Ocean Rodeo News:
Welcome to the team, Ryan Parsons
The ambitious Australian rider who's been kiting since he could hold onto one is preparing to take his taste for boosting to the developing global Big Air competitive circuit.
With the proving ground of Cape Town fully set in his sights, we expect big things in Big Air from this versatile freestyle rider in the very near future... Welcome to the team, Ryan!
"Ryan continues to amaze us with his smooth style and innovative Big Air game. Ryan demands a lot from his gear and has been keeping us on our toes to get him what he needs to allow him to continue pushing his innovative Big Air riding style."
Richard Myerscough, Ocean Rodeo CEO & Founder
WHO IS RYAN PARSONS...
Age: 20
Nationality: Australian
Discipline: Big Air, freestyle, wakestyle, foil
Favourite Spot: Double Island Point
Other Hobbies: Music, longboarding, wakeboarding, adventuring, spending time with my kelpie
Welcome to the team Ryan! So tell us how did you first get into kiteboarding...
Thank you! So originally my father was a windsurfer. We both used to watch the kitesurfers after he would come in and we were both super interested to get into it. In 2009, I was so young and light in weight I had a really hard time finding a shop that would take me in for lessons. I had to prove how keen I was and learn the kite control. So I purchased a trainer kite and almost every day it was windy when I flew this kite. After proving how keen I was, my local shop took me in for lessons on the 1st of January 2011.
What’s your favorite go-to trick?
Depends how windy it is! My go-to trick every time I ride is a back roll to inverted back roll. But if it’s nuking, nothing beats throwing a megaloop.
Is there a certain kiting goal you are hunting down?
My biggest goal in kiteboarding is definitely being the next Ruben Lenten or Aaron Hadlow. When I get the chance to showcase my style and aggression in these coming competitions in Big Air I sure won’t be holding back!
If you could go back in time, what kiting related advice would you give to a newbie kiter?
If I could give any advice, I would have to say if you are gonna learn something, learn it both ways. You have to ride both ways on the board before you can try tricks. Practice self-landing your kite both ways and even your self-rescues. You never know when you will need it.
You are an aggressive rider and relentless when it comes to trying new tricks, how have the ALUULA kites stood up to what you’ve thrown at them?
Being a Big Air/freestyle rider, I push my gear to its limits, ride kites far too big for the wind strength and really don’t hold back. I honestly can't fault the kites at all. Their designs are just unbeatable. No matter the conditions or riding style, these kites perform!
More here: https://oceanrodeo.com/blogs/news/welcome-ryan-parsons