18
JUL/AUG 2019
Quick Stats
Age:19
Hometown: Lyle, Washington
High School: Columbia High School, White Salmon Washington
College: University of Washington
Sponsors: Slingshot and Ride Engine
Sports: Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Foiling
Favorite Spots: Hood River, Oregon and La Ventana, Mexico
OOM: What are you studying in college?
FH: Right now, my declared major is Marine
Biology. I’ve been wanting to study this since
I was in elementary school. There was a
brief period of time where I wanted to study
international relations, but one night I put on
an episode of Blue Planet and was instantly
reminded why I spent all those years playing
in the tidepools and exploring out in nature.
The mystery and expanse of the ocean has
always fascinated me.
OOM: How addictive are wind sports?
Do you love it just as much as when you
started or even more so now?
FH: I’d say they’re pretty addictive. I learned
to windsurf when I was eight and learned
to kite when I was twelve. I’ve always had a
desire to be on the water, and these sports
give me a way to always do this, as long as
its windy. Over time I have grown to love the
sport of kiting (my main sport) more. From
the beginning I knew I was hooked but was a
little reserved as the whole thing was a little
scary. As I got more comfortable, I began
to try riskier things like jump higher and go
faster.
OOM: Without sponsors do you think you
would have progressed to the level you are
at today?
FH: I think my level of kiting would defi-
nitely not be the same. The technology has
changed so much in recent years that a
hydrofoil that was on the cutting edge in
2016 is completely behind just a year or two
later. Because there are so many disciplines
with so many parts, changes in gear are a
constant. Recently, the change rate of gear
has slowed dramatically, and different routes
of kiting have started to take shape. My
sponsors have also allowed me to travel and
see more of the world. I have been to some
places I definitely would not have gone had it
not been for Slingshot Sports.
OOM: Did you find the learning curve of
kiting to be quick or was it something that
was more gradual?
FH: Kiting is much easier than it looks. There
is a lot of hesitation from people about the
lines and such, but as long as you get les-
sons and are ready if something goes wrong,
you’ll be fine. I know people that are 10-80
years old that kite all the time. It’s not too
hard on the body, and with the explosion
of foiling in recent years, more people with
bad knees have been able to kite longer and
harder without being bed ridden the next day.
OOM: How do you learn new tricks or
moves? Do you watch videos and come up
19
“From the beginning
I knew I was hooked...”
with ideas to try next time in the water? Or
does it come more organically while kiting,
thinking about a move and just trying it?
FH: There aren’t really any videos to watch
due to how new the discipline is and how
there are only a few of us trying some of
these tricks on a foil. I usually go out on
the water and try an idea. If it feels as if it’s
possible I’ll continue trying it. If not, I’ll leave
it and try it again later in the year. In some
cases, a trick didn’t feel right at all, but when
I revisited it a couple months later, I was
able to see the possibility of successfully
completing it. I also think about tricks while
on the beach, but there really isn’t anything
like thinking about and trying the trick while
on the water.
OOM: Is understanding wind and how it
works the number one key to becoming a
legit kiter?
FH: It is probably one of the most important
from the get-go. That combined with the
safety aspects of kiting. It is a dangerous
sport if you don’t know how to react in a
sketchy situation. Even I have had close
calls with lines wrapped around my neck and
other people grabbing my kite when things
break. For me, knowing the wind was one
of the most important things in learning to
kite. I windsurfed a ton before and also flew
a trainer kite on the beach for a couple years
before getting lessons.
OOM: Are things getting a little out of
control (in terms of equipment) or is all this
progression good for the sport and push-
ing it to new heights?
FH: In the regular kiting world things aren’t
out of control, they are just progressing. In
the racing side, things are definitely becom-
ing money driven; the gear keeps changing
every six months and if you can’t buy the
newest gear, you’re left behind and have no
chance of winning. I don’t compete in this
discipline for this very reason.
OOM: How does a young person with not
a lot of financial means get involved with
wind sports?
FH: In all honesty it’s pretty hard. Kiting is a
sport for those who can afford it. Kites, bars,
boards, and harnesses are all expensive
pieces of equipment, but by buying used, you
can find good deals. I’d say meet someone
that is really into the sport and ask them to
keep a look out for gear for you to buy that is
used, in good condition, and has a fair price.
There are also plenty of people who sell their
gear every year for cheap in order to move
it quickly. I wouldn’t buy a kite that’s older
than four years due to how much gear has
P: Mo Lelii
progressed over the last couple years.
OOM: Is wind sports a family affair for the
Hope family or is it something you took on
as your own?
FH: The whole family does it! I grew up
splitting my life between the Gorge and La
Ventana, Mexico. My parents were windsurf-
ers, so they were always chasing the wind.
Growing up in this kind of family, you learn to
use the wind to have fun. We all windsurfed
until the time I was about 12 when I got
kite lessons as an early birthday present. It
seemed as good a time as any for us to learn
to kite so the whole family jumped on board.
We shared three kites for the first year and a
half until realizing that we would need more.
Slowly our kite quiver grew until we had to
start switching them out due to so much use.
These days my dad probably goes kiting
more than I, especially considering I’m using
most of my time to focus on college. truly got the hang of the sport. Being around
other kids my age and a teacher who wasn’t
my dad helped a lot. After that I accelerated
quickly and learned to water start on my
own. Then I was crossing the river in Mosier
watching for barges.
OOM: What was your first wind sport
experience like? How old were you? What
device were you on?
FH: I first tried a windsurfer when I was 7 I
believe. My father tied a rope to the back of
my board and sent me off, only to have me
drop the sail in the middle and start yelling
to come back in. it wasn’t until I was in a
kids windsurfing camp at Big Winds that I OOM: In your mind, what is the most excit-
ing progressive aspect of wind sports to
come out recently?
FH: I’d say the foil is definitely the winner for
that category. Six years ago foils were more
of a myth, but soon after, kite companies
started jumping on board. These days, every
company has at least one foil (slingshot
has more than I can count) and every day
it seems something new comes out. After
kiting, the foil was transferred to windsurf-
ers with slight modifications for the added
weight. Now both windsurfers and kiters
are enjoying the river/ocean on the light
wind days and no one is slogging around
anymore. The crazy thing now is how foiling
has exploded in the surfing world. Everyone
is talking about it and all the famous athletes
have one in their quiver.
OOM: Do you have a traditional athletic
background (team sports)? Or have you
always gravitated to alternative sports?
I played soccer until eighth grade. It was a
community team and my mom signed me