Safety When Launching and Landing - The Kiteboarder Magazine
Safety When Launching and Landing - The Kiteboarder Magazine
Safety When Launching and Landing - The Kiteboarder Magazine
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Steve Gunn from Cabrinha with amateur Kite<br />
Course winners Jeff Kafka, Geoff<br />
Headington, <strong>and</strong> Jeff Ruoss.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kiteboarder</strong> 34<br />
Pro winners Jesse<br />
Richman, Sean Farley<br />
<strong>and</strong> Shawn Richman<br />
collecting their winnings<br />
for the Kite Course Race.<br />
Kalani Cook billboards his sponsor<br />
Eric Rienstra <strong>and</strong> Mark Doyle<br />
between heats.<br />
Photographs by Kim Kern<br />
By Steve Gunn, Steve Gibson <strong>and</strong> Marina Chang<br />
For 6 years, Foster City, CA, has hosted <strong>The</strong> King of the Bay<br />
event. Started by windsurfer Troy Collins <strong>and</strong> supported by Gary<br />
Hohl of Helm Sports, it started as a grass roots windsurfing event<br />
<strong>and</strong> has grown to include kiteboarding. Local icon Chip Wasson<br />
was the first kiteboarding winner in 2000 when competitors could<br />
almost be counted on one h<strong>and</strong>. Since that time, it has grown<br />
attracting hundreds of regional riders <strong>and</strong> pros like Andre Phillip,<br />
Mark Doyle, Aaron Hadlow, Jamie Herraiz, Sky Solbach, Ruben<br />
Lenten, Clinton Bolton, Sean Farley <strong>and</strong> the Richman brothers<br />
from Maui.<br />
Originally started as a freestyle event, <strong>The</strong> King of the Bay was<br />
one of the very first to include a KiterX. In 2006, a Kite Course<br />
Race was added, due to the increasing popularity of this form of<br />
competition. Although the wind was not spectacular, moderating<br />
between 15-22mph, the competition <strong>and</strong> fun were!<br />
14-year-old Jesse Richman beat out Mark Doyle <strong>and</strong> older<br />
brother Shawn (17) to capture the Pro Best Trick with a spectacularly<br />
smooth <strong>and</strong> high forward mobe/kite loop. Jesse also rode to<br />
victory in the Pro KiterX topping Sean Farley (Mexican National<br />
Champ), <strong>and</strong> again older brother Shawn who was fresh off a victory<br />
at the Velocity Games. Shawn, however, got his revenge in<br />
the Pro Course Racing by capturing the top prize, winning three<br />
of the six races.<br />
Local Jeff Ruoss of KiteWindSurf captured the top spot<br />
among the amateur course racers <strong>and</strong> third overall (pros <strong>and</strong><br />
amateurs competed against each other). Geoff Headington took<br />
second <strong>and</strong> Jeff Kafka of WOW Kiteboarding placed third. Kafka<br />
also took second in the amateur Best Trick with Rocky Chatwell<br />
(Airush) capturing the top spot.<br />
Mark your calendar for June 2007 when the King of the Bay<br />
returns! <strong>The</strong> Bay Area crew is a friendly but competitive bunch<br />
<strong>and</strong> throw some of the best post parties, this side of the<br />
Mississippi.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Richman brothers flew in<br />
from Hawaii to compete.<br />
Adam Deny l<strong>and</strong>s with<br />
style blind.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kiteboarder</strong> 37
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