Kiteboarding champions crowned in a stormy season for the sport

With five events completed, and four canceled stages, the Virgin Kitesurf World Championships (VKWC) announced the season's winners across four disciplines.

Professional kiteboarding lived, once again, a turbulent year. The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) and the VKWC traded mutual accusations and claimed the right to crown world champions in the sport. No one heard a word from athletes. Were they afraid of retaliations?

Kites didn't fly in four scheduled venues: Brazil, Argentina, China, and South Africa. Blame it on the endless disputes that no one really understood. So, basically, the season was over by the end of August.