VELOCITY WOMEN!!! - Photos and Story

[RickI]

Velocity Games '03 launched a heated competition among nine highly talented professional women riders...

Some attacked the kicker and slider to hurl skyward.


Anke Kirchner Flys Off the Kicker

Others demonstrated skill defying gravity in the sky over Corpus Christi Bay.

Julie Gilbert Pops One, Windsurfers Converge
For larger image click:
http://gallery.kiteforum.com/albums/alb ... flys_s.jpg

Yet others excelled in both forms of aerial bombardment!


Laurel Eastman (right) and Bri Chmel (left), Shred


Rene Hanks Slides By the Slider, For Now ...

The women demonstrated a different, lighter and more "floaty" dynamic that was intriguing to watch. This resulted in some nice glide distances.


Bri Chmel GOES LONG!

Bri is sponsored by North Kiteboarding, Black Flys Eyewear, EXCESS Kiteboarding and SOS kiteboards.

As the competition proceeded the competitive pressure increased and the kites flashed even more hard and fast with each heat. These women were loaded for bear and hell bent for leather as they used to say.


Bri churned up!

and


Three to go ...

Anke recently won the Wadell Creek competition and despite being a wave riding natural actually has a strong wakeriding background. She was the World Cable Wakeboarding Champ a few years ago!


Julie Simsar gets ready ...


Julie Goes OFF! She has been riding for all of SIX MONTHS, amazing! She did get a sound start in Cabarete and now shreds in the Carolinas.


Stylin' In the Captain's Meeting


Jody Taliaferro Walks, Getting Ready For Competition Time

Jody is sponosred by Cabrinha, LMG Kiteboards, Zeal Optics, Rainbow Fins, and Excess clothing. She will soon head out to the Gorge for the King of the Gorge comp for prime shredding later this month!



Rig time ...


Anke Warms Down After Her Heat


Julie Gilbert Styles In the Captain's Meeting In Her Interview Rigout

Julie lives in Maui, HI and is sponsored by Cabrinha. She was introduced to kiteboarding by champ rider Chris Gilbert. Julie related a first experience with a trainer kite and being dragged into some bramble bushes to be treated to some liberal scraping. Only in those honking Maui winds. She liked it so much that she married the guy and lucky Chris! Is kiteboarding great or what?!


Julie Puts the Tough Questions to Champ Rider Chuck Patterson


Laurel Eastman Flashing Her Famous Smile!

Laurel is sponsored by Wipika, Da Kine Hawaii, Hotel Caracol, Off Da Lip, Freeriders, and Merlin. She is gearing up for PKRA competitions in Cabarete, Holland, Italy and Brazi.l


Time To Get To It


The View Towards the NW and Downtown Corpus Christi
Click for larger image:
http://gallery.kiteforum.com/albums/alb ... _VR2_s.jpg


Mina Sets Up To Shoot the Action
Click for larger image:
http://gallery.kiteforum.com/albums/alb ... _VR1_s.jpg


Rene Hanks Gets Ready to Go!


Jody Meets Windsurfer


and, Off To the Races!


Julie Heads Back From the Aircraft Carrier Lexington?


Coming and Going ...


Bri Chmel Shreds


Coming about ...


Up ...


Attack of the Windsurfers


Up and Out!


Flying ...


Dana Rigs, Rebecca Walks ...


Anke Jumps and Glides ...


Dana Pops One


Dana Pinto Slides With Friends ...

Dana hails from Santa Cruz, CA and loves to ride Waddell. She is ponsored by Caution, Jonah, Rainbow, Da Kine, Sessions


Laurel Flys Off ...


Laurel Shreds For the Shear Joy of It!

So, that is a first installment about the NINE Pro Women that came to compete at the Velocity Games. Impressive moves, lots of skill, women are raising the bar in kiteboarding competitions. Coming soon... Part II

HELP!
If there are mistaken identities, corrections or additional information such as current sponsors, etc., PLEASE email them to me at <flkitesurfer@hotmail.com>
Thanks!

Copyright FKA, Inc. 2003

[Toby]

great report, Rick!!!

thx a lot for the effort!

Greets
Toby

[Blow Me]

WoW! Great work RickI! ThanX a lot for putting the time into that, and sharing it with us...

Cheers

[Sylt Rider]

g r e a t pictures, v e r y n i c e report!

I loved it just as much as the other one about velocity games. The men's part I put in the german forum, the ladies are going to be there too.

Thanks Rick!

Sylt Rider

[laurel]

Rick you are the best!
It was great to finally meet you and thanks again for your hard work in promoting safety and our awesome sport!
ALOHA!

[jpkiter]

FANTASTIC !! Wish i could have been there in person, but this report is the next best thing to being there!! Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us!!

[GK]

Hi Rick,
Excellent job as always!! Thanks for taking the time to share these with everyone.
I may be wrong, but I thik the picture labeled 'Rebecca Wolthers goes long' is actually Bri airing it out. She has a North bar and Rebecca rides for Gaastra. Its kind of hard to tell from still shots because they are both RIPPIN' HOTTIES!
Keep up the good work!!
GK

[RickI]

Thanks everybody and to Greg and Jody for the corrections. If anyone else sees something that needs correction, please set me straight so that I can put things to rights. Also, it would be good to learn current sponsor information, hometown, pending activities and other points of interest to flesh out the article a bit. This is a work in progress and should continue to be modifiied for a while longer.

Thanks again! Just wait 'til I get back to the guys. A LOT of their stuff is unprocessed but there are tons of hot, high strung out moves. That is coming along with another feature on these incredible women riders.

Please feel free to email information to me at: <flkitesurfer@hotmail.com>

[RickI]

Thanks to the folks that have sent in corrections to this article. They have been made and the additional sponsorship information has been included. They may well be other errors and if so please send them to me via email at: <flkitesurfer@hotmail.com>. I encourage all the competitors to email sponsorship, hometown and future competition activity to me for inclusion in this article.

I am out of the US for a few days but will be back in town soon. So, my apologies for slow response on the email.

Good winds!

[RickI]

Here is an oldie but well read post. What has changed in a few years? An event write up (Jupiter '08) getting less than 160 views and this one with over 6000. Too much content out there, everyone wants video, no interest in riding photography anymore? Or is it the event posts aren't controversial or divisive enough?