Scene News · Rider moves, as they break · Week 30 · 2026

Kitesurfing Transfers & Team News

Who rides for whom: brand switches, team signings and contract news from the riders and teams that announce them.

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Transfer9 Jul 2026

Two-Time KOTA Champ Andrea Principi Signs with RRD

Andrea Principi, a dominant force in Big Air kitesurfing, has officially joined RRD. This move comes after a successful period with Duotone, marked by multiple King of the Air titles. RRD, an established Italian brand with roots in various watersports, has expanded its kitesurfing presence over the

Transfer2 sources9 Jul 2026

Andrea Principi Departs Duotone

Andrea Principi has ended his sponsorship agreement with Duotone, a significant move for one of the sport's top Big Air riders.

Kitesurfing Transfers & Team News, explained

Every kitesurfing transfer as it breaks: riders changing kite brands, new team signings, contract news and roster moves across Big Air, freestyle and wave — with sources.

How kitesurfing transfers work

Professional kitesurfers ride for brands the way footballers play for clubs. A team rider receives gear, travel and competition support, and in return the brand gets its kites under the sport's most visible riders. When a rider changes brands, that is a kitesurfing transfer, and it reshapes both the rider's season and the brand's team.

Most moves cluster around the turn of the season, when contracts run out and next year's gear programs are locked. The announcements almost always break on social media first: the rider posts, the brand posts, and within hours the scene knows. That is exactly where our news desk watches.

Why riders switch kite brands

Gear character is the biggest reason: a Big Air specialist needs a kite that boosts and holds, a freestyler needs pop and slack, a wave rider needs drift. When a brand's program moves away from a rider's discipline, or a rival's gear simply suits their riding better, a switch starts to make sense.

The rest is program fit: development input on next year's models, travel and media support, and how much a brand builds its marketing around a rider. Transfers are rarely just about money in kitesurfing, and that makes them genuinely interesting news.

How we report team changes

Every transfer story here starts from a first-party announcement, the rider's or the brand's own channels, and cites its sources. When a move is confirmed, the rider's profile in our athlete directory is updated so the news and the profile never contradict each other. Mistakes get corrected openly, never silently.

Athlete directory Kite brand directory Event calendar

Every story in this section is researched, source-cited and editor-reviewed and approved before publishing — in English and German.

Frequently asked

When do most kitesurfing transfers happen?

Most team changes are announced between seasons, typically late autumn to early spring, when contracts end and brands finalize their teams for the new gear year. Mid-season switches happen but are rare.

How do you verify a transfer before reporting it?

We only report moves announced first-party by the rider or the brand, and every story cites its sources. Rumors without an announcement do not get published.

What does a team rider actually get from a brand?

Deals vary widely: current gear, travel and event support, media production and, at the top level, salary. Development riders also shape next year's kites and boards through testing feedback.