The First To 40m | Emergency Episode

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Kitesurf365
Host: Adrian Kerr, with Colin Colin Carroll
Episode Title: The First To 40m | Emergency Episode
Date: December 6, 2025

On this emergency episode of Kitesurf365’s Megapod, Adrian, Colin, and guests dive into kiteboarding history in real-time as news breaks that Hugo Wigglesworth has officially shattered the Woo record, becoming the first person ever to jump 40 meters. Recorded on-site at the legendary Kite Beach amid the kinetic chaos of confirmation, celebration, and the tension of potential challengers, this episode dissects not only the momentous leap but the evolving arms race of big air kiteboarding.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Record-Breaking Moment (00:29–02:00)

• Breaking News Live: Adrian and Colin receive word from their “very, very deep Wu connections” that Hugo Wigglesworth has broken the Woo world record. Instantly, they pivot the show, heading out to the beach to witness history.
• Scene at the Beach: The hosts describe the palpable excitement and gathering at the King of the Air event site as Woo officials, Flysurfer vans, and fellow kiteboarders congregate to verify and celebrate.

Technical Setup and Strategy (02:23–06:25)

• Radical Equipment Choices: Hugo details the technical elements that underpinned the record (04:35):
  • Foil Kite, Foil Board
  • 17-meter lines (“Usually I'm riding like 23-meter lines. And then I tried 17s today, and then the kite was just sitting so far forward and I was still able to confidently send it.” — Hugo, 05:15)
  • New 7-meter Sonic 5 kite
• Advantage of Shorter Lines:
  • More control, less drag:
    "The way the foil kite works, I can go upwind, tack upwind, getting ready to go jump, and I can depower the kite so much that even though I'm overpowered, I can actually depower with those shorter lines.” — Hugo, 05:47
    • Colin presses for layman’s explanation:
      “You just have less power on shorter lines. I don’t know, it’s physics.” — Hugo, 06:27

Real-Time Reactions & The Verification Process (03:54–08:43)

• Immediate Aftermath:

  • Hugo reveals that he’s already posted the record to the internet and messages are flooding in.
    “Messages are rolling in.” — Hugo, 04:06
  • “Thoughts and feelings? Well, highest fucking jump in my life.” — Hugo, 04:09

• Keeping It Cool on the Water:

  • Hugo describes downplaying his celebration to not tip off potential rivals:
    “I did try not to celebrate, because I think Jamie saw the jump. He was riding just behind me and then I did another jump just to act like I didn’t do a big one.” — Hugo, 04:52

• The Tension of Confirmation:

  • Arlen from Woo stresses the importance of verifying the record before it goes public:
    “We all saw it with our eyes. We saw two video angles and a photo. There was no question on the beach.” — Arlen, 03:23

The Emotional Weight & Community Impact (08:43–10:59)

• Kiteboarding History Made:

  • Colin reflects on the significance:
    “The fact that it’s 40, he's the first person to do it. That chase is finally over. Never happened before. Wu hit the scene in 2013... coming into 2026, and he will most likely lead the leaderboard for quite a while.” — Colin, 08:43

• Hugo’s Personality:

  • Colin notes:
    “He, despite his age and his sort of newness in the scene, he’s able to be unapologetically himself without being arrogant... But today he has made himself completely unique, breaking this record and actually not just breaking it, smashing it to pieces.” — Colin, 09:15

Anticipating the Next Challenger (10:00–12:58)

• Where’s Jamie Overbeek?

  • The hosts and Hugo anticipate Jamie—another top big air kiteboarder—making his own attempt, heightening the tense atmosphere.

• Equipment Limits & Changing Conditions:

  • As conditions continue to intensify after Hugo’s jump, the viability of Jamie’s attempt and his equipment comes into question.
  • “They think maybe it’s too much for the Sonic 5 now... If the timeline is correct, Hugo may have nailed it perfectly.” — Adrian, 12:03
  • Hugo adds:
    “Yeah, I think so. I think it’s picked up like maybe eight knots since I was out and I was like on the limit, you know... I think it’s too windy.” — Hugo, 12:34

• Strategy for Timing Jumps:

  • Hugo explains:
    “I waited for the lull before I jumped. You heard it here first.” — Adrian, 12:58

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Highest fucking jump in my life.”
  — Hugo Wigglesworth (04:09)

• “Get it on, man. I reckon get it on there early. Get it on now and get everyone down here, I reckon post it. Let’s just get it up online.”
  — Adrian (07:32)

• “You just have less power on shorter lines. I don’t know, it’s physics.”
  — Hugo Wigglesworth (06:27)

• “Here he is. Here he is. Wiggles.”
  — Colin as Hugo approaches the interview (03:54)

• “The fact that it’s 40, he’s the first person to do it. That chase is finally over. Never happened before.”
  — Colin (08:43)

• “Today he has made himself completely unique, breaking this record and actually not just breaking it, smashing it to pieces.”
  — Colin (09:20)

• “It’s so good that it’s on the dot as well.”
  — Hugo Wigglesworth, marveling at his 40.00 meter jump (10:54)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:29 – 02:00: News breaks of the world record, preparing to witness history live.
• 02:23 – 06:25: Hugo gives a technical breakdown of his setup, strategy, and the science behind it.
• 03:54 – 05:59: Hugo reacts to breaking the record, discusses the atmosphere, and keeps strategizing to not tip off rivals.
• 07:23 – 08:43: Colin and Adrian weigh in on when to release the news, the importance of confirmation, and the unprecedented nature of the feat.
• 08:43 – 10:59: Reflection on Hugo’s impact, the record’s place in kiteboarding history, and what it means for the sport.
• 12:03 – 12:58: The attempted challenge by Jamie Overbeek, equipment limitations, and strategic timing explained.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Kitesurf365 is an electrifying, behind-the-scenes chronicle of a milestone in the world of big air kiteboarding—equal parts technical masterclass, suspenseful live reporting, and communal celebration. Hugo Wigglesworth’s achievement is not only a showcase of equipment and skill, but a cultural flashpoint for the sport, signaling a new era and raising the bar for what’s possible. The entire podcast captures history in motion, ending with the recognition that, for the moment, the chase is over—Hugo is the first to 40.

Transcript

[Adrian]

Apparently, the hardest thing about breaking the Wu record is choosing the music. How long does it normally take you to choose music, Hugo?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Quite long.

[Adrian]

Brrr. Catastrophic.

[Colin]

Clement Fader.

[Adrian]

Had a couple of strings and it was extremely dangerous.

[Colin]

Guys, I sand the trap and it is gold for Ellie Aldridge and gold for Great Britain.

[Adrian]

I've just been informed, and the time is 10 to 5, that Hugo Wigglesworth has just broken the Woo Woo record. And Colin said, get the field recorder, let's go.

[Colin]

And then wiser people prevailed and said, no, no, no, no, we've done this before, remember?

[Adrian]

Yeah, I don't want to rush down there and record. And then one Mr. Overbeat turns up and destroys it. But.

[Colin]

And then the main reason he doesn't want to do that is because then you have to record a whole new podcast all over again and then it could happen for a third time. And the thing is, we've done this before and we have done about four in one day.

[Adrian]

So it's not been posted, but we heard inside word from our very, very deep Wu connections that it's going to kick off. But I think we're going to have to go down there and get eyes on the speech.

[Colin]

We're going to absolutely have to. Just before this text came through from Wu, Adrian looks out of our window here at Dolphin Beach. Don't stay there. They don't sponsor us. And actually, this apartment is kind of a shithole, isn't it? But anyway, besides the point, Adrian was looking out the window and goes, oh, my word, that's the biggest loop I've seen out of this specific apartment.

[Adrian]

That's probably not saying too much because we are riding outside our apartment. And to be honest, it was big. I mean, it looks. These guys look like they're on 7 study. It is gusting 40 knots, so I think we're going to get some warm clothes on and walk down or drive down to Kite beach, because I think this is the day we're gonna bring to you. And, yeah, you can enjoy this journey.

[Colin]

40 on the dot. 40.

[Adrian]

I just turned off the recorder and thinking, yeah, we've got time. Let's watch the end of Q3 in the Formula One. And then I've been told it's been 40 meters. It must be on a foil. We were with Hugo last night and he was quietly confident. Is it foil?

[Colin]

Foil kite. Seven forward 17.

[Adrian]

Actually, it was interesting last night he was saying, I'm gonna take shorter lines. So he's on the 7 meter Sonic on the foil. 17 meter lines. These foils are actually gonna be a problem.

[Colin]

40 meters. Charles Briddel's record lasted what, five weeks, if that.

Expect he's feeling pretty bloody silly right now.

[Adrian]

We gotta go down. We're gonna watch this. And we're going down. Okay.

[Colin]

The seat belt alarm's going off, but we don't give a cuz I think the Woo world record's just been broken. As we pull into the King of the Air event site. Car park the fly surfer vans there. Woo folk crowded around looking at stuff and yeah, we're at the scene of the crime here. We're here. Let's go find out what's going on. Okay, Arlen's on the phone. He's saying not right now. Not right now. Because he's on the phone to the guy that checks the algorithm.

[Arlen]

We need to confirm that it's.

[Colin]

Honey, this is not the sort of time that you want a podcaster in your face following you around.

[Arlen]

We all saw it with our eyes. We saw two video angles and a photo. There was no question on the beach. That was the biggest jump anyone had ever seen. Hugo was flirting with it for about 20 minutes and then everything lined up. So yeah, There it is, 14.0.

[Colin]

He seems to be okay.

[Arlen]

That was for us, but he's 40.0005.

[Colin]

Wow.

[Arlen]

On the dot.

[Colin]

Okay, okay. This is all quite exciting. Here he is. Here he is. Wiggles.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Hello. Is Wiggles the new nickname?

[Colin]

Yeah, I think so. You've upgraded from Hoogy Woogie.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Oh, that's great.

[Colin]

Have you put it on the Internet yet?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I have.

[Colin]

And has it started to explode?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Yes.

Messages are rolling in.

[Colin]

What are your thoughts and feelings?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Thoughts and feelings? Well, highest fucking jump in my life.

[Colin]

Really? Was it considerably bigger than the one in Bucarez?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I would say maybe one or two meters high. Maybe not as big as in travel distance and hang time, but definitely more vertical and.

[Colin]

Yeah, amazing. And what setup you want? A foil foil kite. Foil board?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Yep, foil kite foil board.

I was riding 17 meter lines on the new 7 meter Sonic 5.

[Colin]

Shit on it. How many heli loops?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I can't even. Four or. No, three. Three. Three.

[Adrian]

I mean, the day's not over, right? I mean for sure Jamie's coming down.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I did try not to celebrate.

Because I think Jamie saw the jump. He was riding just behind me and then I did another jump just to act like I didn't do a big one. But then I think words got out pretty.

[Colin]

Internet's going to spread this like wildfire.

[Adrian]

Is there more in there, do you think? You can go out again and get another one. Or is that just the perfect everything Perfect then.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I mean, it was my first time on the setup. The first time, like the first jump, straight away, 28 meters. As soon as I launched the kite, I was like, my God, this thing's sitting. Usually I'm riding like 23 meter lines. And then I tried 17s today, and then the kite was just sitting so far forward and I was still able to confidently send it. So I think there's more out there. I think 50 is possible one day, but not today.

[Colin]

Shorter lines, less line to your kite, less drag, therefore sits further forward. What's the science?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I think actually it's more for the foil. The way the foil kite works, I can go upwind, tack upwind, getting ready to go jump, and I can depower the kite so much that even though I'm overpowered, I can actually depower with those shorter lines. And then when I want to go jump, I bear off downwind for like a split second and then I'm completely overpowered. But if, you know, if you get the pop right and then.

[Colin]

Yeah, and explain for the silly folk listening to this podcast why shorter lines gives you more D power.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Yeah, because the kite sits further into the wind and there's less drag of the line.

[Colin]

So.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

You just have less power on shorter lines. I don't know, it's physics.

[Colin]

Okay, so I'm stood back from the rabble here. Arlen from Wu is here, the Fly Surfer team are here, Hugo's here. Obviously, I don't know. I'm just going to cut to it. They're all talking about how to handle the next few hours because it's not going to currently on the Internet. It's not even on the Woo app yet. So it's going to hit Woo, then it will hit the Internet via Instagram and then this podcast will go up and then is really real. But yeah, there's a bit of logistical sort of. And strategic thinking to be done because who. Who posts it at what time? And yeah, and. And the thing is that there, it's the sort of conditions where someone else could feasibly break it. Although that's a massive gap, 40 meters over, that's 10%.

Well, just under.

[Adrian]

And we've seen the video. I've seen two different angles. One's incredible. Looking at the mountain, it is literally the biggest jump I think I've ever seen.

[Colin]

It's quite exciting, isn't it, when you know you got something that's going to light up the Internet.

[Adrian]

Get it on, man. I reckon get it on there early. Get it on now and get everyone down here, I reckon post it. Let's just get it up online.

[Colin]

No, you have to wait. You have to wait for Ali. You have to wait.

[Adrian]

Let's get the chaos going.

[Colin]

No, they gotta. They've got to be absolutely sure.

[Arlen]

You're 40 to the thousandth of a mate.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I just wanted to hit it on the dot, you know.

[Colin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're a man of accuracy.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

What did you win? A 40.00.000 inspired by Jacob's football.

[Colin]

See, the U5 now will be barely at 43.

Okay. Stood here downwind of the rabble now, Hugo, surrounded by friends, family, kite designers, hosts fly surfer folk and then Arcelot. And it's just dawned on me that this young man's life is about to change.

Quite dramatically. Everyone now in kiteboarding will know his name and what he has achieved today.

And the fact that it's 14, he's the first person to do it. And that chase is finally over. Never happened before.

Wu hit the scene in 2013.

And here we are a long time after coming into 2026, and he will most likely lead the leaderboard, I think, for quite a while. I know, I'm joking. I know I'm jumping the gun with that. But it's a considerable gap from 37.2 all the way to 40.

Do you know what is special about Hugo?

He, despite his age and his sort of newness in the scene, he's able to be like unapologetically himself without being arrogant. And those two things don't come around very often. He's unique in that, as well as being able to completely ride his ass off, obviously, but he's not unique in that, you know, there's lots of people that can. But today he has made himself completely unique, breaking this record and actually not just breaking it, smashing it to pieces.

And in these interviews so far, he hasn't mentioned that. I rode with him as a. When he was just a young boy. I met him when he was about 8. And he hasn't. He hasn't credited me one bit, which I hope to. I hope to fix over the course of the next half an hour or so. In the back of everyone's minds, though, they will be thinking, shit, where is Jamie Overbeek? Is he out there? I can't see him here, but the wind is supposedly going to keep building until sunset, and we're quite a long way off sunset now. We're two hours Away. So interesting. Interesting couple of hours coming up. You got your phone.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

It's on 2%, man.

[Colin]

It's on 2%. It's on 2%.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Oh, that looks good, doesn't it?

It's so good that it's on the dot as well.

40.00.

[Colin]

Whose sonic is that?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Who do you think?

[Colin]

Seriously?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

It's Jamie.

[Colin]

Okay, mate.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

He's gone on the exact same setup.

[Colin]

Are you concerned whatsoever or not? At.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Probably.

[Colin]

This is the moment. This is the moment he sees it for the first time on the Woo app. Words are eluding him right now.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

No words.

[Colin]

He has no words. But there it is. 4.0.0.

A lucky gust.

[Arlen]

No.

[Colin]

You absolutely love.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

That is so accurate as well, that jump graph.

[Colin]

The jump graph is.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

That's exactly what it looked like.

[Colin]

I mean, and here comes the second.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

I didn't out, but you can. It shows you the second lift at least, you know.

[Colin]

That's lovely. Nice. Lovely soft landing.

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Was it like a little bit of. Call it scratchy.

[Colin]

Running over to Adrian now. He's just been shouting at me to give him the microphone. I'm gonna hand it over.

[Adrian]

So Jamie Overbeek has got his Sonic 5 into the air as he tried to get in the water. The wind has ripped the foil board out of his hands and. And it cartwheel down the beach maybe four or five times. I'm just sitting next to one of the team managers for Fly seven. They think maybe it's too much for the. For the Sonic 5 now and it looks like he's going to land that. So if the timeline is correct, Hugo may have nailed it perfectly. I wonder how much damage was done to that foil board. You know, foil boards don't like to cut well, Hugo, do you think it's too much for the Sonic 5 now?

[Hugo Wigglesworth]

Yeah, I think so. I think it's picked up like maybe 8 knots since I was out and I was like on the limit, you know, like I was waiting for the lulls to jump and then I got a lull took off and that's. And then I got the gust, which is how jumping is. That's how you go massive. But now he's not going to find any lulls to wait, you know, and then get the gust. So I think it's too windy.

[Adrian]

I waited for the lull before I jumped. You heard it here first.