Duotone NOW Magazine No.03 2022

Liam, welcome to the team! You just joined our league of kite professionals. Also, you joined forces with Porsche, congratulations, what do these sponsorships mean to you? They mean the world. Both Duotone and Porsche are brands with whose values I can identify with 100%. They are top players in their respective markets, driving innovation and offering the highest quality products. Being able to have the best kite gear at hand for any condition will certainly help me push myself further than ever and excel as a kitesurfing professional. Porsche broadens my horizon, offering things I’ve never even thought, for example this year I will be attending different events that they organize such as the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the Porsche European Open and a Formula E Race. The medical check-up I did a few months back was also a new experience.  Amedical check-up? Tell us a little more about about that.   As a professional kiteboarder, you have to train hard, that I know. I’ve done this since I first set foot into this sport. With the medical check-up, Porsche gave me the opportunity to find out which parts of my body, despite constant training, might need a little more attention. I had never done this before. For two days they checked my body from head to toe. A program that usually only Porsche motorsport drivers benefit from. Luckily I am in good shape with just a few things to adjust. It was great to have a professional point that out to me, but most importantly I left the medical centre with a lot of confidence knowing that I am fit and healthy to keep on pushing. The medical test was shortly before the Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town and definitely raised my ambitions for the contest. Talking about ambitions, you are one of the top kiteboarders worldwide, having won numerous contests. Among others, you were Freestyle World Champion in 2015. What’s the key to your success you would say? Well, my dad is a dedicated windsurfer so naturally, I had a thing for watersports from the beginning. Also, I’ve always been very focused and concentrated on what I wanted to achieve. Becoming a Kitesurfing World Champion was my dream since I was a little kid. I knew it wouldn’t just come to me. I had to work for it, so I did. I think that’s actually it and of course, growing up by the sea helped as well.  Born in Ibiza you moved to Tarifa with your parents at the age of 14. What does Tarifa mean to you? Tarifa is home, it's where my family and friends live. Tarifa is where I kited endlessly as a kid practising tricks until dark with the goal of becoming a kitesurfing world champion. The wind and the lifestyle, it's a perfect combination of both. To me, Tarifa is the best place in the world. I feel it’s about time to give something back.  And we heard you’ll be doing that rather soon… Yes! That’s true. I will be opening my own Kite Center in Tarifa. It’s such an exciting project and something completely new for me. It will be a pleasure to add to this Mecca of Kitesurfing and introduce so many new people to the sport that has given me everything. I’ve had the idea in mind for quite a while but only started pushing for it about three years ago. It wasn’t easy getting the right piece of land but finally, it worked out. I almost couldn't believe it because it took so long. I now have tunnel vision to make it the best centre ever! What’s your plan to achieve that? I want to create the most amazing experience for everyone coming to the centre. I think the key is highly motivated instructors and of course the right gear. It will always be the latest equipment and we will give the client the chance to test out new products. The most special part will always be the location and the energy it transmits. We’ll be right at Valdevaqueros Beach. Coming off the water and integrating yourself straight into the Tarifa vibe is priceless. In which way is Porsche involved in this project? Porsche really wants to support me in achieving my dreams. I have the chance to propose projects I'd like to realize and they will help me develop them. This also counts for the Center. They encourage me to chase my vision of the perfect Kite School and also would love to be involved. We have proposed many ideas to them. For now, there will be a Porsche area and a few other things. In the future, they might also support me in organizing events or a performance academy. You just turned 25. Being a professional kiteboarder, competing in contests and at the same time starting your own business seems quite a challenge. What drives you? I love challenges! And my challenge is to stay at the top of my game as an athlete while running a business. I’ve always been very ambitious and hard-working when I have a clear goal in mind. For sure I also feel the pressure, but I have been under pressure my whole life whether it's from competition or goals I set myself. I just try to organize my time better so that I can do more in one day. Still, there have definitely been some sleepless nights. Why is opening a Kite Center so important to you? There are a lot of reasons. One is that I feel it’s time to take over responsibility, start something on my own. I know I won’t be a kiteboarding professional my whole life. It’s important for me to have a second foothold. Besides, opening a kite centre is the perfect excuse to stay in the kite business a little longer.  What gives you the confidence to succeed in this challenge? What gives me the most confidence are the people that surround me and that will help me run this project. With Porsche, I have a strong partner I can rely on. We pursue the same goal: putting together a Kite Center that will stand out, offering the best experience you could have. Are there any more “dreams” in your life you would like to realize? As a kiter, but also as a private person, I definitely have goals and experiences I want to live so I guess you can call them dreams! One of them is winning a King of the Air or another World Championship. I've been close so many times, but luck hasn't gone my way. I believe if I keep pushing, it will come. Another one is to give back to the kiting community. I would like to start an academy one day with training facilities that will help the next generation take the sport even further. Photo  Sebastian Porral Photo  Craig Kolesky L I A M W H A L E Y 35 E N A B L I N G D R E A M S 34 E N A B L I N G D R E A M S