Miami Kiteboarding was catching up, completing two events that suffered from light winds last year. As it happened, MKB and all the participants lucked out with the 2009 continuation of the 2008 Miami Kiteboard Masters. The wind delivered, just long enough to run all the race and free style heats, yeeha! The venue Crandon Park off Downtown Miami on Key Biscayne, FL
Walking in, some folks are already out
There's Melissa's, lets trail along
Folks are getting setup
It's still early, later on the entire beach was covered up with kites
Agata, one of the organizers from MKB says hi
Another great event at Crandon, the beach a bit later on
Lonny goes strapless on a skimboard and does very well too!
Inja sets up
Paula helps Kent with his pre-race warmup. Paula was heading out to a triathlon, needing to warmup herself she lifted Kent a few times after.
Damo and Gebi
Kent practices board levitation, beats leashes. May the force be with you?
Inja heads out
Agata rides
Todd shreds along
Aagata and Lonny head out
Stewie jumps over Todd?
Specators, spectating!
Mike and Inja
Captains meeting, this time for free riding
Here's the course that Kent, Neil and Christophe constructed. It was a good concept allowing a reaching race in both directions, action well in view of the spectators onshore, with the island in the lee of the racers for most of the run and dramatic views of the racers charging down the line. The ran THREE of these with time left over for a bunch of free style runs, well done guys! Shots of the various heats are mixed together below.
Waiting for the start of the course race offshore
Charging down the line
I thought there were six, but it looks like there were SEVEN kites tangled in one of the three races by the outer mark. I don't think I've ever seen seven kites tangled at the same time before. The winds lightened at points, the folks had to sine their kites and were a bit too close. This happened in the middle race, not to be repeated in the third.
Gebi rounds the mark
Melissa moves up from behind
Ken comes up on Melissa
Getting kind of thick but in good order, here!
Tommy transitions around the mark
Inja and Barbie capture the action
Coming and going at the outer mark
Damo heads in
Kent in the lead by a good margin
Kent and Todd at the finish
Gebi rides in
Melissa stretches out in the minutes between heats
Felicia, son Hunter shooting video while Billy sports a great new concept in mobile video
Race results
The women winners are up
Thanks to Neil, Kent, all the riders, volunteers and sponsors for making these events happen. They are a lot of hard work and planning but well worth it!
Thanks Christophe of MKB for bringing the event together!
Those are just some of the shots, still have to cover the free style. More to come ...