HOLLY KEENAN Kitesurfer

A day in the life series of images

On the lovely, sometimes windswept beach of Shingle Street, you might be fortunate to come across Holly Keenan battling with the waves on her surfboard attached to a giant kite. Kitesurfing is surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, skateboarding and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without foot straps or bindings. Kitesurfers can reach speeds of over 50mph. The sport developed in France during the eighties but as since seen it's popularly soaring in the United States. Holly's kiteboarding journey began four years ago when I was 14 when her father Peter introduced her into this crazy sport.

"From the moment I got up on the board, I was completely hooked. My brother Josh, who began kiting around three years before me, was my motivation to push myself into the sport. When he is landing new tricks, I become even more determined to land a new trick too. My Dad has further been a tremendous encouragement for both Josh and I. From helping us during competitions to waking us up at 5 am to go kiting before school! He has been there every step of the way." Competitions for both Holly and Josh play a huge role in their lives. To work their way up in the British kitesurfing scene, they must partake in as many competitions throughout the UK. In 2013 both Holly and Josh became British Amateur Kitesurfing Champions, this really helped us to establish our interest, and they now both compete in the pro men and women’s divisions.