Girls Who Rip: Filmer and Kiteboarder Kylie Zarmati

Figuring out where in the world Kylie Zarmati is could be a sport in and of itself. 

“My parents give me shit for it, they’re always like, ‘you’re making me dizzy, where are you?’ And I’m like, ‘well what do you expect, you did this to me, this is all on you.’” 

The daughter of a pilot and an entrepreneur, Kylie split her time between the Central Coast of California and Baja California growing up, spending a significant amount of time in each place. Her parents packed her and her sister up in their pop-up camper van and set up home on the sand. 

“I love it, it was amazing,” Zarmati said of her unconventional childhood. “It was super special and I’m so grateful, looking back on that, to my parents to do that alternative lifestyle.” 

It’s an alternative lifestyle she adapted and adopted as she entered her own adulthood. Zarmati, a professional kiteboarder and creative, has traveled around the world for both her sport and work as a videographer and photographer for brands and companies ranging from clothing brands to non-governmental organizations. 

“I’ve felt like I’ve never really needed too much ‘stuff,’ so for me it’s about simplicity and going with the flow and enjoying where that takes you.”  

Both her careers have their roots in her nomadic childhood. 

“The place we stayed in Baja was a really big windsurfing community when we were growing up and then when kiting came along my whole family decided to make the leap to kiting.” 

Sponsored by Slingshot, Zarmati has traveled the world with her kite in tow ever since.

“I felt like I picked it up really quickly and just feeling like I was progressing at something that was so much fun so quickly felt awesome.”  

All those hours spent in a camper van and the sands of Baja with her sister meant they had to find some way to entertain themselves. Tatiana and Ky turned to movies, not watching them, but making them. 

“That was what we did for fun,” Zarmati explains with a smile. “I don’t know why or who told us to do that. My sister was super into making videos when we were kids so we’d always invite friends over and make videos.” 

To this day, Zarmati is making videos with her friends. These days her videos range from documentaries to campaigns for clothing brands. She’s currently working on a documentary highlighting the impact of Islamaphobia in the United States. The common thread of the projects she takes on are ones that will push her boundaries and her comfort zone. 

“It’s about getting to experience these new situations and getting to push myself into them,” said Zarmati. “It feels good to meet new people and make new connections. The more you travel around the more you feel how small the world is and how connected we all are and I just love that.” 

Stay connected with Kylie and her latest projects with Outlands Productions on her Instagram and her website.