Bookmark this list of the main kitesurfing events in 2019
We chose 10 best events every kitesurfer should keep in mind.
1. Red Bull Ragnarok
Organizers: Red Bull
Date: 1-10 April
Location: Haugastol, Norway
Red Bull Ragnarok is the biggest snowkiting event in the world and sees 300 competitors head to the vast, frozen wilderness of Norway's Hardangervidda plateau, where conditions are perfect for a mass-start race of this type. The ultimate objective is to see who can complete the course in the shortest possible time.
Using kite power alone, the skiers and snowboarders must each complete five full laps of 15-20km each. Getting its name from the Norse mythology, where Ragnarök is the final battle between good and evil, it is always a spectacular event and a true test of skill and endurance.
Ph: redbullsnow
Link: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events
Instagram: @redbullnorge
2. Red Bull Megaloop
Organizers: Red Bull
Date: 1 April -1 November 2020
Location: Zandvoort, Netherlands
16 kiteboarders will be challenged to show their biggest megaloops in the most extreme Dutch weather conditions at The Spot, Zandvoort, when the wind hits 30+ knots or more, between April 1st and November 1 st . Red Bull Megaloop is launched when the weather conditions are perfect. That means: when the authorities warn to stay indoors, but the best kiteboarders have only one goal: ride hard and fly high. Out of the 16 participants of Red Bull Megaloop 2018, 12 spots are already taken by selected riders. However 4 spots are still available so riders can enlist. A panel of professional judges will decide who will claim the last 4 spots based on the submissions.
Ph: @redbullned
Link: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events
Instagram: @redbullned
3. Red Bull King of the air
Organizers: Red Bull
Date: 24 January – 16 February
Location: Cape Town, Africa
Red Bull King of the Air is an annual freestyle Kiteboarding competition. Riders are judged based on the height of their jumps, variety of tricks, and style. The panel of judges will select the top 14 riders (12 + 2 wildcards), who will get to compete against the invited riders in the most exciting extreme kiteboarding contest in the world. The competition was firts held in 2000 at Ho‘okipa, a beach known for windsurfing in Maui, Hawaii. After an 8 year hiatus, it was relaunched in 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa, where it is held annually since.
Ph: @redbullza
Link: https://www.redbull.com
Instagram: @redbullza
4. Wind Voyager Triple S
Organizers: Wind Voyager
Date: 1-10 June
Location: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Internationally recognized as the crown jewel of wakestyle kiteboarding competition, the 2019 Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational will showcase the talents of the most progressive wakestyle kiteboarders on the planet. The format pits riders against one another in high-stakes heats and laid-back freeriding sessions in the world’s premier kite park.
Ph: @kiteparkleague
Link: https://www.triplesinvitational.com/
Instagram: @kiteparkleague
5. Australian Kitefoiling Championships
Organizers: Sail Melbourne
Date: 17-21 January 2020
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Sail Melbourne is Australia’s premier Olympic and Invited Classes Regatta, held annually in the waters of Port Phillip, Victoria. Established in 1992, the Sail Melbourne Regatta, now known as 'Sail Melbourne International' (SMI), has become the largest annual ‘Off the Beach’ regatta in the Southern Hemisphere and is critical to the growth and success of junior and youth sailors, enabling them to race alongside their Olympic heroes.
Ph: @sailmelbourne
Link: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au/home/
Instagram: @sailmelbourne
6. Formula Kite World Championships - Individual
Organizers: International Kiteboarding Association, World Sailing
Date: 4-10 September 2020 Individual
Location: Weifang, China
The Formula Kite class is a high performance hydrofoiling class using regulated series registered production equipment freely available. Formula Kite has been selected by World Sailing as equipment for the kiteboarding event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Sailing Competition. Next World Championships 2020 will be in Weifang, China.
Ph: @kiteclasses
Link: http://internationalkiteboarding.org/
Instagram: @kiteclasses
7. Formula Kite World Championships - Mixed Team Relay
Organizers: International Kiteboarding Association
Date: 22-27 September 2020
Location: Rome, Italy
A special test event to trial the new mixed relay race format that will be used when kiteboarding makes its historic debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It is a relay event with 2 riders - 1 male and 1 female that is drawing the attention of athletes who have their sites set on Paris 2024.
Ph: @kiteclasses
Link: http://internationalkiteboarding.org/
Instagram: @kiteclasses
8. Kitefoil World Series
Organizers: International Kiteboarding Association
Date: 22-26 July 2020
Location: Gizzeria, Italy
The KiteFoil class is a full development class with minimal equipment limitation, allowing brands to test the latest equipment on the market. The KiteFoil World Series is the sports premium event series with events all around the world and a strong focus on media production and prize money level.
Ph: @kiteclasses
Link: http://kitefoilgoldcup.com/
Instagram: @kiteclasses
9. GKA kitesurf World Tour
Organizers: Global Kiteboarding Association
Date: 17-25 February 2020
Location: Sal, Cape Verde
The “Kite-Surf” discipline is a combined discipline format aiming to find the most complete surfboard rider. The championship is contested through a series of pure wave events, pure strapless freestyle events and mixed events over a season. The male and female rider with the highest points at the end of the season (allowing for any possible event discard allowances if there are more than five events) become World Champions.
Ph: @gkakitesurf
Link: https://www.gkakiteworldtour.com
Instagram: @gkakitesurf
10. GKA Freestyle World Cup
Organizers: Global Kiteboarding Association
Date: 19-25 November 2020
Location: Cumbuco, Brazil
The “Freestyle” World Cups are the ultimate competitions for twin-tip freestyle riders. A unification has seen what was the World Kiteboarding Championship in 2018 merge with the GKA Kiteboarding World Tour in a six event series. Male and female riders will compete at four pure wakestyle events and two events that have more of a high wind, big air focus. Riders will be allowed two event discards and the male and female rider with the highest points at the end of the season become World Champions.
Ph: @gkafreestyle
Link: https://www.gkakiteworldtour.com
Instagram: @gkafreestyle
Learn more about how to read the surf / swell forecast in a special Windy.app presentation with examples and tips from professional surfers with many years of experience of riding the biggest and best waves on the planet.
Text: Windy.app team
Cover photo: Unsplash
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