“Really, really sketchy”

For the athletes about to take to the water, there was a certain amount of anxiety about what they were up against. South Africa’s Matt Maxwell, no stranger to big surf, was due up in the first heat of the day.

“We’re going to be the guinea pigs for today,” he said. “It’s looking really, really sketchy—massive waves and really light offshore wind. I think the biggest challenge is getting out there and feeling safe with the tiny amount of wind we have.

“For me it’s not so much the wave size that’s the problem, it’s more the intense current. With the waves and super-light wind, that makes a really tricky combination, so it’s going to be interesting for sure.”

But Theo Demanez (FRA), one of his rivals in the day’s opening heat, was a little more optimistic, even though he could also see the pitfalls presented by the conditions.

“The waves are really tempting,” he said, ahead of his heat. “It’s really big, so we hope the wind’s going to pick up and switch a little bit to side-shore. But it’s quite sketchy because it’s really big waves and if the wind is light, we’re going to be struggling on the kites. But if the wind picks up, then for sure it’s going to be insane action on the water.”

Source: https://www.gkakiteworldtour.com/top-kite-surfers-battle-elements-in-rio-de-janeiro/