North Bay Woman Magazine
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/821322
S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 43 2012. It had just been announced that kiting would replace windsurfing in the Olympics so not only was there way more attention all of a sudden internationally at this regatta but it was also the year Johnny and I won the world titles together. 6 How often do you get to hang out with brother Johnny? We see each other more in the summer when it's kiting season, and during the winter we try to make time to take our dogs, brown labs who are sisters, for hikes and throw a Frisbee for them. 7 How do you stay in shape and specifically for kiting? When I'm sailing I try to exercise outside — hike, bike and kite. I'm at the top of my game in the summer when I'm kiting as I'm getting all the exercise I need. We sometimes ride our bikes home from work in the city and I love that. In the winter I try to squeak by with just sailing on weekends and going to the gym but that's more for my mental health. 8 How do you juggle a career while competing as an elite athlete? It's not easy. For about four years I was very focused on kiting and used all of my free time to compete internationally. Now I'm re-evaluating that decision after not kiting for the past nine months and considering how intensely I want to go back. Luckily my work has been flexible enough to allow me to take extra time off. 9 What's your philosophy now that you have a baby; will you stay active in the sport? We're not going to try to change our lives too much. Cody will be in tow with us wherever we go (laughs)! Whether he likes it, we'll have to wait to find out. He'll go to daycare when I go back to work but on the way home, the beach is between work and home and his grandparents are just down the street so luckily we have a lot of help so I think we'll still manage to get back into our kiting routine a few days a week. 10 What's your advice and encouragement for women wanting to learn how to kite? Being comfortable in the water is No. 1 and skills from other board sports will really accelerate the process but isn't required. It also pays to learn to fly a small trainer kite before taking a lesson. n Clockwise from left: 2012 World Championships left to right, Adam Koch, John and Erika Heineken. – Photo by Roberto Foresti; Heineken family at 2012 World Championships from left to right; Paul, Erika, John and Janet. – Photo provided by Erika Heineken; Erika with her kite boarding gear on the beach. – Photo by Michael Petrikov; John and Erika Heineken at Worlds 2012. – Photo by Roberto Foresti;