Duotone Grom Search

[Toby]

Duotone Grom Search

At Duotone we take #TRUEKITEBOARDING to heart. For us this means pushing the sport in every direction and discipline as hard as possible. For this reason we organized the first ever Duotone Grom Search on December 8th.

We picked Caiupe, Brazil for the event because a lot of talent has come from this area over the years. The province of Ceara and specifically the town of Cumbuco has produced some of the best freestylers to ever pump a kite and is the home of the current world champion. In a place where most of the locals are struggling to eat daily meals or even have a roof over their heads kiteboarding is a way out!

For the Grom Search we went to the beach with an open mind. No list of reasoning on why we are selecting the kids. No heats, no competition. Just get out there and do your thing… It could be because of pure talent, power, style, personality, potential or a combination of these characteristics. But we were also looking to develop the local scene. We wanted to show that at Duotone we’re not only interested in the riding level but also academic potential. We don’t want to sponsor a kid who can do all tricks but can’t properly read or write.

That’s why the winners not only got supported with Duotone gear (quiver of choice + board of choice + boots + small Click Bar and a harness) but English lessons as well! We will stay in contact with their English tutor and if they complete their monthly schooling and keep progressing their riding they'll get new gear the following year. Then they'll have the opportunity to give their old kit (that we gave them this year) to a local shredder of their choice... And the cycle starts!
Among 50 entrants we picked two kids in the end, João Lucas Bandeira da Silva and João Pedro dos Santos, and we will be following them throughout their year.

Congrats guys, see you next year!

[Leon van Bergen]

Super nice initiative!