Scotland’s top kite-surfer, Helen Thompson, performed outstandingly in the Kite Pro World Tour (KPWT) to take silver in the first round of the World Cup Course Racing last week, held in Saint-Gilles Croix de Vie, France.

Competing in three different events, (Wave Riding, Freestyle and Course Racing) Helen faced some tough riding conditions, seeing her battle through a hailstorm and a strong onshore wind. Helen said, “It must be all that practising in Scotland’s serious weather that worked in my favour!”

She joined renowned kite-surfers from more than 20 different countries, including the USA, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Norway, France and Poland.  Her second place finish in the Course Racing event moved her overall world ranking up to fifth.

Helen, from Glasgow & Tiree, said of her success: “I’m absolutely delighted and it’s made me all the more determined and focused for the next round of the World Cup, which is in Greece in June.”

Helen, 22, who won the Amateur Ladies British Kite Surfing Freestyle Championships title in her first year of kiting, moved up to the Pro Ladies tour last year, finishing second overall.

“I’ve had an awful winter,” she said. “All my kite gear was stolen in November; I had no kit to train with and no means of preparing for the 2008 competitions. I’d made the decision in 2007 to step things up and was hoping to spend the winter in South Africa training hard for the World Cup. Instead I took to practising my techniques on the snow which does seem to have paid off.”

RESULTS

COURSE RACING
1st Kari SCHIBEVAAG (NOR) OZONE
2nd Helen THOMPSON (UK) North, Xcel Wetsuits and Zeal Optics.
3rd Ainhoa GARCIA (SPA) AIRUSH

Overall Ranking
1st Ania Grzelinska (POL)
2nd Ainhoa Garcia (SPA)
3rd Kari Schibevaag (NOR)
4th Marine Sudre (AUS)
5th Helen Thompson (SCO)

Image courtesy of Ian Edmondson / www.expix.co.uk