Asian Course Race and Freestyle Championships Finals

The KTA is back in Thailand for its third season for the deciding round and finals of the Asian titles, both freestyle and course racing – held in Pranburi 13-18 March.

The Asian course racing titles are for the first time this season being run as a championship event rather than as a cumulative title scored throughout the tour. This brings the KTA into line with the IKA direction to structure kite racing along the same lines as sailing competition as kite racing (hopefully) moves towards Olympic status. The Olympic Trials, as it happens, will be taking place more or less directly after the KTA Thailand finishes over in Santander in Spain, and we are very pleased to see our current Asian Champions Yo Naraprachit Pudla and Aya Oshima amongst the nominated riders going to show the ISAF and IOC selectors what our sport is all about.

Alongside the Asia course race championship the KTA Thailand will be the deciding round for this season’s Asian Freestyle Championship also. This follows the decision at the start of the season to base the Asian title on three rounds only to make the title more competitive and affordable to Asian riders.

For the remaining KTA tour titles both the freestyle and race (in both RB and TT) we hope there will be good news before Thailand kicks-off for a final tour event in China at the start of May. We have been promised a decision in time to make a final decision on this by registration day, so fingers crossed. If this does not come through as we hope, Thailand will become the overall final for the KTA this season which means the KTA Tour titles will be awarded in Pranburi also. (ED – the China event could not be confirmed by registration time and will be postponed until further notice)

This slight uncertainty about the season’s close once again sums up just what a tricky year it has been with several countries on the list dropping out at the last minute. We had hoped in the early days of the KTA that we would set a schedule for the season and that would be that, but this season has shown us it’s not always as straightforward as we would like.

Thankfully as ever, our tour co-sponsor Cabrinha is solidly behind us, as they have been from the beginning and we are all looking forwarded to the Cabrinha Full Moon Party which will be closing the event big style. Brand sponsor Maelstorm, also another stalwart of the KTA, is also once again giving us its full support along with Underground who have been backing us all the way as our newest brand sponsor this season.

For more information, visit www.kiteboardtourasia.com.