Solaire Blue Kiteboard Open 2017 Wrap UP
Fri 17th Feb, 2017 @ 12:00 am
A week in paradise has come to a close at the Solaire Blue Kiteboard Open 2017. After a full week of competition, the results are in the books for the first stop of the 2017 Kite Park League. Read all about the action with this update, provided by Blue Kiteboarding.
Wow what a week of action, innovation and progressive riding it’s been at the Solaire Blue Open 2017. From competition to expression sessions, media shoots and exploration, the conditions and the incredible venue of Blue have kicked off the KPL tour with a bang. Celebrating a fantastic week in style, the closing ceremony released the much-anticipated results!
Men’s
1st Sam Light
2nd Ewan Jaspan
3rd Noé Font
Women’s
1st Annelous Lammerts
2nd Colleen Carroll
3rd Sensi Graves
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King Of The Solaire Kicker
Christophe TackQueen Of The Solaire Kicker
Colleen Carroll
Following prize giving, we caught up with the winners to see what they had to say:
Sam Light: There’s been so many epic sessions as it has been windy almost every day. My best trick was either my Moby 5 during the final, or my very last slider hit of the final – a nollie step up backside 180 to front 3 out on the North Kiteboarding fun box. I landed it clean which gave me the win in the last run of the final. I enjoyed the King of the Solaire Kicker comp. I was really close to landing a 900 during but the conditions were really tough. I was overpowered on my 10m and I just couldn’t stick a clean one. We are really grateful for Blue Palawan’s support with the Kite Park League, it’s one of my favourite trips each year and hopefully the event runs for many years to come.
Annelous: My stand out moment by far was being the first women to land a Toeside Backside 5 off the kicker. I landed it during a warm up session not long after arriving, managing to do it again on the first day of the competition. Not only did it feel great but it gave me a big lead in the ranking after the first day. During the Queen of the Solaire Kicker I wanted to land a Pete Rose, but the wind was really strong and I didn’t get the chance to really go for it. It’s definitely a trick I want to land during the next stop of the Kite Park League. Thanks a lot to Blue Palawan, Blue Kiteboarding and all the sponsors for the amazing event!
Colleen Carroll: This year’s Solaire Blue Palawan Open was one of the best events we’ve ever had on the KPL. We had 8 out of 10 days of wind held in a tropical setting with one of the best kite parks out there. Our host, Blue Palawan, graciously made sure everyone was stoked out both on and off the water, and in general I feel everyone had a great time. My best trick was probably my mute frontside 360 off the port kicker. It might not be the most technical trick in the book but it always feels good when you can go full power and hold a grab as you complete the rotation and pass. Huge congrats to Annelous!
Noe Font: It’s been great with wind every day for 13-11m kites. We’ve all progressed lots and had heaps of fun. My best trick was during the first round of the event on the left foot Rooftop with a 270 on back 360 FS board. I wanted to land a 900 at some point but didn’t quite get there. My best memories are from the freeride sessions we’ve had and all the warmups before the heats. I’m looking forward to coming back next year. Thanks Blue Palawan!
Congratulations to all the riders, and a huge thanks to the media team, the sponsors, Blue Palawan and everyone involved in supporting the event. It’s been an incredible first stop on the 2017 KPL tour and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings!
