18th of December 2008 - Interview Kim Albrecht by Windfinder.com

Speaking of German kiteboarders, you will for sure hear the name Kim Albrecht. We saw him years ago already doing many unhooked tricks, and nowadays he is riding mostly bindings, sliders and kickers. Kim was born in Sylt / Northern Germany in 1987 and is sponsored by North Kiteboarding and is part of the SKBue Kitesurf Team. We had the chance to talk to him during his travel - you can read more about Kim's latest travel on his blog www.kimalbrecht.de.

Hey Kim, I heard you escaped the freezing cold in Germany even before it began :) You were on a trip through Europe and then took the plane to Brazil. Are you still there enjoying your time? What makes Brazil special for you?
Hey Jonas, yes I'm enjoying my time a lot! The Europe trip was great, at least I haven't been kiting on the trip because all my friends who I was traveling with are surfers so we had a good time on the surfboard.
But all the time I missed kiting on the trip, I get back here in Brazil. Brazil is just amazing. There is wind every single day since I'm here. Every day! In addition comes that it is warm all the time and the conditions are perfect. Flat water or nice kicker. In Brazil you can get it all. But to be honest I am also really happy to get back to Germany. I miss my friends, my familly and the German bread! Haha

As you travel a lot but as well have a nice and well-known homespot with good wind conditions in Sylt / Germany: which spot do you prefer - your local spot or any spot you travelled during the last year?
Hmm tough question that I can't answer so easily. Sylt is super nice, it is windy more or less 4 times a week and the conditions are different every day, waves, choppy, flatwater.. and all kinds of wind directions so there is everything. In summer I really enjoy my time there. But on the other side it is nice to get out on a spot where the conditions are better to train. Here in Brazil is a spot called Ilha do Guajiru (www.theflatwatersea.com). The wind is steady there for 9 or 7 meters, flat water and just perfect to train new tricks everyday  and get ready for the next season. So at least it's depending on what I want.

You hardly ride any contests, but concentrate on filming and photos. Why did you choose to go this way and what does your sponsor North Kiteboarding say about this?
After riding a few years in the German Kitesurf Trophy and some PKRA stops I really get bored for competing. There are some guys who really loved to compete but for me it always was a lot of stress. Sitting on the beach the whole day in shitty conditions and wait for a ten minute heat is nothing for me. It always had been way more fun to do photos and video projects for me. It is way more creative and at least more people see me and my equipment in the magazines than when I win any competitions. So North Kiteboarding love it to. I think... hehe

You were organzing the "Legit Jam", an invitation event with friends, photographers and filmers where everyone tried do use the given conditions including sliders and kickers with style as the highest priority. Describe how the idea to this event came up! Are you satisfied with the results?
Crazy story I tell you. It all started in school just before I finished my last examens. In the religion class the teacher ask us about our plans for the future. I was the last one who got asked. And all my classmates went for studying or start working anywhere. And I just said: "Nothin. After school I want to travel the world and wanna see as much as possible." My teacher start screaming  that I am totally stupid and that I should get my ass of and start studying after school. On that day I decided to do more than just travelling and kiting. So I started with the Legit Jam and for 09 I've got a lot of projects going on.

Directly to the Legit Jam I can say that this project just came deep out of my heart. The Legit Jam is just my idea of a perfect contest format. The Jam worked out really really good and we've had a lot of fun. But for 09 we will have some changes which will get a bit more competition style in the Jam so the riders have a lot to do in the week. But on a nice and pressure-less way than other competitions. You will see in summer 09. Its gonna be BIG!

I think you wore bindings on every kiteboarding picture I saw of you during the last year. Are you only using bindings or are you sometimes still going with straps? What is the advantage of bindings?
To be honest this year I haven't been out in straps once. Riding bindings is just different, you can pop harder, put the kite lower and land with more power. But to have fun in bindings you need some really nice conditions like flat water or kicker waves and a lot of power in the kite. In choppy water or light wind it is no fun. For me this is no problem. If the conditions are bad for bindings I go out with my wakeskate to do some kickflips or any kind of skateboard trick or I use my strapless surfboard in waves. For one of these three there are always good conditions. Just in really strong winds like more than 35 knots I use straps for some big kiteloops.

How do you think kiting will develop in the next season?
Next year will be the year of the wakeskate. Wakeskates are really nice for kiting if the conditions aren't so good. Choppy water, gusty winds. Doesn't matter when your out with the skate. It is just a really funny side of the sport witch gets me on the board if I have no fun to do handlepasses etc.

What are your plans for the next season?
Oh there are a lot of plans for 09. But I won't tell you anything now. You will see in the next months in the internet or the magazins around you.
Thanks for the good questions!
...and thank you for answering them, Kim!