Hello everyone!
I am writing this post from Boracay,one of the more than 7,000 islands that the Philippines has. If you put it on Google, it probably seems like the ultimate paradise but, the truth is that it is (for several reasons) a little far from it. I’ll tell you why.
In this post I would like to tell you how my first competition of 2017 was. I decided, for the second year in a row, to take part in some stops of the Philippine freestyle tour, PKA (Philippines Kiteboarding Associantion).
It seems a lie but, this Filipino tour is an excellent example of how kite competitions should be worldwide, why?
Photo: Don Laczi/PKA
- Very good organization and ability to improvise
- Equal economic prizes for men and women.
- Amateur and professional categories so that both professionals and beginners can compete and enjoy the experience of competing.
- Companionship and good rust.
- The competition is usually done in spots with brutal conditions.
Photo: Alexandru Baranescu Photo: Jana Blancaflor
The truth is that I was very happy to see my Filipino family again. I have always been treated as one of the family and I can never be grateful enough for it.
The competition began on Saturday 18 and, although the forecast looked quite bad, there was non-stop wind until the last day, Monday 20. Like last year, I signed up for everything there is: race, freestyle and hang time. The idea is always to do your best… But the truth is that being from 9am to 17pm in the water is quite tiring and, in the end, I decided to take freestyle seriously and do what I could in the other two categories. On competition days I kited with all my measurements! From my 7, 9 and 11m North Kiteboarding Dice,
through the 15m Juice
that Boracay Kite Center
lent me (thank you very much!!) with my favorite, the 13m Dice that Lent me
Hangin Kite Center & Resort
(thank you very much!). I don’t know what happens to the 13th this year but it’s going great, super soft, easy to pass the bar… A wonder!! Try it if you can.
How did the competition end?
1st in freestyle and 4th in hangtime and race.
Photo:
Simone Molz
Photo:
Don Laczi
/PKA
Once again, many thanks to the organization for this wonderful event and… See you at the next stop! 🙂
