2008 Kiteboarding Nationals: Final Standings…the Pros take over

Well, another great week of kiteboarding course racing comes to an end here at Crissy Field with many of the pros taking over the top spots. Where last year, amateurs Anthony Chavez (Naish) and Jeff Kafka (Cabrinha) from the SF Bay area were able to secure the top rankings, this year, many of the well known freestyle names, riders like Damien LeRoy (Cabrinha) and Sky Solbach (North), roared into the event taking no prisoners. Even 16 year young pro rider, Jon Van Malsen (North), managed to come away with 6th place after some great racing on Saturday.

What made this year more competitive is that now that the PKRA has picked up on course racing, many of the pro riders are more exposed to this form of the sport and are evolving the style and the technology. Tech played a big role, though everyone, pros and amateurs alike, are still experimenting. Here is a look at some of these new custom board designs:

It was great to see the spirit of sportsmanship alive and well here in these races, as many of the competitors would frequently trade boards between races, if only to get a feel for what the new designs had to offer. Some designs were amazing upwind machines, but were less effective on the downwind legs of the event. Different board styles suited styles of different riders, but it was nice for them to be able to do head-to-head comparisons between boards and between each other on the race course.

Here are the final standings for the week long event, with Damien LeRoy (Cabrinha) taking 1st place after dominating most of the week, Sean Farley (North) in 2nd place, and Sky Solbach (North) sealing up 3rd place. Three of the Bay area’s finest managed to lock in top 10 performances, among these were Anthony Chavez (Naish), 2007 Kiteboarding Nationals champion, working his way back up the standings to 5th place; recent Maui transplant, Shawn Richman (Waiman Kites) with a 7th place overall finish; and Jeff Kafka (Cabrinha), of Wind Over Water fame, finishing up in 9th position.

Here are the overall standings:

2008 US Kiteboarding National Championship Preliminary Results – Championship Series

	Jersey #	Name	QR #1	QR #2	QR #3	QR #4	QR #5	QR #6	QR #7	QR #8	QR #9	QR #10	QR #11	QR #12	CR #1	CR #2	CR #3	CR #4	CR #5	CR #6	CR #7	CR #8	CR #9	TOTAL
			Y v R	W v B	R v W	B v Y	Y v W	R v B	Y v R	W v B	R v W	B v Y	Y v W	R v B
1	Blue 8	Damien LeRoy		2*		1		2		2		1		1	2	2	1	1	3*	2	2	2	2	21
2	White 3	Sean Farley		5*	2		1			3	5		1		1	1	2	12*	5	1	1	1	1	25
3	Blue 11	Sky Solbach		1		2		1		1		3*		2	4	3	3	3	1	3	6*	4	3	31
4	Yellow 10	Jon Modica	5			8*	5		6			2	2		9	5	8	10	6	5	13*	5	4	72
5	Yellow 3	Anthony Chavez	2			3	2		8*			4	3		9	11	6	5	11	13*	3	11	8	78
6	Yellow 12	Jon Van Malsen	9*			5	4		4			5	5		10	9	18*	8	4	8	12	3	6	83
7	Red 12	Shawn Richman	7*		1			3	1		1			3	DNS*	10	4	2	2	4	8	OCS	5	87
8	Blue 9	Kent Marinkovic		3		4*		4		4		4		4	6	8	9	6	10	9	11	10	12*	88
9	Red 6	Jeff Kafka	8*		7			5	2		2			7	16*	6	7	4	7	15	7	9	11	89
10	Blue 12	Ken Winner		4		DSQ*		12		8		6		5	8	12	14*	9	8	7	5	8	9	101
11	Red 4	Michael Gebhardt	1		5			9	10*		8			6	14	17*	13	14	9	12	4	7	7	109
12	Yellow 5	John Gomes	4			7	7		5			DNF*	7		3	4	11	13	14	22*	18	6	15	114
13	Red 11	Marc Ramseier	3		4			7	7		6			8*	7	DNF*	5	15	15	11	16	13	14	123
14	Yellow 6	Geoff Headington	DNS*			6	6		3			8	14		13	13	10	11	17*	10	9	12	10	125
15	White 11	Nils Stolzlechner		6*	3		3			6	3		6		12	DNF*	12	7	12	42	10	14	16	146
16	White 13	Chip Wasson		18	11		9			7	7		DSQ*		5	7	15	19	13	14	15	23*	23	163
17	Red 9	Donny Parker	16*		6			8	11		10			9	24*	14	17	17	20	15	14	16	13	170
18	Yellow 7	Clarissa Hempel	6			10	13*		9			7	8		18	15	16	20	22	17	24*	17	17	182
19	Blue 1	Kristin Boese		9		9		15*		10		9		10	15	18	19	21*	18	19	17	20	18	191
20	White 10	Marcelo Segura		10	8		10			13	14*		12		19	25*	23	18	16	20	21	15	19	204
21	Red 13	Frank Wittke	12		10			12	13		12			15*	11	16	20	DNS*	25	18	20	18	24	211
22	Blue 4	Eric Due		11		14*		10		9		10		11	23	21	24	16	16	16	25*	24	21	212
23	White 4	Melissa Gil		8	9		11			12	13*		11		22	20	21	25	19	21	22	21	27*	222
24	Yellow 2	Christopher Brown	17*			13	8		12			12	8		25	19	22	24	26	26	31*	26	20	241
25	Yellow 13	Arnaud Vuillermet	18			12	14		DNS*			11	10		17	22	25*	22	24	24	23	19	25	241
26	Red 5	Steve Gibson	15*		14			11	15		9			14	21	27	30	29	28	31*	19	22	26	265
27	Yellow 8	Bret Herscher	11			16	16		14			14	DNS*		31*	23	27	27	23	28	26	28	29	282
28	Red 10	Sandy Parker	10		12			18*	17		15			13	27	26	29	32*	30	30	28	25	22	284
29	Blue 5	Eric Geleynse		14		15		17*		14		13		12	26	24	26	28	29	29	34	DNS*	DNS	307
30	White 5	Mo Hart		DNS*	DNS		15			11	11		13		20	OCS*	DNS	23	21	25	29	DNS	DNS	325
31	Blue 13	Kris Youngberg		15		13		19*		15		15		16	DNF*	DNS	DNS	26	31	27	30	29	30	333
32	Yellow 9	Bruce Johnson	19			17	18		18			16	DNS*		32	DNF*	DNS	DNF	27	23	27	27	28	338
33	White 6	Ella Johnson		DNF	DNS*		19			16	16		DNS		28	28	DNS*	31	33	34	32	30	31	354
34	White 2	Dave Broome		7	13*		12			5	4		4		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	376
35	Red 1	Vladimir Belinsky	DNF		DNS*			14	20		DSQ			DNS	30	DNS*	DNS	33	32	32	33	31	32	384
36	Red 14	Vlad Morozz	DNS*		DNF			16	DNS		DNS			DNS	29	29	28	30	34	DNS*	35	DNS	33	389
37	Red 3	Caroline Freitas	13		15			13	16		DNS*			DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	429
38	Yellow 11	Brendan Richards	14			11	17		DNS*			DNS	DNS		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	442
39	White 14	Peter Schiebel		13	DNF		DNS*			DNS	DNS		DNS		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	469
40	Yellow 4	James Donaldson	DNS*			DNS	DNS		19			27	27		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	473
41	Blue 3	Raymond Deiter		DNS*		DNS		DNF		DNS		DNS		DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	34	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	475
42	White 7	Erin Loscocco		DNS*	DNS		20			DNS	DNS		DNS		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	476
43	Blue 14	Shawn Murray		DNS*		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
44	Blue 10	Michael Scott		DNS*		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
45	Blue 2	Steph Bridge		DNS*		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
46	Blue 6	Bobby Hall		DNS*		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
47	Blue 7	Lance Larivee		DNS*		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS		DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
48	Red 15	Ryan Lamb	DNS*		DNS			DNS	DNS		DNS			DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
49	Red 2	Shawn Ewing	DNS*		DNS			DNS	DNS		DNS			DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
50	Red 7	Jeffrey Klein	DNS*		DNS			DNS	DNS		DNS			DNS	DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
51	White 1	Darren Bass		DNS*	DNS		DNS			DNS	DNS		DNS		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
52	White 12	Jason Trupkin		DNS*	DNS		DNS			DNS	DNS		DNS		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484
53	White 8	Jeffrey Ruoss		DNS*	DNS		DNS			DNS	DNS		DNS		DNS*	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	484

Naish Torch ’07 Kite…Having Exploding Issues

(See my update below, as I’ve gotten some more info since originally reporting this story yesterday.)

What’s sadder than a boy with his broken dreams? Well, that would be a boy with a torn kite three days before getting ready to go do some wave riding down the California coast. And here’s what that boy with broken dreams’ face looks like…

This late afternoon, just as my buddy Charlie picked up his kite and began turning it over on its back to deflate it, after a most excellent kitesurfing session at Crissy Field, we all heard a loud bang, like that of a blown tire. Well, it was the leading edge of Charlie’s kite basically exploding right at one of the seams. According to another fellow kiteboarder, this is the second time this has happened this season with the Naish Torch 12 meter kite. Another friend of ours experienced the same phenomena recently. The tear is clean along the seam and through the bladder. To say that Charlie, who has really liked this kite since he’s been riding it this season, was not terribly disappointed, would be an understatement. We all tried to console him, but you could tell that this wasn’t easy on him. He put his faith in Naish, and he was let down with what appears to have been a defective product. Wwe’re only now hopeful that the company is prepared to stand by its product and provide Charlie an exchange, but given that it’s not the first time this has happened, there’s obvious cause for concern.

Of course, most disconcerting of all, is that Charlie and his wife had big plans for some coastal riding this weekend which may now be up in the air as a result of this fiasco. I’ve always had respect for the quality of Naish kites, and I just hope that they make good here, as it would be very sad if they let this event, witnessed by 15 local Crissy Field kitesurfers including a Naish team rider, represent the new image of the company.

(Update – 5/23/07: In the spirit of fairness in reporting, I had a chance to speak to the other kiter who had experienced the blown bladder on his Torch. First off, he loves the kite and continues to fly it, and he explained that while the bladder exploding was certainly unusual, he was willing to attribute this to perhaps having over-inflated it. When I relayed Charlie’s experience and we realized that these two events took place within two weeks of each other, lots of questions loom, but given his positive experience with the kite, the fact that he continues to swear by it and ride it, the fact that Charlie also really likes this kite, we might conclude that these incidents were flukes that shouldn’t get in the way of a kite that so many people enjoy riding.)

(Update – 7/29/07: So it appears that at the recent Crissy Kite Week here in San Francisco, 4 more kites including that of two other good friends of mine also exploded in the same way as Charlie’s.  I took a lot of heat from some friends on the original post but I have to say now, that given the number of people I know who kitesurf, the percentage of those who use a Torch, and the percentage of those who have had it explode in the exact same place, this is faulty construction issue if I’ve ever seen a case for one.  More importantly, it was one of those who gave me the upbeat talking to that fell victim to a blown bladder…he apologized and now supports my assertion ;)

(Update – 9/28/08: Well, it’s not just over a year later and Charlie’s misadventures with Naish Torches are still happening.  Needless to say, he *really* likes these kites, but I think he’s beginning to rethink his commitment here.  Below are pics of his kite and the recent exploding bladder in the exact same spot…)