Duotone women: The world's best.

Hi Paula. Can you tell us how this trip came about?

Colleen has been wanting to do this girls shoot for some time and finally we managed to make it happen. After many different ideas, destinations and story lines, we decided to visit Egypt for its beautiful crystal blue waters and amazing wind.

You’re known to frequent the Red Sea. Are you excited to be here with a group of your female teammates?

 Yes, Egypt has been one of the places i‘ve been coming back to every year either for training, competition or some coaching. I was stoked to go on a shoot to finally capture the beauty that Egypt offers. Being here with Hannah, Francesca, Colleen and Mika, it’s just amazing.

Tell us about the riding conditions.

Most of the spots offer flat water, which I love. The wind is from 15 – 30kts. The water is crystal blue and looks just amazing!

We are going to visit three spots. The first one is Soma Bay – 7 bft Kite House. It’s a bay and the wind is offshore. It can be gusty sometimes but it can also be very nice. It’s windy almost all day long and if it drops in the afternoon, there are many other activities we can enjoy.

The second destination will be a Kite Safari boat trip up north from El Gouna with BigDayz. I have done it a few times so I know what to expect. It is going to be AWESOME!

The third place will be Kite Village in Hamata, which I haven’t been to yet.

What are you most looking forward to about the trip and video project?

It’s fun to hang out with all these badass, crazy girls. It’s a honour to be surrounded by so many talented riders, ride together and spend time together in windy and sunny Egypt. I’m looking forward to what we’re going to come up with! By riding together we push each other to next level.

Hi Hannah! You are the newest addition amongst this group of the women’s Duotone Kiteboarding International Team. How are you feeling about the change?

I’m really enjoying my Duotone gear, I feel very comfortable with my setup and I feel ready to push it harder on the water. My teammates are great and I really believe together will set the tone! I’m stoked to be at the beginning of something amazing.

How do you like your new gear?

I ride mostly the Dice, which is the best all-round kite out there! It fits me perfectly as I love to mix up my sessions with Big Air, Freestyle and Foil action! The Dice does it all. For pure freestyle, my weapon of choice is the Vegas!

You’ve just come off a great finish at the GKA Air Games, are you looking forward to working on a video project next or are you frothing for the next competition?

I love competing, but now I’m focused on working on this sick project with the girls! 

What are you excited about for your time in Egypt?

Visiting new kite spots is always amazing. I’ve never lived on a boat for more than one night and we’ll be on board for a week, so I’m really looking forward to experiencing these new things. I crave to seek new adventures, travel is the only thing that makes you truly richer. I’m looking forward to sharing all these special moments with a truly great bunch of girls and a top camera team. Life is beautiful. 

Hi Francesca. As we’ve seen from the latest Vegas episode as well as the most recent WKC event, you are riding super strong.  Do you have any new tricks that you’re working on that we might see come out of this project?

I'm just trying to make all my tricks more consistent so I can be stronger in competitions. I wish I could land the Back Mobe, but I think it's just not my trick. 

How do you like the new gear and what is your ideal setup and conditions?

I love the new gear and I think it’s getting better every year. The new Click Bar and the Vegas are awesome. The ideal conditions for me are 18 knots, 138 Team Series, small Click Bar, 11 meter Vegas and of course butter flat water!

Have you ever done a trip like this, a group of women working on a kite edit together and what are your expectations?

I've never done an all girls trip and so far has been a truly an amazing experience. My expectations are that we're going to have great time here and we're going to shoot some amazing footage.

Have you ever been to Egypt before and what are you looking forward to about the spots?

This is my second time in Egypt but it's always so good to be back here. The conditions are always great and it's windy all day long. I'm looking forward to going on the boat, I think is going to be an amazing and fun experience and I can't wait to discover new spots.

Mikaili. Congrats on your recent wins at both the GKA Air Games and the World Kiteboarding Championship!  How are you feeling after taking the top spot at both of these prestigious events?

Thank you, it feels amazing. This year couldn't have gone better for me. This was the first year I was allowed to compete because of my age and i’ve already accomplished my goal.

Are you looking forward to a short break from competitions and the opportunity to work on a video edit with your teammates?

 Yes, I definitely am. I have been training non stop for the last 6 months and I think this trip will give me a chance to cool down before I go back to Brazil.

You are by far the youngest member of the Duotone Women’s kiteboarding team at only 13 years old. Is it different for you to do a trip only with your older teammates without your parents or coach, Fabio Ingrosso along?

This trip isn't that different from the trips I have gone on before because I am with the same people as always and they take care of me, so I feel like I’m at home. I think it is an amazing experience because this will help my future travels and I will learn many new things on this trip.

What goal do you have for yourself for the video project?

My goal for this video project is to make an amazing video that has action, lifestyle and funny clips.

Hi Colleen. Well done on organising this team trip and shoot. What made you want to do a project like this?

I organised the trip or quite a few reasons. I’ve dreamed of doing a trip like this with just my female teammates for years. It seems that most of my previous travels and shoots end up with significantly more guys than girls. While that can offer a cool dynamic as well, the energy amongst the group changes when it’s ladies only and I’ve always thought that would come across on camera really well. I also believe that Duotone has the strongest female team out there and I knew this would be the perfect group to put down big tricks and work hard to make a video that the industry will remember.  Not to mention I knew it would be a lot of fun.

Why the Red Sea?

It was actually my friend, Karolina Winkowska, who first suggested to me to consider Egypt for a September photoshoot as she knows it’s the best month to come here. Then while making plans with Paula, she highly recommended it and everything just seemed to line up.

How is the trip going so far?

We are only a couple days in but we’ve had wind everyday and are already starting to capture some impressive action.  Everyone in the crew has a great attitude and is all super eager to make this project as good as it can be so I’m confident that it will turn out great.  Yesterday, the team from 7bft Kite House even hooked us up with a little rail setup as a special treat, so of course I’m happy!

Any exciting plans for the trip that you can share?

Next on the itinerary is a week boat trip with BigDayz who will take us to various islands around the Red Sea, which I think is going to be pretty spectacular.