Kitesurfer Gordon Heather: Whichever Way the Wind Blows

Gordon Heather of the Cook Islands will tell you he’s a kitesurfer first and foremost. He’s also a CrossFit athlete and former Olympian. At 18, Heather competed in the 100 meters in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, clocking a time of seconds. When he found kitesurfing, his life changed. “Kitesurfing has become a way of life for me,” he says. “My day goes by what the wind is doing.” In CrossFit, Heather enjoys the variance and draws parallels between it and kitesurfing—being prepared for t