Final days for submissions for accolades for kiteboarding’s biggest night of the year
10 January, 2025 | Qatar Airways GKA Awards, City Hall, Cape Town
The countdown for the final days for submissions for the third Qatar Airways GKA Awards in the new and expanded list of categories has begun.
Entries for each of the 14 Awards must be submitted by 6 October, adding to the list of proposals that have already been received since the process opened on 18 March.
The submissions for the accolades will recognise the greatest feats in kiteboarding over the previous 18 months. The coveted statuettes will be presented at the Qatar Airways GKA Awards gala night in Cape Town.
Public voting on the shortlisted entries will open on 25 November and run until 9 December, ahead of the Awards’ night on 10 January, 2025, to be held in Cape Town’s historic City Hall.
Kiteboarding mecca
The new venue in the southern-hemisphere’s kiteboarding mecca of Cape Town marks the third successive year of the GKA Awards, with the previous two editions staged in the fabled southern Spanish town of Tarifa.
The upcoming gala night will feature more Awards than ever, with expanded Move of the Year categories to spotlight men’s and women’s achievements in all four kiteboarding disciplines: Freestyle, Strapless Freestyle, Wave and Hydrofoil Big Air.
The greatest men and women athletes will also be honoured in the Rider of the Year awards, along with the Photo, Video and Rookie of the Year awards.
In all, 14 of the prized blue statuettes will be presented during the Awards’ evening when the great and the good from the kiteboarding industry, along with the leading professional athletes, will be on hand to join the celebrations.
Qatar Airways GKA Awards 2024
Men’s Freestyle Move of the Year
Women’s Freestyle Move of the Year
Men’s Strapless Freestyle Move of the Year
Women’s Strapless Freestyle Move of the Year
Men’s Big Air Move of the Year
Women’s Big Air Move of the Year
Hydrofoil Big Air Move of the Year (one award, both genders)
Rookie of the Year (one award, both genders)
Photo of the Year
Video of the Year
Click on the links above to submit entries until 6 October, 2024. Public voting on the shortlists will run between 25 November and 9 December, 2024.
words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Samuel Cárdenas
Spot Info: Cape Town
Wind and weather
For kiteboarders the reliable 20 to 40 knots winds that blow from December through to February is Cape Town’s unrivalled appeal. Even November and March can offer good breezes and the bonus of quieter beaches. In high-season the south/south-westerly wind blows five days a week, beginning at 10am and building throughout the day until it’s nuking by 4pm. There are many beaches to choose from on the 15kms of coastline running northwards from Table Mountain, offering the possibility of epic downwinders.
Cape Town’s Beaches
Sunset Beach
It serves up the biggest and cleanest waves on Blouberg Strand. The wind is cross-offshore from the left which can make for great down-the-line riding. One drawback is that the shorebreak can be quite big to contend with.
Dolphin Beach
Dolphin has wide, sandy beaches that make launching and landing a breeze. The wind is cross-shore from the left. The waves are not too big. Between the waves that make great kickers, the water is among the flattest along the coastline, especially towards high tide.
Kite Beach
It has a smallish shorebreak, but the water between the waves is not quite as flat as Dolphin further south on Blouberg. The wind is cross-shore from the left. It can be quieter than some of the other beaches, but remains safe.
Doodles Beach
Doodles is small and steep, but it offers great kickers and can be less busy than some other spots. The steepness means there is a dumpy shorebreak to negotiate, especially at high tide. The wind is cross-shore from the left. It takes its name from Doodles pub that overlooks the spot.
Big Bay
A popular beach, it offers wide, flat-water sections between the waves. The waves are moderately big and the wind is cross-onshore from the left. The launching and landing area can be limited, especially around high tide. There are a few rocks downwind to beware of. The wind moderates the further you move north from Table Mountain, which can be useful if it is cranking down the coast. It hosts the Red Bull King of the Air in November/December each year.
Calmers
Downwind of the Big Bay rocks is Calmers. Wave riders often favour this spot because the waves are excellent and clean, with a small shorebreak. The wind is cross-shore from the left. One drawback is that it is popular and can sometimes be quite busy.
Calmers to Haakart
Heading north along the coast from Calmers reveals a near-continuous stretch of beach. Different car parks serve the various sections. This stretch of beaches has wind cross-shore or cross-offshore from the left and is popular with wave riders. The waves here are usually bigger than the main beaches. Rock slabs on the seabed are visible from the water’s edge and easily avoided.
Cape Town’s ‘no-wind day’ activities
Table Mountain/Lion’s Head
Hike or climb up either of these two iconic sites. Take the cable car up Table Mountain if you are not feeling up to it. Lion’s Head is more energetic hike, with ladders and chains up diverse trails that open on to an incredible vista of mountains and coastline. Sunrise or sunset are particularly rewarding.
Robben Island Museum
Take a ferry to the prison island. You may be rewarded with a whale sighting along the way. In the historic prison complex you will be guided by former inmates offering insights into their incarceration and that of its most famous inmate, Nelson Mandela.
Stellanbosch and Franschhoek
See the green and mountainous regions of Stellanbosch and Franschhoek. Mountain bike tours are a great option to soak up the beautiful environment. Perhaps tie it in with some winery tours in the regions, enjoying the stunning vineyards and sampling some of their produce.
Bo-Kaap Food Tours
Dive into a food safari in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighbourhood. Famed for it Cape Malay culture, you will find a vibrant cuisine born of the area’s culture. Muslim were isolated in the area when other ethnicities were forced to move out, leaving unique Malay culture and cuisine.
Old Biscuit Mill and Harbour Bay Markets
Trawl the old markets of the Old Biscuit Mill, in Cape Town, on Saturday mornings, or the Harbour Bay Market of Hout Bay for a relaxing and interesting few hours.
