Lasse Walker: "I hope the wind favours me at King of the Air"

The Backroll megaloop genius aims for a comeback after crashing out in the semis last year

Lasse Walker

21 year old Dutchman Lasse Walker is set to make a welcome return to the most anticipated event on the kiteboarding calendar, Red Bull King of the Air after experiencing a massive crash last year. Walker crashed in the water after a miscalculated landing which resulted in his short stay in hospital. 

The L.A Dosage met up with him to discuss what he has in store when King of the Air commences and who his possible competition could be. He is set to join his fellow Dutchman, Willem van der Meij and South African co-founder of Dirty Habits Graham Howes in Heat 2 when it's all systems go.

The North Kiteboarding athlete was very calm and collected when we met him for a quick breakfast run. You could sense that he still very young but also very confident with himself. This had to be one of the most interesting interviews. Here's how it played out:

Lasse Walker

The L.A Dosage: Tell us a bit about your training regime. What does it take to stay at the top of your game?

Lasse Walker: In order to stay fit and flexible I go to the gym and of course going out on the water keeps me motivated but there are times that I want to go out there and have fun but at the same time I want to remain focused. 

The L.A Dosage: Do you think it's relatively easy to avoid injuries in such a sport? 

Lasse Walker: It's definitely tricky to avoid injuries. I actually bruised to my heel about a month ago in Hermanus and I am still experiencing some pain. It's really unpredictable, same as Kevin who injured his foot a week before the preparations leading to king of the air. You have to train smart without a doubt but at the same time you also want to be able to try out new tricks.

The L.A Dosage: You are known for doing the Backroll Megaloop. Can you tell us more about that?

Lasse doing the kite loop/late backroll

Lasse Walker: I actually do the late backroll. You jump, loop the kite and from that you get a hard pull. You need to pull to get yourself out of balance. So you are sort of doing a backroll and backflip at the same time. I aim to land it perfectly afterwards. 

The L.A Dosage: How does it feel in massive competitions such as the Red Bull King of the Air, having to do such a trick (as mentioned above) in front of many spectators in hope of landing it perfectly?

Lasse Walker: It's an amazing feeling when the MCs and fans call out your name when you are about to pull your trick. It gives you goosebumps that you can't imagine. I am generally very confident when going out there but there are times when you want to push yourself to bigger extremes by jumping and flying higher which can bring it some kind of fear but otherwise it's all good. 

Lasse Walker: North Kiteboarding.com

The L.A Dosage: Let's talk about the upcoming King of the Air. How do you (the pros) prepare for such a tournament? 

Lasse Walker: I think it depends on each rider, everyone is different. I try to really stay motivated and focused towards the competition and by going to the gym I stay flexible and that means I don't spend too much time in the water. I try to combine it with some free time as well. If you ride too much, it will make you lose motivation as you can easily frustrate yourself. 

Lasse Walker: @mikey_business

The L.A Dosage: You are 21 and there's obviously some fierce competition from the older guys. Do you feel like there's more pressure on your side?

Lasse Walker: I wouldn't say there is too much pressure but I can safely say I want to improve and do better this year. Last year I reached the semifinals, so I want to be in a better position this time around. 

The L.A Dosage: Who is your personal rival going into the tournament?

Reigning King of the Air: Aaron Hadlow

Lasse Walker: I honestly though Langeree (Kevin) (NL) and Jesse (Richman) (USA) would've been my biggest competition but now they're out on injury. Aaron Hadlow (UK) is a definite together with Lewis Crathern (UK) and not forgetting Ruben Lenten (NL). It's really hard to say, you just to wait on the day so who fares betters and who the conditions are favouring. I do hope the strong winds favour me but if it's lighter winds then it would definitely be Aaron's call as he can really pull out some technical moves and blow us away. It's any man's game on the day.

To keep up with Lasse and what he gets up to in the water, stay tuned to the website Red Bull King of the Air or you can alternatively follow him on the following social media:

Facebook: Lasse Walker

Instagram: @lassewalker

*DISCLAIMER* The L.A Dosage would like to wish all the athletes competing in the Red Bull King of the Air the best of luck and we certainly hope the winds be in your favour on the day. #kingoftheair

Till next time. . .