2018 GKA Kiteboarding World Tour: The Air Games
Sat 17th Mar, 2018 @ 3:00 am
A new tour has arrived. The Global Kitesports Association has announced a new, twin tip World Cup tour. The aim of the tour is to crown the best overall twin tip rider. Find out more about the new tour including judging criteria and a calendar of events, following. News provided by the GKA.
In 2018 the GKA Kiteboarding World Tour will stage a series of World Cup events that will put the wow factor and spectators’ enjoyment at the heart of the action. Wild and dynamic performances will take the best of all aspects of twin-tip freestyle kiteboarding, and at the end of the season World Champions will be crowned: let the Air Games begin!
The essence of the tour is to find the most complete twin-tip rider out there. However, the basis of each judging category primarily calls for as much height as possible. After that, the show will come down to each rider’s interpretation and how they want to display their vision for where an all-round show of explosive riding can go in the given conditions.
The Category Breakdown
Tricks will be judged over four categories and at the end of the heat (4 riders per heat) each rider’s best three tricks from three different categories will count.
The Categories
Regular jumps (spins, grabs – anything goes, as long as it’s high)
Board-offs
Kite loops
Handle-passes
By developing a format with four different and diverse categories the visual show will always be dynamic, explosive and exciting. By allowing riders to omit one category of trick, there’s still scope for them to specialise without having to sacrifice their own distinct riding styles, so we expect to see some of the sport’s biggest stars throwing down in their own trademark style.
Imagine Carlos Mario’s double handle-passes off big kickers in Cabarete mixed with Jesse Richman’s kite loop double half cabs. Picture the huge hang-time of Tom Hebert’s insanely high board-offs in front of thousands of people on the beach in Tarifa up against the flow of Kevin Langeree’s massive inverted kite loop back rolls. Could Aaron Hadlow realise yet another World Championship by combining his undoubted ability to adapt to all aspects of twin-tip kiteboarding – whether the conditions are calling for adaptation towards more powered technicality or high wind artistry?
One male and one female rider will prevail and this tour will bring together the world’s best riders to open our eyes to what’s possible when inspiration from all corners of the twin-tip spectrum merge as one into Air Games.
Conditions
The competition will run in any wind of 15 knots and above, so riders need to be prepared to switch up their performances. As the winds increase, the overall height factor will score more highly, while at the lower end of the wind scale, judges will be rewarding more technicality, while still expecting as much height and amplitude as possible.
Staged at some of the most iconic kiteboarding competition venues, expect classic kiteboarding conditions that will ignite the imagination of people all over the world and at the same time inspire true kiteboarders, too:
Events
Mondial du Vent, Leucate, France:17 – 22nd April
Tarifa: 27th June – 1st July
Cabarete Kiteboarding World Cup: 9 – 15th July
More events: TBC
Throughout 2018 the GKA event team will work with the riders to create a strong tour for the athletes, public and sport. Anything could happen! Stand by for take-off…
Find a full rundown and more info on the GKA website.
You’ll find the rulebook detailing the exact structure of each event here.
To join the tour and compete – email: jo@global-kitesports.org
To be involved on a commercial level, to support the tour, or to host an event – email: info@global-kitesports.org.
Also, see the Official Announcement by the Kite Riders United & the Global Kitesports Association:
“It has come to our attention that there is some confusion regarding who is authorized to represent and act on behalf of the KRU and who is not,” the note states.
“There also seems to be certain confusion as to who holds what rights and who does not. The KRU is the official World Cup status sanction holder granted by World Sailing through the Global Kitesports Association (GKA).”
“The KRU wishes to make it clear to all parties that Danny Galiart, CEO of the World Kiteboarding League is no longer in any manner associated with the Freestyle World Tour run by the KRU,” the release tells.
“He does not have any authority to represent the KRU or make any deals or enter into any discussions on behalf of the KRU.”
“The World Kiteboarding League is no longer either sanctioned or connected in any way whatsoever to World Sailing, Global Kitesports Association or the Kite Riders United.”
“Any event run by the World Kiteboarding League may only be viewed as a private entity and does not have any world cup status, nor is it recognized or supported by any of the governing bodies involved with the sport of kiteboarding.”
“It is the belief of the KRU and GM that such a tour being run privately and without sanction or any backing from any official governing by will only create confusion and fragmentation within the kiteboarding community and hence we hereby would like to urge all athletes and organizers to be wary of entering into any deals with the World Kiteboarding League.”
“The World Kiteboarding Championships owned and run by the KRU and fully supported by the GM, may or may not appoint a promoter to run its events.”
“Until any further notice it is our wish that organizers, riders, and sponsors deal only with appointed representatives of the KRU who should be able to produce an official document signed by the KRU to prove that they are authorized to represent the KRU and hence, the World Kiteboarding Championships,” conclude the KRU and GKA.
