Kite
Hear Pete Cabrinha give an overview on Cabrinha’s top freeride kite.
The REAL Kiteboarding Team heads to Hood River to participate in Kiteboarding 4 Cancer and the Ro-Sham-Throw Down.
1. 2010 Kiteboarding Kite Guide
Whether you are new to kiteboarding, a freestyle guru or a seasoned wave kiter, Kiteboarding magazine’s annual kite guide showcases the best kiteboarding kites of 2010, so you can find the kiteboarding kite of your dreams. Check out the full story here.
2. Best of the Best Girls, Part 2
Our first Best of the Best Girls gallery quickly became the most-viewed post on kiteboardingmag.com, so we decided to give you another helping of the lovely ladies of Best Kiteboarding. Enjoy! Check out all the photos here.
3. Best of the Best Girls, Part 3
To celebrate Best Kiteboarding’s 2011 Best Girls Calendar search, we decided to put together a gallery of some of the best of the Best Girls from photo shoots past. Check out the photo gallery and interview here.
4. My Session: British Virgin Islands
Teeming with world-class kiteboarding spots ranging from exclusive private beaches and one of the best waves in the Caribbean to waist-deep, crystal-clear flat water, the British Virgin Islands have ridiculously good kiteboarding for all ability levels. Check out the photo gallery and story here.
5. Helium In A Kite: What Happens?
What happens if you inflate your kite with helium? If you have been kiteboarding for any length of time, chances are that you have asked yourself this question or have seen this offbeat topic raised on forums. Yet has anyone actually tried it? Check out the full story here.Get a sneak peek at what Liquid Force Kiteboarding has in store for 2011. Watch some of Liquid Force’s top pros, including Jason Slezak, Chris Burke, Mauricio Abreu, Julien Fillion and Brandon Scheid, ripping on 2011 Liquid Force kiteboarding gear.
North Kiteboarding’s Tom Court sessions the rail and waves in the Dominican Republic.
Virgin Active announced that Sir Richard Branson, who turns 60 years old July 18, 2010, will celebrate by kitesurfing the English channel in August. Branson will surf the channel in the company of his nephews, children and friends, and will become the oldest person to cross the channel. The crossing from Dungeness to the French coast is estimated to take up to six hours depending on conditions, and stretches 24.4 miles across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
“Kitesurfing is one of my favorite sports. I absolutely love the amazing rush you get when going at high speeds, in high winds, with the most beautiful kite acting as your only guide. I know that kitesurfing across the channel will not be quite the same as kitesurfing in the beautiful waters of the Caribbean but I can’t think of anything I rather do, with my family and friends, to celebrate turning 60!
My wife swears I get more barking as I get older – this year I’ve almost crippled myself running 26.2 miles in my first marathon and now I’m putting my poor 60 year old bones through an arduous 24.4 miles, over water, hanging onto a giant kite! Joan could have a point! But as Holly, Sam and my nephews will be doing it with me – at least I can claim the whole family is barking and at the end of the day they are Joan’s children as well – so she’s 50% responsible! Thankfully Virgin Active has been fantastic in helping us prepare for the big day.”
Challenge sponsor Virgin Active UK, part of the global health club chain founded by Sir Richard ten years ago, has been advising Sir Richard and the team on their physical preparations for the crossing. Key requirements are well developed core strength and the ability to react to sudden changes in the environment caused by wind and waves. Virgin Active has compiled a training package for Branson and the team ahead of the crossing, which combines some of Virgin Active’s latest and most innovative equipment including;
“Kitesurfing is a hugely challenging sport physically, that places very different strains and stresses on the body, compared to traditional gym based exercise,” said Nick Hudson, Virgin Active’s national fitness manager. “So we have had Sir Richard and the team using some of our less traditional training tools and equipment.”
All of the team’s equipment and livery has been designed and kindly donated by Flexifoil International, the UK’s leading kitesurf and power kiting brand, with unparalleled experience over almost 40 years in premium quality land and water kite design and manufacturing. Branson will be undertaking the challenge on Flexifoil’s brand new Ion kite, the latest generation in a well established line of high performance kitesurf kites.
“We’re delighted to be supporting Richard and the team for this challenge,” said Tim Davis, UK head of brand and marketing at Virgin Active. “It’s an ideal event for our brand to be involved with and demonstrates our approach to challenging how the health club sector markets itself.”
Check out Naish team rider Reo Stevens tearing it up in the waves.
The first kite racing event of its class in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Kite Racing Championship took place July 9-11 with participants from Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, France and the United States. The IKA sanctioned event awarded $10,000 in prize money and 410 IKA ranking points. The conditions for racing were outstanding, with warm flat water and daily winds constantly blowing above 20 mph. The short course, multi-lap format was fast and furious, bringing exciting racing to the spectators lining the sea wall and offering an exciting alternative to typical long-leg races.
The first day featured some of the world’s best course racers and talented local foil boarders going head to head for six three-lap races. At the end of the day, Cabrinha’s Damien Leroy took the lead, followed by Adam Koch, then Julien Kerneur and local Phil Morstad from KitesurfPR, who placed fourth during his first kite racing event. On day two, a fun new fun category called Weekend Warriors brought 26 local kiters together, many of whom had not raced before, to learn kite racing basics from Puerto Rican Olympic Windsurfer, KitesurfPR owner and co-organizer of the event, Karla Barrera.
By the third day, wind conditions had changed dramatically, forcing competitors to think quickly and select the right equipment. After a total of 13 races, Damien Leroy had a strong point advantage over the other competitors, securing his lead and giving him the title of new Caribbean Kite Racing Champion. Adam Koch followed in second place, and Julien Kerneur took third place. To learn more about future kitesurfing events in Puerto Rico please check the Puerto Rico Kitesurfing Association website.
In this kiteboarding video, watch Tom Court kiteboarding at Kite Beach in Maui during the MaiTai kite camp.
Video: Tom Court
