Episode #21 - Kyriakos Giakoumaros

[00:00:00] Welcome to The Wing Life Podcast, where we talk about wing-foiling and the lifestyles of those who enjoy this great sport. Alright, it looks like we're live, K-Kos Kyriakos. K-Kos, K-Kos. Thanks for joining me tonight and morning for you. Yeah, well, the pleasure to be here, man.

[00:00:33] Yeah, thanks a lot. So is it windy today, in Greece? Not as windy as normal. We're having a bit of a heat wave trying to come over, but even with the heat wave, the wind kind of persists, so we're getting something, for sure, at least enough of wing-foiling.

[00:00:48] But normally we'd have like, you know, 25 knots average on every day, so definitely not as much today. Oh, well, still. For our guests at home, let's start where are you from and I guess where are you right now? Well, I am from Rhodes Island in Greece.

[00:01:08] That's where I am right now. That's where I grew up with my family from. And that's where I own my business and I work. So that's yeah, basically that's where I learned surfing where I did everything to do with water sports.

[00:01:24] You know, where we go into everything and it's really a fantastic island to be on in the summer, at least, you know? Okay.

[00:01:32] Now for those of us who don't know a lot about Greece, Greece is a series of islands and roads as one of them or are you on the... Well, Greece has a main land, not a huge country like the US of Canada,

[00:01:47] but it has got a mainland and it has a lot, a lot a lot of islands. So Rhodes Island is like the main island, the capital island, so the people of the Dekinis islands, that's a 12 islands right next to Turkey. Okay. Oh beautiful.

[00:02:05] Yeah, the scenery and stuff out there must be phenomenal. Yeah, well, Rhodes is quite down south. There's like close to Cyprus, close to Crete, close to Turkey. And so you get hot weather in the summer, and obviously you got the Mediterranean climate. So, you know, I'm not complaining.

[00:02:24] No, I don't doubt. Cool. So how early did you start water sports? I was born into it actually. My father, my father kind of started his water sports business about 43 years ago.

[00:02:42] He was one of the first to bring wind stuff on the island, even in Greece I think. You know, that was when wind stuffing was the first starting out. When the year is when being a wind surface, they're equivalent of being a superstar.

[00:02:55] You know, he actually treatment everywhere. So he started then and that's what I was born. And then how was basically born on a wind station, raised in a wind station? I swam on the water walk later, you know. But it's a nice life.

[00:03:17] I can't complain that I got to know the business and probably how everything works and how to obviously interact with people in different countries from a very, very young age. But that's the only thing I actually knew, you know, so just because not like that.

[00:03:35] That's what I live basically. Okay, fair enough. And then you decided to kind of follow in those footsteps and is reckless riders your own or is that the continuation of your father? Now, reckless riders is my own. We currently work at out of my father's business as well.

[00:03:53] So obviously everybody wants to have wind falling now, right? But I mean it's a bit of a, I found you, story because the thing with the you guys in Canada and the US,

[00:04:04] you got falling much longer, you know, so to speak then we do like falling in general and wind falling especially because when it came out it was like when wind falling cannot was but like five years ago approximately. So it's like COVID times, right?

[00:04:21] And everything was unlocked now and you couldn't get dearly, couldn't get anything and especially get it into Europe. And then an island like roads, you know, little island of in a little country was definitely not easy.

[00:04:34] So we didn't really have wind falling the first two years it came out and you know, you had it in Maui and spreading around and everything we didn't,

[00:04:42] we were just watching it sometimes on Instagram and going, oh, what is this stupid look at thing they're doing now, you know? And I just found a board and a wing really shitty one to be honest, but it was you know the first, some of the first year.

[00:04:58] So I just found someone and bought it onto the island and left it here because obviously didn't work out with him and the friend had it and I said hey, I'm going to use that this and no, I'm taking and I took it and I first time I tried was in our winter conditions here which are definitely not conditions you want to start with.

[00:05:15] And it's definitely not conditions you want to start wing for the things like stormy weather is either going to be 40 knots or like 10 knots. And I weigh about 100 kilograms, you know, so basically I didn't know anything about falling no history and falling before that.

[00:05:35] It's falling it's supposed to go in light winds 10 knots is enough doesn't matter that there's a you know one one two meter strawberry with white wash and everything and I'm going to walk through that the non going.

[00:05:46] Right before and it took me about a half an hour and of course there was no info and YouTube or anything like now it was just this is wing falling here's a picture.

[00:05:56] And I just took it and I was just sitting out in these big waves with no wind. And I was pumping and pumping and pumping and I was getting frustrated and I was like why the hell this thing not flying.

[00:06:08] And then I suddenly got flying and the wind came up just a little bit like gusting to 15 knots and I was pumping like crazy and I just got flying and everybody on the beach was like oh my god, yeah actually got flying.

[00:06:20] And that was my first flight was in these terrible conditions and the first time I after went to that I did it in our normal conditions. I thought oh my god this is so easy comparing to what I did the first couple of times.

[00:06:33] Yeah but then once I tried it, it would kind of with me it kind of clicked like for water sports I have a very fast feeling and adaptations for things like the moment if I try a board that I know I'm going to like and I'm going to know I like it you know it's going to click.

[00:06:49] And then I came to my father said that I'm opening a new school with this I said I'm not putting it in our school, I'm opening a new school and this is the future.

[00:07:00] This is going to take over and he said yeah if you think that you know go for it. So I just went for it. Oh that's awesome.

[00:07:08] Yeah because I've been following your school on Instagram I found it and you guys put a lot of cool content and look at what. That's what I watch. Okay perfect. Yeah because I'm still in my wife she's named you and she's the social media group.

[00:07:23] If it was up to me you'd probably feel like a story every now and then when I remember you know. Perfect yeah because she's like he loves chatting with you have to have a month. Yeah we're going to have to contain ourselves.

[00:07:38] It's very things are accelerating a lot online and especially on Instagram most athletes are on Instagram.

[00:07:46] And I guess that's how we connected and in the same process but yeah so everything's going so so far props to your lovely wife for doing all this work because it's now our whole community is going to get to meet you and talk to you.

[00:07:59] And so do you remember I guess the first feeling you got from water sports. Do you remember getting hooked into it or. Obviously I remember my wing falling start because that wasn't that long ago right yes and it's like three years ago something but.

[00:08:17] I remember never like one of the fun I think I think it's amazing is that I never forgot my first time. Plaining on a wingscape even though it was yeah years and years and years ago you know and because I still remember was out with the kid.

[00:08:34] The customer was my age maybe a little bit older who was who were surfing and we're both on the same level like we were writing up and down maybe getting some speed but we were not putting the foot straps in.

[00:08:43] And then we just had one day we were just going into foot straps for speed and I still remember that like.

[00:08:48] Mind blowing so it you know I was like oh my god what is this and I was and then you know you just never want to do it without that again that's it every time after that just like I can't get it the foot steps I'm not going.

[00:09:02] So you like I do remember learning and that feeling and. I yeah I remember I remember a lot of it that's obviously like wind surfing was so long ago some of the things don't really.

[00:09:16] Remember the immediate feeling you had then for wind scrolling first shot that was close to how did you know it was going to be the future.

[00:09:26] I don't know you know that was one of those gut feelings like I did it once and I was like I'm a hardcore wind surfing like I learned kidding I could kite I could do trick I could even you know I could go on a surfboard and right.

[00:09:38] But I just never I was always like packing up like as the wind surfer like the feeling is for me is nothing like I get bored of it really fast and I consider kidding is something that's easy and fast and in what some ways that is nice to learn.

[00:09:55] Absolutely but not much time but on the other hand I consider this something you probably get better.

[00:10:55] So I'm going to learn more visit winglife podcast calm and click on trips in the main navigation menu once again visit winglife podcast calm and click on trips in the menu with only eight spots available.

[00:11:09] We know it's going to book up fast so we recommend that you are quickly I'll see there pretty fast or you want to do something new all the time.

[00:11:16] Whereas wind surfers you know you got wind surfers for 40 years now that they're just going up and down and driving anything I'm getting boring like no you don't like wind surfing gives you that.

[00:11:26] Feeling through your legs like when you're just planning that you never get bored of you know and when I try to win for a land it kind of felt like the perfect mixture of those two worlds like it was easier than wind surfing.

[00:11:39] It was obviously like even my first time I was flying in conditions that I could not be wind surfing in at least not fun wind surfing without taking a massive tail and something.

[00:11:50] And then I was still I had that amazing feeling like the foil still feels nice you still connected with the water like fully you have immediate control you feeling every little thing.

[00:12:02] And riding waves with a fall like the moment I just took the first wave and let the wing flag behind me I was like oh my god I am now doing two or three sports in one you know like this is amazing.

[00:12:15] But it was just a good feeling to be on this idea then I thought if I love this so much and I consider myself. And I think that's what helps with my business and my YouTube channel and everything I consider myself a normal everyday.

[00:12:30] Right obviously I have more hours on the water than many people and I try and I try to push and raise my level also for my business but for me as well.

[00:12:41] But on everything else I'm an everyday average person like I'm not one of these guys that goes out fries and back to lip and lads you don't do 30.

[00:12:48] You know I'm I'm someone that takes months to learn anything like I'm have to bust my ass to kind of get moves out and all that so when I when I tried it and I thought.

[00:12:58] They immediately clicked for me. I thought this is going to click for so many people like immediately in the moment they fly they're going to be hooked. So all I have to do as the teacher is get them flying as fast as possible and let's take their hook.

[00:13:13] And did you find that obviously your entire life of wind experience is helping in your teaching. Yeah for sure. I mean I've been teaching teaching people from an extremely young age I would say like.

[00:13:27] I was obviously at the age of 12 I was already a really good windstuffer but I was teaching people from 12 years old.

[00:13:37] Like I I remember my first student I was 12 and it was just some guy on the beach and we had no other instructors in my part of the talk and he can be your instructor and the guy was like yes you're and I took him out and got him wind surfing you know that was it.

[00:13:49] So I've been teaching my whole life and everybody says and that's my thing to be a teacher you know I can get through to most people like in teach most things and especially worse words that I love like in the future.

[00:14:03] And I don't have a limit you know I can teach for hours and hours a day if I have to. So yeah I definitely think it helps obviously all the knowledge and understanding and mainly the fact that I've been teaching for so long.

[00:14:19] Helped you kind of have the experience to know that everybody learns in a different way.

[00:14:24] The teacher has to adapt to the students and it's different for everyone to kind of take in the water that you can't just go in like that's the way I teach that's it now you've got to go in and see like okay what's going to help this guy or go to the next step.

[00:14:39] Fast. And yeah and that yeah it definitely helps a lot and the wing falling is really translated because I call the wing falling like wind surfing 2.0 you know so. It's the same style of teaching the same kind of constant behind everything so. It definitely definitely help.

[00:15:00] Oh that's exciting. Hey can we talk a little bit about what growing up in Greece was like this is just like for all of us out here in Canada US and all other countries.

[00:15:11] Greece has always been portrayed as this picture as beautiful place and obviously there's a lot of us that would like to get out there but what was it like growing up there. Well the half of the picture you've heard it right it is beautiful.

[00:15:28] Obviously the locals here as in many many places that have been in the world that are beautiful they don't really appreciate it because they don't know what they have until they go somewhere else and especially from the islands people don't travel that much right.

[00:15:44] But yeah it's beautiful obviously for water sports it's fantastic like some of the best places in Europe to ride out on the Greek islands and roads being one of them.

[00:15:57] Food fantastic and a big food guys so you know that's the big class for me anyway you see and you're in nature all the time either by the sea or up in the mountains you know villages but.

[00:16:09] Greece is not all sunshine and rainbows obviously as you've probably heard a lot on news and whatever over the years economic problems and.

[00:16:18] The system how it works and what not just an unorganized this is also part of the Greek style but nothing you know nothing to worry first about it just makes local life harder to. To start a business isn't to what not but. And for living here.

[00:16:38] No as growing up here I think I was pretty lucky. I'd rather have it anytime over living in a city. And that's yeah but I'm not a big city fan so you know my wife would disagree if she's the.

[00:16:51] The city goes as she always wants to go back to. Her home country and be like oh I want to go visit the city and I'm like okay you know let's go why not. Go see us but let's come back. Let's come back to the country.

[00:17:04] What good so in for example I'm from Ontario and Canada and our win seasons are spring and fall right now I'm on Vancouver Island our summer season is like right on we got.

[00:17:17] Thermals like almost every day now what's the best win season for roads island and are there various. Seasons that are very various conditions. I'm not really only looking at one quite big season so. Summer time is a main main season. The easiest way to stay is wind starts.

[00:17:40] The wind is a start to say may and goes on and to October. But the main wind like usually the strongest wind the best and most reliable wind is the most. The thermal winds and they are from mid June and it's September.

[00:17:53] All right now it is it does feel like last few years like it's shifting a little bit so.

[00:18:01] It's going on longer so many times October wouldn't really be that windy but the last year's we've been right like I've been right in the everyday October which is unusual but hey it's extra it's a plus right.

[00:18:14] And this year we even started in March was my first session and pretty like constantly like I don't know for times a week.

[00:18:27] We had good wind and I was out wind falling which normally again March April not supposed to be that windy at all and then usually in the mid starts but so we've had we started earlier and we're going on.

[00:18:40] We're going on later but yeah the main wind I would say mid mid June mid September as going to be like your statistically highest chance of getting wind here. Okay and then at your school and at your center what kind of conditions does it offer.

[00:19:01] Well we like I said we use my father's business as well but I do have my own spot separately if we forever wants to choose mostly at the moment we're still working out of my father's spot because we're building up the other place like we're trying to make it nicer and my father was here 40 plus years to do that so.

[00:19:23] And I think it takes time. So yeah we've got the experience now we're going to fix it fast or definitely like by next year the ready for story about this year but.

[00:19:35] We have this spot so we can use it and once put get back to the subject is my father's but is basically like most of roads is pumping jump conditions so you get choppy waters.

[00:19:48] Yeah some ramps every now and then and like some long wigs out in the deep but that's what you're looking at mostly is like. In our spot it's karma up front.

[00:19:59] So you've got a bit less wind a bit less waves so that's why we draw a less than like close to the beach and it's really safe side on stroke conditions. And it always means you back to the beach always save the base like big.

[00:20:13] They closed base so no danger of you know pull down just anywhere we've got to check by some rest is in what but you don't need to use those really it's pretty.

[00:20:23] So you can put it up front as much as we can then you the first if you go like 50 meters out the wind kind of.

[00:20:33] Years a bit and more stable more strong and the waves can be a little bit bigger but when I say waves like don't imagine surface will waves we don't have like surface will waves so they don't.

[00:20:44] So you're like push through around more like wait and just kind of break they just not like.

[00:20:51] Partly even a break like imagine a little hill moving you know before you can catch it and run and write down it but then not big waves so even as a beginner you can be writing in and if you see a way we just going to go up.

[00:21:06] That's it like nothing pushing you are pulling you to aggressively know why waters is just some white caps every now and then.

[00:21:14] And our other spot the reckless riders like official spot that I got recently is one of the only spots in Xia Bay that's the day we located in with the most watched for it.

[00:21:28] And it's one of the only spots next to a bay that's pretty much in the front is like me flat so it's got even less waves because it's in the belly of the bay and yet it still gets hit by wind so that's our plan like to make it even easier for beginners and start.

[00:21:44] That then wants to go 100 meters 50 100 meters out you're getting the same wind you'd have anywhere else so. You know we know when oh yeah that's nice especially for beginners are getting on that for the first time and they're not sure there's a lot of learning involved isn't there.

[00:22:01] Yeah there is but I mean we that's the main thing we do we teach a lot of beginners and.

[00:22:06] And then basically all of our beginners succeed and they fly within a few hours so you know some for some people especially when they come from places with lakes and.

[00:22:17] Flat waters they look at the conditions like oh are you sure we can do it here and I'm like don't work like for sure you can do it here everybody does it here it looks Gary sometimes but it's not then we're going and you know in like two to four hours most people like get it some sort of flights.

[00:22:34] And it's super happy yeah it's super happy and and you'll see that the way sometimes can help you know as long as you don't overthink. Overthink. Yeah so what's what's weather like over there I've never looked it up so what's the what's temperature. Sun.

[00:22:53] Suny hot water hot weather like you in the in the main summer like now you only need words to go right in.

[00:23:01] And usually no clouds or anything it's just Mediterranean kind of dry hot weather sun all the time you need like the only reason like I'll use to me and all my videos and everything I wear. And obviously what's with the red legs.

[00:23:16] The reason for that is mostly the sun like you've got to be prepared for the sun increase it will eat you up to plenty of cream or you were like what's it and I also wait for the impact because as you may have seen I do crash a lot so.

[00:23:31] We don't do. Yeah we don't crash a lot and I go high and the fall down is not pleasant many times so. Where to for the impact is good but I besides that most people were like beach shorts and like a long like for sun.

[00:23:47] Yeah nothing nothing really for the cold yeah okay no that's nice to hear too. What kind of gear does your school use as their preferred gear that you think people should or would be the easiest for them to learn on.

[00:24:01] I mean I have set everything up around what's the best in my opinion and I tested a lot of stuff like that's what I do and I go around.

[00:24:11] I pull favors in I do anything I can't just get my heart on all different kind of gear and try it and I've settled on value wings and boards.

[00:24:23] I use a German company but so you don't have it much in the US that just kind of spreading out their now in the US so that kind of kind of that.

[00:24:33] So you might see a few of them then other many you're still more and more than now in the competition in the UWN all this and they have amazing wings like their wings are next level and they started right at the beginning of going forward.

[00:24:46] There were one of the two autonomous main competitors in business also obviously both of them being from Germany and but they yeah they they have amazing wings like their new wings of history.

[00:24:59] They are the best combination that I've used so far of lightness, stiffness and durability and all the little details you don't really think about but once you get right in with it all the little details you like.

[00:25:12] It's a difference you know that feels nice to have like that extra little thing there and the next little thing there. And so the wings are amazing the boards the new boards are fire like they start flying.

[00:25:23] Even my customers I always judge gear by how and non-experienced or low level rider. If you she can feel a difference you know if they can feel a difference doesn't massive difference.

[00:25:34] So I have so many people that come and they have their own gear at home and they try to deal in the like wow this is amazing like I have more control and mostability I have more of this and I'm like if someone on that level.

[00:25:44] That's just getting flying from field with difference you know it's it's an obvious difference no yes.

[00:25:52] So and the boards and the wings the new ones are fantastic the wings have always been fantastic but they're just jumping levels and levels up you know every time they're making something new.

[00:26:02] So I'm really happy with them and the nicest company that really have for really kind of to put it in short they look out for the customer you know like for example the new wings.

[00:26:16] All the wings now you get the wing with the hard handles they all have hand handles on that was one of the main things up front.

[00:26:25] But they send you the stuff handles which you can change their interchangeable they send you them in the packet you know you get the pump you get all the little attachments you get this you get everything that's they offer as a company you get it in the packet you don't like you don't go like some other companies where oh you have to buy it.

[00:26:44] Oh you have to buy this leash extra that thing extra that thing actually just you buying the wing take it all that's what they're telling you know you have it all now.

[00:26:52] And same with the boards thing with everything yeah so there and with warranties to the helping out and advice they're like really amazing.

[00:27:01] helping the customer not only me as a station but I know they help everyday you know people just with their gear and for foils I use access foils and I mean I guess yes the best kind of.

[00:27:16] showing for you that there that I believe they have a best really and I use them is that to get them here increase.

[00:27:23] It is unbelievably hard for me like I have to I get a good deal on the moversy and as well I try to get with everything but I have to get them in from China or the US right I don't spread it from the US so they come directly from the factory for me or they come from the US.

[00:27:44] And to get them through Greek customs it is the pain and big pain and it cost me a lot of money.

[00:27:50] So why do I go through all the process and pay the extra money because I really think they like two steps ahead you know I really think they are the best.

[00:27:59] And even like I said even low level riders when I give them you know they're starting to get flying and instead I've done one or two flights and I give them like the easiest access for like and give them to fly they get up flying and they like wow that was amazing you easy and I'm like yeah that's.

[00:28:14] That's access for you and that was actually my first I researched and I got them so it was kind of like a lot in I researched first time I never used access before.

[00:28:23] And I got them and I got my first when I got my first access for it and tried it after the shitty equipment that I learned on you know the only thing I could get my hands on.

[00:28:32] Yeah my first reaction was like what have I been doing all this time. Because the difference in the foil was immense it was like I just did pop up and it was flying and I was like oh my god I have been.

[00:28:46] Just working and working all this time to get this other foil flying and this one just flies on its own. Yeah so those are my recommendations for like what that's what we use that basically for recommendations for people if you're beginner just you know.

[00:29:05] It takes a lot of research and there's a lot of things on the market. I think some of the easiest companies for beginners and just use of friendly companies that definitely like. And actually I'm keeping them at number one. I do a tone has easy foils but.

[00:29:24] I think for later on they're kind of. Subpar you know like nah but for beginners they're fine like they're they're plastic foil and F1 has nice easy foils as well.

[00:29:37] I think that they would branch kind of get on fly with them and get your first steps and then. Create a style that you have and then look and with some knowledge looking to the market and see what would fit you better.

[00:29:50] But I think access got everything for everyone like anything you can need you can get from them any style. Okay I've already ordered all the new stuff that came out just now so you know. It's not really out of the window. Yeah. First this is coming.

[00:30:06] Christmas to come early. My wife's so happy about that. Well you know what with her Instagram game you never know right we got to get some Canadians and Americans out there so.

[00:30:18] Yes now we're looking at like a mid aspect foil are you teaching on higher aspect foils what do you find. Your clients prefer an AU prefers well.

[00:30:34] Like I said like with with foils is hard and you know I'll you know I'll not exactly quote but I'll copy the Adrian who is the access designer and teach kids when people like.

[00:30:49] Can categorize foils by what's the surface area no or one thing foils you got at least at least three or four things you want to be looking at. To get a full view of the foils.

[00:31:01] So what I want to say by that is that just the aspect ratio of just the surface area is not enough to look at but what I use is around mid aspect so. Maybe even a little bit towards the higher aspects to like six.

[00:31:19] Let's stay around the stick aspect ratio. For most of my classic foils like the beginner foils and then advanced before some intermediate for progression for a full and so they're around a six aspect ratio. And for beginners I use. One thousand six hundred or two thousand tofasteria.

[00:31:39] Kind of kind of ending on if the lighter the wind stronger or if the bigger people obviously a big foil is easier but people don't forget that a big foil is always.

[00:31:49] Hard to actually move around and maneuver and sometimes it pushes too much you know so you don't want to put someone. That way it's very little or in strong winds on a massive foils just going to start becoming counterproductive so.

[00:32:03] And we always have different foils that up to accommodate weight in level and everything.

[00:32:11] And then the board obviously you know if you're coming at a station I want to have as much as I can so again depending on the previous experience of the rider we either going to start if you know nothing we're going to start.

[00:32:21] I don't like starting on stops I'm going to stay that like a lot of people are like oh do you start on stop like you know I think stops are ridiculous.

[00:32:27] And they work maybe on lakes or whatever and really come with us but when you're in any proper conditions within the start is so long.

[00:32:35] And that you can't hear it like even I can't hear it like it just takes a lot of you know work from me to still you're imagining what a student if I can't do it easily the student can't do it at all you know.

[00:32:47] So what we have is we have again from value they have like some amazing. They have hard words also for this that I'm going to tell you but I'm using the inflatable one because it's lighter and it's a specialized beginner board and it's like 1809 liters.

[00:33:03] That is very nice and it has a you can put a 4 unit and you can put extra fins on the front if someone's really having difficulty kind of staying up with. And you know beautiful.

[00:33:13] Yeah so you can fly those boards easily and the only reason I use them is because it's lighter so when you fly you don't feel 180 liters worth of board you know swinging around you feel.

[00:33:25] You feel a light board under you and then from that I'll go straight down and now. Value has really nice like 145 130 liters boards and they're also amazing for like learning on but I had used.

[00:33:41] To not praise only value I had used from the first year when value didn't have like the went from the beginning one and then the next one was 130 but it was a really compact one.

[00:33:51] And it worked too much for people like switching over it was making like too hard and the thing we want to do at regular riders is make that transition as easy as possible. No to make you like the process as much as the sport.

[00:34:05] Yeah not struggle through the whole thing which yeah not struggle through it like if if you're coming to a station I'd rather have all the things ready for you and can give you like all the single options you could have rather than stay like.

[00:34:15] Yeah you're going to have to drop from 180 to 120 liters now and just struggle with it like no one really likes that if they have an option you know.

[00:34:23] Something sometimes is a right thing to do but still you're on holiday the choice is kind of make life easier as well don't just push.

[00:34:33] Through as much as you can hopefully this well it's a lot. Yeah it's a nice model not everybody not every school has I guess is much gear and and I found some schools are pushing for slightly smaller boards which then make.

[00:34:47] Initial learning quite difficult so the 180 190 inflatable would be nice now do you find like I guess kneeling on an inflatable we've slightly different obviously the boards might guess less. I don't know if it'd be a little bit more comfortable.

[00:35:03] It depends on the inflatable and obviously the new ones are making like nearly every company now the new ones are making our better quality they'll never stand up to a hard board.

[00:35:15] But you know for beginner level you don't care and actually the nice thing like you said kneeling on it especially if you're doing it somewhere like Greece don't forget we don't wear long works to do hot.

[00:35:25] So people forget that the knees are bare and when you're beginner being on an easy long time keep having to get back on your knees on falling off.

[00:35:35] Your knees get roughed up you know you're like oh my god my knees are hurt as much as inflatable board is actually really nice that it's much softer when you're getting on and you don't mind falling around and also for the school it's better because.

[00:35:51] If you they hit it somewhere or fall on it with the boom just something you don't care about the board is not going to break inflatable. But obviously the best board for like speed and getting up is a hard board we're talking about board that's around 180 190 liters therefore.

[00:36:09] Inflatable doesn't really make difference it was inflatable and if they get flying okay but most likely when we on that level and that board is they're not going to get flying in if the vaccine up and down.

[00:36:20] Like easily then we'll just go straight down to like a hundred or forty five. And as I was saying before actually I have the value boards which are new ones that really nice and they have a hundred and forty five liters.

[00:36:31] But one of my favorite boards to use and obviously this is for beginners like no one's going to continue using this board is the RRD. That's the best of each designs I don't think you have many of them there.

[00:36:43] I used to ride a RRD winter for as my number first ones I bought in Maui. I love that board single wave cult. Yeah, so they have some good boards. Yeah, they have this hybrid winter of windfall board.

[00:36:59] But what a hybrid board has is it's flatter it's longer and it's designed around speed because windstuff falling once steep. So obviously I also stock some windstuff for us because why not. But yeah, I use that board a hundred and forty liters.

[00:37:20] It's the hybrid I think is called the rocket rocket rocket. And it gets flying super super easy and again that's like for your first flight then the moment you start flying we can just go down again to the other boards.

[00:37:35] So I also used different brands like but very specific things from different brands that really. I have found through testing that are the absolute easiest to get up on you know. Oh, that's nice. Yeah, I like that that thought process and the.

[00:37:52] I guess the focus around helping new people get into the sport have as much of a good time and a safe time as possible. So then they themselves can then enjoy this entire new.

[00:38:05] Life style potentially everything right because there's some are you finding a lot of people coming to your school that our brand new to wind sports have never done anything. Are you finding coming from other sports.

[00:38:19] Most of the still coming from other sports so the either windstuffers or kites or kind of changing over but the are quite a few that are coming up.

[00:38:27] I have no experience at all lately there's been more and more of people like this and what we have here in roads is of course you know like we have our spot on our beaches but the beaches are all. Beautiful nice beaches and you must everywhere.

[00:38:40] Just sitting around right like you have. Unbelievable. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. Next next to our first station next to our association is on. We have a lot of people just sitting on the envelopes and enjoying the sun and enjoying the scenery.

[00:38:58] The beach, the sea, the water we have amazingly clear water here like really good waters so you know it's not you want to go swimming all the time. So there's lots of people on the beach anyway. So they're just watching.

[00:39:10] And especially when they see the like good rock good riders riding up and down and flying on that for a very common you know they no longer asking hey that windstuffing looks interesting thing hey that flying thing looks interesting. How do I do that?

[00:39:21] And yeah, it kind of peeks your interest so we have a lot of people just working up from the beach. Well asking about it and getting interested in flying.

[00:39:29] And of course anybody we can get into any work sport is the plus for the whole community right like yes. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, but then if anybody asked me I do like whispering there you're like this one's the future.

[00:39:43] I go for this one this one's the future. Oh yeah, I remember my first yeah first flights were were just yeah it was something.

[00:39:52] I had I'd watched a few videos online as like I don't know this is going to be I thought it was going to be too hard I won't get it but my first flight was just phenomenal and just how quiet it was because I was used to bouncing like rip and wind surfing right and you get this like kind of like testosterone fly and you're just going and then it's like.

[00:40:10] That's what the heck so yeah it's just then and you can travel around and we've talked a lot about that but helping other people feel that especially now post pandemic.

[00:40:23] It must feel good to be able to help people experience a little bit of more joy in their lives I guess.

[00:40:30] I always I always love teaching people when I'm seeing them kind of most people being like you even if they're completing it's like oh I'm never going to be able to do this or that looks like.

[00:40:39] That looks hard or it's going to take me a long time and then. It's always like two or three little tips not always the same ones but two or three little tips for everyone.

[00:40:49] And suddenly it just flicks and they're right and they're like oh my god that was easy. Yeah, it is easy. Water sports are hard because they need a balance of. Power with technique.

[00:41:02] With like smoothness you know it's hard to give something power and force and at the same time be smooth. And at the same time think of all the technique so if you can give people two or three kind of tips one in each kind of sector they.

[00:41:17] It will allow them to at least do the basics and then they're like well that wasn't so hard and then yeah it's not so hard and the more you do it the easiest going to get so. Keep going and they do and they love it and.

[00:41:28] That's that's how I love getting people kind of stuck into the sports and loving them course the hard part is after the leaf here.

[00:41:36] Will they continue or not this depends on where they're going and absolutely what they have around them what they can do but I can't I can't do everything out through the starting part the rest. Hey, that's a super important part.

[00:41:51] Now when you when you do your lessons are you starting a land teaching flying basics what's what's your school approach that whole process. And we obviously we like to find the balance where people don't get bored.

[00:42:07] Because one of the my family also on the kind station that I like helped out there when I was younger but I never worked and like I said I never go into hiding. But one of the most annoying things for me in fighting was like.

[00:42:17] Looking at the people spending three hours on the beach doing theory and safety and what not and I was in peace that surprised that I was paying for lessons and I hadn't been in the water for the first three hours and just be going mad you know.

[00:42:28] So I thought okay and we want to find the balance between that being wingfuling it is very important not to do what I did which like I said there was no information so what I literally this is the exact time I held the wing on the beach.

[00:42:43] Okay, and then I went into water. Yeah, that was your Greek man. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you come from Zeus but yeah, you don't you don't want to do that you don't want to do that.

[00:42:55] If you want to do it's spend as much time as possible on the beach so what we usually do if if we have the less amount the least amount of time I'll spend on the beach is half an hour.

[00:43:08] And that's if it's a private lesson so if I have someone like one and one and I can really give them all the focus.

[00:43:13] I'll spend half an hour on the beach if they're happy to do more well do more because you'll see that in a half an hour on the beach you still don't have good control that wing unless you were a windster for something.

[00:43:24] You're not going to have a good control of that wing and obviously your muscle memory is not built up yet for you for your body to react well to any mishaps in the order.

[00:43:33] So at least half an hour if it's a group lesson will do like an hour on the beach and usually when people do start to try it on the beach they realize like.

[00:43:44] Oh, if I need more time and even sometimes like okay let's go in the water they're like, well already why don't we do more on the beach I'm like okay five minutes more but unless going to water and it's not over doing it on the beach.

[00:43:54] And then we'll go for the rest of the time in the water from then on I try to just do everything in the water because it's more fun at least for me.

[00:44:03] But if a student asks to do something on the beach and whatever obviously before every lesson will go over any tips and tricks we talked about before and questions that have and reached out on the beach but you just like 15 minutes and then back in the water you know.

[00:44:18] So you've got the basics and you really understand them and you can control the wing it's just going on the water in five you know that's just time on water yeah at that point.

[00:44:28] And as you send the water we do on the water we do try to stay directly with the student a lot like a lot of people say oh that way of teaching is tiring for you isn't it I'm like yeah but if it's the best way for the student.

[00:44:41] I can get a bit more time you know no problem you know my body will take it as long as it gets the student flying faster so like sometimes if they're really doing not well if they're nervous about being in the water I'll just stay with the board with them.

[00:44:53] And just keep going out out to see with them and then if they get it I'll let them go and then I'm going to.

[00:44:59] And then in the middle of the sea you know swimming there and I'll get back somehow but you know whatever as long as it helps as fine. Yeah usually windstuffers have a big advantage on that because like I said before windstuffing 2.0 so.

[00:45:14] If you can get them on and kind of get the basics usually you just let them go and that's it there they're writing you know texting up and down.

[00:45:23] Yeah they I found that for the because I teach on the Vancouver Island I teach on this island here and there's two schools that I was teaching for about one of them but.

[00:45:33] The land lessons were huge for a lot of people I found just to get the fundamentals of how to fly the way how to be powered how to use it as a third like an end go at the water how to flip it actually.

[00:45:46] Do you find a lot of your students have a hard time flipping the wing and their boards ends up writing into it.

[00:45:51] And I also wish how to flip and I really focus on it when they're doing it for them to do it correctly on land like the proper like.

[00:46:00] Clip not just a like that because every time they're going to do the first fall they're going to be stuck I'm not there with them they're going to be stuck so and every time I have maybe you know in a rush for Gordon teach that it's always been a problem you know always is and I'm like.

[00:46:15] Okay, let's bring them up to the student again and see how it goes. So yeah definitely how to flip away.

[00:46:21] Yeah I think that's that's your first biggest one because and then I found because some people are like no I'm fine we can go out but I also want to make sure to give them the most time in the most enjoyment possible on the water.

[00:46:33] But if there's current and you kind of win go on the same direction and then the board ends up running over it and then 20 minutes later they're back up and it's like well like so those some of those fundamentals on land absolutely a lot more.

[00:46:45] A lot more fun. I started recording with my iPhone this year so I go hold my phone and record their like 15 minutes for their lesson.

[00:46:53] And then go back to shore and show them videos and they were so excited about that actually show the girlfriends and their partners and so I was pretty it was a nice add-on that I was just doing because I guess as instructors right we might see them once it might be their only trip to Greece.

[00:47:09] So it's not just this because we love this sport so much but it's a whole experience that you're giving them in your life and and that those little pieces that you're mentioning they make a difference.

[00:47:21] Yeah definitely and you know we do we do the photos and everything also for them to take back whenever we can which we wait for them to be like looking.

[00:47:30] Good some woman. It's not photo and videos all the way too much proof of crashing so we don't you know. We don't give them that to send back to family.

[00:47:40] But definitely like on the land lessons we do focus a lot on making keeping things safe for the gear and the people and. Getting them like I explain and look you know I'm going to show you some steps.

[00:47:55] They may seem irrelevant to you they may seem like falling to you you might want to put them in the side of your head away from the basic on how to keep that don't because like the first step of.

[00:48:06] If you're preparing everything and getting on and like steering into the right direction then grabbing the wing that's going to give you so much more time on the board.

[00:48:14] Then you just rushing to grab the wing be facing straight down wind get hit by wave and fall off because you just wanted to quickly grab the wind.

[00:48:22] And the same about flipping I'm like look don't rush to flip you know learn to flip properly because it's going to save you at the end a lot more time and struggle and energy and then you're going to be on the board one more.

[00:48:33] And then the moment they kind of like okay yeah that makes sense because people don't think about that I wouldn't think about that you know if I was my first time I wouldn't think of like oh I'm going to learn how to do all this random stuff.

[00:48:45] Because it's going to get me more time on the board no I'll just be like yeah figure it out and I'm going to.

[00:48:51] But once you kind of tell it to the tell it to people and they like yeah that makes sense and they learn it then you see that they hardly waste any time.

[00:48:59] Of the world off the board and like struggling with the wing and getting things tangled up because you've already given them. The basics of that and then that means that they become those officials much faster so when they're writing you know I get people.

[00:49:14] And I get this question a lot from people before coming here let's say they can't find the place to rent them here. Because they're not a level where they can fly it.

[00:49:26] And I'm like we don't need we don't need that we need you to be at a level where you can take care of the gear. And at least taxi up and down without going like crazy down when every time so at least a bit of up when they.

[00:49:37] And we have to give you gear we have easy gear we have tough gear. So we'll give you gear as long as we can see you can do those basic things.

[00:49:47] And then you know if you want to practice on your own that's up to you and it's the same after we do some lessons like if I do like two or three or four hours and the student is taxing and I see you know there's a level kind of.

[00:49:58] For most people when you're taxing before you're flying that you're just going to need to get hours on the water you know you just going to need to get time on the water.

[00:50:05] And even for the student but also for me as a teacher I know it's better money from you obviously but it's like it feels like I'm wasting people's.

[00:50:15] Time and money when all the need is to just practice the same thing over and over and over again for a little bit of time.

[00:50:21] And then I'll tell them you know if you want, if you're happy and if you're like sure of yourself enough you can just rent for two or three hours and then we'll continue lessons.

[00:50:31] Once you get to the level where you know I tell you okay you're looking good now we can try really flying or whatever or of course you can stay with the lesson that's up to the student.

[00:50:40] I want them to be like getting the best out of that money and they're.

[00:50:45] They're not being cheated in some way you know like I've seen places. I'm not going to say where but I've seen places where they keep them on a sub water windsurfly dinner board for like.

[00:50:54] Four hours five hours and I went and I saw the students and I was like wow dude that that lady's ready to fly you know like why you still have one of the dinner board like her techniques.

[00:51:04] And he's like yeah I'll put on a wing for board tomorrow and I should have been on a wing for about three hours ago. You know what are you talking about?

[00:51:14] Like basically what we try to do like I'll allow people to rent my gear as long as that they got the basics of they know how to take care of it, you know they're not going to drop the fall in the wind.

[00:51:26] Number one and they can you know stay at decent amount of the upwing like a small walk of shame is fine but if you know if they ending up every time.

[00:51:38] A kilometer down the day it's like it's not worth your time either you know the lesson taxi service that you're going to get is worth the price alone.

[00:51:47] Well yeah it'd be better to take lessons now for somebody like me for example if I come out and I don't want to bring my gear. Do you have gear for all levels? Yeah we have life the smallest board we have is a 40 liter.

[00:52:03] So about a 40 or 55 the 80 85 to 90s to 110 130 liters of 140 liters and then going up to the like beginner beginner beginner ones. Oh beautiful wow you're set up that's awesome yeah again my wife's not happy.

[00:52:22] Let's see if we can have that I have a lot of oils like crazy amount of too many oils.

[00:52:31] Okay I have the SDS yeah I have the SDS model so they're like the super easy start models and I got a lot of them and they're good for beginners and people advancing intermediate. And they're like tougher foils so they're not full carbon they're like a mix.

[00:52:46] And which doesn't really matter unless you're doing aerial stuff right like you don't have about the extra weight little bit but they can get you flying so easily. And you know if someone is a beginner and they accidentally come to far out and hit the beach.

[00:52:59] We have some stones on the beach not rocks not sharp rocks but stones but this foils in the structure I tell you like.

[00:53:08] They are unbreakable so I don't mind with renting out people and then of course we got all the BST models or the HPS models we got so much we've got a lot of advanced stuff as well.

[00:53:18] And the whole range of most things so we can I have I don't think I've ever had someone yet that I couldn't accommodate. You know from like really advanced riders to beginner's intermediate always touched something and same thing with wings obviously wide range and everything.

[00:53:38] Yeah anything from 2.8 until but the biggest one I have from value is 6.4 that's mainly because we do have quite a bit of wind here normally.

[00:53:47] But the value ones they're so efficient in power reaching when you want to pump them up a little bit that you don't need bigger than a 6.4 like after that it's just becoming unnecessarily big and I found that even on my way I can help myself up with the 6 when other people are using like this F-18 meter.

[00:54:09] One of them I'm just a teaching on the zipping so whatever they are. So yeah I prefer that style of nothing bigger than a 6.5. Yeah it's starting to get my biggest I normally ride with is as a 5.

[00:54:26] I'm 170 70 some kgs and little guy but I could get going pretty quickly on on that in the 72 just as a floater kind of thing. Yeah but accommodation so people do fly in from other countries how easy is it to find places stay or do you offer places.

[00:54:46] There's lots of options and roads like you can go from cheap to really fancy to basic to you know Airbnb hotels all inclusive. You're still whatever like this everything especially in XCFA that's where we're located it's all just whole cows around but.

[00:55:11] They're good and important thing for that is if someone's coming like July or girls that's our main main season you better have free book because most likely you know finding much of anything like like they put out everything and that's the busiest time on the island.

[00:55:29] But we ourselves have recently invested in an apartment and Airbnb apartment.

[00:55:36] It's pretty big first like three bedroom but it's got like this amazing location you're riding the center of XCFA you wait up on the second floor you see the sea you know what conditions are on immediately have to see you.

[00:55:48] It's all modern and taking care of police dog kitchen everything and it's just five not even five maybe five minute walk from the.

[00:55:57] From both of us sports to driving the little sports so you can walk down the beach no problem and okay yeah for Europeans like I said it's a bigger part of street bedroom so for European standards.

[00:56:10] And we haven't discussed anything about that we don't need to for the economic kind of way of thinking but for Europeans standards is I guess not. Not really worth it or cheap for people if they like one or two people so it's better if you're a group.

[00:56:26] But to be honest you know when I've seen like US or Canadian prices or the prices they pay even in Mexico for holidays. We're still pretty cheap for their standards so I guess for for most of your viewers and customers and audience is probably good even for like.

[00:56:47] Two people don't mind having to extra bedrooms to do nothing with you know. It's good to know yeah but it's going to be balcony stood out with to see and you can find you can find that and pictures and everything on our website.

[00:56:59] So we're on our right to write to us. Okay, we'll talk about that. But there are plenty of options like hotels every and be on the beach next to each everything okay now it's good to know yeah it's always been something that I thought about.

[00:57:14] I want to take us back to instructing because this is a point where a lot of people a lot of new clients so what it was ends up happening is you get up kind of your board always go straight downwind right.

[00:57:26] For the most part you try to you try to get on you kind of kneel in your board you oh wow it's it's sitting there kind of across the wind for 10 seconds it goes downwind.

[00:57:34] So I always do for myself as a grab leading edge and kind of the first handle and I do kind of like a stroke to the back which kind of turns my board right away once I'm turned I get up.

[00:57:44] Do you have a favorite technique to teaching people how to write their boards instead of facing downwind because if you get up obviously I go to. I go to many things.

[00:57:57] You can you can find like all the advice on my YouTube channel as well so you can like I've already posted all of this you know it's not like a big secret like I said I'm just kind of people doing this board absolutely no meter.

[00:58:10] Yeah one of them is with the knees. I don't know where it came from and why it's stuck so much that that like forward facing on the knees.

[00:58:18] On big boards especially I find it harder so I go more like a win surf thing so I I sit my students. Ever so slightly diagonal facing forward but mostly they like sideways looking at the wing.

[00:58:32] That way you can get more of a spin around and push around from your legs from your hips to control that board right.

[00:58:39] That's the first thing I change and even people that have learned it and they kind of come at the time on their own and I just see them having such difficulty kind of pointing that board up when.

[00:58:48] When they're on the knees I tell them just to try that the hesitant in the beginning because obviously they've seen it everywhere and they've learned it everywhere like point forwards on your knees.

[00:58:56] But that technique in my opinion is more of a like small syncope board technique is not a technique for beginners like beginners can do maybe anything as realistic works right.

[00:59:07] You're saying like so your board here whatever your slight slight angle and then your feet are hanging off the side of the board. Yeah so if this is the board you won't be like straight straight sideways.

[00:59:21] Like before that way when you spin your knees it changes the board much easier you like you don't have to be in a controlled way like this to bring your board to where you want it right. And then you and you move your knees and face forward.

[00:59:36] No I don't I won't do that so like ever so slightly facing forward that helps just spin up when you'll see that is much easier to keep it there and then when you want to get up you get your fun like up.

[00:59:45] And then the back leg up like there's no reason to be facing forward if you really think about it or do it a few times you're like.

[00:59:51] Yeah and don't need to be facing completely forward like there's no actual reason behind it like that you have to do that. If to me it seems like it's something that helps mostly with when you start going smaller board you know for lighter people on like.

[01:00:07] More boards going down to the sinker level then it helps kind of balance yourself out on the board better but on a big board like.

[01:00:15] There is no actual reason I mean someone can tell me a reason I'll be like yeah okay fine but for me so far it's worked.

[01:00:23] So much better with students just doing that sideways like being on a winch you know things like kind of same stance is being on a winch. And the second thing is what you said like that scoop backwards.

[01:00:36] I've adopted calling it the spinny chair method and that is thanks to Alex Alex Merston's this is scrappy like that we write together.

[01:00:46] I love it. I'm not Mexican and he's a pro win surfer going wing for a sick rider he also makes them due to videos on a bit more advanced and whatnot right so because the spinny chair method because we stay like imagine you're on a desk chair that's been you once right and you want to twist your chair around without.

[01:01:05] And using your legs so you would grab the desk or this case the boom your wing and you pull yourself around against it.

[01:01:13] Because a lot of students they kind of confuse the fact when you say twist your hips they try to twist their hips that without pulling against the wing.

[01:01:21] I without doing that scoop back like you said. So what that does it means that you're just twisting your hips but it's not going to list it to you.

[01:01:29] And so if you use that wing just a tiny bit back and at the same time like it's a combined move fist your hips it's going to go upwind so easily. And when they do it they're like oh yeah that was too easy.

[01:01:41] That's it it's your most important. Everything else.

[01:01:44] Take a look over everything else nothing to do with the power of less than other things a lot of small size women or children or parents that bring the children like oh but can my child do it because it looks really hard.

[01:01:58] And really like you need to be strong and I'm like nah. The best writers are all around 15 years old or younger. All kids are just insane writer. Yeah, it's insane.

[01:02:10] And I write next to all these kids in Mexico in La Ventana and they're just they make me feel bad.

[01:02:17] You know because I'm like writing there and I'm like a shit there maybe I'll just go away from the pack there just I don't look too bad being next to them.

[01:02:27] I read just racing around so fast and they're throwing like 720s back let's front flip like it's nothing like the face expression doesn't even change. Yeah. Like I did nothing and then it's me doing a front side 360 and I'm like. But yeah, I mean that you're too fat.

[01:02:49] Yeah. Yeah, that's the thing like as a sport also you don't need to be strong it's all technical and obviously the wings are like words are like everything's light is all about doing the right things. So as long as the kid wants to do it.

[01:03:04] They can do it right they're going to be able to do it. You might have to change up technique a little bit for size and whatever but. It works but kids for sure so it's not nothing to do with power it's all about technique.

[01:03:17] Oh yeah, that's that's the fun fun thing and they pick it up so quickly.

[01:03:22] Which is pretty cool so to learn a little bit more about you what's your favorite setup what kind of so you're saying you're 100 kg so what size of board you like to go out in or on. I like to stay.

[01:03:36] I like to say I'm 100 kg so I'm heavy in my body but I'm light in my soul. So I can get going with very small DNA only I like small gear there was a period when I was writing like a 40 liter board.

[01:03:49] Everyday no matter what wind but I found that you know I'm getting lazy and the boards are getting better so there was no reason for me to stay on a 40 liter board and new bigger boards were really compact and easy writing so and light so I was like okay I'll have to go bigger right now so now my favorite I use a 7th liter value fly.

[01:04:11] I was thinking of going down to a 60 liter but again my wife would probably kill me by another board just to tell me. So yes I'm sticking with a 70 liter value fly I got a 90 centimeter mass with the.

[01:04:27] Access crazy short used in the BSC 740 which is a hidden general for because that is a small foil that's around 800 square centimeters, 880.

[01:04:39] And which for 100 kilograms is pretty small right but it's a fantastic leap easy and user friendly for like you can get and I've got in it up in like in 12 knots I can fly that for sure.

[01:04:54] But some like 12 to 40 knots I've been out a lot of times like a four or five square meter wing. And it's impressive obviously pumping my pumping my soul out but yeah for sure I can get on a 70.

[01:05:08] I'm a 70 liter so which for me is about a 60 about here if I stop all wind. And but yeah but I can go out I think that's pretty much my set up at the moment and I'm looking at going on a 60 liter board.

[01:05:28] But that's about the only change I'd make and I've got some new foil coming but I'm you know I'm looking at the same size of changing models around the. Okay, so yeah that's pretty good set up 800 800 2000 on the foil 70 liter board and 405 meter wing.

[01:05:45] And I can g's okay fair enough yeah no that's good to know. Yeah because me myself I'm in cold water sometimes so I ride a 70 even though. I'm 70 so I'm pretty much it's pretty much KG's to board even.

[01:06:00] Three four five meter wing and then I have a I have a big foil I got a 15 50 Armstrong I haven't even switched but it's so crazy and I love Armstrong's oils so. That's what it works for you.

[01:06:13] Oh hack I'm still riding the same for I'm going to get some more there maybe next year or something but for now it's fine but. I'm just getting to the high aspect.

[01:06:22] Everybody's just high aspect ratio and I've got some really high aspects once but for me I think the best is to get something really all around that does.

[01:06:33] Two or three things like different styles that you really like but before it can do both of them then you don't have to have a change or four just like one for that's it.

[01:06:42] I love the mid aspect yeah like my mid aspect is still the V1 I love it it's so crazy comfortable I can handle big swell to small stuff to head high stuff and it's all it's all nice and comfortable you would said short stab.

[01:06:56] So what do you mean by short you look at 50 I'm running a 60 I believe. I'm on the. I'm on the act it you mean the the fuchsia large yeah yeah if you sorry yes yeah. I'm on the axis crazy short. So it's this second shortest I think so.

[01:07:21] So because they were also got a new one called the city short and I'm going to be honest I wanted to buy that just for the name. And so yeah the crazy short is like. 633 millimeters. Okay so 60 centimeters. Okay so same as my. Awesome.

[01:07:44] Yeah I love that because it gives me the ability to come very easily to carve very easily and I paired up with a small real wing is the progressive 350 from axis I might even go smaller but you know again for my weight. I don't need to pedal that.

[01:08:02] Yeah, it's not the even the lift like I go plenty of lift is more like to buy a smaller real wing.

[01:08:10] Yeah my weight pushes that one around anyway you know I'm buying mostly because I'm like oh look that throw guys on a 300 or it's 325 like why am I on a 350 he has the same for us but on the other hand he's like 78 he'll run and I'm like 100 right so yeah makes it.

[01:08:27] If basically like having the same thing. Not not just for the lift like my weight pushes that around and I don't get any negative feedback from the foil so. I don't think I really need to change. I just want to have more stuff. I had to the collection.

[01:08:42] Sorry wife. So. Show come in sir you get off with that man it's enough from America. Or Canada sir. But where some of the have you had the opportunity to travel to different places and try different countries a lot of sites.

[01:09:02] I've been in a lot of places but. For foiling the last few years. I haven't traveled in many places for foiling.

[01:09:13] I used to travel with windstrip when I started falling was like 3 years ago right so and then of course we're still covid and whatever and then we went first time to love and time we have been traveling. I've been in my wife for many, many years and.

[01:09:27] Traveling like around the world working you know don't just have a holiday that just stay for like three or four or five months so I work wherever I go but.

[01:09:37] It gets a bit tired you know as the end like researching you places every time you know trip they're going to be good will you have to like. We like it will you know you have to find a recommendation every time meet your people you weren't.

[01:09:50] So we went to London and in Mexico and we loved it.

[01:09:55] We love the community there we love the wind there and then the next year we were looking where to go and we thought you know what we didn't have we like we ran out of time we were so busy with business this year and doing getting things sorted at the end I was like you know what let's just go back and it was the first time ever we went back to the same place.

[01:10:12] And yeah and when we went back it was a nice feeling because everybody's a small village everybody knew us and it's always the same.

[01:10:21] For us to come back and it's obviously the same locals so when we went back was like you'd never let like all of that you know me. Hello, let's go out and I need tonight and blah blah. That's good conditions.

[01:10:34] So we went to London so for wing foiling I only really wing foled a lot in Greece and in Mexico but I have traveled in the past like Vietnam Philippines, Caribbean. Yeah.

[01:10:54] Well some other places I'm guessing I can bring a lot of places but even like just thinking of the conditions there I think La Mankind has the best conditions and it's easy for you guys to get there in the winter right.

[01:11:06] Yeah, it's not too far at all for us. You going this winter nice. If I go anywhere I will go there yeah, but I'm probably not gonna go for as long.

[01:11:17] So we're gonna go to somewhere here in Europe first to visit family and then probably end up again in Mexico but yeah I go there I work and one of the centers there I worked for my first year and good connection good people so I would go back there and I just do lessons but they are like a freelancer shot I don't have to stress about you know.

[01:11:39] Equipment or people and safety and that's that's someone else is just there. Yeah, I do the same. I might go to La Mankind this winter and teach a little bit. I think it would be fun to be there. Yeah, it's okay.

[01:11:54] We've been chatting for a while I know you said you're gonna be starting. Are you starting instructing this morning? Yeah, I've got a couple of lessons waiting for me. Of course you I'm like managing so I do do some lessons sometimes but I have a lot of instructors.

[01:12:07] I've trained up and I taught them how to teach some of them I've been taught from the past years had a wing foil first and then how to teach in there all you know we we're in service with a lot of teaching experience I got them working for me now.

[01:12:22] And so we can teach bigger amount of people because if I'm doing it alone I'm in the water all day and I still have to cancel lessons and be like okay I can't be doing today someone else. Yeah, come on.

[01:12:33] So more instructors now that yeah I've got a couple of lessons way if you are like three or four hours of lessons waiting today and I look like a nice day another nice day paradise.

[01:12:46] Beautiful. Beautiful man. Well hey like so if people are wanting to learn more about your school learn more about how to get there what's the best way for them to contact you.

[01:12:57] Well obviously like I said my wife takes care of the Instagram so they can see like me everything there on regular spiders Instagram and they can message through there or they can go on our website.

[01:13:08] Reclagewidersroads.com and there you have a picture, crisis info accommodation anything you need like to check that. And you can contact us through there.

[01:13:21] Oh, I mean you can just send me a message you know I'm always available the only time I don't answer is when I'm on the water I live right now. Fair enough. You are going to get it answered eventually.

[01:13:32] Fair enough. Well hey man thanks for thanks for joining me today and doing it so early in the morning because I know it's early over there really appreciated it maybe what we can do another time is even do a live from from to for people to be able to see your actual school and action that would be pretty fun.

[01:13:49] So people might love to see that as well so we could do that but hey hope you have a good day why not we can arrange. Yeah, I'm sorry for having me was nice talking to you and I hope it's a team more Canadians and Americans in Rhodes.

[01:14:05] Yeah pretty fun this year the next year whenever doesn't matter just get over here.

[01:14:11] All right man, I hope you have a good day and hey everybody thanks for joining us tonight and this morning if you are over in Europe and we'll talk to you again soon in the next episode.

[01:14:24] Thanks for joining Tom and I in this episode we hope you enjoyed it and we'll see you next time.