Winds of Antigua: Jake Kelsick's Thrilling Tale of Kitesurfing, Wing Foiling, and Caribbean Stoke

In the world of wind sports, few stories capture the essence of island stoke quite like Jake Kelsick's. Born and raised on the sun-kissed shores of Antigua, Jake has turned his lifelong passion for kitesurfing and wing foiling into a thriving career as a pro rider, content creator, and school owner. With over 15 years of crafting epic videos that have inspired countless kiters worldwide, Jake's journey from early kite sessions in 2003 to globe-trotting adventures and family life is nothing short of legendary. In this exclusive interview, we catch up with Jake on everything from his roots in the Caribbean to the gear that's fueling the next wave of wind enthusiasts. Whether you're dreaming of butter-flat lagoons or chasing big air, Jake's insights will have you rigging up in no time. Read on for the full scoop, straight from the source!

You've been at this for a little while, haven't you? Tell us about how you got hooked on water sports and content creation.

For sure, man. It's been like 15 plus years probably making videos and stuff. I started making videos before videos were a thing that people thought were good at it, kinda. It's been a cool journey because I started with kitesurfing and was my main into water sports and the industry and all that stuff. I kited for a long time. Started making videos online. That led to more connections, more opportunities and here we are still kind of doing the same thing, just a different version of it.

You're on the beautiful island of Antigua. How was that growing up on an island like that?

It's cool, man. It wasn't really until I started to travel a little bit for kiting, you start to see different spots, different places. You're like, oh, well, this is the same thing, but a little bit different. Water temps a little colder, a little busier, a little more fast paced when you get off island for sure. I've been kiting and stuff since probably 2003, 2004. So that's when I got the hook pretty early on. That was quite helpful being on an island, because it is cool being on an island, but island life, there's just only so many things to do.

I was on Maui for a bit and didn't realize how much of a water place it is. Is Antigua similar?

It's interesting that Antigua is kind of an interesting one. It's not as crazy as Hawaii, because we have the conditions and then we have great spots for it. But the local community is quite small. Locals on island, they'll go to the beach and stuff, but they're not big swimmers. They're not really big fans of the water, like the local crew. They're just very at that, go to waist-deep level water, not as far as they go.

Let's talk spots. What kind of conditions do you get in Antigua—flat water, bump and jump, waves?

It's a mix. It's fairly flat water in most of the spots. There's one or two spots you can get waves at every now and again. It's not all the time. So it's mainly either butter flat or kind of rolling open ocean swell kind of vibe. We're on the north side, near Hodges Bay area. That's kind of where we live. Most of the kiting and winging kind of happens on that side of the island because the wind's blowing from the east.

How about the reefs?

Similar, lot of reef around, definitely a lot of protection wrapping the island. Maybe not as alive as Bonaire. We got a little bit more traffic over here, but we definitely have a ton of all over.

Half Moon Bay sounds epic—what makes it special?

Here's like a sweet wave spot. It can get some good rollers, but it's still pretty safe. It's not like big, like barreling waves. It's just like a nice, massive speed bump.

Island drives sound adventurous. Do you guys have anything wild like Bonaire's drag racing?

It takes about 40 to 50 minutes drive to the side. Potholes, goats, cows, people parked up talking to their friends. That's funny. Not so much on the street. They do have like a drag track. Antigua is a little bit more chill on that side of things.

How long have you been coaching?

That's when we started the school, but I've been coaching for many years before that. Straight out of high school, my goal was to go pro and do this full time. That led to kind of getting sponsored and doing the pro thing for a while, traveling around.

Pro life sounds glamorous—but what's the reality?

Being a pro in kiting or winging can be tricky. You live a cool lifestyle, but it's hard to kind of always. To actually earn cash that you hold on to is a little bit tricky.

What gear is your favorite so far that you've gotten to ride or are riding now?

We're pretty biased because our school is all North and Mystic. It gets better every year. They're very switched on on the design team, I think.

When did you get into wing foiling?

Wingfoil, probably like three, four years ago. Started out with all the wrong gear. As the years went on gear started to get better.

How do kiting and winging compare?

They're two different experiences for sure. I think the chance of people actually continuing with winging and actually becoming a winger is a little bit higher than kiting because you can do it in more places and it's just safer.

Teaching tips for beginners?

We start kneeling just to try and get a little taste. It's a rep game. It's just about doing the thing enough to get a feel.

Foiling's changed everything, hasn't it?

That's the blessing of foiling is change the water sports industry forever. Foiling is addictive and fun because it will give you as much as you want to get whenever you get time.

What were some of your most fun adventures that kiting's brought you so far?

Man, there's a ton. Got to go to places like Bora Bora. That was definitely a pretty massive highlight. Pretty wild story. Basically there was a guy who was a kiter and watched my videos and was planning this sick birthday party in Bora Bora and basically invited me to come along. It's like a big swimming pool. It's like Antigua but on steroids, just like totally untouched, massive aquarium. The Cook Islands. I feel like there's tons of little gems hiding out there.

Any standout spots from the pro tour?

One of the standout places for competition was actually in Russia. It was kind of like being anywhere else. It was like a nice, like, lagoon, warm, sunny, but no one spoke any English.

Favorite video you've made?

Cruise Mode. That was like a pretty DVD-esque style video. Kind of showcases Antigua, like Antigua lifestyle quite nicely.

Family life's a big part now—tell us about your wife and little one.

Me and my wife actually started the business. When we first met, she had never done any board sports ever. But she was a big sailor. Now she kite foils, wing foils, does all the fun stuff. We got a baby girl. She's almost two and a half now. She's the next up and coming star. She's going to be winging in four years for sure!

Videos
Check out Jake's "Cruise Mode" on YouTube for a taste of Antigua's vibes: Watch Here. Dive into his Bora Bora adventures in this epic edit: Watch Here.

Tune in to the episode: https://foillifepodcast.com/episode/episode-113-jake-kelsick