A sporting chance
- Published: 29/04/2010 at 11:25 AM
- Newspaper section: Horizons
Winning the very first Kiteboard Tour of Asia Championship to be held in Thailand has made Narapichit Pudla all the more determined to do his utmost to promote this relatively new sport here.
Narapichit thinks there’s potential for promoting kiteboarding in Thailand.
The event,which was held last month on a beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Pran Buri area, attracted over a hundred participants from around the world. The Pattaya native – who generally goes by his nickname, Yo - beat competitors from Europe and other parts of Asia to win both the men’s freestyle and course-racing categories.
The 23-year-old’s victory was covered by several European media outlets in reports which also mentioned Thailand’s beautiful beaches, friendly people and delicious cuisine.
‘‘If we’re able to develop a strong team of Thai kiteboarders, I’m confident that we’ll be asked to host more international championships like the one in Pran Buri,’’’ Narapichit enthused.
‘‘As well as building up the pool of local sporting talent, I believe that hosting events like this will also generate much needed revenue for our tourism sector since foreign competitors often travel with family members and friends. Apart from accommodation, they also spend on entertainment, shopping and food.’’
During the week-long event, he said, Thailand earned a good deal of positive press as a top destination for competitive watersports. He is hopeful that international television coverage of him hoisting the winner’s trophy against the backdrop of a scenic seascape will reassure foreigners who may have cancelled or postponed trips they’d planned due to the tense political situation in Bangkok to return to Thailand.
Could you explain what kiteboarding entails and also recommend a website where our readers could get information about this sport in Thailand?
Kiteboarding, which is also known as kitesurfing, is basically a blend of surfing, windsurfing and wakeboarding. In simple terms it’s a sport in which athletes ride a surfboard harnessed to a large kite which is piloted by hand-held strings. The essential items of equipment are a kite with bar and lines, a kiteboard and a harness. Good-quality gear and kiteboarding lessons can be rather pricey, so budget is a major factor to be considered if one want to seriously pursue this sport.
Adventurous types will find the adrenaline-pumping experience of soaring through the air to be absolutely exhilarating. I should also add that the wind conditions in this country are eminently suitable for doing somersaults in the air and executing sharp turns on flat water before moving on to smaller waves.
Anyone interested in finding out more about this sport in Thailand should visit the www.one2kite.com website.
How did you get hooked on kiteboarding and do you plan to pursue it as a career?
After having windsurfed for four years I was introduced to kiteboarding by a French acquaintance. That was five years ago and I can honestly say that I still haven’t got enough of it! I suppose for me the most attractive side to this sport is the sheer thrill of being airborne. Making the transition to kiteboarding was relatively easy for me because of my previous experience in windsurfing.
Yes, I do believe I have found a career path for myself in kiteboarding. I’ve been competing at the international level for close to three years now. It was Willy Kerr, my manager and friend, who helped me find my main sponsors: Evason and Six Senses Hideaway Hua Hin and Ozone Kites, one of the world’s leading kite manufacturers. My aim is to compete professionally in Europe one of these days.
Is there an age limit for kiteboarders? And how important is it for beginners to be taught by professional coaches?
There’s no real age limit. In fact, children as young as eight can start taking lessons. At the Prachuap Khiri Khan event, we had a 71-year-old competing alongside his grandson!
Getting professional coaching is of the utmost importance. It gives you a proper foundation in the sport and teaches you how to avoid injury. Trainers in Thailand charge between 1,500 and 2,000 baht an hour and supply all the necessary equipment. Given proper training, most firsttimers can start checking out the waves after a couple of lessons. Riding the waves requires a good sense of balance but that comes with experience. Kiteboarding is really not as dangerous as it might seem!
What plans do you have for the future?
I hope to continue making Thailand proud by winning as many kiteboarding tournaments as possible. It would make me very happy if I could use my sporting talent to promote tourism to my motherland.
To contact the writer, please feel free to email
About the author
- Writer: Yvonne Bohwongprasert
- Position: Reporter
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