Congratulations to Butch who became NPFS board champion 2005 on 7-5-2006 at the X Zone games, West Wittering.

Kite: Ozone Frenzy 06

Board: D-EX Genesis

Glen Butcher or 'Butch' as he likes to be known is passionate about this sport, if you cut him in half it would say kiteboarding right through him, if you ever meet this guy you will you will now exactly what I mean.

Originally from New Zealand this 29 year old is a BIG rugby fan and used to play for Cambridge for two years till the pressure of starting up a business meant he was finding it difficult to make evening training sessions and quit. Not long after he got into kiting, I'll let Butch tell you how it all started…

...In February 2002 my brother in law, Nath, who was over from NZ and staying with us at the time, said "lets check out that kite shop down the road" "Kites are for kids aren't they" I replied... How wrong I was..........
We ended up coming home with a HQ Symphony 3.3m, and 2 short weeks later I was back in there buying my first board, a Kheo Flyer. We were away!

After about 6 weeks I went back to the kite shop again. This time a 4m Blade II was the weapon of choice with consequences that neither of us could have imagined. On its 'virgin' flight at Hunstanton that weekend, it unassumingly picked Nath up a few feet off the ground. A cracked pelvis and 6 weeks on crutches sadly spelled the end of our flying days together. After that fateful day I started going out flying as much as possible, weekends, evenings after work, the bug had really bit me hard. I'll never forget the first time I really felt the power of the kite, and my first (accidental) jumps will stay with me forever. The feeling of flying thru the air with a board on your feet or just blasting up and down a hard packed beach in the fresh air is what really does it for me. I love coming home after a big session, all battered and bruised, still feeling on top of the world, and just thinking how lucky I am to have found a sport that lets me explore all these great new possibilities.

His first sponsors were and still are Billy's in Cambridge and has now added Ozone UK distributor Surface Tension and DesignExtreme to his list.
Kite wise it's the latest Frenzys, mainly the 12m that Butch describes as "lush, and awesome for extended air time and tricking". Board wise it's the Kitedeck Quadrolution for its high speed and the new Genesis by DesignExtreme for his freestyle work. As for a harness… "After experimenting with various waist and seat harnesses, I decided to try a climbing harness, and found my answer".
Ask Butch what he likes the most and he will tell you "I love going Big"… and hill riding is the way to do it. Blast down the hill with the kite high and then just whip her back a wee bit and BOOST! Then back on your front hand for a long floaty ride. I like to pull big indy back loops and sweet high inverts. That technical stuff is all good, but ya cant beat the feeling of a huge extended one foot or a nicely tweaked tail grato really get you amping!

Some of Butch's favorite kiting spots are in North Norfolk but he will travel anywhere for a good session. "I have seen so many beautiful places in this country and met so many friendly faces thru this sport that I now feel as at home in this land as I do in my own, thousands of miles away"
"Kiting is THE reason I am still here in the UK and I hope it will remain the main reason for a few more years to come".

Like I said, Passionate!