Slalom Europeans 2012: Day 1

[Toby]

IKA News:

Sroka and Piscopo are leading the Slalom Europeans after Day 1

Three eleiminations were completed on the first day of the Slalom European Championships in Gizzeria, Italy, with Bruno Sroka (FRA, Cabrinha/Aguera) and Maria Ruth Piscopo (ITA, Brunotti/Ozone) taking the lead.

The first elimination was run as a round robin where groups of riders competed against each other for points. After a total of 14 heats, Sroka had the best score ahead of Julien Kerneur (FRA, RRD) and Maxime Nocher (FRA, North). In the womens fleet Piscopo won all her heats except one disqualification and took first in this elimination ahead of Mathilde Serin (FRA, Naish) and Arianna Cau (ITA, Best).

After the lunch break the fleet was re-seeded for a half fleet race. Kerneur was disqualified in the final for a too agressive manouver at the mark, giving room to Lorenzo Giovanelli (ITA, Temavento/Slingshot) to win the final ahead of Sroka and Giovanni Santostefano (ITA, NJS, Ozone). The womens final was dominated by Piscoto ahead of Cau and Vanina Puteri (ITA, RRD).

The competition day concluded with a full fleet race for both fleets, with Santostefano taking victory in a heartbeat finish ahead of Giovanelli and Nocher.
Competition continues tomorrow and everything is set for a continuation of the battle between France and Italy.

Results after 3 Eliminations:

Men
1. Bruno Sroka (FRA, Cabrinha/Aguera) - 2.7 points
2. Lorenzo Giovanelli (ITA, Temavento/Slingshot) - 2.7 points
3. Giovanelli Santostefano (ITA, NJS, Ozone) - 3.7 points

Women
1. Maria Ruth Piscopo (ITA, Brunotti/Ozone) - 1.4 points
2. Arianna Cau (ITA, Best) - 4.5
3. Mathilde Serin (FRA, Naish) - 5.5 points

Full results at http://internationalkiteboarding.org/im ... ns2012.pdf

[Wawando]

Is there anything being done to attach the kite to the board?
I love racing, but knee fragility (and getting old too) keeps me from entering the race and slalom area of kitesurfing due to knee overload.
Something like a pulley where you could ballance the load between the board/body...
I am sure someone is working on this! Specially after the 49r vs moth vs kitesurf competition and kitesurf entering the Olympic Games!

[ronnie]

Is there anything being done to attach the kite to the board?
I love racing, but knee fragility (and getting old too) keeps me from entering the race and slalom area of kitesurfing due to knee overload.
Something like a pulley where you could ballance the load between the board/body...
I am sure someone is working on this! Specially after the 49r vs moth vs kitesurf competition and kitesurf entering the Olympic Games!

It would have to be something where the kite didn't take the board through the fleet without you.

It may be that it would require a new type of knee brace that took the load off a bit from your harness down to the sides of your shoes.

Its possible to connect the powerline to the board, but more difficult to ensure it comes off the board in a good way when you do. I guess that you could be connected to a release pin so that when you left the board, the end of the powerline would be released from the centre of fin resistance of the board. Maybe with an IDS type kite you could have a very long powerline from you round a pulley and back to the board. If the release leash for the board end was to an ankle, you might be able to get the rear lines close enough to the kite when you came off the board compared to the powerline from your hook round the pulley to your ankle so that the kite was depowered to about where you would want for recovery.

It would be possible to have outrigger seats, but you would need several and they would limit your control.

[Toby]

windsurfing...

[ronnie]

windsurfing...

Yep some of the load goes through the mast foot, leaving less for your legs to hold.

Its probably not so difficult to get something working for just cruising around, but competing in a race would require a much better system.

[Jimmy Mazzanti]

IKA News:

Sroka and Piscopo are leading the Slalom Europeans after Day 1

Three eleiminations were completed on the first day of the Slalom European Championships in Gizzeria, Italy, with Bruno Sroka (FRA, Cabrinha/Aguera) and Maria Ruth Piscopo (ITA, Brunotti/Ozone) taking the lead.

The first elimination was run as a round robin where groups of riders competed against each other for points. After a total of 14 heats, Sroka had the best score ahead of Julien Kerneur (FRA, RRD) and Maxime Nocher (FRA, North). In the womens fleet Piscopo won all her heats except one disqualification and took first in this elimination ahead of Mathilde Serin (FRA, Naish) and Arianna Cau (ITA, Best).

After the lunch break the fleet was re-seeded for a half fleet race. Kerneur was disqualified in the final for a too agressive manouver at the mark, giving room to Lorenzo Giovanelli (ITA, Temavento/Slingshot) to win the final ahead of Sroka and Giovanni Santostefano (ITA, NJS, Ozone). The womens final was dominated by Piscoto ahead of Cau and Vanina Puteri (ITA, RRD).

The competition day concluded with a full fleet race for both fleets, with Santostefano taking victory in a heartbeat finish ahead of Giovanelli and Nocher.
Competition continues tomorrow and everything is set for a continuation of the battle between France and Italy.

Results after 3 Eliminations:

Men
1. Bruno Sroka (FRA, Cabrinha/Aguera) - 2.7 points
2. Lorenzo Giovanelli (ITA, Temavento/Slingshot) - 2.7 points
3. Giovanelli Santostefano (ITA, NJS, Ozone) - 3.7 points

Women
1. Maria Ruth Piscopo (ITA, Brunotti/Ozone) - 1.4 points
2. Arianna Cau (ITA, Best) - 4.5
3. Mathilde Serin (FRA, Naish) - 5.5 points

Full results at http://internationalkiteboarding.org/im ... ns2012.pdf

during the second race, clearly leaded and won by Mr. GiovaNNelli (2 N)
Mr. Kerneur ended 3rd . He was disqualified for a contact during the jibe with Mr. Santostefano who was 3rd before.

[wdric]

Is there anything being done to attach the kite to the board?
I love racing, but knee fragility (and getting old too) keeps me from entering the race and slalom area of kitesurfing due to knee overload.
Something like a pulley where you could ballance the load between the board/body...
I am sure someone is working on this! Specially after the 49r vs moth vs kitesurf competition and kitesurf entering the Olympic Games!

racing at that level will only be for the fittest and therefore natural selection will mean no requirement to design any such device, they will only be designing things to make the fastest go faster, not the slowest keep up with the fastest

With necessity being the mother of all inventions means you could design it since you need it.

but the racing guys are adding a pulley to the de power to give them more leverage to pull it on easier.
I would think adding a pulley arrangement to attach the kite to the board would only make it easy for the kite to pull you and probly add more strain to your knees, your knees will have to work harder to keep the board way from you, and when you fall off your board will be pulled up to the pulley by the power or the kite since you legs aren't doing that anymore

[Toby]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj9e57Tmt88