Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest 2022 - Recap

[Toby]

And that's a wrap for the Patagonia Maui Kite and Wing Fest in a weekend full of action, camaraderie and aloha under the sun in the beautiful Kingdom of Hawaii.

The now-famous event was a huge success, welcoming riders from around the world to ride in the birthplace of both kite and wing surfing.

81 athletes showed up to compete in in freestyle and racing wing surfing divisions, as well as in the kite racing and extreme Big Air divisions in what has now become the USA’s premier wind-sports event.

The event went down with its two initial days dedicated to run wing surfing divisions, freestyle and racing, as well as kite races in foil, surf and twin tip divisions. The from wingers put on quite a show! There was plenty of stoke and adrenaline in the air, and all the participating brands put up amazing tent spaces to host and cheer for their team riders. What a pleasure it was to watch DuoTone, Reedin, Armstrong, Cabrinha, North, Dakine, Naish, GoFoil, and Airush all come together and celebrate the love and passion that drives these epic wind sports.

The third and final day was dedicated to run the last part of the wing surfing freestyle divisions in which athletes rode with an insane level of technicality and gave their all to win their place on the podium. To close off with a bang, the wind picked up and allowed the extreme big air riders to go full send and showcase their talent.

¨Jeremy Burlando, the winner of the extreme big air division, was super impressive. Giel Vlugt was definitely the guy to beat as he was the most notable big air rider who showed up to compete. Burlando performed a large variation of super technical and difficult tricks - his sent handle passes were super impressive, as were his double handed handle passes, and the boogie loops that he was doing were all very technical and big. I had never ever even heard of the kid, and was very surprised to see him come out and win”, shares Patri McLaughlin, one of the event’s big air judges.

[Saltyman]

Burlando is good in every discipline and has age on his side.
And absolutely rips does slim chances on a wing.
He is definitely one to watch out for.

[Baptiste_FR]

So Jeremy Burlando wins the Golden Ticket to KOTA ?
I thought the Maui Kite Fest was a "Fly To" event for the KOTA.

[Dave_5280]

The wind was a little light and Jesse Richmond as head judge announced that it was getting stronger, maybe 25 mph, and if it did, he would make it a qualifier for KOTA.

[Toby]

So Jeremy Burlando wins the Golden Ticket to KOTA ?
I thought the Maui Kite Fest was a "Fly To" event for the KOTA.

just received this:


As all contestants are well aware during the event we did not experience wind conditions up to standards for the winner to be granted the wildcard to compete in the RedBull King of the Air 2022. However, we still have very good news to announce.

Sergio Cantagalli, Sportive Director for RedBull King of the Air, has reviewed the competition report submitted by Jesse Richman, Head Judge for the Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest 2022, and has come to very positive conclusions.

“The Fly-To mission, besides selecting the best riders for King of the Air, is to scout for new talents. Therefore, the King of the Air event committee has included in the Fly-To format the opportunity to consider the full ranking of each Fly-To event as a “highlight” for the riders who took the chance to participate in the qualifier series. This will give these riders a higher chance to win in the video contest selection. For example, in the event that there should be a tie in the selection process, the rider who has a valid ranking coming from a Fly-To qualifier event will receive more rights to be selected”, states Cantagalli.

The Sportive Director for King of the Air closes with a very encouraging statement to all contestants: “In this case, I suggest to all the Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest riders who participated in the Extreme Big Air Expression Session, especially the podium winners, to enter the RedBull King of the Air video contest as they could gain an advantage in the selection process. The RedBull King of the Air event committee will consider the Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest ranking as a potential upgrade for those riders, toward the final selection to RedBull King of the Air. This is not guaranteeing a slot in KOTA, as the final call will come after the closing of the RedBull King of the Air video contest”.

The Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest is proud to continue its partnership with the Red Bull King of the Air as an official Fly-To Qualifier event, and fully supports the RedBull King of the Air Sportive Director's decision as it shows the world of kiteboarding the true spirit of our mission.

[Baptiste_FR]

The Sportive Director for King of the Air closes with a very encouraging statement to all contestants: “In this case, I suggest to all the Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest riders who participated in the Extreme Big Air Expression Session, especially the podium winners, to enter the RedBull King of the Air video contest as they could gain an advantage in the selection process. The RedBull King of the Air event committee will consider the Patagonia Maui Kite & Wing Fest ranking as a potential upgrade for those riders, toward the final selection to RedBull King of the Air. This is not guaranteeing a slot in KOTA, as the final call will come after the closing of the RedBull King of the Air video contest”.

Thank you for the info Toby.
But what a strange statement from KOTA sportive director. So, Beto gomez earned his spot to the KOTA during the South Amerincan Event, but Jeremy Burlando has the right to submit an entry video !! Doesn't seem fair to me.

[Toby]

I think because wind wasn't good enough to really show what they can do...they just want the best of the best...

[Dave_5280]

The wind has been inconsistent on Maui for the last month. It will be strong for 3 or 4 days and then weaken, and last few days gusty - saw a peak gust of 55 mph the other day! Unfortunately the contest came during one of those weak periods, but that day it got a little stronger. Earlier in the week, before the contest, it was strong and those guys were really fun to watch.

Burlando and Vlugt should both be in KOTA, so I hope they get in.

Oddly, on that day, just before the jumping started Jesse announced one of the wing guys had, I think, a 6 meter Woo jump and it was a record.