Trofeo S.A.R Princesa Sophia - Kiteboard irony in Palma

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team on 31 Mar 2013 An ironic twist to the 44th Trofeo S.A.R Princesa Sophia registration day here in Palma, Spain today.

Blazing sunshine and winds of 25 knots plus pushing strong waves ashore, some dozen kiters were blasting along the beach from Club Nautico SÁrenal to Club Maritimo San Antonio de la Playa.

After the unexpected selection of Kiteboarding as an Olympic Sailing event for the 2016 Brazilian Olympics, at the May 2012 ISAF Mid Year Meeting of the ISAF Council, in Stresa Italy, took many by surprise when it installed Kiteboarding as an Olympic Event, doing so against the recommendation (17 votes to 2) of the Events Committee.

There was an immediate jump in kiteboard racing interest as the freestyle kitesurfers suddenly had an Olympic dream. There was a large international fleet from 22 countries at the first World Sailing Cup, Sail Melbourne back in December 2012.

But after a long six month battle, Windsurfing made it back as an Olympic Event for the 2016 Olympics.

On November 12 2012, the ISAF Annual General Meeting, in a simple majority vote, decided to delete Kiteboarding and re-instate Windsurfing, which has been in the Olympics since 1984 as a Men’s Event, and since 1992 for Women and the ISAF AGM also voted to re-instate the RS:X as the class to be used in the 2016 Olympics.

The kiteboarders had committed to Melbourne before the November ISAF decision to throw out Kiteboards and return to Windsurfing for 2016.

The 44 Trofeo S.A.R Princesa Sophia organising committee had invited the kite sailing community to enter a kiteboarding class for the 2013 Grade One event but two weeks ago the Class was cancelled for lack of entries.

The Olympic Dream is over, now it’s back to having kitesurfing fun.