Helena Brochocka

Pro Kiteboarder & Traveler | Naish Kiteboarding

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The video was filmed on one sunny summer weekend, at our home base in Portugal. It documents our very first sessions riding the brand new S25 gear from Naish Kiteboarding. After spending a few prior months in and out of lockdown, we were super stoked to be back on the water at last ! In the clip we are riding the S25 Torch kites, 144 and 152 Ewan Jaspan pro, as well as 138 Monarch boards. Enjoy !

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Happy to be joining Prolimit Team !

I am stoked to be stepping onboard the Prolimit Team ! Prolimit gear ticks all the boxes I care for in my kiteboarding equipment: Quality, Performance, Design. Happy to be representing the brand this season ! Let’s do this !

Photos by Justyna Słodyczka

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Join us for a day of riding at our home spot in Portugal !

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Stoked to join the legendary Naish Kiteboarding team !

The very first kite I ever owned was a Naish kite, and I have never imagined that one day I would be a part of the brand. Couldn’t be more excited for this adventure ! Thanks for having me on board Naish ! Looking forward to all the cool projects coming up ! 

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This year’s Brazil trip was the shortest I’ve ever done but it had it all; almost two weeks of freestyle with a couple days of park riding in between. Here are some clips gathered over the 3 weeks of fun. Thanks to everyone for filming : Ewan Japan, Ramiro Gallart, Christophe Tack, Pedro Macedo, and for help with editing to Laola Team ;)

Locations:

Escape Pousada Barra Nova - escape-kiteboarding.com/en/

Kite Mansion Tremembe - kitemansion.com/welcome.html

Enjoy !

[helenabrochocka]

Same time last year I’ve been invited to visit Rodrigues Island as an ambassador to the Rodrigues International Kitesurfing festival. I have to say I wasn’t sure where to locate Rodrigues on the map at first, but a quick check on google maps have cleared things up. So if you’re curious what I found out, carry on.

So this is Rodrigues.

Yep, still zooming out..

Alright ! Now that I knew where I would be travelling it was a very quick decision. How often do you get a chance to visit a place so remote, and so isolated ! I was on board.

Basic Info

Rodrigues is a small autonomous island belonging to the Republic of Mauritius. It’s only about 100 square kilometres in surface and it’s population is just shy of 42 000. Currency is rupees (one euro equal 39 rupees), and the official language is French. Much like Mauritius, it is surrounded by a barrier reef, creating one of the biggest ocean lagoons of the Indian Ocean. View from the plane approach is truly something spectacular, and very different from anything I have seen before. What makes Rodrigues really unique, is that is still wild, and unspoiled by globalisation and commercial tourism. You won’t find many shopping malls, selection of restaurants, or many tourist attractions around there. What you will find is a raw natural beauty, friendly community, and of course amazing kite spots if you know where to look.

Season

Kite season in Rodrigues starts in May and lasts through October, with the winter period form July to September being the best for kiteboarding, with usual wind speed ranging between 25 and 27 knots. Do not get discouraged by the term “winter”, it will simply mean you might need a shorty sometimes, but the water is still warm, and the weather is still comparable to the European summer.

Getting There

At the moment, the only way to get to Rodrigues is to fly through Mauritius or Reunion. You can find some good connections from Europe with Air Mauritius, or Turkish Airlines. Rodrigues is just under 2 hours flight from Mauritius with daily connections that can be booked at pretty good prices. Wherever you decide to stay on the island, the cab ride from the Plaine Corail airport won’t be longer than 40 minutes, so that is not an issue. You can also rent cars or motor bikes on the island for as little as $10 per day.

Where to stay

As Rodrigues isn’t very touristy yet, you won’t find big all inclusive hotels there. There is however a selection of guesthouses around the island. If you are coming for kitesurfing the best place to stay is around Port Sud-Est, where the kite schools are located. There is one bigger hotel right at the spot - The Mourouk Ebony Hotel. For those of you looking for something more quiet and a bit less pricey, Ti La Passe guest house and Restaurant is a place to be. It is located just a short stroll away from the beach, and you can see the spot from your window. I stayed there myself and really enjoyed the sea view from my room, chill atmosphere, friendly staff, and a good local food served every day.

Kiting

The main spot is just in front of Mourouk Ebony hotel, and it is home to about 3 different kite schools, that provide lessons, rental gear, and storage. The spot is quite flat on lower tides, and can become a little choppy on higher. The bottom is mostly sandy, which makes the spot safe.  There are a little reef chunks scattered here and there, so If you are planning to learn how to kite you might want to bring your booties. The water is warm pretty much the whole season, but when the wind kicks in you might want to have a shorty, if you are quick to get cold like myself. The lagoon is huge so the space for kiting is endless, There are also some butter flat spots a short boat ride away, and you can ask about them in kite schools. If you are a wave rider, there are endless reef breaks all around the island. You can quite easily kite towards there, but bare in mind that you will be alone and far away from the shore. additionally there is a very strong current along the reef, which makes the breaks less safe. It is much better to gather a little waveriding group and ask for a boat to go with you. This way you can easily access all the best spot, and you will have assistance if anything goes wrong.

Things to Do

The event took up most of our time in Rodrigues so there were things I missed out on this time. What I haven’t missed out on is Indian Ocean’s highest zipline. I know what you’re thinking, because zip lines  are usually quite lame. Well not this one. My first impression when i arrived to the spot was “NO WAY I’M DOING THIS.” The tour consists of 3 zip lines of which the highest and longest one is suspended more than 100 meters above the jungle and spans over 400 meters in length. It took quite some convincing but I finally agreed to try and I gotta say the first leap off the cliff in scary AF. Once you get over the initial adrenaline rush the views from the ride are amazing. You can see the turquoise lagoon, the reef breaks in the distance and the dense jungle beneath your feet. Definitely something to try out !

There is a bunch of other of fun things that I haven’t got a chance to do yet, such as a visit to the town of Port Mathurin, The tortoise sanctuary, or the boat trip to Ile Aux Cocos. These I leave for the next time.

If you are interested in visiting Rodrigues, do not hesitate to contact the tourism office of Rodrigues on Facebook ! They will be happy to assist you in organising your trip, help with bookings and accommodation. contact them through here —> https://www.facebook.com/tourism.rodrigues.737

For more info about kiteboarding on the island, the International Kite festival or other event info follow —> https://www.facebook.com/groups/rodrigueskitesurfing/

I would like to thank Rodrigues Tourism office, organizers of the Rodrigues International Kite Festival, Air Mauritius, Ti La Passe Guest House, and all other event partners and sponsors for the opportunity to visit Rodrigues Island ! I had an amazing time kiteboarding and exploring the island, and I sincerely hope to be back soon !

Photos by : Serge Marizy, Lionel Ghighi, Brenton Owens Media, Freedom Kitemag, & Myself :)

[helenabrochocka]

Portugal is a van dweller’s paradise, and I can’t think of any way to fully experience it, other than with a little mobile home. Portugal is really chill when it comes to wild camping and overnight parking (out of the season), which gives you a possibility of waking up on a cliff right above your favourite surf spot. This year we started our trip a little higher up north, in Peniche.

Peniche is great because it has both - good surf, and a sick kiting lagoon. I managed to get some shots of Christophe cruising there, and I think they can give you a pretty good idea about the size and the vibe of the spot.

We continued south, passing through Ericeira, Sagres, and cutting through to Marbella afterwards. 

Algarve coast is an amazing place to see, and spring is the time to be there. While the water might be cold, it’s definitely worth to witness the place before it gets swarmed with tourists during the top season.

Xx

[helenabrochocka]

Beginners Guide to Mauritius

Mauritius has been on my travel bucket list forever, and early October I finally had a chance to visit this island. I can’t tell you too much about it, as my trip was only 8 days, most of them spent kiting in Le Morne. Nevertheless, I did manage to see bits and pieces, and fall in love with the place.

Season: April - October 

Getting There:

Turkish airlines offer some great flights through Istanbul from the majority of european capitals. Also their board bag policy is quite good, so it was an obvious choice for me. The airport is located north of the Island and it takes about 1,5 hours to get to Le Morne. There are taxis, and they are not too expensive.

Accommodation & Transport

The only hotel located directly on the spot is RIU, and although it can be pricey, you can look for discounts and special offers throughout the season. If your trip focus is kiting, then that is the best choice for you, and it also means you won’t need to rent a car to get to the spot (good for shorter trips). Staying anywhere else than RIU means you will need to get one. Talking to people on the beach I have learned that the cheapest way to stay on the island is to rent an apartment around La Gaulette (not sure if true, Correct me if I’m wrong !). Still if you really want to have a chance to properly explore the island, i’d say getting a car is a good idea.

The Spot

For flat water, Le Morne is the most obvious choice. When I was there it was windy pretty much all the time, and within the 6 riding days I had, I used all of my kite sizes. During my stay, the Windguru forecast was always showing a bit less wind than it actually was. I am not sure if that is the rule there, but it might be worth taking into consideration ! Apparently in the best season (between June and September) you need to bring a full wetsuit. Mid season (April/May &October/November) shorty should be ok. 

Le Morne Kite lagoon can get crowded, so it’s important to chose the right time of the day. There is usually not much wind in the early mornings so that option is out, to the best of my knowledge. Same thing goes to sunsets - the wind can drop pretty quick. The lagoon is a bit choppy on the high tide, but it’s still not too bad, and certainly ok for freestyle. When the tide goes down, it gets shallow, and much flatter, therefore that was my favourite timing to go out, as the conditions on low tide are not suitable for beginners. Even though the bottom is mostly sand and seaweed there is a lot of little reef chunks, so you need to stay alert and look out when you crash ! If you’re a beginner, planning on taking lessons there, I would strongly recommend you bring booties, as it is easy to cut your feet there.

When it comes to other flat water locations, I’ve heard there is heaps around the island, including some empty lagoons in the north. So if you have a lot of time, a car, and are confident enough kiting without the assecuration of the boat, you might want to explore some wild spots. It is not clear to me if it is allowed to kite anywhere you want on Mauritius (probably not) so if you know something more, please leave a comment !

For the wave riders, Mauritius is probably one of the most famous destination in the world, but i do not want to overstep my boundaries on that topic since I am a complete wave kook and don’t know much about it. What I can tell you is that from what i’ve learned/seen, there are two main breaks around Le Morne, and those are Manawa, and One Eye. There are a few more sections with their special names, but those are the two famous waves you can find there. Manawa seems to get a bit bigger, but also bunch slower than One Eye. On most days during my stay it was also a bit less crowded, but as said, I’m not sure if that’s the rule. Both breaks can get very shallow on low tide, so better check that out before charging a wave. Both breaks are also located quite far from the coast, and the wind gets blocked off by the mountain right at the edge of One Eye, so I would say do not attempt riding them if you are not completely confident with your kiting. There are asecuration boats on the beach and these guys seem to be very serious about paying attention to what is happening in the breaks, but it might take them a while to get to you if something happens, so better not play with fire !

If you plan to get into wave riding, the Little Reef that is located much closer to the shore, can provide much smaller, yet fun waves, that are certainly a safer place to practice your skills.

*Edit: For the caring bunch who’ve inquired, yes I do realize my leash was on the wrong leg. This is because a few days before the pictures were taken, I have pulled my left knee that was operated 2 years ago, and it didn’t seem like a great idea to have it yanked by the leash in the waves at the time. You’re welcome. :)

What Else ?

Mauritius has so much more to offer than just kiting. Unfortunately I only had one or two days when i decided not to kite, so obviously I didn't manage to check that much of it out. I did however visit Rochester Falls which are cool, cause you can climb it, jump from the top, and swim in it, which would normally not be allowed in any of the european falls. Surely a cool thing to do.

Other than that, what I simply HAD to do was to climb the Brabant Rock ! I’ve seen so many cool pictures of my friends who did that before, and I really want to see the views too. We therefore decided to do a little father-daughter mission on our very last day.  I have to say the climb is pretty challenging ! Apparently a few days before we arrived the local authorities have removed the chains and ropes that were mounted there for security. It is said that they did that in order to prevent people from climbing the rock, as it was a bit too dangerous. The effect of this is - people still climb the rock, but now it is even more dangerous, as there is no chains to hold on to. Before climbing the top part of the rock, you need to sign a waiver releasing local authorities from any responsibility for a potential injury or death that you may sustain. There are parts where you will be properly climbing, on all fours. I am not gonna lie, there are a few gnarly stretches of the trail up, but the views are surely worth the risk. Just be careful, come prepared (the right shoes, a cap, sunscreen, and a lot of water) and don’t try to push it if the trail gets too dodgy.  

I really really enjoyed my time on Mauritius, and I surely will be coming back soon !

I am looking forward to spend a bit more time there this time, and have more tips for you guys.

Also, I would love to hear your opinions and advice, so I can be better prepared in the future ! Leave a comment if you know something cool, or if you want to correct any mistakes i might have written regarding the place. Big thanks a lot if you do !

Xx Helena

[helenabrochocka]

Last clip for the year ! A few shots I managed to get from this years trip to Brazil. Big thanks to the whole Taiba crew for all the fun sessions, trick tips, and endless laughs at the beach ! Also to all of the GoPro sticks holders, and Iphone operators, who made sure we don't come back home empty handed (you guys know who you are ;) . This trip was a blast and I think that little clip shows that well. I hope 2018 will bring many more of those good ones, and I wish you guys the same ! Enjoy !

[helenabrochocka]

Hey guys ! 

So lately the vast majority of messages in my inbox, looked pretty much the same : “Hey I saw you were ..., how’s the spot, when is the best time to go there ? How are the conditions ?” These are all damn legit questions and I’ve been harassing heaps of my friends with the same type of messenger inquiries. And since I already had a website that I didn’t use much since social media got cray cray, I have decided maybe it would be fun to give it a new life and to use it for something other than just updates on what I’m doing (because let’s face it, you guys all have busy lives, and also unless you’re like, Kylie Jenner and presumably pregnant, no one cares). That’s how this pretty obvious and unoriginal idea came to life, and what I am aiming to create is a little travel guide, that i will try to keep not so obvious and unoriginal. I will try to outline the answers to these questions you my friends were asking, and sum up where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and whether it is worth it for you to go and do it too. I will try to be as objective as I can and not sell you bullshit. I will also try to give you some cool ideas that you may not find in your typical travel guide and in general, attempt to make it as interesting as I possibly can. Let’s see what comes out of that. other than that I might be posting about different type of stuff on occasion too, such as ... Kiteboarding - shocker, and other things that may come to mind. So without further due, Welcome to my new attempt of a website, and hope it does help you with your travel pursues. 

Thanks for even being here ! I like you !

Xx

Helena. 

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Square One

Same time last year I was just starting to walk by myself after a knee surgery. Everyone always told me that you tend to come back stronger after you recover, and in the first months back on the water, I was really disappointed to learn it wasn’t true at all. At least not from the start. I was scared, not confident enough, and all my progression from the past years seem to have disappeared just like that. I was back to square one, learning basic rotations all over again.  

That is why I was so happy to finally return to Brazil, to try and relearn each trick, one by one, some in a completely different way than I used to them in the past. It was a long process, with a lot of ups and downs, but in the end I’ve learned to appreciate every little milestone on my way, and become stoked on kiteboarding all over again.

This little clip was made pretty spontaneously and I am really really happy that it happened, because for me it is a closure to this whole adventure. It took way longer than expected, but now, exactly a year later, I can finally say I feel 100% again ! I am ready to go back to improving my level, and more importantly enjoying every day I get to ride and have fun more than ever before !

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I am really stoked and proud to present you the effects of my first ever collaboration on a product line with Josea Surfwear. I am happy to work and have this learning experience with a sustainable and environmentally responsible brand, with not only great and practical designs, but also solid values. All the items are produced from recycled materials, and I enjoy wearing them more, knowing that they are manufactured ethically, in Europe, and not by an underpaid employee of a 3rd world country sweatshop. A part of revenues from the sales will also be directed towards projects that aim at supporting women kiteboarding scene. You can check out the full collection at www.josea-surfwear.com ! I hope you guys like it, as much as I do ! ! !