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EVENTS 2022DEFI WIND IN GRUISSAN

In May 2022, Gin Kiteboarding put up its stand for the first time at the Defi Wind in Gruissan. And what a sensational week it has been!  

For those who are not familiar with the Defi Kite ; it is a one-off massive event gathering 500 kitesurfers on one same starting line going full speed for a long-distance race, and sharing amazing moments together, in and out of the water. It is then followed by the Defi Wing, which is already crushing the Wing Foil game, with already 150 contestants on its start list. The future of watersports is happening right here in Gruissan, France!

During the week, we had the opportunity to demonstrate our range of products, as well as some exclusive new ones that will be launched very soon. Participants, spectators, partners and passersby expressed great interest in our brand and our products, asking specific questions and even giving a try to our balance board!

The highlight of the week certainly was our huge contest put in place during the event. Indeed, for the first time in the Defi Kite’s history, Gin Kiteboarding offered a spot for the Defi Wind 2023 to 50 lucky winners! The successful 50 riders got to choose between the Defi Kite and the Defi Wing to secure their entry and to come back next year for more fun.

LIGHT WINDDEFI KITE

A light sea wind blew during the 3 days of the Defi Kite, but not hard enough to achieve the usual dream conditions the Tramontane is offering. The competition then transformed into funny races, as the wind was too light to validate the course. The 400 competitors from all disciplines still had a blast, making great memories.

And women hit hard, since our French champion Lauriane won the funny race on the hydrofoil format! Tiana Laporte also finished in the top 10, displaying our Boom v2’s astonishing performances in light wind. She managed to kite with the Boom v2 18m in only 2-3 knots!

Gin’s partner from Guadeloupe Seb Queney took part in the funny races too, with the Instinct HB 18m and 13m of lines; a delight for light wind conditions, leading to great performances. Quentin Verbec ended up on the 3rd place.

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“The Defi Kite is over and I am thrilled to have won that event. The first day was windy, with onshore wind and massive waves. I was riding with my 11m and I was feeling great. Unfortunately, we have been a little bit unlucky with the wind conditions later on, but I was happy to have my Boom v2 21m which still allowed me to go out, so it was cool. I think I won all the races, so it’s pretty good!”

Lauriane Nolot - Gin Athlete

TRAMONTANEDEFI WING

The Defi Wind opened to the Wing Foilers for the first time with the Defi Wing. Seeing the sport’s current buzz, as well as the show that was set up, presenting our brand-new wing at that precise time was ideal for us.

We presented the Delta and Alpha at our stand during the entire week. The Delta lets you learn the discipline quickly, maximizing your time on the water once the learning curve is over. For riders searching for the thrill of speed and power, the Alpha is the perfect choice.

We also had the chance to have Sylvain Peretti on our side, Gin Kiteboarding’s Tube Kite Engineer. The most curious ones had the opportunity to learn more about our wings, their characteristics and technologies, straight from the creator himself.

Our Technical Director Paco Isoardi couldn’t resist and took part in the Defi Wing with our Delta. He finished on the 43rd position out of 150 contestants, showing an excellent performance for his very first wing competition!

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Participating in the inaugural Defi Wing was great. I really felt like I was at the beginning of a new sport!
The competition with the starts, timing and competitors next to you is something I hadn’t experienced in a long time, so I constantly had to be very careful.
I found the start to be unique. It’s crazy to see a boat passing the starting line that quickly! That makes it hard to start the race at the right time, right after it passes.
Overall, I found it pleasant and had a nice feeling, and it was actually less physical than I expected!

Paco - Gin's Technical Director

It was a pleasure to be part of the Defi for the first time, and we already look forward to returning next year, for twice as many surprises! See you next year! 

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