PKRA - DAY 1 Palmolive Kitesurf World Cup 2010

Late start for the kick-off of the Palmolive Kitesurf World Cup

The weather here in St. Peter-Ording is always unpredictable. During this morning’s riders meeting the race director, Olaf Van Tol announced that he would not run the competition until the wind conditions picked up in strength. Organizers as well as crewmembers had extra time this morning to prepare and tie up loose ends.

At 3:00pm the weather had begun to shift from sunny blue skies and near windless conditions to cloudy grey skies with storm like winds. Van Tol announced that he would begin with the men’s freestyle trials eliminations. The wind strength was up and down most of the afternoon, with rainsqualls, however the show must go on.

Event organizers would not allow the judges to enter the tower because it was not stable enough, therefore three vehicles provided by the ACT agency were used to encompass the judges in warmth and style while judging the first set of heats. An hour into the first round of heats the organizers announced that the judges tower was secure and safe for the judging to proceed from there.

Eight men from the first round of heats as well as eight men from the second round of heats will move on to the men’s freestyle main event which will commence tomorrow.

It is the first time in PKRA history that as many as 114 competitors registered for a single event.

Congratulations to all the men freestyle riders who will continue on to the men’s freestyle main event.

Tomorrow’s mandatory skippers’ meeting is scheduled for 10:00am.

For all main event live results please visit: www.extremeelements.tv/live_results/results.php

The St. Peter-Ording Kitesurf World Cup is supported in part by: Palmolive, Prosieben, tv14, St. Peter-Ording-Nordsee, Jever, Quicksilver, Lufthansa, Naish, Havaianas, Pentax, N-Joy, Coke, Moebel-Kraft, Yamaha, Sport1, Kitelife, x-h2o, Splocs, PKRA, International Kiteboarding Association.

Men’s Freestyle Trial Elimination Winners advancing into the Main event are:

Julien Kerneur (Takoon, FRA)

Bram Bast (JN-Kites, NED)

Niklas Imaz De Zavella (North, GER)

Mike Blomvall (Nobile, SWE)

Tom Schuller (North, GER)

Christopher Tach (Liquid Force, BEL)

Alexandre Neto (Liquid Force, BRA)

Jerrie Van de Kop (Flexifoil, NED)

Tijn Van Esch (Advance Kites, NED)

Johnno Scholte (Slingshot, NED)

Christian Winkenjohann (Flexifoil, GER)

Forest Bakker (Flexifoil, FRA)

Olly Bridge (North, GBR)

Marian Hund (North, GER)

Nils Wesch (Naish, GER)

Miguel Castro (Core, GER)