Rygo

Last time on Sessions, we were exploring Taiba, a small fishing village in the northeast of Brazil.

We caught up with a couple riders to chat about gear. First we linked up with Lucas Arsenault from Cabrinha to chat about his transition from the Chaos to the FX. We also did a bit of filming with Machu Lopes of Duotone. You can read up on their gear and catch their rider segments in part one.

After spending a week riding and filming at the local lagoon, it was time to head south to the kite mansion in Icapuí. We had plans to catch up with two inspiring female figures, Colleen Carroll from Duotone and Sensi Graves from Liquid Force. I actually first met these two back in Taiba 6 years prior. They were launching their professional kiteboarding careers, while I had recently launched my profession as a freelance video producer.

There were two goals for the second half of the journey. First, to see what the Kite Park League was all about. Second, to session with the ladies and do a segment about their gear picks.

The Kite Park League is a niche but growing aspect of kiteboarding. Imagine a cable park, but for kiteboarders. Wakestyle has been a part of the sport since the beginning, but the last few years it has had less coverage. In that time a small group of dedicated riders have been practicing and doing their own thing, Colleen and Sensi among them.

Red Bull Athlete Christophe Tack is one of the most stylish wakestyle riders

These riders bring elements of wakeboarding into the sport. They keep their kites lower than most freestyle riders and they focus on style and grabs. This has long since been my favorite aspect of kiteboarding to watch. A stylish front to blind with a grab is more relatable than some of the wild powered tricks we see in the PKRA. Not that I don't have respect for those insane athletes; they are next level and the embodiment of sports in general. More so, wakestyle is stylish and something one can practice for many years. It looks good on camera, it’s fun and it brings new creative elements to the sport.

The park here in Icapuí is something special. Alex Maes and Annelous Lammerts, along with some friends, have put in some serious work down here. The energy and passion behind this place is incredible. I'm looking forward to putting in the hours at our local cable park to come back and ride here longer next year.

Colleen Carroll kiteboarding in Brazil

Rider Profiles

Learn about the riders from our sessions and the gear that they are using. Colleen is one of the top athletes in park style riding and the Marketing Coordinator for Duotone Kiteboarding USA. Her style is stylish, controlled and fun. She's at home practicing freestyle or park style tricks. In fact, she's won the Triple-S four times now and is going for a 5th.

Rider Profile:

Colleen Carroll

Style: Freestyle / Wakestyle

Home Spot: White Salmon, Washington

Current Gear: Duotone Dice, Duotone Vegas, Duotone Gambler

Colleen is a professional rider for Duotone Kiteboarding. A top competitor in park style riding, she’s won the triple-S 4 times and aiming for a 5th.

She's an advocate of the Kite Park League and leading the charge for ladies everywhere. Follow the adventure on social: #Colleen

Sponsors: Duotone, ION, Sensi Graves Bikinis, Stoked Roasters

What’s your history with Brazil?

I've traveled to Brazil 7 times now, however, this is my first year visiting Icapui, Brazil and riding at the Kite Mansion Kite Park. Brazil is known for its consistent winds and thus has attracted me to come each fall to spend most of the season kiting daily in the flat water lagoons that the region is known for. I absolutely love coming to Brazil as the conditions really couldn't be better and it's a great place to pack a lot of hours kiting into a relatively short amount of time.

How did you get started kiteboarding?

I grew up outside of Seattle, Washington and now live in White Salmon, Washington (part of The Gorge). I've been kiting for about 10 years now, 7 of those professionally for what was North Kiteboarding and now is known as Duotone Kiteboarding. I mostly compete in Park riding and on the Kite Park League world tour. I also enjoy freestyle in addition to park riding and also love a good cruisy or boosting freeride session! My current goals mostly involve getting more kids and women into kiteboarding and also using my platform as a professional athlete to spread awareness about environmental issues.

What are your kiteboarding goals this year?

Goals concerning the Kite Park League and competitive kiteboarding: I would love to win the Triple-S Invitational again. It's my most favorite event of the year and an event where we typically have really amazing conditions to showcase our best riding. Last year, we had very difficult conditions and only finished less than half of the event and I felt that I wasn't able to ride to my potential, so I guess you could say my goal to win it this year would be a redemption for myself. I also want to finish top 3 overall for the 2019 KPL Season; this would be something I would be really proud of as the level on tour is getting incredibly competitive.

Ride the gear

Check out Colleen's gear

Gear Talk

The Duotone Dice

The Dice is a crossover freestyle kite with great wave capabilities. It likes to be flown aggressively and caters to intermediate to advanced riders. It's user friendly enough for new kiteboarders but not the optimal choice. This kite is nothing short of explosive and in tune with the rider's feedback. I've written a complete review that you can check out here. Ride this kite if unhooked riding, kiteloops, side and side-off waves conditions are your discipline.

The Duotone Vegas

The Vegas is an amplified version of the Dice. More pop, more slack, more in tune with the rider. It's meant to be flown aggressively and it requires an advanced rider. As far as freestyle performance, this is the pinnacle. All this performance does come at a cost. The Vegas lacks the forgiveness and wind range found in the rest of the lineup. Hence it's the right tool for advanced riders looking to compete. Ride this kite if you dream of three things: pop, slack and kiteloops.

The Duotone Gambler

The Gambler has a heavy rocker profile, a stiff flex, a slider base and a durable construction. The rocker makes it a little slower than the Team Series, but softer on the knees and body. The stiff flex allows for a powerful pop when you load energy into the board. The slider base and durable construction make this the perfect choice for kiteboarders who are rough on their gear or if you like to hit features. Ride this if you want softer landings or want to hit features. The Gambler can be used at the cable park, but like most crossover kiteboards, it may be a little fast on the cable.

Sensi Graves

Rider Profile:

Sensi Graves

Style: Freestyle / Parkstyle

Home Spot: Hood River, Oregon

Current Gear: Liquid Force NV, Echo

Sensi is a professional rider for Liquid Force Kiteboarding, an entrepreneur, and a positive empowering female figure. She works incredibly hard at everything she does and still manages to make time for fun.

Follow her adventures on Social: #Sensi

Sponsors: Ride Engine and Liquid Force Kiteboarding.