- NICK name
- Bully
- Date of Birth
- 12/04/1971
- Sport
- Kite Surfing
- Battleground
- Planet Earth, normally windy places with big waves… I’ll compete anywhere on the planet.
- Fav Fat Face weapon
- Fat Face Kitepants
- Hometown
- Hayling Island, Hampshire.
- Best result
- 1st Gold Coast... but come 2nd, 3rd, 4th, a lot too.
- Other Sponsors
- Aish, Lost Cause Boards, Shore.
- Why kite surfing?
- It allows me to surf waves, fly high in the air, do wake tricks and it’s very easy to travel with kit. Kite Surfing is the ultimate hybrid sport.. it includes elements of windsurfing, wakeboarding, surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, paragliding, kite flying. I can fly like a bird and ride waves that you could never paddle into. Its big fun too. And there are loads of places to do it in the UK.
- How did you get into it?
- As a kid I liked to play with kites, then the big kites arrived, so I got my surf board out and thought ‘this could be a laugh’. I tried it on the lagoons at West Wittering and it worked. Never looked back since.
- What next?
- I’m enjoying improving my skills in Freestyle but the lure of big glassy waves is what really gets me exited.
- Any other sports?
- I still box, play squash, surf, skateboard, snowboard and ski when I get the opportunity.
- Favourite event/comp and why?
- I don’t really have a favourite but any event in a hot country is fine by me.
- Favourite place in the world?
- On the shoulder of huge waves at Ponta Preta in Cape Verde. Totally spiritual.
- Training regime?
- Cardio vascular exercise and lots of time on the water.
- What makes you good at your sport?
- Commitment to training and staying fit. Hopefully, a bit of natural ability too.
- Advice to others wanting to get into the sport?
- Do it now, life is too short to put things off.
- Married, Single, kids? Tell all!
- Got a son called Ethan who’s 2 years old, believe it or not one of the first things he ever said was ‘Fat Face’.
- What is the hairiest situation you have found yourself in and how did you dig yourself out of it?
- There have been quite a few I’m afraid to say! I nearly drowned in Big Bay, Capetown when I was riding a board with wakeboard bindings on. My kite hit the water and a wave took it, dragging me to the bottom. Lots of thick kelp wrapped around me and I was stuck on the ocean floor, unable to remove my board or use my arms. Pretty freaky trying to remain calm whilst fighting to remove myself from the kelp. No one on the beach could understand where I had gone apparently, I just disappeared. But hey… I’m still around!
- Who do you most admire?
- I don’t have a hero as such but I admire people who have triumphed through adversity, succeeded when there was little hope that they would. People who show formidable strength of the human spirit.
- Tell me something random?
- If the wind's blowing from the east, it’s neither fit for man or beast.
- What are your goals?
- To keep all my sponsors happy!
- Favourite (sport) movie?
- Happy Gilmore with Adam Sandler.
- Links
- Chris Bull’s Kitesurfing School:
www.hikitesurfschool.co.uk
