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THE GLOBAL KITESPORTS ASSOCIATION (GKA) AIMS TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE KITE-SPORTS INDUSTRY TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE INTERESTS OF ALL (PROFESSIONAL) KITE RIDERS
The GKA works with the kite-sport industry to provide reliable information about market developments and to provide riders with a platform to achieve the goals of the GKA. The GKA’s main objective, however, is to continually ensure that kitesurfing continues safe practice through the development and implementation of equipment standards.
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Kitesurfing - International Championships
International kitesurfing championships in tarifa.
By Chris Chaplow
GWA Kite World Championships 2024 was to be 6 May to 9 June 2024
5th September to 8th September 2024
GWA Kite World Championships 2024
Each year many top Spanish and international kite surfers join beginners in Tarifa keen to try out this sport, which became popular in Tarifa in the 1990s. An international championship is usually held once a year in Tarifa,
Historical overview
PKRA (Professional Kite Riders Association) ProKite World Tour event from the ProKite World Tour was held in Tarifa in 2006 , 2007 and 2008 .
After an long break tour events were again in 2014. The events were called the Masters of Kiteboard - 2014 and in 2015 when the tour was renamed the VKWC (Virgin Kitesurf World Championships) to reflect the new tour owners. In early 2016 Virgin quietly pulled out of the tour amid rumours of corruption by the competition organisers. The VKWC competition changed its name again to World Kite Tour (WKT) and operated as an official ISAF (Sailing Association) sanctioned event.
The Tarifa leg of the 2016 World Kite Tour was in the draft 2016 calendar for July then postponed to September 2016 at Playa Los Lances. This event never took place as the World Kite Tour was reduced to only two events in 2016 and none in 2017. The WKT became embroiled in a legal dispute with the IKA World Kite League which hosted the Pringle Kitesurf World Tour with four events in 2016; Fehmarn El Gouna (Egypt) in March, Leucate in April, Pingtan (China) in September and Porto Pollo (Italy) in October. The IKA signed an agreement with the GKA Global Kitesurf Association (an association supported by the equipment manufacturers) in February 2017 to 'to unite the kiteboarding community'.
In this vacuum the World Kiteboarding League (WKL) formed 'by riders for the riders' and as part of the WKL Kiteboarding World Cup organised 12 events in their 2017 WKL Freestyle Elite League which did not include Tarifa. The WKL maintained the World Cup Rankings in which Tarifa based Liam Whaley (and world champion in 2015) came a close second to Carlos Mario (Brasil) in 2017. Bruna Kajiya lead the women. On the WKL 2018 tour calendar there were four locations for the world tour but Tarifa was not one of them.
The GKA Kiteboarding World Tour was an International Strapless Kitesurfing Pro Tour organised by the Global Kitesurf Association . The Tarifa leg took place from the 28 June to 2nd July 2017 at Playa de Valdevaqueros. It was called the Tarifa Strapless Pro and was the first event of the 2017 world tour.
JEEP Tarifa Pro 2018 and the first GKA Air Games took place from 26th June to 1 July 2018 at Playa de Valdevaqueros. These were GKA accredited Strapless Tarif Pro events.
In 2019 the Global Kitesports Association World Tour , had now reached 20 cities worldwide. The Tarifa Pro leg took place from 2nd July to Sunday 7th July 2019 . There were two championships the Strapless and the Freestyle. This was the fifth consecutive year the strapless event has has taken place at Valdevaqueros, Tarifa.
In 2020 the Global Kitesports Association (GKA) World Tour consisted of 16 competitions. The Tarifa event was scheduled for 23rd to 28th July 2020 to include Kitesurf and Freestyle disciplines. Unfortunately due to the Coronavirus pandemic the event was cancelled. The GKA did manage to run two events that year, in November; Kitesurf in Cabo Verde and Freestyle in Ilha do Guajiru, Brazil.
In its place the second ever GKA Wing Foil Pro tour event did take place at the end of December in Tarifa.
In 2021 the GKA had several Kitesurf and several Freestyle events on its world tour. The GKA Freestyle World Cup Tarifa 2021 took place 22 to 27 June 2021. A second (and third) GKA event in Tarifa is the Youth Freestyle and Youth Kite-Surf, both took place from the 23rd to 26th September 2022.
In 2022 the Tarifa GKA Freestyle Big Air World Championship 2022, the second event on the world tour took place from 20th June to 6th July on Playa Lances Sur opposite Balneario. A large Kite Expo also took place from the 21st to the 26th of June at BIBO Beach House, at Playa Valdevaqueros.
A second (and third) GKA event in Tarifa is the Youth Freestyle and Youth Kite-Surf, both took place from the 8th to 11th September 2022. With tour events in France, Egypt, Italy and Tarifa this GKA Youth World Cup series is the equivalent to the GKA Kite World Tour for young riders wanting to compete in Freestyle and Kite-Surf disciplines and gain experience in international competition formats. All GKA Youth Kite World Tour events are held according to the official GKA Kite World Tour Rulebook, and judged by a GKA licensed judge.
The GKA tour now sponsored by Qatar Airways returned to Tarifa as GKA Big Air Kite World Championship Tour for another big air event in 2023 with 40.000€ prize money. Tournament window was 26 May to 16 June 2023, the actual event was only three days; 2nd, 5th and 6th June 2023. This is followed by the GKA World Championships event for the Youth discipline with Kiteboarding from 20th to 25th June.
GWA Kite World Tour 2024 has about 10 events in five continents in 2024. Three events to be held in Tarifa included the Big Air Championships. Event window was announced as 6 May - 9 June 2024, but was cancelled.
GKA will run a World Championships event for the Youth discipline within Kiteboarding in Tarifa. Like last year the disciplines will be Twintip Freestyle and Surfboard Freestyle. Event window was announced as 5 to 8th September 2024.
Kite Surfing Lessons in Tarifa
Book kite surfing lessons in tarifa, tarifa championship competition reports from andalucia.com.
- 5th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2024
- 4th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2023
- GKA Big Air World Championships Tarifa 2023
- 3rd GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2022
- GKA Youth Kite World Cup Tarifa 2022
- GKA Big Air World Championships Tarifa 2022
- 2nd GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2021
- GKA Freestyle World Cup Tarifa 2021
- 1st GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2020
- Tarifa Pro 2019
- JEEP Tarifa Pro 2018
- Tarifa Strapless Pro 2017
- PKRA ProKite World Tour 2014
- Tarifa Masters of Kiteboard 2014
- The Red Bull SkyRide Tarifa 2009
- Kite Board Championships 2008
- bwin Kitesurf Pro Competition 2006
- Kite Surfing
Tarifa - built in the Moorish style, set in subtropical gardens leading down to the unspoilt beach.
Stylish & contemporary hotel close to unspoilt beaches. Gardens and large pool. Ideal for families.
Fast 45 min Ferry service, Tarifa to Tanger, choice of two operators. Ideal for exploring Tanger including day trips. Book with Omio. 7% Discount: Code: FERRYSEP24 on Ferry Book by: September 30th, 2024.
These are the best places in the world to kitesurf
Part of this story
Red Bull King of the Air
The 2023 fleet consisted of the top three finishers from the 2022 competition, the champions of the red bull king of the air qualifier series and the victors of the online qualifier..
- 2 Kite Beach
- 4 La Ventana
- 5 Kalpitiya
- 6 Essaouira
- 9 Sotavento
Kitesurfing lets you head into the unknown
© Nick Muzik/Red Bull Content Pool
Up your kitesurfing game with our beginner’s guide
- Location: Hawaii, USA
- Closest airport: Kahului Airport
- When to go: Year round (Mar-Oct for strong winds, Oct-Mar for big waves)
Maui is one of the birthplaces of kitesurfing
© Erik Aeder/Red Bull Content Pool
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Closest Airport: Cape Town International Airport
- When to go: November to February
Kite Beach in Table View
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
- Location: Southern Spain
- Closest airport: Gibraltar (45m), Jerez (1h 30m), Malaga (1h 45m)
- When to go: April to November (fewer crowds Apr-Jun and Sep-Nov)
- Status: GKA Kite World Tour destination (kitesurf and freestyle)
Tarifa is where the annual Masters of Kiteboard competition takes place
© Carrascosa Fotógrafos
- Location: Baja California, Mexico
- Closest airport: La Paz (1h), Los Cabos International (2h)
- When to go: November to March
The 8 reasons why the Azores should be your next adventure destination
- Location: Sri Lanka
- Closest airport: Bandaranaike International Airport (3h)
- When to go: May to September
Kalpitiya is a great place for Kitesurf beginners
© Dimitri Crusz/Red Bull Content Pool
- Location: Morocco
- Closest airport: Marrakech (2h 30m)
- When to go: March to October
The consistent cross-shore winds makes Essaouira a favoured kitesurf spot
© Vysotsky/Wikimedia Creative Commons
- Location: Vietnam
- Closest airport: Ho Chi Minh City (4h 30m)
- When to go: November to March, but also May to October
- Location: North-East Brazil
- Closest airport: Pinto Martins International Airport, Fortaleza (45m)
- When to go: July to December
- Status: GKA Kite World Tour destination (freestyle)
Cumbuco and nearby Uruau are the best places to kitesurf in Brazil
© Ydwer van der Heide/Red Bull Content Pool
6 tricks to defeat the winter and go kitesurfing in the cold
- Location: Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
- Closest airport: Fuerteventura Airport (1h)
A 4km-long beach in Sotavento makes for an incredible kitesurfing backdrop
© Dirk Vorderstraße/Wikimedia Creative Commons
- Where: Cape Verde, Africa
- Closest airport: Amílcar Cabral International (20m)
- When to go: October to May
- Status: GKA Kite World Tour destination (kitesurf)
The Costa de Fragata is the best kitesurfing spot in Sal
© Franzfoto/Wikimedia Creative Commons
- Location: South-West Peru
- Closest airport: Jorge Chávez International Airport, Lima (3h 30m)
- When to go: September to May (Oct-Dec best for waves)
- Status: GKA Kite World Tour destination (race)
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Team Flexifoil rider Kirsty Jones Wins KPWT World Wave Champ
Post by Toby » Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:23 pm
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