Steff Mags
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Pennsylvania USA
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Date of birth:
1994.12.25
Hometown:
Cape Town, South Africa
Sponsors:
Liquid Force,
Mystic,
Gopro,
Mobecon,
Hobbies:
Κiting, surfing supping and wakeboardinh
Favourite athletes:
John John Florence and Kelly slater
BIO
I began Kitesurfing in 2006, 6 years after I moved to Cape Town, I was taught to kite on Blouberg beach front by cabrinha kiteboarding and after getting up and ridding all I wanted to do was become pro. This dream became a reality in 2011 when I signed my first international contract with Roberto Ricci Designs.
Shortly after in 2012 I was on tour competing on the elite tour of 24 riders fighting for the world title. Unfortunately I ended up 5th but I was beyond happy! Since then I have pushed my focus more into the rnd, I do a lot of board and kite testing and that is where I am hoping to push my career.
INTERVIEW
What are you looking for to accomplish?
My main goal would be to get onto the tour again and become the world champ but over the last few years I’ve realized that youth development is so important to our sport and I have become the executive assistant of the South African Kiting Association and with saying that we will make a massive foot print in making kiting huge in South Africa.
What would be your greatest achievement?
As it stands I placed 5th over all in the Kite Surf Pro World tour with my best result being at 4th place in Mauritius.
What kind of difficulties does your sport’s performance involve?
Not too many… The body does have to be conditioned to take a beating especially on the knees ankles and shoulders, so conditioning your body and having a strong core are key.
What makes you feel satisfied when performing your sport?
Getting out there and making a mistake in big waves, the ultimate feeling is knowing you can go out in anything knowing you’re prepared and able to get back to the beach even without your gear. It’s all apart of the training.
Where do you practice your techniques when being alone?
I try not to practice alone to progress you need to be riding with guys that push you and even guys that are better than you, that’s the only way you can see huge progression.
What do you do during your training which is key to your success?
It depends on what training. If I’m conditioning my body I try to do a lot of palates it works so many muscle groups and keeps your core so strong. When I’m on the water I spend a lot of time crashing and that is the key to progression.
What are you most nervous about when competing?
Not performing to the best of my ability. Some times it’s just not your day and there’s nothing you can do to change your mindset on the day, that kills me!
Who would you say is your biggest fan and why?
That one I can’t answer to be honest.
What is the best piece of advice you have been ever given?
Stay humble.
What are your future plans?
My bigger plans are to grow the community in Cape Town making it the number one destination to kitesurf and also get into the design aspect with Liquid Force, it’s a huge future.
What are your tips for those who begin now?
Take proper lessons from a qualified instructor, don’t learn from a friend and make sure you have some really good quality gear!
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?
RELATED PACKAGES
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ALL PACKAGES
Guided Bike Tour, Stellenbosch
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South Africa, Stellenbosch, Western Cape
This tour combines the beautiful scenery and sites of Historic Stellenbosch with excellent wine pairings and some healthy outdoor exercise.
The tour starts 9:00 at our meeting point (located at Blackhorse Centre, Corner of Dorp and Mark Street). Each rider will collect a bike and helmet to suit their size. We will carry a snack pack for each rider, included in the rate. Our guide will also carry a backpack for those who would like to buy some wine en-route.
Tour starts with a historic tour of Stellenbosch, visiting some of the historic sites of Stellenbosch Town. We will cycle through Stellenbosch and head to the scenic Jonkershoek Valley. A winding road through oak and poplar forests will take you to a beautiful wine estate nestled in the valley bottom; here you can take in the stunning views while doing wine tasting of award winning wines on an island on a lake.
On the way out of the valley, you will stop at another wine estate, which sports beautiful grounds and historic Cape Dutch architecture. Here we will do a cellar tour before we start our Chocolate and Wine pairing that will definitely make your taste buds tingle.
After the tasting we will head back into Stellenbosch Town via the Stellenbosch University before ending the tour again at the meeting point.
There are some variations to the route, with varying difficulty levels so the tour can be tailored to suit everyone’s cycling ability. Family tours can also be booked.
Duration of Tour: 4-5 hours
Included: Guide – Bicycle and helmet rental – 2 Wine Tastings and cellar tour – Snack pack and drink
Excluded: Lunch – Items of personal nature
$
60
REQUEST
Guided Hike Tour, The Waterfall (6.5km), Stellenbosch
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South Africa, Stellenbosch, Western Cape
This is a short but adventurous hiking trail, including some climbing and scrambling; however, don’t be deterred if you have limited climbing experience – the tricky sections are optional and there is enough to see without doing those. The trail firstly meanders along the Eerste River and the first waterfall is easily reached. This is a great rest stop, where you can admire the dripping moss banks and old indigenous trees. Soon after, the trail takes a sudden up-turn, curving towards a steep sided gorge.
Where the path meets this gorge is where the really fun part starts! The river is now your path, and at times you will be hopping from rock to rock while vertical cliffs hem you in on either side. A few minutes of wandering between lush ferns, trees and moss takes you to the trickiest section of the hike. Here, those who feel that they would rather not try this section can enjoy the scenery around them, while rest of the group does the last short section up to the second waterfall. For those who make it all the way, the second waterfall is quite a sight to behold as its flow feeds the water plants clothing the cliff face that it runs down. Please note that in high summer the flow of waterfalls may be drastically reduced, however, in late January and February this is one of the few places to witness the flowering of the endangered and very rare Cape Red Disa.
All Hikes Include: – Guide – Permit for Jonkershoek Nature Reserve – Bottled Water – Snack pack – Transport to, and from nature reserve
We can however accommodate a group for hikes on Table Mountain and Kirstenbosch Garden as well and we also have a Vineyard Hiking Trail in Devon valley Stellenbosch, including wine tastings along the way.
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