How to train for kite freestyle - Interview with Rita Arnaus

How to train for freestyle - Interview with Rita Arnaus

We caught up with RITA ARNAUS during her final training week before the freestyle competition in Salinas del Rey, Colombia and talked to her about her training routine before an event. In the interview she shared her training schedule with us along with her go to moves when the heat is close, her kite setup and more. all the preparation sure has paid off. Congrats on 3rd Place, Rita!

Google Play Store

Apple Store

What did your training schedule look like for Salinas del Rey, Colombia?

As always I stay very active outside of the water, I like to have a gym routine. But like before any event, I train more with my personal trainer at home, getting the body ready especially for freestyle.

Run us through your daily training schedule one week out of the event.

Well, I’m the kind of person that likes to wake up early, grab a coffee and go straight to the gym anywhere I’m in the world, you can call me an early bird. It helps me a lot to stay focused and relaxed the whole day. Then I do some work on the laptop and grab some food with friends and kite if it’s windy or find an outdoor activity to do. Finishing off the day with yoga and stretching.

With tricks being so technical these days, does training out of the water help you keep up with the stiff (tough) competition?

Yes indeed, it is crucial to train your body off of the water to prevent injuries and build muscle to perform those tricks.

Who are the coaches you work with regularly?

Outside of the water I have my team at Metropolitan Club in Barcelona and for the kiting, I train with Fabio Ingrosso.

How many days a week do you do off-the-water training?

If I’m at home I would say between 4-6 times a week, depending on how my body reacts and how heavy my previous workouts were. Even when I’m traveling and not doing physical activities in the gym I still keep my body fit and ready with outdoor activities.

Give us one maneuver that every freestyler needs in their bag of tricks.

I would say a Blind Judge 3. It's a trick that every freestyler should aim to perform in any kind of wind conditions, I see it as the baseline to all other handle passes.

Which event on the current tour calendar is your favorite and why?

I loved the competition we had in Mauritius back in 2019. It is on the calendar for this year and I’m very much looking forward to that. The place is beautiful, the island has pretty good nature and so much to offer just like if you were there as a tourist. The wind conditions were incredible alongside the crystal blue water and I cherish that it was one of my best performances.

Who do you think is your biggest competition right now?

The level of the girls has been increasing drastically during the last few years but I would say that my teammate Mikaili Sol is my main opponent and someone I look up to for the tricks she manages to do. We have been neck and neck in the past events, both making it into the final, pushing our level together.

What is your favorite trick in the Academy app and what advice would you give to land it?

I would have to say that my favorite trick to watch would be the back mobe tutorial. I find this trick really technical and challenging and the app explains it very well step by step, which helps a lot. The most important point would be to keep the kite low and the bar close to your hip.

Give us some insights into your current kite setup. What are you riding?
For freestyle I love the Vegas, this kite is the best C kite on the market. Especially the 10m Vegas preferably with the small Click Bar and the 136 cm Team Series SLS.

What’s your go to maneuver when the heat is really close?

I would go for my Heart Attack or the S-mobe, as I’m very consistent with them and I enjoy it a lot doing those tricks as I like how the rotation feels.

Despite of challenging conditions throughout the whole event, Rita was able to finish the first GKA event of the year on the podium. The S-Mobe once again proved to be the right go to trick to win a close heat. You can find all of Rita's favorite moves in the UNHOOKED category of the KITE ACADEMY APP as well as off-the-water training routines to get your body in shape for the season!

Photo Credit: Lukas Stiller & GKA