Gabriele Steindl: Professional Kitesurfer & Freelance Writer - Action, Lifestyle & Travels

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VICTORY: 1st PKRA Kitesurf Team World Cup, Flecheiras, Brazil, 4.-8. October 2006

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Oct 06

VICTORY: 1st PKRA Kitesurf Team World Cup, Flecheiras, Brazil, 4.-8. October 2006

My team  –   the “North Rebels”  –   right on top of the winners podium!!!

The premiere Kitesurf Teams World Cup, from October 4th through 8th, took place in  Flecheiras, Brazil, a small fishing village in Northeastern Brazil, in beautiful Ceara state.

The competition format consisted of teams of three riders participating in three separate disciplines that encompass all aspects of a kiteboarding competition   –   course racing, best trick performance and waveriding  –   to see the best ‘allround’ kiters win.  Teams were grouped by kite brand, and were required to have three people with at least one female rider.
Best kiteboarding came into the game with two teams, amongst the riders double Worldchamp Kristin Boese from Germany. Flexifoil put a team together with Aaron Hadlow, triple Worldchamp from the UK.  Obviously North had to have a team as well, however, as the Team World Cup in Flecheiras only was confirmed rather late, all our best male riders had obligations at a photoshooting in Egypt at the same time, so I had to search for some available, fellow North riders in order to form a team and to defend North’s honor & reputation.

I chose a Brasilian rookie “Pimpolho” (Victor Adamo) and Sean Farley (the Mexican Champion), both super nice dudes and certainly strong riders. Nevertheless was the “Rebel-Team”  handled as outsiders due to the big names that comprised the other teams.

However, sometimes everything just comes so differently than one would expect und my fellow teammates and me made the ‘impossibly seeming’ possible … yeah, top teamwork, strategy, fighting spirit, and 100% determination & motivation paid off. The “North Rebels”  were on fire in Flecheiras and suceeded in winnig this premier-event!!!Although we almost had to throw the white towel on the third day, though, when Sean put his ‘secret weapon’, the Rebel 12m2 right into an electricity pole, just behind the riders area on the beach…. The fire brigade had to ‘rescue’ the kite and we sat almost all night fixing the Rebel’s burns.

Winning this event is a beautiful and huge success and certainly proves North’s competitive edge & top performance of  its team and products!!

For more details on the event check out http://www.ktwc.info/ and   http://www.caribbeanwinds.com/