Kiteboarding comes of age as the Formula One of the Olympics

MARSEILLE, France — Billed as the fastest sport of the Olympics, kiteboarding makes its Games debut on Sunday (Aug 4), promising action-packed racing as the foiling kite sailors try to avoid wipeouts as they "send it" around the course.

With separate events for 20 women and 20 men, the discipline represents two of 10 within the sailing programme being staged on the Mediterranean off the southern French city of Marseille.

What is kiteboarding?

The high-speed foiling version of the sport selected for the Olympics has evolved from various kiteboarding strands, some of which can involve riders doing tricks in huge aerial jumps.

Athletes, wearing helmets for safety, stand on a short board with straps for their feet and "fly" above the water on foils.

They use a harness in which they lean backwards, their boards tipping at what sometimes look like impossible angles, as they race at speeds of up to 80 kph (50 mph).

Attached to the board is a long keel with foil at the bottom which is what helps to lift the board out of the water. They kites are steered with a control bar.

Like other sailing events, kiteboarders race around buoys on a course, trying to avoid tangling with each others' strings or letting the huge, brightly coloured kites which power them dip into the water.

The Olympic equipment, Formula Kite, is a described by World Sailing as a high-performance hydro foiling kite-racing class. Unlike in some sailing classes, the kit is not one-design, with competitors able to choose from approved production equipment.

This discipline, known by some as foil racing, is not the biggest segment within the sport, Max Blom, CMO of North Actionsports Group and Mystic co-founder, told Reuters, but has become the equivalent of its Formula One.

Who are the leading kiters?

In the men's event, Max Maeder from Singapore is world champion and tops the most recent World Sailing rankings. Maeder told Reuters that kiteboarding is like driving a racing car while playing a game of chess.

The other men in the top five are Italy's Riccardo Pianosi, Denis Taradin of Cyprus, Croatia's Martin Dolenc and Valentin Bontus of Austria. France's Axel Mazella, who ranks ninth, is also being watched closely given his potential home advantage.

Among the women, Daniela Moroz of the United States leads the World Sailing rankings, ahead of Lauriane Nolot of France, Britain's Eleanor Aldridge, Australia's Breiana Whitehead and Gisela Pulido Borrell of Spain.

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What is the race format?

This is where it gets a bit complicated.

There is an opening series of 16 races on a short course, usually made up of two laps. The top two at the end of this series qualify automatically for the final, with the eight kiters ranked third to 10 go through to the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, explains the International Kiteboarding Association, the goal is to pick up three race wins. The higher-ranked in each semi-final carries over two race wins, while the second in each carries over one race win.

The final can be anywhere from a single race to six.

This is because the leader from the opening starts with two race wins, with the kiteboarder in second has one. The goal is to secure three race wins, with the competition ending as soon as one of the athletes achieves this.