The wind was pumping and kites were flying high as Lewis Crathern wowed the judges to win this ‘Mega’ kiteboarding event in Cape Town!

Lewis Crathern

Crathern, from Worthing in the UK, went up against Sam Light (UK) and Gianni Aragno (ESP) in the final. “I was just stoked to have been in the final with two of my best friends. A megaloop isn’t the easiest trick because you have to try and get height while trying to get your kite as horizontal as possible. I’ve been coming to Cape Town to kiteboard for the last six years and I love it here. The people are friendly and the weather and wind conditions are perfect here,” he commented.

LEN10 MegaLoop Challenge Podium | © Kolesky/Nikon/Red Bull Content Pool

Brainchild of Red Bull Athlete and ‘King of the Megaloop’ Ruben Lenten (NED), the LEN10 Megaloop Challenge saw 24 participants compete in a format new to kiteboarding competitions. Ruben remarked: “All the riders and spectators were excited about the format which gives the guys time to pull their best moves and score high. I’m happy that such a big crowd came down to see the guys pull some gnarly tricks and see some pretty epic wipe-outs too – which is just as much part of kiteboarding as landing the trick.”

Participants were scored on the height, technique and the style with which they executed the megaloop.

Ruben Lenten Demo | © Kolesky/Nikon/Red Bull Content Pool

LEN10 Megaloop Challenge winner, Crathern and the other finalists had decided before they went out for the final to split the prize money – it wasn’t about the prize but rather spending a good day out doing what they love. He does, however, walk away with a one-of-a-kind trophy and a photo shoot with renowned South African action sports photographer, Craig Kolesky.

Ruben Lenten is keen to bring the competition back even bigger in 2013 and throw himself into the mix. “We’re going to push the limits of kiteboarding even more.”

Ruben Lenten Demo | © Kolesky/Nikon/Red Bull Content Pool

You can read more about the “King of the MegaLoop”, Ruben Lenten and the MegaLoop Challenge here.

If you were lucky enough to be at the competition in Big Bay, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below…

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Related posts:

1. LEN10 Megaloop Challenge: Extreme Kiteboarding Event
2. KSP World Tour: Peru Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Results
3. KSP World Tour: Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Results

The LEN10 Megaloop Challenge!

Every summer Ruben Lenten, King of the Megaloop, heads down to Cape Town, South Africa to enjoy the warm sunny weather and awesome wind conditions Cape Town is so famous for.

This year Ruben and his mate Aaron Hadlow, are challenging 24 amateur kiteboarders to compete in the LEN10 Megaloop Challenge in Big Bay, Bloubergstrand.

Final Competition Results

Ruben Lenten and Table Mountain in Cape Town

Big Air Big Score

“A megaloop is when you go full circle with the kite – right through the power zone. As judges, Aaron and I will be looking at the style, height, length, enthusiasm and speed each kiteboarder executes their Megaloop with”, says Ruben. In true kiteboarding tradition the best wipe-out will also be rewarded.

Since the competition requires wind speeds upwards of 30 knots, a window period from the 16th to the 26th of February 2012 has been secured to ensure optimal wind conditions.

The winner on the day will take home R10 000 and a photo shoot with renowned action sports photographer Craig Kolesky.

Ruben Lenten - Blouberg, Cape Town

How to Enter

There are two ways to get yourself into the running for this Mega Challenge.

• Submit a video of your gnarliest kiteloop to Ruben’s facebook page
• Register for the trials event which will take place on the 11th or 12th of February 2012 (depending on the wind) at Blouberg Beach, by submitting your details here

Ruben Lenten’s Rundown of the Challenge

If you think you have what it takes, and you want in on the action, head over to www.redbull.co.za for more information.

Follow the LEN10 Megaloop Challenge on: Twitter: @RedBullZA (#LEN10Megaloop)

Aaron Hadlow - Last Loop for the Day!

About Ruben Lenten

Ruben Lenten (NED) was just twelve years old when he took up the sport of Kiteboarding. With no kiting schools around in the early days of the sport, Ruben had to learn the hard way – taking four long months of crashing and swimming back to shore to get up (and stay up on the board). Once he got the hang of it he knew that this would be a way to express himself and started riding as much as he could.

Ruben Lenten Looking Stoked

Soon, at the age of 14, a coach (Former Dutch National champion, Steph de Jong) and a sponsor recognised Ruben’s talent. This gave him the opportunity to start travelling and developing skills faster. Within three years he competed on the highest level and was the Number 2 Kiteboarder in the world – second only to one of his now best friends, Aaron Hadlow.

In 2005, Ruben took top honours in Red Bull King of the Air in Maui, Hawaii where he competed in the big air format against his legendary watersports athlete Robbie Naish, and defeating Robbie right on his home turf.

Right before the start of the 2006 World Tour, Ruben had a serious crash leaving him injured and unable to compete in the first few events of the tour. With him unable to score points to keep his ranking, he decided not to compete but rather focus on freeriding and finding new challenges.

Since then his focus has remained on, as he puts it, “doing some pretty gnarly tricks with my kite”. He’s all about big air and loves riding in the strongest winds. “I’m pretty stoked to have kiteboarding as my job. The ocean is my playground, what more could I ask for?”

Ruben Lenten - Blouberg, Cape Town

Ruben is dedicated to pushing the sport and developing kiteboarding gear as much as possible, all while doing some pretty extreme stuff on his kiteboard.

Follow Ruben Lenten on Facebook and Twitter.

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Related posts:

1. LEN10 MegaLoop Challenge: Lewis Crathern Wins
2. Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012
3. Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012 Results

With all the different terminology used to describe these kites, it’s easy to get confused as to what the difference is between a C and a Bow kite, a Hybrid and Delta…and what on earth is a Delta Hybrid?

Kite Design: Is it really what they say it is?

Kite design is a hugely complicated field and one I’m not going to attempt to dissect. It is further complicated by marketers who bandy the terms around with little concern for the actual design specifications of each type of kite. Thus they might call a kite a delta kite even though, in the strictest sense of the word, it isn’t, but only something similar to a delta kite or with delta like qualities. This is generally done because the boundaries between the different types of kites are so undefined that it’s easier to put kites with matching flight characteristics in the same bracket even if technically they don’t belong there.

The easiest way to understand the difference is to break things down into basics and then use your own common sense to decide which family a kite belongs to.

Types of Kites

C Kites

C kites are recognizable by their square wing tips and lack of a bridle. If you laid a C kite down un-inflated and looked at it from above it would look like a rectangle. The lines attach at the 4 corners of the rectangle. Their profile when viewed from the front also looks more like the shape of the letter C, when compared to the flatter profiles of most other kite designs.

C Kite

As a beginner coming into kitesurfing if I could give one word of advice when buying a kite, it would be stay away from C kites. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against C kites, and they are great fun when you know what you’re doing. I just think that for the beginner they offer a difficult learning curve and are unnecessarily dangerous when compared to other types of kites. They have little in the way of de-power, so if the wind picks up or you’ve put the wrong kite up (a common mistake for beginners) you’re in trouble. To my mind this makes their safety questionable for a beginner or someone unfamiliar with how to use one, which is my chief reason for advising you against them. While again the lines are blurring between C and Bow kites and many C kites do now offer a degree of depower, to make things simple for yourself stay away.

Bow Kites

Bow kites we will classify simply as any kite with a bridle (a lot of interlinking lines running across the leading edge). Again if you laid a bow kite out un-inflated and looked at it from above it would be more triangular in shape, due to the swept back nature of the wings. The lines do not attach directly to the leading edge but to the bridle which is itself attached to the leading edge.

Bow Kite Laid Flat

Bow Kite

Bow kites, as a family, offer much more de-power than C kites (principally due to the bridle, and the flatter, more “wing like” profile) so when you let go of the bar the kite loses all, or most of its power and slowly drifts back to earth in a controlled manner. For this reason they are generally considered to be a lot safer than C kites and this is why nearly all schools will now teach on some type of bow kite. Bow kites come in several flavours: pure Bow, Hybrid and Delta style kites. All have the same general characteristics (ie lots of de-power) with a few subtle differences.

Hybrid Kites

Hybrid Kite

Hybrid kites are somewhere in between bow kites and C kites and generally aim to give the feel of a C kite combined with the safety of a bow kite.

Many old school riders complained when bow kites were first released that they did not turn with enough power. Bow kites tend to turn very fast but they sacrifice power in the turn for agility. C kites tend to turn in massive arcs, which gives you a huge pull, which is great if that what you’re after…for kite loops etc, but not so good if you’re taking your first tentative steps towards riding. Hybrid kites were designed to bridge this gap offering kites with de-power (like bows) but that also turn with power (like C kites).

Some hybrid kites will be nearer the C end of the spectrum and others nearer the bow end. Again if you’re going for one of these kites as your first kite my advice would be to aim for something at the bow end. The easiest way to tell which end of the spectrum the kite is…look at the shape.

Delta Kites

Delta Kite

Delta kites are bow kites with a much more swept back wing profile…think of an F14 with its wings drawn back in Top Gun! The precise angle of sweep is what defines a Delta kite, but most manufacturers now classify any kite with this type of profile as a Delta kite. They will tend to be short and fat in shape. If I had to recommend you to buy any type of kite as a beginner it would be one of these. They are easy to re-launch, offer forgiving piloting and the power tends to ‘turn on’ slowly (meaning you can feel the power rising gradually rather than just appearing out of nowhere and hoisting you over the front of the board!), giving you much more time to react to what the kite’s doing. Please don’t think these are just beginner kites I still enjoy riding them and they are great for improving your skills on and unless you’re heading for the pro circuits I doubt you’d ever outgrow their capabilities. What they will do is cut a lot of the frustration out of learning and the re-launch ability will keep you smiling for years!

(I’m not in any way affiliated with any Delta kite sales…we just use them in our school and I think they’re great!)

Delta Hybrid Kite

Test, Test, Test…

This is a massive over simplification of kite design and I imagine over the years you’ll learn that a lot of these things are only half truths. By breaking things down like this I hope to help you to start getting a feel for the different types of kites you’ll see down on the beach and the differences in how they perform. As you progress as a kitesurfer the best way to get a feel for these different kites is to try them, so any time your mate buys a new kite ask them if you can have a go. We all have different styles and each will find kites that they like and hate…get out there and experiment.

Written by

Sam Guest

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Related posts:

1. Beginners Guide to Kitesurfing: Getting Started
2. Kitesurfing Progression: How to Jump
3. Kitesurfing Progression: Riding Upwind

World-class Kitesurf Venues

Featuring world-class venues, the KSP Tour once again promises nothing short of the most phenomenal surf conditions for the world’s kitesurfing elite to battle it out over the coveted IKA-sanctioned World Championship title. All four Kite Surf Pro events will feature a 10-day holding period and a €15,000 prize purse.

Tour Stop 1: Cascais, Portugal

The KSP Tour will kick off at Europe’s kite surfing mecca, Guincho Beach in Cascais, Portugal, from June 1 to 10. The side-onshore wind conditions at Guincho’s right-hand beach break will surely expose the progressive new school aerial movement, bringing it to the forefront of competitive kitesurfing for the world to witness.

Tour Stop 2: Le Morne, Mauritius

Stop two will take the KSP back to 2011’s kickoff location, Le Morne, Mauritius for the One Eye Pro, scheduled September 7 to 16. A long, left-hand reef break famous for its strong side-offshore winds and barreling, near-perfect, head-high to quadruple-overhead surf, One Eye will keep this year’s crowd on edge, waiting to see what conditions it dishes up — especially after last year’s jaw-dropping spectacle.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Tour Stop 3: West Coast, Ireland

Next up, Europe’s secret kitesurfing jewel and home to one of the planet’s biggest waves, Ireland. Running from October 19 to 28, Ireland’s Kite Surf Pro will incorporate a unique mobile format, capable of showcasing each day’s action at the choicest of locations on the country’s wild and swell-abundant west coast.

Tour Stop 4: North Shore, Maui

Bringing the KSP’s 2012 tour to a close, Maui’s legendary North Shore will host the pinnacle of the Kite Surfing World Championship Tour — the Ho’okipa Kite Surf Pro — running November 29 to December 8. One of the world’s most highly regarded wind and wave locations, Ho’okipa is generally reserved as a surfing and windsurfing only venue. The Ho’okipa Kite Surf Pro will mark the first-ever World Championship kitesurf competition at the infamous Hawaiian reef break.

“I really don’t think we could have wished for a better and more well-rounded tour for the 2012 season,” says Tour President Kristin Boese. “It is going to be exciting to see which riders will do best in all the different conditions. We managed to meet the demand of the riders to add a side-onshore beach break to the calendar with the event in Guincho. We are just as excited about the Ireland event that is going to be a total box of chocolates with amazing potential. And Ho’okipa and One Eye are without a question two of the places that we had on our wish list from the very first talks about the tour.”

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

“I am also really looking forward to working with our amazing group of local organizers that have already become such a strong part of the KSP,” Boese continues. “We are all so excited to see what incredible treasures await us in 2012.”

As reigning World Champions Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North Kiteboarding) and Ines Correia (Portugal) defend their titles amidst a field of 24 men and 12 women at each Kite Surf Pro event, an International Surfing Association-accredited panel of judges will once again score the year’s next-level riding. With 20 countries represented on tour last year, 2012 will surely draw a wide range of talent from across the globe.

Featuring a live webcast with live scoring, 2012’s Kite Surf Pro events will broadcast the heat-by-heat action around the world in real time. Additionally, the new season will also bring another round of Fantasy League, with some major prizes up for grabs.

For more information about the KSP World Championship Tour, please visit KSPworldtour.com or email info@kspworldtour.com. Follow the KSP on Facebook or on Twitter.

KSP 2012 World Championship Tour Schedule

June 1 to 10: Cascais, Portugal

September 7 to 16: Le Morne, Mauritius

October 19 to 28: West Coast, Ireland

November 29 to December 8: Maui, Hawaii, USA

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro
2. KSP World Tour: Peru Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Results
3. KSP World Tour: Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Results

Kitesurfers and fans of the sport came from all over South Africa and other parts of the world to enjoy the event, which took place on the 5th-8th January.

As a local I knew the wind was guaranteed to blow – whether east or west, strong or not – I knew my local spot would deliver as always and that much kiting fun would be had. Unfortunately the only wind we got in those first three days was a breeze just strong enough to tease us and keep us waiting at the beach. Despite the lack of wind, both the kiters and spectators were entertained by the festive music – including live performances, fun beach games and competitions with exciting prizes and trying out the many demo land kites. The surprisingly warm ocean allowed for hours of swimming, surfing, kayaking and stand-up-paddle boarding. And when we had had too much of the sun, we chilled under the gazebos or in the hammock. Everyone also remained hydrated with free Red Bull and Vitamin Water. This absolute beach enjoyment lasted well into our sunset beach braais (barbeques) and newfound friendships.

Waiting for Wind...

Flapping flags filled the beach on the last day as the wind filtered through – as if the sponsors were rejoicing at the sight of the wind arriving just in time! Soon the crowd livened up and the photographers lined the beach in anticipation. As the coveted east wind started, two slalom downwind races were held as we waited for the wind to become strong enough to compete. Course racing was then held, followed by waveriding and pro men’s freestyle. The day then ended with a novice expression session. Besides the great cash and gear prizes for the podium positions, no competitor went home empty handed as there was a lucky draw – allowing every entrant to receive a prize from the extensive list of sponsors.

Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012

Competition Results

Men’s Course Racing

1. Kurt Schmelzer
2. Hudson Cumings
3. Brad Gilmour

Women’s race

1. Michelle Sky Smith
2. Jackie Gilmour
3. Natasha Haller

Waveriding

1. Anthony Berzack
2. Hudson Cumings
3. Michelle Sky Smith

Pro Men’s Freestyle

1. Kurt Schmelzer
2. Bruce Hough
3. Brad Gilmour

Novice

1. Dale Mcain
2. Natasha Haller
3. Manuele Zanuta

Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012

Thanks to Cedric Vandenschrik and the rest of the organizers for another amazing event! Join us at the next event to take place possibly at the end of September – watch this space!

www.cannonrocksclassic.com

Written by

Michelle Smith

PS: If you were at the 2012 Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic, let us know in the comments below what you thought of the event, and how things went for you.

Oh and if you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012
2. LEN10 Megaloop Challenge: Extreme Kiteboarding Event
3. KSP World Tour: Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Results

We saw the launch of the KSP’s Dream Tour, which has most certainly taken kitesurfing to a whole new level, and also given us plenty to look forward to next year. We also saw Youri Zoon dominate the PKRA tour in an unprecedented fashion, winning almost every competition on the freestyle kiteboarding tour!

So as we see 2011 out, and prepare ourselves for an even better 2012, we leave you with this video documenting the story of the new kiteboarding world champion; Youri Zoon.

Video: The Ultimate Reward

EyEFORcE productions has followed Brunotti team rider Youri Zoon over the last couple of years, filming him on locations across the globe. This epic video documents his career, and the rise of a kiteboarding star.

Youri Zoon

To all our readers, thank you for your support throughout the year. We wish you all good winds and great sessions in the New Year!

The inMotion Kitesurfing Team

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Related posts:

1. And the Winner is…
2. Kitesurfing: Taking Surfing to New Heights
3. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro

The CRKC is held by Cedric Vandenschrik, long time kiteboarder, world traveler and sponsored rider. The next event will be held the 5th – 8th of January 2012.

World-class Kiteboarding Action

The festive atmosphere and small-town vibe mixed with world-class Kiteboarding action is what made this competition so unforgettable! The beach was laced with kites, SUPs, aspiring kite kids, gorgeous groupies and local villagers. If you weren’t competing, then you were trying out the many demo land kites, kitesurfing kites and boards on show. The competitors ranged from international professionals to beginners struggling to stay upwind – all are welcome! Our sunny days were filled with strutting our stuff for the Super Sport film crew while our nights mellowed down with classic South African braais and live music.

Results of the 2012 CRKC

Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic | Photo by Chrissie Cloete

About Cannon Rocks

For those of you who are not familiar with Cannon Rocks, it is a small, quiet beach village situated on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Being a world-class Kiteboarding destination, kiters come from all over South Africa and the world to marvel at and enjoy the ironed flat water followed by barreling waves at the back. As one of the few local kiters, I can assure you, it is worth coming to see the quiet waters lit up with talent! Prepare yourself for never-ending beaches and sharing the water with dolphins, seals and a few friendly fellow kiters.

Never Ending Beaches at Cannon Rocks

CRKC | Photo by Chrissie Cloete

Event Disciplines

• Pro Freestyle
• Pro Race
• Twintip Race
• Free expression session (amateur)
• Wave riding

Competition Sponsors

The many sponsors supporting the CRKC will make competing worth your while!

The main cash sponsor is Peter Lynn (a leading kite manufacturer – powerkiting, Kiteboarding, landboarding, kitebuggying and snowkiting) Other sponsors include Island Tribe, Pam Golding, Afrikites, Thule, Pilli Pilli, Kitespotters and many local businesses. There is still opportunity for you to become a sponsor! Just contact Cedric on cedvds@gmail.com.

Why not roadtrip down to the comp from anywhere in SA or fly to Port Elizabeth and take an hour’s drive to Cannon Rocks? There is tons of beachfront accommodation available as well as the Cannon Rocks Caravan Park which is just a stroll from the beach.

Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012

For more info check out www.cannonrocksclassic.com and www.cannonrocks.com or find us on Facebook!

Join us for an event, an escape, a water paradise you won’t soon forget!

Written by

Michelle Smith

Related posts:

1. Cannon Rocks Kiteboarding Classic 2012 Results
2. LEN10 Megaloop Challenge: Extreme Kiteboarding Event
3. KSP 2012 Tour Schedule

From the 2^nd to the 11^th of December, the worlds best kitesurfers are getting together at one of most insane kitesurfing waves on the planet – Ponta Preta, Sal Island’s infamous right-hand point break.

This third and final leg on the 2011 Kitesurfing World Pro Tour calendar will see the world’s top pro kitesurfers battling it out at the Cape Verde Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro for the coveted KSP World Championship Title.

Jump to: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North) is currently leading the world championship rankings, followed by Mitu Monteiro (Cape Verde/F-One) in second place and Guilly Brandao (Brazil) in third, while Ines Correia (Portugal), Marie Gautron (France/Naish), and Kristin Boese (Germany/Best) lead the women’s pack.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro | Photo by Roberto Foresti

As always, we will be updating this article with the latest competition results and kitesurfing news from Ponta Preta on a daily basis, so refer back to this page or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date with this prestigious kitesurfing event.

A full report and results from the previous KSP World Tour stops can be found here:

Mauritius One Eye Pro | Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro | Watch the Live Broadcast

Competition News: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 1 (2 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 1

Faced with a flat ocean here on Sal Island in Cape Verde today, KSP officials postponed the first possible start until tomorrow, which looks promising with a medium-sized swell expected to begin filling in tonight and through the weekend. With the bulk of the KSP riders pre-seeded from the first two tour stops this year, organizers drew the remaining rider’s names from a hat to determine the Round 1 line-up. (See full list below.)

Judge’s Tower | Photo by Roberto Foresti

Ponta Preta will serve as the primary competition venue, with a judge’s tower set up right in front of Sal’s legendary right-hand barrelling break on the southwest of the island,. Facing fairly west, Ponta Preta works best on a northwest swell, while the secondary venue, Secrets —located on Sal’s northerly flank — will be used in case of a north swell.

Event directors will re-assess conditions tomorrow morning and make the official call at 8 a.m., with a first possible start at 9am. Live webstreaming will resume at 8am. If you miss any of the action, it will all be archived heat by heat for your on-demand viewing pleasure.

PONTA PRETA KITE SURF PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS

MEN


Heat 1: Guilly Brandao (BRA), Bastien Bollard (FRA/Underground), Paulino Pereira (POR)
Heat 2: Jesse Richman (HAW/Naish), Jeremie Eloy (FRA/North), Gonzalo Ribba (CHI/Best)
Heat 3: Patri McLaughlin (HAW/North), Lee Harvey (GBR/North), Luis Brito (CBV/North)
Heat 4: Mitu Monteiro (CBV/F-One), Jose Djo Silva (CBV/F-One), Cameron Dietrich (USA)
Heat 5: Mauricio Pedreira (BRA), Sebastian Ribeiro (BRA), Matchu Almeida (CBV/North)
Heat 6: Sky Solbach (USA/North), Nuno Figueiredo (POR/Best),  Joao Stopani Santos (POR)
Heat 7: Juan Pablo Diban (CHI), Etienne Lhote (FRA/F-One), Ian Glaza (BRA)
Heat 8: Airton Cozzolino (ITA/North), Bear Karry (USA), Diego Anta (SPN)

WOMEN

Heat 1: Kristin Boese (GER/Best), Ninja Bichler (MRU/North), Tomoko Okazaki (JPN)
Heat 2: Marie Gautron (FRA/Naish), Kirsty Jones (GBR/North), Dianira Lopes (CBV)
Heat 3: Melissa Gil (USA), Maayke Tadema (NED/Best), Adriana Harlan (HAW)
Heat 4: Ines Correia (POR), Suzanne Kuiper (NED/F-One), Odile Cavin (FRA)

The 2011 Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro will be broadcast live, each day, so stay tuned and follow the action via the live webcast and live scoring.

Video Clip of the Day

Watch the Live Broadcast

The KSP 2011 Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro is supported by Camera Municipal do Sal, Cape Verde Investment Promotion Agency, CVTelecom, Melia Tortuga Beach, Villaggi Bravo, Cabocan, TAP Portugal, ASA, APP, Sal Affitti and BoinxTV. The KSP World Championship Tour is sponsored by ION and Vitamizzer.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 2 (3 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 2

Contest directors selected Ponta Preta as the most suitable location to commence the Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro this morning, while still keeping a close eye on Secrets (the secondary contest site). The world-famous break proved to be the best choice, although the inconsistent conditions left the contest largely in standby mode.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro | Photo by Roberto Foresti

The competition eventually got underway, however most of the day consisted of waiting for the wind and/or waves to improve while many riders surfed the break during the downtime. At midday, Bastien Bollard (FRA/Underground) and Paulino Pereira (POR) faced the reigning Kitesurfing World Champion, Guilly Brandao (BRA), in Men’s Heat 1.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro | Photo by Roberto Foresti

Brandao delivered the day’s top performance including a nice cover-up, scoring himself a 7.33 for his best wave and a 13.5 heat score.

The men’s heat 2 was completed, but later withdrawn as agreed upon by the riders and contest directors due to the inconsistent conditions. It will be re-run following the men’s heat 8 when conditions permit.

At around four o’clock, organizers decided to postpone until tomorrow, due to the conditions. Competitors then returned to their all-inclusive accommodations at the nearby Villaggi Bravo while the KSP staff headed back to the beautiful Melia Tortuga Beach hotel, just a short walk from Ponta Preta.

Video Clip of the Day

Check out the Photos of the day: Photos Day 2

Watch the Live Broadcast

Tomorrow morning, event directors will reassess conditions, making the first call at 8 a.m. via the live webstream. The earliest possible start will be at 9 a.m.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 3 (4 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 3

Competitors were faced with strong wind and small, inconsistent surf at the primary contest venue of Sal Island’s Ponta Preta in Cape Verde this morning. KSP Head Judge Brad Price made the call to move competitors to the back-up location at “Secret Spot” along Sal’s rocky and dusty North Shore.

Super Session | Photo by Roberto Foresti

The conditions proved to be more consistent at Secrets with waves in the waist to head-high range and strong, gusty side-offshore wind. However, KSP officials deemed the less than ideal conditions non-contestable and opted not to run heats. Instead, a Super Session got underway with men and women competitors being split off into groups of six for 20 minute “heats” to capture images and video footage of the world’s best kitesurfers ripping apart the small waves. KSP judges were also on hand to rank the riders based on overall impression.

Super Session | Photo by Roberto Foresti

Local boy and KSP rankings leader Airton Cozzolino (North – ITA) put on a great show for his “home” crowd with powerful snaps in the pocket and fluid style, but it wasn’t enough to take the win over the regular-footer from the USA, Bear Karry, who showed lots of variety, picked off the best sets and linked together a string of critical manoeuvres to take the win. Another regular footer, fellow American Sky Solbach, (North) came in third.

Super Session | Photo by Roberto Foresti

On the women’s side, Adriana Harlan (BRA) was on fire, picking off great set waves and linking fluid turns with precise execution. Adriana took the win over Kirsty Jones (North – UK) who also rode incredibly well and showed great control and style in the challenging conditions. Kristin Boese (Best – GER) came in a close third on her natural stance.

Video Clip of the Day

Check out the Photos of the day: Photos Day 3

Watch the Live Broadcast

Men’s Super Session Results

1. Bear Karry (USA)
2. Airton Cozzolino (North-ITA)
3. Sky Solbach (North – USA)

Women’s Super Session Results

1. Adriana Harlan (BRA)
2. Kirsty Jones (North – UK)
3. Kristin Boese (Best – GER)

Super Session | Photo by Roberto Foresti

The forecast for the week is predicting a decrease in swell and it is unlikely the competition will resume given the poor outlook. However, Sal offers many great spots even when the surf is small and KSP contest directors expect to run more Super Sessions in the coming week.

Tomorrow morning, event directors will re-assess the conditions and make the first call at 9:30am via the live webstream.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 4 (5 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 4

Arising to strong winds and a meager swell at both Ponta Preta and Secrets, event directors deemed the day’s conditions uncontestable for the KSP’s Kitesurfing World Championships. Rather than forcing a contest in less-than-favorable conditions, another fun laidback expression session ensued.

Super Session II | Photo by Roberto Foresti

On Sal Island’s southeastern shore, Kite Beach provided the venue where competitors took to the water mid-day. Amidst onshore winds and small surf, KSP riders showcased the progressive side of kitesurfing, battling it out in 12-minute-long heats. Two men’s heats kicked things off, followed by one women’s heat, then a men’s final.

With a plethora of powered and technical tricks, Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North) — who trains regularly in Cape Verde — and Bear Karry (USA) advanced from the first heat to the finals, where they met up with local riders Jose Djo Silva (Cape Verde/F-One) and Matchu Almeida (Cape Verde/North) who threw an equally impressive array of stylish, fluid moves.

Super Session II | Photo by Roberto Foresti

The sole women’s heat followed, which included Adriana Harlan (Hawaii) — who won yesterday’s Super Session in the head-high surf at Secrets — Ines Correia (Portugal), Kirsty Jones (United Kingdom/North), Kristin Boese (Germany/Best), Maayke Tadema (Netherlands/Best) and Odile Cavin (France). With her fluid wave riding, a variety of progressive moves and attempting some high-difficulty tricks such a 360 shove-it transition, Jones took the win. Adriana Harlan and Odile Cavin earned second and third, respectively.

Super Session II | Photo by Roberto Foresti

Then in a non-stop barrage of progressive maneuvers in the Men’s Final, the American Karry faced three hometown riders: Almeida, Cozzolino and Silva. Just about every trick in the book went down, ranging from air reverses, ole 360s, handle passes and shove-its to board varials, body varials, re-entries, massive ollies, innovative transitions, melan backroll 180 body varials and much more. Cozzolino took the win in the close matchup, with Almeida, Silva and Karry placing second through fourth, respectively.

Video Clip of the Day

Check out the Photos of the day: Photos Day 4

MEN’S SUPER SESSION RESULTS

1. Airton Cozzolino (ITA/North)
2. Matchu Almeida (CBV/North)
3. Jose Djo Silva (CBV/F-One)

WOMEN’S SUPER SESSION RESULTS

1. Kirsty Jones (UK/North)
2. Adriana Harlan (Hawaii)
3. Odile Cavin (France)

Super Session II | Photo by Roberto Foresti

Watch the Live Broadcast

At night Villaggi Bravo threw a beach party, where KSP riders and staff partied well into the night.

Coupled with a minimal swell, wind is expected to be lighter tomorrow. Event directors will re-assess conditions and make the first call at 9:30am.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 5 (6 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 5

With wind and waves lacking this morning at the 9:30am rider’s meeting, KSP organizers called a lay day.

Less than promising, the wave forecast projects no swell for the final five days of the Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro’s 10-day holding period. Given the dismal forecast, KSP organizers and the rider’s committee made a joint decision to move the awards ceremony forward to Wednesday, December 7.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro - Cape Verde

“The KSP’s aim is to run events in prime locations in the prime seasons, ideally in world class conditions,” states Sky Solbach, Vice President of the KSP World Championship Tour. “But even with a 10-day holding period and prime locations on the schedule you cannot guarantee to get the conditions.”

While sufficient swell failed to materialize for the event, some swell did hit Cape Verde’s Sal Island during the holding period. However, event directors only allowed the completion of one heat, as the surf fell far below the KSP’s contestable standards.

“From the KSP’s perspective,” Solbach says, “we would rather not run a competition than run a competition in poor conditions where riders are not able to ride to their full potential and which does not reflect positively on the image of kitesurfing.”

Concluding the third leg of the KSP’s World Championship Kite Surfing Tour awards for the expression sessions held will be given away tomorrow night at Odjo d’ Agua. As the highlight of the event, the KSP will also crown the men’s and women’s 2011 Kite Surfing World Champions.

Don’t miss the live webstream broadcast, starting at 7 p.m. Cape Verdean time.

Watch the Live Broadcast

The KSP 2011 Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro is supported by Camera Municipal do Sal, Cape Verde Investment Promotion Agency, CVTelecom, Melia Tortuga Beach, Villaggi Bravo, Cabocan, TAP Portugal, ASA, APP, Sal Affitti and BoinxTV. The KSP World Championship Tour is sponsored by ION and Vitamizzer.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 6 (7 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 6

Cabo Verde 2011 – Wrap Up Video!

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Awards Ceremony

Day 7 (8 December)

KSP Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Update 7 – Awards Ceremony

The Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro came to a close today, concluding the KSP’s inaugural three-stop 2011 Kite Surfing World Championship Tour.

Airton Cozzolino and Inês Correia

Congratulations to Airton Cozzolino and Inês Correia, the 2011 KSP World Tour champions!

“We had insane conditions on tour this year,” said KSP rider and Vice President Sky Solbach. “ We scored the most perfect surf ever seen in competition in Mauritius and the longest waves on the planet in Peru. Unfortunately Mother Nature did not cooperate in Cape Verde, but we still had a blast in the Super Sessions here.”

Due to the bleak swell forecast for the remainder of the 10-day holding period, yesterday, the KSP rider’s committee decided along with KSP organizers to end the competition early following the two Super Sessions in varying conditions.

According to the KSP contest rules all 24 men at this Cape Verdean tour stop received an equal number of points (4,365), which go toward the 2011 World Championship title. The 12 female riders each earned 5,265 points. Overall, 64 riders from 20 countries competed on the inaugural KSP Tour.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro - Awards Ceremony

Kicking off at 7 p.m. last night at the beachside venue of Odjo d’ Agua in downtown Santa Maria, KSP officials awarded the Cape Verde Super Session winners and crowned the 2011 World Champions.

In the women’s Super Session Overall, Kirsty Jones (UK/North) took first, with Adriana Harlan (Hawaii) placing second and Kristin Boese (Best/Germany) coming in third. On the men’s front Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North) took first, with Bear Karry (USA) and local wild card winner Jose Djo Silva (Cape Verde/F-One) coming in second and third, respectively.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro 2011

The prize giving then turned to the coveted World Championships, the culminated results from the One Eye Kite Surf Pro in Le Morne, Mauritius, the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro in Pacasmayo, Peru and the Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro in Santa Maria, Cape Verde — held at three of the best kite surfing locations in the world.

On the women’s podium, 9-time World Champion Kristin Boese (Germany/Best) took third place, with Marie Gautron (France/Naish) coming in second and the young Portuguese rider Ines Correia taking the World Championship title.

The men’s podium saw 2010 Kitesurfing World Champion and winner of the second KSP Tour stop in Peru, Guilly Brandao (Brazil), in third place and local Cape Verdean hero Mitu Monteiro (F-One) in second. However, it was Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North), winner of the first tour stop in Mauritius and second place finisher in Peru who stole the crowd’s hearts. In an emotional interview, the native Cape Verdean could not fight back his tears of joy after being carried onto the podium by his local crew and graciously accepting his first ever World Championship trophy in front of his home crowd.

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro 2011

“I am so happy. Thank you to everyone. It’s a dream come true,” said the near-speechless Cozzolino.

Awards Ceremony Video

Check out the Photos from the awards ceremony: Prize Giving Photos

Watch the Live Broadcast

PONTA PRETA KITE SURF PRO SUPER SESSION RESULTS

Men’s Super Session Day 1 at Secrets:

1. Bear Karry (USA)
2. Airton Cozzolino (North-ITA)
3. Sky Solbach (North – USA)

Women’s Super Session Day 1 at Secrets:

1. Adriana Harlan (BRA)
2. Kirsty Jones (North – UK)
3. Kristin Boese (Best – GER)

Men’s Super Session Day 2 at Kite Beach:

1. Airton Cozzolino (ITA/North)
2. Matchu Almeida (CBV/North)
3. Jose Djo Silva (CBV/F-One)

Women’s Super Session Day 2 at Kite Beach:

1. Kirsty Jones (UK/North)
2. Adriana Harlan (Hawaii)
3. Odile Cavin (France)

Men’s Overall Super Session:

1. Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North)
2. Bear Karry (USA)
3. Jose Djo Silva (Cape Verde/F-One)

2011 KITE SURFING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RANKINGS

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro 2011

MEN

1. Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North)
2. Mitu Monteiro (Cape Verde/F-One)
3. Guilly Brandao (Brazil)
4. Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil)
5. Sky Solbach (USA/North)
6. Jesse Richman (Hawaii/Naish)
7. Juan Pablo Diban (Chile), Patri McLaughlin (Hawaii/North)
8. Etienne Lhote (France/F-One)
9. Jeremie Eloy (France/North), Lee Harvey (UK/North)
10. Nuno Figueiredo (Portugal/Best)
11. Bruno Bordovsky (Brazil), Sebastien Ribeiro (Brazil)
12. Bastien Bollard (France/Underground), Bear Karry (USA)
13. Filippe Ferreira (Brazil)
14. John Amundson (Hawaii/North), Marc Ramseier (Switzerland), Max Bonieux (Mauritius), Oswald Smith (South Africa)
15. Cameron Dietrich (USA), Diego Anta Lopez (Spain), Gonzalo Ribba (Chile), Ian Glaza (Brazil), Jacobo Said (Peru), Joao Stopani (Portugal), Jose Djo Silva (Cape Verde), Juan Antonio Gordillo (Peru), Luis Brito (Cape Verde), Matchu Almeida (Cape Verde), Patrick Desvaux (Mauritius), Paulino Pereira (Portugal)
16. Gunnar Biniasch (Germany/Underground), Gustavo Foerster (Brazil), Herve Boure (France), Jamie Donaldson (USA), Libero Cozzolino (Italy), Mark Moore (Canada), Nans Laviolette (La Reunion), Octavio Chaine (Argentina), Paulo Rios (Peru), Scott Peterson (USA), Sebastien Schmitt (La Reunion)

WOMEN

1. Ines Correia (Portugal)
2. Marie Gautron (France/Naish)
3. Kristin Boese (Germany/Best)
4. Melissa Gil (USA)
5. Maayke Tadema (Netherlands/Best), Ninja Bichler (Mauritius/North)
6. Kirsty Jones (UK/North)
7. Kelly Strachan (USA)
8. Adriana Harlan (Hawaii), Suzanne Kuiper (Netherlands/F-One)
9. Erika Lindberg (Sweden)
10. Milla Knesse-Ferreira (Brazil)
11. Steph Bridge (UK/North)
12. Dianira Lopes (Cape Verde), Elsa Saintville (Mauritius), Odile Cavin (France), Tomoko Okazaki (Japan)
13. Celina Guardati (Argentina), Laurel Eastman (USA/Best), Muriel Vandenbempt (France)

The 2012 KSP World Championship Tour schedule will be released on February 1, 2012. Once again, the lineup of venues promises world-class exotic locations across the globe to showcase high-performance kitesurfing in the world’s best waves by the world’s best riders.

The KSP 2011 Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro was supported by Camera Municipal do Sal, Cape Verde Investment Promotion Agency, CVTelecom, Melia Tortuga Beach, Villaggi Bravo, Cabocan, TAP Portugal, ASA, APP, Sal Affitti and BoinxTV. The KSP World Championship Tour is sponsored by ION and Vitamizzer.

One Eye Pro Live Web Broadcast

If you are lucky enough to be at the Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro, or if you have been following the action via the live broadcast, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below… What do you think of the event so far and who do you think is going to walk away with the world championship title?

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. KSP World Tour: Peru Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Results
2. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro Results
3. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro

Congratulations to Kari Schibevaag from Stavanger, Norway!

It has been a very exciting competition, with the leader-board changing a number of times as the vote’s poured in.

While we think all the girls are doing remarkable things for kiting and their communities, there can of course only be one winner.

Prizes

Kari will receive prizes courtesy of our generous sponsors, Fuel Clothing, Litewave Kiteboards and Hookit.

Kari will also feature as cover girl of the next issue of the fantastic Kitegirl Magazine, available from the end of January 2012. In addition Kari will appear on the Fuel Clothing and Hookit websites.

Kari Schibevaag | Photo by Youri Zoon

Final Competition Results

Of course it was a tough competition, with so many girl kiters doing great things for their communities and the sport. We were very happy to shine a spotlight on them, and hopefully see them get a little more recognition for the good work they are doing.

Congratulations to all the finalists:

Our top 10 finalists will also be featured in Kitegirl Magazine in January and in the Edge Magazine in February. So stay tuned to read more about them!

Kari Schibevaag: Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011

Kari Schibevaag | Photo by Youri Zoon

Kari competes in and has won world titles in both kitesurfing and snowkiting. She now spends more and more of her time in the waves, which she says she loves the most.

Kari has had huge success running girls kite camps in and outside of Norway.

“When I am holding camps it’s cool to see how happy people get when they are trying it for the first time. It’s amazing and I see myself in them. I was just the same, full power and really want to learn,” she says.

Read the full interview with Kari here.

Thanks

We couldn’t have run this competition without the support of our wonderful sponsors and supporters.

A special thanks goes out to everyone who voted and helped spread the word. With a final total of 4 298 votes, we are blown away by the response from the kiting community! You have all played an important role in creating awareness and promoting girls in kitesurfing.

We are already looking forward to planning next year’s competition, so watch this space.

Thanks again and Good winds!

The inMotion Kitesurfing Team

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Related posts:

1. Get Your Vote On: Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011!
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3. Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011 Launch

Kite spot review site, Kitespotters recently explored the kitesurfing at Rodrigues Island, a beautiful island paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean that will simply take your breath away.

Rodrigues Island

Named after the Portuguese explorer Diego Rodriguez, Rodrigues Island is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands. With a peak elevation of approximately 355 meters, Rodrigues is located 560 km east of Mauritius. The island is 96 km² in size, and surrounded by a coral reef. The reef creates a perfect turquoise flat water lagoon around the island, with soft white sand below your feet, and without all the broken coral pieces you would expect if you were in Mauritius. The lagoon stretches as far as the eye can see, offering perfect freestyle kiteboarding conditions, often with not another kitesurfer in sight.

Kitesurfing Heaven at Rodrigues Island

Kitesurfing at Rodrigues Island

The South-east trade winds blow straight from Western Australia with the strongest winds being from June to October. The wind is lighter in the mornings and picks up in the afternoons. The average wind strength is about 20 – 25 knots and offers ideal kiteboarding conditions for any beginner to professional. Often these winds can continue to blow right through to December. Rodrigues unbeknown to many offers some world class surf breaks on the outer reef which is 10km offshore. Getting to the best spots will require a ski boat for support and somewhere to store those ice cold beers after that perfect session.

At low water springs, shallows do appear in some areas but other than that it is possible to kitesurf at all states of the tide. A trip with the ski boat to some of the sand bars inside the reef during low tide will often leave you weak at the knees with the breath taking views of turquoise waters, white sand beaches and not a soul in sight or maybe it was just from the exhaustion of kitesurfing all day, either way this little island will get under your skin.

Video: Kitesurfing Rodrigues Island

Kite Spots

Ebony Mouroke Beach

The beach in front of the hotel is a wide open beach, the sand is soft and offers plenty of space to launch a kite. The Osmosis Kite Centre is right on the beach and managed by Jerome. The kite centre is full of atmosphere with a great vibe. The staff are amazing, and very helpful, making any beginner feel safe at all times. For the intermediate kitesurfer, the lagoon in front of the hotel offers wide open waters to practice those freestyle moves, with the water only being about 1.5 m deep most of the time. The SE blows slight cross on shore and with a long tack you can make your way out to the reef along the east side of the Island. The reef here offers a perfect small break that runs an awesome wave for about 50 – 80 meters. If you get the chance to look down while you’re riding you can spot the parrot fish with their amazing colours against the coral reef.

Mourouk Ebony Hotel

Jimmy’s Pass

This is a world famous surf break that has been both windsurfed and kitesurfed, but it’s not something that can be done alone. If you are familiar with ”One Eye” in Mauritius it will give you an idea of what you can be up against, and on a good day you can times that by six.

Jimmy's Pass

The reef lies on the west side of the Island for which you will need a boat. Speak to Jerome at the Osmosis Kite Centre to help with your arrangements.(See Video)

Video: Club Osmosis – Rodrigues Kitesurfing

Sand Bar

The Sand Bar is on the way to Jimmy’s Pass. It’s a small sand bank large enough to rig your kite and launch from. The water around the bar is super smooth and glassy and offers perfect speed board conditions. Heads up for the crabs on the beach, they are not used to humans.

Rodrigues Island Kiteboarding

How to Get There

From JHB, Durban or Cape Town you can fly direct to Mauritius using Air Mauritius or SAA return for roughly about R 7 000 (US$ 860) and then a connecting flight onwards on Air Mauritius for about R 1 700 (US$ 210) return to Rodrigues, which takes approximately 45 minutes. There is a baggage limit of 20 kg on Air Mauritius to Rodrigues, and this includes sport equipment. What more do you need other than your kite equipment, board shorts and a passport?

Accommodation

There are two international hotels on the island:

The Cotton Bay on the north-east coast which has its own little beach, and the Mourouk Ebony on the south-east coast where the Osmosis kitesurf centre is based.

The accommodation here is awesome, offering a wide range of sporting activities and games for children and a perfect holiday spot for a family with kids. Room rates are about R 750 (US$ 92) per room per night.

In a small corner of paradise, next to the Mourouk Ebony is a charming guest lodge called la Belle Rodriguaise offering you a peaceful place with twelve fully furnished en-suite rooms available to those seeking authenticity, tranquillity and exoticism, in a quiet place surrounded by beaches. (See Video)

Video: LeBelle Hotel Rodrigues

On your days off you can enjoy free cooking classes on request, as well as massage, swimming pool and spa. Hiking and mountain bike hire are also available. Make sure to use Kitespotters as a reference here and you will receive great discounts. Room rates cost about R 600 (US$ 74) per room per night.

Food & Beer

Rodrigues is famous for its dry octopus, salted fish and pickled chillies! Also look out for “Rougaille saucisse” – a red sauce with sausages, black lentils and white rice.

If you want international cuisine as well as local dishes, go to the restaurants in the hotels: ‘Le Bois d’Ebene’ in the Mourak Ebony. Or try “Le Capitaine” in Port Mathurin. It’s worth trying some of the little local shops for their cuisines, but be selective on items, you will know what I mean when you enter this little ‘spaza’ shop in the middle of nowhere. The Rodriguans are predominantly Creole and pride themselves on their warm hospitality so don’t feel shy to say hello.

Local Spaza

Alcohol in the hotels is very expensive, so if you are up for a local Phoenix beer, try the local spaza shops which cost roughly R 12 (US$ 1.48) a beer or dare to try their local Green Island rum for about R 80 (US$ 9.80) a bottle.

Nightlife

Unless you get invited to the owner of Mourak Ebony’s infamous cocktail parties, you came to the wrong island for a party. The island pretty much shuts down when the sun sets. So stock up those beers and enjoy the island tranquillity.

Travel Tips

The islands are prone to tropical cyclones from December to February. April to June and September to November are usually the most pleasant months. The air temperatures vary between 14ºC and 22ºC in winter and average about 30ºC in summer. Take light, comfortable clothing and protective wear for the tropical sun and rain. Don’t forget to pack insect repellent, personal medication and your toiletries. Water temperatures are roughly 18ºC so wetsuits are not necessary.

Visit the Kitespotters website for detailed reviews on kitesurfing spots in Southern Africa.

Written by

Kitespotters

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This tutorial continues from the first and second in our series of kitesurfing tutorials, Riding Upwind and learning How to Jump. If you missed these lessons, and you are learning to kitesurf, you might want to read them as well.

Board Grab

Now that you’ve mastered your jumps, start to throw a bit more style into it by getting a grab in. The easiest grabs to start with are the Tail Grab or Indy Grab.

Tail Grab

Keep your hands closer to the centre of the bar so that you don’t turn the kite once you take your one hand off. As soon as you are in the air and you have your kite in position above your head, take your back hand off the bar, bend your knees and grab the tail of your board. To start with just grab the part of the board that feels most comfortable to you.

Board Grab Sequence | Rider: Sinisa

Hold the grab for as long as you can and preferably through the highest point of your jump. Once you start coming down put both hands back on the bar, spot your landing and once you are close to the water, redirect your kite in the direction you want to ride away in.

Indy Grab

With the Indy Grab, you grab the board on the toeside edge (the side of your board your toes point to) directly between your feet.

Indy Grab | Rider: Stevo

Indy Grab Instructional Video

Once you master the Tail Grab and Indy Grab, start thinking about grabbing the board in other areas of your board (see diagram below), or extending one of your legs once you’ve grabbed the board to tweak it out and add more style.

Board Grab Positions

These grabs can be combined with any other aerial trick, taking your kitesurfing progression to new heights.

As always, we love hearing from you, so feel free to ask questions in the comments below and we will happily help you.

Written by

Calvin Da Silva (Kitesports)

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Related posts:

1. Kitesurfing Progression: How to Jump
2. Kitesurfing Progression: Riding Upwind
3. Beginners Guide to Kitesurfing: Getting Started

While the Envirosurfer infographic targets the surf industry specifically, many of these effects and dangers are directly applicable to the kitesurfing industry as well. We use similar materials and techniques in the construction of our boards, the fast growing trend towards kitesurfing strapless (see the level of wave riding on the KSP Pro Tour) means we are using more board wax, and we use the same wetsuits and sunscreen that surfers do.

Click the image for the full sized infographic.

Created by Envirosurfer. The eco-friendly surf shop.

While you may argue the exact numbers in the report, there is little doubt that we are producing and consuming a large amount of potentially harmful products in our industry, so it is important that we create awareness and asses the way we use and dispose of the products we use as kitesurfers and surfers.

Let us know what you think of this and share your own ideas on how we can protect the environment, in the comments below. Please help us create awareness by spreading the word, or sharing this article.

Thanks.

The inMotion Kitesurfing Team

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1. Kitesurfing: Taking Surfing to New Heights

So here’s my take on the Mutiny F-Series.

Test Conditions

Variety of conditions encountered – from flat-water to monster waves and swell. Wind from 15 – 40kts.

The Kite

It is a hybrid kite, has 5 struts and is built with quality and performance in mind, using all the best materials available so far in kite manufacturing. It is solid – proven by being absolutely munched in monster swell, (not once, but twice!) dragged out the surf looking like a wrung-out towel and not seeming any worse for the wear! Colours are bright and striking and it looks good in the air.

F-Series Bar Setup

The bar is marketed as an entity on its own; it’s that good! And can be used on any kite that is set up to have all lines even when it’s fully powered up on the trim line and the bar is pulled all the way in. It is a solid one-piece aluminium bar covered by hand-stitched chamois leather type covering called, ‘Gecko Grip’. It is firm and soft at the same time and allows you to kite the whole day without getting sore hands. There is a huge swivel on the front lines that just works in untwisting your lines after all those kite-loops. De-power is always within reach above the bar and uses a clam-cleat system which is very easy to trim. Different line attachment points also enable you to adjust the bar width from 48cm to 52cm for smaller or bigger kites, or to have more or less bar pressure.

Lines are 25m long. 360kg load. The kite can be flown on 4 or 5-lines setup. The 5th line and attachments are included in the bag. A spare chicken loop and centre rope are also included in the bag.

Mutiny F-Series Video: Bar Teaser

Initial Feel

Just pumping the kite up you can feel it wants to fly. It bucks and jumps around on the pump leash, begging to get airborne. Once in the air, at first you feel as if you might have too small a kite up or something because it doesn’t feel like you are being pulled at all. And yet – you are actually cruising comfortably! There is very little bar pressure but you still know where the kite is. And that bar… it’s just so comfy in your hands! The designers have built the kite with aerodynamics in mind and as such there is very little drag, enabling the kite to fly in a sniff of wind and giving them a huge wind-range.

Mutiny F-Series

Jumping

With this kite I have been boosting bigger and with more confidence than ever before. The kite just always seems to be where it should be, and if not, the slightest adjustment gets it back where it belongs enabling you to have soft, floaty landings. It really is very forgiving and always drifts back toward the edge of the window no matter how much you over-cook it. Because of the long throw on the bar, (adjustable using the moveable cleat block), it gives a big power range that enables you to generate tons of lift just by pulling the bar in.

I stood on the beach the one day in strong wind easily holding down a 9m Mutiny F-Series, and just by pulling in the bar I was lifted a good few meters into the air, and it felt like I would have kept going up if I hadn’t eased out on the bar and floated smoothly back down.

Free Riding

Because of its smooth pull the kite never feels like you are being yanked around so you are confident to do tricks, jumps and kite loops. The power delivery is constant however hard you choose to throw the kite around and it soaks up gusts effortlessly. This kite was built for smooth effortless riding!

Mutiny F-Series

Waves

The Mutiny F-Series is a great kite for wave riding. No bar pressure so all that kite manoeuvring doesn’t leave you with kiter’s elbow and pumped up forearms – you can kite for hours! Unhooked or hooked-in you always know where the kite is and what it’s doing and there is no back-stalling if you haven’t over-sheeted it. Its light weight allows it to just drift downwind without pulling you off the wave, allowing you to concentrate on properly surfing the wave. This kite also screams upwind so while everybody else is tacking to the horizon and back, you are almost riding just between mid-break and backline.

High Wind Performance

I only weigh about 60kgs and I’ve been out on the 7m F-series in wind gusting 40 knots – and I never once felt over powered. The long throw on the bar, (standard is 40cm but can be adjusted to 60cm if you want that much), gives you confidence that the kite will depower when you push the bar away, and gives the kite a huge wind range.

Mutiny F-Series Wingtip

I am an instructor and it can be a problem with my light weight in strong winds when I have to teach big students because I have to be able to take the kite from my student at times. I’ve experienced this using a 9m Mutiny F-Series and I had no problem holding down the kite and never felt unsafe. This one guy, who has a Mutiny 7m, was caught in over 40 knot winds and was able to come in and land the kite quite safely!

Upwind

The Mutiny F-Series screams upwind more than any other kite I’ve flown! Even on light-wind days I’ve been able to stay upwind while others are walking back up the beach. The kite is so aerodynamic and light that it hardly needs any wind to fly while still generating plenty of lift. There is no canopy flutter due to the substantial trailing edge batons and tight canopy construction.

2011/2012 Mutiny F-Series Pros & Cons

Pros

• An all-round smooth, easy kite to fly – at all levels.
• Easy re-launch – just pull the back line and it spins around on its leading edge.
• Excellent, solid build quality.
• Good clam-style opening storage bag that looks small but just swallows up the kite, with a separate front pocket for the bar, spares, etc.
• Amazingly comfortable bar, with simple functionality that just works.

F-Series Bags

Cons

• I found that I needed to add another knot in the back line attachment points as there is a bit of a ‘dead’ spot without it – especially on the 9m for some reason.
• Velcro patch to hold free end of the depower line onto the clam cleat is a good thought but a waste of time – it comes off on the first use.
• The clear silicone inflate tubes tend to crack and split quite easily so have your spares with you.
• Chicken lock is too flimsy but apparently that is being addressed.
• Inflate valve is ridiculously ‘tight’. You can hardly push the pump handle down so I just use the deflate valve to inflate the kite.

Who Should Buy a Mutiny F-Series?

Any beginner, intermediate, or advanced free rider, and especially any dedicated wave rider of any level right up to expert.

For more information or to purchase the 2011 / 2012 F-Series kite in South Africa, visit Mutiny South Africa. To find a dealer internationally, visit the Mutiny Kites Dealer Locator.

Written by

Bruce Gaynham

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. Naish Park 2011 Review: Park vs. Torch
2. Top 10 Hottest Kitesurfing Products for 2012
3. Kitesurfing Progression: How to Jump

Over 2 500  people have voted already and things are really heating up with the leaderboard changing almost on an hourly basis at times! Check it out for yourself, and while you are over there, cast your vote for your favourite girl.

If you have been following the action closely on the other hand, you may have noticed that the vote counts dropped recently, and you’re probably wondering what happened.

Well, as with anything that gains this much public attention and interest, some very enthusiastic fans found ways of creating mass votes to artificially inflate the vote counts.

However, as per our competition rules, and to ensure that the competition remains fair for all involved, these duplicate votes have been disqualified. The resulting vote counts are the true number of individual votes received by each of the contestants- no legitimate votes were lost in this process. We have also tightened up the security on the voting poll to prevent this happening again, having allowed a looser control so far so as not to exclude any legitimate voters.

We want to thank everyone who has voted so far for your support, and for helping to spread the word. The overwhelming response shows just how special these girls are!

PS: If you have any problems voting, please do not hesitate to contact us. Remember, only one vote per person will be accepted.

Related posts:

1. Get Your Vote On: Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011!
2. And the Winner is…
3. Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer: Last Chance to Nominate

This second leg on the 2011 Kitesurfing World Pro Tour calendar, the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro, will run from 19 to 28 October 2011, in the town of Pacasmayo in Northern Peru. Pacasmayo is an epic wave riding spot known for its insanely long left-hand waves.

The world’s top pro kitesurfers are competing for the coveted KSP (Kitesurf Pro Tour) World Title, with the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro being the second of three World Championship Wave Riding Tour stops.

We will be updating this article with the latest competition results and kitesurfing news from Pacasmayo on a daily basis, so refer back to this article on our website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date with this prestigious kitesurfing event.

A full report and results from the first and final leg of the KSP World Tour can be found here:

Mauritius One Eye Pro | Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro | 2012 World Tour Schedule

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 1 (19 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 1

On the first day of the 10-day holding period of the Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro, the second leg of the 2011 KSP World Championship Kitesurfing Tour, KSP officials called a lay day, anticipating the swell to ramp up later this week.

“We are putting the contest on hold for the day,” states KSP Head Judge Brad Price. “We anticipate getting underway in great surf this weekend.”

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Competitors spent the past two days kitesurfing waist to head high waves and relaxing at the El Faro Adventure Resort. The KSP competitors also received a grand welcome from Pacasmayo with a magnificent parade through the town’s centre yesterday.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Round 1 Match-ups

MEN

Heat 1: Mauricio Pedreira (BRA), Bastien Bollard (FRA), Juan Antonio Gordillo (PER
Heat 2: Bruno Bordovsky (BRA), Nuno Figueiredo (POR), Felippe Ferreira (BRA)
Heat 3: Patri McLaughlin (HI), Guilly Brandao (BRA), Bear Karry (USA)
Heat 4: Mitu Monteiro (CBV), Paulo Rios (POR), Sebastian Ribeiro (BRA)
Heat 5: Jesse Richman (HI), Etienne Lhote (FRA), Mark Moore (CAN)
Heat 6: Juan Pablo Diban (CHI), Lee Harvey (GBR), Octavio Chaine (ARG)
Heat 7: Sky Solbach (USA), Jeremie Eloy (FRA), Scott Peterson (USA)
Heat 8: Airton Cozzolino (ITA), Jacobo Said (PER), Libero Cozzolino (ITA)

WOMEN

Heat 1: Ines Correia (POR), Maayka Tadema (NED), Milla Knese (BRA)
Heat 2: Kristin Boese (GER), Erika Lindberg (SWE), Kristy Jones (GBR)
Heat 3: Melissa Gil (USA), Kelly Strachan (USA), Laurel Eastman (USA)
Heat 4: Marie Gautron (FRA), Adriana Harlan (HI), Celina Guardati (ARG)

The 2011 Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro will be broadcast live, each day, so stay tuned and follow the action via the live webcast and live scoring.

Here’s the video clip of the day

Watch the Live Broadcast

The KSP 2011 Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro is sponsored by Prom Peru and presented by the El Faro Resort and Pacasmayo Cementos. The KSP World Championship Tour is sponsored by ION essentials and Vitamizzer.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 2 (20 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 2

KSP organizers called a second consecutive lay day today at the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro, opting to wait for solid waves to arrive on Saturday.

So instead, competitors set off in a tour bus to just south of the famous surf break Chicama to visit El Brujo Archaeological Complex and get a taste of Peruvian history.

Here’s the video clip of the day

Watch the Live Broadcast

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 3 (21 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 3

Three days into the 10-day holding period of the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro, KSP officials called a third consecutive lay day for the second stop of the World Championship Kite Surfing Tour.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

The KSP also welcomed Naish Kiteboarding as the latest addition to their growing list of industry members. Naish has committed its full support to the World Championship Kite Surfing Tour and joins existing KSP Industry Members North, Best and Underground, plus F-One, which signed on mid-way through the Mauritius One Eye Pro tour stop.

“It really was a given for us to support the first kite surfing World Championship Tour,” says Naish Kiteboarding brand manager Damien Girardin. “As the pioneer brand of kiteboarding, with Robby Naish considered one of the most famous wave riders in the world, and being based on Maui, Hawaii, Naish has always been at the forefront of kite surfing. We look forward to the KSP World Tour’s continued success and long life.”

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 4 (22 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 4

Despite a favorable forecast, the wind never filled in quite enough to get the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro off the ground today. As head-high sets rolled in throughout the morning and afternoon, the KSP crew kept optimistic and re-assessed the conditions every 30 minutes in hopes of the wind ramping up just a notch.

Known for its lengthy left-hand waves, Pacasmayo gave competitors a taste of just how ridiculously long it can get. Born and raised on Maui, Hawaii, North team rider Patri McLaughlin scored the longest ride of his life.

Dropping in upwind of the lighthouse, McLaughlin concluded his ride by throwing his hands in the air in a state of exhilarated disbelief in front of El Faro Adventure Resort. “My legs were burning,” says McLaughlin. “It was crazy, the sickest thing ever.”

“I’ve never ridden anything even close to that long,” he says. “It was half-mile or three-quarters of a mile long or something! I don’t think there are any waves on Maui that are even half that long.”

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Watch the Live Broadcast

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 5 (23 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 5

The Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro finally got underway late this morning, after four days of waiting for solid conditions to arrive in Northern Peru. In 15 – 20 knots of wind and 5 – 7 ft waves (faces), and going almost until sundown, the Men’s and Women’s Round 1 and Men’s Round 2 were completed at the second KSP World Championship Kite Surfing Tour stop.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

The event took place directly in front of El Faro Adventure Resort, one of the two competition locations along the expansive Pacasmayo point, with both Male and Female riders riding almost exclusively strapless. Nothing short of spectacular, today’s long period swell marched in off the Pacific Ocean and wrapped the point at Pacasmayo, offering super long rides that rolled well past the contest area.

Judged by a six-person team of ISA-accredited judges, each rider’s top two wave scores (on a scale of .1 to 10) counted towards a potential heat score of 20. Top riders stood out with their long top-to-bottom rides, powerful lip bashes, roundhouse cutbacks and long, drawn-out carves — all strapless.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Brandao with a score of 15.27 and McLaughlin (14.83 and 14.53) earned the top heat scores of the men. On the women’s side, Ines Correia (12.67), North rider Kirsty Jones (12.43) and Adriana Harlan (12.43) earned the three highest heat scores. Riding switch on El Faro’s left-hand break, Harlan had never kite-surfed a left prior to coming to Pacasmayo.

There are 34 heats remaining in the Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro and the forecast is once again looking quite solid for tomorrow, calling for six-foot surf (1.9 meters) and 15 – 20 knot winds. Conditions permitting, the double consolidation ladder will commence with Women’s Round 2.

The heat results and upcoming heat order can be viewed at: kspworldtour.com/ladder

Stay tuned for the next live webcast with live scoring.

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 5

Watch the Live Broadcast

Tomorrow morning at 8:55 a.m. (PET), event directors will announce the daily schedule, which will both be live-streamed and posted online — with 10 a.m. as the first possible start of the competition.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 6 (24 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 6

Contest directors made great use of the epic conditions at the main staging area at El Faro (the lighthouse) amidst another day of prime wind and waves. 18 heats were completed, taking the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro all the way up to the Quarter Finals. As head-high sets wrapped around the point all day, once again, riders predominantly kitesurfed unstrapped.

In 15 – 20 knots, the Women’s Round 2 and Men’s Round 3 started the day off with a bang. Early on, Patri McLaughlin’s (HI/North) surf-influenced spectacle of a performance stood out, which looked almost identical to his epic mile-long morning surf sessions. Scoring an 8.57 on one wave (third highest single wave score of the day), McLaughlin earned a 16.06 total heat score — the highest of the whole contest so far.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Two other top demonstrations of surfmanship today came from Felippe Ferreira (BRA), who beat out Mauricio Pedreira (BRA) in Heat 21 by a narrow margin of .67 points, and Guilly Brandao (BRA) who bested Sebastian Ribeiro (BRA) by .67 points as well. The top three single wave scores of the day go to Ferreira (9), Ribeiro (9) and McLaughlin (8.57). McLaughlin’s winning streak unfortunately came to an end when he came up against teammate Sky Solbach (USA/North) in Round 5.

On the women’s side, the three highest single wave scores — 7.5, 7.27 and 6.67 — all belong to one woman, Milla Knesse Ferreira (BRA), whose father is a former pro surfer. The 20-year old who won the Brazilian Kite Tour championship this year (in the discipline of kite surfing), began competitive surfing at the age of six and took up kiting at the tender age of 10.

With her vertical snaps tight in the pocket and impressive rail-to-rail top-to-bottom riding, Knesse Ferreira also earned the two best heat scores of the day — 13.44 and 13.17. As mentioned above, her brother Felippe turned a lot of heads too. With a 12.93, Ines Correia (POR) bagged the third highest women’s heat score.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Overall, day six of second stop of the World Champion Kite Surfing tour saw a number of almost-too-close-to-call heats and loads of incredible action — mostly of the unstrapped and surf-like flavor.

Eight men’s heats remain in the competition, which will kick off the next day of action with two Brazilian Quarter Final showdowns: Ferreira vs. Ribeiro in Heat 29 and Brandao vs. Pedreira in Heat 30. (All four competitors call Pacasmayo a go-to training ground.) Then Etienne Lhote (FRA/F-One) will face Sky Solbach (USA/North) and former Kite Surf World Champion Mitu Monteiro (CBV/F-One) will square off with the rising star Airton Cozzolino (ITA/North). Women’s Semi Finals will start with Kirsty Jones (GBR/North) vs. Milla Knesse Ferreira (BRA), followed by Kelly Strachan (USA) vs. Ines Correia (POR).

The heat results and upcoming heat order can be viewed at: kspworldtour.com/ladder

Stay tuned for the next live webcast with live scoring.

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 6

Watch the Live Broadcast

Tomorrow morning at 8:55 a.m. (PET), event directors will assess the day’s outlook and announce the daily schedule, which will both be live-streamed and posted online — with 10 a.m. as the first possible start of the competition.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 7 (25 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Update 7: Finals

Bringing the second stop of the World Championship Kite Surfing Tour to a close, day seven of the 10-day holding period delivered another dose of world-class conditions and next-level action. Throughout the final 12 heats, competitors rode once again predominantly strapless, drawing lines comparable to high-level surfing.

With the wind making an early appearance at the lighthouse staging area this morning, fifteen- to 20-knot winds and overhead waves peeling around the lighthouse point awaited the first Men’s Quarter Final face-off.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Brazilian rippers Felippe Ferreira and reigning World Champion Guilly Brandao each won their heats, setting them up for a surf-style showdown in the Semifinals. Then in one of the closest heats of the day, Sky Solbach (USA/North) beat out Etienne Lhote (FRA/F-One) by a mere .3 points. In another exciting throwdown — filled with both progressive tricks and surf-style riding — 2008 World Champion Mitu Monteiro (CBV/F-One), who’s still on the mend from a knee injury, lost his heat by 1.56 points to Airton Cozzolino (ITA/North).

In the first of two extremely close Women’s Semifinal heats, Milla Knesse Ferreira (BRA) came up against three-time Kite Surfing World Champion Kirsty Jones (GBR/North). With a 2.1-point advantage and the highest women’s single wave score of the day (7.83), the Brazilian advanced to the Finals. Riding in straps, Ines Correia (POR) won her heat against the unstrapped Kelly Strachan (USA) by the slimmest margin of the whole event — .04 points.

Brandao and Cozzolino then won their semifinal heats, as they rode some bombs with incredible style, flow and moves. Brandao scored an 8.5 on one of his waves and Cozzolino an 8.27, the second and third best wave scores of the day.

Women’s Finals proved action-packed as well, with Jones bagging the second highest heat score of the day (12.73) and taking third place against Strachan. And finally, in the Correia vs. Knesse Ferreira showdown, the 20-year-old Brazilian delivered a high-scoring performance (second only to her Heat 15 score), winning the KSP tour stop title with her incredible surf-influenced talent.

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Men’s Finals kicked off with Solbach battling Felippe Ferreira (BRA) for third place. Both riding backhand on the perfect peeling walls, each kiter exhibited a high degree of control, power and flow as they rode tight in the pocket and repeatedly cracked the lip hard. Scoring a 7.77 and 7.07 on his two best waves, Ferreira bested Solbach’s 14.37 score by less than half a point.

And in the final showdown of the Pacasmayo Peru Kite Surf Pro, Cozzolino — who earned the highest wave count of the day (7) and displayed an inspiring fusion of high-level surfing and innovative tricks — succumbed to Brandao for the tour stop title. Recovered from a rib injury that plagued him at the first KSP tour stop of the year, Brandao rode just three waves in the final heat — all scoring over 8 points and producing the best heat score of whole contest (17).

The heat results and upcoming heat order can be viewed at: kspworldtour.com/ladder

If you missed the day’s live-streamed action, check the archived heat here.

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 7

Watch the Live Broadcast

Don’t miss the live coverage of the remaining 2011 KSP World Tour stop: Ponta Preta Kite Surf Pro in Cape Verde, from December 2 to 11.

RESULTS: 2011 KSP Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro

Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro | Awards Ceremony

MEN

WOMEN

1st place: Milla Knesse-Ferreira (BRA)
2nd place: Ines Correia (POR)
3rd place: Kirsty Jones (GBR)
4th place: Kelly Strachan (USA)
5th place: Adriana Harlan (USA), Kristin Boese (GER)
7th place: Marie Gautron (FRA), Melissa Gil (USA)
9th place: Celina Guardati (ARG), Erika Lindberg (SWE), Laurel Eastman (USA), Maayke Tadema (NED)

For the current 2011 World Championship Rankings, visit kspworldtour.com/2011-rankings.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7: Finals

Day 10 (28 October)

KSP Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro: Wrap-up

Today concludes the KSP’s Pacasmayo Peru Kite Surf Pro with the official awards ceremony taking place at 6 p.m. (PET) at El Faro Adventure Resort, Pacasmayo. Dominating this leg of the World Championships, the Brazilians earned three spots on the podium.

Check out the wrap-up video:

With two of three tour stops complete, the Europeans hold a majority of top-three Overall World Championship Rankings, as Airton Cozzolino (Italy) currently leads the men’s pack, and Ines Correia (Portugal), Marie Gautron (France) and Kristin Boese (Germany) hold down first, second and third places in the women’s division.

One Eye Pro Live Web Broadcast

If you are lucky enough to be at the Pacasmayo Kite Surf Pro, or if you have been following the action via the live broadcast, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below… What do you think of the event so far and who do you think is going to dominate?

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. KSP World Tour: Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Results
2. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro Results
3. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro

We searched! We found… and after deliberating long and hard, we have our top 10 finalists for the “Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011”!

Choosing the final 10 was incredibly difficult. We received so many submissions from dedicated fans around the world, who nominated amazing girls, doing such amazing things! Thank you to all of you for your nominations. And thanks also to everyone who helped us get the word out. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Back to the nominees though! The talent and motivation of these ladies is simply mind-blowing! We were so inspired when we heard what these girls are achieving. So narrowing it down to only 10 was extremely tough. They are all winners in our opinion!

But don’t take our word for it… click through to their profiles to see for yourself what these girls are up to, and pick your favorite among these gifted athletes! You only get one vote, so make sure it counts. Voting closes on November 22nd.

Top 10 Finalists

Angela Peral

In Alphabetical Order

• Clementine Bonzom
• Julia Brown
• Lucila Alexandre Dupey
• Laurel Eastman
• Audrey Meyer
• Kari Schibevaag
• Christine Sleichter
• Michelle Smith
• Davina Stephens
• Sandrine Roussos Werner

So, who is the most influential girl kitesurfer? Who is doing the most for her community and our sport? Who has the most passion and talent to encourage more girls to start kitesurfing?

The choice is in YOUR hands. It’s time for you to GET YOUR VOTE ON!

Click here to Vote Now!

And thanks, for helping us find these fantastic girls!

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1″ buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011 Launch
2. Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer: Last Chance to Nominate
3. And the Winner is…

The KTA and IKA have received an invitation from the Regatta to join the 25th anniversary year of the event so that it can include the world’s newest sailing sport into the competition.

Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event has been held every year since during the first week of December. The Regatta began with a mixture of keelboats, catamarans, Lasers and even windsurfers, but more recently the Regatta has become a big boat event, attracting keelboats and ocean-going catamaran teams from around the world. As a principal fixture on the Asian Yachting Circuit, the Regatta annually features upwards of 100 boats and 2,000 sailors, ranging from the High Tech ‘Grand Prix’ racing yachts in the Racing Class, to live-aboard ocean cruisers, multihulls and classics. And now they want to include kiteboarders!

With Royal Patronage, the Regatta is organised by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.

Kiteracing

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is an ISAF internationally sanctioned event and as such kiteboard will operate under its IKA Kiteboard Class rules. The kiteboard course racing will be managed by the KTA’s Competition Director in conjunction with an IKA’s Race Officer, under the overall control of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Race Director Simon James. The kiteboard course racing will be run with the on-water support of Phuket King’s Cup Regatta’s race team, but it will officiate from its own start boat and support the kite racers further with kiteboard safety boat, crewed by an experienced kite rescue team.

Kiteboarding is a demonstration class at this year’s Regatta and entry registration will be limited to a maximum of 20 racers as a mixed class event. The King’s Cup Regatta is run as a prestige event and as such no class is raced for prize money, however trophies will be awarded to the top competitors. All racers will be supported by the Regatta for their hotel accommodation and event food, along with guest entry to all the parties and prize giving dinners.

As a world class event the Regatta receives a high level of international media coverage that this year includes ESPN, Star Sports and Fox Sports amongst its TV partners, along with a full range of print and online media also reaching tens of thousands of press points worldwide.

For further information or to join the event (but please remember places are very limited) visit:

www.kiteboardtour.asia

For Kings Cup Regatta information: www.kingscup.com

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. Course Racing World Cup 2011 in Sylt
2. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro
3. Course Racing World Championships 2011 Results

Lars is has been in the fitness industry since 2002, and runs a successful website called KiteboardingExercises.com.

Why is Training Important for kiteboarders?

Regardless if you do hooked-in or unhooked freestyle moves, it’s all about fast rotations and powerful movements. On the water there are too many uncontrolled factors that will make your muscle “workout” less effective than in the gym. In the gym you can concentrate on a specific muscle chain or a specific movement. In the gym you can train these muscles to be stronger, which will give you more power for your tricks on the water. Do you want to rotate faster? Pop higher? Pass faster? Going to the gym or working out at home really will pay off.

The Roll Out: Unhooked Power

This is a typical roll out. It’s a great exercise to get more power for riding unhooked. A roll out is a perfect exercise for those kitesurfers who want to learn handle passes or get more power and speed in their handle passes. It can be done at home or in the gym. If you do it at home and don’t have a barbell as shown in the images, you can do a “glide out” instead. Find a floor that you can slide on and use a folded t-shirt or something similar, to glide out instead of rolling.

Warm Up

A good warm up for this exercise, would be to do 3×10 pushups and 30 seconds of arm swings for each arm. This should warm up all the relevant muscles and the shoulder joint.

Roll Out Steps

The Exercise

Now start doing the exercise, by getting down on your knees and grabbing the barbell, as shown in image 1. It’s really important that you don’t flex your hip at any point! You can get a back pain, if you don’t flex your glutes and your abs. Think of squeezing your butt cheeks together, as if you are “holding” a coin back there. Your back and your hips should be straight at all times. The only joints that should be moving are your shoulders (and secondary your knees). Now roll out as far as you can, and pull the barbell back as explosively as you can. This is a powerful bar to hip movement that will help you make your first pass or get you more speed and power in your passes.

Watch the Roll Out Video

If you have any questions regarding this exercise, or you have your own techniques to improve your strength for kiteboarding, let us know in the comments below.

Visit the KBX Website for more great training exercises.

Written by

Lars Rousing Jørgensen

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Related posts:

1. Kitesurfing Training: Rotate Faster, Pop Higher, Pass Faster… Get FIT!

For those who don’t know about it yet (where have you been?) we are searching for the “Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer” for 2011.

Update: Voting closes on 22 November 2011. Click here to Vote Now!

Why are we doing this?… well, not only do we want to do something positive to help grow kitesurfing and make our fantastic sport more accessible, but we want to shine the spotlight on the women who are already doing great things in the industry.

So far the response has been overwhelming! We have received nominations for so many really awesome girls doing really awesome things, and we are delighted to see how many women are pioneering kitesurfing in new areas around the world. This is very inspiring for us, and we are honoured to have you all on board.

Jemma Grobbelaar

We will feature an individual article on each of the top 10 finalists, and we are sure that you will enjoy each of their stories as much as we are enjoying putting them together. We can’t wait to share their stories about how hard they work and how much they are loved by the people around them. They are all winners in our minds!

Julia Brown | Kiteboarding Jamaica

Nominate Today

It isn’t too late to get in on the action though! We still have one week until the nomination round closes. So, if you are doing something extraordinary in kitesurfing, no matter how big or small, or you know someone who is, nominate yourself or a friend today. There are great sponsorships to be won… and who knows, this could be just the boost you need to empower you to achieve even more!

How you can Help

Even if you don’t have anyone to nominate, you can still help us make a difference in kitesurfing by spreading the word throughout your network. Share the competition page on Facebook, Twitter, your website / blog, or any other social network you engage in… We appreciate your support.

Competition Details

Nominations close on 6 October 2011 at 23:00 GMT. The top 10 nominees will be announced on 20 October 2011 and voting will open to the public from 20 October to 22 November 2011.

Click here to Enter Now!

Petra Goeschl

Thanks for Supporting #MIGK

A huge shout out to all our supporters! Thank you to Fuel Clothing, Litewave Kiteboards and Hookit for your generous sponsorships and to Jessica Winkler for all her hard work helping us to organize and promote this competition.

Also, thank you to Global Kiter Foundation, Kitesports, Tantrum kitesurfing, Constantly Kiting and Tropical Paradise for promoting the competition on your websites, and to all the kitesurfers out there who helped spread the word by tweeting and sharing… You guys rock!

As always, we love hearing from you guys, so let us know in the comments below, what you think of our campaign, or who you think deserves recognition for her work or achievements in kitesurfing.

Update: Voting closes on 22 November 2011. Click here to Vote Now!

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011 Launch
2. Get Your Vote On: Most Influential Girl Kitesurfer 2011!
3. And the Winner is…

The first stop on the 2011 Kitesurfing World Pro Tour calendar will run from 23 to 29 September 2011, at the famous wave riding spot One Eye in Le Morne, Mauritius.

The world’s top 24 male and 12 female kitesurfers are competing for the coveted KSP (Kitesurf Pro Tour) World Title, with the Mauritius One Eye Pro being the first of three World Championship Wave Riding Tour stops.

We will be updating this article with the latest competition results and kitesurfing news from One Eye on a daily basis, so refer back to this article or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date with this prestigious kitesurfing event.

The second and third (final) legs of the KSP World Tour can be found here: 

Peru Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro

Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6: Finals

Day 1 (23 September)

KSP One Eye Pro Update 1

Due to the light winds forecasted for the first day of the Mauritius One Eye Pro, the event organizers have decided to wait for better conditions, so no competition will be run today.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

“Conditions for the rest of the week look excellent,” says Head Judge Brad Price.

The outlook for epic wave riding conditions couldn’t be better, with both wind and swell expected to build over the next few days. It looks like conditions will peak on Tuesday, with a forecast of 4.5-meter swell, at a period of 15 seconds, along with strong winds.

As the final competitors arrived last night at the Indian Resort & Spa, the 36 competing kitesurfers completed registration at the rider’s meeting, where they met with event staff, the media crew, local organizers and the judging panel. All ISA-accredited (International Surfing Association), the six-person judging panel is comprised of Brad Price (Hawaii), Carla Twelkemeier (Germany), Felix Pivec (Hawaii), Johno Hutchinson (South Africa), Jose Luengo (Spain) and Lex Donse (Holland). Yesterday afternoon, the judges spent a portion of the day judging dummy heats out at One Eye. At the rider’s meeting, the judges fielded questions from competitors, laid out the rules for wave possession and interference, as well as announced a maximum number waves (15) that can be scored per heat.

The local event organizers, Patrick Desvaux Marigny, Matthew Buzza and Benjamin Draper-Bolton, who have done an incredible job of making the One Eye Pro happen, were also introduced.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

The official line-up of riders for the One Eye Pro includes: Airton Cozzolino (Cabo Verde), Bruno Bordowsky (Brazil), Etienne Lhote (France), Guilly Brandao (Brazil), Gunnar Biniasch (Germany), Gustavo Foerster (Brazil), Herve Boure (France), James Donaldson (USA), Jeremy Eloy (France), Jesse Richman (Hawaii), John Amundson (Hawaii), Juan Pabloo Diban (Chile), Lee Harvey (United Kingdom), Marc Ramseier (Switzerland), Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil), Max Bonieux (Mauritius), Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde), Nans Laviolette (La Reunion), Nuno Figuereido (Portugal), Oswald Schmith (South Africa), Patri McLaughlin (Hawaii), Patrick Desvaux (Mauritius), Sebastien Schmitt (La Reunion) and Sky Solbach (USA). The female roster includes: Elsa Saintville (Mauritius), Erika Lindberg (Sweden), Ines Correira (Portugal), Kelly Wren (USA), Kristin Boese (Germany), Maayke Tadema (Netherlands), Marie Gautron (France), Melissa Gil (USA), Muriel Vandenbempt (France), Ninja Bichler (Germany), Steph Bridge (United Kingdom) and Suzanne Kuiper (Netherlands).

The 2011 One Eye Pro will be broadcast live, and an archive of today’s events is available for immediate viewing. Stay tuned and follow the action via the live webcast and live scoring.

Watch the Live Broadcast

The Mauritius One Eye Pro 2011 is sponsored by Indian Resort, MTPA Mauritius, Air Mauritius, Mauritours, Le Gall, Habit, Club Mistral and Silent Partners. The KSP tour is supported by ION and Vitamizzer.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6: Finals

Day 2 (24 September)

KSP One Eye Pro Update 2

With winds in the 10 to 12 knot range, and 3 to 4 meter swells throughout the morning and early afternoon of day two of the KSP One Eye Pro, competitors were on standby, waiting for the wind to pick up a bit more. “The wind hasn’t come up quite enough yet, but this is the best conditions I’ve ever seen,” commented KSP Event Photographer John Bilderback. “It’s retarded.”

As the wind slowly picked up, event organizers ran 30 minute Expression Sessions for the men and women to see if the wind would hold and to set the judging scale for the huge waves, and the side-offshore winds.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

The wind remained a bit light at the start of the men’s heat, making it challenging for some of the 24 competitors to ride One Eye top to bottom. Nevertheless, the athletes put on an incredible show, catching waves up to triple overhead. With his fluid, powerful riding, 2008 Kite Surfing World Champion Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde) won the Men’s Expression Session with some seriously committed turns and barrels. And Mauritian resident Ninja Bichler (originally from Germany) — who caught some incredible waves and used her local knowledge to ride better than some of the men — won the Women’s Expression Session.

The first two of three heats of the Men’s Round 1, comprised of three competitors per 15-minute heat, were won by strapped riders Max Bonieux (Mauritius) and Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil) respectively. In the most action-packed heat of the three, Pedreira had the highest scoring wave of the day. 2010 Kitesurf World Champion Guilly Brandao, who rode in heat two, pulled into a deep tube on a massive closeout set, resulting in the most spectacular wipe out of the day and a shredded kite. Heat three was the closest heat of the day, and was won by Airton Cozzolino (Cabo Verde).

Here’s the video clip of the day

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 2

Watch the Live Broadcast

Today marked the official start of the One Eye Pro competition and the forecast is looking great for the week ahead.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6: Finals

Day 3 (25 September)

KSP One Eye Pro Update 3

With a solid breeze and 4 to 6 feet (Hawaiian), 8- to 12-foot faces, competitors once again had phenomenal waves as round 1 of the men’s division resumed. Judges rated each wave ridden on a scale of .1 to 10 and combined each rider’s two top waves for a total potential score of 20, on up to 15 waves per heat.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Indonesian resident Marc Ramseier (Switzerland) showed a lot of commitment with his powerful, full rail turns in the pulsing surf to score an impressive 9.27 and 8.77 — totaling 18.04. This was the highest score of Round 1. Jesse Richman (Hawaii), Patri McLaughlin (Hawaii/North) and Sky Solbach (USA/North), all riding strapless, scored in the 14- to 16-point range, exhibiting a high degree of speed, power and control with top to bottom surfing. John Amundson (Hawaii/North), Bruno Bordowsky (Brazil) and Oswald Smith (South Africa), riding in straps, also scored in a similar range.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Up next was Round 1 for the Woman. Murdering 12 waves during her 15-minute heat, local wave slayer Ninja Bichler (Germany) scored a remarkable 18.1 for seamlessly linking big arching turns, big hits under the lip, long rides and even some switchstance surfing.

Ines Correira (Portugal) earned the second highest score in the Women’s first round with an impressive total score of 16.06.

Before the day’s end, the Men’s Round 2 kicked off, featuring head-to-head competition between riders who didn’t advance from Round 1. Of the five heats completed (out of 8), Jeremy Eloy (France/North), 2010 Kite Surf World Champion Guilly Brandao (Brazil), Juan Pabloo Diban (Chile), 2008 World Champion Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde) and Bruno Bordowsky (Brazil) advanced. Eloy, Monteiro and Brandao, all riding strapped, were the standouts with scores in the 14.2 to 16.3 range. Brandao attacked the lip with his patented backhand snaps while Eloy opted to keep busy, picking off as many set waves as possible. Monteiro found one of the few cover-ups of the day through the inside bowl on his forehand.

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 3

Watch the Live Broadcast

The forecast is looking great for tomorrow and promises another day of good wind and swell (likely a bit smaller than today, but building in the late afternoon).

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6: Finals

Day 4 (26 September)

KSP One Eye Pro Update 4

Round 2 of the men’s division resumed today in 25 to 30 knot winds and overhead surf. The One Eye Pro has now past the halfway mark, with the completion of the Men’s Round 3 Heat 20 and Women’s Round 3 Heat 10, out of a total of 54 scheduled heats (36 men’s and 18 women’s).

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

A new highest score for a single wave was set today, when Sky Solbach (USA/North) beat Marc Ramseier’s (Switzerland) 9.27 from Round 1. Exhibiting superb control and flow with his powerful top-to-bottom strapless surfing, Solbach rode 14 waves in his Round 2 heat, earning him a 17.93, the second highest score of the entire men’s event and only the third to surpass a 16-point heat total.

In the closest women’s heat of the day, Kelly Wren (USA) and Elsa Saintville (Mauritius) battled it out in Round 2 with a final score of 12.67 to 14.67 respectively. Suzanne Kuiper (Netherlands) and Marie Gautron (Netherlands) earned the other two highest scores of the day, 12.64 and 14.66, respectively.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

In one of the most anticipated heats of the day, pitting two Kite Surfing World Champions against each other in an elimination round, Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde) and Guilly Brandao (Brazil) went head to head on 5-meter and 6-meter kites. Pulling off the move of the day, Monteiro executed a committed strapless re-entry and scored a 7 and 7.77 for his best two waves. Brandao, who lost precious time after dropping his kite, fell just 5.1 points short.

With a receding tide and building swell, the Men’s and Women’s Round 3 concluded, bringing the day to a close.

The heat results and upcoming heat order can be viewed at: kspworldtour.com/ladder

Stay tuned for the next live webcast with live scoring.

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 4

Watch the Live Broadcast

Tomorrow’s forecast looks incredible, calling for yet another massive, long-period swell in the 10- to 15-foot range to coincide with strong southeasterly winds at One Eye.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6: Finals

Day 5 (27 September)

KSP One Eye Pro Update 5

Today set the stage for some career-making heats, with strong winds, and the long-anticipated mega swell hitting One Eye today! The Men’s Round 4 resumed, with 10 to 12-foot faces (and the occasional 15-footer) getting the day off to an exhilarating start at the KSP One Eye Pro.

Riding strapless in Heat 23, Jesse Richman (Hawaii) pulled into the sickest and longest barrel of the event so far, but was knocked off his board as he exited the tube. Had he ridden out of it, “I would have given him a 10,” commented KSP Judge Felix Pivec. “He was so close.” Scoring an 8.5 for his best wave, Richman advanced to the Quarter Finals.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Heat 24 pitted North teammates Patri McLaughlin (Hawaii) and John Amundson (Hawaii) against one another. Demonstrating his progressive, unstrapped surf-influenced style, McLaughlin beat Amundson.

Next, as Women’s Round 4 Heat 11 started, the swell ramped up to 15-foot sets (faces), the biggest of the day so far. Both catching some bombs, Kristin Boese (Germany/Best) rode strapped against the unstrapped Steph Bridge (United Kingdom/North). After Bridge’s kite went down early in the heat, Boese went on to ride a couple monsters, advancing to the Semi Finals.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Standing out from the rest of the women’s pack, Mauritian local Ninja Bichler (originally from Germany) exhibited stellar flow in Heat 12 as she rode the triple-overhead waves top to bottom. Riding 11 waves, Bichler scored an 8 on a set wave, the second highest women’s score of the day — which she later destroyed.

As the wind ramped up a notch and the swell continued to grow in size, Round 5 saw standout riding from Sky Solbach and Mitu Monteiro with 8 and 8.83 respectively.

Riding rail to rail on macking waves in Round 5, Bridge advanced to the Semi Finals, where she faced One Eye wave slayer Bichler in Heat 16. Tremendously familiar with the break, the unsponsored Wild Card winner Bichler beat out Bridge with some mind-blowing riding. As the surf jacked up to 20-foot faces, and the Coast Guard rescue boat disappeared deep into the trough, Bichler wasn’t the least bit shy of the quadruple overhead monstrosities. Picking off set wave after set wave, she scored a 9.6 on one bomb, securing her a place in tomorrow’s finals against Marie Gautron (France).

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Action-packed, the Men’s Quarter Finals shook the ground of the sport as well. Receiving 10s across the board from the five judges, Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North) scored the first perfect wave of the event with his strapless performance in Heat 30. Smashing set waves with clean, dynamic turns in the most critical sections, Cozzolino nudged out the unstrapped Solbach and fell just half a point short of a perfect heat score of 20.

Then in the last Men’s Quarter Final, Heat 32, Monteiro (Cabo Verde/F-One) with his innovative and smooth style faced McLaughlin’s surf-influenced grace, making for one of the closest matchups of the day. With a heat score of 18.5, Montiero knocked out McLaughlin by 2.5 points.

The heat results and upcoming heat order can be viewed at: kspworldtour.com/ladder

Stay tuned for the next live webcast with live scoring.

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 5

Watch the Live Broadcast

Conditions permitting, the Men’s Semi Finals (Pedreira v. Cozzolino and Richman v. Monteiro) will be held tomorrow, followed by the Women’s and Men’s Loser’s Finals and Finals.

Competition Results: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6: Finals

Day 6 (28 September)

KSP One Eye Pro Finals

Kicking off the last six heats of the 2011 KSP One Eye Pro in Le Morne, Mauritius, Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North) faced Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil) in the first of two strapless semifinals. Early in the matchup, the 17-year-old Cozzolino was called on interference, resulting in his second highest wave score to be slashed in half. Nonetheless, his progressive kite surfing advanced him to the finals by a slim margin of .47 points.

KSP One Eye Pro | Photo by John Bilderback

Next up, in the side-offshore winds and overhead surf, Jesse Richman (Hawaii) faced 2008 Kite Surfing World Champion Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde/F-One). Displaying an unrivaled degree of flow, diversity and innovative strapless riding, Monteiro’s seemingly effortless style and 19-year background in surfing really shone through. While the 19-year-old Richman put up a good fight, Monteiro bagged a near-perfect score of 19.16 — the second highest of the whole competition (next to Cozzolino’s 19.5 in yesterday’s Quarter Finals). Redefining the standard of top shelf kitesurfing with his highest scoring wave, Monteiro rode super vertically top to bottom — switching stance mid-ride — while staying in the pocket, smashing the pitching lip, tucking in for a barrel, and linking progressive maneuvers together.

One Eye in Mauritius | Photo by John Bilderback

The Women’s Finals was next, which saw Steph Bridge (United Kingdom/North) facing Kristin Boese (Germany/Best) in a strapless showdown for third place. By a margin of 3.94 points, Bridge won. Then, with a fairytale ending, women’s kite surfing concluded with the unsponsored KSP Wild Card winner Ninja Bichler (Mauritian local, originally from Germany) taking home the 2011 One Eye Pro title as she faced off with Marie Gautron (France). Reaching the 15-wave limit, the 29-year-old Bichler left no set wave unslayed while scoring a 17.16 in her first ever final.

Bringing a week of spectacular competitive kitesurfing to an end, the all-strapless Men’s Finals began with a matchup of two great kitesurfers: Richman verses Pedreia for third place. With a tuck under the lip, good flow and some great top-to-bottom hacks, Pedreia beat Richman by 2.76 points.

Airton Cozzolino | Photo by John Bilderback

Then in Heat 36, the very last showdown of the event, Cozzolino rode against an injured Monteiro who took to the water wearing a knee brace after buckling his back knee at the end of Heat 34. Nonetheless, the Men’s Finals ended on an exhilarating note — first and second place separated by less than three-quarters of a point. Riding an 8-meter kite, Monteiro demonstrated a wide variety of surf-influenced and innovative moves, lots of switch riding, impeccable wave selection and even a great cover-up. However, Cozzolino won a majority of the judges over with his performance as he rode top to bottom more vertically, with a super-committed and crisp flow, progressive moves (including an aerial re-entry) and his signature move, squaring up off his bottom turns with an unparalleled amount of control and power when setting up for his radical hacks.

Final One Eye Pro Results – Men

1. Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North)
2. Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde/F-One)
3. Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil)
4. Jesse Richman (Hawaii)

Mauricio Pedreira (3) | Airton Cozzolino (1) | Mitu Monteiro (2) | Photo by John Bilderback

Final One Eye Pro Results – Women

1. Ninja Bichler (Germany)
2. Marie Gautron (France)
3. Steph Bridge (United Kingdom/North)
4. Kristin Boese (Germany/Best)

Marie Gautron (2) | Ninja Bichler (1) | Steph Bridge (3) | Photo by John Bilderback

The complete competition results can be viewed at: kspworldtour.com/ladder

Here’s the video clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day: Photos Day 6: Finals

Watch the heat-by-heat video clips.

KSP One Eye Pro Wrap-up: 1 October

The One Eye Pro, first of the three KSP Kite Surfing World Tour stops came to an end today with an absolute show stopper!

First a Local’s Expression Session for the resident riders was held, with KSP competitors and staff cheering on the 17 locals from the judge’s tower during the hour-long heat. Showcasing excellent top-to-bottom riding on the 10- to 15-foot-plus wave faces, Laurent Le Bolloch (MRU/Le Gall/North) took first place.

KSP One Eye Pro - Show Stopper Ending

Then, in the final expression session for the pros, a “Super Session”, only reigning Kite Surfing World Champion Guilly Brandao (Brazil) managed to get out to the One Eye break, and scored the entire stage for himself.

Putting on a mind-blowing show, Brandao demonstrated why he is a top contender for the 2011 World Championship Kite Surfing title. When one of the biggest sets of the entire KSP One Eye Pro rolled in, Brandao positioned himself on a 20-plus-foot set wave. As he dropped into the bomb Brandao ditched his kite and surfed the wave all the way through to the channel. Once his kite was retrieved by the Coast Guard, Brandao went on to pull into, hands down, the biggest barrel of the entire tour stop. Needless to say, the uncontested Brazilian won the Super Session!

After a final photo shoot in the massive 15- to 20-foot waves, the prize giving was held, followed by a beachside party.

Check out the event wrap-up video:

Don’t miss the live coverage of the remaining two 2011 KSP World Tour stops: Pasacamayo, Peru and Ponta Preta, Cape Verde — October 19 to 28 and December 2 to 11, respectively.

The KSP Mauritius One Eye Pro 2011 is sponsored by the Indian Resort & Spa, MTPA (Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority), Air Mauritius, Mauritours, Le Gall, Habit, Club Mistral and Silent Partners. The KSP World Tour is supported by ION and Vitamizzer.

inMotion Kitesurfing would like to congratulate the KSP and the One Eye Pro event organizers who worked so hard to make all this happen. We think this opening event was very well executed, and a huge success! We can’t wait to bring you guys daily coverage of the next KSP World Tour stops.

One Eye Pro Live Web Broadcast

If you are lucky enough to be at One Eye, or if you have been following the action via the live broadcast, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below… What do you think of the event so far and who do you think is going to dominate?

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Then Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Related posts:

1. KSP World Tour: Peru Pacasmayo Kitesurf Pro Results
2. KSP World Tour: Mauritius One Eye Pro
3. KSP World Tour: Ponta Preta Kitesurf Pro Results