One-two with brother Lorenzo ‘keeps title in family’ that hopes to dominate Big Air scene for years to come
Italy’s Leonardo Casati won his first World Championship title at just 17 when he came out on top at the season decider at the GKA Big Air Kite World Cup Greece in Mykonos. Casati, who took the crown from older brother Lorenzo, told Ian MacKinnon from his Gran Canaria home of the importance of keeping the title in the family, of his dream of completing the “trilogy” this year, and eventually becoming a complete waterman with wins in Hydrofoil Big Air and strapless Kite-Surf.
Ian MacKinnon: Congratulations on winning your first world title at 17. How do you feel now and have you been able to digest it?
Leonardo Casati: World Champion at 17. It’s something, like crazy. It’s my dream since I started kiting, and a few weeks ago I finally did it thanks to all the hard work with my dad [Renato] and my brother. I hope this is just the beginning.
IM: Before the final in Mykonos, there was a lot riding on it. Were you nervous?
LC: Actually, I wasn’t nervous. We worked for that, to handle the pressure. It was a final with Lorenzo, and I’m always training with him. And Shahar [Tsabary], he often comes down to Gran Canaria and we train together. With Lorenzo and Shahar there it was like a training session, something we train for each day to get this level and manage the pressure.
IM: Do you think it’s a mental game and how do strategise to cope with the mental pressure?
LC: I can’t really say for that. I will train with my dad to try to make it more easy in the competition. I know what tricks I can do, that helps me a bit. I train for consistency to get that even better.
IM: In the final Lorenzo opened with a big 9.4 trick to take the lead, but then seemed to take his foot off the gas knowing that you needed to win, with Jamie Overbeek in third or worse, for you to get the title. How do you feel about that?
LC: Lorenzo started really strong with his first trick. The final was going to be really hard. I tried to keep up with him. I needed to finish first to get the title. Lorenzo couldn’t win the title [after his ninth-place finish at Lords of Tram]. Ending first for him wouldn’t get him the World Champion title. I managed to finish first. But before the final there was nothing like this discussed. I needed to win. There was no plan in the final. But we saw the way it was going and made some changes. I think that Lorenzo realised it was my turn to be World Champion. He tried to make sure we kept the world title in the family.
IM: Is it important to keep it in the family?
LC: Yes we always train every day with my dad to keep it in the family. Last year was my first ever King of the Air. Lorenzo got first and I got second. Last year Lorenzo got the world title and this year I got it. So it’s something we try to become better at every year to keep the championship in the family.
IM: If your train with Lorenzo every day, do you feel the need to differentiate yourself for the judges in competition?
LC: Each day we train together. Sometimes he copies my tricks, and sometimes I copy his. We push each other. I do some tricks that he doesn’t. That’s something very strong for us. But I have my own style and he has his too. It’s not really the same: different style, different tricks. Lorenzo is more powerful, and I’m way more technical.
IM: What’s your goal for this year?
LC: My goal now is to win the ‘trilogy’. That’s the Big Air world title, the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge. That’s difficult as it needs a really big storm. And the King of the Air is another dream. So I’ve been trying to learn new tricks and new stuff.
IM: With the different judging criteria for each of the competitions, do you have to train differently?
LC: Yes, every competition is a bit different. With the Megaloop Challenge, for instance, we’ve been training with 18m lines as will likely be a shortline comp. Every month with my dad we try to train a different style based on the next competition.
IM: You compete in Hydrofoil Big Air and strapless Kite-Surf too. What are your goals?
LC: I like to foil. I like to do strapless. I like to kite-surf in waves. I like to compete in all of them. I actually got third ranked in Hydrofoil last year. It’s something I enjoy. My dream is to be a waterman, doing all those disciplines. And maybe win all those disciplines in one year. We train for that. I just love being in the ocean and sharing the elements. That’s my passion. That’s my joy.
images: Samuel Cárdenas