Gabriele Steindl: Professional Kitesurfer & Freelance Writer - Action, Lifestyle & Travels

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Victory at the Red Bull King of the Air Dubai 2004

I am extremely stoked about the result of my first competition this year. Winning the Red Bull King of the Air Dubai 2004 was a great personal success and a good start of the season 2004.

The Red Bull King of the Air Dubai was an awesome event. Perfect organisation, lovely people, a unique set-up (right in front of the famous ‘Palm Island Construction’), good parties and despite the very light wind conditions – I was competing on my 20sqm North Rhino4 – the participants showed great performance on the water for the crowd that came to see who’s going to be the ‘King and Queen of the Air Dubai 2004’.

It certainly was not easy for me to perform in such lights winds – it was the first time I was riding my 20 in competition – and Saundrine Maunier from France, a ‘light weight’ compared to me was certainly a tough competitor. However, I succeeded in pulling off some sweet surface handlepass-kiteloops, securing me the first place.

The highlight of the competition was the downwind race from one of the top ‘branches’ of the famous ‘Palm Island Construction’ to the beach in front of the Dubai International Yacht Club, the organizers of the event.

My French team mate Charles Deleau, winner of last years Red Bull King of the Air in Maui/Hawaii clearly won the finals in the male category….double victory for North and Fanatic!

Check out the press coverage of the event in the ‘publications-section’ of my portfolio in the Al Khaleej as well as the Khaleej Times ,  and 2 articles in the Gulf Today.