Home
Travel
Active Lifestyle
Style
Gear
Wheels & Wings
Food & Drink
Properties
Health & Fitness
People
Giving Back
Events
First Person
Timepieces
Resources
Advertisement
MOST POPULAR
Kiteboard with Susi Mai Print E-mail
Page 1 of 2
Mai in the Sky
Kiteboarding is soaring in popularity, but Susi Mai is riding on hopes of making the sport even bigger

By Aaron Sales

 

Susi Mai
Photo by Tracy Kraft

 

kiteboarding guide susi mai gets some air
Photo by Tracy Kraft
IN 2003, SUSI MAI, a 19-year-old with aspirations of becoming the world’s best female kiteboarder, found herself just one heat away from winning the sport’s most prestigious competition, the Red Bull King of the Air. During Mai’s eight-minute heat, she paddled head-on into the epic north shore surf, off the coast of Maui, Hawaii. After finding her way onto a wave that dwarfed her five-foot-four-inch frame, Mai carved a 180-degree transition on its peak. Then she rode back down the line, making several stylish bottom turns, slashing the wave’s lip at every chance. When Mai returned to shore, she received a champagne shower as a prelude to being given kiteboarding’s highest female honor: Queen of the Air.

Mai came by her abilities through honest work and training, though she likely had a genetic advantage as well: Her German father was a windsurfing professional in Europe. Before Mai turned seven, her family moved to the windsurfing mecca of Cabarete, in the Dominican Republic. To say Mai could ride a wave before she could walk wouldn’t be too much of an overstatement.

Pete Cabrinha, founder of the popular kite brand Cabrinha Kiteboarding, recognized Mai’s talent early on and provided her with a sponsorship package that allows her to travel the world and do what she does best. “Susi is in a unique position where she is able to inspire both genders,” says Cabrinha. “Women love her because of her athletic skills. Her petite frame debunks the common misconception that you have to be strong and extreme to kiteboard. And most men, after they get over the fact that she’s probably better than them, appreciate her style and great looks.”


<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]