'Waking up at sunrise to do yoga and go surfing in a remote and beautiful place surrounded by wildlife and nature. Having a big fresh breakfast and coffee; then playing on the beach with my dog and friends. Kitesurfing all afternoon in big waves then making a fire under the stars, drinking good red wine with friends and sleeping in my Animal van on the beach ready to wake up for another early surf!´
Pablo: Tell us about you, how did you start in this sport?
Kirsty: I started kitesurfing quite late as I was so committed to my windsurfing and surfing that I didn’t have the time to think about another water sport. I first tried kitesurfing when I was out in Hawaii training to do the World Windsurf tour, on a day when the wind was too light for windsurfing. My curiosity about kitesurfing finally got the better of me one day and asked if I could have a quick play with a kite in the water. I absolutely loved it and it was so much fun learning and getting dragged through the water by the power of this kite!
Pablo: did someone encourage you to compete?
Kirsty:I’ve always been quite competitive in sport and used to compete in long distance running, windsurfing and surfing so it was quite natural for me to compete in kitesurfing too. I feel that competing pushed my level enormously in windsurfing and surfing so I knew if I wanted improve quickly, competing was a good way. Also I need new challenges all the time and competing gives me that!
Pablo: Which riders did you admire and influence on your style when you were beginning on Kiteboarding?
Kirsty: Ben Hanbury was my only influence when I started as he was the only person I knew who kitesurfed and he made kitesurfing look appealing to me.I wasnot really inspired by the whole kitesurfing scene at kite beach in Maui when I was there as I felt a lot of big egos, ‘coolness’, fiddling around with lines on the beach, then tricks being pulled off in front of the girls on the beach! I just thought kiters were show off’s and a bunch of monkeys! But Ben Hanbury changed by opinion as he would go really far out into the waves and boost really high, graceful jumps and ride the waves alone. This made me want to try kitesurfing.
Pablo: Tell me about competition. Which is the next one? are you competing right now? And what do you expect from yourself?
Kirsty:I have bigger more challenging missions this year than to do all the world tour again and at the moment with the KPWT and PKRA world tours in dispute, fighting as to who is the ‘official’ world tour, its not exactly inspiring me to want to compete! I don’t really care who is the official world tour I just want to compete in good locations at the best time of year for waves!I defiantly would like to select some of the best comp venues this year and do them but I’ve achieved all my competitive goals and have got the Kitesurf wave world title so would like to focus on other things.
Pablo: Tell me something special about your style when you go on the board.
Kirsty: I’ve been told I ride like the top men in the waves but not sure to take that as a compliment or not as I don’t want to be ‘manly’!!I like to think of myself as riding powerfully and totally committed…but with a touch of grace and style.
Pablo: Which are your favourite kites size normally you take with you in your car?
Kirsty: Well, first I don’t have a car, only a van and what goes in there is a lot!Kites I take are my North Evos... a 7m and 9m and possibly 10m, 12m or 6m depending on forecast!
Pablo: And how many boards, and measures?
Kirsty:I use the two North directional boards, the 5’9 Kontact and5’8 Wam, the Soleil 134 and my 6’0 or 6’3surfboard.
Pablo: In your opinion, C´s, hybrids or bows?
Kirsty:I prefer the delta shape which is the Evo as I can use it for everything and it’s totally reliable, simple and safe. I like to keep things a simple as possible and when I find a kite I like I don’t want to use anything else.
Pablo: How was 2009 for you?
Kirsty: 2009 was great as I got the world title in the waves again and did some very special kite and surf trips.But for me winning competitions and that type of success doesn’t make me truely happy... its more for the ego which is something I would like to detach myself from. I believe we make a livingfrom what we get, but we make a life from what we give’. 2009 was the toughest year for me emotionally but I feel like I learnt a lot and woke up a lot too.
Pablo: Which are your plans for this 2010 season?
Kirsty: This year I really want to incorporate Marine conservation and protection and other charity events into all of my projects and trips.There are so many positive, exciting things I would like to do and bigger more challenging waves to ride and explore but this year I really want to focus on giving something back to our amazing oceans, planet and wildlife that desperately needs protecting and helping.
I will choose some competitions and events to do but now I want to achieve greater, more challenging things than winning a world title. I like competing but the only reason I want to win is for my sponsors. It doesn’t make me a better person or any happier! Doing competitions, like a lot of things in life, is about the experience and what we learn along the way, not the end result.
This year I will also be organising some kite/surf and yoga camps in various locations, as I would like to share my experience and knowledge to help others enjoy and benefit from the waves, wind and yoga as much as I have.
I am also going to be doing more video stuff (which is something I haven’t had the time to focus on the last couple of years) and possibly a kite/surf/ marine conservation DVD.
Pablo: and your best year...
Kirsty:That’s a hard question because every year could be the best year… depending how you view it. My most successful years were not my happiest actually.
Pablo: Which is your favourite beach-spot?
Kirsty: I like beaches that are remote, wild and with lots of space…so probably some of my favourites are Fresh water west in Pembrokeshire, Wales back home,Vale Figerias here in Alentejo, Portugal where I am living at the moment, West Oz, Esperance (absolutely stunning) and West Ireland, Brandon Bay.
Pablo: Tell me about your travels. Which one of all is the one you prefer?
Kirsty: Madagascar is definitely one of my big favourites so far but definitely not just for the incredible conditions for surf and kiting.. This country is very very special and like a different planet.
Kirsty: Waking up at sunrise to do yoga and go surfing in a remote and beautiful place surrounded by wildlife and nature. Having a big fresh breakfast and coffee; then playing on the beach with my dog and friends. Kitesurfing all afternoon in big waves then making a fire under the stars, drinking good red wine with friends and sleeping in my Animal van on the beach ready to wake up for another early surf!
Pablo: Something you hate in Kiteboarding.
Kirsty: Big egos and tangled lines!
Pablo: Which has been your worst moment in your sportive career?
Kirsty: Travelling all the way to New Caledonia from Indonesia (paying £1000 excess baggage and a lot more for the flight!) for the final of the KPWT two years ago which I needed to win to get the world title. When I arrived I got Dengue fever which I contracted from Indo and spent the whole two weeks in hospital and in the hotel room bed! The dengue fever was the worst pain mentally and physically ever and then the comp never happened anyway because of lack of wind and waves so I stayed in 2nd place!
Pablo: Besides Kiteboarding, which other things you do?
Kirsty:surfing, yoga, SUP, long distance running, spending time with family and friends, marine conservation and campaigns. In work I am constantly doing things for my sponsors …media stuff, PR, Animal surf and yoga days, modelling, writing, photo shoots, events etc.
Pablo: How do you see the Kiteboarding in your country, Wales?
Kirsty:I don’t know why it hasn’t grown so quickly in Wales like in other places but its strange because we have some amazing beaches for kiting (shhhhhhhhh)
The people of Wales seem to be happy just to be in the sea whether its raining, snowing, freezing and you see people going surfing of all ages using all types of surf/body board/ piece of wood etc so I’m sure when more and more people try kitesurfing it will grow like surfing has in Wales…Wales is just a bit slower to modernise than other countries but this is how I like it!!
Pablo: What do you think about the Spanish level?
Kirsty: Its clear to see that the Spanish level is very very high in kitesurfing. Spain has fantastic conditions for kitesurfing and it seems like a lot of parents passed on their kitesurfing/ watersports knowledge to their kids so they have good coaches and role models.
Pablo: What do you do during the winter, between seasons?
Kirsty: Travel, exploration, projects, family and friends and work with my sponsors.
Pablo: What do you prefer?
Hip Hop- Rock:Rock
Surf-Wake:surf
Hamburger-Pizza: Pizza
Books-TV:Books
Mountain-beach: Beach
white-black: white
water-coke :water
Pablo: Tell us something about your sponsors.
Kirsty:My sponsors Animal, North and ION are AMAZING!!!I could never of achieved everything I have without their support, equipment and 100% commitment into their riders and the sport.I am a bit of a perfectionist and I will only ride with the company and equipment that is the best in what they do.
Pablo: It’s a pleasure Kirsty. Something else you want to tell us?
Kirsty:Less talking, more action J Get out there, have fun, be safe, and enjoy the ride!
Personal details
Date of birth:11/07/79
Living place: Roots in Wales but living all over!
Hobbies:Surfing, Yoga, running, sea swimming, Stand up paddle boarding, dancing, donkeys and animals.
