Like harness chafing on the inner thighs, so have the days of the year come and gone leaving us with nothing but the KITEFORUM.CO.NZ 2005 AWARDS, a time to reflect on another colourful year amongst the New Zealand kiteboarding community.
This is the third annual instalment of awards and they just keep getting
bigger who knows someday we may have the ceremony live on TV, from the Aotea centre with limos and shit. So without further ado...
CONTEST OF THE YEAR - Was surely the February Nationals at Christchurch which drew a large crowd, more controversy over judging and riding on the poo-pond than you could shake a stick at and many crazed nights of partying. Without doubt the seminal event of the year!
Finalists: Slingshot Freeride, Kiteforum Fancy Dress, Moose Meet, Mambo,
Canterbury Champs.
UP AND COMING GROMMET OF THE YEAR is surely 'little' Mark Jacobs of Tauranga (getting bigger and better everyday but still de-rigging your kite for five bucks if you know how).
WEBSITE OF THE YEAR would have to be
www.nzkiteboarding.com a good idea well executed that should reach it's potential.
Finalists; dvnt's continued innovations, kiteforum,co.nz's continued growth.
PROLIFIC WEBSITE POSTER OF THE YEAR for the third time running is Thrasher (aka Blownaway, Dweeb) whose delusional self-absorption continues to entertain at times while wearing very thin the rest of the times.
Finalist: No-one else is in the same league.
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR must have been the Bow style kite.
Finalist: 5th line conflabulation.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR must go to the one and only Trumpeter, aka Dave Edwards who after a few years in the wilderness, took out the February Nationals and is the current freestyle national champion.
Finalists; Bridled kites, Osama been kiting.
INTERNATIONAL PERFORMER OF THE YEAR can only be Jamie Barrow for his efforts at the KPWT Gravity Games in October.
Finalists; Cindy Mosey (I'm sure she did something flash as well).
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE YEAR - Cindy Mosey
Finalists: Kane Hartill, Windscene, Brad's dignity / motor skills after a couple of shots, Wind & Shite (now down to one issue per season), Steve Dickinson - good riddance!
RETAILER OF THE YEAR - has to be Blow Me Raglan, who've built on a solid
surf / windsurf background to provide everything a kiter could ever want in
Raglan including cold beer at the 'Yot Club'.
IMPORTER OF THE YEAR - all the tweakers who fly / ship our toys in.
MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR still Underground for quality and sheer volume.
Finalists; Peter Lynn, Decay & DVNT kiteboards
CAREER CHANGE OF THE YEAR goes to Decay for his transmutation from Northland rider / boardbuilder to the esteemed position of Kiteboarding Technical Advisor (TeeAy) for the proud new owners of Wind & Shite mag.
MOST BIZZARE INCIDENT OF THE YEAR was the Hippy (second year running) towing his kite around the christchurch estuary carpark behind a VW as a light wind spectacle for the nationals crowd.
KITEBOARDER OF THE YEAR for my money is the Hippy aka Armie Armstrong - no-one's keener, madder or more entertaining when they get a little tweaked, or has more stuff they should be doing somewhere else but still goes kiting in a sparrow's fart all hours of the day or night.
KITEBABE OF THE YEAR - Alex, Lola, SCEI, Rachel, MeJulie, Delphine, Su, Katrin, Wiebke, Cindy (not in any particular order nor a comprehensive list) plus all other chicks who rock on and off the water.
PARTY OF THE YEAR must have been this month's Raglan Freeride at the Yot Club complete with DJs and dancing girls.
Finalists; Gavin's 40th limousine extravaganza, the Nationals 5 night blinder, Brad's 40th
Award winners can get an authentic KITEFORUM.CO.NZ Award embossed in gold lettering and framed in imitation rimu by sending a stamped self addressed envelope and $540.00 to PO Box 285, Silverdale.
feel free to add your own categories, winners and finalists that i may have
overlooked in my festive stupor...
Coromandel 
Whangamata 
Information
How To 
Weather 
Advertising 
