The most prestigious and highly-anticipated event on the big air kiteboarding calendar will soon celebrate its 11th year on the Mother City’s shore this year, so circle the date and gather the gang for a thrilling display of air-bending.
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For those who may not (yet) know about Red Bull King of the Air, it sees talented air-benders swiftly soaring above the ocean’s giants and the sky’s space – it’s a big-air kiteboarding competition fuelled by the power of our Cape winds and heavy sees where 18 of the world’s best compete in hardcore showcasing.
The 18-rider promises an electrifying mix of former champions, established big air competitors and promising newcomers from across the globe, all contending for the coveted throne of the biggest, most extreme kiteboarding competition.
Spectators can expect to see the top three finishers from the 2022 competition, the champions of the Red Bull King of the Air Qualifier Series and the victors of the Online Qualifier form part of the 2023 fleet set to take over Kite Beach in Table View.
Among them are local pro kitesurfers Luca Ceruti from Langebaan, Jason van der Spuy from Melkbosstrand and Joshua Emanuel from Durban.
Meet the 2023 air-benders:
Unique to any judging criteria and system of any other kitesurfing or kiteboarding leagues and organisations, Red Bull King of the Air has specifically developed (and constantly updates) their system and criteria in accordance with the evolution of the sport and the event’s needs.
So beyond mesmerising displays of athletics, riders will be judged based on the height of their jumps, the extremity in which it is performed, how technically correct it was and how well it was executed.
The three highest-scoring tricks of a rider will make up the rider’s final heat score and determine the result of the heat.
To catch a glimpse of what the action could look like, here are highlights from 2022:
Red Bull King of the Air made its debut in Cape Town in 2013 as the kiteboarding scene saw an opportunity for the event to return to a new destination after it started in Ho’okipa, Maui.
The Cape’s prevailing south-easterly wind during the summer months, also known as the ‘Cape Doctor’ makes it the ideal place for the perfect conditions for big air kiteboarding. In fact, Kite Beach is renowned as the kitesurfing Mecca of Cape Town, both for its weather and wave conditions, as well as for its beachside vantage point to witness the riders launching off.
The event’s weather window is open from 25 November to 10 December, requiring wind speeds of 25 knots or higher as well as a decent swell to kickstart the action.
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Picture: Renan Brun / Unsplash