Reactions, Rankings & Road to Pro | The Megapod

Summary

Kitesurf365: The Megapod

Episode: Reactions, Rankings & Road to Pro
Date: April 30, 2026
Hosts: Adrian Kerr, Ben, Steezy Pete (guest segment), Stig Hoofnager (guest segment)

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Overview

In this banter-filled Megapod, Adrian and Ben dissect the controversies and comic moments shaking the kiteboarding world. The main themes are the uproar over USil’s (YouSell) massive alpine updraft “world record” jump, massive shifts in the sponsoring landscape, social media self-promotion faux pas, and head-scratching changes to the GKA’s ranking system before the upcoming Mykonos event. Peppered with guest audio clips, industry gossip, and their trademark irreverent camaraderie, this episode is both insightful and hilarious—a must-listen (or read) for anyone trying to keep up with the sport.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. USil’s “World Record” Jump – Stunt or Legitimate?

(00:48–06:48)

• Controversy Over the Claim:
  Ben and Adrian discuss USil’s claim (posted by his sponsor Gong) for the highest jump ever on a paragliding app (Wingman)—a stunt clocking 62.9m high and 111 seconds airtime.

  • Adrian: “What is that? That’s not how you do this.” (01:51)
  • Ben: “It’s a paragliding app. I mean, it’s literally a publicity stunt by Gong.” (01:54)

• Technical Breakdown:

  • The jump capitalized on mountain-induced thermals, making it more “flying” than “jumping.”
  • Gong, pushing the narrative, used non-standard verification, not Woo or Surfer.
  • Ben (on the “record” logic): “It’s pretty much like saying I’ve broken the long jump record by jumping off a cliff…” (05:32)

• Industry Reaction:

  • Many, including pros, see it as impressive but not a kiteboarding record.
  • Adrian: “The world record claim here is complete bullshit…they haven’t used Woo to do it says it all.” (05:09)
  • Stig Hoofnager (guest): “…it’s just a matter of time kiting behind a mountain…it’s just luck…it’s a stunt, not a world record.” (06:52–07:35)

• The Skill Factor:

  • The hosts concede it’s terrifying and takes skill but not “record”-worthy.
  • Adrian: “Does it take loads of skill to do this? Yes, for sure… But…it’s utterly terrifying.” (06:13–06:46)

• Concerns Beyond the Record:

  • This may set a trend for riders seeking “magic gusts” and updraft stunts.
    • Adrian: “Kids…are all obsessed with finding magic gusts…they go to spots they used to not go to as a school.” (07:43)

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2. Industry Shake-ups: Sponsorships, Market Turmoil, and Brand Banter

(11:31–19:54)

• Gong as Industry Disruptor:

  • The hosts marvel at Gong’s brash moves, often outmaneuvering established brands with marketing stunts and athlete recruitment (including Kelly Slater’s surprise comment on their Instagram).
    • Adrian (on Gong vs. heritage brands): “They are the worst nightmare of every other kite brand…” (11:34)

• Ayrton Cozolino Profile:

  • Adrian and Ben riff on Ayrton’s carefree attitude and infamous coffee habits.
    • Ben: “Ayrton might drink more coffee than I’ve ever seen in the world.” (12:21)

• Sponsorship Exodus:

  • Zara Huggenrad leaves Core; the hosts discuss the underlying industry crisis: COVID overstock, shifting loyalties, brands cutting riders.
    • Adrian: “The kiteboarding industry is pissing blood right now because they all over supplied…” (12:44)
    • Ben: “It’s gotta be one of the great disasters.” (13:27)

• Predictions:

  • More riders expected to lose sponsorships or ride unbranded. Names mentioned: Timo Boisma, Jamie Overbeak, Tom Bridge.
    • Ben: “There’s probably 20 professional paid riders in the world… that’s what it comes down to.” (20:50)

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3. Social Media Self-Crowning – “GOAT” Discourse

(20:50–22:44)

• Jason Van Der Spee Gets Roasted by Steezy Pete:

  • In “Road to Pro” episode 3, Jason nicknames himself “short line goat” on Instagram, triggering Steezy Pete’s satirical criticism.
    • Steezy Pete: “It’s a bit tragic claiming that you are the goat. Surely that’s something other people do to you… Hadlow never calls himself the goat. Doesn’t need to. Everyone else calls him the goat for him.” (21:19–21:56)

• Meta-discussion:

  • Hosts agree: you can’t crown yourself the GOAT—let others do it.
    • Ben: “He should write down, people tell me I’m the goat of short lines. That’s what he should have in his bio.” (23:18)
    • Adrian: “No, he shouldn’t. He should just not have it.” (23:26)

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4. “Road to Pro” Behind the Scenes – Beach Cleanup Fiasco

(24:28–26:09)

• Comedy of Errors:
  • During a spoof beach cleanup for the cameras, the crew runs into actual do-gooders mid-activity, resulting in awkwardness, guilt, and a genuine cleanup effort.
    • Ben: “Pete…decides we can’t do this. But Jason just runs along the beach, just throwing rubbish everywhere.” (24:37)
    • Adrian: “They go to take the piss out of beach cleaning…and for the 1:1 in 4,000 chance, there is people doing a beach cleanup.” (25:26)

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5. GKA Mykonos & Ranking System Controversy

(26:09–29:43)

• Questionable Ranking System:

  • The GKA mixes 2025 and 2026 results to form current rankings, leading to nonsensical outcomes.
  • Jamie Overbeak, who just won with a perfect score, is ranked 17th; other glaring incongruencies listed.
    • Ben: “Jamie Overbeek…is now ranked 17th in the world.” (28:03)
    • Adrian: “Heel Vlute has dropped to 31 in the world. Oh, what the hell’s going on?” (29:03)

• Event Format & Location Issues:

  • Short window, high costs, and uncertainty over the event running further complicate things.
    • Ben: “The recipe for success is a one month window and get the guys there and do it. That’s the success of all big events.” (30:54)

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6. Travel, Logistics & the Mykonos Experience

(31:07–32:58)

• High costs, travel headaches, and FOMO set the backdrop, with side-discussion on the appeal of Mykonos as a venue.
  • Ben (pricing): “€25 a beer, put them in the world’s most expensive island…” (31:07)
  • Adrian (on island’s danger): “You get too fat on all the gas and the pastries. Unbelievable pastries.” (32:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Adrian (on the Gong jump): “The world record claim here is complete bullshit, and it has no validity as far as I’m concerned.” (05:09)
• Ben (on the ranking system): “You win…the first stop of the GKA with a perfect 10…to find your rank 17th in the world.” (29:27)
• Stig Hoofnager (on the updraft jump): “…I would probably consider it a stunt and not a…world record for a jump.” (07:35)
• Steezy Pete (on self-crowning): “It’s not the Red Bull way. I’m bigger than that. Much bigger than that. No, it’s not ghost to call yourself the goat.” (21:46)
• Adrian (on sponsor cuts): “I guarantee it. Yeah, and this is, it’s nothing to do with her. I know this for sure…. Epic athlete, good online, good on the water, epic on the beach.” (13:38)
• Ben (industry reality): “There’s probably 20 professional paid riders in the world… that’s what it comes down to.” (20:50)

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Episode Structure by Timestamp

• 00:00–06:48 Debate over USil’s “world record”; technical, cultural, and marketing angles
• 06:48–09:59 Trends: magic gusts, updrafts, and the implications for young riders
• 11:31–12:36 Ayrton Cozolino: coffee, personality, and legend status
• 12:40–19:54 Zara Huggenrad’s sponsor split, broader market trends, and kite setup speculation
• 20:50–23:27 "GOAT" meme debate: social media etiquette and kiteboarding humility
• 24:28–26:09 “Road to Pro” beach cleanup comedy
• 26:09–29:43 GKA ranking system confusion and detailed complaints
• 31:02–33:10 Mykonos event logistics, travel, and the local experience
• 33:22–end Wrap-up banter

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Tone

Playful, irreverent, occasionally biting—Adrian and Ben riff off each other, mixing technical depth with comic asides and insider gossip. They’re unafraid to call out industry shenanigans while still showing obvious affection for the sport and its characters.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Megapod exemplifies the balance of entertainment and industry insight that Kitesurf365 fans love. From debunking hype and calling out branding tricks to candid sociology of pro kiteboarding life, it’s a whirlwind ride, much like a session in gusty, unpredictable winds. Perfect for anyone invested in kitesurfing’s drama—on or off the water.

Transcript

[Adrian]

In this episode, we talk about whether u sells Jump was a load of shit or not. We talk about road to Pro3, where Jason Vanderpay gets cooked by none other than Steezy Pete. Not something that's. That's not the person you want cooking you. And we discussed the GKA upcoming event in Mykonos and their ranking system that's gone horribly wrong.

[Ben]

Catastrophic equipment failure.

[Adrian]

Going for the boogaloo double just to get the landing. Oh. Had a couple of rings and it was extremely dangerous.

[Ben]

Guys, I sent the trap. And it is gold for Ellie Aldridge and gold for Great Britain. Welcome back.

[Adrian]

Apologies if I sound nasal or out of breath, because both those things will be true, mate.

[Ben]

You missed a. Missed a pretty crazy week last week. There was a. A lot of stuff happening. But let's go straight to probably the one that caused the most sort of kerfuffle, which was useful. Parallax world record claim. I know you were a little bit out last week. Have you had a chance to catch up and look at that and look at the propaganda around this?

[Adrian]

So I saw it yesterday when I came back into the real world and thought, does that count? And I haven't done any research into it, so tell me what everyone's thinking and saying about it.

[Ben]

It's flying versus jumping, right? Because he is using crazy winds that are coming off the mountain and he's using it to fly high into the sky. Claiming it's a world record is a bit of a stretch. It might be a world record on Wingman. Actually, it's not even a world record on Wingman. That's the app he used it on. Because Wingman's for paragliders. And I'm pretty sure paragliders are doing more than 62 meters.

[Adrian]

What's he claiming it's a world record on?

[Ben]

He's just saying it's the biggest jump ever.

[Adrian]

On Wu or what?

[Ben]

No, on Wingman.

[Adrian]

What is that? That's not how you do this.

[Ben]

I know. It's a paragliding app. I mean, it's literally a publicity stunt by Gong.

[Adrian]

I've just gone on. Yeah, okay, so Wu have not credited it.

[Ben]

No one has.

[Adrian]

Well, then why are we even. Yeah, okay, well, it's a publicity stunt, right, because you got caught in an updraft.

[Ben]

I'll link Edgar Ulrich's take on it in the show notes. It's pretty interesting. You know, the wind can do many things. And I. I spoke to Stig about it as well, and it's literally like the wind is coming down because it's hot air. It's hitting the. Then rising up again. And he's using the kite to fly up like a thermal. The reason why Surfer or Woo wouldn't be able to do this, because they wouldn't be using math. You know, the math relies on a takeoff time, like the noise, but it's just. It's. Yeah, you won't be able to calculate it. So this wingman app is a paragliding app. Is Gong the new Epic kites? Are they going to do all this crazy stuff to. To. To get content and clicks? Because it's a. It was a strange one. A lot of people were talking about it.

[Adrian]

Yeah, it has caused a stir, isn't it? I can see. I'm just online now. The. A couple things you sell I really like. I think it's epic that he turned up at Mega Loop, his first major competition, rode his ass off and then ditched that core kite that he was on, went with Gong, massive risk and has kind of, yeah, gone for a brand that isn't that established at the top end of big air riding yet. I actually feel really sorry for Gong because they are trying to do something that is remarkable. They've, like slashed the price. Unbelievable. Harder than anyone ever has in kiteboarding history. But they've done it at the exact same time that the big brands have been pissing their overstock problem into the market. So basically the likes of Cabrina and North and Nash, Right? Massive, massive brands. Loads of heritage Epic brands. Epic products, Epic riders. They capture the soul of kiteboarding. Those guys have been undercutting Gong. That's the state of it.

[Ben]

I agree with your statement with useful. I really like him. He's a super nice guy. A lot of time for him. And by the way, it's very, very impressive flying from useful. It's a little bit like what Jason was doing in episode two of Road to Japan, where he's using that updraft and flying the kite back and forth. Useless. Actually doing the same as Jason, but he's more flying the kite right around him. He's like, you know, flying the kite around him to just. To find that. Find that lift. It's very, very impressive, but it's not a world record. And by the way, I don't think Use is claiming that. I think that's gone because if. What do you mean?

[Adrian]

No, he's not claiming it.

[Ben]

It's in his video, but it's gone. GOM's pushing it. They put out the stuff. Two world records. I mean, if you read this. It says you saw broke two world records, an extreme wind phenomenon allowing to reach 62.9 meters in height and 111 seconds of air time. Two records in one jump. The record was recorded and using independent devices, followed by a second jump at 52 meters. I think this is Gong's marketing.

[Adrian]

I can go and find you video footage of people getting caught in gnarlier updrafts. That definitely would be higher than 62 meters. Yeah, the world record claim here is complete bullshit, and it has no validity as far as I'm concerned. I mean, the fact that they haven't used Woo to do it says it all.

[Ben]

It's pretty much like saying I've broken the long jump record by jumping off a cliff and falling to my death. But in that process, I traveled 400 meters. I want to be, you know, put into the Guinness Book of Records for the longest jump.

[Adrian]

That being said, doing this would be utterly terrifying, but it's. That is nightmarish shit for me. I would. I would hate that so much to be caught in that kind of updraft there unsupported. No. Can you imagine 62 meters? Adrian, 62.

[Ben]

I don't like the same. Yeah.

[Adrian]

No, seriously?

[Ben]

Yeah, sure.

[Adrian]

Seriously though, like more than three times the height of the average. Yeah, it's terrifying. Does it take loads of skill to do this? Yes, for sure. To be like that composed and to stay up there for that long and to be like reading the wind and finding the gusts to stay up there. Yeah. Skillful, for sure. That's why it's garnered the respect of the likes of Jesse Richmond. I'll just read out his comment. Hitting a thermal like that on a kite is absolutely outrageous. So you either did a great job with some secret tricks or just had the most insane flight with a kite by a mile. Well played.

[Ben]

Well, let's hear what Stig Hoofnager has to say.

[Stig Hoofnager]

I didn't see it as a world record, at least not for height. I'm a paraglider. I'm a skydiver. So I have quite a bit of, like, different experience from different sort of wind sports and like action or extreme action sports. And the theory behind the reason why you went up so high is, for a very big part, just luck, I would say. And I guess it's just a matter of time kiting behind a mountain where it's super gusty and it has these crazy uplifts in warm conditions until you catch a gust like that. So probably if you would make even longer Lines like I would, I don't know, would say like 40 meter lines. The chances of you hitting that gust and going up is even higher. So I don't know, I would probably consider it a stunt and not a, another world record for a jump.

[Adrian]

We should have played that at the start.

[Ben]

Where does this leave us now, Colin? Are we going to have more and more young riders start trying to look to do this?

[Adrian]

It's already happening. So the World Class Kite Academy, the, the traveling school for kiteboarding. The kids there are all obsessed with finding magic gusts and spots they used to not go to as a school because it was too gusty that were

[Ben]

like, yeah, let's go

[Adrian]

magic gusts. I mean, Jamie, Jamie getting a 10 for what was effectively just a lucky magic gust. This is the problem. This is what's happened. Jamie in the most recent competition got a 10 for his final trick attempt, which was a good trick for sure. It was nice high, good execution, loads of rotations, whatever. But fact is, he got a 10 because he gets a magic gust on the way down and he went an extra 150 meters than he should have. That's what got him the 10.

[Ben]

But Jamie's using the kite creating second lift a little bit like a sycamore seed. He's flying the kite round him in that gust. The way the flight kite is flying is keeping him parallel to the ground. Now USIL's doing the same and he's going right around his head in a bigger arc, but because the wind is coming up off the water, it's lifting him up. So how do we define a magic gas? Is a magic gas traveling parallel to the ocean? Like, but I mean, these are the things we need to talk about is a magic gas going parallel which we have associated the big, you know, gust like Hugo's done and Jamie's done and so forth. But this one is quite different because the, because the, because the wind is coming up off the water and they're lifting up. So they are slightly different.

[Adrian]

Let's define this one as an updraft.

[Ben]

Then how do we define a record?

[Adrian]

This just, I just don't. Okay, yeah, I see your problem. I see your problem.

[Ben]

I think, for example, you can have the record on surfer, you can have the record on woo and we're celebrated. Especially the woo. Really make a big deal at celebrating that. If wingmen want to get into doing this and say, okay, we're going to start holding, you know, kite surfing records, then they can have their own record for all I care. I don't I don't care. But he did cop a little bit of shit. And. But look, any publicity is good publicity and I think that's what Gong gets.

[Adrian]

No, no, it's not. Being accused of incest or pedophilia is not good publicity.

[Ben]

Well, we're talking within the kiteboarding industry. I haven't. I'm yet to hear that, but could possibly happen. I. I love Craig. Craig Cunningham, who's the team manager. His comments in the. In one of the posts was Woozone by board by Duotone. They're never going to register this one. I thought. I thought that was a cheeky dig at his former employees. But I just think maybe Craig is Dimitri and Gong is Epic Kites. You know, maybe. Maybe this is the way these guys are going to go out. I mean.

[Adrian]

Oh, I think you've just. I think you've just deeply offended Gong's team manager there. No, I think he will not react well to being compared to Dimitri Marinides, the owner and operator of Epic Kites.

[Ben]

I don't know if that's still around,

[Adrian]

but created some seriously lame kiteboarding advertising over the years.

[Ben]

But again, going back, Gong have had a couple of things. The other day they did a post when they were shaving Asian's head and Asen said in the thing, if Kelly Slater comments back, I'll keep it shaved. And Kelly Slater repose.

[Adrian]

No way.

[Ben]

Yeah, so shut up. They are getting some. Whatever.

[Adrian]

Shut.

[Ben]

Whatever they're doing.

[Adrian]

Really?

[Ben]

Really.

[Adrian]

Okay, let me go and look. Let me go and look. Oh. Oh, my word. So Kelly Slater replies, saying, damn, I'm pretty good as a goofy foot. That is amazing. Oh, my word.

[Ben]

And gone breaking down barriers.

[Adrian]

That is actually amazing, mate. Gong is just. They are the worst nightmare of every other kite brand. Like, this is a nasty dream for the rest of the kite industry.

[Ben]

Can you imagine those marketing meetings? Guys, what are you doing? We've got to be like Gong.

[Adrian]

Guys, they've got Kelly Slater, one of the most accomplished athletes in human history, commenting on their banter. Come on, guys, get your shit together. Pull your fingers out. I can't believe we've made another instructional tutorial that no one's watched. Ayrton. Just. Just a quick comment on Ayrton. He's in. He is just epic.

[Ben]

He doesn't give a shit. I love it.

[Adrian]

He doesn't. He doesn't give a shit.

[Ben]

Ayrton might drink more coffee than I've ever seen in the world. Every time I go. If I'm in a location where it isn't I want to find him. I just got to walk past the coffee shop. Guarantee you'll see him in a coffee shop. He loves a coffee.

[Adrian]

Oh, air tong. Cozolino legend. Legend.

[Ben]

Quite a bit happened last week, Colin.

[Adrian]

What else? Yeah, what else?

[Ben]

What was your, what was your take on the Zara Huggenrad announcement that she

[Adrian]

had left core A sign of the times. This is. Zara Hugger is not going to mean an anomaly here. Like the kiteboarding industry is pissing blood right now because they all over supplied. They were over ordered during COVID because they thought the. The market had tripled inside. But size can't speak this morning and shock horror, it hadn't. It's just that people were stuck at home and had a bit more disposable income because they couldn't go on holiday. So then everyone bought kites in those years and the kite brands went, oh my word, we're going to print money. Let's. Let's get twice as many things made.

[Ben]

That's gotta be one of the great disasters.

[Adrian]

Yeah. And this is the basis of the next how to get paid episode. So yeah, Zara is.

[Ben]

You think there's going to be more people?

[Adrian]

Yeah, for sure there'll be more people over this year. I guarantee it. I guarantee it. Yeah. And this is, it's nothing to do with her. I know this for sure. She had a great year last year. She's epic athlete, good online, good on the water, epic on the beach. Epic, epic woman.

[Ben]

I mean she's kind of like the perfect athlete that you want, right? Someone who's you can send to, you know, you know, send to a dealer meeting, can compete for you can talk about the products. It's loyal to a T. You know, she said in that thing, I've never tried any other kites, Adrian, because I've been always loyal to my brand, which I was like. So she said, oh, I tried the, I tried one of heels ocean rodeos one time but it's crazy how long she's been. Yeah, I'm, I'm interested to see what this means. If you could guess what kite do you think she'd ride at Mykonos? Cuz for sure she's going to be riding a different kite. If you. Okay, we'll put it this way. If you could choose a kite for Zara that she would ride at Mykonos, what would you choose for her? Considering that she's come from like a. Maybe she's been riding kites at a sort of higher aspect. Five strike kites Mainly, yeah.

[Adrian]

She's used to high bar pressure, very lifty core xr, which is not that friendly to loop. I don't care what anyone says. They're not their. Their core pace is amazing to loop. The XR is the one you go for if you want lift over every everything else. And it is amazing. It's the liftiest leading edge inflatable kite you can buy. So she'll really miss that. Whatever. If she does change, she'll really miss the lift because nothing else can compare. But if she wanted to change, she'll go for something that is easy to loop, something that is forgiving and has a big sweet spot. If I was her, I would actually probably stay on the XR for this competition just. Just to have some continuity because it's been. It hasn't been very long since Lord the Tram. If she had to change, was she gonna go slingshot code nxt.

[Ben]

Yeah.3 strut, though a little bit different. What about. What about a. What about an Ozone Vortex? A little bit of quite a similar kite that she's ridden.

[Adrian]

Even higher aspect. Don't know what that loops like. Hasn't got a good reputation amongst the competitive athletes.

[Ben]

Don't see it very common. It's not a common kite for us

[Adrian]

to see at the events, but that is a really good point. It's the other one that is really lefty.

[Ben]

I doubt she'd be on call. I mean, one thing that you've always said to me and you've always said to other people as well is you don't. You don't write anything or you don't support anything you're not being paid for. And I think she's very much down that road. I think she. That. I think the. Although she was in a very, very happy relationship, when you get burned like that, I don't think you come back and you don't give them anything. Even though they say, we'll give you free kites. I don't know what. I don't know what the partying deal is, but I know that I. I get the feeling. Well, she told me she's not going to be writing court anymore. So it's going to be very interesting to see what she turns up on.

[Adrian]

If you had to guess, you're guessing Ozone.

[Ben]

I think Ozone. Yeah. Well, she can write anything she wants. You know, in that interview, she said, look, she. I'm not. She said, I'm not 100% committed to writing that Mykonos event because, you know, with the fourth place and, you know, I think her goal, like a lot of those girls goals, I think of the Red Bull events is there's bigger fish on the table for those ladies down the line. The Mega loop, the potential of a cold Hawaii woman's fleet, and obviously, you know, the Queen of the Year. They're big events. You know, those are the ones that I think these girls really want to win.

[Adrian]

Oh, do you know what, what about the Rebel D Lab? That's got a massive sweet spot. That's 5 strat.

[Ben]

That's the other one. She should be ringing Kite Mana right now and saying, hey, I want to come on like Jamie. I want to be the female. Your female version for Jamie. Get me in the videos. Let me choose and pick and choose my gear. Is that going to improve her writing, though?

[Adrian]

Yeah, I think there's stuff I think she'll really miss. The lift of the xr. Like, I think it's unparalleled. And also there's other things about core that are great. Like the lines, for some reason, don't seem to go out of tune. I don't know how every other bar on earth does, but the core ones don't seem to. And I know that seems like that should be like a aquatic myth or something, but ask. Ask the people that aren't paid to say. Say that and they'll. They'll say the same. What else is epic with Core? Sure, Mr. Bored, I think super light, super light carbon imperator. But yeah, there'll be some stuff that does benefit her, like an ease of loop. She'll find something that feels like a pace but has a bit more lift, I think, in. In other places.

[Ben]

So I think that's a really good point, actually. I think, you know, she. She openly admitted that those loops scared her, you know, on, you know, when it gets really windy, she can. She can be scared by those loops. And even though when she lands, it's like she's like, oh, the adrenaline's amazing. It's just like, is it worth the risk? So maybe an easier looping kite might just give little bit more confidence to push a bit harder. I don't know whether it's. She's going to have those top performances at Mykonos. You know, there's a lot to go through.

[Adrian]

P S do. I don't find the Rebel D Lab easier to easy to loop. Pros do, though. But pros look at things completely differently, don't they? And they tune things completely differently as. As well. Yeah. Man, it'd be such a shame if she doesn't ride Mykonos. But yeah, we'll see. We'll see. Exciting times, though, I think. I think this will end up being like a, a pivotal moment in your career, but it doesn't mean it's going to be a bad one. I think it could be time for great change.

[Ben]

You know what, it's a great point, actually. I never thought about it that way. And it could be the point, it could be the Zara effect that we go on to talk about where, you know, brands had wholesale cutting of their riders and Zara will go down as the first one, you know, who, who caused, not caused that ripple, but she was the first son that we, we noticed. And it's probably already happened it, I mean, for sure it's happening across the board already. Timo Boisma, as far as I know, doesn't have a sponsor. Jamie Overbeak, sponsorless rider. You know, there must be other people out there who are at that.

[Adrian]

Tom Bridge.

[Ben]

Tom Bridge, Baby Shark getting a sponsorship at the last minute. So it is happening. It's just maybe not as public as we know. Maybe there's riders out there who have got terrible deals for 20, 26 and beyond, but are just too proud to admit it. You know how many people write I'm a professional, right, professional kite surfer on the Instagram that they're not professional writers. There's probably 20 professional paid writers in the world. You know, that's not, that's what, that's what it comes down to.

[Adrian]

Speaking of, speaking of, in episode three, Jason Van Der Spee gets completely and utterly cooked by none other than Steezy Pete on that topic of putting stuff in Instagram bio. And he was just gagging for this one. Poor old Jason. And here is Pete giving him a

[Steezy Pete]

ripping of a lifetime, self proclaimed short line goat. Interesting. It's a bit tragic claiming that you are the goat. Surely that's something other people do to you. But it's all right. I mean, you have to be kind to the man. He hasn't managed to get that Red Bull seat. So, you know, you don't want to punch down really, do you?

[Adrian]

Just knock it. All right.

[Steezy Pete]

Yeah, it would be. Wouldn't be the, Wouldn't be the done thing.

[Adrian]

It's not the Red Bull way.

[Steezy Pete]

It's not the Red Bull way. I'm bigger than that. Much bigger than that. No, it's not ghost to call yourself the goat. I mean, Hadlow never calls himself the goat. Doesn't need to. Everyone else calls him the goat for him.

[Adrian]

Yeah, yeah, everyone Goes ba.

[Steezy Pete]

Yeah, everyone does. Everyone does go bar at him. Are people, barring Jason, maybe. Possibly.

[Adrian]

Is that how a goat sounds?

[Steezy Pete]

Like a perhaps or like a But

[Adrian]

why would we make the goat noises at him? Because we're not goats. He should be making that noise.

[Steezy Pete]

Yeah, he should be making it. We should say, ah, it's Jason. And Jason should go. That's how we'd know. You shouldn't call yourself the goat on Instagram. You should just bar when everyone. Whenever anyone talks to you. I think that. Or maybe, like, eat a carpet or something.

[Adrian]

Get stuck on a cliff.

[Steezy Pete]

That's how. That's how you proclaim yourself to be the goat, I think.

[Ben]

What is the official deal with calling yourself the goat? Can you.

[Adrian]

No.

[Ben]

Who can call themselves the goat? If Aaron. If Aaron had low. Came up to you and said, you know, guys, I'm actually the goat number one, I'd be very surprised to hear that from Aaron's mouth. But you're right, you can't call it.

[Adrian]

No. If Aaron Hadla, who, with this never happening, ever came up to me and you and said, boys, I am the goat, would say, we know you are Aaron, but don't ever say that again. I know, I know. I know that I shouldn't, but I have. That's what would happen.

[Ben]

He should write down, people tell me I'm the goat of short lines. That's what he should have in his bio. People say I'm the goat.

[Adrian]

No, he shouldn't. He should just not have it.

[Ben]

So

[Adrian]

people. People should think it, but it shouldn't be said by him.

[Ben]

I think a lot of people should think before they talk or before they write.

[Adrian]

Yeah, like that time last year when I wrote an email saying, the kite yanks. That kite yanked Jetto harder than your mum's ponytail on her wedding night or something.

[Ben]

Surprisingly, we got some complaints. Surprisingly. People complained about the way you used to write letters.

[Adrian]

I just remember sitting there and going, this is a good one.

[Ben]

You write it and I get the customer service complaints.

[Adrian]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Especially disappointed with the way Ben was talking about Jetto's mother or something like that.

[Adrian]

Oh, well. Oh, well.

[Ben]

Episode three out tonight.

[Adrian]

Absolutely. So as soon as this podcast goes. No doubt.

[Ben]

Should we talk about the. The beach cleanup?

[Adrian]

Yeah. Yeah. Because I wasn't there. I'd already left Japan at this point, so paint the picture for. For me, Adrian.

[Ben]

So the boys were talking about, oh, we can do a beach cleanup. It's a great way. People love beach cleanups. So we'd been going down to this one beach Opposite the Sandy Feet Kite School. We'd never seen a single soul there. And as we were taking our bag of rubbish down to the beach to tip to, then 4 go pick up for the shot, we see a bunch of people doing a beach cleanup, and we look so embarrassed. And Pete, who's got the biggest moral compass of all of us, he decides we can't do this. But Jason just runs along the beach, just throwing rubbish everywhere. But the people doing the beach cleanup looked at us. Well, at that stage, Sam, who was. Who's the cameraman, and myself, we basically just ran behind the bushes. I didn't want any part of this. Yeah, it was. It was super funny.

[Adrian]

That is the most DZP and Jetto situation ever, though, isn't it? Like, they go to take the piss out of beach cleaning, and they turn up. And for the 1:1 in 4,000 chance, there is people doing a beach cleanup and they've already done it and the beach is clean.

[Ben]

Yeah. So we picked up our bag, which was, you know, we'd chosen carefully. We'd chosen, like, cans and stuff that was easy to pick up. And then Pete and his moral compass kicked in, and he made everyone else pick up some more. So we actually did our own beach cleanup, a proper one, a legit one. Well, I didn't. I just stood back doing the sound, but they were picking up stuff all over the place. And I actually haven't seen this episode, so I'm. I'm really looking forward to seeing this one because it's getting close to that. Getting close to the action. Now.

[Adrian]

That's good. This one's good. Yeah, this one's good, Right? Big headline. The GKA have done something stupid. What is. Adrian?

[Ben]

Let me ask you a question, Ben. If you were running the gk, and you were, how would you do the rankings after the first event of the year? What would a. What would a smart man like yourself do?

[Adrian]

I probably organize a video entry system for people to qualify, and then creating a bureaucratic backlog, establish the order.

[Ben]

You just take the order, right? You just take the top 10 guys, the top 10 finishes, give them automatic entry, have your wild cards, have your video entries, and then do your wild cards. But no, they decided to take the 2026 Lords of Tram results and then mix it with the 2025 results. So to create a whole new list of rankings, I'm going to read you the male rankings. So the male rankings, the top 10, as it stands for GK Mykonos. The top 10 men get direct entry, top 10 by video. And then there's four wild cards, which I believe two wild cards come from the local operator. So think of Greek writers who that. Baptiste Bordollis, maybe.

[Adrian]

Yeah, yeah. And his.

[Ben]

And his brother Baptist and his brother Cyprian Bordollis. But George Quintus is another name that jumps out of me. He.

[Adrian]

He actually, what about the dad? Daddy Bordolis, Mummy Badalas.

[Ben]

Yeah, the whole Bodolas family, all four of them. But. And on the woman's side, it's the top five, then five from video, then two wild cards. But let me.

[Adrian]

Okay, so who's. Who's been robbed? Just tell us who's been robbed. That's the only thing we care about here.

[Ben]

Jamie Overbeak. He's gone.

[Adrian]

Oh, no. Jamie Overbeak, what?

[Ben]

Is ranked 17th.

[Adrian]

Oh, I kid you not.

[Ben]

Jamie Overbeek, who won the event with probably the most perfect score, a score I'm going to say we're never probably going to see beaten, is now ranked 17th in the world. The top 10. Finn Flugel, Leonardo Casadi, Andrea Principe, Lorenzo Casadi, Zach Adams, Shahar Sabri. Yes Way San Ferreira. Kim Overkirk is eighth in the world. He's eighth on the back of a sixth in 2025 and then a 21st in Lords of Tram. So he's up to Steam Moore and then Cone. Van Dyke is the top 10. Missing out on the top 10, there's Nathan Texia, Timo, Josh, Josh Gillet, Jason Vanderspay, Luca Trudy, Baptiste Jacqueman, Jamie Overbeat, Hugo Wilsworth, Edgar Ulrich back in there for some reason. Clermont, Jeremy Blando's ranked 21. Martin. Martin Kiski is 22. Unibo, Elliot, Bataan, Maxwell Dahl. Liam Whaley's back in the list at 27.

[Adrian]

Where's Andrea Pinchepi?

[Ben]

Andrea is third. Liam Whaley is ranked higher than Heel Vlute. Heel Vlute has dropped to 31 in the world. Oh, what the hell's going on?

[Adrian]

Are they going on his paddle ranking?

[Ben]

I don't know. Let's talk about the girls. In the Girls, Mikhail is number one. Francesca Maney, Alicia, Sophia Minch, the top five. After that, everyone needs to put in video entries, which is Alicia, Lana, Aya, Natalie, Lilu, Etsy and Pippa.

[Adrian]

That's fine. Those guys will just put in entries and it'll be fine.

[Ben]

But how crazy is that that you can win? You win. The first stop of the GKA with a perfect 10 is the last time you touch the water to get off the Water to find your rank 17th in the world. I mean poor Jamie. I mean, what the hell he must be thinking, what have I got to do here?

[Adrian]

Oh, poor Jamie. But he's gonna turn up and probably honestly you're gonna win. This is what I'm thinking. They could easily turn up in that shitty five day win win though and it not blow. And then Jamie in the and Alessa World Champions easily that. I reckon that's a 40. I think it's 40 probability that's happening. I reckon at 60, 40 it's going to be, it's going to be windy. 40 probability of that happening. It's very likely. And then there's also a chance this. I, I think there's a chance this competition doesn't run at all. The fact that it's in a new location, the fact that this weird stuff's happening with the rankings, I just. Is it, is it confirmed on the GKA website?

[Ben]

Interesting how we, we know other people who are very, very positive this is going to happen and you know, people are talking about this is upcoming decent money that's been put into this event. I think capital.com is one of the major sponsors. I'm with you. Look, seven days is a risk. It's a huge risk. You know the five. Is it five days?

[Adrian]

It's 16th to 21st June six.

[Ben]

The recipe for success is a one month window and get the guys there and do it. That's the success of all big events.

[Adrian]

It's always been the guys there, get them there early, hold them there.

[Ben]

€25 a beer, put them in the world's most expensive island in the world.

[Adrian]

Yeah. Oh, how much is our Airbnb for that time? Horrible. Absolutely horrible.

[Ben]

2, 200. By the way, we've got a deal of a lifetime. 2200.

[Adrian]

You told me 1900 yesterday.

[Ben]

I had to put it up because we decided to go a day earlier.

[Adrian]

Oh, and do you think you're coming?

[Ben]

I'm gonna, I'm gonna bloody swim, man. I'm gonna go on a boat.

[Adrian]

But how, how are you going to get there up the Red Sea? What's your route going to be?

[Ben]

The, the route I'm looking at now is Bangkok to Istanbul via the northern route, which is via China and then from flying across the base of Russia through Ukraine. Sounds safe.

[Adrian]

And hey, seriously, this is the best

[Ben]

option that's confirmed flights and through the Middle east. Everything is just on hold. So. But mate, I, I have to be at this event. I need to be there. I had, you know, I had the worst case of fomo. I've had a long time seeing you guys there and, you know, seeing Jamie hit that 10 and.

[Adrian]

Oh, we missed you. We missed you. Yeah.

[Ben]

It's just like, you know, I. I feel so invested in that.

[Adrian]

Trust me, it was only good for the last 20 minutes. The rest of the time, we're all being like, ah. Why do color boarding events have to take two days? Oh, where are my snowboarding goggles? I've got sand in my eyes.

[Ben]

Belinda said, oh, we missed you, bro. But don't worry, you didn't miss the cold. It was bloody freezing.

[Adrian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ben]

Mykonos is a really cool spot. We keep saying, if you can go, go. Because it is pretty awesome watching. Because you can get it right up on the sides. And I believe everyone's super excited about this. It is an expensive spot. I don't know if this will be a Maybe. Maybe with how expensive it is. That's why they are cutting that window short. I think. You couldn't do a month in Nikonos. It's just. It's just out. It's out of control.

[Adrian]

You get too fat on all the. On all. On all the gas and the pastries. Unbelievable pastries.

[Ben]

What. What's our favorite dessert? The old favorite one we actually took. We even took some back. Mother.

[Adrian]

The back. In the back comes a joke. Okay, this is bullshit. That's enough of this episode. I think we've done quite well, though. That was actually maybe an all right one.

[Ben]

Let's wrap it up.

[Adrian]

It's a bit of a change. Yeah, good. Thanks, as always. See you in the next one. Goodbye.