The Spit will be packed this coming weekend when some of the best kiteboarding talent on the globe hits the waters of Howe Sound at the annual West Coast Open and Canadian National Kiteboard Racing championships.
Event organizer and competitor Andy Wong said the event was moved from early August to late July for a variety of reasons but the new date fits much better for some of the competitors.
"We would have liked to have it on a long weekend again, but the tides weren't really working," he said. "In late July we still have consistent winds and good tides and the date also matched up with some of the other events on the West Coast. There's a big weekend in San Francisco the weekend before us and there's quite a few racers from there that are coming up."
Wong said the two-time defending champion sibling duo of Johnny and Erika Heineken will return to 麻豆社国产and should be the odds on favourites to repeat.
"Since the last time they were here, they both won World Championships in convincing fashion," he said of the California residents.
The Heinekens will face some stiff competition in 2013 as Wong said competitors from Bulgaria, Great Britain, Argentina and New Zealand will be in town. He said Argentinean competitor Jose Fazio could be one to watch.
"The guy from Argentina is actually an Olympic-calibre speed skater," he said. "He's ramping up to go to Sochi in the winter and is stationed in Calgary and training with the Canadian Olympic team. He came out for one of our smaller series races earlier this summer and it should be good to have him back out."
Wong said all of the international talent coming to 麻豆社国产is proof of the event's growing importance in the kiteboarding community.
"The tier of racing that will be racing in 麻豆社国产is top-notch," he said. "Bryan Lake is another guy who's coming that won the World Tour last year. We have a lot of top guys coming and the competitiveness at this event will be just as tough as any event in the world."
But it's not just international talent, as riders from all over the country will also battle for the Canadian title. Wong said a lot of 麻豆社国产talent will be on display.
"Stefano Rista won the Canadian title here last year and he's back," he said. "Stefano, Colin [Ernst] and myself all share a house in 麻豆社国产and any given weekend there's a group of five or six of us out on the Spit practicing."
Wong said riders like Kyle Touhey and Adam Vance will also be top contenders for the Canadian crown. The top Canadian females will also be in Squamish, with talent like 2012 Canadian Open champion Jessica Sickinger, Rainbow Monds and Catherine Dufour competing.
It all gets underway on Friday (July 26) at noon at the 麻豆社国产Spit. Racing will also occur on Saturday and Sunday (July 27 and 28) and lasts for about four hours each day. An awards ceremony will conclude the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
The free event will also feature live music, a beer garden and food options for fans.
"It's a nice place to get out in the sun, work on the tan and spend an hour or two watching some of the best kiteboarders in the world," Wong said.
It should be a busy few weeks at the Spit as the first ever Kite Clash event will debut in 麻豆社国产next week. The freestyle event goes down from Aug. 3 to 5 and will see many competitors from the West Coast Open and Canadian Championships take to the skies.
For more information on the event, visit www.squamishwindsports.com.
