Q&A with kiteboarder Clinton Filen

Clinton Filen is the brand director at Airush Kiteboarding and a keen kiteboarder himself. His background is in product design and he runs Solar Station Design in Muizenberg, where he works with a committed team to create products for watersports, lifestyle and life.

Clinton was also South African Windsurfing Champion in the ’90s, with three titles including overall champion in 1998. After the emergence of kiteboarding as a mainstream watersport in the late ’90s to early 2000s, Clinton got involved in this new and exciting extreme sport. He started Solar Station Design in 2001 and joined Airush in 2004, managing their global product development and marketing.

We chat to Clinton about this fast-growing sport.

DA: How did you get into kiteboarding?

CF: I think it was around 12 years ago. I was designing a range of wetsuits and harnesses, and was in China checking on final designs. I ran into an old friend, Don Montague, one of the original designers of kites, and he wanted some of my products. So we did a straight swap – he gave me a kite in return for a few kite harnesses. I really scored on that deal.

DA: What is your favourite kiteboarding spot in Cape Town and why?

CF: I really enjoy the whole peninsula and for testing I really make a point of going to different spots. That said, my 3 favourite spots would be:

1. Karma’s, north of Big Bay, when there is swell. It is incredible.
2. Sunrise, near Muizenberg, when there is no swell anywhere. I love the warm water and onshore kickers.
3. Witsand, near Scarborough. It’s great when it’s not too gusty and with a low tide.

DA: What the most challenging part of kiteboarding for you?

CF: Having discussions with people who can’t decide what kite size to put up. Or when people want to chat and talk “shop”, and all I want to do is get on the water.

DA: Your most epic surf ever, like of all time?

CF: I would say Le Morne Brabant in Mauritius is my favourite wave. I had one of those perfect uncrowded sessions with a couple of friends last year.

DA: What is the one piece of kiteboarding gear that you would want to be buried with?

CF: I am continually riding new prototypes and concepts so I don’t really get emotionally attached to my gear. It’s a sad reality of the job – you lose a bit of the pure “look at my amazing new board” wonderment. You would need to bury me with my favourite bass guitar.

DA: Do you do any other watersports?

CF: I primarily surf and occasionally windsurf and paddleboard.

DA: What’s the one kiteboarding rule you live by?

CF: Kiteboarding reflects life, so just try to have as much fun as possible and don’t be a dick.

DA: How has kiteboarding evolved and developed in South Africa in the last 15 years, and what do you ascribe this to?

CF: Cape Town is one of the leading locations in the world and this has resulted in exponential growth. We are visited by the top professionals in the world and host a few key events that help to drive the image and level of the sport forward.

DA: How accessible is the sport? The gear is very expensive…

CF: It could be more accessible, but the equipment is complicated and expensive to build. We pride ourselves [at Airush] on making the best premium products on the market but we also spend a lot of time making incredible entry-level products.

One interesting thing is that most people don’t want to buy entry level products in South Africa, which I would say is frustrating as it is really great stuff, just not as flashy.

DA: What kind of fitness is needed for kiteboarding?

CF: You need to be moderately fit and of course be able to swim. It’s a misconception that you need to be strong. You are connected to the kite with a harness and it is as much about coordination as strength.

DA: Kiteboarding pros you admire?

CF: I have to select members of the Airush Pro Team as they embody so many of our values as a company, otherwise we wouldn’t have hired them!

The 2013 World Champion, Alex Pastor, is one of the most humble and driven people I know. He balances training, business pressure and personal growth incredibly well. He also considers the broader growth of the sport and is very involved in growing the competition side of the industry.

On the female side, Bruna Kajiya is the face of the sport. She’s athletic, committed and keeps everything incredibly positive and fun – this is completely addictive and reflected in everybody who comes into contact with her.

From a South African perspective, Oswald Smith manages to walk an incredible tightrope between having as much fun as possible, attacking every challenge you put in front of him and being able to perform in a multitude of conditions. He is quite possibly the best all-round kiteboarder in the world and we need to nurture talent like that locally.

DA: What sets Airush apart from other brands producing kiteboarding gear?

We believe product is king, and that this is the foundation for a great brand. So we are design-driven above anything else.

We develop our team products without compromise for the best athletes in the world and offer those to our customers, without diluting them to make them more palatable to the masses.

At the same time we focus on building the best entry-level products on the market, because we want people’s first experience with our brand to be the building block for a great relationship with our brand.

DA: What is the key to great kiteboard design?

Design is design, so it’s really about asking “What problem does this product solve?” and enhancing the rider’s experience. Of course, give the customers what they want, and if you can, try to give people something they don’t even know they want.

Keen to try kiteboarding? Why not book a lesson with Downhill Adventures?

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