(Photo credit: Lexi Pline, US Sailing Team) 31-year-old Markus Edegran, who hails from West Palm Beach, FL, made the transition from high performance sailing in M32s, GC32s, and AC45s to kite foiling in 2019. He learned to become competitive in the class through his first racing experiences participating in the StFYC Thursday night kite foil racing events off Crissy Field; Edegran, trained with world champion Formula Kite Foiler and fellow club member Daniela Moroz in the early part of their journey to the 2024 Olympic Games. Edegran is thrilled to be on the US Sailing Team representing the US at the Games in the new and highly competitive Formula Kite Foil Class.
Credit: Allison Chenard, US Sailing Team
MS: It’s been a challenging road for you including a serious injury at the Paris Test event last year which put you on the sideline during a pivotal event, how does it feel to have made it through to the Olympics?
ME: The feeling of making the US Olympic Team is definitely still setting in! I’ve been sailing since I was 8 years old and have always recognized the Olympics as the pinnacle of the sport, so it’s amazing to have been able to continue doing what I love and now be a part of Team USA. I am super excited to represent my country and my sport at the highest level of competition and look forward to witnessing like-minded athletes doing the same.
MS: What’s been your biggest hurdle through this journey?
ME: The biggest challenge has probably been living a life on the road and missing having a real place to call home, and along with that has been the sacrifice of time with friends and family.
MS: What was your sailing background prior to kite foiling?
ME: I grew up learning to sail at summer camp in an Optimist on the Hudson River which led to racing competitively at a young age. I can remember racing against Ian Barrows at 10 years old on a rainy day in Newport, RI, and it’s amazing to be heading to the Games together 20 years later! I continued sailing competitively through high school on 420s, FJs, and ILCA classes before sailing 420s and FJs at St. Mary’s College (Class of 2016) but I was always more interested in high performance classes. While in college, I picked up kiteboarding at a very recreational level and loved everything about it.
MS: What high performance classes have you enjoyed sailing?
Credit: Lexi Pline, US Sailing Team
ME: I’ve sailed 49ers, GC32s, Waszps, and M32s. After graduating from St Mary’s, I was selected for the 2017 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Team as a bowman on the AC45, which included training on high performance catamarans to prepare for the AC45 in Bermuda. Around this time, I was also involved in the World Match Racing Tour, helming an M32, which was a great opportunity to compete against some of the best sailors in the world. It wasn’t until 2019 when I saw the potential of kite foil racing and decided to give it a go and see if I had what it took to be successful.
MS: Who are your coaches leading up to the Games?
ME: I have been working with Steve Keen for the past year who also was my coach in the 420 back in the day. I am also working with Jonnie Hutchcroft who has been coaching in the kite class for the last 5 years. We are currently in Marseille for the month of June working towards making another step up before the Games.
Credit: Lexi Pline, US Sailing Team
MS: Going into the Games, what do you think is your most important asset?
ME: My diverse sailing background; if the weather gets tricky in Marseille, I hope I can use it to my advantage.
MS: What have you been especially proud of going into this chapter of your life?
ME: Being a part of Kiteboarding’s Olympic debut is super special. We are going to be able to represent a huge community of kiters and foilers who have not had their sport in the Olympics until now. The Formula Kite discipline is also continuing to modernize the sport of sailing, making sailing one of the fastest Summer Olympic sports in the process. It represents the future of water sports and definitely brings some extra excitement for the spectators.
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