kitegabi - English

Bye 2 Austria - anticipating Australia

kitegabi — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:48:18 +0000

Ohhhh yes, the day is coming closer and closer, yyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeesssssss, on 3rd of December Kitegabi is off to Western Australia, wave-heaven and paradise, simply c a n ‘t wait !!!

Until then, however, there’s still incredibly much to do, organise, pack, finish off stuff on the computer, articles, features, visa, paperwork, wow my brain is constantly buzzing with all the things I still need to get done until I’m finally sitting in the plane.

But hey, don’t wanna complain, nope, certainly NOT, everything has its price and a long trip needs careful preparation so it’s all good

Hihihihihi, check out the photo, funny ey…that’s kitegabi in the typical Austrian national dress, the ‘Dirndl’… I like, u like? I put it on to the occasion of my aunts 70th birthday, where all the family came together to celebrate on the weekend in Austria’s beautiful ‘Wachau’ region, famous for its wine, great birthday party and simply perfect as I could say ‘Good Bye’ to everyone ! ….and YES…it’s a photoshop-trick that I play on you here, although many people from abroad truly d o think there are but no, there ain’t any kangaroos in Austria

Dreams can come true !!

kitegabi — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:13:32 +0000

Yet again I had the privilege of feeling a strong touch of life and the beauty of our very personal power in forming reality, yes: ’dreams really can come true as long as you don’t give up following your heart and intuition with pure commitment and passion, don’t mind to work hard, and never loose focus on following y o u r v e r y way’, guys, then…yes then will your dreams become reality !

I’m stoked to announce that I just got freshly promoted into the most progressive kiteboarding-team in the World: North kiteboarding International ! Yes, it has been my aim since my first day on a kite - which was a North kite by the way! Christoph Sieber, Gold Medallist in Windsurfing in the Sydney Olympics 2000, gave me that kite to check out the sport - and now, 6 years later, my name is written in between multiple World Champ Fabio Ingrosso from Switzerland and Jaime ‘Oru’ Herraiz, the Godfather of kiting, i n s a n e, so proud!

In the photo gallery on the right hand side, I have put together a wild mix of sweet memories out of the past 6 years as National North team-rider. Now I have reached the highest status in the career of a professional kitesurfer: Team International, a great sign of appreciation by the best brand on the planet: North kiteboarding. Can’t wait for more new lifeforming experiences in the years to come in this strong cooperation!

I would also like to take this opportunity of shouting out a huge ‘THANK YOU’ to North for their continous support.

Off to new exciting adventures soon…!

kitegabi — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:55:14 +0000

Oh boy… huh, my time in Vienna is leaving its signs… yep, have been here for way too many weeks stuck behind my computer - working on what ure looking at right now: the brandnew version of www.kitegabi.com - soooooooo extremely far away from the smell and feel of saltwater, the incredible energy of the ocean…grrr, I miiiiiiiiiiiiiissss it SO much !! The clock has just been put back to ‘wintertime’ and days are getting extremely short, dark and mostly grey…

I found this sick shot of my team-mate and ‘Godfather’ Jaime Herraiz today… although it’s breaking my heart just thinking closely about the feeling that he must have felt right there at that moment, I start shivering….

Then again…shivering and anticipation is gooood, cause when back in the Ocean, my life force, oh YES it’s gonna be soooooooooooooooo goooood and such pure 100000% joy

New adventures soon to come for Kitegabi 4 sure … pre-work is being done right now but still top-secret folks.

In case u are currently at some sunny, windy beach, throw some sick moves and rip up waves for me, ok, and hey, send me an email and tell me all about y o u r adventures, I love 2 hear from u !!
Have fun,
Gabi

Paid to kitesurf…

kitegabi — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:28:23 +0000

Liebe Verena, ‘JA’, Kiteprofi zu sein ist sicherlich ein Traum und ich moechte mit niemand auf der Welt tauschen!!
Dennoch: Kiteprofi zu sein ist ein Job und umfasst weit mehr als einfach ’nur’ zu kiten. Selbstverständlich ist die Priorität No.1: die Limits des Sports immer weiter zu pushen, neue Tricks zu erfinden und immer am höchsten Level der ’Art of Kiting’ zu sein und somit soviele Stunden wie möglich am Wasser mit Training zu verbringen (was dann auch des öfteren Verletzungen mit sich bringt), es gibt aber noch so viel mehr zu tun als die physische Arbeit am Wasser. So spielt z.B. die Vermarktung, und der Aufbau eines Images eine ganz entscheidende Rolle. Die wenigsten würden glauben, w i e v i e l e Stunden ich praktisch jeden Tag vor dem Computer verbringe (ok, ok, vielleicht manchmal in einer netteren Umgebung als in einem Büro, dafuer ist man aber auch voellig auf sich selbst gestellt.
Ich bin praktisch eine ‘One-Women-Show’: Leistungssportler, Trainer, Projektmanager, Travelagent, Sponsoragentur, Marketing & PR, Webmaster, Journalist … und vieles mehr! Manche haben natürlich auch Riesen-Glück und Tätigkeiten dieser Art bleiben ihnen aufgrund ihres Backgrounds erspart. So können z.B. reiche Eltern und ein zu Hause an einem Top-Spot, die Sache vereinfachen. Hartes Training, eiserner Willen, eine dicke Haut, Motivation und 100%iger Einsatz sind und bleiben aber immer die Basis.

Ich fühle mich jedenfalls privilegiert behaupten zu koennen: ‘Ich liebe meinen Job’ !

In diesem Sinne: Dare to ride waves of passion and live ur dreams !!!
Gabi

NKB - ION photohoot @ beers fitness

kitegabi — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:01:12 +0000

Siiiiick, only two days after my birthday whilst I was sitting at the computer in my flat, the postman suddenly buzzed my door here in grey, rainy Vienna… aaaaand delivered some parcels for ‘kitegabi’ !!

To cut the story short: my dear sponsors North kiteboarding and ION essentials are taking good care of Gabi and I received the 1st set of the insane brandnew clothing range 2009.

Folks I can only say ‘W O W, S I C K’ the stuff is crazy…super stylish, funky, and absolute top quality, I’m more than stoked and guess, kitegabi has never been better dressed before ;)
On top of it, the accessories (bags, backpacks etc.) are u n r e a l .. insanely cool, can’t wait for the bikinis - yeees, in 2009 North and ION have even thought about that girls, yeeeeah !! - and more stuff 2 come, cause another parcel is on the way soon

On this occasion I spontanically arranged for a small photoshoot. Initially was hoping that I could strall through beautiful Vienna with the photographer - Michael Baumgartner, his website is soon online ! - but the weather thwarted our plans … thus we stayed indoors and chose ‘Beers Vienna Health & Dance Club’, the place where I style my body :) the coolest fitness centre in town and in fact on the planet and set up a small photostudio there!

The photos will be used for an ‘ONLINE RAFFLE’ that will start with the 1st of November 2009 right here on www.kitegabi.com thus have to be kept secret 4 now … sorry guys but just come back on 1st November and enter the raffle for sick prizes from North kiteboarding, ION essentials, O2alive, and Oakly eyewear !!

Huuuuuuuuuuge ‘thanx’ to Michi and Beers, ur my stars !!! .. of course to North & ION too, I’m simply so privileged and lucky, love life

One-for-all-conditions-kite-era, truth or lie ?

kitegabi — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:32:58 +0000

My dear Peter. Honestly, I think it would be a very bad idea to go to Morocco with your 14m2 bow as the only kite in your quiver whatever brand it is and no matter if it has an ‘over-average’ wind range. What’s that supposed to mean in any case, cause over-average is rather subjective, right!?
Yes, Morocco has rather high winds during the summer months, the average strength during that time of the year will of course also still depend on where exactly your mates are going. Nevertheless I strongly recommend you to either buy a second, smaller kite (depending on your weight, I reckon a 9m2 would be good) or to make sure your mates have a spare one for you or that there’s a kite-centre where you can rent one. Please in consideration of your own and fellow kiters safety do not overestimate the one-for-all-conditions-selling-line-era of many kites these days!

It’s my Birthday !!!

kitegabi — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:11:40 +0000

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah niiiiiiiiiiice celebration 2day, it’s Kitegabis B-Day

Although it’s the first time in many years that I’m around my hometurf for my birthday and quite a weired feeling n o t being able to go ‘birthday-kiting’ but hey, currently stuck in Vienna hard working on several projects for 2009, anticipating lots-a-sick-action to come soon, ain’t that bad either…especially with loving friends around

My dear friend Sandra invited me on the occasion of this glorious date to a ‘pampering beauty & spa-day’ @ the famous ‘Loisium’ situated in one of the most beautiful regions in Austria, the ‘Wachau’ famous for excellent wine and picturesque nature, sweet !!

Thus, this birthday was of totally opposite nature to the ‘usual’ on-the-beach-celebration: swimming in an outside 32 degrees heated pool right in the middle of beautifully coloured autumn vineyards, massage, face mask, I could choose between 4 different saunas, chillin’, reading….mhhhh, a thoroughly relaxing day, thanx Sandra !!!

New Uploads in my Publications Portfolio !

kitegabi — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:15:29 +0000

Mates, check out my publications portfolio for lots-a-new uploads and a fun selection of exciting reads and sick photographs !!

Yeah, there’s for example my 11 page feature in the most recent Kiteboarding.de about my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Western Australia as well as my adventure in Russia in the Italian Stance or ‘Myth Kitepro’ in the Russian Wave magazine and more..!!

All articles are available to be read online or for download as pdf.

Enjoy reading & please send me your feedback, I love to hear from u !
Gabi

Trip Downunder - West Australien

kitegabi — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:52:58 +0000

My fattest magazine spread in my career as globetrotting kite-pro so far, 11 pages about my dream-trip to Western Australia in the German Kiteboarding.de, nice !! As part of my column ‘Kite & the Planet’ I write about a selection of memorable incidents that happened to me during the 5 months that I spent in W.A. altogether but especially during the once-in-a-lifetime roadtrip with top-photographer Ian Trafford from New Zealand.

Due to the photos that Ian took which certainly count amongst THE absolute best in my career, this feature made it to Kiteboarding.de’s hall-of-11-page-fame :) Thanx mate !! … hehehe, especially the shot on page 11 is u n r e a l, check it out, kangoroo watching Gabi on the water from the beach!

Check out the story & photos, in case you don’t speak German, still: checkout the photos in Kiteboarding.de as you can find the article in French in Stance magazine and soon also Italian and English. Kiteboarding.de also has published a first ‘intro to W.A.’ as part of my column ‘Kite & the Planet’, a 2 pages on Perth, my arrival and first weeks there, check it out in my portfolio!
Have fun !

Trip W.A.

kitegabi — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:08:16 +0000

My Roadtrip with Kiwi Top-Photographer Ian Trafford was not only perhaps ‘THE’ best adventure as a kitesurf professional, also the results are stunning: sick shots, in the most perfect sourroundings…wow, folks, Western Australia blew my mind !!

This article in the French Edition of Stance magazine was the first one published about our crazy ‘Roadie’ and covers short stories from several, different ‘corners’ of the almost endless coastline.

The last stop of our trip was ‘Esperance’, where we basically hit every ‘photographers (and certainly riders’ as well !!) jackpot’. Check out the 6 page feature even if you don’t speak French…and yes, no worries, the article will soon be published in German and English as well !