Name: Kiko Roig Torres
Age: 19
Hometown: Oliva, Valencia, Spain.
Photos: Kyle Cabano & Samuel Cardenas
Kiko is a guy, a really nice guy, from a little town in Spain.
Having started kiting when he was 12, he moved on to strapless boards at 14, and by 16, decided to move to Tarifa on his own to follow his dream. That dream was to kitesurf all season, where his hometown only had wind in the Summer…
First off, your ankle! What happened, and what did you break?
Yes my ankle… bad news… kiteboarding a demo in Zaragoza with super gusty wind in a super cold place, I was doing a back roll and a gust put me up in the air without the kite to carry me down, which ended in a crash.
I have a bimalleolar fracture. It wasn’t a big fracture but it was better to have surgery to help with the recovery. When the doctor was doing the surgery, he saw the ligament was a bit damaged, so he repaired that too, which will extend my rehabilitation time a bit more.
What is your recovery time looking like? Are you going through physiotherapy, and should you be able to get it back to 100%?
Now I’ve had the staples removed and I’m starting to move my foot again. Next month I’m going to see the doctor again to do some X-Rays to see if it’s all good, and if it is, we’re gonna start with the rehabilitation.
But yes, the foot is going to be 100% ready to ride again, and I’m going to start going back to gym now to get the rest of my body ready for when I can be back on the water.
Who are you inspired by at the moment?
At the moment I’m inspired by Airton Cozzolino. Airton is for me a big rider, and he is always pushing the level of strapless freestyle. Also, when I’m with him, I improve so much because he pushes me to go for all the tricks.
What’s one of your favorite photos you’ve taken recently and why?
One of my favorite photos was a shot by Samuel Cardenas in Balneario, on a day with really strong wind.
I was doing a big loop with my 6m Session and short lines. That day we were doing a shoot with Alvaro Onieva and his wing foil, with me and my kite. We were trying to get a magic shot – The photo is a good memory of a great day with friends.
Any further studies or future career plans you’re aiming for?
Yes! I want to study marketing. I think it’s a good career, and I could work with the brands, also knowing a lot of things that made and helped the brand grow.
Coming after my job, huh? What are you listening to or watching at the moment?
I don’t like listening to music too much, but when I’m doing workouts I usually listen to some playlists from locals DJ’s from Tarifa. TV shows/series/ films, I normally watch Netflix, but I don’t like it so much because I prefer to be kiting than watching series.
How did you first get into kiteboarding, and why strapless freestyle?
When I was young, I was at the beach all day with my dad, because he and my cousins were riding jet skis. I was seeing all the kites, and I told my dad that I wanted to learn and I started to take lessons.
After that, I started to see all the people in my town doing strapless, my dad made my first board, and I began to ride strapless. When I changed to strapless, I realized that my skills were improving so much.
I love strong wind and going for a sesh with my Airush Lift to find waves to use as big kickers to fly as high as possible.
What’s your training schedule like?
When I’m in Tarifa, I wake up at 8:30 and I go training at 9:00 with my good friend Pastrana.
We workout from 9:00 to 10:30 and then I go for breakfast. After that, I usually check and answer some emails, and then I go kiting for the rest of the day. At night, I like to get to sleep early so that I have more energy in the mornings.
What was one thing that was crucial in getting you where you’re at now?
I think one of the most crucial things to get me where I am now was moving to Tarifa when I was 16 years old. That helped me to improve my kiting, and also being there alone, helped me to be a better person. Being independent at 16 wasn’t easy for me; going to school, washing clothes, and cooking, but with the help of my friend, Xuso, it was all a bit easier to handle.
What would you be doing if you weren’t kiting?
Something with a board – surf, snow, skate, or wake… I love to be in contact with nature.
If you could jump on a plane right now, where would you go and why?
I would go to Cape Town, because when I was there last time with COVID 19, I didn’t get to enjoy it as much as I wanted, and the vibes and the people there were amazing!
Good catching up, thanks Kiko – all the best with your recovery!
Find Kiko here:
Kiko Roig Torres