(April 26, 2003-Podersdorf, Austria)- Opening night for the 2003 PKRA World Tour in Austria brought the expected large crowds ready to celebrate both the Spring rites on the lake Neuseidler and the kiteboarding season! DJ’s, go-go dancers and a young energetic crowd ready to party, set the precedence of the start for the 2003 kiteboarding season! The days dawning was met with a stiff south wind, allowing for a 10:30am start to the single elimination Freestyle event. Many riders bemoaned having to behave, and limit their indulgence, in what is surely some of the most beyond the limits partying on Tour.

Starting the day with the Men’s Qualifying round of 8 heats advanced the strongest riders in the variably gusty winds. The heat structure was 8minute heats with 3-minute transitions, and heats rolled one after another as a push to complete the singles ladder was made.

Advancing into the Men\’s Main field were:
Hadlow, Aaron UK Flexifoil
Vannucci, Simone ITA RRD
Kerherve, Yoann ESP
Meyer, Ben USA Naish
Ciriaco , Jose DR Gaastra
Franco, Paul USA Naish
Doyle, Mark USA Slingshot
Fenoll, Javier ESP Naish
Argano, Gianni ESP Slingshot
Miller, Leeshi ISL Naish
Oneiva, Alvaro ESP Wipika
Brouwer, Christian NED
Eloy, Jeremie FRA North
Gilbert, Chris USA Naish
Pages, Alex ESP Nasih
Deleau, Charles FRA North

The Women’s Freestyle Singles were surprising in that the level had risen dramatically over last year, with heart-attacks, board flips, board rolls and kite looping filling out the performances of the Top women here. Last years top seeds, were joined by a relatively new rider, who demonstrated her hard training efforts by landing in the Top 4 today, Petra Goeschl from the Netherlands. And, the gap is closing between the top field as a close decision came determining today’s winner!

The Women’s Singles Freestyle Results are:
1st Mosey, Cindy NZL North
2nd Kollbichler, Ingrid AUT Cabrinha
3rd Bunton, Claire UK Takoon
4th Goeschl, Petra NED
5th Fischli, Sonja SUI
5th Steindl, Gabriele North
5th Wedenig, Fiona SUI Slingshot
5th Boese, Kristin GER RRD
9th Peral. Angela ESP North
9th Kearsley, Laura USA
9th Glasman, Michele ARG Cabrinha
9th Rodriguez, Sofia ESP

The big buzz today was the apparent ‘revolution’ taking hold in the Men’s field as the next evolution for kiteboarding was unleashed in competition! A team of riders/friends from Oahu, Hawaii, had vowed to take the sport to a new level after the end of the Tour 2002 season. Indeed, it appears that their quest was realized here today as they took three of the Top 4 places of the Men’s Single Freestyle event, demonstrating the ‘power in numbers’ theory sharing a common vision!

The new movement included kite looping and hotly powered, moves , including a sick variety of aerial handle passes…but what was most sensational was the utterly creative combination of these mixed with several tricks performed during one jump! Uncontested was the consensus that one person exemplified the union of all that has come before in the sport, while also leading the way in this ‘new school legion, Martin Vari.

Also, some riveting performances were witnessed from a hot new tribe of very young riders, helping propel and redefine, the sport. Spectators, and Judges, were welcoming of the blend of solid experienced riding alongside the fresh raw talent. With difficult wind conditions prevailing, it took quick reflexes and a taste for risk to advance! Making their way into the quarter finals were; Aaron Hadlow UK, Jaime Herraiz ESP, Mark Doyle USA, Martin Vari ARG, Adam Koch USA, Andre Philip ANT, Will James USA and Mark Shinn UK.

In spite of a strong and impressive performance, Hadlow was stopped by the more experienced Herraiz. Mark Doyle showed great progress and style, but was not enough to put a hold on the forward thrust of Vari. Phillip was very improvisational, but Koch was stylish and controlled, to win the heat between them. And, in a stunning upset, James managed to topple the 2002 Tour giant Shinn!

In the Semi-finals, Herraiz was unable to contain the burning Vari, and Koch maintained a consistent repertoire over the anxious James.

The Men’s Final came down to Vari and Koch. With a kite loss during a handle pass, that cost him 2 minutes of his heat, Vari was forced to finish on a fellow competitors kite, and managed to somehow surpass the stylish and consistent Koch- wowing the Judges with highly powered and technically demanding tricks!

The results for the Men’s Freestyle Single Elimination ladder are:
1st Vari, Martin ARG Cabrinha
2nd Koch, Adam USA Naish
3rd Herraiz, Jaime ESP North
4th James, Will USA North
5th Hadlow, Aaron UK Flexifoil
5th Doyle, Mark USA Slingshot
5th Phillip, Andre ANT Cabrinha
5th Shinn, Mark UK Nasih
9th De Jong, Steph NED North
9th Meyer, Ben USA Naish
9th Brouwer, Christian NED
9th Kellner, Steve SA Slingshot
9th Solbach, Sky USA Gaastra
9th Tyburski, David USA RRD
9th Oneiva, Alvaro ESP Wipika
9th Lago, Abel ESP Naish
17th Gilbert, Chris USA Naish
17th Deleau, Charles FRA North
17th Austin, Flash USA Wipika
17th Argano, Gianni ESP Slingshot
17th Fenoll, Javier ESP Naish
17th Ciriaco , Jose DR Gaastra
17th Miller, Leeshi ISL Naish
17th Kerherve, Yoann ESP
25th Tobias, Jeff USA Slingshot
25th Sieber, Christoph AUT North
25th Franco, Paul USA Naish
25th Bodenwinkler, Kurt SUI
25th Eloy, Jeremie FRA North
25th Pages, Alex ESP Nasih
25th Vannucci, Simone ITA RRD
25th Kundernatsch , Bernie AUT Takoon

Winds are projected to turn North tomorrow, another early start for the Double Elimination event is hoped for.

FOR MORE INFO: www.pkra.info


De Dutchies zijn goed bezig..!