Last weekend I visited Oostende in Belgium, to compete in the open freestyle competition. I left from my home on friday, after skimming the open market since it was Queensday
I arrived friday evening around 8, after spending some time in the traffic jams around Antwerpen, and we had a good chillout at Ian’s place, who was directing the comp.
Saturday was mostly about waiting for wind, it was nice that the sun came in the afternoon. After they started the youth championships (and cancelled again for low wind) the day was finished and we went out to the pita bar for some nice dinner…. yeah that was the best choice of the day! I dont know if it was something else or the extra plus sandwich I ordered, but when we got back home I became real sick and puked all over the sidewalk. So the party was not the best option for me, I went to bed really early and puked some more.
Sunday started off with a nice raincloud which was hanging directly above the event, and did not go away untill end of the morning. After the cloud, the wind changed 180degrees against the forecast and was light. The event was cancelled and I already packed all my stuff in the car. I wasnt planning on riding anyway because I was still really ill. But then it happened! The dark clouds formed on the horizon, the swell kicked in and in about half an hour there was wind in the predicted direction, increasing! My adrenaline won over my illness and I decided to re-subscribe for the expression session. I got on the water pretty late, but still managed to land some nice tricks, also a butt checked (or just crashed, whatever) double handlepass and some overpowered manouvres . At least not too bad for a sick person who had 3/4 of a sandwich in the whole day, and I made it 4th place! I was pretty happy with the result, considering there were 23 competitors and some good ones above me
After the prizegiving I had to drive back home, and my friend Thijs helped me out by partially driving home because I was not in the best shape to drive 380kms.
Now I am home, still feeling a little sick but it is getting better. Tomorrow I will leave for the first tourstop of the Euro Kite Tour, in Austria! I will get some extra sleep this night because I will have to drive about 1200km alone, to subscribe on wednesday afternoon. I will update when I arrived and there is internet
Results Kites on Fire Open Freestyle:
1 Steve Verelst
2 Christophe Tack
3 Bas Koole
4 Tijn van Esch
5 Thomas Dehaene
6 Bram Bast
7 Sam van Olmen
8 Thomas Declerck
9 Flor Decloedt
10 Alex Maes
Final Update Got home this afternoon at 14.00, had a nice and long trip. I finished 3rd in the SUP contest which was helt on the last day, was good fun! The double elimination Freestyle was not finished, so my final result is 17th place. Now I will be starting my training again, and more intensive to have a nice comeback in PKRA Germany
Day 8 So, this is the final day of the PKRA France. Still haven’t missed out on any action because there has been no wind at all. If the double elimination is not finished today, I will stay at a 17th place in this event. Yesterday we had some discussions about the way of judging, a lot of riders have difficulties with the low rating on execution of tricks. The riders committee has discussed about this and will try to find a way of better judging on those points. In my case, this would have made the difference for the win in my last heat, even though I think Mario’s win was okay because in general he is a better rider than me.
So now we are hanging around, waiting for the event to end. I will get my kites from the tent and put them back inside the bus. Ready for our 1400km drive home I have had 3 sessions in total in France, but I am super motivated to train at home. I think I can become a much better rider this season, since I can do all the important tricks. I just need to power them up a bit and maybe try to do some more switch moves. Anyway, when I am home I will test out my new Advance kites and see if they can help me progress a bit faster in upcoming season. The Kappa board 130×41 is performing outstanding in all conditions so far, giving hard pop and easy landings!
My next update (with photos) will be from home, the Netherlands
Day 6 Yesterday, we had a cold day with no wind, so we just hang around the camper and celebrate Youri’s mothers birthday. Today is a much better day with sun and probably also some wind later on. The competition is on and off, riders walking to the announcementboard all day and not much riding, so I am kind of glad that I can decide for myself weather I ride or not. I dont feel like sitting around the internet cafe all day, so I dont know when I will be uploading more photos. I will try to ride later on today and shoot some more pictures
Day 4 So, today has been a very buisy day.
We had a skippersmeeting at 8, with a first possible start on 08.30. It was almost zero wind, but when we loaded the gear onto a big tractor and walked to the competition area, the wind picked up. When I finished pumping my 12, it was enough for 10, when I finished pumping my 10 I had to take out my 8. Unfortunately I was in heat 1, so I had to test out the wind. I was up against Tomas Texeira, a rider from Brasil. He turned out to be a strong rider, I did not make it to the next round (however it was a very close 2-1 decision )
Then I had some time to rest and eat some sandwiches, watch the other competitors and prepare for the next round. We saw som nice action, however the wind was super gusty (like 20-35 knots). Youri Zoon was fighting for the 1st place, but was beaten by Andy Yates, who did a lot of switch tricks and double passes. Kevin Langeree was riding for 3rd place against Alex Pastor, but was beaten too. So when they announced the final results, we had some extra break time and then the double eleminations started. I was (again) in heat 1, against Mario Rodwald. I had a strong heat on my 8m, with wind between 16 and 25 knots. I landed almost all my tricks, including some super powered backmobes, some nice 313 and slim and kgb and some other tricks. Mario was not riding as well as he should, but unfortunately for me the judges decided that he won the heat because of some switch trick. 3-2 decision all super close, but that is not of much use to me.
So now I am out of the event, but super motivated to ride. I will go out every day if there is wind and try to improve my riding. I still need a lot of training because I havent had much sessions this year so far
Pictures will be added later.
Day 3
Today, we had the first skippersmeeting. They posponed to 12.00, so the next announcement starts now.
I am in heat 1b, against Texeira, first possible start at 12.30.
No wind so far, maybe later
Update: Next announcement 14.00
Day 2 So today we had another session, yesterday was quite okay, but today was better. A bit less wind and less gusty, and with much better temperatures. We will look for a camping place in a few minutes, so we can take a shower At 4 oclock is the registration, so then the event finally begins!
Here are the pics of yesterday and today:
Day 1 Hi y’all, I just arrived in Leucate. We had a nice trip of 1400 km, from Heerenveen to La Franqui. It is blowing over 35 knots right now, so I will try to go on in a few minutes. Tomorrow is registration, Saturday is the first possible start.
To improve my allround condition and strength, I have to train throughout the year. My new sponsor Tigra Heerenveen provides me the location and support to stay in shape, wind or no wind.
Tigra Heerenveen is known for its good Physical Therapy support, and now I trust them with my physical condition to be a top rider in kitesurfing. To start the season in the best shape possible, I work out 5 times a week, while getting good tips and support from the Tigra staff. All this training will pay off this year for sure, my body feels fitter than before and I am really stoked to get back on the water.
My first competition of 2010 will be the PKRA World cup in France, the Mondial du Vent. This event houses my type of conditions, gusty strong winds and low temperatures.
I will update as soon I hit the very cold waters of the Netherlands again!
I looked in my email today and found a cool message: I was on the cover of the new Stance Magazine in Italy! They also put my picture on the cover of the dvd. I am super happy with my 2nd cover!
The forecast looked very promising for last wednesday, the snow was still present and I had free time: A perfect combination for another snowkite session! This was the 3rd snowkiting session for me, and I think also the best session. Lisette Blankestijn and me drove around in the neighbourhood and found some nice meadows and clean wind. We asked the farmer if we could play in his “garden”, which was no problem.
When I went to bed wednesday, it started snowing. When we woke up on thursday, I was very surprised because there was about 30cm of snow! So, in the afternoon (after digging out the car) I drove to the meadows of Annie’s parents and we tried to snowkite! It was fun to try, but the wind was very gusty and the snow was powder so no perfect combo.
But, we have made some pics!
Hey everyone, I just finished my new movie! Recorded in August, September and October on my homespot Workum. Check it out and have fun! Another movie will come soon!
Yes! After some waiting my box-o-pleasure arrived. It is filled with new gear, including some of my new Underwave materials!
So, from now on I will be riding my new gear and accessoiries, and also my new Kondor 3’s.
Thanks Advance Kites and Underwave!
By the way, I have been riding with friends last sunday, and there was also videorecording, so I hope to announce a new movie very soon! Annie is also working on a video of me training, all new recorded materials! Stay Tuned!
I have been sponsored by Sola and Patlove for almost 2 years, but I decided to take the leap and try something new:
Underwave is a young brand in the sector to whom like water sports as a life philosophy. I am going to ride Underwave harnesses as well as wetsuits and accessoiries. Because Underwave is a new brand, I am going to promote it next to Advance Kites. The materials are made of high quality materials and the new harness is very comfortable.
I will place pictures of my new gear as soon as it arrives in the Netherlands!
Check www.underwave.info for more information about the products and company!
Friday afternoon we drove in a formation of 4 campers to Scheveningen to participate in the NK Kite 2009. This was promised to be a super good championship, because of the massive wind forecast (over 30 knots) and big names like Kevin Langeree and Youri Zoon. After finding a nice camping place friday night, we went to bed. After a few hours I received a phonecall that the police was checking campers for wild camping, so we had to leave the parking really fast! We got away in time, but 1 of our friends got a 90 euro fine for wildcamping. We slept on a other spot, further from the sea but without police checks. The next morning we drove to the beach to find a good parking, and then registered. Annie was not able to compete because of her knee injury, so she was my supporter all weekend.
The top 10 of last year was pre-seated in the elimination ladder, so my 3rd place was good enough to take it easy in the morning. Kevin, Youri and Bas Koole were not pre-seated because they had not competed in last years championships. This made the trials a nice show to watch. Right after the trials, the ladies competition started. In the first heat, the wind got turned on! Changing from south to south west and increasing from a gusty 20 to a steady 30 knots, the ladies competition got cancelled for safety reasons. There were some girls who wanted to kite, but others had 8m for smallest size and were super overpowered. This was a great oppurtunity to start the men’s event, the forecast promised increasing winds all over the day.
I got in the competition in heat 4, against Govert Brinkman. I managed to land a super overpowered backmobe and some mega loops, finishing with a railey to blind just when the red flag went up. It was enough to pass, while the wind was still increasing. After one more heat, the organisation decided to ride 2men heats in stead of 4 men, I was very happy because you need all the space there is in these conditions. My next heat was against Sven Stijn, with windspeeds of 32-38 knots, measured on the beach! Sometimes the gusts were so hard I could not hold on to my 6, fully depowered and my ass in the water! I took it easy, doing some oldschool tricks and big airs, and finally I did some megaloops to win the heat. The crowd was loving it, and I enjoyed the heat so much I was even waving to the crowd from around 10m high. I had some time to chill, and I had a warm soup with my parents and sister who came to look at the competition. In the mean time, Kevin Langeree did some of the highest jumps I have ever seen, easily reaching line length heights! When he did a super high kiteloop, Ruben Lenten could not hold it any longer and pumped his kite too, to show the massive crowd (over 500 people I think) how a real Len10 loop looks like!
In heat 3, I was up against Youri Zoon.. Shit. I did my best to unhook (the only way I could ever win this heat) but it was too much and too gusty. The waves were building, some around 2m and this made it super difficult to do tricks. So instead I did some high loops and jumps and a railey, but Youri managed to land a blind judge, flat 3 and Sbend next to his kiteloops too. Really impressive, the wind was around 45-50 knots in the gusts! So when the heat was over, I knew I had lost so I went upwind outside of the competition area and did a megaloop 360 to please the crowd
I packed my kites and we watched the finals, obviously it was Kevin vs Youri, both doing unhooked tricks in insane windspeeds! After the day winner announce, Kevin Langeree, we had free pizza in the riders tent. I went to bed early to be fit for the double eliminations!
The next day, the ladies comp started at 9.00, so I had to wait untill about 13.00 to start my heat. Jalou Langeree won the single eliminations easy, it was fun to watch my homespot kitefriends in the competition. I was curious who would end up in my heat, it turned out to be last years champion Klaas Adema! He is a local on my home spot too, so it was a nice heat. I was out on my 10, and did a blind judge, backmobe, kgb, 1 footer and 313-toeside and indy. It was enough to win the heat!
Next round I was up against Johan Spelt, who used to ride pkra, currently not active in competition. I did a slimchance, huge 313, frontmobe, indyglide, backmobe, 1 footer transition and blind judge and sbend-blind judge3 combo to win the heat. Next I was up against Jerrie vd Kop, who was 4th on last NK Kite and also several 1st places in the German Trophy in Juniors. We had a super technical heat, both riding to the max. I opened with a buttchecked backmobe, big 313 toeside with my kite going straight down, frontmobe, big kgb, s-bendpass, clean powered backmobe, high airpass, boardoff, indyglide, 1 footer, another frontmobe (supposed to be to blind but landed heelside) and blind judge 3. This was enough to win on variation and technical difficulty, but it was a close heat! Next I was up against also spot-friend Bas Koole, and I was super happy to ride against him for the 4th place! I opened with a backmobe, blind judge and powered slimchance, then I did a boardoff but lost my board. Then I did a 313 but I crashed. Then I did a 1footer 360, but I landed in a collapsing wave, which took me for a ride My leash got around my bar and my kite started looping like crazy. When it finally hit the water, I got tossed into my lines by another wave and got all tangled up. Lucky for me, some guys ran downwind and helped me restart and untangle my kite, and another guy gave me my board (which was really close somehow!) I got back upwind, and did a double sbend, which was supposed to be a frontmobe, then I tried to get out for a 313 but the time was up. I lost my heat, so I ended up 5th place.
Bas had to take on Rolf vd Vlught, who is actually not training for freestyle but speedkiting. Bas had a convincing win, and had to take on Youri Zoon. Bas put up a good fight doing regular and switch tricks, but Youri was much stronger, finishing it off with a kiteloop 7!
In the finals, Kevin showed to be the weekend ruler, winning the heat over Youri with more tricks and higher difficulty level including a mobe 7 and kiteloop NIS.
Overall, I am happy with the result and super happy about the event. I have never seen an national event with this super insane windspeeds, crowds, media and good riders!
My goal for next year is to end up top 3, I am super motivated to train for new tricks and more power!
Final results men:
1. Kevin Langeree
2. Youri Zoon
3. Bas Koole
4. Rolf vd Vlugt
5. Tijn van Esch
6. Jerrie vd Kop
Final results ladies:
1. Jalou Langeree
2. Esther Oud
3. Judith Roetman
4. Lisette Blankestijn
5. Marije den Breems
6. Jitske Hendriks
. At least not too bad for a sick person who had 3/4 of a sandwich in the whole day, and I made it 4th place! I was pretty happy with the result, considering there were 23 competitors and some good ones above me 
)
