Duotone Diversity Magazine No.02 2020

The pictures below illustrate a front blunt; one on water and one on snow. The concept behind a front blunt is to turn your upper body forwards while the lower body twists backwards. Once in contact with the rail, lean against the tail of your board towards the outside of the bindings, ideally having both feet on one side of the rail as you balance and press onto the furthest end of the board. The trick’s name and technique corresponds similarly to both kiteboarding and snowboarding. The only main difference when doing the trick on a snowboard is the momentum and hand placement. While kiteboarding, the speed is created by the pull of the kite, but on a snowboard, the acceleration is generated by gravity. Although some tricks are definitely easier with a kite,while having the added stability and resistance from the kite a majority of the time, I find the movements with snowboarding to be more natural because I can move my body in any given direction without my positioning being obstructed by holding onto the bar. Snowboarding allows for very free-flowing and creative movements. Kiteboarding can sometimes be restraining, as I often feel restricted and locked in a particular axis due to the natural requirement of constantly being attached or holding onto the bar. When riding in the park, sliding on plastic with a kiteboard is much more forgiving than grinding on a metal rail with the sharp edge of a snowboard. Both snowboarding and kiteboarding are very different, but I embrace the distinction and try my best to emphasize the similarities. Snow is only frozen water: Xander Raith talks about the transfer of snowboard style to kiteboarding obstacles. Photo Noè Font XANDER’S X-OVER Photo Toby Bromwich I N S P I R A T I O N 26 P E O P L E 27 P E O P L E o T o N