Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA) Australian Open and National Championship

by Willy Kerr on 8 May 2012 The Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA) for the first time since its inception, takes its kiteboarding competition outside of Asia to join the Australian Kitesurf Association (AKA) to present the 2012 Australian National Championships in combination with an International Open event.

Its an exciting time for Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA) and the sport of kiteboarding as this week sees the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) announce the successful inclusion of kiteboarding onto its Olympic Sailing program for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil. The KTA was invited by the Queensland Government to join them and the Australian Kitesurf Association (AKA) for the event.

For the KTA it adds greater energy to its on-going development of the sport which is for the first time about to take the KTA itself outside of Asia to bring its event know how to Australia's National Championship in Townsville, Queensland from the 7th - 11th June 2012.

So the KTA is stretching its legs in its latest Open Event and linking up with its Australasian cousins to bring the first KTA Australian Open in combo with the Australian Kiteboard Nationals. The event is sanctioned by the IKA/ISAF and is in partnership with the AKSA to endorse their Australian national championship this year.

The event being sponsored by Events Queensland is to take place in North Queensland at Townsville with the AKSA under the local organisation of the James Cook University Kiteboarding Club.

The key focus for the National Championships will be around the Freestyle discipline in which Australian kiteboarders excel, so everyone can anticipate some high octane days of competition as riders battle for that number one podium position and a year's worth of 'bragging rights' to follow.

In addition to the freestyle, the event will also run the new 'Olympic discipline' of course racing, which will include both race board (RB) and twin-tip (TT) classes. So if you want to get an early preview of the latest Olympic sport then head over to Townsville and take it all in on the spot.

As well as the kiteboarding, the event is being paired with beach music festival, which Townville is also renowned for. The competitions will be located in Pallarenda and Magnetic Island. The freestyle will take place in Pallarenda at the Robertson Park at 3 Mile Creek right in front of the beautiful Magnetic Island with Townsville's iconic Castle Hill in the background with flat or more or less flat water. The course racing will happen 300m offshore with a final Magnetic Island to Townsville 20km Race which will be the highlight race to be held on Sunday the 10th June.

Kiteboard Tour Asia website