BIG AIR KITE LEAGUE 2022 TOUR
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!
Lords of Tram
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
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
TATAJUBA FEST
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!