Kitesurf365 – The Megapod: King Of The Air 2025 Post Show (November 28, 2025)

Episode Overview

The day after the explosive 2025 Red Bull King of the Air, Adrian Kerr and Colin Colin Carroll gather in a Cape Town pizza shop to break down the event's stories, shocks, and standout performances before segueing into their signature post-show full of athlete interviews, gear gossip, judging controversy, and plenty of irreverent banter. This episode captures the shifting dynamics at the sport’s highest level—highlighting next-gen talents, gear innovations, and candid behind-the-scenes insights directly from the riders and judges.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Recap and analysis of King of the Air 2025’s biggest moments and upsets.
• In-depth, on-the-ground interviews with top performers: Natalie Lambrecht (women’s champion), Lorenzo Casati (men’s champion), and other podium finishers.
• Raw opinions and humor about the judging, qualification system, and industry changes.
• Spotlights on breakthrough talents, gear launches, and the women’s division’s progression.
• Reflections on the future of the sport—video entry system, changing event structure, and emerging stars.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Event’s Big Stories

[00:00–05:29]

• Conditions & storyline-rich event:
  • “Maybe not the greatest King of the Air for riding or wind or conditions, but definitely the most stories we've ever had in a King of the Air.” – Adrian [00:26]
• Biggest shock: Andrea Principi eliminated in Round 3 by a clutch performance from up-and-comer Zach Adams and his viral "quadruple flip thing" [00:46].
• Gear talk: Principi was on an older Duotone Rebel, not the newly dropped 2025 version, highlighting the politics of kite releases and sponsorship [01:00–01:41].
• Emerging local talent: South African "groms" on new kites even before top pros.
• Women’s division rise:
  • Lana Herman’s breakout; her raw, nonchalant approach is “compelling... very refreshing in this polished... era.” – Colin [02:36]
• Notable absences & controversy:
  • “No Jamie Overbeak, massive mistake... Will he be back? Of course. Will he be more fired up than ever? Of course.” [04:28]

2. Fast-Paced Women’s Final Recap

[07:06–11:41]

• Natalie Lambrecht dominates:
  • “She outworked them, she out tricked them... a perfect performance.” – Adrian [07:30]
  • “10 tricks, zero crashes.” [08:00]
• Zara Huggenrad’s progressive riding secures 2nd; Lana Herman impresses on her debut:
  • “Her total lack of shit giving, most likely. Which is just quite compelling.” – Colin [02:36]
• Women riding same kite sizes as men, pushing big air technicality.
• Injuries & resilience: Francesca Miney limps off after another crash. Still, “We have six awesome ladies at the top... and there’s more coming.” – Adrian [09:03]
• Women’s camaraderie called out as uniquely supportive compared to the men’s field. [24:30, 29:00]

3. Men’s Event Highlights: The Casati Era

[11:41–14:34, 49:25–55:29]

• Lorenzo Casati (Men’s Champion):
  • “He’s like AI, you know?... He just goes about his job. He doesn’t crash.” – Adrian [12:01-12:17]
  • Winning on the event’s anniversary of his previous title; credits team communication, especially radio with his father-coach Renato for strategic successes [12:47–13:24, 54:33].
• Leonardo Casati (Lorenzo’s younger brother, 2nd place):
  • Aggressive risk-taking, “more technical, more complete” but acknowledges he needs to build more power to match Lorenzo [47:53].
• Cohen van Dijk (3rd place):
  • “Obviously, I’m happy, but I want to win, you know? Now I keep on being third, now it starts to piss me off.” – Cohen [38:52]
  • Admits nerves, sleepless nights, discusses new North Orbit kite's impact ("It flies, man, it wants to go.") [42:38–43:28]
• Rise of young Americans: Zach Adams makes waves by knocking out Principi, showing a generational refresh in the men’s roster.

4. Unfiltered Athlete Reactions: Interviews With Podium Finishers

Lana Herman (Women’s 3rd place) [16:46–19:28]

• Direct, dry, philosophical:
  • “My cousin always says life sucks and then you die.” [17:55]
• Open about nerves and needing to train harder:
  • “I quit my job... all my money, everything into kite surfing. And I will just train, train, train.” [18:07]
• Admits “the nerves took over,” aims to come back stronger.

Zara Huggenrad (Women’s 2nd place) [24:00–28:44]

• Emotional support for Natalie:
  • “If I’m second, I want her to be first... just so happy for her.” [25:03]
• Technical discussion on “boogie” tricks and contest strategy.

Natalie Lambrecht (Women’s Winner) [29:51–35:07]

• On composure:
  • “For some reason, I felt the clock was going in slow motion. I felt like I had so much time... This year I was like a little butterfly.” [30:06]
• Credits caddy and coach Michael Sheppard for rebuilding basics and mindset:
  • “We literally for two weeks just worked on jumping.” [31:13]
• Focus on ‘enjoyment’ and harnessing nerves:
  • “You have the most fun and progress the most when you do enjoy things. I think that was the biggest difference.” [33:21]

Cohen van Dijk (Men’s 3rd place) [38:28–44:51]

• Torn between pride and frustration about finishing third again.
• Shares training insights, kite innovation, and psychological pressure.

Leonardo Casati (Men’s 2nd place) [44:59–48:48]

• Explains value of variety in routines and technical “completeness.”
• Discusses sibling rivalry and how he aims to build more power.
• “I’m a bit, like, more technical, you know, than him. More complete... but he’s more power and more extreme.” [47:53]

Lorenzo Casati (Men’s Winner) [49:25–55:28]

• On strategy and unique trick scoring:
  • “There were, like, two or three minutes left and I probably was second. And then I had, like, a good kicker... went for the world first full cup tornado... then big dangle pass to get the seven categories. Yeah, it paid out.” [49:42]
• Attributes success to training with his father and brother; “Without Renato, nothing of this would be possible. Just the best coach in the world.” [52:33]
• Will keep a rigorous competition schedule; next targets include Lords of Tram and aiming for another “trilogy” of major titles.

5. Gear Innovations and Industry Gossip

[01:41, 38:29–43:28, 54:46]

• Notable gear moves:
  • Debut of unreleased North Orbit kite with new NU80 material; instantly picked by top performers despite only two days of experience on the kite [01:41].
  • Strategic gear secrecy tied to marketing and shop stock considerations [01:41].
• Kite feedback:
  • “It flies, man, it wants to go... I'm just waiting for that one day in Makassar where it's 50 knots and I can break Lorenzo's record.” – Cohen van Dijk [43:28]
• Team radio/caddy usage becomes a strategic edge.

6. Judging, Video Entry, and Event Structure Controversy

[59:56–64:14]

• Jamie Overbeek’s absence:
  • “Just said, I'm going to be back next year. He's not even watching the competition. He's riding a couple hundred meters up.” [58:16]
• Judging controversy around Charles Brodel (hydrofoil competitor) and foil kites:
  • “It is a very big challenge to compare the two [foil vs. LEI]. Some judges think... he should get more. Some judges think... he's making it hard for himself.” – Judge Moraine [60:17]
• Call for reforms:
  • “Videos don’t truly reflect someone’s skill... the qualifier events can play a big role... should be a qualifier all over the world so it's accessible for everyone.” – Judge Moraine [62:22]

7. Special Awards and Competition Culture

[36:12–38:18]

• Mystic Move Award: First time won by a woman (Francesca Miney for her 9.37 board-off, 2 rotations), plus €3,000 prize. “Never even landed that before. So happy.” – Francesca [37:22]
• Athlete camaraderie: Women’s division especially praised for camaraderie and sportsmanship [25:03, 29:00].

8. The Fantasy League and Community Participation

[20:10–24:00]

• Playful results breakdown, laughter over last-place finishes, celebration of the large community engaged with King of the Air fantasy league.
• Grand prize: Week at Makani Beach Club, further cementing Makani’s legendary status in kiteboarding culture.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “That was like pulling teeth. Jesus Christ. I'm glad she... when I had to podcast with her later. Imagine doing a 25 minute podcast with that. Fuck, I'd shoot myself.” – Colin (about interviewing Lana Herman) [19:33]
• “You have the most fun and progress the most when you do enjoy things... that was the biggest difference.” – Natalie Lambrecht [33:21]
• “He’s like AI, you know?... he just goes about his job. He doesn’t crash.” – Adrian (on Lorenzo Casati) [12:01]
• “It flies, man, it wants to go. It has potential. When you jump, you feel like that thing wants to go.” – Cohen van Dijk (on new North Orbit kite) [43:28]
• “If I’m second, I want her to be first... just so happy for her.” – Zara Huggenrad (on friendship with Natalie) [25:03]
• “Without Renato, nothing of this would be possible. Just the best coach in the world.” – Lorenzo Casati (on his father) [52:33]
• “Just said, I'm going to be back next year. He's not even watching the competition. He's riding a couple hundred meters up.” – Adrian (on Jamie Overbeek) [58:16]

Important Timestamps for Segments

• [00:00] – Event location & initial reflections
• [00:46] – Andrea Principi’s shock exit, gear politics
• [02:06] – On the rise of the women’s division; Lana Herman
• [07:06] – Women’s final & Natalie Lambrecht’s championship ride
• [11:41] – Lorenzo Casati’s 2nd King of the Air win
• [16:46] – Lana Herman interview (raw, relatable, dry wit)
• [24:00] – Zara Huggenrad interview (technical, emotional)
• [29:51] – Natalie Lambrecht interview (insightful, inspiring)
• [36:12] – Mystic Move Award to Francesca Miney
• [38:28] – Cohen van Dijk interview (on nerves & innovation)
• [44:59] – Leonardo Casati interview (completeness, rivalry)
• [49:25] – Lorenzo Casati interview (strategy & legacy)
• [59:56] – Judging and entry system controversy; interview with judge
• [62:22] – Calls for event structure and qualification reform

Episode Takeaways & Flow

• King of the Air 2025 was less about classic conditions and more about stories, upsets, and a shift in generational power.
• Gear innovation and team strategy (notably radio-based coaching) played a pivotal role.
• Transparent, relatable interviews brought out the psychological highs and lows, especially among the women, whose division continues to escalate in both performance and character.
• Judging controversies and the shortcomings of the video entry system demand attention if the event is to remain credible and inclusive.
• Through it all, Adrian and Colin maintain a laidback, cheeky, and critical tone, blending insightful analysis with humor and authenticity, capturing the real vibe of progressive kiteboarding.

For further details and visuals, visit the Kitesurf365 website for the full post-show video.