Thursday, March 28, 2024

GAGE FICHTER

photos by Richard Hallman

Date of birth: 9/19/92 

Years riding: Third year kiting, second year strapless. 

Sponsors: Hatteras Island Sail Shop, Dakine. 

Hometown: Putney, VT 

Current home: Waves, NC 

Off-water activities: Running, hiking, backcountry skiing (really any excuse for an outdoor adventure). 

Favorite board and kite: 2014 5’7” Airush Compact and 2015 8 meter Airush Varial X. 

Last trick landed: 180 Shove-it (not super clean though). 

Favorite trick: Frontside grab 180. 

First setup: First strapless surfboard was a 2013 5’6” Airush Compact and first kite was a 2013 Airush 8 meter Varial. 

Favorite conditions: 8 meter kite, side-shore wind, chest-to-head high swell and the whole day off. 

What other pros do you ride with most often? Reider Decker and Evan Netch keep me constantly pushing myself. Couldn’t ask for better tip givers and friends to share a good session with. 

Favorite place to ride: Anywhere in Hatteras with a wave. 

“Kitesurfing in waves is tough. Finding someone with consistent flow and style in them is rare. But there are people that just look comfortable and natural in the surf. Gage Fichter is one of those people. 

I taught Gage how to kite three years ago in Hatteras. She was an easy lesson and caught on super fast. We have a close group of kite friends in Hatteras that push each other’s riding, so as soon as Gage could stay upwind, we brought her on an ocean downwinder. The closest adjective to describe Gage’s reaction to her first ocean downwinder would be ‘ecstatic.’ She was hooked on kiting from the beginning, but the ocean really took her new passion to the next level. The next time we went in the ocean, I strapped up a directional for Gage to use and her enthusiasm amplified. 

Gage’s smoothness and flow on the wave always amaze me. Looking natural in the waves is so rare for someone who just recently started surfing and kiting. It took me a while to understand the key to riding waves is to be relaxed and to not force yourself to ride a certain way. Gage’s style is her own and it is fluid and graceful. I’m glad to be with someone that shares my passion and is always ready to kite in the ocean with me. I’m excited to watch Gage progress even more and to see where the world takes us in the upcoming years”. —Reider Decker 

 

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