Overview
“I see these people doing crazy freestyle tricks. And okay, like doing loops. And that just blew my mind. That was the first time myself. And that was like Andre Phillip. He was a big influence for me.”
Andre Phillip (aka Dre) is a legendary professional kiteboarder from Antigua. He is widely recognized as a historical key figure and the GOAT who laid the foundation for “wake style” and “park riding” using rails and sliders in kiteboarding. Rather than scoring points in contests, he became a rebellious pioneer who dropped out of the competition scene to pursue “pure style and fun,” and his stance continues to massively inspire future freeriders.
Career
Early in his career, he competed on the world tour (PKRA) for a few years. For a relatively unknown young rider like him at the time, getting good results in contests to raise his profile was the quickest way to secure sponsorships. He achieved a remarkable victory at his debut contest held in St. Martin in the Caribbean in 2001.
However, once he reached a stage where he was fully supported by sponsors, he promptly dropped out of the tour. He hated having to mold his riding into the strict formats and judging criteria of contests, feeling that he wasn’t doing what he truly wanted to do. Since then, he shifted his focus entirely to “rail missions” using obstacles, choosing to purely enjoy the sport.
At the Triple S Invitational, the pinnacle of park style contests, he claimed victory in 2008. In this event, he narrowly defeated Brandon Scheid, who would go on to win the contest for the next three consecutive years. By showcasing his style of hitting rails and sliders while wearing wake boots, the contest that year became legendary, and [Park Style / Wake Style] was firmly established as its own distinct genre.
Sponsors and Brands
For many years, he served as the marquee rider for the major brand Cabrinha, standing out as one of the greatest contributors to bringing surfing, skateboarding, and wakeboarding culture into kiteboarding. Later, alongside fellow countryman Jake Kelsick and others, he founded the independent brand “Tona Kiteboarding.” Rather than focusing on contest scores, they continue to produce boards and gear that embody the “Caribbean vibes” and the “pure joy of freeriding.”
Personality and Relationships
His attitude of prioritizing “style” over “winning” shocked numerous riders. When Brazilian rider Bruna Kajiya, who would later become the freestyle world champion, moved to Maui for college, she was completely blown away witnessing him execute aerial loops and skate-like tricks at Kite Beach. Furthermore, his appearance in the video masterpiece “Island Time” alongside the UK’s Sam Light and Jake Kelsick continues to be talked about as a work that had an immense influence on the video production side of the sport.
Quotes and Episodes
“I did this tour for a few years, and I guess for anyone getting into the sport like I was at the time, the easiest outlet is to do well in contests, get recognized… And at the same time, I didn’t really, I didn’t really like having to mold to the format of the tour. And so I didn’t really feel like I was doing what I really wanted to do… once I got to a stage where I could get away from that and still be supported by my sponsors, I got off. And ever since then, I’ve just been kind of like on a rail mission and trying to have a lot more fun, you know, with the sport.”
— Andre Phillip
“Prior to this win, I won it in 2009, 2010, 2011. And I got, I lost to Dre by like 1.8 in 2008. And then ever since then, it’s been kind of like second, third kind of just been on the podium.”
— Brandon Scheid
Search Aliases: Dre, Andre Phillip, AndrePhillip