Australia’s most controversial kiteboarding figure does things his own way. Whether that’s commenting on the sport, choice of equipment, forum etiquite and so forth. Given we’re always keen to hear his thoughts when we stumbled upon his latest wakeskate clip we decided to ask him a few questions. We didn’t get the controversy that he is reknowned for (next time he assured us!) but we got some interesting quotes none the less…
FKM: How much time as a percentage do you think you spend riding a wakeskate?
Rowdy: Hmm, depends really, typically I don’t actually spend that much time on a skate, but for the last couple of months I haven’t ridden anything but my skate. I like to mix it up so I’m not really on any one craft all the time.
So seriously probably like 20%, but I would like it to be more like 50%+.
FKM: How many ‘serious’ kite-wakeskaters do you think there are out there?
Rowdy: I’m not sure to be honest. What constitutes serious? Riding 100%? Because I don’t really know anyone like that, Tape (Shane Fleming from Melbourne) is probably the most serious I know. I’ve only ever seen decent clips from about 4 different people if that counts for anything.
FKM: How could this grow, aka, wakeskating from wakeboarding?
Rowdy: It could grow just the same as any direction in kiting I guess. I highly doubt it will get that popular though, because it can be highly frustrating, it’s not the jump on and learn everything in a few days or weeks kind of thing.
FKM: This clip in ‘South Australia’ looks like an epic spot! Do you spend much time there?
Rowdy: Yeah it’s a nice spot, I think Tom Condon originally took me there a long time back, he’s been in SA most his life so I usually go visit him around the end of the year. So I don’t spend too much time there, I wish it was in my backyard, haha!
Oh yeah, here’s the clip!
Kite/Wakeskate Sessions – Part Two – South Australia. from Alexander Lewis-Hughes on Vimeo.
Part Two gives you a little insight into what a couple of sessions with a small incline rail in South Australia might look like. Hitting a rail with a skate for the first time was a lot of fun even if it was more frustrating than I imagined it to be. Driving your own pull (a kite) always makes up for those inconsistencies though, there’s nothing like that freedom!
Hiro.
Images: Karolina Winkowska, Elliot Drury
Skate shaper: Barracuda (Phil)
Cover photo: Rick Pryce (Adrenaline Boardsports)