“For me, my style of riding is radical. I like to get my kite low, I like to pull it, I like to ride on 20s, still go super high and get the kite super low, and for me that’s what this challenge is all about.”
Overview
Joshua Emanuel is a professional kitesurfer based in Durban, South Africa (born February 25, 1994, in Port Elizabeth). Leveraging his powerful 100-kilogram frame, he is renowned as a specialist in power-driven megaloops, throwing his kite lower than anyone else in storm-force winds of 40 to 60 knots. He is also the pioneer of the “Superloop,” using shorter lines to drive the kite directly underneath himself, skimming just above the water’s surface. With milestones including winning the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge 2017 and setting multiple WOO jump height world records, he has left an indelible mark on Big Air history.
Career
Forged in South Africa’s gale-force winds, Joshua Emanuel claimed victory at the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge 2017 in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, in June 2017. Charging in onshore storm winds nearing 60 knots, he threw the biggest and lowest megaloops of the day to defeat Steven Akkersdijk and Lasse Walker for his biggest major title.
A longtime standout representing South Africa at the Red Bull King of the Air, his 2021 quarterfinal clash against Janek Grzegorzewski remains legendary. At the time, 20-year-old Janek Grzegorzewski had won the Big Air Kite League stop in Tarifa and dominated headlines in Round 1 by landing a quad-rotation contra loop board-off for a then-record single-trick score of 9.40 (and a 32.26 heat total).
Returning fresh off an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Joshua Emanuel came alive on the afternoon of Day 2 when the wind ramped up dramatically. Sizing down from a 10-meter to a 9-meter kite mid-heat, he countered Janek Grzegorzewski’s high-altitude multi-rotation contra loop board-offs on a 22-meter-line Core XR by riding a Core GTS on shorter 20-meter lines. He stomped ultra-low Megaloop Late Back Rolls—where the horizontally passing kite completely hid his inverted body from view—and megaloop board-offs caught inches above the water, overpowering the young prodigy by 0.64 points to reach his first semifinal (4th place).
Passionate about WOO jump height records, he set a world record of 28.9 meters in Cape Town at the end of 2017, holding the top spot for a long period. On August 8, 2023, during a 60-plus-knot storm in Hanstholm, Denmark, he rode a 7-meter Core XR Pro to set a new world record of 36.2 meters.
Sponsors & Brand History
Joshua Emanuel has been a longtime team rider for Core Kiteboarding. He favors the fast-turning, hard-pulling 3-strut Core GTS paired with shorter lines for sessions exceeding 40 knots. For lighter-to-moderate heats at the Red Bull King of the Air and WOO record attempts requiring maximum hangtime and altitude, he switches to the 5-strut Core XR series. He is also supported by Brunotti for boards and gear.
Personality & Relationships
Quiet and approachable on land, he is beloved for the stark contrast of his fearless, full-commitment charging in storm conditions. He is close friends with Ross-Dillon Player, Oswald Smith, and teammates Mike Mac Donald, Steven Akkersdijk, and Maarten Haeger, and is respected as a trailblazer by next-generation South African talents Luca Ceruti and Jason van der Spuy.
In a lighthearted Cape Town anecdote, when Angely Bouillot borrowed his WOO device, her 24-meter jump synced directly to Joshua Emanuel’s account—prompting her to joke that “Josh claimed my 24-meter jump.”
Quotes & Episodes
“If a South African is going to take the title, we’re going to need proper winds, because most of us, all of us from South Africa, we’re used to charging in 40 to 50 knots every session. If it was up to me, I would take the strongest wind we possibly could, as that’s when I know personally that’s when I would excel in best.”
— Joshua Emanuel
“No, I’m not a fan (of Contra Loop), it’s against all my styles, you know, there’s no power, there’s no pull, it’s a very non-aggressive loop. For me, the Core GTS is just, it’s that power kite.”
— Joshua Emanuel
“You had Janek Grzegorzewski who was obviously just in beautiful Contra Loop, very technical and clean, versus Joshua Emanuel who is just like an absolute meathead and full extreme dirty meaty kite loops. That’s what I like about King of the Air.”
Competition Results
• 2017 Red Bull Megaloop Challenge: 1st Place
• 2020 Red Bull King of the Air: Quarterfinalist (Tied 7th)
• 2021 Red Bull King of the Air: 4th Place (Semifinalist)
• WOO World Record (Jump Height): 28.9m (Late 2017, Cape Town), 36.2m (August 2023, Denmark)
Search Aliases: Joshua Emanuel, JoshuaEmanuel, Josh Emanuel, JoshEmanuel