PILOT: KITEBOARDING COMPETITIONS FROM THE TRUE CORE

Alea iacta est.

After a period of disconnection from social media and the constant stimuli we live with nowadays, I have realized something fundamental. Paradoxically, being offline is what connects us most deeply: with ourselves and with the core spirit of our community. That connection, and the desire to create it, is what keeps me waking up every morning, always with a clear ikigai or mission, always with a purpose.

My journey back to that connection has meant a deep commitment to the creative act: studying, designing and developing new boundaries within this sport. From building new products to competition formats, or constantly brainstorming about what we can do better to improve the current judging system.

There are limits today that need to be taken seriously, and for that reason I feel I have to move carefully, listening to every side of kiteboarding competitions: athletes, organisers, sports teams, management and so on. Understanding all sides of the coin is key to building the next step, the next improvement.

As an active athlete, I deeply understand the uncertainties faced by those who compete. My concerns, and they always have been, are yours: transparency, fair play, crystal clear rules and a strong flow of information between the Athletes' Committee and the Sports Committee. The challenges never end, because disciplines are always evolving; rules have to adapt to new demands, and cooperation is the only way to build something truly worthy of the sport itself.

My purpose and role in kiteboarding and wingfoil events is to keep absolute impartiality, always delivering the true winners of a heat or a competition. Always looking for the most complete athlete, for the best performance. We are dealing with a sport that is subjective at its very base, and we need to make it as objective as possible by creating and reinforcing rules that reward innovation, major manoeuvres, power and clean execution of the tricks.

My only mission is to stand for fair play and a sport that is sustainable in the long term, one where every athlete can build a solid career and earn real recognition. And I have to ask: what has happened lately with private sector sponsorship? It feels disconnected from the kiteboarding industry, at least as we are living it in Europe today.

Youth events, together with the other second divisions, are extremely important for the sport. They are the engine that launches young talent, and it is our greatest responsibility to make sure this structure of sub competitions gives young riders the access they need to climb and launch their professional careers.

We know our limitations, especially financial ones, in a niche sport. But if we join forces and combine visions, building an inclusive strength through the convergence of disciplines, we can reach the recognition they deserve. In fact, this coming week the GKA Youth Championship takes place in St. Peter-Ording, Germany, where athletes have to perform a wide range of manoeuvres, from Freestyle to Airstyle and Big Air. It is a genuinely impressive logistical challenge, and a demanding one for any judging panel trying to score it fairly. The most complete athlete will be crowned king of the twin tip discipline.

That reunification of the disciplines, the search for the most complete athlete, has been the true DNA of the GKA since its beginnings in 2016. That DNA is the reason that, no matter where we go, the format has always adapted to the conditions. Just look at the new generation and how they naturally train freestyle in low to mid winds, big air manoeuvres when the wind gets stronger, and also old school tricks, now called airstyle, staying boosted in the air and linking different manoeuvres while they are up there.

The space I am sharing today is my way of pulling back the curtain: the huge potential and richness inside this unique sport, a place where status, conditioning and other restrictive ways of thinking are left out, so I can express and share, freely and honestly, my humble and distant vision within this wonderful yet small sport on planet Earth.