4 minute read
World Kite Cup - April, 2024
World class sport kite competitions are nothing new, but the World Kite Cup held in Berck-sur-Mer France this year in April brought not only a new format, but new faces to the field. Competitors were gathered from around the globe to represent 10 different countries in 5 disciplines, with each discipline having a ranking, but the overall score of all 5 disciplines combined to create the team score.
Months of preparation, planning, coordinating, and finding sponsors and supporters made it possible for the roughly 90 competitors to represent their countries in front of the estimated 800,000 people that came to the event. Unfortunately due to travel issues, one team was unable to make it in time for the event, leaving the remaining 9 countries to battle for the top spot.
This would really push each competitor to show what it meant not only to be great in your craft, but what it took to be a part of something bigger, to be a great teammate as well. This was something that the USA Sport Kite Team took to heart from day one.
While standing on the podium would be lovely, just as important to the members of the USA team was that the folks back home felt well represented by the people chosen to compete under the red, white, and blue.
The USA Sport Kite Team was made up of
Linzy Abbott: Quad Pair / Quad Team
Katrina Bruland: Quad Pair / Quad Team
Brett Marchel: Quad Team
Crystal Wilder: Quad Team
Paul de Bakker: Dual Individual/Dual Pair
Spencer Watson: Quad Individual/Dual Pair
Scott Weider: World Kite Cup Technical Judge
Nic O’Neill: Team USA Support Staff
For nine days the event was run in all kinds of weather; from zero wind and dark skies, to fully over 25mph and torrential downpours, to beautiful sun and bright blue skies and perfect wind. It really put the flying skills of every competitor to the test. Not only were they their to compete during the 5 dedicated afternoons of competition, they were also there to perform.
If the dual lines were flying competition, the quad line fliers were on deck to perform in between to give the judges a break. This kind of format meant that no one ever really got a break from being a part of their team.
For many, this made folks feel closer together, not only to their countrymen, but to the others on the field. During the event the casual observer might not have seen these moments clearly, however, the mega-flys are a perfect embodiment of what it means to come together and work with a bunch of ‘strangers’.
To stand on a line and share the common language of kites, of strings, of wind, of flow with a few dozen other folks really demonstrates something special about this thing that we have chosen to occupy our lives.
For a full event recap, videos of the competition pieces and the performances check out the Sportkite.org Youtube channel, or head on over to Sportkite.org and click on the ‘World Kite Cup’ Tab.
