This is the speil distributed this week....

The Canterbury Champs Kiteboarding Competition 2003

20-21 December

Rider judged free ride event
10am Saturday: registration in Estuary carpark

The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, beginning with a skippers meeting at 10am each morning at the Estuary carpark. The general plan (subject to changing conditions) is for an Estuary session first and then beach session later

There are two locations; the Estuary and Brighton Beach. The beach competition area runs from opposite Bellamy Ave (the Lynn House) to the pier.

Cost is $5 for members of the Canterbury Windsurfing Association, $10 for non members. Riders can sign up for CWA membership on the day if they wish (cost of $25). See Decay at the registration for the form.

A bbq will be held on the Saturday night at the Lynn house, bring your own food, beer and high quality thermal protection.

A judging night will take place at the Ferrymead tavern from 8:30pm on Sunday night. A list of riders and categories will be supplied. All competitors then rank their top five in each category

All competitors will have safety rules read out, including a map showing areas rules apply to, at the beginning of the event. In addition, all riders will sign a copy of these rules to stating that they have read and understood them.*

*This last part is a recommendation that came out of the inquest following the death of the woman in Le Race in Christchurch - the organiser did not do this

comp sounds good - pity about the two days notice...

i hope it all goes well.

Ch-ch Contest dates were posted in here about two months ago Shaan - thats hardley short notice!

And with the senior member of Team Slingshot AKL landing in Ch-ch tomorrow to defend his title I would be hard pressed to think you didn't know it was on.

Decay

bugger! i knew i should have paid attention. i should come down to defend my title: APOLLYON THE SLIDER DESTROYER!

keep us posted >>> <

Yeah I'm not sure we want you back actually. One innocent slider buggered and I think Smithy may well not want you back after what you did to him at the 'Nationals', the cafe certainly dosen't want us.

Chris

This image still haunts me from last time...
Thank god I wasn't standing 3ft to the right is all I can say.

what did i do to smithy? encouraged him to drink a little hard liquor?

well that all sucked festy gash didn't it.

All good apart from the wind. Sounds like airlords doesn't it.

Ha - he who writes too soon....

At 5pm the wind turned northerly and cross shore. Everyone out in good waves and about 20kts till it got too dark, and as i speak all sitting out on the front lawn munching sossies and drinking beer.


A really good turn out and some happy punters

Hopefully good tomorrow - forecast is reasonable for the afternoon sessions - but that's the forecast

Well the NE has been building at the beach since 8am - looks like we are in for a good day!

I vote ALL kiteboarding comps in NZ get held in Ch-ch from now on - we just always seem to get the conditions for it!

Dave Kay

It's 4 o'clock and howling outside, bending my poplars. Sunny, wind-raked, sand blowing, solid 20 knots NE. Gavin was on his 9m at the 'Poosa', looping all over the show, but also about 50% unhooked stylez too which made good spectating, really mixing it up. I was on the blunt end of Chris' camera for a change. The're all at the beach now with head high glorified windswell which will smooth and spread out as the tide ebbs.

Decay, I'd say it'd be windy in most of the main centres today, and I'm a bit jaded with our local choppy brown water conditions. So I'd have to vote for comps to be held in lushious paradises such as Tahunanui, Marahau, Whangamata, Tauranga or Omaha. Think I'd enjoy 10-15 knots there more than 25 familiar knots here.

Results just in:

Open Mens:-

1st Gavin Broadbent - Slingshot/Slingshot
2nd Alex - F-one/Slingshot
3rd Tim Stockman Slingshot/Underground
4th = Aaron Smith - Naish/Underground
Dave Kay - Slingshot, Cabrinha/Decay
6th = Chris Brent - Peter Lynn/Underground
Pete Lynn - Peter Lynn/Underground
8th Gian

Open Womans

1st Su Kay - Slingshot/Decay
2nd Delphine - Takoon/F-one
3rd Fiona Grubb- Peter Lynn/Underground

Most Improved

Fiona Grubb

A big thankyou to Fiona to sorting out the final details for us. It was a great comp, good wind/waves/weather and people! Most everyone at tonights prise giving looked sunburnt and worn out. Myself I was in my wetsuit for over nine hours today, and solidly riding for over 5 of those!

Kane - I was only stiring with that last comment, I'd love to attend some events in other parts of the country...

Dave Kay

A good weekend had by all. Saturday morning dawned fine and hot with a promising northerly yielding about 40 minutes of fun on the beach for the early risers. Then it turned norwest, a bit cloudy, and everyone headed the estuary for a bit of odd direction riding. Aaron and Gavin giving a fine display on some very flat water. As has been happening lately, a solid Nor east (cross on from the left at the beach) followed a very hot day, and by 5pm everyone was entertaining themselves in the waves. A bit hard to maintain upwid with a strong current going down the beach, and a few walks back up, but still a good precursor to the bbq and beers.

Sunday dawned Nor east and a few people got out at the beach whilst waiting for the wind to fill in. It did, and a well powered estuary session ensued, with many people on the water pulling some impressive moves.

The benefits of organising a competition became clear to one person - namely myself - who left the estuary for a well powered session at the beach, and had it all to myself!

After a feed and a rest, everyone else showed up for a final beach session, with some really impressive kiteloops and other shenanigans, followed by the prizegiving at the ferrymead tavern

Cheers to all who participated, it was really great to have a turn out of local, national and international riders.

The wind has just come in again so it's time to get out on the water again.

Fiona

I've given TV3 some footage from yesterday, so check the TV3 sports news either tonight or tomorrow. We might get some brief coverage.