PKRA - Wind, sun and a storm for the start of the Singles

St Peter Ording saw a massive crowd gather to enjoy the best freestyle kiteboarding action today with epic conditions: wind, flat water and sunshine. After finishing the few heats that were left of the trials, the PKRA organized the Junior championships and moved on to the Freestyle single elimination.

The trials didn’t bring any surprises as the highest men in the rankings made it to the main event: Hays (FRA, Cabrinha), Van De Kop (NED, Flexifoil), Paris (FRA, North), Schitzhofer (AUT, Best), Corniel (DOM, Ozone) and Garat (FRA, RRD) were all happy to be advancing into the top 24 and are ready to compete for first place in the biggest event of the year.

For the first time in the history of the PKRA we organized a Junior Championship to showcase the future generation of riders who will be appearing on tour in the near future. The competition was open to under14s years and it was unanimously decided that Tom Bridge (GBR, North) won the Championship. At only 10 years of age, Steph Bridge’s son (2009 IKA Course Racing World Champion) showed an incredible variety of tricks including a powered Front Blind mobe, Back Mobe, Blind Judge 3, 313, etc…

Judge Ian Sleuyter reckons that he will be the next world champion and would have easily qualified into the main event if he was over 14 and therefore authorized to compete in the main competition.

Tom said that: “It was very hard, I had to beat my own older brother but I wasn’t really stressed out. I rode on my 7 meter kite, well powered, the way I like it and I won, I’m stoked!"