PKRA - Day 4 - Competition Continues in Turkey

Day four of the Burn Kiteboard World Tour in Istanbul, Turkey, allowed for both racing and freestyle action, packed full of surprising turns and impressive outcomes. Starting first, the racers embarked on a new course in the early afternoon, one that retained a greater downwind leg than previous courses of the competition. This forced competitors to re-analyze their approach. This course was also defined more by speed than tactics, which seemed to benefit Bryan Lake (USA) and Adam Koch (USA) throughout the duration of the day.

In race six, Oliver Bridge (GBR) did amazingly well, and has shown himself to be an incredibly talented racer. Only 14 years old, Bridge held first place for some time, later falling back only slightly into an eventual 5th place, when he was passed in the very last seconds by Riccardo Leccese (COL). Salih Alexander Cakir also managed to pass top racer, Olivier Dansin, just inches from the finish line, making his friends on the beach incredibly proud.

Race seven provided similar results, with Heineken (USA), Koch, Lake, and Leccese holding strong in the front of the fleet. Koch and Lake fought further ahead than the rest, as Lake eventually gained a huge lead over every other racer, finishing first. While Heineken and Leccese exchanged third and fourth positions throughout this race, Heineken eventually came out ahead, earning third. When asked about the course, Koch commented, “The course was actually really fun. The downwind became more tactical than the other races.“ Additionally, Bridge revealed that the conditions were quite gusty and variable.

Lastly, race eight was conducted in 9-14 knots of wind. The fleet took different lines and Lake pulled ahead once again in the early minutes of the competition. Heineken also missed one of his last marks twice over, which set him back significantly. The local female racer, Merve Ceylan (TUR) also achieved her first, first place finish in this competition, ecstatic to be make such good time. Nuria Goma (ESP) commented on the length and design of this course, explaining that she preferred the previous day’s course; however, Goma still holds a strong overall position in the overall rankings and continues to be a consistent and formidable competitor for the other women to measure themselves against.

The Kite Master’s portions also continued today. Executing a mix of old school and new tricks, riders were happy to see sufficient wind to carry out competition. Kevin Langeree (NED) earned the highest score of the day, while Christophe Tack (BEL) threw down the highest scoring old school maneuver - a big air-flip. Locals tried their hardest against top riders like Ariel Corniel (DR) and Patrick Blanc (ESP), while the packed beach looked on with amusement.

Tomorrow, the freestyle semi-finals and finals will complete the Kite Masters portion of the Burn Kiteboard World Tour. It will also be the last day of racing, which will be followed by a special awards ceremony and closing party, hosted by Virgin Radio at Burc Beach. For the top competitors, hopes remain high that this last day will bring top podium placements.