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While Scandinavia is known for its rugged beauty and its great snow in the wintertime it is also known for producing great female competitors in the kiteboarding world just one of many reasons for KB4girls to target female kiters in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland from August 27-29.

With local rippers Anki Knutsson and Anna Sparre, the KB4girls team around world champion Kristin Boese will have the best possible support to reach out to the girls in Scandinavia and to teach them new skills. While both Anki and Anna have a lot of experience traveling around on the kiteboarding world circuit they have both been organizing local girls groups over the past few years and are supporting females in the sport with a passion.

Anki Knutsson says: “I have known Kristin for almost seven years. We have travelled on the PKRA tour together and spent many off-seasons in the same places. To get together with her to organize the KB4girls event in my home country is very special for me. It’s really an inspiration to be able to ride with other girls who push themselves and who understand each other. I really want to share this with the girls back home even if it is just for one weekend. “

The Oeresund Sound will be the perfect location for the KB4girls event since it offers a huge bay with many different spots for different wind directions but also shallow water for easy learning. Based at a camp ground the girls will drive to wherever the conditions in the bay are best and practise new moves under the instructions of Anki, Anna and Kristin all weekend.

“While I have not actually been to Sweden yet and am not familiar with the spot and the area itself I have heard so many great things about the Oeresund Sound, the kite conditions there, the amazing girls in Sweden and Scandinavia and the countryside. I think this is going to be a very special event since the local support that we are getting is just great and the spot sounds amazing. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone!” says Kristin Boese.

While Anki Knutson and Anna Sparre will help to rally the girls and teach them many new moves the Surfstore.se will support the event with everything else needed. Scandinavia should watch out for a female invasion of kiteboarders and for a great KB4girls event!

Upcoming KB4girls events:

Fischland, Germany / August 20-22, 2010
Malmo, Sweden / August 28-29, 2010
Hood River, USA / September 4, 2010
Montauk/NY, USA / September 24-26, 2010
Lancing, UK / October 8-10, 2010

Source: KB4Girls

During these adventure Paul and Aaron were supported by Don Mastrangelo’s HawaiianGPS.com , NaishKites.com , Robin Cobb, their families and friends.

Nearly perfect conditions of warm breeze and hot sunny skies brought out the crowds for this year’s KB4C to watch 130 + kiteboarders take to the Columbia River for the annual Kite Derby fundraiser. Event Director Tonia Farman summed up the weekend –

“This was our best Kiteboard 4 Cancer to date! The kiteboarding community has stepped up again in a huge way — not only to participate in the race and events, but to support this cause and the fabulous local programs that we benefit. “

“This year was more unique and powerful than in years’ past in that there was a strong connection at the event between the athletes and the people and programs they were riding for — In attendance of the event were survivors, people in treatment, kids in remission, and friends and families going through their own battle with someone they love. Connecting faces and real life experiences to the purpose of this event is very meaningful and powerful for all involved — athletes, donors, volunteers and the organizers.”

“I am so proud of the energy, commitment and generosity that kiteboarding has brought to this community — both locally here in Hood River, and across the Pacific Northwest. Each year I’m blown away by the kiteboarders that travel from all over to be here for this cause and our community.”

Kite Derby athletes from as far as New York and Florida battled it out on the river for 6 hours in big swell and variable wind conditions to raise money and awareness for regional cancer programs — The Next Door Inc. in Hood River, Children’s Healing Art Project in Portland, Children’s Hospital Seattle, and KB4C’s Survivorship Camps.

The KB4C teams highlighted the weekend with a contagious group energy of fun and competitive furvor. Teams had to hand off their one team jersey as a baton, by first landing their kite, swapping the jersey to the next person, then re-launching the kite. In the last hour of the kite derby, KB4C raised the bar for all competitors to go out and kite laps for donors to pledge per lap dollars for all of the combined laps in the final hour. Over $3,000 was raised in the last hour of the kite derby alone from this challenge! Over 400 laps were tallied in the final hour of the kite derby!

Team REAL Wind Ninjas from Hatteras, North Carolina, traveled to compete as a team for those in their families who have, and are, battling cancer. Team Seals from Portland, Oregon, rode for their Team Captain, Derek Seals, who survived germ cell tumors in 2007 and represented at the event to cheer his team on. Team 2nd Wind Sports/Urban Flora rode for Irv Stein and Steve Fisher, two local kiteboarders who have battled cancer in the last two years, plus family members who recently passed from cancer.

Team 2nd Wind Sports/Urban Flora won the Team Relay portion of the Kite Derby with 31 laps. Team Trew from Hood River came in 2nd with 25 laps, and Team REAL Wind Ninjas from North Carolina took 3rd with 23 laps.

In the individual category, Kiteboarding pioneer and Hood River local Cory Roessler claimed the top honors with a total of 35 laps. Alex Blochinger, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took second with 32 laps, and Stevenson resident Tony Bolstad came in third with 31 laps. Each of the top three finishers have placed in the top three spots in previous KB4C kite derbys.

Cory Roessler, Alex Blochinger, and Tony Bolstad take 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Individual Kite Derby

Cory Roessler, a legend in the sport of kiteboarding, put it into perspective perfectly as he took his trophy and prizes at Saturday night’s award ceremony:

“Today we may have suffered with sore muscles and cramps… but it’s a small price to pay for such a worthwhile cause.”

Race Results:

Overall/Men’s:
Cory Roessler – 35 laps
Alex Blochinger – 32 laps
Tony Bolstad – 31 laps

Top Women:
Jaz De Lille – 24 laps
Carol Bolstad – 25 laps

Team Winners:
2nd Wind Sports – 31 laps: Pepi Gerald, Irv Stein, Jason Wynn, Nate Appel
Team Trew – 25 laps: Tripp Frey, Lance Koudele, Ryan Huggins, Felix Granados
REAL Wind Ninjas – 23 laps: Jason Slezak, Sensi Graves, Chris Stuckey, Dominique Granger

Top Under 18:
Eric Devries – Merril – 25 laps

All Individual Competitors:
35 laps – Cory Roessler
32 – Alex Blochinger
31 – Tony Bolstad
29 – Jason Norwood
28 – Dave Hazenboom
27 – Vagi Gabor
27 – Phillip Schonger
27 – Grom Gormley
27 – Nick Ward
25 – Luc Rancourt
25 – Carol Bolstad
25 – Eric Devries – Merril
24 – Jeff Castleberry
24 – Jaz De Lille
22 – [Jersey #2]
21 – Scott Edgar
21 – Mike Haase
21 – Matthew Dawson
20 – Jodi Craig
18 – Derek Fromm
18 – Jason Jorgensen
17 – Holly Low
16 – Michael Dewitt
15 – Levi Roesler
15 – Jim Buttrick
14 – Brian Greenleaf
13 – Allen Beeler
13 – Jim Mason
12 – Neil Erwin
12 – Rachel Callahan
11 – Austin Keillor
11 – Gary Rhodes
10 – Ken Lie
10 – Robert Redman
9 – Sam Dent
9 – Jake Chanson
9 – Terri Flicek
9 – Dave Guttierrez
8 – Jose Gruart
8 – Man Cong
8 – Carl Davison

8 – Colin Jacobs
8 – Sean Reyngoudt
7 – Derry McIntyre
7 – Nicholas Cooper
5 – Laird Davis
5 – Brian Yates
5 – Andrea Esno
5 – Pat Erwin
4 – Brian Schurton
4 – Trey Roesler
4 – Ed Elsasser
4 – Margy Johnson
4 – Jenna Edginton
4 – Daniel Dancer
3 – Floyd Moore
3 – Alana Burny
3 – John Gilman
3 – John Carroll
2 – Kari Swarztrauber
2 – Kathleen Brogan Gruart
2 – Mark Davis
2 – Marybeth Zingarelli
2 – Shane Eagan
2 – Becky Bishop
2 – Andy O’Brien

Teams:
21 – Kite Seals – Tony Colburn, Jim Schenk, Ryan Schenk, and Lance Larivee
21 – Gorge Performance – Brian Campagna, Justin Snodgrass, Becky Bolstad, Brian Jackson
20 – 2nd Wind Chicks – Anna Weber, Arla Funk, Claire Lutz, Lisa Tedford
20 – NW Kite Crew/Tribute to Kevin Kearney – James Erjavec, Toby Winston, Phil Holmstrand, John Stack
20 – Hood River Kite Rats – Ken Lucas, Vetea Boersma, Nick Dancer, Jan Booersma
5 – Cross Fit Hood River – Jeri McMaster, Denise Ward, Katie Rae, Nicole Homstrand
5 – Never Petered Out – Peter Ackerman, Peter Nora, Peter Carlson, Bob Overell
4 – Taking it Slowly – Jamie Lieberman, Mike Klotz, Mike Ketchem, Dan Temkin

Source: KB4C

Luckily an extremely keen and competent kitesurfer Richard is up for the challenge:

“Kitesurfing is one of my favourite sports. I absolutely love the amazing rush you get when going at high speeds, in high winds, with the most beautiful kite acting as your only guide. I know that kitesurfing across the channel will not be quite the same as kitesurfing in the beautiful waters of the Caribbean but I can’t think of anything I rather do, with my family and friends, to celebrate turning 60!

My wife swears I get more barking as I get older – this year I’ve almost crippled myself running 26.2 miles in my first marathon and now I’m putting my poor 60 year old bones through an arduous 24.4 miles, over water, hanging onto a giant kite! Joan could have a point! But as Holly, Sam and my nephews will be doing it with me – at least I can claim the whole family is barking and at the end of the day they are Joan’s children as well – so she’s 50% responsible! Thankfully Virgin Active has been fantastic in helping us prepare for the big day.”

The crossing, estimated to take up to six hours dependent on conditions, stretches 24.4 miles of one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Getting physically prepared for the challenge

Challenge sponsor Virgin Active UK, part of the global health club chain founded by Sir Richard 10 years ago, has been advising Sir Richard and the team on their physical preparations for the crossing. Key requirements are well developed core strength and the ability to react to sudden changes in the environment caused by wind and waves.

Virgin Active has compiled a training package for Sir Richard and the team ahead of the crossing, which combines some of Virgin Active’s latest and most innovative equipment including;

* ViPR, a seemingly simple weighted moulded rubber tube that can be carried, dragged, thrown, rolled, stepped on and flipped to work all of the body and train the body’s ability to react quickly whilst honing strength, CV fitness and flexibility
* TRX Suspension training, which uses adjustable straps to allow users to use their own body weight to work different muscle groups, closely mimicking the types of strain that the kite will place on the team
* RipcoreFX, soon to launch at Virgin Active, using a pole connected to a resistance band in many different positions to create strength and reactive ability in asymmetrical positions

Nick Hudson, Virgin Active’s national fitness manager, comments: “Kitesurfing is a hugely challenging sport physically, that places very different strains and stresses on the body, compared to traditional gym based exercise, so we have had Sir Richard and the team using some of our less traditional training tools and equipment.”

All of the team’s equipment and livery has been designed and kindly donated by Flexifoil International, the UK’s leading kitesurf and power kiting brand, with unparalleled experience over almost 40 years in premium quality land and water kite design and manufacturing. Richard will be undertaking the challenge on Flexifoil’s brand new Ion kite, the latest generation in a well established line of high performance kitesurf kites

Tim Davis, UK head of brand and marketing at Virgin Active comments: “We’re delighted to be supporting Richard and the team for this challenge. It’s an ideal event for our brand to be involved with and demonstrates our approach to challenging how the health club sector markets itself.”

The date of the crossing itself, due to the nature of kitesurfing, is weather dependent and therefore will take place end of August / beginning of September. A limited number of media will be able to attend the crossing as guests of Virgin Active. To apply for accreditation, please contact Alex Wilkinson using the details below.

All photos by Nicolas Vienna. You can see more photos of the event after the jump

Photos and source: SurfingArea.com

Stu taught main host Julia Bradbury how to kite, explained a bit about the kitesport in general, while Marcus played the trick monkey and had a freestyle session on his MBS Pro90 and Flysurfer Speed3 15m Deluxe in the background.