On September 15, file-transfer service WeTransfer will host the global premiere of “Chapter One: The Kiteboarding Legacy Begins,” atthe Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The movie brings togetherthe sport’s top athletesalongside luminaries likeSir Richard Branson and Bay Area kiteboarding legend Don Montague. While Chapter One features many mind-blowing destinations, including Hawaii, Fiji, Indonesia, Brazil and the Netherlands, the city of San Francisco takes center stage too. It is fitting to debut the movie in a city where, for many of the entrepreneurs and CEOs living there, kiteboarding has become the “new golf”. Many members of the San Francisco kiteboarding community were instrumental in the making of Chapter One. One of them is venture capitalist Bill Tai, who alongside Susi Mai and their influential MaiTai community, managed to get Sir Richard Branson involved.
Bill says, "Years from now, people will remember Chapter One as the film that definitively captured the people, energy and innovation that defined the sport of kiteboarding at its formation. I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of the wave and the community that has formed as a result”.
Other key figures in the movie include bay-area resident Don Montague, founding father of Makani Power, who is aiming to break the world record for sailing between LA and Hawaii on his kite-powered boat. Makani is a groundbreaking company that develops high altitude energy kites to help end our dependency on fossil fuels. In Chapter One we see Montague pilot his revolutionary kite boat next to the Golden Gate Bridge. Another central protagonist is Ruben Lenten, a legendary rider whose remarkable battle against cancer is documented in the film. Lenten first discovered he was sick in Stanford Hospital.
About the making of the film
Three years ago Bob van de Gronde and Arthur Neumeier, the founders of Eyeforce, the film’s production house, decided to make a film to showcase the unique sport of kiteboarding. The Eyeforce team subsequently spoke with WeTransfer founder Bas Beerens, leading to a natural collaboration aligned with WeTransfer’s longstanding commitment to support creative talent.
“Kiting is pure; it's playing with the forces of nature. It also keeps developing in the fields of technology and growth, which makes it a very interesting sport for me as a tech entrepreneur. I have tremendous respect for the riders; it’s an extremely tough sport, but at the same time very accessible, as you will see in the movie. Kiteboarding is not only great to do, but also spectacular to watch.” Bas Beerens – Founder, WeTransfer.
“There are countless standout moments in this movie and many incredible individuals who’ve been involved in this project from the start but, what is clear from it, is that kiteboarding is a truly unique sport that unites people from so many countries and backgrounds. We’re delighted to be able to share with you all the culmination of the Chapter One project in a city as unique as the sport itself.” – Bob van de Gronde, Director
Tickets for the premiere are now available via www.chapteronemovie.com/tour.
Chapter One is a co-production with Red Bull Media house and is presented by Wetransfer. The film is sponsored by the Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand O’Neill and the action watersports brand Mystic.
"The movie is released to the public October 10th, it will premiere on Red Bull TV for 24h and will be downloadable via iTunes.“