zEDITORIAL #18

T

THE WINTER PRIMER

here’s definitely something deeply

Another home for devoted wave

Never to be outshone, the athletes on

satisfying about being on the

water, having the time of your life

followers is of course, California. Long-time

local Peter Trow takes us Beyond The Haze

the PKRAtour are approaching the final

stop for this year in Brazil. I got the

while the rest of the country cowers

of the city smog, where you’ll find

chance to witness a PKRAcontest for the

indoors, huddled around an electric heater.

Kite-wise, this time of year can be epic.

The winds get stronger, the waves get

bigger, the beaches get quieter and the

water still holds an encouraging warmth.

Dropping air temperatures aside, it

feathering peaks and room for friends. He

took his - Josh Mulcoy and Ammy Naff.

Read more on page 48.

On this side of the Atlantic, Tarifa on

the southern tip of Spain is undoubtedly

the busiest kite spot on the planet in the

first time in Sardinia, Italy in early October.

I’ve seen plenty of live sporting events

before, but the sheer excitement generated

by the gladiatorial-style combat with riders

going head-to-head had my jaw on the

floor. Anyone who shuns competition

sounds good doesn't it?

This issue we’ve done all we can to

prime you for the bleaker season and tool

you up with all the inspiration and

knowledge you need to charge the big,

stormy seas.

In Put Down Your Guns, Jeff Pfeffer

reports from the front line on the efforts of

summer. Relentlessly howling winds bring

kiters in their thousands, but what the

locals keep quiet is that it keeps on

pumping through the winter. Relentless:

The Tarifa Effect is featured from page 54.

Rounded rails and increased nose

rocker seem to be the recipe for ripping in

waves. Our resident kit doctor, Neal Gent,

needs to see Aaron Hadlow and Ruben

Lenten firing both barrels at each other for

seven minutes. It’s electric. They are

featured alongside some of the other

graduates from another successful season

for the world tour from page 70.

It’s always warm on the inside, so zip

up that 5/3 and enjoy the season.

two riders following their dreams of

developing a vertical, high-performance

surfing style during a rock-and-roll season

dips his head into The Blue Room on

pages 78 and 79, to arm us with all we

need to know when choosing our wave

Jim

of wave riding in Indonesia.

specific arsenal.

Caption>Bruno Sroka behind the dark lines of La Palue, Brittany on the northwest coast of France Photo>Julien Ogor