alex the winner
well done to all the locals a fair few made it in the top 10
sorry but i dont know all the names
but carl bevo, dale stanton, greenpat, ian and others were def in top 10 so well done guys.
What an awesome journey that was. Congrats to the top 3!! Left me for dead. Bring on next year. Thanx again to all the sponsors for getting it up n running.
The board he is holding in the pic reminds me of an old windsurfing speedboard. Im guessing that is what he used? It looks Quite long , narrow and and a fair bit of bouancy.
I got there a bit late but rumour on the beach was that he blew everyone off the water.
To all concerned outstanding great event, good vibe on the beach, alex won by a mile well done, he looked pumped at the end.
hopefully get to give it a crack next year, i think this one will be around for a long time to come
the board looked around 7ft, definately looks old. the back was quite wide and square oh and the board was quite heavy too. the fins i think were aluminium thin and quite long. from what i hear the choppers werent much help more of a hinderance!
To the 50 odd competitors, the spectators, the volunteers, the general public who came down to watch and all those involved in this event, including the Red Bull crew, Rottnest Express, Cabrinha & Kite Addiction, Freo Ports, Dep't of Transport, Royal Lifesaving Society crew, the boaties who volunteered for support/rescue boats, the kick arse freestyle crew who came down & pumped the crow up; the judges & officials...
I think we had a pretty damn good day today. Everything went so smoothly and without a hitch in sight....it's one of those days that ppl will sit back & remember in years to come as a truly great event.
There will be reports coming in for days on this one, but by all accounts, EVERYONE had a blast...Thank you to all for your support. This event can only get bigger and better in years to come.
Congrats to Alex Caizerguyes for his epic 25 minute blast across from Rotto.
Photos will be uploaded on www.waksa.org.au and here asap. A great day for WA kiting...totally blasted...thanks again.
WAKSA.
Awesome event. Given a late entry, and had a fantastic time ,except for just after the the start when I lost my board in the excitement and had 35 kiters bearing down at me at 100mph, while body dragging. Hope I did not slow anyone down.Thanks to WAKSA, RB and other sponsors.
Alex untouchable, First woman home was really quick as well.
Excellent day!
Thanks
Who cares bout the surfboard how bout the local on the 9m Switchblade and twintip in second place... good effort mate...
Thanks guys awesome event, I acheived my goal and made it to the big Island before the sun went down. 
Awesome event, professionally executed by waksa and the redbull crew. Stoked to have made it back in one piece...
Oh god... I can't feel my back leg... :p
Is there any footage from the choppers? They were hovering backwards at about 20m high they would have got some wicked shots
Amazingly well organised and executed event.
Was a real buzz coming to the beach seeing so many people. I just couldn't resist a little boost lol
Thanks to everyone involved from the volunteers at the beach to the guys in the chopper to Waksa to Red Bull to Surf Life saving.
The best bit was a welcome back kiss from Caroline 
Well done guys, looked really well organized, wish I had heard about it earlier, congratulations to all the people involved
It was really a great day. So good to see some many nice and smiley faces. I would have loved to stay for the awards and party, but had to rush home and ice my neck and eat pain killers. Bouncing up and down on the water for 48 mins. strapless on a SB made me slow, saved my knees and back, but absolutely trashed my neck (the spine just hates continuous little bouncy bouncy).
The best part of the whole event for me was seeing everyone, how stocked people were and how well our locals performed.......huge congrats to Johnno, Bevo, Dale, Marty, Pat and Said. It was also nice to meet Tightlines and together with him make the first strapless crossing............it will have been my last though and I really hope this event is regular, grows and every kiter in WA gets a chance to do it once........it was so cool.
Oh, I even got some pictures taken of me and maybe some heli footage......thanks again to RB, WAKSA and all the participants.
Firstly really EPIC day all round. The vibe was awesome, everyone buzzing and really just amping each other along - a few nerves in the air and some really awesome crew really made the crossing one to remember. Great start to what hopefully will be an annual and competitive event
A MASSIVE CONGRATS must be thrown out to Said (apologies on spelling?)! Agree with tightlines - he was only minutes or so behind Alex and racing on his borrowed switch blade and a twin tip and coming in second!!! Seriously you smashed up the water and left crew for dust! Those bouys at the end so confusing -hopefully next year they just make it a straight finish line, or we learn from our mistakes.
Top effort by all - Nick strapless finish - seriously well done! Will see you all soon
Me so jealous!!
Sounded like a fantastic experience and youse are lucky to be part of history. Well done everyone.
How did the race start? Like a sailing race tacking towards the start line?
What a truly epic day, hats off to waksa, Red Bull and all volunteers for pulling off such an amazing event. This event will be one to remember.
Had a ball, thanks guys.
Dear Redbull event staff,
Sorry I could not make it to your inviteation only event.
I was otherwise indisposed.... or should I say truthfully, I was shagging !
So sue me for prioritising!
Wind comes and goes...(I should know, I've had some good Indian Laksa in my day)..
But the thrill of a good shag can't be forgone by a whimsical race to which I could never win.... Yes I refer to the inviteation of the Frenchy( world champ no less!).
May I refer back to our agreement that you would "sabotage all other competition" for the behest of thine " carnal pleasures".
I think I'm gonna lawer up..... naa, prolly just shag my blues away.
Anyhow guys, see ya's next year.
Thx,
Stabbs
Thanks guys at WAKSA & Red BULL, volunteers and all other sponsers. Stunningly well organised event, race and beach finish. A super special day for all competitors.
Th world champ Alex was truely super humanly FAST on his long course board as witnessed by my self.
I got the best start on day ( start just like yacht race with 10 minute count down, 250m start line and plenty room for 50 kiters, green flag for start, worked really well) I was fully powered and at full speed across line on my 9m Rebel and 6-4 delta surfboard and was leading race for 200 to 300m until I saw the Frenchman pass me down wind at 15% faster speed and started to pull away quicker every second, I powered to 110 % in the really challenging and bumpy ocean to try and keep up with him, but he was gone just like that....... ( he was on a hi-tech long course racing board around 7ft and very sleek and a 10m Fone kite. )
At about 2km Said Salameh passed me down wind and Philip and Marty showed up as well. I looked around expecting 50 kiters on our tail but we had already got a 100m break on the field. Said powered aggressively away down wind on a 9m Switch blade and twin tip, and Philip moved ahead of us with smooth powered up speed on his 12m Rhino and surfboard. Marty ( was on an 11m Switchblade and surfboard)and I raced the whole way across at 90 to 100% speed, it was super choppy, with wake from 3 passing boats mixing with the 1m swell. At one point with Marty and I going 100% and we had a helicopter buzzing us, hovering 50m down wind at about 10m, cruising with us for 200m, sucking my wind from my kite, it was totally surreal.
By half way - my back thigh was gassed out and exploding, Marty was pushing hard and not slowing down and we still had 10km to go, Said was 150m in distance, Phil about 80m and the Frenchman was at least 1km away and disappearing quickly. The next group of Kiters, Ian Aus, Carl Bevo and Dale Stanton, were about 300m behind. We raced like this until about 4km out from finish where we hit smoother water and Marty and I started to catch up to Philip. I was watching Said in distance and thought he was to down wind of finish mark and thought we may catch him if he had to tack back out to sea to go up wind to finish. ( We had a an excellent 1/2 hour race meeting at Rotto before race with all kiters and we all understood if we broke start or missed finishing markers you would be disqualified from race.) We were closing hard 2km out Alex already drinking Red Bull on beach with the 10 very lovely Red Bull girls, Said finishing 2nd a minute or 2 behind him, but unfortunately did not go around final marker, so was later disqualified from race.
Marty and I had the speed on Philip but he was still 30m in front 100m out I was up wind and 50m of both and thought I'ld smash a super fast down wind tack to may grab a 5th, 4th or maybe 3rd for a stunning Red Bull trophy, I knew it was risky but I thought, what the fark, 80m out I was super over cooked going for the passing move on Philip, on out side and caught and edge, got sidewise, sheeted in to recover but going so fast I had no power in kite and crashed, I dropped my kite as I was travelling towards it and luckly got it backup and finished 5th on beach. As I was told later after I crashed, Philip heard us coming up quickly behind and also over cooked it on the finishing turn and crashed, so Marty charged home to a hard fought 3rd to beach with Philip 4th.
Super fun race, everyone had a killer time and amazing organisation on beach at finish with tents, DJ with cool tunes and hundreds of people.
As I remember -Alex Caizergues -The Super Cool Frenchman 1st, Marty Farrow 2nd, Philip Rowlands 3rd, JohnnoKeys 4th, Carl Bevo 5th, Ian Ausden 6th, Dale Stanton 7th, Pat was in the first 10. Every one else finished out of the 58 starters, and every one had a blast. Said finished out of placings but was the fastest local kiter on the day, he just stuffed the finish after a mega race.
Alex Caizergues showed us all why he is one of the fastest speed Kiters in the world. Amazing.
Awesome event
I heard the announcer on the beach say a replay was going to be on TV sometime anybody hear when?
Great vibe all around, Thanks to RB, WAKSA, KA and all others involved.
What a well run event!
We are lucky to live in WA
Thanks for the run down Johno. I was hoping to get a couple of peoples stories to see how it went.
Yeah much thanks for the postmortem johhno, has me on the edge of my seat reading that. totally understand your go for broke attitude at the end bummer it did not work for you, must have made a spectacular finish for the spectators though!!
yes congrats to the oraganisers on a well run event and bigs thanks to the sponsors for doing their bit which was fantastic, a lot of good learnings from the event look forward to next year . Watching the leading pack take off was awesome. glad everyone finished, the ladies did a great job on the beach and the ladies in the race accounted for themselves very well, Was truly fantastic to be in the 1st crossing.
Was a wierd feeling being so far out in the ocean !! I have feeling it could be 100 competitors next year !! after this result !! glad to see the locals do so well !!cheers to every for a great day
To the guy who lost 3rd within 20 metres of the finish line...
