THE BIG AIR BLUEPRINT
THE VIKING
What a spectacular season it was for Ocean Rodeo team rider Giel Vlugt! From daring to perform the first ever Double loop in the history of kiting, followed by a stylish S-loop, winning the podium at Full Power Tarifa, winning 2022 GKA Male Rider of the Year and 2022 GKA Best Move awards, putting up an incredible show at this year’s King of the Air battle, and wrapping up the year with first place winner of the 2022 BAKL World Tour.
As he prepares to power into the new season, we caught up with ‘The Viking’ to find out exactly what he sees as the winning formula behind his fast-growing trophy wall. Through finding the perfect conditions, the right kite size, the length of the bar lines and the ultimate board, in this 4-part series Giel walks us through the blueprint that works for him… and what could work for you too!
Morning Giel. So how tall and heavy are you?
Morning! I'm 187 cm (6’1) and around 88-90 kilos.
Tell us what your favorite Big Air conditions are…
My favorite Big Air conditions are anything between 30-55 knots!
Anything below 30 is just not giving me the height I need, and anything above 55 is just turning into hanging on for dear life!
What was your favorite event of 2022 and why?
The King of the Air! It always is, because it's simply the biggest, the stakes are the highest and it's just the one you want to win most!
Morning Giel. So how tall and heavy are you?
Morning! I'm 187 cm (6’1) and around 88-90 kilos.
Tell us what your favorite Big Air conditions are…
My favorite Big Air conditions are anything between 30-55 knots! Anything below 30 is just not giving me the height I need, and anything above 55 is just turning into hanging on for dear life!
What was your favorite event of 2022 and why?
The King of the Air! It always is, because it's simply the biggest, the stakes are the highest and it's just the one you want to win most!
Giel put on a spectacular show at the most extreme edition of Red Bull King of the Air last year. Watch King of the Air with Giel Vlugt here.
How important are ramps for going big and pulling your new moves? Your best trick S-loop for 2022 was in totally flat water and it was massive!
To be honest, going big is just a safety net for small errors. You can over or understeer the kite quite a lot and still have plenty of time to correct the position of the kite. So it's crazy important to get good height so you have time to make those all-important mid-air decisions.
Do you ride all stock Ocean Rodeo gear during the competitions?
Yes absolutely! The only thing I change is the bar pressure setting. I love to use the soft setting to get the most quickness out of the kite as I possibly can!
What constitutes a good diet when you’re training for competitions?
Before King of the Air I always try to slim down because I want to try and be as light as I can. But overall I try to build (functional) muscle and eat plenty of fibers, healthy fats and proteins. I do eat carbs as well but mainly only if I have very active or intense days on the water.
And how about physical training other than kiting? Do you recommend certain exercises if you’re looking to get good at Big Air?
I do spend a lot of time in the gym to build and sustain muscle that’ll help me take impacts on crashes and improves my core stability for when I’m airborne. On the cardio side I’m playing a lot of padel now. It’s a good conditioning training but also very explosive which can help you in kiting with, for instance, a takeoff.
Would you say you have to be a fairly physically robust person to engage in Big Air? Or is it accessible to anyone?
It’s absolutely accessible to everyone but it helps to be on the stronger side for it to be sustainable. Because in Big Air you know that if you’re pushing it, you will take hits. And it’s a lot nicer to have a natural impact vest under your actual impact vest, trust me!
How important are ramps for going big and pulling your new moves? Your best trick S-loop for 2022 was in totally flat water and it was massive!
To be honest, going big is just a safety net for small errors. You can over or understeer the kite quite a lot and still have plenty of time to correct the position of the kite. So it's crazy important to get good height so you have time to make those all-important mid-air decisions.
Do you ride all stock Ocean Rodeo gear during the competitions?
Yes absolutely! The only thing I change is the bar pressure setting. I love to use the soft setting to get the most quickness out of the kite as I possibly can!
What constitutes a good diet when you’re training for competitions?
Before King of the Air I always try to slim down because I want to try and be as light as I can. But overall I try to build (functional) muscle and eat plenty of fibers, healthy fats and proteins. I do eat carbs as well but mainly only if I have very active or intense days on the water.
And how about physical training other than kiting? Do you recommend certain exercises if you’re looking to get good at Big Air?
I do spend a lot of time in the gym to build and sustain muscle that’ll help me take impacts on crashes and improves my core stability for when I’m airborne. On the cardio side I’m playing a lot of padel now. It’s a good conditioning training but also very explosive which can help you in kiting with, for instance, a takeoff.
Would you say you have to be a fairly physically robust person to engage in Big Air?Or is it accessible to anyone?
It’s absolutely accessible to everyone but it helps to be on the stronger side for it to be sustainable. Because in Big Air you know that if you’re pushing it, you will take hits. And it’s a lot nicer to have a natural impact vest under your actual impact vest, trust me!
How important are ramps for going big and pulling your new moves? Your best trick S-loop for 2022 was in totally flat water and it was massive!
To be honest, going big is just a safety net for small errors. You can over or understeer the kite quite a lot and still have plenty of time to correct the position of the kite. So it's crazy important to get good height so you have time to make those all-important mid-air decisions.
Do you ride all stock Ocean Rodeo gear during the competitions?
Yes absolutely! The only thing I change is the bar pressure setting. I love to use the soft setting to get the most quickness out of the kite as I possibly can!
What constitutes a good diet when you’re training for competitions?
Before King of the Air I always try to slim down because I want to try and be as light as I can. But overall I try to build (functional) muscle and eat plenty of fibers, healthy fats and proteins. I do eat carbs as well but mainly only if I have very active or intense days on the water.
And how about physical training other than kiting? Do you recommend certain exercises if you’re looking to get good at Big Air?
I do spend a lot of time in the gym to build and sustain muscle that’ll help me take impacts on crashes and improves my core stability for when I’m airborne. On the cardio side I’m playing a lot of padel now. It’s a good conditioning training but also very explosive which can help you in kiting with, for instance, a takeoff.
Would you say you have to be a fairly physically robust person to engage in Big Air? Or is it accessible to anyone?
It’s absolutely accessible to everyone but it helps to be on the stronger side for it to be sustainable. Because in Big Air you know that if you’re pushing it, you will take hits. And it’s a lot nicer to have a natural impact vest under your actual impact vest, trust me!
COMING NEXT
We take a closer look at the mega-looping, mega-boosting machine that is the Rise, as Giel explains the theory behind his favorite size, preferred psi and what it takes to double a 9! Stay tuned….
GIEL'S GEAR
THE RISE A-SERIES
The once impossible has now been made possible due to the Rise, fine tuned to perform like no other Big Air kite on the market...
THE TUMBLER
Specifically designed for BIG AIR, the Tumbler's aggressive shaping and flex technology allows you to maintain complete control during the hottest take offs and landings.
THE PILOT 2.0
Totally redesigned, the Pilot Bar is a culmination of 20 years frontline trim design experience. We went all out and refined every component to deliver the cleanest, easiest to use frontline trim bar to date.