The African Kiteboarding Championships – Dakhla, Morocco – Day 1

The first edition of the African Freestyle Kiteboarding Championships commenced today in Dakhla, Morocco, hosted by Dakhla Attitude.

Registration took place at 9 am, where 18 top freestyle athletes signed up for this championship, and for a chance to gain one of the 4 wildcards that will be awarded for the GKA Kite World Tour event that will take place in Dakhla in October.

The riders competed in two man heats, with an 8 minute duration, where the riders had to perform their best freestyle tricks. The consistent wind and perfect freestyle conditions allowed for the entire single elimination to be completed by the late afternoon .

Jonas Ouahmid, who is one of the young World Tour competitors, showed his experience and capability during the first rounds, and put on a fantastic overall performance.

As the wind conditions increased to a slightly gustier 25 knots, it all came down to 4 athletes in the semi-finals. Laarbi Edderkaoui, Jonas Ouahmid, Abdrahim Moutaouakil and Soufiane Hassouni, all strong and experienced freestyle athletes, each hoping to secure their spot in the final.

Jonas Ouahmid rode an incredibly heat, and knocked out his rival Laarbi Edderkoui, with Laarbi unfortunately sustaining a knee injury on his final trick attempt. He will no doubt be back in action tomorrow for the double elimination.

Abdrahim Moutaouakil and Soufiane Hassouni also faced a close battle as they went neck and neck, both riding full power throughout the second semi-final. It was a close call, but it was Moutaouakil who advanced into the final after riding a solid, technical heat.

The single elimination final was between Jonas Ouahmid and Abdrahim Moutaouakil, both riders who have plenty of experience in competition. Jonas opened with a massive double heart attack, showing that he was hungry for the win, with Abdrahim then throwing down an amazing Slim 5 in response. This final was a pure freestyle showdown, with plenty of power, kites low, lots of style and fantastic execution. It was a very close call as the red flag went up, with Jonas Ouahmid taking the win.

The African Kiteboarding Championship resumes tomorrow for the double elimination, with the Skipper’s meeting called for 11 am and the first possible start at 11.30am.

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