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Like some of our suppliers, we also consider
sponsorship a duty to the sport of kite flying.
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Aside: For the sake of this
discussion we'll refer to kite flying as all those
activities involved in flying a kite whether moving
or not. In the case of moving it may include kite
boarding or surfing, kite buggying, kite All Terrain
Boarding, kite skiing, kite snowboarding, Kite
Sledding, Kite Kat-ing to name a few. In these cases
the rider is using the power of the wind to control
a kite sail of some kind to pull themselves across
the surface of the earth. |
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The sport of kiting has given each and everyone of
us at CWR and our dealers more than we could ever
give back. It has changed our lives, given us
something to look forward to no matter where or when
we find ourselves. Our character has been shaped
with it's humbling moments yet it strengthened us in
so many ways because of the respect that it
constantly demands. |
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Over the years we've heard the term 'team riders'
used in so many of the sports brands. As kiting
evolves so will the possibilities that individuals
will choose to pursue the sport. At the time of
writing this article there appear to be two
sponsorship avenues that riders enjoy. Like other
sports, traditional competitions attracting team
riders are popping up all across the globe. But for
the majority of riders it's all about friends and
freedom. A wind filled sunny day out on some powder
snow or waves with your friends experiencing kite
freedom is just what the sport is all about. In the
same way that a competitor pursues the podium with
boundless passion so do, what we'd like to
recognize, is our ambassadors in their pursuit of
kite freedom. These are not just people that go
kiting. These are kiters from the soul. They are
individuals that push the technology, make it better
for themselves and others and are willing to give
back to the sport in so many ways. They are driven
to be free kiters and to share that passion. |
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Our ambassadors are not paid riders. They ride our
products because they believe in them. They have
demonstrated the kinds of skills that we feel
represent where the future is going in this sport.
The more time our ambassadors spend riding, the more
we can help our customers and grow the industry. So
we do all we can to help them ride as much as
possible. We try to make it easier for them to get
visibility at riding events by occasionally covering
some of the costs. |
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There are many riders that would
love to be sponsored. There are only a few that
merit support. Our ambassadors are chosen for many
reasons. Some have been riding since the early
1990s. Some have a more recent history. Regardless
of the duration, our ambassadors have broad skills
that are used in the sport. They're willing to
travel to meet new riders and gain new experiences.
They often ride year round and change their craft
not only by season but within season. They subscribe
to sport magazines and are active in on-line groups.
Some keep a low profile and others are more visible.
They provide intelligent feedback on new products
they test for us. Some are world champions and
others have never competed. All of our ambassadors
share the ideal of safety, riding and friendship.
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Some of our Ambassadors ... |
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Mike D. - formerly from
Ontario, but now resides in Ireland |
| Although the writing of
this is long overdue, it seems very appropriate now
given the circumstances surrounding this
festival. So
who is Mike D. and why did he fly back to Canada for
our festival? |
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As a kid,
Mike remembers every spring when his father would
build kites cut from old hockey sticks for the
frames and newspapers for the cloth. Things have
come a long way since then, and it is clear now that
kiting is in Mike's soul to stay.
Mike started sport kiting in the mid 1990s. He
remembers that his first kite was a Backtracker,
which later prompted him to upgrade to a Revolution.
Over time, his collection of stunt kites and single
line kites grew and grew. His first real traction
kite was a Sky Tiger, on which he was commonly seen
doing down winders on water skis from Port Rowan to
his parents home on Long Point. There have been
dramatic changes since then and Mike has ridden
through a lot of it.
Over the years, Mike has feed his passion by selling
for various kite manufacturers, travelling the world
riding for pleasure (Ille de la Madeleine, Ireland)
and competing internationally at the World Ice and
Snow Sailing Association (WISSA) championships in
Rimouski, Finland, Saskatoon, and Orillia (Ontario).
In fact Mike won the world championship in Italy in
2002.
Since then he has concentrated more on recreational
flying than racing. Mike's favourite pursuit of the
sport is in winter. Next he enjoys warm water kite
surfing, followed by buggying and landboarding. Mike
will often fly his sport kites when taking a break
from surfing to help guage changes in the wind. For
smooth winds while buggying or snow kiting, he
prefers his Jojo RMs and Libre Bora foils. His
choice on the water consists of Ocean Rodeo Ones and
Broncos. For all the rest or when it is gusty he
rides Peter Lynn Twin Skins. He likes them for their
ease of use especially for beginners. He says "if
you kite alone, the Peter Lynn Twin skins and foils
rule. Set up, launching and landing is a snap."
Mikes achievements and ability speak for themselves.
We consider him one of power kiting's true
Ambassadors.
Last summer (2006), believe it or not Mike turned 50
and got married to his love Dianna. He now lives in
Ireland and is coming back to Canada for our winter
festival. Mike will be arriving about two weeks
before the festival and riding at different
locations around Ontario. If you are looking to get
some pictures or have chat with Mike, you'll be able
to see him at on March 3/4, 2007 at the festival.
Mike is easy to find as he spends a lot of time in
the air and usually wears skis. He also likes to
jump for the cameras. He is one of the smoothest and
most consistent kite freestylers that Ontario has
ever had. We will miss him when he goes back home to
Ireland. He also loves answering questions for those
new to the sport of kiting.
On behalf of the Festival Organizing Committee and
other wind riders in Eastern Canada, Mike thanks for
coming back and we look forward to riding with you
again!
For more images of Mike and his kites, try these
links:
kite skiing,
kite buggying, and
kite surfing. |
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Brent H. - Kingston, Ontario,
Canada |
| Brent is long time wind
junkie and native to the Kingston area.
Growing up in these parts you can always count
on meeting friends at the water when the thermals
kicked in. Of his two passions, swimming
and windsurfing, it was swimming that eventually
took him out west for an undergrad in Calgary and
five great years of swim related globe trotting, but
it was during a stint of travel in Southern Africa
that Brent rediscovered what its like to truly be at
play with a surfboard under his feet.
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| Eternally
addicted to riding boards he returned to Canada and
jumped right back into windsurfing with a vengeance.
If it was windy you could always find him on the
water! Brent never dreamt he would give it up
until a fateful winter day when he flew his first
serious kite! He had bought a beat up LEI
(leading edge inflatable) on EBay with the idea that
it might be fun to try in the winter. With his
wind surfing background he was up and ripping on day
two and has never looked back. |
| Brent
eventually sold the wave gear to buy kites that
spring and it has now been three fantastic years of
summer and winter riding since. With the desire to
be a little more self sufficient with the
newest form of his wind addiction and wanting to
have gear suited to both winter and summer
conditions Brent discovered a company called Peter
Lynn. A few emails later and he was intrigued
enough to get an Arc. What an eye opener!
So simple, so easy, soooooo good. He ditched
the pump and has never missed it.
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| The newer
PL kites (Venom and Venom-II) are a perfect fit for
Brent with hassle free performance that does nothing
but get better as the conditions get bigger.
Now a busy chiropractor with two growing clinics in
the Kingston area and a family in the making, he
works hard to balance family, work and play.
For Brent a happy lifestyle has more to do with
quality time and of course wind than dollars
and cents so he keeps a few gaps in his schedule
should mother nature decide to come out and play!
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| Brent is
currently riding a mixed quiver of Venoms
and Venom-IIs. His riding style is active to say the
least. He's generally inspired by fluid
powered riding with a lot of low level air and
hot landings. The bag of tricks is endless
with kites and he is looking forward to as many
years of progression as he can possibly manage. With
more than double the water time that he used to get
windsurfing, plus the bonus of a long winter
season, things are looking good in Kingston for
their tight knit group of local kite addicts.
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| With more
arcs per capita than most regions on the globe,
Kingston is home to a great group of passionate
kiters that Brent is fortunate enough to call
friends. If its anything over 13 knots
you can bet they're out there inspiring each other
to never grow up! |
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If you would like to be
considered an Ambassador and already ride on our
products, please
contact us and send a bio on
your past present and future. |
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