Maui, Hawaii - October 11, 2003 - Today saw the completion of one of the
world's most prestigious kiteboarding events, the Red Bull King of the Air.
Two newcomers to the kiteboarding competition scene stood tall and proud on
the podium: Charles Deleau, 25 years old of France, won the Men's
Freestyle division, while Mark Doyle of White Salmon, Washington took
second. Susannae Mai, 19 years old of the Dominican Republic, won the
Women's Freestyle division and 2002 Red Bull King of the Air defending
women's champion, Sheldon Plentovich took second.
Deleau, who solidified his win over Drexler with a double-spin, board-off
fin grab some 30-40 feet in the air, never loss one heat in the event, not
once did he enter the "one-loss" bracket. "Mark (Doyle) is one of the best
handle passers in kiteboarding. He pulled off some amazing stuff in the
final. But the judges were looking for big rotations with big air," Deleau
said after his victory. "For me it's a dream to win here in the best
American place there is for kiting." Deleau finished second on the KPWT
(Kiteboarding Professional World Tour) in 2002 and came to the Red Bull
King of the Air via one of the sixteen "Fly To..." qualifiers that took
place around the world. The top man and woman of each qualifier was given
airfare, accommodations, and a place into the trial event at Kanaha Beach.
Susanne Mai's victory today also marked her first time she had ever
kiteboarded Ho'okipa Beach. "I'm really happy to win today. This event
means a lot to kiteboarding, so for me today was important," Mai said after
her win. Relatively a new face to kiteboarding, Mai has only been kiting
for 1 1/2 years in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, is currently ranked fourth
on the PKRA (Professional Kiteboarding Riders Tour). h
Plentovich, who recently went through Leukemia treatment, said, "If someone
had told me I'd be getting second at the King of the Air, there's no way I
would have believed them. I'm really happy to have finished second.
Today's conditions were challenging and the placing wasn't necessarily
representative of each kiter's skills."
In the Hang-Time portion, Marcus "Flash" Austin of Maui solidified his
place in Red Bull King of the Air history by lofting a 7.29 seconds in the
inconsistent wind conditions and Julie Gilbert of Maui, proved that she is
truly an expert in all Hang-Time competitions; not only did she soar for
5.01 seconds today, but she is also the current women's world record
Hang-Time holder with a time of 6.48 seconds.
This year a of sixteen international qualifiers aptly named, "Fly To..."
Red Bull King of the Air took place in such exotic locales as Dubai, Italy,
Belgium, Monaco, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States. The top Men's
and Women's winner of each regional event was given airfare, accommodations
and entry into the trial rounds of the Red Bull King of the Air event at
Kanaha Beach.
2003 Red Bull King of the Air Final Standings:
Men's Freestyle
1st - Charles Deleau - France - $4,000
2nd - Mark Doyle - Washington - $2,500
3rd - Luciano Gonzales - Dominican Republic - $1,500
4th - Jaime Herriez - Spain - $900
Equal 5th - Sky Solbach - Washington - $750
Equal 5th - Abel Lago - Spain - $750
Equal 7th - Simone Vannucci - Italy - $400
Equal 7th - Greg Drexler - Maui - $400
Equal 9th - Christiaan Brouwer - Holland - $400
Men's Hang-Time Winner
7.29 seconds - Marcus "Flash" Austin - Maui - $1,200
Women's Freestyle
1st - Susanne Mai - Dominican Republic - $1,750
2nd - Sheldon Plentovich - Oahu - $900
3rd - Rebecca Wolthers - California - $600
4th - Yuri Drexler - Maui - $350
Equal 5th - Julie Gilbert - Maui - $150
Equal 5th - Sandrine Maunier - France - $150
Women's Hang-Time Winner
5.01 seconds - Julie Gilbert - Maui - $300
