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Cape Town - After the suspenseful, week-long wait for the unseasonably absent ‘Cape Doctor’, 24 of the world’s best big air kiteboarders hit the water and the skies in Cape Town’s Big Bay on Saturday 14 and 15 February to see who would claim the title of Red Bull King of the Air 2015. Facing Jesse Richman (USA), Kevin Langeree (NED), and Jerrie van de Kop (NED) in the final, the capacity crowd watched on as Aaron Hadlow (GBR) pulled out all the stops to win the title and be crowned king.
Hadlow was solid and consistent throughout the competition and easily had the performance of the day, landing two massive megaloop KGBs twice during Sunday’s semis and finals to claim the top spot on the podium. This intricate move entails completing a back-roll megaloop, then unhooking and passing the bar behind your back.
“We waited all this time and we finally got the conditions we were waiting for. I know the conditions here in Cape Town well and I knew I had a good chance but you never know how it’s going to go. Once I went out there I was just full of adrenaline and managed to pull some pretty sick moves so I’m really happy now.”
“Big Air is a discipline I don't always focus on, but it’s something that I always have in the back of my mind. I know this event will grow the sport of kiteboarding. The atmosphere here at Big Bay is like nothing else - the crowd loves it. It's the one event in kiteboarding that really is for kiteboarding and I’m so happy to be on top!”
2015 King of the Air winner, Aaron Hadlow (Kolesky / Nikon / Red Bull Content Pool)
Hawaiian Jesse Richman – the 2013 King – made the most of the straps he’s been favouring over bindings, pulling big board-offs but unfortunately experienced a few crashes leading to his flag being the first lowered in the final. Jerrie van der Kop was in the hunt throughout the heat, and laid it all out on the line for a well-deserved third.
Defending champ Kevin Langeree started strong, showing no ill-effect from the eight stitches in his hand from a cut sustained in training earlier in the week. For a long time he looked like he was going to defend his title but eventually placed second.
Hadlow performs the megaloop (Kolesky / Nikon / Red Bull Content Pool)
Hadlow was also awarded the ‘Mystic Move of the Day’ for his Megaloop KGB whilst runner-up Langeree claimed the ‘biggest air of the day’ with 13,5metres, recorded with the WOO Sports height measurement tool.
Over the course of the 3 days that the event ran over, 17,000 spectators came down to Big Bay to watch the action.
Sportive director Sergio Cantagalli, was pleased with how the competition ended on a high: “Cape Town eventually delivered the best conditions to crown a Red Bull King of the Air and all the effort from the riders and team involved paid off.”
The Red Bull King of the Air 2015 podium (Nick Muzik / Red Bull Content Pool)
