Andrea Principi wins 2023 Red Bull King of the Air

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 10:46:55 +0000

In an electrifying display of kiteboarding prowess, 19-year-old Italian Andrea Principi has been crowned the champion of the prestigious Red Bull King of the Air competition, held in Cape Town, South Africa.

The young kiteboarding prodigy demonstrated exceptional skill and innovation, winning the hearts of thousands of spectators and viewers worldwide.

Amidst the challenging gale-force winds off the Cape Town coast, Principi delivered a performance that will be etched in the annals of the sport.

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Flexifoil is for sale

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:03:40 +0000

Legendary British kiteboarding brand Flexifoil is for sale.

In 1972, graduates Ray Merry and Andrew Jones from Newcastle upon Tyne University set out to create a wind sculpture.

Unexpectedly, they ended up crafting a power kite. Soon after, they christened their invention "Flexifoil."

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The chronicle of a post-apocalyptic kite photo

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:01:40 +0000

My name is Jeremy Blatti, but my friends call me Jay. I live in Lausanne, Switzerland.

As an amateur photographer, I combine my passion for photography with my passion for outdoor activities, travel, and sport.

I regularly take my camera with me on these occasions, which is where I take most of my shots.

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Andrea Principi wins 2023 Red Bull Megaloop

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 10:35:27 +0000

After a four-year wait for the perfect storm, one of the fiercest kitesurfing events in the world has been contested once again in the Netherlands.

Italy's Andrea Principi has been crowned Red Bull Megaloop champion after 16 world-class riders put on a spectacular kitesurfing show during an autumn storm in Zandvoort, The Netherlands.

With the brutal gusts swirling all around at Wind Force 8, Principi displayed a high level of style, creativity, skill, and strength to execute the tricks that landed him one of the most coveted titles in the sport.

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Lorenzo Casati conquers 2022 Red Bull King of the Air

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 10:16:32 +0000

Lorenzo Casati has taken out the 2022 Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Italian kitesurfer beat his fellow countryman Andrea Principi and Dutch sensation Jamie Overbeek to claim the 10th edition of the prestigious big air kiteboarding event.

The competition kicked off with winds over 40 knots, allowing riders to get the highest heat scores and highest single move.

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Kitesurfer Jeremie Tronet defies jet suit pilot Richard Browning

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 15:14:22 +0000

From jet-pack flying to walking on water, Richard Browning, also known as the "real-life Iron Man," and pro kitesurfer, Jeremie Tronet, are no strangers to pushing the limits of what's possible.

Now, the two have taken their exploits to St Vincent & the Grenadines to shoot a breathtaking showdown on the high seas: "Pilots of the Caribbean: Man vs. Tech."

As one of the biggest productions portable camera company Insta360 has ever undertaken, months of careful planning and preparation preceded the shoot, plus a whole lot of Zoom calls.

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How to make universal kite pigtails

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 17:21:51 +0000

Pigtails are one of the most underrated kiteboarding accessories. They're extremely useful but also expensive. Learn how to make a kite pigtail.

Colored kite pigtails serve multiple purposes.

These small bendable items always come in handy if you're using and controlling a single kite bar with multiple brands you own or use regularly.

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A's Youth Foil Class: the pathway to Olympic Formula Kite

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 16:06:20 +0000

Formula Kite is the new fast and furious Olympic class, and the acrobatic skills of the riders while moving at breathtaking speed may look out of this world, but there is a simple and fun way to get there.

It's called the A's Youth Foil Class, and since 2021, it has been the pathway to Olympic kite foiling.

The introduction of a class that will upskill young athletes aspiring to compete in the Formula Kite class has been a long-standing idea.

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Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo towed up 80 meters above Nazaré

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 11:39:34 +0000

Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo is taking his kite stunt adventures seriously. This time, the Portuguese got towed up in the skies of Praia do Norte.

Who said Nazaré is a surfers-only arena?

Nuno "Stru" is a well-known face at the world's most famous beach break.

On November 8, 2017, the 44-year-old daredevil from Porto wrote his name on the Guinness World Records for riding the largest ever kitesurfing wave.

After carefully analyzing the wave, the officials set Nuno's Nazaré wave at 62-feet (19 meters).

But this time, the Portuguese had a new (and dangerous) challenge.

The goal was to perform a tow-up session using his kite as a parachute and reach for the sky at 80 meters (262 feet) with the support of a jet ski.

The death-defying kitesurfing antic would get Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo level with the iconic Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo and its legendary lighthouse.

A Risky Flight

Could he do it without falling flat on the choppy waters of Praia do Norte?

"It's a risky idea, but I've been thinking about it for some time. The conditions are all set up, and I think I'm ready," explained the stuntman.

The sun was out, and the wind was blowing strong, so it was time to get airborne.

Slowly but steadily, Nuno started climbing the skies until his kite got more or less level with the beautiful red lighthouse.

The experience was like nothing he had ever gone through. After landing the big air, loops and rotations, "Stru" was ecstatic.

"The last one was amazing. The northern wind kicked in at around 20 knots, and then I had to release it. I couldn't hold it anymore," explained the kiteboarder.

"And there's that second when after releasing it, you're left hovering, and you don't hear anything - zero."

Mission accomplished.

Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo spent 50 seconds floating in the blue skies of Nazaré's Praia do Norte. What will he do next?

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How to find the area of a kite

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:55:54 +0000

In theory and geometrically speaking, the original kite is a quadrilateral with two pairs of congruent sides that are adjacent to one another.

Kites are an old human invention.

The earliest depiction of a kite dates from 9,500-9,000 years B.C. It was found in a mesolithic period cave painting in Muna Island, Indonesia.

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SeaWing: the giant kite that propels vessels across the ocean

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 16:16:21 +0000

AirSeas announced the installation of the first automated kite propulsion system on a commercial vessel.

The cargo ship named "Ville de Bordeaux" was built in 2004, sails under the French flag, and is owned and operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.

The ro-ro ship, the designation given to vessels designed to transport wheeled cargo such as cars, buses, trucks, and railroad vehicles, is expected to deploy the 1,000-square-meter SeaWing kite in January 2022.

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Francisco Lufinha crosses the Atlantic on a kite-powered boat

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:14:11 +0000

Francisco Lufinha has successfully completed the 6,700-kilometer (4,160 miles) crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a kite-powered multi-hull boat.

The kitesurfer kicked off the sailing challenge on November 3, 2021, in Cascais, Portugal.

Five days later, Lufinha was forced to make a technical stop in La Palma, in the Canary Islands, where he fixed malfunctions in his kite and made some minor adjustments to the boat.

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