Local Ontario Rider Dan Steiner

LocalKiteSpots.com was able to reach Dan Steiner for a quick interview. Dan is one of Ontario's top riders, and was recently featured snow kiting in an Ontario Tourism commercial (see the 'Arkells' commercial). We reached Ontario's original 'Budday' via e-mail to find out more about his recent commercial shoot, leg breaking accident, and the origin of the term 'Budday'...

Dan, first, how did you get into kiting, how long, what other sports are you into.
I got into Kitingboarding about 5 years ago after I saw it on TV on the Outdoor Life Network. I went to my local shop (BOARDSPORTS), bought 12m Naish Boxer package and like many other beginners, tried to learn the sport on my own without much success.

After getting dragged around completely out of control on more than one occasion, I decided it would be best to invest in some lessons. I began saving for a trip to Kite Beach in Maui where the sport was born. I ended up living there for 2 months and all I did was kite. I was taught by Niccolo Porcella - one of the first groms of the sport - and got up and rode my first time on a board. From that point on, I was completely hooked.

I would say wakeboarding was a big factor in me picking up kiting really quickly. I had been riding for about 6 years before I got into kiting so the board riding aspect of the sport came naturally to me.

Tell us about the Ontario Travel Video Shoot. Helicopters? How did you coordinate the timing for good wind conditions? How did you pick the North Bay spot?

The Ontario Tourism Commercial was one of the coolest experiences for me in kiteboarding (snowkiting that is..)

I had previously shot some commercials with the same production company in which I was wakeboarding. From there on, I was called back to see if I would be interested in snowkiting for a new winter campaign. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. Everything was planned out already by the production crew i.e., the location, the time of the shoot, the types of shots we would get etc. I didn't really have much say in how it all went down. All I could do was suggest which was the safest / most ideal spot for me to ride.

When we arrived at the spot on the frozen lake in North Bay there was literally no wind. Being the optimist I am, I pumped up my kite, rigged my lines and began doing my wind prayers. Eventually, my prayers were answered and just as the sun was beginning to set, the wind came up. They called in for the helicopter and we began to shoot. At first, it was quite intimidating having the chopper so close to my kite and lines but after a while, it was no big deal. I actually had a radio piece in my ear so I could talk directly to the pilot and co-ordinate the types of shots we wanted to get. It all worked out awesomely in the end. I was perfectly powered on my 14m Torch and we had a beautiful sunset session to end the shoot. Its was amazing to be a part of that again and to be able to say I was shot by a helicopter is also pretty cool.

Word on the street is that you broke your leg recently. Where were you riding at the time? How's your recovery coming along?
Yea I recently had a pretty bad accident kiting in Taiba, Brazil. With the trip drawing to a close in a matter of days, I was trying to cram as many new tricks into the bag as possible and ended up fracturing my femur on a L3 (kiteloop 360 handlepass). It was a pretty horrible experience all together. I am just thankful I had friends around to help me through.

The recovery is coming along well but I still have quite an uphill battle to fight. It will be 6-8 months before I can get on the water again.

Where do you ride?
My most frequented kiting spots in Ontario would definitely have to be Cherry Beach, Frenchmans Bay, Long Point, Lake Erie with my boy Craig Cunningham, Wasaga Beach, Sauble Beach, used to go to Keswick and basically wherever the wind is. I usually will drive anywhere within 3 hours if I know the wind is on. Unfortunately in Ontario, you always have to be willing to deal with a good skunking..

What's your best trick that you nail most of the time? What are you working on next?

Up until my injury, my favorite tricks usually had some kind of kiteloop involved in them. I love to mega loop when the wind is really heavy. Other than that my bread and butter trick would probably be my shifty backroll to blind. I also love doing powered back mobes.

I came into the sport when powered wakestyle moves weren't as popular as they are now. What peaked my interested in kiting was the big air. That is definitely something that I would never trade off. As much as some people would call jumping "dangling," to me, there isn't anything better than sending it huge and being 40 feet in the air.

What's up with the word 'Budday'? Did you create this word?
Ahhhhh BUDDAY. Yes I did create the 'Budday' Revolution. When we were in Hatteras with SBC KITEBOARD MAG testing gear, we had basically no wind for the majority of our 2 week trip. Needless to say, we had a lot of time on our laptops and began creating alter egos on some of the kite forums. Mine was WesProBudday and I typed phonetically to make it sounds like a polish accent. Its kind of an inside joke. If you don't know this guy Wes than you wouldn't understand. That's all I can say.

Any new 2010 gear / products you are excited about?
I have been super happy with Naish's 2010 line up of kites and boards. I have always been a true C-Kite guy and the Naish Torches are for me, by far the best kites out there. Without getting all techy, they are super fast, powerful great for kiteloops and are easy to use.

As far as boards I ride the Thorn 134 for freestyle. Lets just say I have been riding the Thorns for the last 4 years so they work for me. I also have a Momentum 136 for sliders and a 5'7 Naish Custom Fish. Great for riding sloppy Ontario waves and great in light wind.

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