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Revisiting the kite film 'Vortex' the other day I noticed a legendary name in the comments giving kudos to the masterpiece.
Andre Philip is a name synonymous with style in the kite world, possibly before most riders time.
In the early days of kiting, with his mates, he pushed a ‘dark side’ of the sport to the limelight, showing kiters, wakeboarders and snowboards how legit kiting could be within the bigger world of board sports.
Collectively they forged the path for wake & park style kiting to get recognised in a way that impacted the freestyle kite scene to this day.
Smashing out videos, creating events and hitting the road they did it for the love of their vision and they showed it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.‘
Dre’ commented on Knot Futures latest video that it reminded him of their times back then [when they made ‘Autofocus’] - well worth a watch.
Vortex is an experience to watch, not just for its riding, but the vibe. You can feel Noe, Tom and Xander's energy and passion for what they do and how they want to do it. They are trending setting without even trying.
It’s refreshing as so much content now days is driven by chasing trends, likes or cash.
Even kiting its self - we’ve come full circle, big air is 'in’, and as riders throw spins to win, they throw jaw dropping kite loop moves, trusting their gear not to break them. Extremity is everything, style and fluidity a side thought.
I wonder - is it a legit ‘board’ sport if we categorise a move by how the kite was flown?
Anyway, what matters is passion and love, and this week my Instagram algorithm has clocked onto the buzzing energy surrounding this weekends ‘lords of tram’ comp in France, it is set to go off!
More info below, I’m excited to see what plays out.
My hope - the riders inspire the future by remembering - it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.
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