Duotone DRIVEN Magazine No.04

RADICALITY AND RISK An interjection from Thomas Kaiser, Marketing Director Duotone “The level in Big Air has reached a level that worries me tremendously. The height, the difficulty of the tricks, and the riders pushing each other leave little room for falls to end well. There are incredible forces at work in the loops at this height. The landing speeds are enormous. An obstacle in the water, a tilting of the board, or even hitting the water sideways with the body can have fatal consequences. A double loop may not be the most technically difficult trick. However, it is one of the most dangerous. Because if the hookup on the second loop is not good, the rider will crash from a great height with massive lateral acceleration onto what is then an extremely hard water surface. Our riders train how to hit the water when a loop goes wrong: They throw the board away before contact with the water, build up maximum body tension and dive in feet first. Andrea Principi's broken helmet after such an impact shows that this doesn't always go well, either. The board jumped up due to the enormous acceleration during the water contact and hit him on the head. Without a helmet, this would have ended badly. And what if the water depth is insufficient in case of a fall? I can only appeal to anyone who dares to do kiteloops or already jumps them: Do not train in places with shallow water. Of course, I know that our team riders train extremely meticulously and prepare professionally for such radical jumps. As a brand, it is part of our values to take responsibility by providing our riders with the best setup. We coach them on preparation, nutrition, and training and support them with medical checks. We build safe equipment and check the right setup - knowing there is always a residual risk. Because whenever it goes to the extreme, there are limits somewhere. These don't have to be the riders themselves. Such extreme jumps also bring the material to its limits. What if a bladder bursts during a loop at 45 knots because it was pre-damaged? Or what if a line breaks at 30meters? Our team riders kite with standard equipment that every kiter can buy. The kites of their choice? The Rebel SLS in 8, 9, or 10 sqm for high jumps and the Dice Original in 6 sqm for double loops. They choose a wide bar for maximum steering momentum and even partially reach into the floaters to generate extra angular momentum, especially for double loops. At the current photo shoot, many of them discovered a new favorite: The new Evo D/LAB. They pump it up extremely hard and jump another two meters higher with it. With equipment that is exposed to such extreme stresses, careful care of the equipment and meticulous material checks are a must - before and after every session. It may sound trivial, but rinsing the bar and checking lines and tie-down points is essential. Our team riders also regularly renew their kites and bars. In the pro ranks, this is essential. The level in Big Air has risen by leaps and bounds, not only at the pro level but also in the recreational sector. It's absolutely impressive when you see at spots around the world how radically many kiters are jumping. My appeal goes out to all of them as well: Don't just think about the most radical jump. Be maximally well prepared and responsible with yourselves.” Lasse Walker Netherlands // 28 years Lasse is an icon when it comes to pure kiteloops. He virtually founded the genre with Ruben Lenten – and continues to push the radicality of extreme loops with 12-meter short lines today. @lassewalker B I G A I R