Kiteboard Tour Asia 2017 season schedule released
by KTA Press on 5 Feb 2017
KTA style competition - Kiteboard Tour Asia Alexandru Baranescu
It’s a whole new Asian competition season and a whole new approach for the KTA, with something in the mix for kite racers, freestylers, wave riders, big air junkies and even an outing or two being planned for the paddlers. So 2017 and Year of the Rooster here we come!
You can find the full event schedule
here
The season that is set to see 12 events taking place over 9 countries, is kicking off with a return to a KTA favourite - Pak Nam Pran beach, Pranburi, Thailand with the ‘Moose 2017 Asian TTR Kiteboarding Championships and KTA Freestyle X.
There is a tidy prize haul to kick things off with too this year, with cash prizes of 200,000 BHT from our title sponsor Moose and 12,000 USD of equipment prizes from our key brand sponsors Cabrinha
Pak Nam Pran is situated about 30km south of Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand and is part of the district of Pranburi. This fishing village and its surrounding area is still kind of a hidden gem as it remains undiscovered by many foreign tourists. It is a favourite for Thai weekend getaways and has a tidy traveller infrastructure,which along with the famous warm Thai welcome, will make sure this will be an event to remember.
March is one of the best wind and weather times for the location, with wind strengths averaging between 12 – 20 knots. The beach itself is long, with fine sand and nearly always empty, except for the weekends and all the kiters of course. The strand stretches south from Pak Nam Pran town at the mouth of the Pran River, which is known for its colourful fishing boats specializing in squid, for around 7km to the Khao Kalok headland rock and the tiny Thao Kosa Forest Park. All worth checking out and grabbing a bit of peaceful headspace at, when you are not out on the water.
On the water though it’s great for the racers outback and close in the sandbars that appear that time of year will create perfect flat water sections for the Freestyle X riders.
The disciplines that will feature in this event will be KTA Freestyle X and IKA TTR Racing.
IKA TTR:
As you all know by now kite racing has become Olympic. It’s all confirmed for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and appears to have a strong chance to be part of the 2020 Olympic Games also.
In line with the Olympic campaign the IKA have decided that all championship TTR competitions will run under the YOG format. This is going to be pretty exciting stuff for all you TT racers out there and our first chance to try out the Slalom/Boarder X format in Asia. The new format will allow for TT racing in less winds than a normal indward/leeward courses, while at the same time adding a more exciting knockout approach to the event, making it fast and furious racing for all involved on the water and spectacular for spectators to watch.
Pranburi has also been chosen for the location of the YOG qualifiers in March 2018, so all you young riders out there, this gives you an awesome opportunity to practice for the big one next year
KTA Freestyle X:
We felt that the first event of the new season should also be for the freestylers as well as the racers. So, Freestyle X is back, the KTA’s own take on freestyle that combines both old school and new school into the same event. It has gone down a storm in first few outings, so it’s time to work on those hooked and unhooked routines again and show us what you have got.
The crowds are going to love it for sure, soon as you start busting out those big air jumps and wake style moves – they won’t be moving from the spot until the last trick has been landed.
Freestyle X has brought a lot of fun back into this discipline, so come along and join in the show. Does not matter if you are not breaking out all the latest, as your trusty old moves are back in play and you are in with a shout of the podium.
Kitesurf Association of Thailand National Series:
Over the years the KTA has worked closely with the Kitesurf Association of Thailand (KAT) in timing its events to link up with key rounds of their national series, to help cut down on the travel for the local riders. We are pleased to say that we are carrying on this tradition and will be welcoming and supporting the KAT National Series competition that will run directly before the Asian TTR Championship week.
So a bonus event for all you international early birds as the guys from KAT will be happy to see you join them.
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