A Podium, a Dream and a Turning Point for Women’s Big Air

Words by Peri Roberts

With any Red Bull Competition, the margins are tight and the call up comes quickly, demanding riders to be ready at all costs. When the green light for the comp came, there was the perfect storm brewing and all athletes made their way to the Dutch coast for a competition many men and women have been dreaming of for a long time. The sky over Zandvoort was dark, the wind hit nearly 45 knots and rain whipped across the beach as six women prepared to launch into the storm. This wasn’t just another event; it was proof that women’s Big Air has its place and is here to stay.

For Alessa, it still feels surreal. “I was on the reserve list,” she says, laughing at the chaos of it all. “I wasn’t even training for Megaloop, I thought I wouldn’t get in. Then Friday afternoon I got the call. Luckily, I was already in Germany, but I had to drive across the country to get my board, then to the Netherlands to get my gear. I hadn’t even travelled with it!”

Less than 24 hours later, she was standing on the beach, rigging a six-meter prototype on 22-meter lines, her Alana board at her feet. “Even if I needed a four, I would have taken that six,” she grins. “I just love that kite.”

The format left no room for hesitation. Six women. One trick counts. Ten minutes to put everything on the line. “That’s why this event is so good for spectators,” Alessa explains. “Everyone understands freefall. The one-trick format means you just send it as hard as possible. There’s no holding back.”

Her plan was simple – throw laid-back kite loops again and again until she nailed the perfect one. “Rule number one: land. Rule number two: send it. I’d rather choose an easier rotation and get the height and kite angle that scores than risk something fancy that won’t count.”

When the horn sounded, the wind was savage, gusting up to 45 knots, rain squalls hammering the course, the ocean a mess of white water and current. “Usually in strong wind I wait for the perfect kicker, but here it was eight to ten minutes non-stop. By the end of each heat, I was so far downwind I had to land my kite and walk back up.”

And yet, the crowd stayed. Hundreds of people lined the beach, soaked and freezing, cheering every crash and every loop. “I’ve never seen so many people at a kite comp,” she says. “At first I was nervous, then I realized they’re all here to see a sick show. It gave me so much energy.”

In the middle of this moment of progression, there was also grief. Just days before the green light, the kiteboarding world lost Graham Howes – a rider, a leader and a force who championed living fully and pushing harder. His absence was felt in every corner of the beach, but so was his presence. “We raised the Dirty Habits flag before the event, everyone had stickers on their boards, the Mystic crew had special harnesses,” Alessa tells me. “It literally felt like… this one’s for Graham. At first I was like, ‘What are we doing? Risking our lives?’ But it wasn’t like that. It was more like, okay, now we send it even harder.”

That energy carried her through round one, where she landed a solid 6.5 score and advanced. Round two was back-to-back with the final, hardly enough time to catch her breath, but enough to hold her ground. By the time it was over, Alessa had secured third place, a podium finish at one of the most extreme events in kiteboarding.

But perhaps the most powerful part of the weekend was what it meant for women in the sport. “Four years ago, women’s Big Air barely existed,” she says. “We never imagined a female division at Megaloop or King of the Air. We got here because we pushed, organized and showed up.”

She pauses for a moment before continuing. “I don’t want to just sit around and wait for things to happen. We can make them happen! Talk to organizers, get more women on the start list, build a proper division of maybe 12 women one day. We need more events, more money, bigger sponsors – because right now it’s hard to be a professional Big Air rider with just two or three events a year.”

And she hasn’t forgotten what it means for her personally. “Barely months ago, it was just a dream to even set foot in a competition like this,” she admits. “This was rewarding for all the years we put in when we didn’t know where it would lead. At the beginning we had no plan, no vision. We just did it out of passion. To stand there now, to look back at the crowd, to feel the support of the community… It's insane. If you know me, you know this sport. That’s what I honor.”

The Women’s Megaloop Challenge may have made history that weekend, but Alessa is already looking forward. “This is just the beginning,” she says, and you believe her.

Her third place wasn’t just a result –  it was a statement, a flag planted for every girl watching from the beach, dreaming of her turn. The kind of moment that tells the world that women’s Big Air is here, and it’s only getting bigger.

If you missed it, watch Alessa’s comp recap on YouTube and follow her journey as she continues to push the sport and inspire the next wave of riders. Because history isn’t finished yet.

We’re so proud of you Alessa! Here’s to rewriting limits.