With kitesurfing, a derivative of traditional surfing, there’s pros and cons to having a winged aerial object attached to you; it can be a blessing and a curse.
On the one hand, the kite can be an asset. Kite surfers harness the wind as a natural source of propulsion, thus matching the speed of fast water. Not to mention windy days, which are typically not ideal for real surfing, are the days to kitesurf. On the other hand, the kite can be burdensome. It can get in the way. Particularly in the barrel.
For example, check out this next guy.
That’s Reo Stevens, a pro kitesurfer and foil lord from Hawaii. And on this particular wave, as aforementioned, the kite was a curse. Reo tucked into a tube, rode a little too high of a line, dug a rail, and started tumbling inside the tube. An unintentional barrel roll inside a barrel – of course, he had lost his board, too, so let’s just call it a wipeout.
Captioning the clip, Reo wrote:
“Round round like a record baby 😵💫… quick adjustments and sprained ankles don’t mix too well, but let’s face it, here’s the content most people want 😂.
“The ability to use the kite as an ‘ejection button’ in waves of consequence is a massive bonus – just keep that kite flying!”
See, Reo even hinted at some more pros and cons of flying a kite while surfing. The kite strings through the lip of the barrel probably acted as a hindrance; but he could also use the kite as way out the situation by just flying away. After the barrel roll, that is.
The actual barrel roll has been an elusive trick in surfing, kite or no kite. The late Shawn “Barney” Barron used to pull ‘em off, dubbing the move a “Barney Roll.” And Kai Lenny’s been pulling them while strapped in at Jaws.
Think they’ll ever take off and finally have a moment?
Probably not.
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