The Grande Finale

Well after the busiest year of my life I have finally finished the PKRA World Tour Freestyle.

The last event was held in Joao Pessoa in Brazil where the wind was the lightest of the year for competitions. My heats were mixed between my 16m Naish Torch 3 and my 12m Naish Torch 3! Under powered on my 12m, but the 16m is so heavy to work when doing tricks that it was a trade off I had to choose between.

I came to Brazil to chill out really. I already had enough points to become 4th overall in the rankings, but competing in light winds isn't my favourite and normally other girls ride much stronger then I do in these conditions. However out of no where all my new techincal tricks that I have been working on like down loop raileys to blind, back to blind, raileys to blind and other surface handle passes decided to make themselves clear to me in my mind. I rode my best ever heat against the current world champion and beat her! It was awesome. Friend son the beach were cheering for me plus when i had to run to get back up wind I had fellow Protest Team Rider Katja Roose running my board with me and fellow Naish Team Rider Jalou Langeree pulling me all the way back up wind! It really was team effort and a lot of fun!

I finished up on the Podium at 3rd place and truely stamped my mark on 4th overall... just wish it was enough to make the podium overall as well! Oh well - next year!!

Next on my schedule is the first ever PKRA World Team event. The event needs 3 riders from the same kite brand and there must be a girl on the team and an over 25 year old! The event is something new and something of an experiment. There are several different catagories including a long distance race, a best trick contest, a big kite loop contest and an Old Skool contest. Everyone participates in the long distance, but we fight amongst ourselves to compete in the other disciplines (we choose one each) - I will be fighting for the kite loop. The event site is much firther North in Brazil from Joao Pessoa and means another flight, but further North the wind blows stronger!!!! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!