Background:AARON HADLOW is probably the most talented kiteboarder in the world today. At only 16 he is pushing the boundaries of kiteboarding to a whole new level. Competition after competition Aaron pulls off an incredible array of groundbreaking moves that have never been seen before.
Aaron is 100% dedicated to kiteboarding. First signed to Flexifoil when he was just 13, Aaron left his Cornish background behind to travel the beaches of the world in search of his ultimate ambition...to be the best kiteboarder in the world. This year he has already achieved an incredible array of victories - he is leading the PKRA World Championships with two 1st places under his belt, he came first in the prestigious Velocity Games on his first ever trip to the US and won the North Sea Open competition in Belgium.
Nothing would have been possible without the support of his parents Ian and Louise who travel everywhere with him - caddying on the beach, making sure he does his homework (yes, he still has to do this!) and generally helping to ensure he remains the same grounded individual he was before he showed such an incredible gift for kiteboarding.
A world-class rider needs a world-class kite. Last October, Aaron and the four-strong Flexifoil product design team set off to South Africa for the winter with the challenge to design a kite which would perform for Aaron and his Flexifoil team-mates at the highest level. The new Storm 3 is that kite. Fine-tuned in South Africa with the help of Aaron, this kite will enable you to Kiteboard without compromise.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
Kiter.com:When did you start kiting? Aaron Hadlow: 5 years ago. My Dad used to come off the water and help me fly the kite. He got into kiteboarding in 1999 on foil kites and directional boards. Then I tried the Wipika inflatables in 2000 and spent a summer holiday in Cabarete and that's when I really got into it.
So it was your Dad that really got you into the sport?
Yes he is still very active and helped finance me and get sponsors. Now he travels with me and coaches me, without him I would never have made it to where I am now.
What other sports did you do prior to kiting?
I was so young…I did a little surfing and I was quite into BMX bikes and skateboarding, no windsurfing background.
Where do you kite in the UK?
Marazion and Gwithian. In the winter it gets pretty cold at least a 5/3 or even a dry suit. There is not set season but you can catch a front almost anytime during the year.
What was your first contest?
The British tour ran a small circuit. I won juniors the first year and got 3rd in amateurs, the next year I was 2nd in the pro's and then 6th in the PKRA in 2003 and then in 2004 I won the PKRA.
When did you realize you would go pro?
In 2002 I was in South Africa and kited so much that I got a feel for what I could really do, that was when I started to see the potential.
What tricks are your big winners that you use to rack up the points?
It's really about innovation, trying new things that have never been done. Kite loop handle passes, really powered seems to do the trick right now.
What goes on in your head during this innovation process?
That's hard to describe. You see other people and the direction that the sport is heading then extrapolate, change or mix it together in some way. It always takes a while to figure it out. When I did the kite loop handle pass I did the kite loop first then the handle pass then thought that I could put them together.
What is your scariest moment kiting?
One time in Leucate a couple years ago I was kiting along in this pond and a huge gust came along and dragged me up on land and through the weeds. I was young and nothing like that had ever happened to me before, so it was a little scary. My Dad had a wreck at exactly the same time when his harness broke so it was an odd coincidence.
What is the worst wipe out you have ever had?
I was in Cabarete in a competition against Martin and was really fired up, I went for a huge kite loop handle pass but my kite went really low and I went really high but I still went for the handle pass. I just exploded and knocked the wind out of me from behind then the kite launched me again and I got winded from the front.
What kind of new moves are you working on now?
Incorporating variety to handle passes with kite loops, anything to blind, always going powered. You just have to go with the times and be willing to trying new things, its always progressing.
How much focus have you put on the waves?
I really have not had a major wave focus. There are some great days in South Africa but it's something I want to develop. My style really incorporates everything but for sure at the moment it is all about trying to lead the freestyle.
How long do you see yourself competing?
As long as I can stay focused. I want to stay on top and push it hard this year and my goal is to stay that way for as long as I possibly can. I don't really have a training program, mostly just ride hard but in the years to come I might need one to fulfill my goals.
Any major goals?
Try as many new things as possible, stay at the top and enjoy every minute of it.
Nothing would have been possible without the support of his parents Ian and Louise who travel everywhere with him - caddying on the beach, making sure he does his homework (yes, he still has to do this!) and generally helping to ensure he remains the same grounded individual he was before he showed such an incredible gift for kiteboarding.
So it was your Dad that really got you into the sport?
When did you realize you would go pro? 
What is your scariest moment kiting? 
What kind of new moves are you working on now?