It's not every day that you get to see such an honest and down to earth documentary about kitesurfing, but this video about professional kitesurfer Lewis Crathern's amazing jump over the Brighton Pier in the UK really drives a powerful message home about our sport. 

His obsession for almost a year, Lewis first jumped the Worthing Pier with his mate, then set his sights on the big time - Brighton Pier. The jump had to coincide with the perfect storm, high tide and winds around 40 knots in order to make the jump - and luckily for him, it all came together at the last moment. Filmed from three different angles, the kitesurfing jump was captured in it's entirety, and was pretty flawless in it's execution, he even landed the jump cleanly with an under loop - not bad in 40 knots! 

For such a huge event, very few people knew about it on the day - he says only 3 or 4 people knew what he was planning. After the jump - the entire world knew about it, even the Australia news got wind of the jump and ran the story on prime time news bulletins. It's become one of the most famous kitesurfing events in the world, spreading the message about kitesurfing to countless people who'd never seen that side of the sport before. 

When asked why he did it, Lewis says that it's hard to describe why - it's basically just an extension of the age old answer of 'Because it's there...' He wants to spread a message about kitesurfing to the world, explaining that it really is one of the most amazing sports in the world - mainly due to the fact that it uses only the power of the wind. This eco friendly aspect is one that not only gives the sport a sustainable future, but keeps it interesting for the riders themselves. Not having any constant elements to the sport makes it incredibly unique - as Lewis describes, some days you have a perfect forecast and it's calm, other days it's looking average and it turns out to be the most epic session. 

What's left for Lewis Crathern now? Well he vividly describes the night after the jump, where he says he felt a black hole inside him after his only goal had been accomplished. Several schools in the UK have invited him to give inspirational seminars with students, and kitesurfing publications are still scratching for interviews with him.

Piers seem to be off the radar for now, Lewis says he's been there, done that; but you can be sure he's planning another crazy stunt in the near future. We'll just have to wait until he get's the perfect conditions again... Check out the video below, it's just over 30 minutes long, so get comfy and enjoy! 

#News #Kitesurfing #Epic