Kitesurf365: GKA Youth BIG AIR | WOO Worlds Teams | The Megapod

Hosts: Adrian Kerr (A) & Colin Colin Carroll (B)
Date: August 14, 2025

Overview

This episode of The Megapod brings Adrian and Colin’s energetic, irreverent banter to three hot topics in the kiteboarding world:

• The upcoming GKA Junior Big Air competition in Germany
• The mayhem and recent incidents from the Megaloop series
• The drama and strategies behind forming teams for WOO Worlds

The hosts deliver a mix of deep dive analysis, playful debate, and insider stories. Expect vivid storytelling, a few wild tangents, and plenty of memorable quotes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. GKA Junior Big Air—Germany ([00:43]–[05:00])

• Record Participation
  • 65 junior riders signed up across categories: U19 Boys, U16 Boys/Girls, U14 Boys.
  • Adrian draws a contrast: “Just to give you some reference, the Qatar event, the freestyle event at the end of last year had nine men and seven women. This has got 65 young boys and young girls.”
• Shift from Freestyle to Big Air
  • Declining numbers in junior freestyle; Big Air is on a “scale we haven’t really seen.”
  • “For me, the first year that the Big Air World Championship is properly done. Juniors... this is sounding on a scale we haven’t really seen in Big Air before.” (A, [01:33])
• Rider Highlights
  • U16 Girls: Aya Kasabova (9th in global GKA ranking, only 15 years old).
  • U16 Boys: Maxwell Dahl.
  • U19 Boys: Elliot Bhutan, Martin Kabulski, Finn Flugel, Shahar Sabri (ranked 7th worldwide), Leonardo Casadi (4th worldwide), Martin Reynal.
  • “It’s great to see high level, top level competition wanting to do this... To be a junior world champion, I think it’s still a big prize.” (B, [02:11])
• Forecast Concerns
  • Competition runs 20th–24th August. Wind looks poor until the 25th.
• Format & Historical Parallels
  • Echoes “PKA days” with 100+ kids at qualifiers.
  • “These are the names for the future. You’re going to see people who are going to be in King of the Air in the next sort of three or four years for sure.” (B, [04:02])

2. Megaloop Chaos—Stunt Mayhem ([05:32]–[15:12])

• Jetto Rides Van Der Spee
  • Recounting a wild Megaloop moment: Jetto riding Jason Van Der Spee “like a backpack.”
  • “At the apex... lets go... just sort of strangles Jason for a little bit there before tumbling down.” (A, [05:49])
  • Jetto’s trademark slow riding style was challenged: “When you watch the top pros hit a kicker, I mean, they are pedal to the floor… That’s the difference between getting up those heights. It was interesting to hear Jetto’s reaction...” (B, [06:20])
• Comparing Ejections
  • Debated the risks of Jetto holding on vs. Steezy Pete’s “apex ejection.”
  • “You’d prefer to do the ejection?” (A, [09:38])
  • “I think so, yeah. [...] He’s just letting the kite go and releasing. I think that’s probably safer.” (B, [09:44-09:53])
• Legendary Moments
  • “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kite fly like that across the bay. It was beautiful.” (B, [08:28])
  • Musings on past stunts, safety, and the importance of composure on landings.
• Broken Leg Incident
  • Story of Pete breaking his fibula “on his day off in about 10 knots... it was Christmas Day.” (A, [11:54])
  • “I would have got as moon boot and I would have just got some drills and I would have drilled the moon boot to the board. Now that would have been seriously good TV.” (B, [13:32])
  • Hosts joke about painkillers and moon boot stunts in Namibia: “It’s Africa, bro. We could have got him anything he wants.” (B, [13:58])

3. Red Bull Megaloop—Anticipation & Lineup Speculation ([15:23]–[18:54])

• Fleet & Format News
  • 10 riders confirmed; final 6 to be announced next week on The Megapod (before Red Bull’s official release), for a total fleet of 16 (smallest major Big Air comp).
  • Confirmed riders: Andrea Principe, Lorenzo Casadi, Jeremy Blando, Cohen Van Dyke, Heel Vlute, Jamie Overbeek, Jason Van Der Spee, Dean Mo Luca Trudy, Jet Bradshaw.
• Debate on Wildcards & Favorites
  • “It would be super cool to see Hugo Wigglesworth and these young guys come in… I’d love to see Baby Shark there.” (B, [15:49])
  • “Aaron Hadlow’s gonna be... return to competition as well, surely. Put Aaron in. He looks short lines. He loves it and we love it. Everyone loves it.” (A, [16:46])
• Inclusivity & Progress
  • Six ladies will be named, a step forward for gender equity—Cold Hawaii now the only major comp without women.
  • “We’re slowly getting in the right direction, I think.” (B, [18:39])

4. WOO Worlds Teams — Team Drama & Recruitment Scheming ([19:11]–[27:54])

• Team Formation & Friendly Rivalries
  • Colin announces: “Adrian, you are not on my WOO Worlds team.” (A, [20:03])
  • Banter about team captain privileges and early registration windows.
  • “You go near any of my shipmunks [team] and I will come down on you incredibly hard.” (A, [25:29])
  • Team-building tactics: “Since you banned me from the Shipmunks, I’m gonna have to... I got one day to find a team.” (B, [25:19])
• Bidding Wars for Talent
  • Colin tries to recruit Hugo Wigglesworth away from Flying Kiwis with rising offers (“The offer’s gone up. It’s now 300 New Zealand dollars.” (A, [22:58]))
  • Both discuss failed attempts to bribe Jamie, to no avail. “He should just take that money. Just take it then. Ride your ass off, dude.” (A, [23:10])
• Past Winners & Notable Scores
  • Flying Kiwis: 137.9m total last year (“average of 27.6 across the five”).
  • SpaceX’s legacy: “The highest one was... SpaceX, who won’t be involved. 155, an average of 31 meters, which is absolutely crazy.” (B, [23:17])
• Forfeits & Inside Jokes
  • Failed past forfeits (“I was meant to do a kite that said I’m a twat on it.” (A, [26:56]))
  • Negotiating a new forfeit for this year’s team rivalry.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the GKA Youth Scene:
  • “This is sounding on a scale we haven’t really seen in Big Air before.” (A, [01:33])
  • “These are the names for the future. You’re going to see people who are going to be in King of the Air in the next sort of three or four years for sure.” (B, [04:02])
• On Jetto's Wild Stunts:
  • “At the apex... lets go... just sort of strangles Jason for a little bit there before tumbling down.” (A, [05:49])
• On Rider Rivalries:
  • “If you had to choose between Mark and Hugo, who would you go for?” (B, [00:19])
• On the Art of Kite Ejection:
  • “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kite fly like that across the bay. It was beautiful.” (B, [08:28])
• On WOO Worlds Recruitment:
  • “The offer’s gone up. It’s now 300 New Zealand dollars.” (A, [22:58])
  • “You go near any of my shipmunks and I will come down on you incredibly hard.” (A, [25:29])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:43] – GKA Junior Big Air preview, rider analysis & context
• [05:32] – Megaloop madness & Jetto’s neck of steel
• [11:29] – Pete’s broken leg, moon boot antics & Namibia dreams
• [15:23] – Red Bull Megaloop lineup & event speculation
• [19:11] – WOO Worlds team drama, recruitment tales & negotiations
• [26:44] – Team rivalry, forfeits, and the final comedic showdown

Tone & Style

True to The Megapod’s irreverent style:

• Lively, sometimes tangential, full of inside jokes and candid commentary.
• Deep kiteboarding analysis mixed seamlessly with banter and offbeat humor.
• Direct speaker attributions keep their perspectives distinct throughout.

Conclusion

This episode delivers a perfect balance of serious kiteboarding insight and comedic rivalry. For fans of the sport or anyone who enjoys passionate, personality-driven podcasting, it’s a compelling listen and a rich preview of what’s coming in the kiteboarding world.