as posted on the Hanglos forum from http://kiteboardtour.asia/

KTA Withdrawal and Disassociation From the KTA Australian Open and Australian Kiteboarding Nationals



It is with regret that the KTA has to announce that it is no longer any part of the KTA Australian Open and Australian Kiteboarding Nationals following communication from local organisers In The Loop Kiteboarding and the James Cook University Kiteboarding Club on Monday of this week (28.5.12) that no funding of any kind was available to cover costs or pay the KTA team.

The KTA was approached by the organisers in July of last year to support this event by promoting it under its Open event banner and to provide event and race team support. The event was properly contracted and the KTA has met all its undertakings to this point with the team due to fly out to Australia next week. We have in the last few days received an email stating that the funding for KTA at this event is no longer available and would the KTA now fund itself.

We have made attempts over the past few days to find a solution with very little communication from the local organisers. We have further contact Events Queensland who we were informed were the presenting sponsors for the event and we have at all times advertised as such. Events Queensland however is telling us now this is not the case.

The Australia Kite Surf Association (AKSA) has however responded and in doing so revealed to us along with our own experience and information what a mess the organisation of this event is.

International Riders & Non AKSA Members please be aware of the following –

1. There is no prize money regardless of what we had been given to believe and advertise by the local organisers.

2. No aspect of the international element or KTA involvement was included in the event application to the AKSA in December by the local organiser. The AKSA was under the impression the KTA was running a separate event to them.

3. The local organiser has insisted to us over the past months that the AKSA was very poor in responding when the KTA asked for information and contacts, AKSA has confirmed they had been in regular contact, but were never informed of this situation. Once the AKSA was made aware of this situation they have been very prompt and active in all communication and advice.

4. It appears in talking to the AKSA that they have also organised race and event teams for the competition duplicating what the KTA had been asked to provide.

5. The AKSA made it clear to us that no overseas riders will be covered by the event insurance. It covers only AKSA members.

6. As the KTA is not able to attend this event it will not be run under the KTA name any further and the KTA fully disassociates from all and every aspect of the competition and withdraws all sanctions.

7. The IKA have been informed of the situation and the KTA has requested that the events international ranking level is revoked.

In all the KTA feels like it has been used by the local organisers of this event to boost the credibility of this event and the KTA name and sanction has used to provide the event with an international ranking level.

Lack of sponsorship is of course a problem for all events and we fully understand this but to leave it until the last minute is not understandable and to continue to promote and carry on with the event as if everything is as promoted is completely unacceptable not just for the KTA but riders also.

We wish the AKSA good luck in running this event as we understand they will continue although from the KTA point of view we feel the event should be cancelled as it is not as advertised. We are sure however they will do a good job and the KTA in the meantime will be seeking legal advice on recovery of its losses.