The 2011 Dutch Kiteboard Open has been finished in Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands. The 7th edition of the event proved to be getting more popular every year.
Dylan van der Meij doing his thing
The biggest kiteboarding event in the Netherlands attracted the best riders and spectators, too. The Kiteboard Open competition focusses mostly on the Junior kitesurfers giving them a podium to show off to a bigger public. The three days of competition were filled with rain, sun and most importantly, wind. Kiteboarding was possible on every day with kite sizes between 21m down to 8m.
Dutch talent Dylan van der Meij competed in the “Rookie” Freestyle competition, as well as in the “Best Trick” competition for Juniors. Dylan stood out over the weekend with a very solid riding combining new school tricks with old school style. He beated all his competitors and won the single and double elimination rounds. van der Meij was also able to take the win in the “Best Trick”, with a sweet and solid S-Bend handle-pass.
Bram Bast reached the podium in the “Best Trick” competition of the Pro Men, with a nuclear low-mobe over a wave, where his kite touched the water while performing the trick.
Rookie contest:
1. Dylan van der Meij
2. Rens van der Schoot
3. Remco Klabbers
“Best Trick” Rookie competition: Dylan van der Meij
Aaron Hadlow has successfuly landed a 900. The British kiteboarder has completed the move in a spot known for wave riding, instead of flat water and bumpy lake or river.
Hadlow was trying to complete the 900 trick for a few months. The stunt means the kiteboarder has secured 2,5 total rotations around him and landed it perfectly.
Ruben and Lewis came along to see if Aaron could manage it. There was a lot of riding around and searching but some absolute belters came through. Hadlow found the perfect ramp, jumped high and quickly confirmed the 900 is possible.
The first 900 in the history of kiteboarding was landed in South Africa, during winter. Aaron Hadlow has conquered five PKRA titles in his entire career.
Aaron Hadlow flying in the air
He is 22 years old and has decided to take a break for scheduled competitions. In the last months he has been training around the globe launching his products and his own brand. The British free-kiteboarder will certainly keep challenging records and untried stunts. Source: SurferToday
Kiteboarders are preparing to get their hands in a new video game for the world’s best consoles. “Motion Sports: Adrenaline” will feature eight extreme sports in Kinect mode: Wingsuit, Mountain Bike, Rock Climbing, Kayak, Kitesurf, Parkour, Extreme Ski and Extreme Trampoline.
Expect real kiteboarding simulation
The kitesurfing game promises to be the finest title ever produced. Watch how Ubisoft developed the uniqueness of the wind sport, in the game trailer.
Riders will be able to compete in multiplayer mode against or in cooperation with other contestants. The intuitive motion control is set to display the most precise gestures from the players.
The water and the kite details are impressive, so you should expect a very real simulation of extreme action kiteboarding, between the hills and rocky mountains of world scenarios.
“Motion Sports: Adrenaline” will be released by Ubisoft in October 2011. Source: SurferToday
Ben Wilson has scored the world’s largest kitesurfed wave ever. The experienced rider has taken an incredible wall at the infamous surf spot of Cloudbreak, Namotu Island, in Fiji.
Ben Wilson doing the impossible
Wilson has been trying to ride the biggest wave possible with a kite for more than five years. “Probably the most exciting thing about chasing a swell, like the one we caught in Fiji, is that the swell travels from very far away, so it has so much energy and intensity”, says the kitesurfing pioneer.
The biggest wave captured on film happened on the 20th May 2011. “When I dropped into that wave, it never let me get to the bottom of the wave. I felt that I was in a motionless wave. All I knew was that I put so much effort into this moment that I needed to hold on till the very end”, he adds.
Ben Wilson is one of the best wave kitesurfers in the world. He has already released “Smack” and “The Unknown Road”, two DVD’s in which he teaches how to improve skills, get confident unhooking and master riding strapless.
The wave rider has also established his own kitesurf brand, Ben Wilson Surf. Source: SurferToday
The kiteboarding community is stoked with the number and quality of the challenges that have been taken by riders from all over the world. Marek Zach, a 31 year-old kitesurfer from the Czech Republic, has completed another outstanding, yet dangerous, high-flying stunt.
The wind rider, who also enjoys skateboarding and snowboarding, has jumped off a huge cliff in the Canary Islands, in Spain.
Zach decided he could beat the “Murphys Cliff Project”. But, before the high risk kite jump from the rocky cliff, the kiteboarder tested the direction of the winds and the whole spot.
He rehearsed the big move in a small, then a medium cliff, before taking on the difficult challenge. “Murphy” Zach had a backup support team with him, all the time, fine tuning the gear and filming the stunt.
Although it seems Marek’s jump from the cliff was easy, it was not. The Czech kiteboarder waited for the right moment and then hit the skies and jumped off to the stormy waters of the Canary Islands.
This is kite stunt played an experienced rider. Please, do not try this anywhere. Source: SurferToday
