While it's not the newest of disciplines for watersports, or even sailing, it's still going to be pretty exciting for racers and spectators. Best of all, it's coming to Australia. 

Slalom racing, with a kite. It's a grand spectacle in anyones eyes, and by the time you add the fact that the equipment is totally unlimited, this could really be something for the sport! Coming to Australia in late November,  the PKRA world tour is currently drumming up support for the Slalom discipline in kiteboard. Long since the discipline of choice for yahoos and gear heads in the sailboarding world, Slalom in it's purest form is a downwind course with a series of gybes around markers. Over the years it's been tried at large scale events, even including obstacles in the middle for riders to jump or perform tricks over. No matter the format, it's always hard, fast and insanely expensive for riders (or sponsors) due to the no compromise rules for equipment. The PKRA is keeping it the same too, with no restrictions on gear it's only a matter of time before racers are showing up with carbon-plutonium-carbide fins worth about sixty million bucks each. 

The PKRA have a point about the discipline though, saying in a press release earlier this week: 
"One of the great things about slalom racing is that all the riders are close together, spectators always know who is winning and what it will take from the rest of the fleet to take the lead.  The action will be close to the beach whenever possible making it fun for the spectators and the riders.  The fact that this is a new discipline will give the opportunity  for new riders to test their skills in a new format and to make a name for themselves and their sponsors."

Lets see how this pans out! The first stop to feature Slalom kiteboarding is in Mexico this May, and finishing up in Australia on the 27th November 2013....

For more info check out the IKA website here. 

#News #Kitesurfing #Sailing #Kiteboarding