Joint Statement from GKA and KRU regarding the Freestyle World Tour

[Toby]

GKA and KRU News:

Joint Statement from GKA and KRU regarding the Freestyle World Tour

gka kru.png (40.22 KiB) Viewed 3856 times

It is the intention of this communication to clarify certain matters, as it has come to our attention that there is some confusion regarding who is authorised to represent and act on behalf of the KRU and who is not. There also seems to be certain confusion as to who holds what rights and who does not.

The Kite Riders United (KRU) is the official World Cup status sanction holder granted by World Sailing through the Global Kitesports Association (GKA). The KRU wishes to make it clear to all parties that Danny Galiart, CEO of The World Kiteboarding League is no longer in any manner associated to the Freesytle World Tour run by the KRU. He does not have any authority to represent the KRU or make any deals or enter into any discussions on behalf of the KRU.

The World Kiteboarding League is no longer either sanctioned or connected in any way whatsoever to World Sailing, Global Kitesports Association or the Kite Riders United. Any event run by the World Kiteboarding League may only be viewed as a private entity and does not have any world cup status, nor is it recognised or supported by any of the governing bodies involved with the sport of kiteboarding.

It is the belief of the KRU and GKA that such a tour being run privately and without sanction or any backing from any official governing body will only create confusion and fragmentation within the Kiteboarding community and hence we hereby would like to urge all athletes and organisers to be wary of entering into any deals with the World Kiteboarding League.

The Freestyle World Tour will be called The World Kiteboarding Championships (WKC) from now on until any further notice issued by KRU, the official rights holders.

The World Kiteboarding Championships owned and run by the KRU and fully supported by the GKA, may or may not appoint a Promoter to run its events. Until any further notice it is our wish that organisers, riders and sponsors deal only with appointed representatives of the KRU who should be able to produce an offcial document signed by the KRU to prove that they are authorised to represent the KRU and hence, the World Kiteboarding Championships.

Youri Zoon
President Kite Riders United

Dr. Jörgen Vogt
GKA

[Toby]

Sounds like there is trouble in the air...

I think because of Danny the freestyle tour didn’t come to Germany...and I assume they lost the event to Strapless Freestyle for good...and hopefully big air

[duncan1981]

Just have a competition and quit with all the politics, PKRA was so much better in the early 2000s!

[longwhitecloud]

Maybe youri zoons windsurfing roots influence him as seeing kiteboarding as a form of sailing.. who knows.

You know what... Working for kiteboarding always seemed to work... Even if you are working for rival kite companies ( events brands/ whatever..) you still have similar passion, visions and goals for kiteboarding.

But working for sailing... It hasn't exactly gone well has it. It has pretty much killed/ fragmented the competition scene$

The greed in the use of the term ( world kiteboarding champion - world sailing think they own this term lol.. there were plenty of world championships before their involvement!) that no one clearly has the $$ to fight in court against world sailing has led to this. Also greed in selling out for a paid coaching/ management job based on potential Olympic funding.

Thanks for nothing $ellouts.

You see the goal of world sailings involvement was do do with the fact that they are struggling to attract new recruits ( youth), and that they may loose Olympic funding and be out of a job if sailing gets the full or partial boot from the Olympics Throw a few carrot$ the way of the kiteboarding sellouts and now you have the current situation.

Imo it is beneficial even from the $business$ point of view to put actual kiteboarding at a higher priority than anything else, for the long term health of kiteboarding.

That day in court will come soon hopefully and things can hopefully get back to normal.

I will volunteer as a key witness regarding the stealing of kiteboarding and it being it's own sport. The actual inventor Bruno even says as much.

[Toby]

If kitesurfing is so important to WS, why did they kick it out of Olympia 2016?

[HendrikVdP]

very sad for all the young freestylers who were training to be on tour, and the guys that were already involved in it.

Seems like there is no official reason why published yet, but that's most probably going to be another 2 years before we have any decent tour up and running.
Just by the time i though the tour was starting to shape up a bit better regarding competition format etc.

The mess just continues , PKRA to VKWC to KRU to formation of WKL and now again back to KRU and we'll see what comes next.

I hope the GKA gives the KRU riders enough support to set up a new platform with good judging and competition to make it attractive so that they find the much needed sponsors, just as they did for the wave and strapless tour.

Great to see the brands united in the GKA, now lets hope they clean up the freestyle mess once and for all for the sake of the riders.

[Toby]

For sure the GKA will help KRU !
It’s in their interest too

[trickcoach]

Freestyle is now officially dead ! good job on killing the most athletic aspect of the sport...

[sarc]

This won't change how I ride one bit.

We'll get better, cheaper gear without all this competition and Olympic bull. Good cheap gear and a bit of wind is all I need. Yea if you want to make money from the sport it's a problem. Tell you what, make money by selling me good cheap gear! Cheers.

[longwhitecloud]

My guess. Huge windsurf pressure and that they became progressively more scared of liability, and rightly so. They were getting involved in something they knew next to nothing about, that wasn't even sailing, that involved a sport where a high %age of injurys and deaths involved a wing launching/flying the participant into the air and landing on land. Not something that ever happens with sailing, not something they were equipped to deal with, especially in the youth arena that pretty much didn't even exist except for a handful of riders worldwide. IOC probably started to see the situation unfolding too, gaining more knowledge as they were led down the garden path.

Poor old ioc has a lot to answer for also. Forced relocation of poor families for sports buildings that don't even have the resources to maintain them after they are used for a few weeks. Mass doping. Backhanders. So now no facilities and no homes... Olympic glory, go for gold, get sponsored by Nike and mcdonalds. And spend your life on social media telling everyone how successful you are .. it is in your sponsorship contract.

Surfing and skateboarding is in the next Olympics, can't wait for ice skate style judging, athletic clothing and strong rivalry (Few friendships) between competitors.. their country paid for them to train and expects results.. that is how it works.