Kiteboarding sees competitors reach new heights in South Africa

With just three hours left of the Red Bull King of the Air 2024 weather window in Cape Town, Italian Andrea Principi successfully defended his Open Division title while British kiteboarder Francesca Maini claimed victory in the inaugural Women’s Division.

The exhilarating display of Big Air kiteboarding saw shortened Sunday heats and breaks to maximise the fleeting ideal conditions as the South African day unfolded with a thrilling sense of urgency.

The famed Cape Doctor winds finally peaked at 40 knots late in the afternoon, while the 2.5 to 3.1-metre southwest swells provided an ideal backdrop for the riders’ soaring aerial feats.

Organisers shortened heats from 10 minutes to eight with brief intervals between rounds and the finals were 13 minutes each to give the three riders the necessary time to showcase their amazing abilities.

The Open Division final pushed conditions right to the brink with riders performing in near darkness to cement the event’s reputation as the pinnacle of Big Air kiteboarding – defending champion Principi demonstrating again why he remains at the pinnacle of the thrilling sport.

Principi’s standout tricks included a Contra Loop Back Tornado Board Off that scored 7.18, a stylish Doobie Loop Board Off earning 6.76 points and a technical Contra Loop Double Front Roll Rodeo for 6.47 points – this combination of height, precision and innovation cementing king status.

In close second was Principi’s compatriot Lorenzo Casati with South African Luca Ceruti rounding out the podium and wowing the fans to become the first-ever local rider to finish in the top three.

The groundbreaking Women’s Division also delivered dramatic action with Briton Maini etching her name into history as the first female winner of the event, thanks to a series of high-scoring manoeuvres that showcased her precision and technical mastery.

Her top tricks included a Kite Loop Board Off with another highlight a big Boogieloop that was backed up with a cleanly executed Contra Loop Front Roll to wrap up her impressive inaugural victory.