Every sport has their stories, history, athletes, brands, ups and downs. More important, every sport has events and a championship which unites the athletes and give them an excuse to get together and enjoy moments around the sport they love. Take world of soccer for example. Every country has their games and championships and the world cup is its biggest event every 4 years.
On the extreme sports arena it’s the same. Skateboarding has the Street League championships and the Tampa pro and Tampa Amateur, just to mention a few. In kite surfing there are many championships around the world like the Pringle Kitesurf World Cup, the Fuerteventura Kitesurf World Championships and the Tarifa Kitesurf World Championships, again just to mention a few.
In Florida, many of these types of championships are hosted every year, and some have disappeared, ranging from world class to local events that gather people from the United States and around the world. Let’s take a look at some of those competitions down in the sunshine state of America. Some of these are still held but most of them are now in the past.
1. Miami kite Masters:
Kite boarders from all around the world come to Miami, FL every year to compete in this prestigious kiteboarding championship that takes place at Crandon Park. The event is held around the first two weeks of April, depending on the schedule for each year. The spot has perfect winds averaging around 16 knots and beautiful blue skies. This event attracts some of the best kite surfers of the United States and they are always impatient to showcase some of their best talent and tricks to impress public and their friend athletes. The Kitemasters hosts two disciplines of completion, slalom racing and freestyle, with a Pro men’s, women’s, Jr and masters divisions on both categories.
On the extreme sports arena it’s the same. Skateboarding has the Street League championships and the Tampa pro and Tampa Amateur, just to mention a few. In kite surfing there are many championships around the world like the Pringle Kitesurf World Cup, the Fuerteventura Kitesurf World Championships and the Tarifa Kitesurf World Championships, again just to mention a few.
In Florida, many of these types of championships are hosted every year, and some have disappeared, ranging from world class to local events that gather people from the United States and around the world. Let’s take a look at some of those competitions down in the sunshine state of America. Some of these are still held but most of them are now in the past.
1. Miami kite Masters:
Kite boarders from all around the world come to Miami, FL every year to compete in this prestigious kiteboarding championship that takes place at Crandon Park. The event is held around the first two weeks of April, depending on the schedule for each year. The spot has perfect winds averaging around 16 knots and beautiful blue skies. This event attracts some of the best kite surfers of the United States and they are always impatient to showcase some of their best talent and tricks to impress public and their friend athletes. The Kitemasters hosts two disciplines of completion, slalom racing and freestyle, with a Pro men’s, women’s, Jr and masters divisions on both categories.
Image courtesy of Ashton Coleman at Flickr.com
2. Collegiate Kiteboarding Association:
this association actually comes from a competition. It is also a registered non-profit organization, so it has come a long way since their beginnings. In 2003 Matthew Sexton held the first ever college kiteboarding competition in the Florida Keys in the vacation time, more specifically, in Spring Break. He didn’t know then, but he was building a team of committed kite boarders that eventually ran the biggest events and competitions on both coasts of United States. It has many competitions in America and several are held in Florida. The competitions are called “tour stops” and they make them every year. They have different types of riding, for example the St. Petersburg tour stop that featured a competition of only freestyle/ kickers and sliders; the tour stop # 3 that was held in Veterans Beach in the Florida keys was only for freestyle.
3. The Jupiter kiteboarding Invasion:
Jupiter, Florida is known for its beautiful beaches, luxury amenities and an easygoing lifestyle. Jupiter is the home of the Roger Dean Stadium, that in Spring is the Training home to both the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. Here in Jupiter there is a shop called Jupiter Kiteboarding, that is a very well-known shop in the Florida Kiteboarding scene. They hold what they call a kiteboarding invasion which consists of inviting every kite boarder in the United States to come and have a good time. They also a hold a small competition and sponsored riders go to compete in a friendlier environment than other competitions where the pressure is at its highest. This “invasion” also features classes, a kiteboarding clinic, sales and raffles.
this association actually comes from a competition. It is also a registered non-profit organization, so it has come a long way since their beginnings. In 2003 Matthew Sexton held the first ever college kiteboarding competition in the Florida Keys in the vacation time, more specifically, in Spring Break. He didn’t know then, but he was building a team of committed kite boarders that eventually ran the biggest events and competitions on both coasts of United States. It has many competitions in America and several are held in Florida. The competitions are called “tour stops” and they make them every year. They have different types of riding, for example the St. Petersburg tour stop that featured a competition of only freestyle/ kickers and sliders; the tour stop # 3 that was held in Veterans Beach in the Florida keys was only for freestyle.
3. The Jupiter kiteboarding Invasion:
Jupiter, Florida is known for its beautiful beaches, luxury amenities and an easygoing lifestyle. Jupiter is the home of the Roger Dean Stadium, that in Spring is the Training home to both the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. Here in Jupiter there is a shop called Jupiter Kiteboarding, that is a very well-known shop in the Florida Kiteboarding scene. They hold what they call a kiteboarding invasion which consists of inviting every kite boarder in the United States to come and have a good time. They also a hold a small competition and sponsored riders go to compete in a friendlier environment than other competitions where the pressure is at its highest. This “invasion” also features classes, a kiteboarding clinic, sales and raffles.
Image courtesy of Zlatko Unger at Flickr.com
4. Kite4Girls:
there used to be a very good event for girls only called the “Kite4Girls” event. It was a space for girls to express themselves and meet the pros face to face. The competitions featured 2 separate women contests (Amateur and Pro), some expression sessions from several team riders , Free discovery and advanced clinics all day, Brand Riders demo, Safety and Injury prevention clinics, and Huge raffles with a lot of kite related gear to win. It is a shame that the event was only held for 3 years in a row, as it was a different event where the girls could just go try the sport out and get in contact with the kiteboarding world. It was a good event for new comers to get motivated, especially young girls.
Florida is the home of kiteboarding in United States. Some of these events are still on fire and have upcoming shows and competitions in the Florida area. Some others like the Collegiate kiteboarding Association tour stops are big events that have competitions and are still happening this year. Be sure to check the schedule for all these competitions and tours that will sure blow your mind and give you an insight to the kiteboarding world. Or if you are already into kiteboarding, here are some reasons to go out and have some fun and get more involved.
there used to be a very good event for girls only called the “Kite4Girls” event. It was a space for girls to express themselves and meet the pros face to face. The competitions featured 2 separate women contests (Amateur and Pro), some expression sessions from several team riders , Free discovery and advanced clinics all day, Brand Riders demo, Safety and Injury prevention clinics, and Huge raffles with a lot of kite related gear to win. It is a shame that the event was only held for 3 years in a row, as it was a different event where the girls could just go try the sport out and get in contact with the kiteboarding world. It was a good event for new comers to get motivated, especially young girls.
Florida is the home of kiteboarding in United States. Some of these events are still on fire and have upcoming shows and competitions in the Florida area. Some others like the Collegiate kiteboarding Association tour stops are big events that have competitions and are still happening this year. Be sure to check the schedule for all these competitions and tours that will sure blow your mind and give you an insight to the kiteboarding world. Or if you are already into kiteboarding, here are some reasons to go out and have some fun and get more involved.
Image courtesy of izabela waligora at Flickr.com