With summer here, experienced riders are looking to get their fix, and new riders are enticed by the thrill and possibilities that kiteboarding offers. Blast owner/operator Marc Rowley has been globetrotting as of late, but we pinned him down to talk about some 2014 highlights and what he’s pumped about for the 2015 summer season and beyond.
While Marc was hard pressed to hone in on one specific highlight from 2014, he clearly relishes in the personal connections and stories shared by the people that have made 2014 so special.
With summer here, experienced riders are looking to get their fix, and new riders are enticed by the thrill and possibilities that kiteboarding offers. Blast owner/operator Marc Rowley has been globetrotting as of late, but we pinned him down to talk about some 2014 highlights and what he’s pumped about for the 2015 summer season and beyond.
While Marc was hard pressed to hone in on one specific highlight from 2014, he clearly relishes in the personal connections and stories shared by the people that have made 2014 so special. He reflects by saying, “There are so many great memories to choose from. So many new friends made through both the lessons and the trips we run”. He goes on to talk about a UK wave riding context, “We also had so many good wave sessions at a few of our local point breaks and of course winning the British Senior Wave Riding Title for the third year in a row was a key moment.”
Blast regularly organizes destination trips. Portugal, Hatteras and Brazil were visited last year and are again on tap for 2015. The trips host between 10 and 12 people per trip and are always guaranteed to bring a smile.
For lesson gear, Blast has the 6.5m & 9m Renegades in constant use. “They are so good for lessons, so easy to use and have lasted incredibly well to the abuse thrown at them by our students. We do upgrade the school kites at least twice a year but we actually still have a 6m 2G kite in regular use”, Marc says.
For their personal quivers, Blast owners, Marc and wife Sarah’s favourite is the 6.5m Renegade with surfboards as this suits local wind conditions so well. “For flat water then it has to be the Screamer...any size I love them all!” Marc says.
We asked Marc what surprised him about the 4G line and what excited him about the 5G models. Marc says, “Since the 6.5m Renegade is the main I use it's always the first I want to try and the 4G changed a lot from the 3G. I felt it suited surfing way more but it lost some of it's other attributes like boosting etc. The new 5G has somehow managed to combine both so we can't wait to get them in for the summer”.
2015 has Blast dominating the UK market with their online presence, kite demos, lessons and hot new location trips. Look for the crew at beaches in South Wales – No doubt having Epic sessions! “The Epic brand is so strong now and we are so privileged to be part of this growing movement… it really is one big family!” says Marc.
To keep up to date with Marc and the entire Blast crew, visit Blast Kiteboarding: www.blastkiteboarding.co.uk
