Met de PKRA stop in Leucate is dit 1 van de meest populaire stops van de tour, wat gelijk te zien is aan het aantal riders dat zich moet kwalificeren, 36 heren en 12 dames. Bij de heren zien we tussen de 5 Nederlandse riders ook Youri Zoon weer staan, hij zal zich dus naar het main event moeten knokken.
Er wordt niet alleen gefreestyled maar er is ook slalom actie, dus ook Katja Roose zal in actie komen in Duitsland. Ook het slalom veld heeeft een flink aantal deelnemers, de stop in Duitsland duurt dan wel tot 10 augustus ze zullen elk beetje wind nodig hebben om alles af te kunnen ronden.
Heren:
1. Aaron Hadlow;
2. Liam Whaley;
3. Marc Jacobs;
4. Christophe Tack.
Dames:
1. Karolina Winkowska;
2. Gisela Pulido;
3. Bruna Kajiya;
4. Annelous Lammerts.
Live:
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Day 2:
Competition from day two of the Think Blue Kitesurf World Cup got underway this afternoon in light onshore winds. The wind built steadily and the day’s action began with slalom racing followed by the continuation of the freestyle trials. Ultimately, one round of slalom was completed, and six heats of men’s freestyle trials heats were run.
With sunny skies prevailing, the wind had shifted to onshore, which created choppy conditions. By 2:30 pm, the wind had increased and the slalom racers took to the water first on their big kites and boards. While most riders chose directional boards, some chose to use light wind specific twin tips for the long reaches between marks on the three-buoy course.
With the largest fleet seen on the tour this year, many of the qualifier races experienced exciting buoy-roundings and tight finishes. A dramatic men’s final race saw Julien Kerneur (FR) taking the hole-shot with defending world champion Brian Lake (US) close behind. On the leg between the second and third buoy, Lake overtook Kerneur, when at the second mark, Lake had difficulty slowing down and turning his kite at the buoy, which allowed Kerneur to navigate a tighter line around the mark and grab the lead. “It was pretty painful to watch Julien overtake me, but I learned from it” Lake commented on the race.
The women’s final race was equally as exciting, with Christine Boenniger (DE) making it first to the first mark followed closely by Katya Roose (NL) and Annelous Lammerts (NL). After some very close jibes with the fleet tightly grouped, Roose took over on the inside at the second mark as Boenniger crashed, allowing the other competitors to take over with Lammerts securing second and the current points leader, Bibiana Magaji (EE), finishing third.
By 4 pm the round of racing was complete and the wind had increased enough for the freestyle competitors to be powered on 14-16m kites. With the riders in the trials eager to secure a spot in the main event, the whole crew was going for it with some impressive riding going down from some big names, as well as from some lesser-known new-comers. Due to the onshore conditions, riders were landing big tricks in the flat, but very shallow water next to the beach, putting the action right in the faces of the thousands of spectators lining the shore. In the end, six heats were run to completion before the wind began to drop, forcing the abandonment of two heats, at which time the competition was called for the day.
Day 1:
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Day one of the Think Blue Kitesurf World Cup – the largest and most well attended PKRA tour stop of the year - saw offshore winds ranging from 6-14 knots that persisted throughout most of the day. Although the winds were contestable at times, the offshore direction made them quite unstable. First round freestyle trials heats got underway with riders using their largest kites; however, only one heat was run through to completion, as the wind quickly dropped and forced the abandonment of heats.
With wind forecast strongest for the morning hours, riders showed up to the beach early for a 7:30 am riders meeting. Under sunny skies and warm temperatures, the competitors were excited for the wind to increase as they eagerly prepared their gear. Soon after 10 am, the wind came up enough to lure some of the riders to the water. After some success from riders staying up wind and managing to land a variety of tricks, others struggled in the unstable conditions, requiring jet-ski assistance at times to make it back to the beach. Enticing puffs pushed through the contest area at times, and as such, riders were kept on hold throughout the day. At 4:00 pm the decision was made to release everyone for the day as it was clear that the expected morning wind would not materialize.
In spite of the lack of competition, the beach and event village was packed with thousands of people enjoying the many things on offer in the event village. Made up of lounge and relaxation areas, multiple bars and activity areas, the Think Blue Village has something for everyone. With the main stage DJs setting the tone, competitors and spectators alike strolled the food carts and vendors, including kite, surf, and clothing companies, while others swam, stand-up paddle-boarded and enjoyed what was nothing short of a beautiful day at the beach.
As has been the case in previous years, St. Peter Ording can see a myriad of conditions during this time of the year and the forecast can be tricky to predict, often changing quickly. Tomorrow’s forecast is for side onshore wind up to 12 knots. Hopes are high for improving conditions throughout the week. Riders will meet at 10:30 am for a first possible start at 11 am. |
Registration Day:
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wazzaah had een 5 sterren sessie in Terschelling Groene Strand met maar liefst 10 - 11 knots op zijn Vari Condor (2013)
Loopje van Steven van vandaag toen de wind een beetje heel veel opkwam.
Best moeilijk te zien omdat die core kite enkel wit en geel is, maar echt dikke loop.
(gefilmt vanuit een jurytoren, ongeveer 6m hoog)
ostendlocal had een 2 sterren sessie in Oostende met maar liefst 16 - 18 knots op zijn SlingShot Fuel (2012)
Zo Hadlow op 1 na de singles! Dat is lang geleden...
RobbyNitroz had een 5 sterren sessie in Zandvoort met maar liefst 15 - 20 knots op zijn SlingShot Wave SST (2017)
Wow knap gedaan van Hadlow, maar ook dat kleine mannetje...
zomaar ineens Tack 4de.
duitsland verrast!
Hele PKRA dorp is ondergelopen met springvloed --->
http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/schleswig-holstein_magazin/Springflut-wirbelt-Kite-World-Cup-durcheinander,shmag29372.html
RobbyNitroz had een 5 sterren sessie in Zandvoort met maar liefst 15 - 20 knots op zijn SlingShot Wave SST (2017)