Some of the best kiteboarding competitors in the world bring their talents to the Squamish Spit Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 21 and 22) for the 2010 West Coast Open and Canadian National Championships.
Race director Kyle Touhey said the sport has expanded over the past three years, and he intends to increase its popularity with this event.
"Last year we had an open series and some weekend summer series in Squamish," he said. "The local events are sort of more for fun but this upcoming race is intended for high level racers. There should be a lot of high calibre riding this weekend."
Touhey described the type of course that riders would encounter in Squamish.
"The course is very similar to what you would run for a sailing race," he said, pointing out that the course uses buoys to mark the boundaries and the distances.
Head-to-head action takes place from noon to 5 p.m., with multiple start times.
"We run as many races as possible with as many racers who can go at a time," he said.
"Racers need to be ready, they can't just wait for the perfect wind or wait for their equipment to be perfect. All the races count for points and those points are added up at the end of the weekend so you can't skip too many if you hope to win."
The top three overall racers, based on points, will win trophies and split a pot of $1,000 along with the top three Canadian riders and the top three women riders.
Touhey expects a number of top riders, including some of the highest ranked competitors from Europe and San Francisco to attend this weekend's event.
He also mentioned his desire to see the event grow to become a more prominent date on the calendars of both the kiteboarding community and the Sea to Sky Corridor.
"We're trying to get the local community more involved with this event and make this a premium event on the world kiteboarding tour," he said, adding that he would like to see the weekend grow to be a more festival like atmosphere with live bands performing.
Locals can still register for the event at a cost of $85, which grants the opportunity to compete all day on Saturday and Sunday.
The 2010 West Coast Open Regatta and the 2010 Canadian National Championships Regatta is scheduled to take place on Saturday (Aug. 21) and Sunday (Aug. 22) from noon till 5 p.m. and spectators are welcome to see all the action from the shore on the Squamish Spit for free.
For more information, visit www.squamishwindsports.com/regatta2010.
