9TH EUROPEAN KITESURF TOUR - ITALY (LAMEZIA)

The setup for this event has been amazing, I think it was nice to come straight from Germany to the warmth of Italy and to be able to wear board shorts on the beach everyday!

The only thing that was a bit annoying was that the wind was good for about 1 hour each day so we could only get a couple of heats done and what we got was usually enough for a 14m… but i think this spot is perfect for racing!!

Because of my IKA ranking I managed to gain a seeding for the competition again!  This meant I was straight up into the 3rd round!

My first heat was against a French dude called Hugo Guias this guy is insane, we skated together outside of the competition for a couple of sessions and this kid rips! I think the best skater I have ever seen live! anyway, this was quite a close heat, I think I just edged it doing more variety landing the Crow Mobe, I actually thought I lost the heat so it was a relief to have gone through against such a talented rider!

So I progressed through to the 4th round, just like in Germany I came up against North Team mate Stefan Spiesberger who was on fire, he came 4th in the last stop!  this kid is also ripping, its nice to be able to ride with someone who is pushing the sport in the right direction!  He threw down Front Blind Mobe (heal side) and most of the standard regular and switch tricks in all of his heats!  I was quite happy with my heat as the wind was pretty light. I crashed about two tricks and had to run up the beach three times in the heat.  I managed to get about 7 tricks Blind Judge3, Back Mobe switch/reg, Front Blind, Shifty 3, Crow Mobe, Blind Judge switch, not my best heat, this wasn't enough to put me through.

After the competition finished we (Me and Ned Taylor) decided to go check out one of the local flat water spots, we ended having some epic sessions, the wind was also a bit stronger there because there was  no current.  We got to practice a little for the next comp, the British Nationals at Sunny Hunstanton for the lifestyles event on the 15th/16th July

Keep posted!

cheers,

Luke

www.lukewhiteside.com

The next day the double elimination for the freestyle was run. I was all fired up, this was my 2nd chance to do well! My 1st heat went much better and I won. My 2nd went OK too and I won, so did my 3rd. I continued winning six heats in a row! I was very tired on my 6th heat against Asia Litwin I had little energy, no time to recover from my pervious heats. I did not perform my best and Asia kited really well so she advanced. This meant I finished up with a 4th place overall in the freestyle, which I am happy with. It was hard work coming up from last place! Friday night every one hit the town and partied hard! 

Saturday the kite loop contest was on. It was perfect strong winds for mega looping and the the waves where huge kickers to launch off! I went out fully powered on my 7m Wainman Gypsy kite. It was great fun going big! And amazing to watch the guys doing crazy big loops. I won my 1st heats and progressed into the Ladies final with Ines Correia from Portugal. It went good and I won! I was really pleased and happy to win the kite loop competition! :-) Saturday night was our last night in Germany so there was no other option than to party again! Yippppie. It was a fun night and ended up in Mc Donall's at 5am! 

Next up is Italy for the 2nd round of the Kite Tour Europe which starts in 4 days! Can't wait to be kiting in board shorts and bikini! Apparently there is going to be a swimming pool in the riders lounge too!! Woooop! Bring it on! 

This event has been unreal, the setup for me was on par with St, Peter Ording last year!  I ended up coming 9th overall in the freestyle out of 33 riders, I am pretty stoked with this as there was some epic riders that showed up!  I managed to land my first ever crow mobe 5 in one of my heats! I've had it in my mind for a while now proper chuffed to land it!!

Last year I attended a few PKRA comps gaining an overall IKA ranking, this enabled me to progress to the 3rd round of the KTE using my seeded position, which made it a bit easier for me! ;-)

I had a couple of hard heats at the start of the singles getting owned by the huge munching shore dump. Then the doubles were a little bit better for me as I was a little bit more use to the conditions.  The heat that pushed me into 9th position was probably one of the best heats I think I have ever done.  I think I got a stroke of luck when I landed the Crow Mobe 5 for the first time - I kind of over rotated my normal crow mobe doing the extra 180 landing heal-side! Hopefully more to come in the future! ;-)

I have a good seeded  position going into the next round this week in Lamezia (ITALY) so hopefully I can give it a good go an push my ranking a little bit more!

Caio

Luke

www.lukewhiteside.com

Lee Harvey aka Pasty from Penzance, Cornwall has been selected to compete on the Kite Surf Pro world tour. An extensive voting process was initiated by the International Kiteboarding Association, involving National Kite Associations, the panel of judges and wave riders committee, the IKA industry partners and the world’s kitesurfing media who were asked to submit their Top 15 male and Top 8 Female kitesurf wave riders. These are then added to the 7 pre qualified male riders bringing together the World’s Top 22 male and 8 females to battle out for the 2011 World Kite Surfing crown in the best waves on the planet. The only other UK rider to be selected was 3 x Women’s World Wave champion, Kirsty Jones from Wales.

Lee says; ‘I am so stoked to be recognised as one of the best wave riders in the world with a kite and can’t wait to fly the Cornish flag at the best spots in the World. To be listed alongside the sports superstars, is amazing and gives me extra motivation to train hard and represent my country as best as I possibly can. Hopefully I’ll be bringing the World title home to Penzance for Christmas.’

The first stop of the tour is in Mauritius in September, then goes to Peru in October and finally Cape Verde in December where the World Champion will be crowned in the famous right hand point break of Ponta Preta.

Lee is now in need of sponsors to help with the travel costs. If you are interested or can help, please contact lee by email- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss which level of sponsorship is best suited to you or your business.

More info can be found at www.leepasty.co.uk and www.kspworldtour.com

Lee is sponsored by North Kiteboarding, Newave, 9 bar, Wiley X eyewear and Freeriders surf shop.

This month has been very good for our 4 x World Champion Steph Bridge who has just picked up her last title in Germany, here she tells us all about here latest conquest in Germany, and what shes been up to!

This is the deal: 100 racers embark on this small island in the North of Germany for 6 days to all race for the World title. I am racing in the production class- something that in 2012 will be mandatory for all riders. This means I have to register 1 board & 3 kites so as well as being a good weather person I just need to make a quick decision on which sizes I will use for the next 6 days- bearing in mind we are on the north sea & last year when I was here it never went above 10knots!!Reluctantly I handed in my form- 16, 13, 10mtr –just the same as all the blokes!!! Then I just looked again at the synoptic chart & quickly crossed out the 16mtr & added an 8mtr kite. This was a tricky one since not only do North have amazing big Dyno kites but also I now really did need it to be over 15knots each day. This has proven so far to be a smart move.

The Grand Opening Ceremony was magic with countries participating in this event I had barley heard off! All the 'luthania's then USA, Brazil, Australia, China & europe–it was really great to be part of such a massive event. (over 150 competitors) Entering his first European event-Ned /Ted held the Union Jack & was joined by fellow UK representatives : Luke Whiteside, Ben Todd & Hannah Whiteley. Shortly followed the Skippers meeting which was a huge affair & then the we hit the water with a straight 4 x races.

Poor decision making resulted in me loosing the first 2 races- not the best way to start my World Championship come back. Influenced by male dominated friends all taking 13mtr kites & with a bolt off-shore wind there was no way of going out for a quick test to check the conditions. Back of my mind was looking on the horizon & seeing white caps but when I even mentioned I was thinking of going out on my 10mtr kite – the team just laughed. Now I rig in a completely different area so as to not get influenced. So after a beating in 23knots trying to hold down a 13mtr kite on 32cm lines with big fins, I downsize all round & attempt to make it back out to the start which was way offshore. A steady 2 x bulletts in race 3 & 4 meant that I was now back in with a chance.

Day 2 & 3 I sailed consistently, either powered on the 8mtr Rebel 2012 or the dyno 10mtr kite & just did my thing. Preperation, going out on the water early & getting transits & mentally sorted. Long days & late finishes but its not dark till mid-night

DAY 4
This was the most challenging conditions I have ever kitesurfed in. Everyone that raced today deserves a medal including the crazy guys in the rib & jet ski's making it all happen for the world championships. My smallest kite registered was an 8mtr rebel so this was it- no choices. The wind was 25-30knots but it was this huge swell with breaking sets all over the course that spiced the racing up a notch! I felt pretty on the edge & it turns out I was not the only one! Anyway we all did it & by 8.30pm we were back on the beach buzzing with the achievement of racing in these narly conditions. It was an upwind /downwind course & it was all about commitment- confidence to loop the kite & just go hell for leather down the rolling sets. I won 3 out of the 4 races this day so now had 9 bulletts & was clear ahead with 1 day to go. If they did not race tomorrow I had it in the bag & was hoping this would be the case with the swell forcast.

DAY 5- This was the best day since racing was cancelled & I went wave riding on a 5mtr Rebel with next years Whip. It was like a bigger Westward Ho! Day & faster wave sets coming in but was just so relaxing to be in a waist harness without big fins, Straps & just doing what I really love.

The closing Ceremony & prize given was a grand affair & standin g up there on the Podium with the national Anthem banging through the crowds was an amazing experience. So there I was thinking this was a pretty proud moment- perhaps I should do it for 1 more year- Brazil 2012???? So the massive thanks went to Eric for allowing his wife & business partner to disappear for a week, To little Guy for watering the veg & fruit, to oliver for a decent training partner, to Callum for the mainsheet, to the staff fo keeping the kiteschool going, to North for making the best kites & boards & not forgetting my parents for introducing me to the ocean at such a young age. Looking forward to being back in the UK for some summer again!!!!

I would also like to mention Ben Todd - it was his first World Championship & on a few races he was top 10 round the windward mark. Ben kept himself out of the protest room & kite tangles. He has a great future ahead of him for kite racing & deserves recognition for his acheievement in Germany.

Visit Stephs Blog to find out the latest news on her and what shes been up to. Click Here

Photos by Axel Reece

A highly rewarding and unique trip on the wild and epic North coast of Peru, incorporating bespoke kitesurf coaching, yoga for the body and mind, surfing and Stand up paddle boarding.

The week is designed and run by Kirsty and the experienced team at Down Wind concept. You will be taken to the best spots for what you want to achieve and experience, you’ll tune in and connect with the incredible elements, nature and culture, get in the sea everyday, and learn valuable skills to take your kitesurfing, body and mind to new realms.

What’s included during this epic week -

- 6 awesome Kitesurf trips to the best spots and down winders (mainly afternoons) including a light picnic, daily storage & cleaning of gear.

- 6 nights accommodation in a magical place

-  A huge & delicious breakfast everyday with plenty of fruits, including a Peruvian roots diet (maca, coca leaf, nonni, etc.), eggs, avocado, yogurt, cereals, fresh bread.

- Approx 3-4 hours of kitesurf coaching with Kirsty per day. (6 days, one day to relax or ride! )

- 2 hours of sport specific yoga with Kirsty every day (morning and evening / afternoon)

- 1 sportive massage by a local healer

-  Stand Up Paddle boards, tips and trips!

- A personalized kitesurf and yoga analysis from the week with action plan and tips

-  Airport transfers

Max group size 6

Pre - requirements - to be able to ride comfortably up wind and down wind, a love of nature and an open mind!

Kirsty is a true pioneer in the kitesurfing world, winning multiple World, British, and Master of the Ocean titles. Kirsty is also a highly qualified and experienced yoga Instructor and kitesurf, surf and windsurf coach.

Kirsty donates 15% of her profits from every International course to the charity Sea Shepherd. www.seashepherd.org

For more info, bookings, flight info and prices please contact

www.downwindconcept.com

www.kirstyjones.com

Kernow Kitesurf Club chairman, Lee Harvey from Penzance is currently ranked 9^th on the Professional Kite Riders Association (PKRA) World Wave Tour after the first two events of the year.

Lee travelled to Lanzarote and Dakhla, Morocco where he placed 5^th in the single elimination in great conditions at the right hand point break of Oum Laboir on the edge of the Sahara Desert. If you are interested in sponsoring Lee to fly the Cornish Flag at the remainder of the events on this years kitesurf world tour, he can be contacted through his website www.leepasty.co.uk or through his school www.pastyadventures.co.uk

Get ready for an exclusive in depth look into the life of Lewis Crathern and his unique Kitesurfing journey leading to the iconic Brighton Pier jump. All captured on film with Never before seen footage by United Magic... This is the full story of the kitesurfer who jumped Brighton pier... Coming 24.06.11 Only showing on The Breathe Unity Network www.breatheunitynetwork.com

EUROPEAN FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS

 The 3 day kitesurf event in Saint Piere La mer took place over 4^th-6^th May 2011 and was supported by Dutch, French, British, Spanish  & South African riders.

Category's were split 16-19 yrs, 14- 15yrs & 9-13yrs. In this under 13 category team Bridge not only showed the other competitiors to’Open their eyes’ but also the judges!

They have decided to just do a ‘Bridge Ladder’ next year! Disappointment for Oliver who at age 13 wanted to compete in 14-15yr category but was not allowed.

So he was to come up against his younger brother- Tom – age 10 in the final in underpowered  conditions which was not to his favour.

Tom won with his variety of switch & regular handle pass combinations while also managing to stay well in the box .

Defeated by Tom & Oliver the real prize should go to middle Bridge- Guy who got robbed of a 3^rd place by French rider who did no un-hooked moves.

 A new discipline for Tom- the ‘Boarder Cross’ – was also superb success with a 3^rd overall against way bigger youngsters. 

Next stop on the freestyle tour is KTE Germany in June while  Oliver heads to the youth world championships in Brittany next weekend joined by Mum- Steph in the Race Worlds masters.

Great video link below- worth a watch:

http://www.snkite.com/wordpress/ejkc

  " Once again the PKRA was part of the annual  Mondial Du Vent event held in the small coastal village of La Franqui famous for its strong winds and lagoons. It's a relatively straightforward road trip from the UK so I decided to drive there. I packed up my Mercedes Vito Sport Van which is so nice to drive :),  picked up my friend and fellow competitor Tala in London and together we set off for the competition. It's  roughly 10-12 hours drive depending on traffic and whether or not you choose to take the toll roads, which are expensive but for sure faster. Tala has some cool beats and there's always plenty to talk about so the time passed quickly enough!

The final day of the competition was set aside for the Volkswagen sponsored ' Best Trick ' . I felt comfortable on my 7m vegas and progressed thru the heats pulling some big air moves, winning over the crowds, drawing great applause, and reaching the final where I was STOKED to take 3rd. What a wonderful end to the event! I was presented with a nice bouquet of flowers and my trophy by the head of Volkswagen France on the podium.

Steph Bridge headed over to thailand early March for the first PKRA race event of the year.

Competing on her new Production North Race 69 and 2011 North dynos which arrived at the event she competed in the open women and womens production class.

With Kitesurf racing trying to achieve Olympic status rules have split the fleet into Production gear with a 'Box' rule restricting the board to a set of dimensions.

Steph won the womens open class on her production gear and also won the production prize too.

With 2011 being a key year for Kitesurfing racing it looks like north have hit the jackpot with the tri fin setup using a chicken strap and the new north dyno which will soon have smaller sizes to become the kite range of choice for racers.

For any more info contact us at www.edgewatersports.com

Leaving Perth having had an awesome training trip there, I was really excited to hit Thailand for the first PKRA of the year.

Sadly on my last day in Australia it was super strong winds and I went out kitelooping and took one massive crash on my ribs. It was so painful! I had not broken them but the pain was there everyday.

This meant I arrived in Thailand injured!

I arrived there one day before the comp and there was a little bit of wind. However, I decided not to kite and rest my ribs. I took advantage of the amazing Thai massages and delicious food.

The weather was very hot and humid for the first few days then the "Thai Storm" hit us.

We had 2 days of wind with rain and it was really cold! The wind came from the North , it was cross-offshore and very gusty!  

We managed to start the singles and I rode my 12m Vegas and worked to 4th place! So stoked! The next day we ran the doubles and my first heat for 5th/4th place or higher was against Asia Litwin. Unfortunately in the first few minutes of my heat I unhooked but got suddenly lifted by a strong gust and came down hard twisting my foot.

I knew it was not right so I got ice on it and you could see it was swollen and very bruised but I could still walk a bit. I ended up 5th in the doubles which Is still nice but I hope to keep getting better.

I’m now on my way home- really looking forward to see my family and friends! ( Have not seen them in 4 months!) I will also rest my foot this week and hope to be back on track for Dakhla.

Thanks to my sponsors- North Kiteboarding-  www.northkites.com
Airbound Apparel - www.airboundapparel.com

and support from BKSA - www.britishkitesurfingassociation.co.uk

Report by Holly Kenndy from Troon, Scotland

The final stop of the PKRA World Championships was held on the Goldcoast of Australia.

The event was 8 days long and the programme was very full. However, there was only one day and a half of wind!

The whole week it rained and lots of grey clouds lingered above our heads.

I decided to participate in every category that was on :-)

We started the wave competition when the wind was on the edge. I thought it would be very fun as I have never properly been riding in the waves and it was really cool

I was in the heat with Kristn Boese and Shannon Ducker so the 3 of us were on our largest kites (mine being 12m North Vegas (rocks!) ) . I caught a few waves and came in 2nd behind Kristin. 

Two days later we had a lovely day with sun and wind! So we got the single elimination freestyle started.I came in joint 5th  in the singles, unfortunately there was no wind the rest of the week so we could not do the double elimination.

I thought the event on the Goldcoast was very well organised and the place itself was nice. 

So overall for 2010 I came 6th in the World. I am really happy with this seeing as I never competed at every event (only a few!) and it was my first time trying the World Cup competitions.

I really enjoyed the  events that I went to and was a great experience. I hope to train hard now and come back even better next year ! :-) 

Thanks to my sponsors- North Kiteboarding, Airbound Apparel and BKSA

http://www.hollykennedy.co.uk/

The event was a joint effort between the 3 services, and travel company Ticket to Ride, aiming to raise at least  £10,000 for the charity Help For Heroes using a Kitesurfing Challenge. The Island of Alderney is just off the Cherbourg peninsular, and so was the perfect start point.

-This is the first cross channel race of this kind, and was different in that many channel crossings are from the southeast coast of the uk to calais - only 17 miles or so.  Alderney to Poole is approximately 70 miles

-The teams left Southampton at 6pm on Thursday 9th September in 3 ribs to cross the channel.  The crossing itself was hard going due to heavy seas and the teams arrived at 1am friday morning in Alderney.

-The teams left Alderney at 11am on Friday with 70 miles to cross, covering the busy shipping lanes.  The race was a relay with all members of the teams having to kitesurf at some point

-A different wind to what was forecast made the going difficult and longer than expected.

-The teams had to contend with technical problems on the RIBs, kites dropping in the water, variable winds, and Channel shipping.  The less than ideal wind direction meant the kiters themselves travelled much further than the 70 mile straight line distance. 

-Team members had to swap over on to a kite mid channel.

-The winners were the Navy/Marines followed by the Army (a close second) and the RAF were third.

-The Navy team member Lt Cdr Jon Platt lives in Lilliput, Poole, and was first to arrive at Sandbanks. He is a Royal Navy Helicopter Pilot Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset

-Army team members Captain Dan Holloway, Paul Lazenbury, Karl Cadwallander (of Xtremes Learn to Ride) are also Poole residents.

-The Just Giving page is still open and donations will be gratefully received. visit  http://www.justgiving.com/kite4heroes to donate.