Honestly I’m not sure what to think/feel about this. A part of me loves to watch the wipe outs and the other part of me is always in awe of the “whoa how did they get outta that?!”
I’ve only ever gone kitesurfing 3-4 times in the Dominican Republic, so it’s safe for you to assume that I absolutely suck at it. So when I came across this video, I was expecting an epic wipe out. Turns out, Reo Stevens is an absolute beast.
Reo Stevens is a pro kitesurfer and ‘foil lord’ from Hawaii from what I’ve read. Reo tucked down into a tube, got a little bit too high off the line, dug his rail and bam… that all too familiar feeling of the tumbler. What’s cool about this is that he actually got barrel rolled inside of a barrel.
Does it count as getting out of the barrel if he lost the board? Probably not. But I don’t care. This is incredible, the fact that he held on through that makes me think it’s not his first time having this happen to him.
Captioning the clip, Reo wrote:
“Round round like a record baby 😵💫… quick adjustments and sprained ankles don’t mix too well, but let’s face it, here’s the content most people want 😂.
“The ability to use the kite as an ‘ejection button’ in waves of consequence is a massive bonus – just keep that kite flying!”
I took a little time to browse the rest of his IG (follow him @reostevens ) and wanted to share a couple highlights if you’re too lazy to click over and then go down the IG time suck.
Here’s a clip of him in Fiji in what just looks like an effortless ride.
Here’s Reo at Peahi/aka “Jaws.
Here’s a clip that shows a POV of being in the barrel while kitesurfing.