20
JUL/AUG 2019
21
“I naturally progress
through exploring on
the water and forcing
things doesn’t seem to
work for me”
up to stay in shape and become better in a
team setting. I really enjoyed it but always
felt the pressure of the rest of the team on
me. I’d say I’m more into alternative sports.
Other than kiting and windsurfer I enjoy going
mountain biking. It’s not about being alone
while doing the sport, but more the ability to
go do it by yourself whenever you want and
not feel the pressure of others relying on you.
OOM: Do you compete or is free-kiting
your focus? Are you filming for any mov-
ies?
FH: I don’t compete a ton. Mostly in local
events such as Bridge of the Gods or Kite-
board for Cancer. For me it’s not about being
on the top so much as it is having fun and kit-
ing with friends. In my specialized discipline,
there aren’t really events. Freestyle/freeride
strapless kite foiling is what a lot of people
do around here but there aren’t any competi-
tions for it.
OOM: Being in the water in many places
around the world, has that made you more
interested in environmental stewardship?
FH: Yes, of course. I’ve witnessed a lot, from
the pristine beaches of the Southern Car-
ribean to the plastic ridden sand of Panama.
I’ve always cared about the environment,
most likely due to playing in nature since
I was born. What I have come to realize
is the problem is not from those that live
on these beaches and play in the water,
but instead from cities. I was in Panama a
couple months ago and was surprised to
see so much plastic on the beach. There
were tons of flip flops, tooth brushes, nets,
etc.. I talked to the locals and they said all
of it comes from Panama city that is twenty
miles to the north. On every high tide, they
get a foot thick wall of plastic debris on the
beach and have to clean it up. In this case
you see both the good and the bad, with the
locals coming together to clean up plastic,
but you also see a complete disregard for
the environment from the urban environ-
ment.
OOM: In this day and age can a wind
athlete make a living as a professional
athlete? Like, say, surfing?
FH: People do it, but they’re on the very top
and work hard everyday. I think in order for
there to be more of a possibility of mak-
ing a living, the sport needs to grow. Kiting
isn’t like surfing. You need more than just a
surfboard to do it. It’s a small sport where
visibility needs to be increased. A lot of ath-
letes end up working in the industry as R&D
people or reps for brands. If gear became
cheaper and a little easier to learn on, tons
of people would start to do it, but right now
kiting is an investment for fun. to have fun and not think of other people’s
expectations?
I’m mainly just having fun. Sure there’s pres-
sure to make videos and do photoshoots,
but those are generally fun and Slingshot is
very easy going about all that stuff. I naturally
progress through exploring on the water and
forcing things doesn’t seem to work for me.
OOM: Who are some of your biggest influ-
ences in the wind sport world?
I think the designers are my biggest influ-
ences over the professionals. They are able
to create a product that will stand up against
the elements and the rider. Tony Logosz, Ju-
lien Fillon, and Sky Solbach are all fantastic
designers that always seem to be one step
ahead of the market. Tony is the head de-
signer for Slingshot. He was able to design a
foil a year before foiling took off and therefore
put slingshot in the lead in terms of foil sales,
where they still sit. OOM: Are local kiters teritorial in the same
way surfers can be? Have you ever experi-
enced any unkind or aggressive locals?
FH: Not at all. I didn’t realize how territorial
surfers were until someone told me about
their experiences. I had a conversation with
this one guy, forgot his name, but he was
talking to me about his friend who is a surfer
and came to Hood River to learn to kite. The
biggest thing that caught his friend off guard
was how nice and open kiters are. If you
show up to the beach to kite, almost instantly
someone will start talking to you and explain-
ing the river or ocean. Kiters look out for each
other, and no one will ever tell you to leave.
OOM: Now that you are building your own
following and younger riders are starting
looking up to you, are you comfortable in
that position? Do you feel more pressure
to keep progressing or are you just trying
OOM: Tell us about your sponsors. What is
the relationship like? How do they help you
and are you involved with R&D, events,