Andy Yates Interview

- where do you live?

Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

- what are you up to right now and for the next couple of months?

I'm in between PKRA competitions at the moment so I'll be staying at home getting ready for the next event in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands

- how would you describe the profile of a typical pro kiteboarder?

I think it depends on where you are in the world. In Europe especially, pro kiteboarders have quite big profiles and some are even a relatively common household name. In Australia however, surfing is so dominate, so kiteboarding is very much under the radar in terms of popularity and following.

- how important is it to you, to stay in good physical shape all year? Do you have some "off periods" from kiteboarding?

Staying fit is crucially important in kiteboarding. That was a focus for me last year during the 2010 season. This year, I'm not off to the best start, so my motivation is a bit down. I think that I just need to get back up there and I'll be stoked.

- what do you do, when the PKRA is over?

After last year, I really needed some down time at home. I spent all of my summer at home with my family and friends. Family and friends are so important to me and I'm away so much in the year, so when I'm at home it's very important for me to catch up and chill with them.

- have you any experience with fitness training? If yes, what have you been doing? Free weights, machines, functional exercises?

For all of my kiteboarding career, I've been using the motto of just staying fit. Whether that be surfing, stand up paddle boarding, running, biking or just generally anything that keeps me active.

- do you have access to a gym, when you're traveling? What about at home? If, yes, do you know how well equipped it is?

I'm not much of a gym person. I'd rather be outside having fun and staying fit and active.

- are you doing anything else than kiteboarding to stay in shape? other sports?

Definitely!! Surfing, supping, running and biking.

- what do you think of KiteboardingExercises.com and this kind of training for kiteboarding?

I think it's awesome. It really depends what works for you. Everyone is different. It's just a case of finding the balance for yourself and going from there.

- other sports like football, basketball, swimming etc, do a lot of sports specific training, and have professional trainers to make individual programs for the athletes. How far along is pro kiteboarding in that aspect, do you think?

It's no secret that kiteboarding is nowhere near as big as some of those high profile sports. I guess in time we'll see a difference, but at the moment kiteboarding will have to take a back seat to sports like surfing, football, basketball etc.

- how do you learn new trix? And what are you working on now?

With lots of crashes. Learning a new trick doesn't come easy, you have to work on it and consolidate to get it consistent. At the moment I'm working on getting all my stuff executed really well and stylish. I'm working on the general stuff and getting some of the low tricks.

- if you wanted improve one thing about your riding, what would that be? Faster rotations, handle more power etc?

I'm really stoked with my riding in general, and I'm working on making all of my riding more rounded and smooth. This takes time.

- what style of riding do you prefer? And which styles do you ride?

I love freestyle/wakestyle. The progression is endless so there is always more you can learn. I'm focussing all my time and energy into freestyle and competing on the tour to hopefully win the world title again.

- who are your current sponsors?

I'm so fortunate to have great sponsors. Slingshot, Suzuki, SolRX, Xcel and Dakine. I'm stoked to have such amazing brands supporting me.

- what gear do you ride, and why is this your choice of gear?

I ride the Slingshot Fuel. I've been on a C kite since I started kiting and it does everything I want it to. It's the simplest and the best.

- do you have a web site?

www.KiteboardingExercises.com - Power 2 Progress