Duotone Mag 2024

Copy  Laura Alexy HEIGHT MATTERS Height: 9m approx. Spot: Cape Town, South Africa Height has always been fascinating – be it Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, or nowWing Foiling, the ability to overcome gravity by jumping high is a feeling unmatched. The same goes for riding insanely high waves. Height is addictive, contagious and connected to all sports – height matters. Benjamin May “The jumping, the height – it’s breathtaking. Shortly before the jump, you can often tell whether it will be a really high jump or a smaller one. As a result, the adrenaline can get your pulse racing. When I was on a Wing Foil for the first time almost four years ago, I never would have dreamed of jumping as high as some kiters. Everything has developed so quickly in the last few years, not only the material but also the riders. There are now some who have jumped up to 17 meters. My highest jump was in Pozo on Gran Canaria between the heats of the Big Air contest. There, just before my final heat while warming up, I caught a wave of almost 2.5 meters. Just before that, it was relatively flat, so I was able to build up pace and approach the ramp with full speed and pressure in the wing. After that, I just flew. Later, I was told that it was 14.9 meters. I think I wrote Wing Foil history that day. Everyone remembers the high front loops, and I am very proud of that.” Photo  Samuel Tome D U O T O N E D U O T O N E 118 119 W H Y H E I G H T M A T T E R S