Flawless 11/11 Score? Rookie's Unstoppable Water Start! | Wings & Waves S2 E6

Kieran Holmes-Darby steps up solo on a gusty Cabadelo Beach to take on Round 1 Rigging and Round 2 Water Starts in the North Sails £5,000 kiteboarding challenge. After struggling with tangled lines in training, his late-night study sessions are put to the test against buffeting Atlantic winds and heavy shorebreak surf. Can he impress pro judges Francesca Maini and Cohan Van Dijk to claim a maximum 11-out-of-11 score heading into the final? New episodes every Thursday at 1500 UK! Subscribe to North Sails! It is Kieran Holmes-Darby's turn to face the judges alone across Rounds 1 and 2. In Round 1, Kieran battles gusty beach conditions to pump his North Reach kite, weight the canopy with sand, untangle his Navigator bar lines, and signal a safe launch position for a 5/5 score. In Round 2, he deploys a smart shallow-water board placement tactic before punching through heavy Atlantic whitewater to launch a massive water start on his first try—riding all the way out and earning a bonus point for a perfect 11/11 total. Whether you're a seasoned sailor who respects wind mechanics, a kiteboarder tracking authentic rookie progression, or a fan of high-stakes competition, this episode delivers pure ocean adrenaline. --- Four rookies with zero kiteboarding experience go head-to-head in Portugal for a £5,000 cash prize and the chance to host North Sails content at Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town, South Africa. Filmed at Club North FeelViana, the series bridges the world of high-performance sailing with wind-powered action watersports as competitors master wind windows, kite control, and ocean safety under pressure. --- EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Cold Open: Kieran's Massive First-Try Ride 0:38 – Competition Briefing: Rounds 1 & 2 Rules Explained 1:39 – Kieran Selected for the Solo Challenge 2:30 – Round 1: Rigging the North Reach Kite in High Winds 4:34 – Judges' Verdict: Round 1 Rigging Score 4:53 – Round 2: Launching & Battling Heavy Atlantic Surf 6:18 – The Water Start: First-Try Ride & Bonus Point Run 7:31 – Judges' Debrief: Kieran's Total Score Revealed CREDITS: Pro Coaches & Judges: Francesca Maini & Cohan Van Dijk The Competitors: Kieran Holmes-Darby, Tinuke Oyediran, Jazz Saunders, Van Martarello Location: Club North FeelViana, Cabadelo Beach, Viana do Castelo, Portugal Production: Produced by Finite Films & TV in partnership with North Sails #Kiteboarding #NorthSails #Kitesurfing #Watersports #ActionSports --- As the undisputed global leader in sailmaking, North Sails pioneers performance-led design and advanced 3Di engineering across all wind-powered sports. From offshore yacht racing and one-design fleets to high-speed foiling and windsurfing, we build the fastest, most advanced sails and rigs on the water. Discover more at northsails.com. https://www.northsails.com/pages/north-sails-wings-and-waves?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=wingsandwaves Subscribe for more great videos: https://www.youtube.com/@North_Sails?sub_confirmation=1 --- "WW S2 E06.mp4" ---