Archive for the ‘Board Sports’ Category
As the outbreak of a deadly virus grips the world, I sit at home at the start of lockdown, looking at the pile of hard drives that scatters my desk. For years I have been documenting what I have been doing as a pro kiteboarder, with one purpose. To show you what kitesurfing is all about, to represent the sport in the best way possible and give back to the industry that has given me so much over the years. Kite boarding is a sport that has the power to change lifestyle, to create jobs and enhance our awareness of our surroundings in every way.
Jason Polakow’s search for the perfect wave for windsurfing has just begun.
This time, he travels to Indonesia for a windsurf adventure like no other.
Jason’s true passion has always been chasing down some of the biggest waves and best surf conditions and he is the only wave-sailor to break away from full-time competition to challenge nature in its most extreme form. In February 2016 he became the first windsurfer to tackle the giant waves at Praia do Norte, near Nazaré, Portugal, saying: “This isn’t Maui, You don’t come out here for 20 fun waves. You come out and you feel good if you get one or two unbelievable rides.”
Watch nine-time world bodyboarding champion, Mike Stewart, bodysurfing the waves of Teahupoo in Tahiti, in October 2018.
The legendary bodyboarder ended up suffering a painful injury.
“I was having a great session until the end of my last wave when good things came to an abrupt halt,” explained Stewart.
“As I rode my last wave I found a new technique that took me faster, out of the barrel and onto the shoulder. I then tucked both arms in, attempting to go faster still, to get out in front of the white water snow ball.”
The idea being to better penetrate the waves face and cut out, avoiding the dreaded inside suck over onto the dry reef. It was a miserable fail.”
“As I dove into the wave face I soon felt that inescapable, eerie anxiety of my body getting sucked over backwards.”