Qatar Airways - New title sponsor of the GKA Kite World Tour
by Jim Gaunt 3 Jun 2022 03:17 PDT
Qatar Airways - New title sponsor of the GKA Kite World Tour © Ricardo Pinto
We are thrilled to announce that the GKA Kite World Tour has begun an exciting new partnership that will allow the best possible world class kiteboarding events to become a reality in even more locations, while also helping to ensure an even brighter and sustainable future for kite sports.
At a special ceremony in Doha, Qatar yesterday (31st May) at a soon-to-be opened, incredible new kiteboarding resort - FKB (Fuwairit Kite Beach) - GKA Kite World Tour CEO, Dr. Jorgen Vogt and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, and Qatar Tourism Chairman, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker signed a contract that secures a new long-term partnership between the GKA Kite World Tour and Qatar Airways as Title Partner and Official Airline Partner of the World Tour through 2024.
Qatar Tourism is now also the Official Tourism Partner of the Kite World Tour, with two major events to be held in Qatar in 2023 including the season finale.
To mark the new partnership a special delegation of kiteboarding's leading athletes and stars headed out to Doha ahead of the ceremony for a three-day whistle stop tour of some of the fascinating cultural attractions available to Qatar's millions of annual tourists; a number which is of course set to dramatically increase when the FIFA World Cup kicks-off there in late 2022.
Of course, the primary excitement for the riders was to experience exactly why Qatar will grow in popularity as an incredible kiteboarding location over the coming years.
Regular, hairdryer warm winds across a long season, stunning turquoise waters and a seemingly endless stretch of coastline that's littered with tranquil lagoons serving up incredible flat water conditions are the headline act. Adventures begin from the new epicentre of kiteboarding in Qatar, the Fuwairit Kite Beach resort that will open later this year.
In his speech at the signing ceremony, Dr. Jorgen Vogt explained to the gathered national and international media how this new kiteboarding location will appeal greatly to all kiteboarders who enjoy the experience of pure escape in the natural ocean environment. Since the pandemic kiteboarding has seen its already impressive participation rate climb even more steeply as people search out new and exciting activities and experiences.
Mirroring Vogt's passion for adventure and discovery, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, and Qatar Tourism Chairman, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, warmly welcomed the new partnership, saying: "Kitesurfing is a travel sport where adventure seekers compete in beautiful destinations across many continents around the world. At Qatar Airways, we are proud to support this growing sport and become the preferred airline for athletes and fans travelling to GKA events all around the globe including Qatar, our home country, to experience something new and exciting."
New beginnings
This new partnership allows the GKA Kite World Tour to securely look ahead into the future; from firmly establishing the roots of the new Youth World Tour through to delivering enhanced media experiences at World Championship events.
The GKA's mission is to develop kitesurfing and other kite sports by making them more accessible while bringing world-class competition to every corner of the world. This includes creating World Championship events for freestyle, kite-surf, hydrofoil freestyle and big air disciplines.
There are currently three million active kiters in the world, and that number is increasing quickly as more and more people discover the thrill of the sport.
Qatar Airways GKA Big Air World Championships
20th June - 06 July 2022
The GKA's next order of business is the upcoming 16 day event in Tarifa - the first of its kind in kitesports to crown Big Air World Champions in Twin-tip, Strapless and Hydrofoil disciplines. The event will also include the Qatar Airways GKA Awards ceremony and the Visit Qatar Kite Expo.
Find more information about the event in Tarifa and see the contenders who are in the running to win the Awards on the website.