China has just spent the last week hosting the World Kiteboard Racing Championships. Most of the event took place in 20kts winds with choppy seas, but ended in light conditions. The true performers were those who could handle both.

Reigning women’s kiteboard racing world champion Erika Heineken (USA) ended an almost flawless series to take successive titles on the final day. While a stellar performance from 19-year-old Florian Gruber (GER) snatched the Mens title from her younger brother Johnny.

“I think I’m going to need a couple of days before it really sink in,” said a beaming Gruber. “My motto for the week was to go fast and stay safe from tangles. It really paid off for me. Initially when I saw the opening days’ conditions I though it wasn’t for me, but it worked out.”

The Aussie contingent struggled in the tough conditions, but never gave up. Jordan Girdis put in a solid 16^th Place and ranked highest out of the Australian riders.

CEO of IKA, Markus Schwendtner had the following to say. “The levels of so many riders have gone up so much. We have seen new riders rise to the highest levels, with many of the top ten swapping places. It’s very exciting for the future.”

Congratulations to the team and everyone involved, it was a terrific event that showed some serious racing. We look forward to continuing our support in Kiteboarding and seeing what comes next!