Countdown to the 2025 Red Bull King of the Air: Charles Brodel

At just 26 years old, Charles Brodel has built a reputation as a fearless competitor and innovator: 3x World Champion in Kite Foil Freestyle, 3x World Champion in Kite Foil Big Air, and now, the new Woo World Record holder with a 37.2-meter jump.

A few weeks ago in Porto Pollo, the French rider had one of those unforgettable days that mark a career, breaking the world record and clinching a Golden Ticket to the 2025 Red Bull King of the Air (KOTA), all within hours.

Part of the F-ONE family since 2019, Charles has redefined what’s possible on a foil. From overcoming a shoulder injury earlier this year to designing his own kite — still in development and the very one he used to set his world record — he heads into his second KOTA as the lone foiler once again, yet stronger and hungrier than ever.

Yes, it has slowly been hitting me. When I arrived at the spot, I really didn’t think it would turn out like this. I just went to warm up for my first heat, and I did that world record jump essentially right away.

It was crazy, but I also had to immediately refocus on the competition. In the end, I finished second and won the Golden Ticket. It felt really good to know that my place at KOTA was no longer up in the air, and that I had secured it with my performance.

It was also the first time I stood on the podium with a full fleet of twintip riders, so it was very symbolic to me. There is no more debating on whether I deserve to be here or not, no more naysayers. I feel like I’ve rightfully earned my spot now and gained more recognition, all through my results and everything I’ve accomplished this year.

For sure. Last year, I arrived there with my tail between my legs thinking, “I’m going to hide, I’m the foiler who’s going to get roasted by the twintip guys.”  This year, it’s the opposite. They’ve all realized that I belong there.

So, mentally, I can tell myself that I no longer have anything to prove. I just have to ride at my best and that’s it.  All these recent competitions and results give me more confidence too, I know I can trust myself a little more than last time.

Last year, I was also under a bit of pressure to represent the foil discipline. Basically, I felt that depending on my performance, the sport would be judged positively or negatively, and that I had no choice but to show what the foil could do in order to promote it.

Now, after that world record, KOTA last year, plus Cold Hawaii and the Porto Pollo qualifier this year, I no longer have to prove that this works. Everyone knows it, and that stress of representing my discipline well is gone. People have also started to realize that kite foiling isn’t a joke; it’s not something only for older folks or something you only do when there isn’t much wind. I can see that it has somewhat disrupted the preconceived notions of riders of all levels, and that’s amazing.

It’s been completely different. Since I broke my shoulder in April, I did all my rehab with a physical therapist, who gave me a comprehensive training and rehabilitation plan. Not only is my shoulder stronger now than previously, but that also allowed me to gain a lot of weight, which had been one of my objectives as well.

In turn, I can feel it on the water. I’ve gained a lot in terms of wind range. I can hold a bigger kite and that gives me more kite angle, which I believe has really steered me in the direction I wanted in terms of the judging criteria.

The first thing I said after I fell was, “There’s no KOTA for me this year.” The first few weeks after the surgery were really tough because I couldn’t kite, and I felt like I was going around in circles. I didn’t think I’d be able to catch up to my level once I could kite again.

But then, after a while, something clicked in my head, and I thought, “You might as well surround yourself with good people.” And that’s what I did. I met with this physical therapist who motivated me and kept telling me that if I followed the plan seriously, I’d come back stronger than before. He knew it would be tough, but he was confident that once I’d be back on my feet, I’d see my progress skyrocketing.

He had already worked with other athletes, so I decided to fully trust him and to always give 100% to whatever he told me to do. Now, I can see that it’s really paying off and I’m so happy about it.

It’s going to be much different from last year. Honestly, last year was my first KOTA so my goal was just to show up and be part of it. I was a bit of an outsider, and I was also discovering how the event ran.

Coming into this year’s KOTA, I already have more experience competing with twintip riders and in Red Bull events. I have also been able to take note of all the feedback I’ve received so that I could earn more points, but also on what has been good and what I should keep doing.

So of course, I’d really like to do better than last year in terms of rankings and make it to at least the semi-final. Above all, I want to continue to improve my scores during each heat. That’s what’s most important to me: seeing that I’m progressing in the right direction.

As for my strategy, I’m keeping it secret for now… But I want everything to be more powerful than last year. I am aiming to go higher, put the kite lower and be more aggressive in my riding style to also aim for a higher impression score. I want to show that it is all possible even with a foil under my feet.

I’m taking my full quiver of BANGER QuadX to Cape Town. It’s a three-strut kite designed for Big Air, but as I was developing it, I also really sought to strike a balance between a kite that carries a lot of power but still turns fairly quickly.

So now, for example, instead of taking a 7 m² like I did last year, I can take an 8 m²or a 9 m², go much higher and still have a kite that turns just as fast. That’s really the strong point of the BANGER. It’s easy to handle in strong winds, and it really boosts my confidence as well. Since the kite is intuitive and much more forgiving, everything is easier and smoother, and I know I can push my limits even further.

And then for the rest, I’ll use the POCKET CARBON 120×46 cm board, the 85 cm HM Carbon Mast 14, and the 430 ESCAPE foil as usual.