Gisela Pulido Borrell, Spain

by Gisela Pulido Borrell
(Spain)

Where are you from? I'm coming from Spain.
Your age?I'm 15 years old.
Where did you grow up? In Barcelona.
Any kite sponsors? Who? I have as kites Airush. I'm pretty happy to be with them because I'm developing my own kites. For clothes and wetsuits I have Rip Curl. For boards Shapes and Dakine for accessories.

Special achievements...?
When I won the PKRA Fuerteventura in 2006. I was competing in the KPWT because I had not the age to participate in the other tour, but in Fuerteventura I was invited to go. I was the first time I compete against the world champion of PKRA Kristin Bose. This was very special for me.

Life occupation besides kite... I'm studying for the moment. I'm doing high school. Tell me a little bit about yourself
My life is very normal as a kid of my age because I have to get up early to go to school. At 3pm when I finish it comes the moment I prefer in the day. It's time to kite. Then I go home to do my homework and physical training. Finally time to sleep and dream in kite tricks! This is during the winter. I don't travel any place like Brazil, Venezuela to train. I just stay in Tarifa.
When I'm not training I love to watch Heroes a TV series, play guitar hero, listen music and go out with friends. I don't have to much time to do this because of the training but… this is my life.

Music? I love to listen Hip Hop and Rap, like Eminem, Dr.Dre, Snoop Dogg... Some rock, and heavy, like Linkin Park, and a lot of Spanish music.

Interested in..? In kiteboarding for sure! ;)

Food? I like Italian food, pizza and pasta. Spanish food aswell. Paella, jamón...we have very nice staff here!

Heroes? I like a lot Kelly Slater, because he won lots of times the World Champ, and I would like to do the same. I hope so, but it's pretty hard!

Favorite kitesurfing spots for you? I love many kite spots, like Brazil, New Caledonia, Venezuela... But for me the best one is Tarifa, where I live and train. The conditions are not the best as those that I tell before, but they are very various. You can find all wind directions, waves, choppy, flat, cold, hot... And is really good for competitions.


Places you have been kiting at... I have been in many places. Australia, New Caledonia, Dom. Rep., Chile, Mexico, all Europe....

How long have you been kitesurfing? I start kiteboard when I was 8, in 2002, so I've been kiting for six or seven years.

Why kitesurfing? Kiteboarding is special. What you feel when yor are jumping high, doing kiteloops, or making handlepass it's indercribable. A lot of adrenaline. I practice many sport, snowboarding, skate, surf...but I don't feel the same when I practice those than when I'm kiting. It's the feeling and have fun with all my friends.

What does your family think of this? My family is very happy, my dad was all his life practicing these kind of sports and makes glad and illusion that I won the World Champ. When I started kiting my mum was a bit afraid of that because this sport is extreme. But now she's happy as well. I'm very lucky to have this family that support me from the beginnings. What does this sport mean to you? This sport is my life. I wouldn't live without kiteboarding. To kite every day that there is wind, have fun with friends, enjoy, do sport, is what makes me happy.

Favorite tricks? Frontmobe and KGB.

What does this sport demand of you? The worst thing is that I have to life without my mother, She lives in Barcelona and I live in Tarifa, far away. It's hard for me, but I know it's harder for her, because if I had a son or a daughter and couldn't live with them. But she comes to Tarifa and I go to Barcelona a lot of times so see.

Have you ever been in an accident? Never I had a big accident. Once I did an unhooked kiteloop and I land on the sand, and all my mouth and nose was bleeding. But I never have been injured or broken something, and I hope that never happens.

Vision...you wishes for the future…. I would like to be journalist and present a TV program. This is what I want to be when I'm older. But first I would like that kiteboarding be an Olympic sport and maybe win a gold medal.