Nico Landauer, recently Silver medalist in Kiteboarding at the Pan American Games, joins us on the Sailcast to discuss kiteboarding in the Pan Ams, trends in the industry, personal favorite spots to kiteboard, safety, and more.
The conversation begins by Nico telling us about his experiences at the Pan American Games in Peru, explaining that it’s similar to the Olympics, but a lot smaller. “Although, when you’re there it seems pretty big.” Nico was one of 10 kiteboarders participating in the games, representing Uruguay, where he was born.
Nico talks about how he got into kiteboarding, blaming Artie Means, his mentor as a young sailor. “I was trying to find something to use my youth before it was gone,” he joked. He continues to talk about his training routines, some of the struggles of the sport, and how much time he spends with the board – working and being an adult at the time same.
Alli recalls some of Nico’s successes, including a race that he won, even though he started 35 minutes after everyone else. Nico tells the story from his prospective.
The topic switches to how kiteboarding is different and the same as traditional sailing. He discusses the most important tactics to follow in Kiteboarding, including starts and boat handling. He talks about the different models of the kiteboards, the evolution of the sport and current trends in equipment.
Nico finishes by talking about some of his plans, why he loves kiteboarding in certain locations, the importance of safety, and other types of racing that he does.