Crissy Kite Days kicked off with the Wells Fargo US Kite Course Nationals on Wednesday, July 25 with a 9:30 a.m. race rules meeting which briefed seasoned and new riders about the conditions, course and rules for the three-day competition. The talent pool was impressive with some of the top North American and international riders in freestyle and course racing traveling from all corners of the world to participate in this first ever US National Kite Course Title event.
The races started at 2:00 p.m. after the fog cleared and the wind reached an acceptable 15 knots. The wind remained around 15 – 20 knots all day so the heats were able to run through the entire afternoon.
50 competitors registered for the Nationals and were divided into two fleets. Due to the later start and large field of racers, half ran three races and the other half ran two. While it’s hard to compare overall scores for the day, it was pretty evident that Crissy local racers are some of the best. The top two locals, Jeff Kafka and Anthony Chavez, put up the best days with each finishing 1, 1, and 3 to put them both in the top spot thus far. Jon Modica, the Richman brothers and Damien LeRoy all sit in good shape after two races. International riders, Davey Blair and Mo “Goose” Goold were last seen leaving the races by boat in search of the big air meg ramp, which will be unveiled on Friday, July 27.
Crissy Kite Days runs from July 25 through July 29. The forecast today is similar to yesterday with an anticipated start time of 2:00 p.m. for The Wells Fargo US Kite Course Nationals. Weather permitting, the Nationals will conclude on Friday, July 27, which is also the day when 20 riders will battle it out for wild card spots in the finals for the Big Air Wind Jam over the weekend. The BoarderX event will start on Saturday, July 28. Plans are in the works to LIVE webcast the Wells Fargo Kite Course Nationals Finals and the first day of trials for the much anticipated Big Air Wind Jam Ramp on Friday, July 27. Check www.thekiteboarder.com for the latest news and live webcast feed.
To follow the daily results for the Wells Fargo US Kite Course Nationals, see www.stfyc.com For Crissy Kite Days overall event info, see www.bigairwindjam.com
Photos courtesy of Chris Ray