Kitesurf, surf and windsurf are extreme sports. The undisputed protagonist of these kind of disciplines is adrenaline. These three water sports may be seen as similar but actually they have different characteristics. Kitesurf is practiced with a board and a kite by exploiting the wind and its power; to surf you surely need a board and a pinch of craziness; while the best teammate for a windsurfer is surely the wind and all the directions it blows.
KITESURFING
Matteo Dorotini is a young athlete from Venice who practices kitesurf, he says that the most difficult thing is to coordinate the physical movements and the kite ones, but once an athlete learn to do that, he can do incredible things.
“I felt that wind was no more an enemy to subdue but a friend to play with”
How was your passion for kitesurfing born?
I was about 10 years, I lived in the Venice Lido near the beach and I used to admire an unleashed group of people who got into the water with colorful kites… when the weather was bad, everybody run away from the beach while they rush in it enthusiastic. I saw them as superheroes. I wanted to do the same thing as them but nobody wanted to take the responsibility to teach me that kind of sport. At the beginning my parents did not agree with my request because they said that kitesurf was an extreme sport unsuitable for children. However I strongly wanted to begin to practice this sport and I asked everyone to teach me, so Marco Maschietto a trainer from Venice and a a friend of mine, started to train me at the Lake Garda. Since I have learned the fundamentals and tasted the feeling of freedom, continuing with trainings I felt that wind was no more an enemy to
subdue but a friend to play with.
I think concentration and attention are really important in an extreme sport
as kitesurf. How do you prepare yourself, also psychologically, for the
competitions?
I’m lucky because I trained as sailor, sailing is my first big love. I have practiced Optimist and made competitions from six to thirteen years, I learnt the fundamentals, the precedences, the stress management during competitions. I have to say that knowing how to manage the stress is really important for anyone who goes in the water. During a competition I try to have a good time, you can win or lose a competition during practice but when it’s time for the real one I try to free my mind and enjoy it.
“I have to say that knowing how to manage the stress is really important for anyone who goes in the water”
What are the difficulties that you can meet in a sport as kitesurf?
I think that the biggest struggling in kitesurfing is to coordinate physical and kite
movements. Kite does not guide the athlete, but the athlete has to guide the kite. Once you learn that, you can do unbelievable things.
How was the most important competition for you, that you remember with
pleasure? What is the biggest satisfaction that you reached so far?
The competition that I will never forget is my debut on the professional world: the World Cup in Cumbuco, Brazil, last winter. My idols who I followed on social networks, were in the eliminatory with me. I played it, I had a very good time and I placed myself ninth in the ranking.
SURFING