A great little interview by Toby with Marty copied over from " the other kitesurfing forum "
Having talked to Marty extensively you get a appreciation for how on to it he is with his shaping. Great to see another Australian get in on the act with the international kite surfing scene.
Good stuff North !
Portrait Martin „Marty“ Littlewood
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Marty, would you mind introducing yourself?
My name is Martin Littlewood and I am the owner of Delta Designs, based in Margaret River WA/Australia. Delta Designs has always produced surfboards, was the leading custom sailboard brand in the 90‘s and is now deeply involved in kitesurfing R&D with NKB. I have been shaping for 35 years, the last 20 years of which in Margaret River, to where I moved to follow the best windsurfing in Australia. I started to kitesurf in 2000 and have not windsurfed since.
The Kontact and the Bullet surf line are not the first boards you shaped for North Kiteboarding. Jaime Herraiz developed his beloved Freestylefish together with you that created a new segment in kitesurfing. Tell us about how it all started.
I first met Sky and Jaime in 2006 when they came to WA for the first time to do kite development. I was totally blown away by their kiting ability and also by their kites....the ‚06 Vegas was a revelation to all the wave kiters at Margs and we soon became friends. This quickly spilled over into my building some „out there“ prototypes for Jaime that were the catalysts for the FsF. When the boys returned in ‚07, they made sure they had lots of time in Margaret River and we worked on refining the FsF with Jaime and the started working with Sky on his wave boards. This was the year that Dreu Beavis started ripping up the surf and we hooked him up with North. From that time on we worked closely together on his boards and the result was the 09 CONTAKT series in conjunction with Sky.
How close do you work with the riders? Do you develop the boards according to your ideas of how the board should ride or is it more the riders who are telling you what they want?
Working with these guys is fantastic as they understand how small changes can affect performance and we were able to get very positive and accurate feedback quickly into the next board and make real progress with the boards.
You live on one of the most wanted Surf- Kite- and Windsurf Spots on this planet. How did you get there?
I first came to Margaret River on a three-months surf trip in 1973..............I knew from then that the wind was strong and when I got into windsurfing it was obvious to me that Margs was the place to be. During the time from 1985 onwards I have come to love this unique area and really appreciate its power.
What do you think is the reason that kitesurfing is still not really accepted in the surfing scene?
I think that the general surfing public have a new respect for kitesurfing since Dreu and Sky have been ripping it up in Margs the last 2 years........ many surfers who would never have considered kitesurfing in the last few years are now buying kites. The boys are pulling off more radical turns than the pro surfers and people can’t help but notice that and they talk about it all the time now.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
In 20 years I would like to be living in Margaret River....Designing boards on computers and testing them with the next generations of hot guys and utilizing the talents of the old guys like Sky and Dreu.
Kite or Surf?
Kite any day, more power, speed and lots more waves with no hassle from other surfers.
Swim or Fly?
Both are good.
Wolverine or Silver Surfer?
Silver Surfer as that’s the way my hair is going.
Reef or Sand?
Reef any day as its always the same and the swells give it variety...............Sand is there one day,
gone the next.
Morning or Evening?
Morning.
Wood or Foam?
Depends what you are looking for...Combinations are good.
Rock or Pop?
Rock every time, I have a ‚69 fender stratocaster and a lap steel guitar that I‘d like to find more time for.
Grey or black&white?
Black and white, ultimate contrast, throw in a dash of red and you‘ve got LIFE.
Vinyl or Ipod?
Both have their place ....Leaning towards ipod.
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