VKWC News: Termination of contract between IKA and PKRA

[Toby]

VKWC News:

Termination of contract between IKA and PKRA

Tarifa, 20th July 2015

We can confirm that International Kiteboarding Association (“IKA”) wrote to us last weekend confirming their termination of the agreement between IKA and the Professional Kite Riders Association (“PKRA”).

Negotiations for a potential new contract with Virgin Kitesurf World Championships (“VKWC”) were ongoing for many months. VKWC had every intention of replacing the PKRA in a new and improved partnership with IKA. Unfortunately the parties were unable to reach an agreement and the discussions highlighted conflicting interests in the development of the sport, support of the youth, safety, event execution and other topics.

Throughout the process the International Sailing Federation (“ISAF”) has been incredibly supportive of the VKWC and our attempts to reach an agreement with IKA. We will now deal direct with ISAF in good faith in the best interests of the sport, its riders, our commercial partners and our supporters. We are looking forward to working with ISAF to develop a successful partnership which will not only enable the VKWC to grow but also will deliver fantastic developments and growth to the sport itself.

We are thankful for the confidence of our partners and the support of the industry and riders. We will continue to liaise and keep our principal partner the Virgin Group fully informed of developments and we appreciate their valued support. The Global Kitesports Association, representing the majority of the Industry supporting the professional riders on the tour 2015, has expressed its full support to VKWC in an earlier press release. We are in close contact with all parties and met with the riders yesterday evening to assure them of our continued support and investment in them, the events and the sport.

We wish IKA the best for their future. It is our desire to make Kitesurfing grow in all areas and we will continue to support this aspiration. New public events at great kitesurf locations producing thrilling media content are part of the development plans to change the way kiteboarding is recognised globally. Freestyle Kiteboarding is one of the most spectacular sports with fantastic athletes that deserve greater exposure and recognition of their talents on a worldwide platform.

VKWC will continue to promote and host the 2015 season as scheduled. Competition format and all established rules and regulations will remain in place under guidance from ISAF.

[PAFF]

Cool.

Get the German guy out.

[gmb13]

What German guy. Markus is just the secretary. The president is an Italian.

I actually spoke to Bruno DE Wannemaker (VICE president Ika) last night. He told me that the
IKA will be running the competition organisation on Fuerteventura and Germany and that this is already cleared with the event organizers of both events..


So both sides are giving out conflicting stories. Reminds me very much of what happened to the Kpwt.

--
Gunnar

[Toby]

I assume riders will be caught in the middle of this...

We had it before: if you compete there, you can't compete here...

I expect from IKA and VKWC to not let that happen and leave the riders out of it !
They are trying to do their job and make some small money for living!

[sq225917]

Over the years there’s been a lot of changes in the national and international organisation of kitesurfing competitions. Organisations have come and gone, some have lasted the course and some have been squeezed out of contention by lack of resources, poor organisation or straight up mismanagement.

When the IKA started up I thought it would be good for our sport, we’d have representation at international level and a voice speaking for us all as kiters. It didn’t really pan out like that though, it always felt more like a dog and pony show with the Sailing Federation holding the purse strings. Kitesurfing is a spectacular sport, short of FMX motocross and freestyle snowboarding nothing comes close to the freedom and ability for artistic expression that’s on offer as well as the raw ability to defeat gravity.

The PKRA has always stood alone as a rider focussed organisation that worked hard to bring the spectacle of competitive kitesurfing to the masses. For a number of years it ran head to head with the KPWT and both delivered a slightly different flavour of events both with world class riding. Once the IKA came onto the scene it never quite felt right. Like many kiters I didn’t feel they were truly interested in representing the best interests of the sport. They were just focussed on those areas of the sport with the potential to get Olympic money and maybe had an eye towards television rights. I never saw any of their money being invested in the sport though.

I was expecting give and take, not just take.

Then Richard Branson, probably the best known kiter on the planet, stepped in and started getting involved with the sport. Virgin pumped money into organising mass participation, Virgin Armada events, non-profit events. They don’t sell kiting products, at best they get a bit of halo effect and goodwill from the participants and spectators. He’s not in it for the money, is he? He’s in it because he loves it, because he can afford to throw money at it. At best it’s a marketing tax write off for him. The same goes for Javier Perez Dolset, the CEO of multi-media partners and co-sponsors ZED. His group of companies own Best Kiteboarding. But Best contribute less than 1% to their overall business. He's in this because he loves the sport and because he can afford to sponsor the events and bring a level of technical sophistication to the media management of the tour that the PKRA otherwise simply couldn't afford to deliver.



So when Virgin announced that it was partnering with multi-media content experts ZED and the PKRA to form the VKWC I was stoked. The combination of the PKRA’s rider driven credibility paired up with Virgin’s experience in international promotional paired up with ZED’s digital media platform management seemed like the perfect pairing. What was the IKA’s part in this? Virgin were bringing the money and marketing reach, ZED were bringing the multimedia broadcast experience and the PKRA were bringing the riders? What were Markus Schwendtner and Bruno De Wannemaeker putting into the pot?

I don't know the background to the dissolution of the agreement between the VKWC and the IKA, what are the IKA holding out for, a bigger payoff? I understand that Markus has a divorce top pay off and that IKA president Mirco Babini recently lost his job after Luna Rossa Challenge announced its withdrawal from the 35th Americas Cup, but surely they have to think of the big picture and not their pockets?

I’ve seen the IKA press release and the insinuations that commercial interests might affect the impartiality of judging at the VKWC. Hands up anyone who thinks that has happened? All the riders on the podium at every event I’ve watched are there purely on merit.

You could try and smear Red Bull with the same criticism, but when did you look at the amazing moves pulled off by any of their sponsored riders at any event that they organised and thought that they hadn’t earned their results fairly?

I want kiting to be run by kiters, for kiters. If these kiters also happen to run very large and successful multinational companies that can bring a whole host of benefits to the sport then that’s even better. I’ll not lose any sleep over a couple of back room politicians not getting the free hand-out that they think they deserve just for being in the pocket of the ISAF.

If Richard Branson wants to join the VKWC up with the ASP Tour I think that might be a great solution to give kiters the freedom they deserve and to let the IKA take their toys off to the sailing club where they belong! I wish them the best of luck. I just want the IKA to stop spoiling the spectacle of professional freestyle kitesurfing for the rest of us.


Simon (no longer working in the kite industry).

[KiteboardingTampaBay]

Very well written and informative, Simon. Good to see you're still around!

[sq225917]

Cheers, I wish I had more time to spare here, but work and family takes up all my time these days

[Toby]

Thx for the feedback Simon. You know that we miss you here, no?

Anyway, good question what IKA gives back. What happens to all the money?
Do the people who run IKA get a good salary? Would be good to know. Maybe someone knows?

But, I think without IKA some events would not be able. I know from the KTA, that the Asian governments demand an international, official association behind the events.

It would be good if IKA helps to keep access due to their power with ISAF. It would be good if IKA comes up with an instructors program, which finally offers quality and makes the sport safer.

About VKWC: So far I think everyone is disappointed.
No livestream, same prizemoney as the last years...so what you state didn't come yet.
I think we all had higher expectations...so far ZED and Virgin didn't make it better, besides adding Big Air ( which is a shame for the sport that it was gone for years, pro riders to be blamed here).

Yes, it might be a transition year, since Virgin officially stepped in late, but, I hoped for more. And I think so did all pros.

Plus, I heard that pro riders didn't get paid yet from few stops. That we also had last year.
This is a complete no go, since the pros did their job and really earn little money with lots of risk.
If two rich men cannot pay the poor pros, it is sad. I think on IKA run events they never had to wait for their prize money...if I am wrong, pls correct me.

Let's see what comes next.

[Antoine]

Well said simon.

The PKRA(VKWC) has given riders over a 1,000,000 dollars in prize money over the years and has been the only constant organisation representing Freestyle and innovating disciplines for the past 14 years.

It handled the economic crisis of 2008 and the IKA. It rivalled the KPWT for many years by having the best riders and always have an open judging system.

I was a rider on the PKRA and a judge for many years and believe they have been able to keep so many riders coming back for a decade(Hadlow, Langeree, Zoon,etc..) by offering a good platform.

It is a business and just like any business it needs to evolve with the market and the industry to stay relevant. They are clearly going through a transition and judging by the quality of the last three events Morocco, Coche and Tarifa it seems to be heading in the right direction.

I will follow the upcoming events, a live feed would be good but only if it can be offered with 720hd quality and multiple camera angle, so it would take at least 5 people and some serious gear at the beach. Just to compare with the WSL they have a crew of 30 for the live. It just adds an extra cost that the event organisers are not often willing to pay. Less live, more money for the riders.

Well done VKWC.

[windrt]

Then Richard Branson, probably the best known kiter on the planet, stepped in and started getting involved with the sport. Virgin pumped money into organising mass participation, .....

The same goes for Javier Perez Dolset, the CEO of multi-media partners and co-sponsors ZED. His group of companies own Best Kiteboarding. But Best contribute less than 1% to their overall business. He's in this because he loves the sport and because he can afford to sponsor the events and bring a level of technical sophistication to the media management of the tour that the PKRA otherwise simply couldn't afford to deliver.

.....


Virgin were bringing the money and marketing reach, ZED were bringing the multimedia broadcast experience and the PKRA were bringing the riders?

......

......

impartiality of judging at the VKWC. Hands up anyone who thinks that has happened? ....

.....kiting to be run by kiters, for kiters. .....

what a load...