Kitesurfing an Olympic sport in 2016

Kitesurfing has made it on to the roster for the Olympic Games in 2016.

The local kitesurfing community, which is growing almost weekly, welcomes the Olympic authorities’ decision to recognise their sport.

Local kiters are preparing for the Cook Islands’ second annual kitesurfing festival and competition in Aitutaki, which kicks off on June 25.

Already about two dozen local and international competitors have signed up to compete, and those who want to register can do so by contacting Christina Maoate on 78750.

The sport’s successful bid for a spot at the Olympics broadens horizons for local riders, who have been training hard in the recent heavy winds to prepare for Aitutaki.

The Aitutaki competition will include both course racing and freestyle as judging categories. Last year the competition was strictly about the freestyle discipline, but organisers have widened its scope because course racing will be the only option for Olympic kitesurfers in 2016.

Cook Islands Kitesurfing Association (CIKA) president Teanaroa Worthington says the news of the successful Olympic bid enables local riders to take their level of competition up a notch.

”There’s a chance that the Olympic qualifying for kitesurfing might come out of Oceania, which will greatly increase the chances of our guys qualifying,“ he said.

Details of Olympic qualifiers for kitesurfing are yet to be confirmed.

On behalf of CIKA and all kitesurfers, Worthington expressed his thanks to Oceania Sailing Federation president Andre Raoult and John Tierney of Sailing Cook Islands, who have been pushing hard for kitesurfing to be accepted as an Olympic sport.

”We want to thank the two of them because they’ve done a great service for all of us,“ Worthington said. He noted with regret that upon kitesurfing’s introduction into the Olympics, windsurfing was dropped as a discipline.

Worthington encourages both kitesurfers and supporters to book their tickets for the end-of-June competition.

Thanks go out to Air Rarotonga and Cook Islands Tourism – the main sponsors of the competition – and to Telecom Cook Islands, which will be providing free wifi broadband on the motu the day of the competition.