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Power in Unity

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This year it was clear to see that the world of professional kiteboarding was on fire! Two world tours took to the road in search of the best conditions for their respective disciplines -  WKC (Freestyle) and GKA (Wave-kitesurfing and new-for-2018 Air Games.) Both tours focused on growing their organisations and style of riding they represented, with enthusiastic followers worldwide, motivated competitors and great media coverage and distribution. All in all it was a pretty slick showdown. That said, prior to the 2018 season, the world of professional Freestyle kiteboarding competition had a rocky ride and a questionable reputation, both in and out of the industry, as to whether it can last.

 

On the other hand, the GKA kickstarted the world of pro Wave-kitesurfing and has been grown carefully in order to establish some solid foundations that has gained the trust of the kiteboarding community and those outside of it. With the interest of the sport and its future always at the forefront of everyone’s minds, professional Freestyle has now united with professional Wave-kitesurfing under the GKA (Global Kitesports Association)

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So what’s the benefits of this?

  • There will be no clashing of dates that in the past have prevented some of the world’s top riders attending events.
  • A full tour schedule.
  • United effort towards best running of events.
  • Collaboration and media partnership and distribution across worldwide tv networks
  • Cohesion of all disciplines for an excellent representation of kiteboarding as a whole
  • The GKA is the only organisation authorised by World Sailing to officially hold competitions in all expression disciplines in international kitesports
  • A larger and more stable platform for aspiring young riders coming into competition.

 

Dr. Jörgen Vogt,
Secretary General of the Global Kitesports Association (GKA):

“This mutually agreed governance structure brings clarity to the kitesports community at large and is the base for a prosperous development of our sport and for the advantage of professional riders in all disciplines. One World Tour with two disciplines (wave and freestyle) under one umbrella now fulfils the assumption for raising the public awareness of this sport and making kitesports even bigger. Professional riders of all performance disciplines will be able to build up their professional sports career on the ground of a reliable, sustainable and financially strong World Tour.”

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Youri Zoon,
Chairman of the Kite Riders United (KRU):

“After several years of uncertainty, last year the WKC managed to create a solid platform in terms of freestyle competition standards, with a very effective competition format and with an incredible live stream and media distribution that included live television broadcasting, a first for this sport. In order to unify the future of kiteboarding, the WKC have decided to join forces with the GKA, so that all competition disciplines can now come under one umbrella. We hope this will give more power to the sport, and help create a successful and sustainable tour with the same platform of freestyle that we already know."

Duotone is stoked to see a unified effort to unite all aspects of the sport under one roof and is hopeful that this will bring good things in the coming years for all.

The full 2019 calendar and formats for FREESTYLE and KITE-SURF World Cup events on the GKA KITE WORLD TOUR coming soon.

www.global-kitesports.org