Quick Facts
Biography
Jesse Richman (born July 22, 1992) is a big-wave kitesurfer and a big air kiteboarder. He is a two-time World Champion and the first kitesurfer to get barreled at Jaws. He is also known for his world record 790’ tow-up and 170’ jump over land.
Early life
Richman was born on July 22, 1992, in Haiku, Hawaii. He began kiteboarding when he was nine years old with his father and older brother, Shawn. He started competing against his brother in events a few years later, including King of the Bay in California, and in 2003 they both signed endorsement deals with Naish Kiteboarding. At the age of 14, he transferred into an online school so that he could travel for world tour kiteboarding events. In 2008, he became the Kiteboard Pro World Tour (KPWT) World Champion, and the following year earned the title of International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Overall Kitesurfing World Champion.
Career
After being crowned back-to-back World Champion, Richman joined the Naish International Kiteboarding Team in 2011. He stopped competing full-time the same year, to turn his focus to big wave riding at Jaws. Despite the change in focus, he went on to win back-to-back AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year awards from 2012 to 2013, as well as the 2013 Red Bull King of the Air competition.
Richman then got involved with MaiTai, a non-profit organization comprising entrepreneurs, innovators, and athletes focused on giving back to the environment, where has fulfilled roles as a kiteboarding instructor as well as a speaker. He has also participated in the Ocean Gala, a collaborative fundraising event between MaiTai and the Ocean Elders to raise money to expand protected ocean areas.
Record jump
Richman attempted a world-record tow-up on July 26, 2013 on the Columbia River in Oregon. Richman was towed behind a wakeboard boat, allowing his kite to take him to previously unreached heights. He released the rope and used his kite to safely sail down to the river 790’ below.
Kite the Reef
In August 2015, Richman and a team of 6 other kiteboarders attempted a world record run for the longest kiteboarding journey along the northern section of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The goal was to raise funds and awareness for motor neuron disease, as well as highlight the importance of the reef’s conservation. The team completed the run in 8 days on August 21, after kiting 1237 km from Vlasoff Reef to Cape York and raising over $125,000 for MND Research Centre at Macquarie University.
Competition results
2016
- AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year
- 2nd place, Red Bull King of the Air
2015
- 4th place, Red Bull King of the Air
- 3rd place, Big Air Virgin Kitesurf World Tour Morocco
2014
- 5th place, Red Bull King of the Air
2013
- 1st place, Red Bull King of the Air
- 2013 AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year
2012
- AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year
2011
- 4th place, Mauritius Kitesurf Pro Tour
2009
- Kiteboard Pro World Tour: 1st Overall World Champion
2008
- Kiteboard Pro World Tour: 1st Overall World Champion
2007
- 3rd place, US Nationals Course Racing
- 1st place, US Nationals Course Racing Juniors
2006
- 2nd place, Velocity Games Corpus Christy Texas
Filmography
- Don’t Crack Under Pressure Part 2 (2016)
- Chapter One: The Kiteboard Legacy Begins (2016)
- Don't Crack Under Pressure (2015)
- Nuit de la Glisse: Addicted to Life (2014)