On Monday the 8th of August, I came across a message (by total chance) from Josh Emanuel on a wind report group about an event in Sterkfontein Dam. The Takla Sterkies Classic.
The event was to take place on Saturday the 13th and was aimed at amateurs.
I just messaged Josh and wished him luck with event.
Josh’s reply; “Are you in SA and available?…”
For 2022, I decided to challenge my sanity and work with the Big Air Kite League.
The tour is in its infancy and is still dealing with some of the issues one would expect from any such organisation, but one thing is for sure: It’s the best thing to have happened to Kiteboarding in a long time.
I have always believed that the true soul of Kiteboarding is in the ability to send yourself into big jumps. No other sport can really do that, not in the controlled way kiters can.
So when Kiteboarding contests became driven by pure Freestyle (Which is more akin to Wakeboarding) and Racing (Which is closer to sailing) I was, to say the least, a little perplexed.
Then came Michael Macdonald who with incredible drive and enthusiasm decided to create the Big Air Kite League.
It not only filled the void that existed for all upcoming big air kiters to compete and push each other, but it also created the spectacle that only the “king of the air” produced only once a year for a handful of riders.
It’s for the riders!
It is with this in mind that the big air kite league was created.
All the people involved have a passion for riding big air kiteboarding style. Everyone has an understanding of how it works, what it takes and the respect the riders should receive for busting out those moves.
It’s a complicated process running a big air kite contest. It is risky! It is entirely reliant on the weather! It’s expensive and stressful. But when it all comes together it is quite a thing!
After organising the Cape Town event, Michael had offered me to be tour manager for the next two stops. The first one was Lords of Tram.
Tristan Hattu, the local organiser had already contacted me to be Race Director at the event, so being used to jumping in the deep end, it is with two hats that I caught my delayed QATAR flight.
First, by absolute chance I saw there was a problem with my flight and I had been re booked 2 days later than planned. That was followed by long discussions on the phone with Tristan… There was a massive forecast for the 1st day of the waiting period.
As a result of these coincidences, I traveled for 40 hours to reach the contest just in time.
It was wildly windy, it was brutally cold, but what a great event! An amazing team on the ground and a great venue at BARCARES with an amazing welcome. Tristan and his team really did an amazing job!
As race director, I had to deal with a contest with over 50 knots gust on the first day, and a fast disappearing wind on day two. But thanks to an amazing team of judges and head judge Philipos Tsamantanis we thundered through all the heats smoothly.
One serious event!
Full Power Tarifa was a different event from my point of view. Not being Race Director, I was going in purely as BAKL tour manager.
Once again encountered amazingly friendly people in the mecca of Kitesurfing that is Tarifa.
Ian Avera and Wladi Rodriguez were absolute champions in pulling this whole contest together. The venue lends itself to a spectacular show and the riders gave it their all. The images speak for themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwWT8cOti58
The next event is Tatajuba Fest in September.
Sadly I will not be attending.
It has been a great experience to be at the forefront of kiteboarding. Wishing all the best to BAKL in the future
Rock on!
Not many people know this, but my Kiteboarding experience (in the water) started in Italy. I was living in Rome at the time. Coming from my waveski days, I was desperate for some sporting activity in contact with the water. in 1999 Kiteboarding had just appeared and I was tempted. The cost kept me away, so I got close to it via a large foil kite to jump on the beach and get a taste.
The kite was 5m Peel which at the time was a beast of a kite with handles and a really scary climbing harness with no release. After a few attempts with the harness, I realised that without a release, it was way too dangerous.
So it was with no harness and maybe a backstrap that I proceeded. With time it got more adventurous with wilder conditions. After clocking a few 30m long jumps (around 6m in the air) on the beach, I decided to get in the water. Somehow I managed with second hand stuff and building some bits myself. It was necessary before I did some permanent damage to my body.
And that is how I stepped into the world of Kiteboarding…
22 years later I find myself as the Big Air Kite League Tour Director. I get approached by the Gazzetta dello Sport (Top Italian Sports Publication) for comments on the state of Kiteboarding today. Somewhat of a step up! From the beaches of Fregene and Ostia jumping on my foil kite to comments on the state of Kiteboarding today! What a trip
If you don’t speak Italian, you can just enjoy the images taken by Manu Borsato.
