Overview
“we it came from the Shinns from the Flash Austins which was all about going high but you boys started taking it on the looping.”
Although his real name is Marcus Austin, he is known by the nickname “Flash Austin” in almost all situations, including official records. He is one of the pioneers of kiteboarding from Maui, Hawaii, and a legendary rider who shaped the dawn of the sport. On Maui’s North Shore, there is a location named “Flash Beach” (also known as Naish Beach) in honor of him and Robby Naish, which is still loved by many riders today.
Career
In September 1998, Flash Austin won the world’s first official kiteboarding world championship held on Maui, becoming the inaugural World Champion. Following the first KOTA in 1999, he captured the crown at the 2nd “Red Bull King of the Air” held at Ho’okipa, Maui in 2000, etching his name in history as a dominant force in early competitions.
Before Aaron Hadlow and Ruben Lenten introduced the megaloop into competition, Flash, along with Mark Shinn and others, is highly respected as the originator who established the old-school big air style that was all about “going high.”
During the start of the new millennium in 2000, he was witnessed pumping up a cutting-edge 11-square-meter Wipika kite and heading out to the ocean with a group of pioneers, contributing significantly to early equipment development. In recent years, he has been involved in the development and testing of wing foils, remaining at the forefront of water sports.
Sponsors & Brands
In the early days, he was known to use early 2-line and 4-line kites from Wipika, repeatedly testing and practicing with the latest equipment available at the time.
Personality & Relationships
Originally having a background in gymnastics, his immense physical ability allowed for lightning-fast riding speeds and explosive jumping power, earning him the nickname “Flash.” Utilizing the hang time of the kite, he was known for taking his board off in mid-air, doing multiple rotations, and performing splits—acrobatic tricks that no one else could imagine at the time. To avoid losing his board, it was his trademark to fly with a surfing board leash attached to his leg.
Along with Robby Naish and Lou Wainman, he is remembered as one of the “first professional group” that demonstrated the potential of kiteboarding to the world on Maui. He shared a fierce rivalry with Kane Hartill, a top freestyler based in New Zealand, constantly pushing each other’s limits.
The legends left by the early Maui crew are so monumental that during the 2013 PKRA world tour, he was nostalgically talked about by famous commentators and pro riders as the legendary character “Flash” rather than his real name.
Quotes & Episodes
“We had a guy Kane Hartill who was one of the top kind of free-stylers at that stage. Him and Flash Austin, kind of always went up against each other. So we all feed off, you know, has experience and asked him how to, you know, learn tricks and things.”
“someone asked if Flash Austin is registered here in this event. And Flash was gonna come, but it didn’t work out. couldn’t make it I’m not sure why but I actually haven’t crossed paths with flash in a long time but probably last time I saw him was about three three years ago on Maui”
The documentary film “Upwind: The Launch of a Sport” features valuable footage of the Maui crew, including Flash Austin, Lou Wainman, and Robby Naish, flying through the air on 2-line kites with no safety systems. Additionally, archive footage from the “Red Bull King of the Air 2000 Maui” showcases him landing acrobatic board-offs as the KOTA champion.
Competition Results
1998 World Kiteboarding Championship (Maui) – 1st Place
2000 Red Bull King of the Air (Maui, Ho’okipa) – 1st Place
Search Aliases: Flash Austin, FlashAustin, Marcus "Flash" Austin, MarcusFlashAustin, Marcus Austin, MarcusAustin