A huge, shimmering blue glacier in the background, turquoise water under the board and enough wind for spectacular stunts – an irresistible late-summer spectacle for Porsche kitesurfing athlete Liam Whaley and his fellow pros Matchu Lopes Almeida and Reno Romeu, who came at the invitation of leading kite equipment brand Duotone and Porsche. The aim was to record action scenes on an adventure tour in Alaska.
At the first stops along the way, Anchorage and Valdez, incessant rain, biting cold and fog well into the lowlands made for disappointing weather conditions. But things took a splendid turn in Petersburg, with picturesque sunsets to boot. The film material is impressive: Liam leaps off a large ice floe into the water, lifts off and catapults seemingly weightlessly into the air, suspended on the lines of his kite.
He does tricks in the air and does a handstand on a chunk of ice sticking out of the water. “This tour is definitely one of the most amazing experiences in my life so far,” enthuses the 26-year-old pro kiter. “And spooky at the same time, kiting so close to a massive glacier wall.”
Porsche and Duotone have been working together since 2021. This year, the kitesurfing brand launched the first limited-edition Porsche kite edition. The specially designed kite was featured in the video shoot in Alaska, as were the two Porsche models Macan S and Cayenne Coupé, with which the adventurers traveled Alaska Route 1, among other roads.
They even undertook short stretches of gravel. Other means of transport included a seaplane, a fishing boat and a sailboat – with a steel hull to fend off the drift ice.
The new roof tent from Porsche Tequipment was mounted on the Macan S and Cayenne Coupé – a glamping experience of a special kind, with brown bears in the vicinity. And they were far from the only animal extras: young seals and seabirds were captured by the film and photo crews as well.
