Having been travelling the world as a professional kiter for the past ten years, and as a super passionate surfer, I’ve been hooked on the SUP virus ever since my very first go at it in 2007.  Paddleboarding has given me the opportunity to see the world through different eyes and is enabling me to enjoy my life-force  -  the ocean -  in additional ways.  New possibilities and opportunities for new adventures, new thrills, new playgrounds, new stokes are opening up almost every day that I take one of my Fanatic SUP-babies out and I very openly admit:  I’m a SUPaholic which is a beaaaaaaaautiful thing and contrary to most other addictions a very, very healthy one too

I could hardly imagine a day without not picking up one of my beloved SUPs to enjoy a session in the waves, a down winder, a meditative cruise up the river or a couple of yoga moves on top of my board.

..and I’ve just come back from an absolutely beautiful, joy session, I’m feeling GREAT, yew !

High time 4 the ones amongst you who still haven’t given this amazing sport a go yet, to have a shot at it !!!  Trust me guys, you won’t regret it.
I’m always here for you and any questions
Yours Gabi

Amongst them: World Number 1 and Ten Time ASP Champion Kelly Slater!

I’m currently chilling out in Western Australia, gaining energy for an exciting season ahead and thought I might as well swing passed the surf comp to see what’s happening… and had the chance to meet THE legend “Sl8er” which was pretty freakin’ sick    !

Kelly is back in Margaret River for the first time since 1993. Reminded of his last appearance at Surfer’s Point Kelly quipped, “It was wonderful. I lost my first heat, I got last place, ripped my wetsuit open, broke my board and got my leash stuck on the reef. Then my rental car broke down, it was all bad for me at that event and I haven’t been back to surf in it since.”

Well, let’s hope that he will have more luck this year

“It looks like the surf is going to be great for this event with Saturday being the best day, it should be a good finish. Each day I like to check the surf and go from there, if the surf’s no good I’ll play golf or go to a winery,” said Slater.

Wherever you are on this day around the planet, I hope that you have the most important people in your life around you and that you will be spending the coming days chilled out and happy!   Take a minute or even better a few hours (a whole day… or two?!) to breathe out, to let go of all tension and the stress-molecules that have been building up through the hype of pre-x-mas everywhere around you (the media, the streets…) and relax the mind & soul.  X-Mas is meant to be a peaceful celebration, not a materialistic race like a big part of our western society seems to believe…

If for some reason you can’t be with your loved ones, let them know that you’re with them in your thoughts !   X-mas isn’t about the gifts, it’s not a date or something, it is a state of mind…

In this spirit, here’s a few X-Mas quotes that I found during the last couple of days and which I really liked:

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.
- Anonymous

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
- Burton Hillis

If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away.

- Anonymous

MERRY X-MAS again with lots-a-smiles, love, joy & happiness! In case, English is not you native language, here’s  my wishes to you in your language
Enjoy the peace in this time,
Gxx

Afrikaans     Gesëende Kersfees
Afrikander     Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja     Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian     Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic:     Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Argentine:     Feliz Navidad
Armenian:     Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri:     Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia:     Selamat Hari Natal
Basque:     Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali:     Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian:     Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian:     Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton:     Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian:     Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan:     Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile:     Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese)     Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin)     Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Choctaw:     Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia:     Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish:     Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian:     Pace e salute
Crazanian:     Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree:     Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian:     Sretan Bozic
Czech:     Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish:     Glædelig Jul
Duri:     Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch:     Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
English:     Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik)     Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto:     Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian:     Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Faeroese:     Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi:     Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish:     Hyvaa joulua
Flemish:     Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French:     Joyeux Noel
Frisian:     Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician:     Bo Nada
Gaelic:     Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German:     Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek:     Kala Christouyenna!
Hausa:     Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian:     Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew:     Mo’adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi:     Shub Naya Baras
Hausa:     Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaian:     Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Hungarian:     Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic:     Gledileg Jol
Indonesian:     Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi:     Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish:     Nollaig Shona Dhuit or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois:     Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian:     Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese:     Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish:     Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean:     Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latin:     Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian:     Prieci’gus Ziemsve’tkus un Laimi’gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:     Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish:     Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian:     Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon:     Heughliche Winachten un ‘n moi Nijaar
Macedonian:     Sreken Bozhik
Maltese:     IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Manx:     Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori:     Meri Kirihimete
Marathi:     Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo:     Merry Keshmish
Norwegian:     God Jul or Gledelig Jul
Occitan:     Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento:     Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea:     Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German:     En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru:     Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines:     Maligayan Pasko!
Polish:     Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:     Feliz Natal
Pushto:     Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island):     Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian:     Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche (sursilvan dialect):     Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian:     Sarbatori vesele
Russian:     Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami:     Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan:     La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian:     Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian:     Hristos se rodi
Slovakian:     Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Sami:     Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan:     La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Scots Gaelic:     Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serb-Croatian:     Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian:     Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese:     Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak:     Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene:     Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto
Spanish:     Feliz Navidad
Swedish:     God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog:     Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami:     Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese:     (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai:     Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish:     Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian:     Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu:     Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese:     Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh:     Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian:     Cestitamo Bozic
Yoruba:     E ku odun, e ku iye’dun!

…good thing’s come to those who wait, though, as we all know, correct

In the meantime, I uploaded this beauuuutiful sunset 4 u, I took it a few weeks ago on the Western coast of Australia precisely on my birthday    It was such a breathtakingly stunning sunset + truly memorable B-Day Night !  Photos never can do full justice but I hope it will make u dream for a moment…  !

In addition I would like to throw this quote at u:

“Don’t save anything
for a special occasion.
Being alive
is a special occasion.”

Think about it and most importantly:   START LIVING BY IT  !!!

November Wallpaper comes soooon, promise   Gxx

…well, to tell u the honest truth: I’m not surprised about its sick content, design and features as it has been developed by the same super brain that’s behind kitegabi.com as well     Yep, Jeremie and myself share the same web-mastermind of New Dawn Media!

I admire Jeremie for his work attitude and passion. He counts without a doubt amongst the most committed professional kiteboarders that I know out there…   and in a way, Jeremie and myself are on exactly the same wavelength as we both focus on waveriding as well as freeriding:  New spots and perfect waves, living dreams and sharing the passion with kindred mates all around the world no matter their background, age or mother tongue… the true freeride-spirit.

Check out Jeremieeloykiteboarding.com and enjoy folks !!
Urs Gabi

Oh man, beautiful lights, Christmas trees+deco, lovely smells, music and candles everywhere, so romantic !! … there’s also loads of weird sh§%t at the markets like wild food and huge amounts of schnapps 

Hehehehehe, I have to admit I had one ‘Glühmost’ (hot mould apple wine) with “Schuss” (engl : lacing), thus with a shot of fruit schnapps. Yummy, sweet and strong as !

And regardless of the freezing cold, me and my mum had a true JOY Vienna X-Mas market-tour, something I haven’t done in years, sweet ! … now back on the computer, it’s Sunday evening almost midnight…  will turn off the machine very soon…

Enjoy the photo impressions in the gallery (sorry about the lack of ‘white’, yep, unfortunately the snow didn’t really stay for very long…) & have fun !
Gabi

Yeah, so I had time to catch up with stuff and other kite-pro duties on the computer, had a couple of surfs in between as well as to plan new exciting activities for the near future  -   sorry mates, can’t tell you yet but seems like I will be going on a trip very soon

Yesterday I had my first kite in about 10 days time, today is supposed to be windy in the afternoon, however, as there’s no swell I will be concentrating on managing article deadlines etc. in anticipation for a great week to come, yeah, check out the 4cast, swell starting to raise as with tonight, climbing up to the 5m mark by Monday evening, sick, can’t wait   

I’ll keep u updated on the action mates,
Gabi

I  L U V  the evening of the full moon and usually try to be at some place that I can watch the sunset at the same time as the moon rising (only possible THAT very night !!) from. It’s just such an amazing site !!

I learnt to pay close attention to the moon phases in my life as a professional kitesurfer as it has a strong impact on tides and fluctuations in water level (that’s a fact) and in my opinion also swell & wind.  Out of experience I have established my own little personal theory which is as follows:  In the northern hemisphere the days  b e f o r e  the full moon will bring strong winds, the days thereafter close to nothing.  The total opposite takes place in the southern hemisphere, i.e. hardly any wind the days before full moon but increasing breeze the days thereafter…    Swell usually hits around full moon, we already had one nice one 2 days ago and another one is forecasted for Friday

Let me know whether u are @ some place where my theory fits !!
Catch u later, Gabi

The Double German Champion who is to today’s date only 17 years old is currently one of the most promising riders on the PKRA World Cup Tour. Yeah a sick and highly talented rider and definitely somebody to watch out for in the years to come. 

I got to know Mario many years ago and do remember very well:  It was on Coche island in Venezuela, where I was training in anticipation of the first stop of the World Tour in 2005.  Back then Mario was only 13 years old, riding for another kitebrand and spending some time on Coche with his Dad and his team-mates filming the kite-movie ‘Poetry’.  Really good to see how far he has come over the 3 years !

Here in Western Australia Mario has spent 14 days of training all around Perth and the region and came down South in order to check out the waves to finish off his W.A.-experience and is back home in Germany now.  It was soooo good to catch up with him and after we had a truly fun ride out in the waves   -   it was pretty cool to see, there was Mario in the middle of big waves and all those hardcore wave-junkies, him with his freestyle board, boosting sick airs but also enjoying some sweet turns up and down the watermountains :)  -  I sat down and did a little interview with him.

Stay tuned & keep checking my blogs for more !

Until then check out Mario’s website and the photos he has taken during his trip in Western Australia !
Have fun & Carpe Diem folks,
Gabi

I caught some sick waves and sudddenly there was this big school of dolphines right around me…the crystal clear water, wow, I watched them surfing the waves beside me, jumping out and havin perhaps even more fun than me, so beautiful!  Then after catching a looong wave in, I was just on my way back out again, when I saw a huge set rollin’ in and suddenly there was a dolphin, I could see him through the breaking part, it was that clear see-through-waters … and then he got barrelled, WOW, I thought I was dreamin but I wasn’t… YEP, he stayed cool and was obviously enjoying the ride through the tube

Now back here in my little room behind the computer, I feel so incredibly privileged, privileged of being able to play out there in the Ocean !  We all should take the time to play once in a while, even in a city, whereeva, just go out into Nature, open ur eyes, breath and enjoy and I’m convinced Mother Earth is gonna give u some sort of present, just keep ur eyes open !!

Obviously I did not have a camera with me on my SUP, however, instead I decided to post a photo of an insane snorcheling trip in Mauritius when I actually had a camera with me.  Love the dolphines, in fact I reckon I must have been one in my previous life…

Carpe Diem,
Gabi