KITEBOARDING. Arriving to wonderfully windy conditions on day one of the Burn Kiteboard World Tour in Istanbul, Turkey, competitors readied themselves for a full morning and afternoon of kiteboarding action. The day began with an official press conference featuring the major players that have contributed to the production of this event. Current World Champion, John Heineken (USA) as well as the currently fourth ranked, Kevin Langeree (NED) joined the conference also, providing their appreciation for event sponsor involvement and the city of Istanbul for hosting this special PKRA tour stop. Major sponsors including Burn, Quicksilver, Oakley, NTV Spor, and Virgin Radio, among others, demonstrated their support for the official course racing and kite master’s event, and acknowledged the growing importance of the sport in light of its recent entrance as an Olympic discipline.

Bryan Lake (USA)

Throughout the day, wind ranged from 13-20 knots, holding steady in the high teens for the majority of the day in a side-onshore direction.  Racing kicked off the competition in the early afternoon, as 23 competitors entered the water and battled it out for lead positioning. In each race, the top-ranked riders, including John Heineken (USA), Bryan Lake (USA), Adam Koch (USA), Riccardo Leccese (COL), and Olivier Dansin (FRA) went head to head at the front of the pack. Lake and Heineken most often took varied approaches, while several of them also missed a few marks throughout the duration, which kept the battles interesting and varied.  Random wind shifts also forced riders to readjust their lay lines and strategize more carefully with each passing minute. The second race turned out to be especially eventful, with Koch and Heineken just inches away from each other at the finish line – Heineken pulling forward in the last seconds. Steph Bridge (GBR) also impressed by consistently finishing in the top 8, beating out the majority of men who competed alongside her. Race three proved to be the last of the day, resulting in the overall afternoon’s rankings so far.

Steph Bridge (GBR)

Olivier Dansin (FRA) commented on the day of racing, saying, “I really like it here. The conditions are good and it is a great place to race. The wind was strong and the gusts made it more challenging, but fun.” Dansin said he is especially excited to kite in the Istanbul Strait on Friday as well.

Riccardo Leccese (COL)

The Kite master’s portion also offered much entertainment and spectacle, as top competitors showed off their best mix of old and new school tricks.  Kevin Langeree revealed, "The conditions were getting really light, and it’s pretty difficult to pull off a ton of tricks in only five minutes, but I managed some good old school board offs and one-handed tricks.” Langeree also executed more difficult new school maneuvers, as did Ariel Corniel (DR), who completed a powered Front Mobe and Slim Chance, among others.

Tomorrow, forecasts call for steady yet lighter winds, which will likely provide perfect conditions for racing and suitable winds for the continuation of the kite masters portion of the event. 

PKRA Press
Wed, June 27, 2012 10:46 pm

Day 2 - An Inspired Day of Racing at Burc Beach

Racers and freestylers returned on the second day of the Burn Kiteboard World Cup with lighter wind than the day prior. Measuring 7-12 knots throughout the morning and afternoon, competitors entered the water around 11:45, more determined than ever to improve their placemenst and claim greater leads. Interestingly, after day one, John Heineken (USA) and Bryan Lake (USA) stood exactly even in the overall ranking, with a 5.7 total score. This meant that today’s races would carry even more weight, breaking this tie, and allowing for the ever-important ‘discard’, which each racer is allowed.

John Heineken (USA)

Race four required somewhat more time than races one, two, and three – due to the lighter winds; however, the course went unchanged. Along with the ocean current and variable winds, new challenges were brought to competitors, who faced wind “holes” and the need for new strategizing tactics. Heineken came out ahead in this race, after taking an opposite starting tack than most, while Steph Bridge (GBR) also held strong in her consistently first place completions.

Bryan Lake (USA) chasing Adam Koch (USA)

The fifth race started with a tangle between Adam Koch (USA) and Alex Vychegzhanin (UKR), who later protested the occurance. Others went on with highly varied lay lines, Heineken and Riccardo Leccese (COL) separating from the pack, and Olivier Dansin (FRA) and Salih Alexander Cakir (TUR) fighting it out in a head-to-head battle. Cakir, the talented local racer, impressed many participants and spectators at this event, consistently placing in the top five and rising through the ranks since day one.  In the last minutes of this race, Leccese gained a significant lead from the rest of the fleet, while Lake pulled ahead and Koch caught up with impressive speed, despite his tangle debacle at the start.

Riccardo Leccese (COL)

Always an entertaining finisher, Leccese crossed the finish line on race two with a victory scream, very pleased with his performance. In retelling his version of the events of the day, Leccese said, “I still have to perfect my new kites to get them just right, but I was very happy with my finish. I took several risks and different tacks, which helped me to come out ahead.” Riccardo went on to explain that he only has use of two kites at this stop in Turkey, so winds that fit his kite sizes are key. Even with this slight disadvantage, Leccese keeps an upbeat attitude regarding the remainder of the event, hoping for continued top placement finishes against this fleet of talented international racers.

In total, two races were completed and no freestyle heats were run, as the wind proved to be too light for such competition. Tomorrow, riders look forward to kiting in the Istanbul Strait and witnessing the sights of this vibrant city.

PKRA Press
Thu, June 28, 2012 10:05 pm