Red Bull King of the Air 2017, Cape Town and its prolific summer South-Easter will once again play host to , the world’s most progressive kiteboarders as they go head-to-head to see who rules the sky. The competition – due to take place at Big Bay on the windiest day between the 21st of January and 5th of February – will see the best big air kiters trying to out-fly each other in a unique format.

RIDERS
Only the finest are selected to ride. Some of the planet’s most progressive kiteboarders make up the field – these are the top 12 from Red Bull King of the Air 2016 (with the exception of crowd-favourite Ruben Lenten, due to illness); with the remainder of the field made up from video contest entries (selected by the judging panel) and two wildcards.

HISTORY
The concept started in 2000 at Ho’okipa on Maui and for five years Red Bull King of The Air staged the biggest one-off annual event at the most epic spots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYEReSwNrJw

Then it took an eight-year hiatus, to be reborn in 2013 at Big Bay, in Cape Town. Since then, there have been three epic events with a new king crowned each time, Jesse Richman (2013), Kevin Langeree (2014) and Aaron Hadlow (2015-2016).

EVENT FORMAT
The contest will be run on a 18-man, single-elimination “FLAG-OUT” format.
“FLAG-OUT” format schedule of heats – All riders will have a different coloured lycra vest on when they hit the water. Each rider/colour is related to the same colour flag on the beach. As a rider gets flagged- out, that colour flag will come down. The colour flags are placed on the beach, (next to the Beach Marshal’s check-in spot) situated straight from or slightly down from the launching area. The “FLAG- OUT” system will be used on each heat of the contest.

WHAT TO EXPECT
THE BEST KITEBOARDERS IN THE WORLD PUSHING THE LIMITS OF ALTITUDE AND FLIGHT DISTANCE IN HIGH WINDS. BIG BAY BEACH, WITH EDEN ON THE BAY CONSTRUCTED CRAFTILY AROUND IT, FORMS THE PERFECT AMPHITHEATER TO WITNESS THE MOST EXTREME KITEBOARDING COMPETITION. THEN THERE’S ICONIC TABLE MOUNTAIN AS THE BACKDROP…EVEN IF WATCHING GUYS WITH KITES FLY IMPOSSIBLY HIGH IS NOT YOUR THING, IT’S AN IDYLLIC PLACE TO SPEND THE AFTERNOON.

http://redbullkingoftheair.com/

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