They came, they flew and they conquered.
Some of the most talented kiteboarders in North America descended on the Squamish Spit for the second annual Kite Clash event on Friday, Aug. 1, Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3.
But it wasn’t just the athletes cramming onto the Spit, Kite Clash organizer Thor Kaze said he was overwhelmed with the turnout and was on cloud nine with how the weekend turned out.
“It was truly exceptional,” he said. “I think at one point we had 400 people on the Spit and I think we’ve created something sensational here in Squamish. The people of Squamish are really embracing kiteboarding and I’d like to thank them so much for this weekend.”
Kite Clash action kicked off on Friday with the Sickest Trick competition. Kiteboarders were separated into men, women and junior divisions and it was 15-year-old Dominican Republic resident Chase Hasch who opened the weekend with a win in the junior division.
“Amazing people, amazing scenery, amazing Squamish,” Hasch tweeted out after being declared the winner.
The women’s division featured some local flavour as Squamish resident Ivet Krskova snagged top honours, while Ontario’s Sam Medysky beat out 15 other competitors to win the men’s group.
Kaze said he loved the action on Friday.
“One of the highlights for me was watching Matt Cooper,” he said. “Last year he broke his board, then one year later, exact same competition and the exact same trick – he broke his board again. What are the odds? He was trying such an insane trick and he made it, but that was a memorable moment for me.”
The intensity ramped up on Saturday with the Freestyle championships. Competitors had seven minutes to impress the judges with their top five scoring tricks. The men’s division featured 13 competitors and it was Michigan native Chris Bobyrk edging out Medysky and Nico Suriel to take home the top prize. Hasch, competing against men, had a strong showing and placed fifth. Medysky was the top-ranked Canadian on Saturday.
Krksova continued her excellent weekend by winning the women’s division after defeating Barbados resident Jessica Winkler and Quebec’s Genevieve Leonard.
A sibling rivalry highlighted Sunday’s Big Air competition, as Manitoba brothers Daniel Koenig and Stefan Koenig tied in the final heat and had to go to overtime to determine the champion.
“Daniel won last year and he and his brother were in a huge showdown,” Kaze said. “We had to have a trick off to decide it and Daniel took it. But Daniel, Stefan and their dad Mark Koenig are all world class kiteboarders.”
Saskatchewan native Corrie Neufeld won the Big Air for the women, with Mari Lacroix Samson and Winkler finishing second and third respectively.
Kaze said he was thrilled with the talent he brought to Squamish in 2014.
“To have guys like Nico [Suriel] and Chris [Bobryk] come to this event is incredible,” he said. “They’re in the top five on the planet, in my opinion and it’s great that this event is becoming more well known.”
He said another big factor in the growth of Kite Clash in year two was working with the Squamish Wind Festival last weekend to hold a Big Air competition.
“Working with the Wind Festival was really good for us,” he said.
“It was a great dry run and it’s the perfect warm up to Kite Clash.”
Kaze confirmed that Kite Clash will be back in 2015 and urged local kiteboarding fans to stay in town over the B.C. Day long weekend.
“August long weekend is us,” he said. “We’re going to have a wicked crowd. I know the loggers are the same weekend as us but we can share it with them.”
