Francesca Maini is no stranger to cold water, despite her mixed Italian and English heritage. Growing up in Herne Bay with the sea at her doorstep, it was her dad who first introduced her and her brother to kitesurfing at the age of 10. She found her groove battling it out in friendly sibling rivalries and before long, she began competing locally – and was hooked.

Her entry into the competitive kite scene began with race foiling at the KiteFoil World Series in 2019. But it was the Big Air competitions that really drew her in. By the time she hit Cape Town in 2020, she was in relentless pursuit, and by 2022, she was topping podiums. Francesca thrives off the sport’s ever-changing challenges and became the first woman to land a double loop in competition, having never attempted it before.