The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) has applied for international class status inside the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

This application is supported by several ISAF Member National Associations and ISAF classes.

For the time beeing, kiteboarding events are organized by two rivaling tour operators, the KPWT and the PKRA. With the adoption of submission 55-07 during the ISAF midyear meeting, the way is now open to implement kiteboarding under the world wide accepted umbrella of the International Sailing Federation.

'We worked hard with the people at ISAF to change the Racing Rules of Sailing, to allow kiteboarding become member of the world wide sailing family' states IKA Executive Secretary Markus Schwendtner. 'The goal of the International Kiteboarding Association is not to compromise the existing event organizers, but with two rivaling companies organizing world championships the proper development of the sport is simply not guaranteed, and no one is taking the sport as serious as it should be. We have to avoid a structure as in boxing, with several self-proclaimed world champions and their organizations. We will work with all interested parties to include their events in a unified world ranking and help to bring kiteboarding to the next level', Schwendtner continues.

All necessary documents have been already handed in to the ISAF secretary in April 2008, and everything is prepared to adopt the International Kiteboarding Association as ISAF international class during the November Meeting held in Madrid, Spain.

The International Kiteboarding Association will then start negotiations with all interested event organizers to set up a proper 2009 world tour in accordance with the ISAF regulations, leading to a unified world champion.

Hopefully the unfortunate competition between the rivaling tour operators KPWT and PKRA will come to an end then and kiteboarding can make it's way towards a new, thrilling, accepted discipline inside world wide sailing.

by Markus Schwendtner

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