Shop Locator
|
2008 Team Rider Update: Catching Up with Kristin Boese
Posted Friday 29th February 2008
PKRA World Champion in 2005 and 2006, and KPWT Overall Champion in 2007, Kristin Boese is one of the most accomplished and recognized faces in kiting today. And not just within the kiting industry: Kristin's appearance on the September Cover of German Playboy sparked an interest in kiteboarding perhaps unrivaled by any kiteboarding article in any mainstream magazine to date. For 2008, we are pleased to announce that Kristin will continue to represent Best on the Internation Pro Team, and here, she takes some time out of her busy schedule to bring us up to speed on her whereabouts, and to speak briefly about her plans for the upcoming year.
How has your life changed since you appeared on the cover of Playboy?
I guess first of all it changed my view towards photo shootings like that. It was super fun, totally easy and relaxed, and it taught me a lot. At the same time the outcome was a great promotion for our sport and we had lots of positive response. Also it changed my life as a professional kiteboarder quite a bit. I am happy to call Arto Kazandjian my manager now and to be the "official face" for the RIAL marketing campaign for the next 2 years. The playboy shoot was one of the best opportunities I've ever had and I am glad that I took it!
How well-known are you in Germany ... do people come up to you in the streets and say "HEY, aren't you ...", ask you for your autograph? Do you have to wear sunglasses so no one recognizes you?
Haha, no, I do not need to wear sunglasses and am not recognized by everyone, which is good for me. Sometimes it happens that people come up to me, but that happens very occasionally and I am surprised and "dazzled" every time. On the beach of course, amongst kiters, I wear sunglasses. ;-) I get a lot of fan mail though and even more now after this summer than before. It is nice to come home after a trip and to have so much mail and I am trying my best to read and answer all of it.
How would you compare your experience of competing in the PKRA with the KPWT?
Well, I can probably describe my experience of competing in the KPWT in just one word: fun! I very much enjoyed joining the KPWT tour last year and to compete in different disciplines for the overall title. The people on the tour are older on average (that's due to the overall disciplines) and more open I think.Anyone new to the KPWT circuit is so welcome by the other riders and it is great to travel around with everyone.
I had the same fun when I started competing in the PKRA tour in 2002 and 2003. Back than the tour was not so young. I really enjoyed competing with Cindy Mosey, Ingrid Koellbichler, Fiona Wedenig and all the other great women. Also, back then the PKRA tour actually showed what kitesurfing was all about: big jumps and throwing some wakeboard moves in once in a while. For the last 2 years on the PKRA, I just did not enjoy anymore what I was doing. Of course it was great to be able to compete and I was stoked every-time I won a competition. But I was doing only one thing the whole time, and that was freestyle with a higher lever every year and promoting wakeboarding rather than kiting in the end. It really made me not want to compete anymore, but when I went to the KPWT last year I realized that I actually still enjoy competing, just under different circumstances.
After winning the KPWT World Championship, what have you been up to?
The last KPWT World Cup in which I was able to win the title was only in beginning of December. Straight after that I flew to Western Australia where I met up with Gavin to shoot for ads and web-content and so on. I am sure you read Gavin's post about our time in WA (and about our luck with the conditions ... NOT!). Gavin left one day before Christmas and that was the end of the season for me.
How was your Christmas ... and where did you spend Christmas?
I just stayed in WA and spent Christmas in Margaret River. It was awesome and we had a very Australian Christmas: a big BBQ on the beach, with tent and beach umbrellas and everything. It was extremely hot and there was no wind, but we took the standup paddle boards with us and just hung out together and paddle-boarded all day long. I got REALLY sunburned!
What was the best present that you gave to someone for Christmas? And the best present you got?
Uh, this question is hard to answer. Hmmm. I very much like to make presents and to make other people smile but how do you tell which present is the BEST? I think the funniest one was probably the "Breathalyzer" that we got for the dad of our friend Dreu, especially because it did not seem to work right and even after many drinks showed no more than 0.5 pro-mill - a good gift for an Australian!
The best present for me was to have some time off and together after long weeks of traveling alone and I totally relaxed and enjoyed. But the best present I was actually given was a framed picture of a stunning wave on one of my favorite spots here in WA. It is hanging right in front of me right now!
Where are you now?
Oh well, what can I say, I am still in Western Australia and after a season with traveling around the whole time it is very nice to be based in one place and to be able to recharge the "travel-batteries" for a bit. But then again, WA is huge and I have been traveling around in the state quite a bit. I just went to Kitestock in Dongara (see my last posting) and went to Geraldton with the Australian Best rep. afterwards. Right now I am in Margaret River with all my friends but am planing on going further south to explore some new spots.
How much do you get to ride?
I had a good break from kiting which I really needed after the season. So I did not kite much at all in January and felt how much my muscles and joints enjoyed the rest. But now I am back on the water and kite almost every day. I mostly ride waves here but also go to the flat-water spots around here quite a bit to keep fit and practice some freestyle. It feels good to ride surfboards and twin-tips, and prepares me for all disciplines.
What are your plans for the year?
After having a great time on tour last year, I definitely want to go for the KPWT again and to compete in all their disciplines (freestyle, wave, race and overall). Other than that I am working on some other things. My book is being translated right now into English and I just viewed the final version of it over the last few days. I am also working on another project with a German production company which I can tell you more about in August. Furthermore, I want to keep working closely with my sponsors and media and see what the year will bring.
