Submit a personal photo on our Forum that best captures the F-One lifestyle and you will have a chance to win a 2010 F-One Dry Shirt every month.
To submit, you will need to register to our Forum or to connect via your Facebook account so that you could use the same credentials. You will also need to have your picture already hosted on a public photo website (Flickr, Picasa, Smugmug, etc…).
It's not recommended for everybody and for all wave riding spots but there are situations where you need one: point break reef, offshore wind, rip current, or just surfing your Bamboo board without the kite! The F-One Pro Wave team is using this leash everywhere they go and you can see it on the latest Videos.
Soon to be featured on The Kiteboarder magazine, a just released new beautiful Surf Bamboo ST AD, along with a very inspiring story from Gilles Calvet, the F-One photographer in Europe.
Alex Soto wins the Heineken Kiteboarding Freestyle Challenge
After a last minute VISA approval, Cosmickites.com and F-One Kiteboarding Americas sent Team Riders Alex Soto and Robinson Hilario to Puerto Rico just in time to catch the first kiteboarding heat of the 6th annual Puerto Rico Heineken International Regatta. The Freestyle and Big Air competitions were held at the Palmas Del Mar Yacht Club near Humacao on the south east coast of Puerto Rico. The event marked the first time the Puerto Rican Sailing Federation, a member of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), included a Kiteboarding Class at a major regatta. Officially called the Heineken Kiteboarding Challenge, the event was organized by Pedro Rodriguez of KiteboardingPR.com under the rules and guidelines of the IKA and PKRA.
"Now that the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has recognized kiteboarding as an official International Class Association, we wanted to be the first major regatta in the Caribbean to offer a kiteboarding class as well as our traditional dinghy event and yacht racing classes," said regatta director, Angel Ayala. "We succeed beyond our expectations by having 30 kiteboarders register and welcoming the participation of two professional freestyle riders from the Dominican Republic, Alex Soto and Robinson Hilario."
The event kicked off on Friday, March 18th in 13 knots of south east side shore wind at beautiful Candelero Beach. The first day of competition was capped with a Grey Goose VIP party at the new marina building. No heats were held on Saturday due to a light 8 knot wind, but that was enough for competitors to have some fun on a 15m Bandit 3 with 39m lines (!) and a 6’8” Ches Custom Course racing board. The wind returned on Sunday, although from the opposite direction, with Alex Soto (Cabarete, DR), Robinson Hilario (Cabarete, DR), Paulo Dias (Puerto Rico) and Puerto Rican local F-One rider Freddy Zamora competing in the final heat. After a blistering series of freestyle moves, Alex Soto took first, 16 year-old Robinson Hilario took second and Freddy Zamora took third. Finally, to cap off an incredible event, the riders downwinded to the Palmas Del Mar Yacht Club where they put on a kiteboarding exhibition to the pleasant surprise of the hundreds of sailing enthusiasts gathered for the regatta.
After winning, Alex Soto said “I love Puerto Rico! It feels great to be traveling and competing internationally again and I finally got to compete in the US. It was really cool and funny to watch Robinson go on his first trip and compete. I’m really excited to start the 2010 season with my new sponsors F-One, Cosmic Kites and Airbound Apparel. Also, gracias por todo to my man Jose Cassenova who organized the whole event and treated our team like royalty, shuttling us around the event, stocking our fridge and giving us VIP passes to all the nightlife. But now I’m just really looking forward to staying focused and kicking off my PKRA in France next month.”
The perfect package, not only to start as a beginner but also to improve your skills as you become an intermediate to advanced rider.
Package includes complete kite w/bar, lines, bag pack, pump, leash, bladder repair kit and board w/pads, straps, fins, handle bar.
Combination: 2010 REVOLT 7/9/11/13m with 2010 FLUID 135/39cm or 140/40cm or 140/42cm.
The FIFTY PRO is a light wind machine. You can start planning on really light wind days. It’s also a lively board, not just a cruising board and you can enjoy the FIFTY PRO for jumps and turns. Construction is 100% wood core with Direct Drive technology, a progressive and dynamic flex and ABD inverted rails.
The new FLUID is equipped with our 3D molded Platinum Pads & Straps for the best comfort and the new Strap Lock 2 for easy mount and setup.
EQUIPMENT
- Pads Pro Platinum with Plates adjustable
- Straps ergo with Straplock for an optimal setup
- 4 fins G10 5cm
- Handle Bar
Ideal for freeride and easy to learn on, this board benefits from a all the research made on the high end models, using 100% wood core construction with Direct Drive technology, a progressive and dynamic flex and ABD inverted rails. The Fluid helps the rider find its stands and is very forgiving during the first jumps.
The new FLUID is equipped with our 3D molded Platinum Pads & Straps for the best comfort and the new Strap Lock 2 for easy mount and setup.
The new Fluid is available as a package with the new 2010 revolt, making it the best introductory package at a very competitive price you can find.
EQUIPMENT
- Pads Pro Platinum with Plates adjustable
- Straps ergo with Straplock for an optimal setup
- 4 fins G10 5cm
- Handle Bar
SIZES
- 135 x 39 cm
- 140 x 40 cm
- 140 x 42 cm
The Fluid will be available in a package with the new 2010 Revolt. Fluid pricing is unchanged with last year model.
Just received this from Vali from DC Kites. Thanks for sharing Vali, these are awesome pics, I like the "we can kite there from time to time till Secret Service or Park Police ask us to stop since the Presidential helicopter needs to land"
------------------
Hey Nico,
As you know we got bombed with snow this week which is very unusual for Washington DC area. There is entire chaos on the streets, gov buildings are shot down and everyone seams like in a long vacation. I went yesterday and try to get a snowkiting session in with one of my friends at the The Washington Monument area right next to the White House. The area is open and we can kite there from time to time till Secret Service or Park Police ask us to stop since the Presidential helicopter needs to land.
I rigged the 7 m Bandit III and I went out. My first time on the B3 on the snow. Damn, the 7 is fast, fast kite. The wind was up and down, very gusty so not too much jumping. The kite handles the gust very smooth and relaunch on the land as on the water. I was just cruising around since the wind was so messy.
Snowkiting and looking at the The Washington Monument, it is such an awesome feeling. It was a blast!
Here are some pics taken by my friend, David Kramer.
Seattle local rider Jim Buttrick feedback on his 2010 F-One gear
Bandit 3 Feedback
Winter is a great time to kite in Seattle and I’ve had at least 30 sessions on the Bandit 3’s since November. They are great kites! Coming from bow kites, Bandit 3’s are really making me a much better rider. The fast speed and quick turning promotes a more active riding style where you have much better feel for the kite position. That said I love the steady pull and the way the kite whips you through turns. I also really appreciate being able to feel where the kite is when jumping.
Kite performance:
- Wind range (my experience)
- 13 M – I’ve ridden this kite in 15 – 25 with no problems. At 200 lbs, I feel that it is a little bit small for a light wind Seattle kite; however, it will be a great light wind Gorge kite
- 10M - a very nice kite. This could easily be a one kite quiver. I’ve ridden it in 18 – gusting to 35. I typically switch to the 7M when you get blowing sand or “liquid wind.”
- 7M – we had a couple of days in SPI where it blew 40 all day. It was unusual to have steady 40 mph winds and the 7M was just fine. I could probably get by with an 8M as my smallest kite.
I’ve also had a lot of interest from local riders and have been letting a number of them take my kites for a spin. We usually swap kites so I’ve ridden many other 2010 kites, and I haven’t found a kite that matches what I’m looking for like the B3.
Jim riding his 10m B3 on Lake Washington on Dec 30th.
Alex Caizergues voted Kiteboarding Athlete of 2009
SurferToday.com has announced the winners of the «Athletes Of The Year 2009» award.
The laurels are presented to the surfers, kitesurfers, windsurfers and bodyboarders that represent the cutting edge of performance in each individual wave and wind water sport.
KITEBOARDING CATEGORY: Alex Caizergues - The French bullet is one of the fastest sailors in the world. Again, in the Luderitz Speed Challenge 2009, he broke another world record. Bravo Alex!
This is what Brian has to say about it after trying it extensively at Wadell:
The Surf Bamboo 6'2 differs from the rest of the pack with a significantly more pronounced double concave well through the majority of the bottom. This makes a big difference in rough conditions that are common to... surf riding. This board works exceptionally well in larger surf where it will easily draw out long smooth carving turns with minimal input and feels really stable. It also tends to release off the top with very well in all size surf. And of course, like the rest of the bamboo lineup, the durability is fantastic.
