Barometer for Olympic kiteboard event

The emergence of kiting on the water has experienced steps of progression as equipment evolved. Rather than just offwind riding, upwind angles improved to permit traditional race course competition.

Next came a section of the Racing Rules of Sailing for kiteboard course racing, and soon boards that once floated on the water now foiled over the water. It was all a brave new world.

A kiting event nearly came to be for the Rio 2016 Olympics, but a change of heart proved a blessing for the genre. Freedom from Olympic restraints allowed for the progression, and now the Formula Kite Class is ready to reveal itself as part of the Sailing Program at Paris 2024.

What comes with Olympic inclusion are sailors chasing their dream, and participation at the World Championship has been the barometer. In 2017 there was 52 men and 6 women from 22 countries, but with news of Paris 2024, the 2019 Worlds had 87 men and 30 women from 29 countries.

Now, with the pandemic retreating and 2024 approaching, the 2022 Formula Kite World Championships have attracted 94 men and 62 women from 45 countries when racing gets held October 11-16 in Cagliari, Italy.

The 2021 world titlists will be back to defend their titles. Daniela Moroz (USA) will seek an unprecedented sixth consecutive world title while Theo de Ramecourt (FRA) will hope to repeat in the men’s division.

A measure of progress will be taken when 140 riders representing 39 nations from every continent compete at the Formula Kite European Championships on September 27-October 2 in Nafpaktos, Greece.

Last year, both in the men’s and the women’s divisions, the Open European champions were from outside Europe. Singapore’s 16-year-old Max Maeder is back to defend the men’s title while four-time Open European champion Daniela Moroz (USA) is in Italy to focus her efforts on the world title.

• Europeans: https://www.formulakite.org/2022europeans
• Worlds: https://www.formulakite.org/2022worlds