OXBOW SNOWBOARDER BENJAMIN LESTAGE DID A GOOD JOB AT THE ROOKIE FEST IN ANDORRA. HE WON THE GROM CATEGORY AND ENDED AT THE 3rd RANK OF THE CONTEST. NEXT WEEK, BENJAMIN WILL LEAVE FOR THE USA (WATERVILLE VALLEY) FOR THE BURTON AM TOUR. IT'S HIS 1st COMPETITION IN USA. GOOD LUCK!
Key figure of the cutting edge kitesurf scene, Californian Ian Alldredge, 22, has joined the Oxbow team, bringing with him his style, his out of this world moves and his enviable strapless free surfing technique.
Having recently joined the Oxbow team, this young American is impossible to ignore. Strapless kite surfer Ian Alldredge is now considered to be one of the most stylish wave riders of the kite surf scene for his free riding technique. An uncompromising fan of the West coast, he was very young when he discovered his passion“I was walking with my dad on a flat day one summer, and I saw people kite surfing on our local beach. Straight away we knew we were missing out on something. We took a few lessons the day after, and then I became hooked,” says Ian.
His unstoppable technique, his mind blowing moves and aerial acrobatics leave the whole free ride community speechless. Passionate about surf and kite surf, Ian soon decided to combine the two, adopting a strapless style so that he could immerse himself with complete freedom in his chosen discipline. Surfing influences his kite surf and kite surf helps him to improve his surfing. “It’s a great combination... Anyway I hate straps! Without them I can have incredible freedom about placing my feet” Ian claims.
His life, his inspiration, his sports - for him everything depends 100% on his surrounding environment. Kite surfing is his oxygen: “To me, kite surfing is a bit like surfing, except that I can catch way more waves! When the wind is favourable, thanks to my techniques I can do a lot more things, the adrenaline potential is multiplied by five, its way more exciting, and with good music in my ears, it’s even better” says Ian before adding “I’m not only surfing, I’m flying! My kite is like my eco-friendly helicopter”.
This free rider, who works in total harmony with the elements, decided to unite his world with Oxbow’s. He feels a perfect sense of connection with Oxbow’s brand values “We share the same vision of the future. I’ve noticed that all the riders in the Oxbow team have their own style and work constantly to push their limits. I like this team spirit!” The brand’s philosophy allows him to express himself on his board in total freedom, where he wants and when he wants.
Passionate about film and photography, Ian will be able to travel the world in search of the most beautiful spots and the best ride conditions. His objective: to bring back the most amazing and unique video clips and pictures. This is exciting for Oxbow’s marketing director, Vincent Roussel “The free surfing values promoted by Oxbow are pushed to their extreme by riders like Ian. To us the stakes are clear: we’ll see incredible wave riding videos and images. We are shooting at the moment and we’ll release a new video this summer.” Ian agrees - “That’ll be crazy insane” he says.
This year started off really well for Oxbow after signing three new free riders at the end of 2010, namely Matt Meola for shortboard, and JP Solberg and Kalle Ohlson for snowboard, and re-signing Kai Lenny for 5 years. Oxbow has now signed Ian Alldredge which reinforces their repositioning strategy at the heart of the boardsports scene, as well as their will to internationalise their team. “These four new members and Kai’s reenlistment on our side are the proof that Oxbow can’t be ignored in the current boardsport scene. Our expansion is a result of the integration of exceptional riders like these into our team and the media coverage that follows,” concludes Matthieu Bazil, Oxbow’s CEO.
Catch the latest news and updates from Oxbow at www.oxboworld.com