Check out the first stop of the NAST Tour in Jackson Hole

We are proud to announce our continued partnership and support for the 2012 North American Snowkite Tour.  For updates on the tour visit the NAST website.   

F-One is proudly sponsoring Chris Nester and  2011 World Champion Bjorn Kaupang 

Bjorn Kaupang represents F-One in the 2012 NAST Tour

Chris Nester represents F-One in 2012 NAST Tour

We wish to all participants good winds and lots of fresh pow!

Tour Schedule

Jackson Hole Kiters (Pro Stop*)

January 23 – 29, 2012

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Arguably one of the best winter sports locations in the western Hemisphere. There is something truly magical

about the Teton Range. With its dry and deep snowfall, vast terrain, and outlaw mentality it sure to be one of

the best locations for snowkiting in North America.

Southwest Snowkite Festival (Recreational Stop**)

February 3 – 5, 2012

Eagle’s Nest lake, New Mexico

Bringing together the Southwest snowkite scene lik never before, the Southwest Snowkite Festival is the

place to meet your fellow SW kiters, swap gear, learn a thing or two and kite the most epic terrain this side of Utah.

Snowkite Masters (Pro Stop*)

January 30 – February 5, 2012

Skyline, Utah

The most well known and photographed snowkite location in North America. It has proven to be the most

consistent weather location with windy conditions and deep Utah pow.

Dillon Snowkite Open (Recreational Stop**)

February 6 – 12, 2012

Dillon, Colorado

Summit County offers a plethora of amazing snowkiting as well as snowkiters. In the heart of the Rockies,

terrain and epic conditions never come up short.

Superfly Open (Pro Stop*)

February 13 – 19, 2012

Park City, Utah

Strawberry Resevior, located just outside Park City, is one of the largest and most versatile snowkiting

areas in the lower 48. The terrain goes on for miles with options for riders of all levels. Treeless snow

covered mountains roll as far as the eye can see.

Georgetown Lake Open (Pro Stop*)

March 1 – 4, 2012

Georgetown Lake, Montana

Info coming soon.

You may be seeing Katie on surf breaks in the United States

Originally Published: Dominican Central

Three top-ranked surfers from the Dominican Republic National Team, Rene Gough, Zion Balbuena and Katie Bowcutt, will compete in two different surf competitions in the United States in September.

Katie Bowcutt will compete in the 13th Annual ‘Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic’ in Jacksonville, Florida, September 10, 2011. The event benefits Bosom Buddies at the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. Katie will also attend Surf Expo in Orlando Florida, where she will meet with industry experts to talk about her future plans in the water sports industry.

Rene Gough and Zion Balbuena will compete in the Belmar Pro, in Belmar New Jersey, September 15-18, 2011.This annual event is well recognized, with a great history of waves and high level of performance. Competitors from Central America, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Europe, South Africa, and all over the US participate.

Nestor Puente, President of the Dominican Surfing Federation (FEDOSURF) remarked, “Surfing in the Dominican Republic is growing every year. Currently there are over one hundred and fifty athletes competing in our national circuit of surf competitions and local community warm-ups.” René Gough is the number one ranked Long Boarder in the Dominican Republic, Zion Balbuena is Third in the Men’s Open division, and Miss Katie Bowcutt (age 14), is Second in Women’s Open. “We are privileged that these prominent athletes will be representing our nation. Congratulations to them and many blessings. May they return with continued motivation and enthusiasm”, continued Mr. Puente.

Katie Bowcutt, an accomplished Kite Boarder, is sponsored by F-One/Cosmic Kites, Airbound Apparel, Mi Gym and Lavera Organic cosmetics and skin care. Airbound Apparel, the lifestyle clothing company, commented “Katie’s absolute love for being on the ocean instantly attracted us to her a couple of years back when she was just a little grom on Kite Beach.  It has been a pleasure to see her come into her own as an athlete and young woman, and even more fun to watch her performance in the waves on bigger days.  We are proud to have Katie as part of the Airbound Team.”

Daniel and Wendy Stockdale are generously hosting Rene Gough and Zion Balbuena during their stay in New Jersey. Daniel Stockdale is a professional photographer and Long Board rider and is a frequent visitor to the Dominican Republic. He is the official event photographer for the Belmar Pro. Mike Barber, Paul Foster, Gough and Hijos S.A., The Boat House Bar & Grill Boca Chica, Duharte Surfboards, The Board Spot, Villa Taina, Casa de Piedra, and Sea Horse Ranch have provided additional community support for the athletes.

FEDOSURF, established in 2002, is the National Governing Body of surfing in the Dominican Republic. It is a non-profit entity, whose main goal is to support and advance the sport of surfing and high-performance athletes in the Dominican Republic. FEDOSURF is recognized by the International Surfing Association, the Pan American Surfing Association, Dominican Olympic Committee, and the Ministry of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation.

Rene Gough and Zion Balbuena – Belmar Pro, NJ, Sept. 15-18, 2011
Katie Bowcutt – Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic, FL, Sept. 10, 2011

The Gear
Brian
- Board: 12’6” Race Board
- Paddle: Peak full carbon
Nico
- Board: 12’6” Race Board
- Paddle: Battle Hybrid
Lydia
- Board: 10’ Manawa
- Paddle: Vario (adjustable paddle)

Our first stop was Donner Lake just as dawn broke over the snow covered hills. The air and water were silent and still except for the sound of our paddles cutting through the water and the ripples following our boards.

As the rising sun drew mists off the water the lake became one of those mysterious, magical places of the adventure movies and books I read as a kid. I half expected some enchanted creature to rise out of the waters.

Instead, a trio of ducks buzzed us and settled on the water close enough to check us out and with enough room to make a get away if we made any sudden moves.

I thought I’d lived the Tahoe adventure I’ve been there many times for skiing, mountain biking and inner tubing. And being out on the lake at dawn, watching the shifts in the light and the water as the world slowly woke up. I felt like I’d seen Tahoe for the first time.

After warming up and fueling up on coffee and bagels our next stop was Lake Tahoe itself. There the main type of wildlife we saw was tourists, curious what we were up to. Like the ducks, they stopped to watch us. Unlike the ducks they had many questions about learning how to do it and where they could get boards themselves.

Caffeinated and under the bright sun of mid morning and having an audience of tourists the mood was much more rambunctious and we shifted from the contemplative paddling of the morning to opening up the high performance capabilities of the boards. Those race boards are like thorough bred racehorses. They can only tolerate being held back so much. It was exhilarating to fly across the crystal clear water in the chill mountain air.

By our final stop at Fallen Leaf Lake in the afternoon the air had warmed up enough we could trade wetsuits for shorts. The water was still really cold and it would have really, really sucked to fall in. The threat wasn’t from the still clear waters of the lake. It came from fellow team mates “just playing around”. Yeah, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye or someone ends up in alpine lake water.

Our little adventure combined everything I love about Tahoe trips. The camaraderie of the group. The breathtaking awe of the majestic beauty of The Sierras. The sense of adventure and excitement that comes with actually engaging with nature instead of just looking at it out of a moving car window. And this time I got to see a whole new side of the mountains and the lakes.

Have you heard of Maika Monroe?  If you are a kiteboarder you probably have.  Soon the rest of the world will know her as well.  Not only does she rip, she is also poised to be a powerful ambassador for the sport. Check out the ESPN article below to find out why.

Source: ESPN

In a few months, you will.

See, she’s the girlfriend to heartthrob Zac Efron in a new untitled movie, which is directed by Ramin Bahrani and co-stars Heather Graham and Dennis Quaid.

Monroe is also a professional kiteboarder.

“It’s really cool to be able to do both,” said the 18-year-old Monroe, who grew up in California. She has been kiteboarding for seven years and acting almost as long. “I get a chance to be in this film with these amazing actors, the coolest people ever, and I try to kiteboard as much in my free time as I can.”

 Kiteboarding (or kitesurfing) is an action sport where you harness the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard/kiteboard, which is similar to a wakeboard.

 ”I was watching my dad do it a bunch of times and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I convinced him to let me do it,” Monroe said. “I was hooked. I fell in love with the sport.”

 Right now, Monroe is No. 32 in the world in freestyle kiteboarding and recently finished ninth in a competion in New Caledonia a few weeks ago. That was after crashing into some rocks in practice and requiring a few stitches.

 ”The scar is right behind my hairline, so I was very lucky,” she said. “My acting agent wasn’t too happy about that crash!”

Monroe returned to the states to finish filming the movie, which is about a farmer (Quaid) whose insistence on expansion begins to drive a wedge between he and his family.

When that movie hits, Monroe knows that she might be spending more time acting and less time kiteboarding. But she plans to try to do both.

“I can see myself competing and then Skyping with my acting coach and then traveling to film my scenes,” Monroe said. “I want to do more competitions and more auditions. I’m really excited, hoping this movie helps me land other roles.”

Thanks to cosmickites.com, a F-One certified dealer, for developing young
talent too be the next generation of riders that will break kiteboarding
into a more mainstream sport.

Etienne Lhote, F-One team,  and french snowkiting school KITE LEGENDE will organize a series of kite camps at Col de Lautaret (Lautaret Pass) this winter. Nico, who is a co-founder of the F-One distribution in the US, grew up in that region and will tell you this is one of the best spot on earth for snowkiting. The surroundings are magnificent, skiing in nearby Serre Chevallier or La Grave is exceptional. This pass is a legendary pass for the Tour de France in the summer.

You can choose the introductory classes or if you are already a proficient kiteboarder you can opt for a freestyle or freeride camp.

For more info check:
http://etiennelhote.com/

This winter, this could be you…

Source: KSP

September 28, 2011: Kicking off the last six heats of the 2011 KSP One Eye Pro in Le Morne, Mauritius, Airton Cozzolino (Italy/North) faced Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil) in the first of two strapless semifinals. Early in the matchup, the 17-year-old Cozzolino was called on interference, resulting in his second highest wave score to be slashed in half. Nevertheless, his progressive kite surfing advanced him to the finals by a slim margin of .47 points.

Next up, Jesse Richman (Hawaii) faced 2008 Kite Surfing World Champion Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde/F-One) in the side-offshore winds and overhead surf. Displaying a unrivaled degree of flow, diversity and innovative strapless riding, Monteiro’s seemingly effortless style and 19-year background in surfing really shined.

While the 19-year-old Richman put up a good fight, Monteiro bagged a near-perfect score of 19.16 — the second highest of the whole competition (next to Cozzolino’s 19.5 in yesterday’s Quarter Finals). Redefining the standard of top shelf kite surfing with his highest scoring wave, Monteiro rode super vertically top to bottom — switching stance mid-ride — while staying in the pocket, smashing the pitching lip, tucking in for a barrel, and linking progressive maneuvers together.

Women’s Finals came next, which commenced with Steph Bridge (United Kingdom/North) facing Kristin Boese (Germany/Best) in a strapless showdown for third place. By a margin of 3.94 points, Bridge won. Then, with a fairytale ending, women’s kite surfing concluded with the unsponsored KSP Wild Card winner Ninja Bichler (Mauritian local, originally from Germany) taking home the 2011 One Eye Pro title as she faced off with Marie Gautron (France). Reaching the 15-wave limit, the 29-year-old Bichler left no set wave unslayed while scoring a 17.16 in her first ever final.

Drawing the elimination ladder to a close, the all-strapless Men’s Finals began with a matchup of two great watermen: Richman verses Pedreia for third place. With a tuck under the lip, good flow and some great top-to-bottom hacks, Pedreia bested Richman by 2.76 points. Richman pulled into numerous tubes of his own but was unable to find a clean exit to find the winning scores.

Then in Heat 36, the very last showdown of the event, Cozzolino rode against an injured Monteiro who hit the water wearing a knee brace after buckling his back knee at the end of Heat 34. Nevertheless, Men’s Finals ended on an exhilarating note — first and second place separated by less than three-quarters of a point. Riding an 8-meter kite, Monteiro demonstrated a wide variety of surf-influenced and innovative moves, lots of switch riding, impeccable wave selection and even a great cover-up. However, Cozzolino won a majority of the judges over with his performance as he rode top to bottom more vertically, with a super-committed and crisp flow, progressive moves (including an aerial re-entry) and his signature move, squaring up off his bottom turns with an unparalleled amount of control and power when setting up for his radical hacks.

The final results and heat-by-heat video clips can all be found online at kspworldtour.com/ladder.

Watch the clip of the day:

Check out the pictures of the day at http://www.kspworldtour.com/one-eye-pro-day-6.

The KSP Mauritius One Eye Pro 2011 is sponsored by the Indian Resort & Spa, MTPA (Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority), Air Mauritius, Mauritours, Le Gall, Habit, Club Mistral and Silent Partners. The KSP World Tour is supported by ION and Vitamizzer.

Don’t miss the live coverage of the remaining two 2011 KSP World Tour stops: Pasacamayo, Peru and Ponta Preta, Cape Verde — October 19 to 28 and December 2 to 11, respectively

Follow the KSP World Tour on Facebook at facebook.com/KSPworldtour as well as on Twitter at twitter.com/KSPworldtour.

Maika profile in The Kiteboarder mag. She is currently filming a feature movie “Heartland” with the likes of Zach Efron, Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham. Movie is directed by Ramin Bahrani. Read more here.

Open publication – Free publishing – More f-one

After long deliberations the results for Orange Speed Crossing are public. Alex Caizergues won the race during Mondial du Vent in front of Rob Douglas. Check the results here.

Apr-25-2011
Leucate, France, April 25th, 2011 – It was a beautiful sunny day in France today. The wind began to slowly build in strength throughout the morning enabling for the continuation of the men’s as well as women’s freestyle trial eliminations. Shortly after lunch, the wind had reached about 15-25 knots therefore the PKRA Race Director, Erik Troostheide announced that the red flag would be elevated for the kick off of the PKRA Mondial du Vent 2011 main event at 1:00pm sharp.

Even though the wind was extremely gusty it allowed for an afternoon full of exciting uncensored freestyle single elimination action. In the men’s single elimination division, it was an outstanding day for the Dominican Republic boys who pushed their skills to limitless levels causing upsets in the single elimination ladder.

Luis Alberto Cruz (Starkites, DOM) was one of the riders who performed exceptionally for the large crowd of spectators on the beach. Cruz had a few tricks up his sleeve, landing a one-handed Late Mobe with his kite practically inches above the water as well as double handle passes, an outstanding 313 with a super low kite position which enable him to eliminate his opponents such as Mario Rodwald (North, GER) in the first round as well as Andy Yates (Slingshot, AUS) in a 5/0 judge’s decision followed by Mikael Blomvall (Nobile, SWE) in the third round due to his cleaner executions, variety of tricks as well as kite position.

Robinson Hilario (F-ONE, DOM) was also riding extremely well executing a variety of difficult tricks against his opponents such as a Front Mobe 5, 315, and an Indy Grab double 313 pass defeating Tjin Van Esch (Advance, NED) in the first round as well as Alex Pastor (Airush, ESP) in the second round who executed four switch tricks which would not be enough to surpass Hilario’s cleaner executions and variety of technical tricks. Hilario went on to eliminate Marc Jacobs (Switch, NZL) in the third round where the competition came to a halt due to the fierce rain and thunderstorm weather conditions, which moved into the area rather quickly.

Reno Romeu (North, BRA), Alberto Rondina (Cabrinha, ITA), Sebastien Garat (RRD, FRA) as well as Youri Zoon (Slingshot, NED) all move into the third round which will resume tomorrow.

In the women’s freestyle single elimination division, Marie Switala (F-ONE, FRA) advanced from the first round moving her into the second round against Karolina Winkowska (Slingshot, POL) who eliminated Switala in a 5-0 judge’s decision. Winkowska moves on to challenge Bruna Kajiya (Flexifoil, BRA) in the third round. Asia Litwin (Nobile, POL) as well as Gisela Pulido (Airush, ESP) defeated their contenders today moving them up the ladder to meet each other in the third round, which will resume tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s wind forecast is predicting nearly the same conditions as today therefore the mandatory skippers meeting is set for 9:00am with the first possible start at 9:30am.

The Mondial du Vent is sponsored in part by Orange, Volkswagen Utilitaires, Veolia, Midi Libre, L’Independant, La Region Languedoc Roussillon, France 3 Languedoc Roussillon, RMC Info Talk Sport, Orangina, Airwaves, O’Neill, Maui Jim, and Leucate Mediterranee.

PKRA Press Secretary

For Live Results and all the latest updates log onto: PKRA