Jack Rieder

Nationality:

Canadian
Current location:

Canada
Joined Ozone:

2025
Social Media:

Instagram

Canadian kiteboarding powerhouse, Jack Rieder, has officially joined the Ozone Team. Known for his explosive riding style and standout performances in the international park and freestyle scenes, Jack has deep roots in the Canadian kiteboarding community as well as a growing influence worldwide. His technical talent and creative approach on the water make him one of the most exciting riders to watch.

He’s teamed up with Ozone Canada distributor, Sam Medysky, (himself a world renowned rider), and the pair are launching a brand-new Ozone Demo Center in Squamish, British Columbia—one of North America’s most iconic and reliable kite spots.

The goal of West Coast Windsports is to make high-performance Ozone gear more accessible to local riders and traveling kiters alike, while growing the stoke for progression and freeride fun in one of the best wind playgrounds in the world.

We caught up with Jack to hear more about this new chapter with Ozone, the launch of the Squamish demo center, and what he’s looking forward to most this season.

When did you start kiteboarding—and later wingfoiling?

I started kiteboarding in 2014. I grew up racing sailboats and we often trained in the strong winds of Squamish. I kept noticing the kiteboarders zipping past us—and more importantly—jumping! That was a game-changer. I picked up a trainer kite and flew it all summer before taking lessons with my dad. Needless to say, I was hooked and never looked back.

When wingfoiling started to trend, I was keen to explore something new and go through the learning process again. Since then, I’ve found kiteboarding and winging to be super complementary. Together, they let me make the most of the conditions wherever I travel.

Tell us a bit about your background—both as an athlete and now in business with Sam.

When I first learned to kiteboard, freestyle was the big thing. I was 14, and the riders I looked up to in Squamish were all riding boots. So pretty quickly I strapped a pair of open-toe wakeboard boots I found in the garage to my twin-tip and got stuck in. The freestyle community in Squamish really took me under their wing. I found my niche in park riding, eventually won the Canadian Nationals, competed on the KPL World Tour (earning a few podiums), and took part in GKA Freestyle events as well.

Over the years, Sam and I travelled to many of the same kite spots as teammates. He’d been to a lot of them before and helped show me the ropes. It’s always been a pleasure riding and working alongside him. Now, teaming up to help new people get into the sport is super exciting—bringing our years of experience together to give people the best possible introduction to wind sports.

What’s your favorite move or feeling in kiteboarding, and why?

I’ve got a soft spot for rewinds. That feeling of pausing a rotation mid-air, locking in a satisfying grab, and then stomping a blind landing—it never gets old. A clean slim-to-blind or a backside 360-to-wrapped always leaves me buzzing.

And what about in wingfoiling?

For me, wingfoiling is all about freeride. I mostly ride strapless with the goal of catching long rides on the swell. Whipping into some bigger waves and riding them into the impact zone adds some intensity, but it still gives you that flowing, almost meditative feeling of foiling.

How will you be supporting Sam—not just as a rider, but on the business side too?

As an Ozone team rider, I’m stoked to share how much I love the gear, and help promote the brand and support Sam with sales. But I’m also excited to be involved in broader parts of the industry—whether that’s helping to run the lesson center or creating content that helps people learn and progress. Windsports have shaped both mine and Sam’s lives in such a big way, and we’re both passionate about sharing that experience with others.

Tell us a bit about riding in Squamish—what you love about it and the local community.

Squamish used to be one of the best freestyle spots in the world. Unfortunately, due to some environmental and political issues, road access to the main riding zone was removed, which changed things a lot. It definitely set the scene back for a while, but it also brought our community closer together. We organized a shuttle system and worked on longer-term solutions to maintain access. The spot may have changed, but the people, the stunning views, and the rock-solid wind are still here. It holds a really special place in my heart. I spent countless summer evenings there after school, training and progressing.

What were your impressions of Ozone before joining the team?

I always saw Ozone as a highly respected brand. Their connection to the paragliding world gave me a lot of confidence in the design and build quality of their gear. I was especially curious about the ability to customize kites—so getting to jump on the website and order my own personalized setup was a really exciting moment!

Which products will you be riding, and what else in the range are you excited to try?

These days, I love branching out into more disciplines, so I’ve ordered Enduro kites as well as Code and Torque twin-tips to cover both freestyle and freeride. I’m also riding Flux wings and Pocket Rockets. I’m especially looking forward to trying the foil kites. I think they’ve got huge potential here in Squamish thanks to their wind range and how easy they are to pack. They could open up some really exciting adventure missions where bringing a kite just isn’t practical.

Jack Rieder

Keep Reading

Sam Medysky

Ozone Canada Distribution and Rider

Jesse Richman

Marketing and R&D

Connor Bainbridge

Assistant designer & Ozone team racer