Author: as told to John Bryja / photo by Bryan Elkus
Laura “Lulu” Vroman, 20, grew up in Rochester, N.Y., living the life of a ski racer from the age of five. Lulu’s specialties were super-G, giant slalom and slalom, and while size wasn’t to her advantage, she wasn’t afraid to bolt on weighted risers to close the gap. In 2006, Lulu was living in Cape Hatteras and witnessed kiteboarding for the first time at the inaugural Triple-S Invitational. Let’s just say it made a good first impression and set the standards for proper style and future goals. At the 2009 Triple-S, Lulu was asked to ride with the girls on the sliders and was a tough act to follow, easily sliding the 82ft John Wayne Cancer Foundation slider end to end. For 2010, Lulu’s goals are to get invited to the Triple-S and continue to push her riding even further.
Kites:
2010 Liquid Force Havocs 6m, 8m, 10m. These kites are great for wakestyle as well as in the ocean. I usually ride in wind conditions ranging from 15-30 m.p.h. and the 6-10 quiver covers me for all of these. The 4m Liquid Force Envy is my go-to kite for super high winds. It’s the most stable small kite I’ve ever ridden and the graphics are really fun.
Bars:
Stock Liquid Force 45cm CPR bar. Since my largest kite is a 10m, I only need the small bar. The below-the-bar depower and light bar pressure are ideal for girls, no need to reach to the centre to depower and no struggling to keep the bar sheeted in. There is also an adjustable chicken loop, which is good for shorter arms.
Boards:
2010 Liquid Force Aura 131 is my newest addition. The size is perfect for me. Anything larger becomes a little hard to control since it’s almost the same size as me.
Foot-straps/Bindings:
I usually rock some Liquid Force bindings, but if I need foot-straps the only ones that work for me are the Liquid Force Comp Lace strap. The size range for these is insane. I have a size five foot and it’s the only strap that will hold my foot in.
Surfboards:
My all-around board is a 5’8” Rusty Piranha. Since I’m so small I like a smaller, thinner board for duck-diving. I also have a 5’10” Rawson Fish for those small Hatteras summer days.
Skateboard:
8” Antihero skateboard; great for shredding Jason Slezak’s half-pipe.
Wetsuits:
I have everything from a neoprene tank top to a 4/3 full suit, plus all the accessories. It’s better to be prepared and stay warm. The O’Neill Psycho DL Glove in XXS is the only neoprene glove I’ve found that fits small hands.
Accessories:
Oakley sunglasses, SPF chap-stick, hair-ties, Dakine Wahine Harness (perfect for small frames), REAL Watersports Slider Park.
Laura “Lulu” Vroman is on the REAL and Liquid Force National Kiteboarding Teams. For her “day job,” Lulu runs the ropes at the REAL Lesson Center, organizing 35 full time coaches and over 6,000 students per year. Lulu is sponsored by REAL, Liquid Force and Oakley.