A Title for the Ages: Q&A with Francesca Maini

Last week, we caught up with Francesca Maini—hailing from the UK—to discuss her historic win in the first-ever Women’s Division of Red Bull King of the Air 2024. If you missed the full event recap, check out our recent blog post. Francesca was the only woman to land board-offs in competition—securing an 8.54 impression score and claiming the crown. We were curious to hear if there was a method to her madness.

Francesca, congratulations on your incredible win. We’re so stoked for you. Let’s start with the big one—how does it feel to be the first-ever winner of the Women’s Division at Red Bull King of the Air?
It feels unreal to have won this competition. I’ve always looked up to Red Bull King of the Air and to win the first one with a women’s division is such an amazing feeling!

Was there a moment during the competition where you realized, “I’ve got this”? 
Honestly, I felt as if I hadn’t won because I crashed my last trick, and I thought the other girls might have landed something better than me, so I didn’t actually believe I had won!

How did you mentally and physically prepare for such a high-stakes competition? 
There isn’t much preparation for me, I just get hyped and that’s the best way to enter the water (for me anyway). I feel better if I have a warmup on the water before the competition, I’m more nervous just being on the beach than on the water. Other than that, I just do what I normally do, such as kite, surf, or hike. Maybe I try not to overdo it before the competition just in case of injury, but I normally don’t change much.

Were there any challenges you had to overcome leading up to the event? 
I was very nervous as I’m sure everyone is, but I just tried to keep calm and go through tricks in my head and try not to overthink things.

Your family has been such a big part of your journey. How much does their support mean to you, and what was it like having them by your side? 
My family is extremely supportive and having them there makes me feel more confident and calmer. I especially like having my brother and dad as caddies because they know my riding, and I feel good having them there. My mum is great at giving me hype! It was amazing having them by my side, and I think it really gave me an extra push!

What was your take on the conditions throughout the week—fluctuating winds, big waves, and that long break between Day One and Day Two?
The conditions were not what I would’ve hoped for. The first day was hard with no kickers and the wind wasn’t that strong. Having a long break between the days was strange because I was super focused, then I relaxed, and getting back into the mindset was a bit challenging.



Your 7.10 megaloop board-off was a game-changer. Can you walk us through what was going through your mind before you landed it?
During the heat I knew this was the trick I would probably need the most, I was just fully focused on putting the board back on my feet!

And when you lost your board, how did you stay composed in such a high-pressure moment?
I just body dragged as fast as I could to get my spare board whilst trying to keep it together. However, my straps were too big on my spare board, so my feet just kept falling out on each jump, which made me stress a bit.

What does being part of the first Women’s Division at an iconic event like KOTA mean to you personally?
It is an amazing feeling! It was my biggest goal to win this event and I’m so happy I managed to do it. It’s such a personal achievement for me but also for the whole of women’s kiteboarding. I think many girls will be more inspired to get into big air and really push the level of women’s kiteboarding.

Who do you look up to in kiteboarding, and how have they influenced your journey in the sport?
I would say Angely was my biggest inspiration. Seeing her compete against the men years ago in KOTA really motivated me to want to do the same as her.

Do you have a go-to mantra?
Do something every day that scares you. When you are scared and overcome the fear of a new trick, it pushes you to progress.

A glimpse into the future – what are your goals for 2025? 
My goal is to get as many 1st place podiums as possible! I also want to just have fun on the water and progress as much as I can.