Team England 2009

The PKA would like to say a massive thanks to English Team Sponsors, Buggy Bags, Darkskies, Overboard and Seaspecs. We would also like to to thank all those that made the trip over to SPO support and help the English Team: Dieter, Jake, Rosie, Sian, Lauren and Mary. A special thanks to Phil McGavin who gave up his holiday to be the English jury member and the GPA for hosting an awesome event.

Find out how the english team and all the other pilots did here

Check out here for Dieters shots of the euros

Congrtualtions to all the team!

Adrian Lavelle report of the 2009 Europeans.

This was my 4th European championships but this time I decided to set off without any kites and although I was assured that there was a new set of Peter Lynn Vapors waiting for me it definitely doesn’t feel right leaving on a 900 mile drive without your kit. Boy SPO is a long drive but a stop in Bruges for chocolate shopping kept Alison happy on the trip. We arrived late Monday night in time for a few beers with the Trainers and then for a night in a 2 second tent. Tuesday arrived and it felt like Christmas and Michel from Peter Lynn was Santa and he had a big bag of kites for me. Down on the beach I was frantically putting kites on lines and taking them for a run, out of the bag they felt fast and stable and running up and down the beach with Gray it seemed we were fast against the other pilots.

The first race is always nerve racking, 69 other pilots & 276 lines you have to avoid, but its one of the most impressive things you can see when 70 buggy’s and colourful kites are tramping down the beach but as soon as you’re off the nerves drop. I found myself charging through the field and the front markers were coming into sight, to say the course was complex is an understatement, 14 markers! things weren’t going well when I found myself with Pete Swan with us both asking where to-go next, we headed off to what we thought was the next mark and I found only 2 other Vapor pilots in front. Unfortunately it seemed I was not the only pilot to have issues finding my way and the race was cancelled. The next 3 race’s were much more successful and the performance of my new kites was fantastic taking me to 7th over all.

The next 2 days racing were on the big kites with winds around and below minimum wind speed, racing was still good but I struggled when the wind was very low. On one race I tangled on the start and spent 7 minutes untangling, but this was one of the races I enjoyed the most and it showed the pace of the Vapor’s as I carved my way through the field to 23rd, ok it doesn’t sound great but you have to remember the standard of the pilots so I was chuffed.

The last day and we arrived to another off shore light wind but the forecast was for it to turn onshore and build, no racing was to start until the wind shifted so we all headed off to the beach café for hot chocolates and cakeeee. Sure enough the wind shifted and the race was called, light winds but clean so out with the 13.4m. This start was my best yet, about 12th and the wind was building and as it did I picked through all the pilots till I was in 3rd. Malte Lutz was in 1st with a good lead but I caught John Jansen also on a Vapor and there was only 1 lap left when I saw him pit for a smaller kite, Whoopee 2nd I thought just got to keep it together for 1 lap, sods law I found a Czech pilot struggling which allowed a pilot past but I re took the position, so as I tacked for the start line 2nd was in the bag but I had to run wide as I was over powered and I noticed John turned early and pipped me to the line by 10cm. Not so bad - John had won all the other races other than this and was a worthy 2009 European champion.

So 7th over all and 3rd on the podium for the last day my best result at a euro’s. Big thanks to the PKA team for organising this years’ racing and especially to Toni’s mum for sorting our accommodation in Germany. Cheers to Everyone from Peter Lynn for producing an awesome kite and to Chris Hill (Surface Tension) for recommending me as a rider to Peter Lynn and sponsoring me over the years and a big thanks to the GPA for organising the event on an awesome location, SPO is definitely worth a visit.

2009 English Jury Member: Phil McGavin

2009 Female Team

2009 Male Team