study in Lillehammer. I study at the Norwegian Military Academy of Telemetry, and I finish my bachelor degree this summer. I use all my spare time in the winter snowboarding and snowkiting at Hafjelltoppen, my local spot, which happens to be one of the best places for snowkiting in Europe. I’ve been snowkiting for the last 5 years, and love all kinds of sports that involve adrenaline and boards. In the summer I do a lot of skateboarding and wakeboarding. I also go kitesurfing whenever I get the chance, but Lillehammer is a long drive from all the good spots, which mostly limits it to weekends and holidays.

2009 didn’t have that many competitions, but things are looking better for 2010. I came 3rd in the Norwegian snowkiting championship and 5th in the Snowkite Masters, which was kind of a disappointment, but I’m hoping for some good results for the comps that are coming up. Even though the Snowkite Masters didn’t go as well as I hoped for, I had loads of fun, met interesting people from all over the world, and I had a great time in the chalet with the Flexifoil crew.

Home in Norway, we are also working with a new hotel on Hafjelltoppen on some exciting projects like putting up lights for night kiting and building a permanent slider park. We are also doing a lot of filming, and hope to get the guys from the UK over here to do some shooting this Easter… watch this space!!

Andreas

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SNOWKITE MASTERS 2010, COL DU LAUTARET, SERRE CHEVALIER

This year’s famous SKM event was bombarded with Flexifoil riders! With a good snow forecast, Flexifoil filled their van with kites, hired a big chalet near the Col du Lautaret, and crammed it full of Flexifoil talent along with photographer Richard Boudia! The outcome was an incredible week of competition, free riding and fun and games. Our crew included van chauffeur (me, Johara), British Landboard Champ – Lewis Wilby, Norwegian snowkite ripper – Andreas Toverud, buggy freestyle legend – Craig Sparkes, and we even managed to drag the infamous Mr Hogg out of the Flexifoil office for a few days!For Lewis and Craig it was pretty much the first time they had been snowkiting. Only one day’s attempt previously in the UK, after a big dump of snow. They both took to it so quickly. Lewis was able to transfer his landboard skills straight to the snow and was ripping in no time!We were excited to be joined by new Flexifoil snowkiter Andreas from Norway. He is a fantastic powered rider on his Hadlow Pros, kited hard with the guys – helping to push their level, and was hilarious fun back at the Flexifoil chalet! We were very lucky with the massive amounts of snow, but not so lucky with the wind that teased us all week!! The

event organizers managed to finish the competition but the conditions were very hard as the wind was so light. Andreas managed to finish 5th, which he was not satisfied with but we thought was great! Lewis and Craig both finished a very credible 9th for their first competition and I got 2nd in the women’s ski. I also was persuaded to enter the snowboard heat (I don’t snowboard!!), but the less said about that the better! I might have to learn to snowboard for next year! The team had a fantastic week and Richard Boudia got some amazing shots, so a big thanks to Flexifoil for the fabulous chalet and use of the Flexifoil van. The Team will be back even stronger for next year!

2S ECHO 2010, LA ROSIERE

After I had dropped the Team off for their respectful flights, I decided to head to La Rosiere for the next snowkite competition, the 2S Echo 2010. It is a snowkite race and freestyle expression event, with the second half being held on the water in the summer. It is the first event of its kind to be held both on the snow and on the water, so I was stoked to be invited to go along with some kitesurf legends.There was a huge turnout, with a hundred racers registered, and massive amounts of fun had been organized for the event! As is the case if you go to a lot of trouble to organize an event, the forecast had been great for two weeks up until the event weekend! We headed up the hill and pumped up our kites…and waited! The good thing about hanging around waiting for wind at a snowkite event is that you can go and ride while you wait, while still keeping an eye on the competition area to see if the flags start to flutter! We unfortunately had to wait until the Sunday for the wind to kick in and even then it was light! I raced on a 10.5 Ion4, which was perfect in the light wind and managed to win the race for the girl’s ski. I have vowed to learn to speak French better for next year so I have a clue what is going on and know when I am meant to get up on the podium!! It was a fantastic event despite the lack of wind and I can’t wait for the second part on the water!



FlexiFoil inTernaTional lTdUnit 9 Silverglade / Business Park / Leatherhead Road / Chessington / Surrey KT9 2QLUnited Kingdomwww.flexifoil.com

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Flexifoil Newsletter April 2010

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Transcript of Flexifoil Newsletter April 2010