Summers in Hood River are known for strong winds. But come September and things are less predictable. In spite of gusty and light winds, and rain on the third day, the 2021 AWSI expo in Hood River, Oregon, was successful. We were delighted to reunite face-to-face with our enthusiastic kiting community after months of pandemic restrictions, to share techniques, and to showcase our newest FLYSURFER products.
Vlad and Linda Moroz, parents of Daniela Moroz, joined FLYSURFER ambassador Casey Brown, and myself in water demonstrating the MOJOs. Vlad’s exceptional speed on the wing and the striking red version of the MOJO surf wing caught everyone’s attention.
Meanwhile, Charles Hamel and Laurie Williams took some winging lessons.
We also tested the new version of the SOUL — from 18m to 8m — with the new colour patterns making quite a splash. Who would have thought that the 18m would make waves in Hood River!
Our Santa Barbara ambassador Mike Jablonski worked the PEAK, our single-skin kite which is very popular for hydrofoiling. He demonstrated his skills on the 4m when most LEI kites were 12m!
Braving rains and light winds, we finished the day with a water demonstration of three SONIC3 foil kites— Casey Brown on the 13m, Mike Jablonski on the 11m, and myself on the 9m.
And I greatly appreciate our ambassadors who helped out at our busy booth: Laurie and Yuri from OurKiteLife, Mike Jablonsky, Vlad und Linda Moroz, Casey Brown and Charles Hamel who ensured our cooler was always full.
The laughs we shared are worth the extensive work we put in to organize this event.
Marie-Eve Mayrand
Photo Credit: Toby Bromwich for AWSI
Video Credit: OurKiteLife