Clearly it’s not just empty embellishment when we say Youri is one of the best kitesurfers of all time. The sport is still in its infancy, so he’s part of the first group of kitesurfers to legitimize and popularize it. One of the best ways to secure a sport’s spot on the world scene is to create a real life myth, where an athlete seems to do the impossible, and Youri did just this by jumping over an island this past December. He was kite surfing off the French archipelago of New Caledonia, over a thousand miles east of Australia when he attempted to jump over a huge sand bar off Mbuke Island, only to fall just short on the opposing beach. But he recovered fast successfully jumped the sand bar of Mbuke Island on his next try– shown above.

Best Kitesurfer Of All Time?

Dutch kitesurfer Youri Zoon has been harnessing the wind’s power for years. He joined the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association (PKRA) in 2006 and finished 3rd in their world rankings that same year. The next two years were lost, however, when he blew out his knees and tore his ACL twice. Many would have just called it a day, but not Youri. In 2009, he came back and finished 2nd in world kite surfing rankings as part of his comeback. He finished 3rd again in 2010 and in 2011 and 2012, he took home the world title.

It’s a testament to Youri’s indefatigabile spirit that he went for the same leap again after falling short on his first undertaking. It’s the same spirit he used to come back from the injuries earlier in his career, and it’s what makes him a true, bona fide Adrenalist.

Cover Photo Credit: lee_ciaran – flickr.com