Aaron Hadlow

{{Short description|British kitesurfer}}

{{BLP sources|date=August 2014}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Aaron Hadlow

| image = Aaron Hadlow.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Hadlow in 2016

| fullname = Aaron Hadlow

| nickname =

| nationality = British

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|10|04}}

| country = {{flagcountry|England}}

| sport = Kitesurfing

| team = Harlem

| turnedpro = Beginning of 2002

}}

Aaron Hadlow (born 4 October 1988) is a professional kiteboarder who has won the Pro Kiteboard Riders' Association (PKRA) World Championships five times.{{cite web|url=http://www.flexifoil.com/company/newsitem.php?article_id=102141 |title=Hadlow and Flexifoil |publisher=Flexifoil |accessdate=2008-11-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031924/http://www.flexifoil.com/company/newsitem.php?article_id=102141 |archivedate=September 28, 2007 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.aaronhadlow.com/bio/|title=Aaron Hadlow|publisher=www.aaronhadlow.com|accessdate=2008-11-04| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20081011140352/http://www.aaronhadlow.com/bio/| archivedate= 11 October 2008 | url-status= live}}

He began in 2004, encountering competition from Ruben Lenten and Kevin Langeree in 2006.{{fact|date=July 2024}}

He also won the Red Bull KitePunks event in 2007, held in La Manga, Spain, beating off stiff competition from Ruben Lenten in 2nd, and Neil Hilder in 3rd.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

Hadlow has continued to expand his repertoire of tricks to keep him in front of the competition. A lot of these tricks have stemmed from influences by Lewis Crathern and Neil Hilder, who are a part of recently created Team Bosch alongside Hadlow. Many of his new tricks involve an "ole" move, where the bar and lines are whipped over head - the first of which was the Bosch Mobe.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

He was world champion in freestyle kitesurfing from 2004 to 2008. He is the only rider to win the world title 5 times in a row.{{cite web|title=Aaron Hadlow : The British five-time world champion who has driven his sport to new heights|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/aaron-hadlow-red-bull-kiteboarding-25461186|website=Mirror|date=16 November 2021 |accessdate=16 November 2021}}

Hadlow has taken a break from the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association World tour in 2010, he is looking to focus on international promos, and various other events. He also looks to continue his "on the loose" series with Ruben Lenten.

In 2015 and 2016, Hadlow won the Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town, South Africa.{{cite web|title=Two in a row for Aaron Hadlow at the Red Bull King of the Air|url=https://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboarding/two-in-a-row-for-aaron-hadlow-at-the-red-bull-king-of-the-air|website=Surfer Today|publisher=Surfertoday.com|accessdate=11 February 2016}}

In 2024, he is still competing in Big Air but he is more involved in the research and development aspect of kitesurfing for the past few years. He used to test alongside the Duotone kite desgner, Ralf Grosel, between 2015 and 2023 for that brand. After this, Aaron continued working alongside the designer Ralf Grosel to test and develop kites for Harlem. Ralf was working on implementing BrainChild Technology into various kites and for different brands.{{cite web|title=Aaron Hadlow joins the Harlem family|url=https://harlemkitesurfing.com/blogs/news/aaron-hadlow-joins-the-harlem-family?srsltid=AfmBOopa1BlqW05v3gUZXqI4Dgf9nCBrflr-JJ_ve35HzWVYKW7Nngt4|website=Harlem|publisher=Victor Looijestijn|accessdate=6 June 2024}}