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TAMPA BAY KITEMASTERS RACE
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February 3rd through February 19th, 2006 "The Inaugural TAMPABAY KITEMASTERS RACE kicks off in early February as 20 of the top kitesurfers attempt to conquer the blustery waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. Riders will navigate a tricky 20 mile downwind course from the Gandy Causeway to the South Skyway rest area. The race will be followed the next day by the TAMPABAY BORDERCROSS at the North Skyway riding area. This event requires riders to maneuver around a set course while at the same time jumping obstacles in their way. FAQs How do I sign up? Go to the registration page and copy all the required questions. Send your information back to: tampabaykiterace@yahoo.com Be sure to enclose a picture of yourself and brief blog about your riding experience. Registration will be limited to the first 20 competitors. When does the event take place? The event window is schedule for February 3rd thru 19th, 2006. This allows for three weekends on which to hold the event. We will make every attempt to hold the race and bordercross on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday but may need to switch to a weekday if required by weather conditions. Are there age requirements? No, anyone may compete. If you are under 18 a legal guardian must accompany you to the kickoff party and sign the release waiver. All riders must be experienced enough to stay upwind, jump obstacles, and be confident in there abilities to traverse open water in difficult situations. Do I need a rescue boat? At this time a rescue boat is not required but is HIGHLY recommended. Several vessels will be staged along the course and will trail competitors throughout the race. However, these vessels are under NO requirement to provide you with assistance. You will be required to sign releases stating that you are fully responsible for your own safety. How do I know when it the event will start? Registered riders will be notified via email of an expected starting date 2 days prior to event kickoff. The event will kickoff when winds are from the North or East of at least 13 mph. The event will not be held in winds over 25 miles per hour or if the organizers feel there is a substantial risk to rider safety. When and where is the preparty and afterparty celebration The preparty will be held at Grace O'Malley's Irish Pub 250 75th Ave , St Petersburg Beach. The expected date is Monday January 30th but stay tuned as this time may change. Riders will have the chance to meet other competitors and fill out necessary forms and waivers. Rider's race jerseys will also be issued at this time. The after party celebration and awards ceremony will be at Jayson Orkins house in Pinellas Point after the Bordercross Event is completed." Register now HERE |
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2006 TampaBay KiteMasters Kickoff Celebration
The 2006 TampaBay KiteMasters PREPARTY and kickoff celebration is now scheduled.
It will be held at Bongos Beach Bar on St Pete Beach. 5800 Gulf Blvd, behind the old Coral Reef hotel on Saturday January 28th at 6PM. Riders need to attend to fill out their waivers and pick up riding jerseys. Anyone who still needs to pay their entry fee can do so then. We will also be discussing the rules of the race and bordercross and covering safety procedures. Boat captains are strongly encouraged to attend. There will be free food, beer, and Red Bull. Personal Kitesurfing videos will be playing on the projection TV so if you have any favorites.. bring em. Bongos sits directly on an open area of St Pete Beach. So if there is SW, W, or NW wind then bring your gear and come early for an exciting _expression session. Party is open to all kitesurfers, competitors, friends, family and media. Anyone under 18 who is competing needs to bring their legal guardian along to sign for them. Please visit: www.flkitesurf.com/race/ for more info. Note**** The party is no longer at Grace OMalleys (as listed on the website) due to size constraints and parking**** |
Here's another update ...
The 2006 TampaBay KiteMasters Race, Bordercross, and Expression Session is scheduled for February 3rd through February 19th. 20 MILE KITEBOARDING RACE ACROSS TAMPA BAY ATTRACTS EXTREME ATHLETES IN FIRST OF ITS KIND EVENT. BORDERCROSS AND FREESTYLE EXPRESSION SESSION SCHEDULED FOR DAY FOLLOWING RACE. St Petersburg, FL (January 23, 2006) Recently, America has been introduced to the newest thrill in extreme sports, kiteboarding, which began over 9 years ago but its popularity has reached an all-time high in 2005 and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. An intense twist on windsurfing or wakeboarding; kiteboarders ride atop what is similar to a surfboard or wakeboard and are powered by the wind using a kite. These kites, some as big as 25 square meters in size, create immense power. Kiteboarders regularly obtain speeds of thirty mph or more and perform crowd-awing leaps of over thirty feet high and 100 feet in distance. The Tampa Bay area has been a secret kiteboarding paradise since the early days of the sport. Warm, flat, and waist deep waters in the bay provide the perfect arena for athletes to perfect their skills. Strong westerly winds can provide 4-8 foot waves along the coast communities, perfect for kiteboarders with a surfing background. Now twenty five of the top kiteboarders in Florida are scheduled to compete in the first TampaBay KiteMasters downwind race and bordercross. This event is being organized by local rider, Jayson Orkins (31), and longtime kiteboarder Neil Hutchinson (35) from Ft Lauderdale, FL. Orkins, and several other daring St Petersburg men, began riding the waters of Tampa Bay in 1999. “Kitesurfing gear in the early days was always prone to failure, ya never wanted to go further from shore then you were willing to swim back.” It also was a very dangerous sport according to Orkins. “When we started there really was no way to control the power of the kite or to stop it if necessary. We basically held on and prayed that it didn’t get too windy.” Now, thanks to major advances in kite design, riders are able to have one kite that has the same wind range of 3 kites only several years ago. This has made the sport much safer and allowed for all types of enthusiasts to participate. The Tampa Bay area is now home to the largest collection of kitesurfers in Florida and includes over 150 dedicated men and women of all ages. Ft Lauderdale kiteboarder, Neil Hutchinson, earned a distinct place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest distance ever traveled on a kiteboard, crossing ninety-seven miles from Key West, FL to Varadero, Cuba. He also recently organized the first ever Ft Lauderdale to Bimini, Bahamas Kiteboarding race. Orkins and his teammates participated in this 50 mile grueling race across the straights of Florida and through the Bermuda Triangle. This race provided the motivation for the TampaBay KiteMasters. The 2006 TampaBay KiteMasters race will begin on the south side of the Gandy Causeway. 25 Kiteboarders will leave simultaneously on their way through 20 miles of tricky currents and choppy waters in route to the finish line on the south side of the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Strong winds from the northeast could cause chop in the bay to reach 4-6 feet. The race is expected to take 1 ½ to 3 hours depending on conditions. There will be several boats for media and video accompanying the racers but competitors are highly advised to have their own safety craft present. The day following the race there will be a bordercross race at the north Sunshine Skyway fishing exit. In this event, riders must navigate a set course on the water. The course layout requires exceptional skill and precision from the contestants. In addition, they must jump over obstacles placed along the route. The rider to complete the course first rides away with the title. If time and wind permits there will be a freestyle expression session immediately after the bordercross race. Be there as these athletes jump 3 stories into the air while performing skilled acrobatic-like maneuvers. The 2006 TampaBay KiteMasters is scheduled to take place between Feb 3rd and Feb 19th. Riders, helpers, and media will be given a 48 hour notice as to expected start date. A pre-party celebration will be hosted at Bongos Beach Bar (5800 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, FL) on Saturday, January 28th at 6pm. ALL Kiteboarders, friends, family and media are invited. Come out and meet these athletes and sponsors before the race. If you would like more information about the TampaBay KiteMasters, or to schedule an interview with one of the riders, please contact: Jayson Orkins at 727-510-6452, or TampaBayKiteRace@yahoo.com Please visit our official website: www.FLkitesurf.com/race for more information. |
"Hello Everyone!
What an awesome weekend huh! Great wind Friday afternoon and evening, a fun kiteboarder party Saturday night, and to top it off... 20 knots out of the south all day today. Can it get any better! I want to thank everyone who made it out to the kickoff celebration. When I started riding 6 years ago I never dreamed that Tampa Bay would have such an awesome group of riders. I consider myself very lucky to be part of this tight knit community. Following is the starting lineup for the 2006 TampaBay KiteMasters Race: Pole Position: Josh Taylor 2. Roberto Villate 3. Scott Fears 4. Shawn Warmouth 5. Mike Higgins 6. Matt Garett 7. Randy Radcliff 8. Barb Draves 9. Bryan Eagle 10. Billy Parker 11 Antonio Martinho 12. Colin MacKenzie 13. Patricia (PJ) Maughton 14. Jeff Urfer 15. Rob McClanahan 16. Chris Moore 17. Dennis Yerokhin 18. Tom Stock 19. Mike Hall 20. Steve Sadler 21. H Trimble II 22. John Haus 23. Raul Argilagos 24. Zack Kaplan 25. Mercedes (Mira) Miccio 26. Stacy Fonas The forecast for next Saturday (FEB 4th) is still preliminary but as of this afternoon they are calling for 20 knots from the NNW. IF this holds true then we will be a go. RIDERS. Please make sure you have read (MEMORIZED) the RIDERS REQUIREMENTS handed out at the party (they are also attached). Boat Captains and Safety Crew. Please review the BOATERS REQUIREMENTS andf make sure your vessels are in order. (attached) ****ALL BOATERS AND HELPERS PLEASE REPLY TO THIS EMAIL AND CONFIRM IF YOURSELF/ YOUR VESSEL WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND IF THE RACE IS TO BE HELD THIS SATURDAY (FEBRUARY 4TH)**** I will be checking the forecast and give an update on Wednesday. Jayson PS. anyone who has pictures or video from the race please forward to Scott Fears for compilation. Thanks Scott!" |
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It looks like this weekend could be it! "IT LOOKS LIKE OUR WEEKEND IS FINALLY HERE!!! Most forecast have wind between 15-20 SE on Saturday afternoon and near 20 NE on Sunday. There is little chance of rain and the temp should stay in the 60's to low 70's. PERFECT! This is a preliminary notice to ALL riders, media, and boat captains. If the forecast holds true we will be a go for this weekend. Neil and crew will be here Saturday to hold an impromptu bordercross at East Beach. Entry fee will be a six pack of imported beer. Show up early to reserve your spot in this fun event. I will be sending out a final race confirmation on Friday morning at 10:30 AM. Keep your fingers crossed and pray for wind! jay" |
Stand by ...
"I have received several notices from captains that they and their boats will not be available this weekend. All captains and vessels that will be availble this weekend please reply and let me know ASAP. We cannot hold the race without adequate boat and safety support. Thanks jay" Get in touch with Jay folks if your boat can make it. jay orkins <tampabaykiterace@yahoo.com> ****** This just in, Friday morning, 2.24.06 ... "The 2006 TampaBay KiteMasters Race is set to conclude this weekend! All forecasts are calling for 15-20 from the South on Saturday and near 20 from the NNE on Sunday. There is a slight possibility of rain both days so bring your wet weather gear. Festivities will kick off Saturday around noon at East Beach in Ft DeSoto. Neil Hutchinson of X-Rated Kiteboarding will be here holding another bordercross. Entry is limited to the first 32 riders to sign up and show up with their entry fee so get there early. Entry fee is a six pack of IMPORTED beer. Winner takes all.... but usually shares. The start of the race will be Sunday morning at the Gandy Causeway. All riders and boats must be at the beach by 9 AM. The race is scheduled to begin at 10 AM sharp. The race will conclude at the North Skyway riding area. There will be food, soda, and music so bring your friends and family. See y'all there! jay" |
Hi all, Yep it looks like it is going to happen. I will be leaving Ft. Lauderdale this afternoon at 4pm with a van full of people. Saturday I will be doing another boardercross and sunday we should have the race and slider action afterwords. Should be breezy conditions,warm and no rain.
Cheers hope to see you there Neil |
Several updates on this including important weather information appear at:
http://fksa.org/viewtopic.php?t=1209 |
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