20 QUESTIONS WITH LIAM WHALEY

Summary

In this engaging Q&A session, a professional kite surfer shares personal insights and experiences. Starting from his early beginnings at age 8, influenced by his father, he discusses his passion for both freestyle and Big Air kite surfing, highlighting Brazil as his favorite spot. He emphasizes the importance of not putting too much pressure on oneself and maintaining enjoyment in the sport. Achievements, nutritional advice, workout routines, and sponsorship recommendations are covered, alongside tips for beginners and reflections on dealing with injury. The video concludes with heartfelt advice on setting goals while cherishing every moment.

Takeaways

• 🏄‍♂️ The interviewee began kite surfing at age 8, inspired by their father who was a wind surfer.
• 🎉 They enjoy both freestyle and big air kite surfing, with a recent inclination towards big air.
• 🌏 The best kite surfing spot mentioned is northeastern Brazil, known for its diverse conditions and kite surfing community.
• 💡 A key personal lesson learned was to not put too much pressure on oneself and to enjoy the process.
• 🏆 The achievement they're most proud of is becoming a world champion at age 18 and turning their passion into a profession.
• 🥗 Nutritional advice given includes a balanced diet with a little bit of everything and avoiding processed foods and excessive sugar.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The recommended workout routine emphasizes functional training, flexibility, and balance.
• 🧘‍♂️ For athletes, consistency, determination, and keeping things fun are recommended mindset elements.
• 💼 Sponsorship advice involves showing value to the brand through performance, social media presence, and a professional image.
• 🪁 Favorite kite size for big air is 8m, with the evo SLS or the rebel SLS being preferred kites.
• 🛹 The current board size is 136cm with line lengths of 22 or 24 meters depending on the conditions.
• 🏅 The Neo or Neo SLS kites from Duotone are recommended for beginners due to their ease of use and controllability.

Q & A

What inspired the interviewee to start kite surfing?

The interviewee was inspired to start kite surfing by his father, who was a kite surfer and wind surfer. He was exposed to the sport from a very young age and was naturally inspired to try it himself.

How does the interviewee balance his preference between freestyle and big air kite surfing?

The interviewee enjoys both freestyle and big air kite surfing equally. He grew up doing freestyle, which was the most important discipline for him for most of his career. However, in recent years, he has been doing more big air and finds it exciting due to the increased hype and competitions around it.

What is the interviewee's favorite kite surfing spot and why?

The interviewee's favorite spot for kite surfing is the northeastern coast of Brazil. He appreciates the diversity of conditions, including light and strong winds, waves, flat water, and excellent temperatures. Additionally, the area is built around kite surfing, with many cool towns along the coast where everyone shares a common interest in the sport.

What is the most important lesson the interviewee has learned about himself through his kite surfing career?

The most important lesson the interviewee has learned is not to put too much pressure on himself. He emphasizes the importance of enjoying the sport and remembering why he started in the first place, which is for fun and passion.

What achievement is the interviewee most proud of?

The interviewee is most proud of becoming a world champion at the age of 18. This was a childhood dream of his, and he finds it incredibly rewarding to have turned his passion into his job.

What nutritional advice does the interviewee follow for his sport?

The interviewee advises maintaining a balanced diet without consuming too much of any one thing. He eats a variety of foods, avoids processed foods and excessive sugar, and emphasizes the importance of balance in his nutritional intake.

What elements of an athlete's mindset would the interviewee recommend to someone aiming to achieve their goals?

The interviewee recommends consistency, determination, and keeping things fun. He believes that doing something every day, being determined regardless of circumstances, and maintaining enjoyment in the process are key to achieving goals.

What advice does the interviewee have for securing sponsorships?

The interviewee suggests that athletes should consider how they can be valuable to a brand. This could be through excelling in competitions, managing social media effectively, or being a good brand representative. He also emphasizes the importance of professionalism and serious commitment to one's craft.

What kite size and conditions does the interviewee prefer for big air kite surfing?

The interviewee prefers an 8-meter kite for big air kite surfing, especially in conditions with 35 knots of wind or more and big waves. His favorite spot for these conditions is Binario, where the waves come against the wind, providing extra tension in the lines for powerful pops.

What board size and line length is the interviewee currently riding?

The interviewee is currently riding a 136 cm board with line lengths of either 22 or 24 meters, depending on the conditions and his desired kite performance.

Which Duotone kites would the interviewee recommend for a beginner?

The interviewee recommends the Duotone Neo or the Neo SLS for beginners, as these kites are user-friendly, easy to control, lightweight in the sky, and have simple relaunch capabilities.

Why did the interviewee choose the Rebel SLS over the Evo DB for the Mega Loop Challenge?

The interviewee chose the Rebel SLS for the Mega Loop Challenge due to its stability in strong and gusty winds, as well as its ability to loop the kite at a lower position. The five-strut design of the Rebel provides more stability compared to the three-strut Evo.

Outlines

00:00

🏄‍♂️ Kite Surfing Journey and Preferences

The speaker shares their personal journey into kite surfing, starting at the age of 8, inspired by their father who was a kite and wind surfer. They discuss their equal enjoyment of freestyle and Big Air kite surfing, despite focusing more on Big Air recently. The speaker's favorite kite surfing spot is northeastern Brazil, known for its diverse conditions and vibrant kite surfing communities. They emphasize the importance of not putting too much pressure on oneself and finding enjoyment in the sport as a key to progress and success.

05:01

🥇 Achieving Goals and Career Highlights

The speaker talks about their career achievements, with a highlight being the world championship title at 18 and turning their passion into their profession. They offer nutritional advice, advocating for a balanced diet, minimal processed foods, and avoiding excessive sugar. Their workout routine focuses on mobility, functional training, flexibility, and balance to mimic the demands of their sport. They also discuss the mindset of consistency, determination, and keeping the sport fun as key to achieving goals.

10:03

🤸‍♂️ Training and Equipment Choices

The speaker delves into their training philosophy, which includes functional training and avoiding heavy weight lifting to maintain mobility. They discuss their preferred kite sizes for Big Air and various conditions, as well as their choice of board and line lengths. The speaker recommends specific kites for beginners and those looking to progress in their first jumps and loops, highlighting the importance of ease of use and stability in kite selection.

15:05

🏆 Overcoming Challenges and Future Outlook

The speaker shares their experience dealing with an injury and the inability to kite surf, emphasizing the importance of distraction and finding alternative activities to stay positive. They discuss their readiness to compete again, with plans to focus on recovery and creating content. The speaker expresses admiration for various riders in the kite surfing community for their unique qualities and concludes with advice to set goals, visualize success, but most importantly, to enjoy the present moment and find positivity in every situation.

Keywords

💡kite surfing

Kite surfing is an extreme water sport that involves riding on a modified surfboard while being pulled by a large, controllable kite. In the video, the speaker shares their personal journey of starting kite surfing at a young age and how their father, a wind surfer, inspired them to take up the sport. The term is central to the video as it shapes the speaker's identity and career path.

💡freestyle vs Big Air

Freestyle and Big Air are two different disciplines within kite surfing. Freestyle focuses on performing tricks and maneuvers with style and creativity, while Big Air emphasizes achieving height and distance during jumps. The speaker discusses their enjoyment of both disciplines, highlighting the excitement of Big Air and the historical significance of freestyle in their career.

💡Brazil

Brazil is a country in South America known for its diverse kite surfing conditions, making it a favorite spot for enthusiasts. In the video, the speaker identifies the northeastern part of Brazil as their favorite kite surfing location due to the variety of conditions, including light winds, strong winds, waves, and flat water.

💡pressure

Pressure, in the context of the video, refers to the mental and emotional strain one might feel in competitive or high-stakes situations. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not putting too much pressure on oneself and focusing on the enjoyment and love for the sport as a key to progress and maintain motivation.

💡world champion

A world champion is an individual who has won the highest title or championship in a particular sport. In the video, the speaker expresses pride in becoming a world champion in kite surfing at the age of 18, which was a childhood dream and a significant milestone in their career.

💡nutrition

Nutrition refers to the intake of food and the way that nutrients are used by the body to maintain health and support physical activities. In the video, the speaker provides nutritional advice for maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding excessive consumption of any single type of food, and including a variety of nutrients to support their athletic performance.

💡workout routine

A workout routine is a structured plan of physical exercises designed to improve fitness and performance. The speaker discusses their workout routine, emphasizing functional training, flexibility, and balance to mimic the movements and demands of kite surfing.

💡sponsorship

Sponsorship refers to the support provided by a company or organization to an individual or team in exchange for promotional activities or brand representation. In the video, the speaker talks about the importance of being valuable to a brand and maintaining a positive image to attract and retain sponsors.

💡equipment

Equipment refers to the tools and gear required for a particular activity or sport. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses their preferred kite sizes, board dimensions, and line lengths, which are crucial for optimizing their kite surfing performance.

💡beginner's kit

A beginner's kit is a set of equipment designed for newcomers to a sport. In the video, the speaker recommends specific kites, such as the Neo or the Neo SLS, for beginners due to their ease of use and controllability.

💡mental state

Mental state refers to an individual's psychological condition or mindset, which can significantly influence their performance and approach to challenges. The speaker in the video emphasizes the importance of consistency, determination, and keeping things fun as key elements of an athlete's mindset for achieving goals.

💡goal setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying and committing to specific objectives or targets. In the video, the speaker advises setting both short-term and long-term goals, visualizing success, and enjoying the present moment while working towards these goals.

Highlights

The interviewee started kite surfing at the age of 8, inspired by their father who was a kite and wind surfer.

They enjoy both freestyle and big air kite surfing, having competed at a high level in freestyle and recently finding excitement in big air.

The best kite surfing spot they've visited is in the northeast of Brazil, known for its diverse conditions and kite surfing culture.

An important personal lesson learned was not to put too much pressure on oneself and to enjoy the process of doing what you love.

Their proudest achievement is becoming a world champion at the age of 18, fulfilling a childhood dream.

For nutrition, they recommend a balanced diet with a little bit of everything and avoiding processed foods and too much sugar.

In terms of workout, they focus on functional training, flexibility, and balance to mimic the movements in their sport.

For an athlete's mindset, they suggest consistency, determination, and keeping the activity fun as key elements for achieving goals.

To attract sponsors, they advise showing value to the brand through performance, social media presence, and being a positive representative.

Their favorite kite size for big air is 8m, using specific kites like evos SLS or the rebel SLS in conditions of 35 knots with big waves.

The board they ride is 136 CM with lines of 22 or 24 meters depending on the conditions and the tricks they want to perform.

For beginners, they recommend the Neo or the Neo SLS kites for their ease of use and relaunch capabilities.

The rebel kite is preferred for the first jumps due to its simplicity and hang time, making it very user-friendly.

The Evo and Evo SLS kites are great for looping with their quick turning and light bar pressure.

In the Mega Loop Challenge, the rebel SLS was used for its stability and ability to loop the kite lower in strong winds.

Knowing the kite's position during a loop comes from years of practice and feeling for the kite, which improves with experience.

During recovery from an injury, they dealt with not being able to kite by finding distractions and focusing on less physically demanding activities.

They are not currently ready to compete again and are focusing on recovery, taking things day by day and enjoying the present moment.

Their favorite kite surfers include Andrea Lorenzo for their competitive spirit and others for their unique styles and determination.

Their plans for the year involve full recovery, creating content, and exploring new places with a focus on enjoying the ride.

The advice they would give is to set goals, visualize the future, but most importantly, to enjoy every single moment and be present.

Transcripts

what's up guys welcome to a brand new

video today we're going to be doing

something a little bit different we're

going to be doing a a Q&A I asked you

guys on social media to ask me a bunch

of questions so I'm going to be

answering 20 of your questions let's do

it question number one at what age did

you start and what was the reason why

you started kite

surfing so I started kite surfing when I

was 8 years old uh the main reason was

my dad was a kite Surfer and before that

he was a wind Surfer so my my dad was

always in the water he was a water man

and I'd seen him Kite from a very young

age so naturally I was inspired by him

and I asked him I think from around the

age of six uh can I try kite surfing and

obviously I was very young at the time

so I had to wait a few years to be heavy

enough and yeah then finally at the age

of of eight I took my first lesson here

in tiifa and the rest is history

question number two what do you prefer

freestyle or Big A

that's a tough question um I think I

enjoy them equally as much definitely

doing a lot more big a for the last few

years but um I grew up doing freestyle

that was the most important discipline

for the most part of my career and I

enjoyed every single step of the way

competing Landing world's firsts and

having you know a lot of crazy sessions

and being at the top level of that um

for the last few years I think there's

been a lot more hype around biger

there's been more

competitions and yeah it was just

something new for me something exciting

so now I'm enjoying Big Air a lot more

but uh over the course of my career I

think I've enjoyed them equally as much

question number three best spot you've

ever visited for kite surfing I think my

favorite spot to kite surf in the world

is the northeas of Brazil you have so

many diversity of conditions you have

light winds strong winds waves flat

water and the temperature is amazing and

that whole Coast is basically built

around kite surfing so there's loads of

cool little kite surfing towns along the

way where the vibe is just really cool

everybody's there to do the same thing

progress and have fun so yeah i' say

Brazil is my favorite spot in the world

question number four what's the most

important thing you've learned about

yourself through years of ups and

downs

um that's a tough

one I think the most important thing

that I've learned about myself over the

years has been to not put too much

pressure on myself I feel like I've

lived inside of my head and I've lived

under pressure my whole life and you

know sometimes that takes the enjoyment

out of things and sometimes I have to

remind myself why I started this in the

first place I started it because it's

fun and it's what I love to do and that

has been the main motive a for me over

the course of the years and that's

what's helped me continue to progress

just having a lot of fun enjoying what I

do and I think if you you enjoy yourself

out there on the water you're bound to

progress and you're bound to get to

where you want to be so yeah just keep

reminding myself why I do it and

continuing to have fun question number

five what achievement are you most proud

of the achievement I'm most proud of is

becoming world champion it was quite a

few years ago now at the age of 18 but

also leading up to that it was a

childhood dream of mine since since I

can remember and it was very Progressive

and it came very quickly um but also in

general I think just making my passion

into my job has definitely

become definitely as a dream come true

being able to do that and you know do

what I love every single day and and

make a living out of that that's uh

something I think very few people can do

question number six nutritional advice

and workout routine my nutritional

advice is to keep things as balanced as

possible don't eat too much of anything

um and eat a little bit of everything

obviously there's some people that eat

meat and others that don't me personally

I eat pretty much everything um but I

don't go too crazy on the meats I don't

eat many processed foods or much sugar

and yeah just keep it balanced a little

bit of everything um and in terms of of

working out and workout

routines I don't lift too many weights I

try to to do things that have a lot of

mobility and keep my body moving in all

different kinds of positions so a lot of

function functional training a lot of

flexibility a lot of balance work and

yeah putting my myself in in positions

or situations that can mimic what I do

in my sport

um so yeah that's pretty much it

question number seven which elements of

an athlete state of mind would you

recommend to someone who wants to

achieve their

goals I think definitely consistency and

determination and keeping it fun would

be the three things that I'd recommend

um consistency if you do something every

day and you work at a gal every day for

a long period of time you're definitely

going to get to where you want to get or

at least you're going to get closer to

it determination you know being

determined on that goal no matter what

the circumstance is no matter how you're

feeling just keep on grinding at it and

keeping it fun I think is very important

as well because as soon as you lose the

fun in in doing things you're going to

get less far you're not going to do it

with joy Joy or or pleasure so you're

not going to put in that 150% that you

might might put in if you're enjoying

yourself so I think uh those those three

ingredients are super important for your

mindset question number eight have you

had any recommendations for getting

sponsors what would they

be I think what sponsors look for in an

athlete is how can they get value out of

that athlete so I think when you

approach a brand you have to think how

can I be valuable to that brand um it

may be being at your at the top of the

game in competitions it may be being

really good with your your social media

and your image in general so I think

it's a bit specific depending on what

brand you're trying to approach but in

general um just being

a a brand face which means you know

always being the nicest guy at the beach

being good with with content and media

smiling in front of the camera and you

know being able to to speak in front of

a camera as well and and to people in

general and of course being very good at

your craft whatever that may be and and

showing that you that you take it

professionally and seriously question

number nine favorite kite size and which

conditions so my favorite kite size for

Big Air is an 8 m right now I I love my

evos SLS or the rebel SLS those are my

two favorite Kites and the conditions 35

knots plus big waves uh my favorite spot

in the world is probably binario where

the waves are coming Against the Wind so

it gives that extra tension in the the

lines and you can just really load that

pop up as hard as possible and just send

it so uh yeah those are my favorite

conditions and my favorite kites

question number 10 what size board are

you riding and length of lines

the board that I'm currently writing is

a

136

CM um and the lines I'm riding are 22 or

24 depending a little bit on the on the

conditions if I want to be a bit more

aggressive and get that kite lower I

tend to ride 22 M lines and the 24 M

lines I tend to ride when I'm trying out

new tricks I don't want the kite to pull

as hard also on my smaller sizes for the

double Loops I also ride longer lines

question 11 which duone kites would you

recommend for a beginner the duone kite

that I would recommend for a beginner is

the Neo or the Neo SLS this kite is

really really easy to use super easy to

control it's very light in the sky it

only has three struts the relaunch is

really easy and yeah overall it's just a

a very user friendly kite to use

question 12 Rebel or EVO for progression

with your first

jumps I'd say the rebel is the most

straightforward easiest kite to use for

your first jumps

because it's literally just pull the bar

in and and take off um that's the great

thing about the rebel it's such a easy

kite to use it has great Hang Time and

pretty much anyone can jump on it

question 13 are the evo and the Evo slfs

good kites for looping 100% uh the Evo

and the Evo SLS are great great kites to

do kite loops with the SLS obviously

being a little bit higher performance uh

it turns a bit quicker as it's lighter

but the Evo works perfectly well as well

super light bar pressure very quick

turning through the sky and yeah it has

great hang time as well so the kite will

catch you and you won't have a hard

Landing question 14 why did you use the

rebel SLS in the Meg challenge instead

of the Evo DB

so I ended up using the rebel SLS in the

mega loop challenge um mainly cuz the

conditions were super crazy and I felt

like I could Loop the kite a bit lower

um a big reason as well is that the

rebel has five struts and the Evo has

three struts so when the wind is really

strong and Gusty the the rebel is a

little bit more stable in the sky and it

holds its shape better so yeah those

were the two main reasons uh the

stability of the kite and looping the

kite a bit lower question 15 how do you

know where the kite is when rotating

during a kite Loop the only way to know

where the kite is when you're rotating

is is having a lot of feeling and this

comes with years and years of practice

so the more kite Loops you do and the

more you kite in general the better feel

you have for your kite so you can know

where it is in the sky at all times and

yeah the more experience you have the

more rotations you can add and the less

you have to to look at your kite and the

more you can feel it question 16 how did

you deal with not being able to kite

while trying to recover from an injury

I'd say it's probably been the most

challenging few months of my life trying

to deal with not kite surfing and not

being able to do much sport in general

it's been hard because sport occupies so

much of my life that when that's taken

away from me there's you know a lot of

extra time not really knowing what to do

but I'd say distraction has been the the

key element to getting through this

finding different things that to do that

I can do at the moment like using my

mind a bit more reading books spending

time with with loved ones family and

friends um obviously I've been traveling

a lot less so I have a lot more time to

do that now and yeah and then when I

finally started to to be able to get

into sport again trying to find sports

that are a bit more uh chilled on the

body surfing for example there's not

much impact so I was able to start doing

that and that would definitely take my

mind off things so I'd say finding

things that keep you yourself distracted

and keep your mind off of your injury is

the best way to go question 17 are you

ready to compete again so I'm not quite

ready to compete again um not now and

probably not for the next few months I

plan hopefully to compete at the end of

the year if it's possible but um yeah

only time will tell uh for now I'm

concentrating on the present moment

taking things day by day doing as much

as I possibly can but um I don't I can't

tell how my body's going to react over

the next few months so yeah my mind

wants to compete and let's see what

happens with my

body question 18 who is your favorite

kite Surfer at the moment

it's hard to say there's loads of

different riders that I appreciate and

respect for

different elements that they have inside

of their writing um obviously

competition wise Andrea Lorenzo they're

absolute machines and you know they're

doing everything possible to to be at

the top of the podium but there's

different people who I like because of

their style I love Edgar's style I love

Jeremy's style I love for his his

determination and and consistency and

putting in more work than anyone else so

yeah there's a bunch of different riders

that I like for different reasons

question 19 what are your plans for the

rest of the

year so the plans for the rest of the

year for now is obviously recover 100%

get my back to where it wants to be but

I think in the process of getting there

there's a lot of different things that I

can do um and one of them that I really

enjoy doing is focusing on on creating

content and making fun videos and Vlogs

maybe the action is not going to be as

Extreme as it was in the past at least

for now but I want to tell stories I

want to go to really cool exciting new

places that I haven't been before and

just enjoy the ride question 20 if you

could give one piece of advice what

would it

be uh the piece of advice that I would

give would be set yourself goals

visualize uh where you want to be in a

near future in a far away future but do

not live in the future enjoy every

single moment because yeah nothing

nothing lasts forever and wherever you

are at the moment whether you're in a

really good place or a really bad place

you can find something positive out of

it for me I've been been in you know in

a shitty situation for the last few

months but every day I tell myself that

the work that I'm putting in today is

going to have a positive effect on my

future so that's the way I want to live

life enjoy every single moment always

have goals always have a a purpose in

your life that you're thriving for but

remember remember to be present as

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