Kiteboarding set for King’s Cup

Mark Pawlak    sailingbreaks     King's Cup, kiteboarding, Sailing, Sailing Holidays, sailing regatta, thailand

People who love sailing in Thailand will be able to add kiteboarding to their list of activities to check out at this year’s Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

The Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA) has announced that it will be holding an invitation-only event at this year’s King’s Cup, which is celebrating a quarter century of competitions in 2011.

Kiteboarding, coming to Phuket's top sailing event. Image: Flickr/tibchris

The inclusion of the developing sport shows that the King’s Cup is at the forefront of new forms of sailing, with some 20 kiteboarders expected to compete at December’s event.

People visiting the King’s Cup who’ve not watched kiteboarding before will also be able to witness the best the sport has to offer – with pro riders from the World Tour likely to be among the competitors.

At the helm of the demonstration will be all-round kiteboarding legend Narapichit “Yo” Pudla. The Thai kiteboarder and two-time Asia champion will be joined by two-time Japanese freestyle champion Aya Oshima and Philippines champion Ken Nacor, suggesting that fans of sailing events attending Phuket will be enjoying the cream of the kiteboarding crop.

The sport is already well-established in Thailand, but its inclusion at the King’s Cup will throw it open to whole new audience who are more familiar with general yacht racing. The international tour has been held in Hua Hin for the past two years, while professional kiteboarders are also used to the exquisite Thai waters thanks to the country’s status as a Kiteboard Tour Asia stop.

Willy Kerr, KTA tour director, said: “This year’s Phuket King’s Cup Regatta will feature a thrilling KTA race event which will be a unique addition to the Phuket King’s Cup. There is a growing interest in the sport across much of South East Asia, and we’re very excited to be able to bring this spectacle to people who may not be familiar with the stylish, cool fun of the professional kiteboarding scene.”

Kevin Whitcraft, president of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organising Committee, said: “We’re delighted to welcome an exhibition event by Kiteboard Tour Asia at this year’s Phuket King’s Cup. This is a bold step for us in terms of broadening the regatta, and we hope this new element will have very strong appeal to kiteboarding enthusiasts and a younger sailing audience. Kiteboarding continues to grow in popularity in Asia, and Thailand in particular offers an accessible and exciting opportunity for anyone who wishes to see pro kiteboarding events.”

Established in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of the King of Thailand, the Phuket King’s Cup will celebrate 25 years when it gets under way on December 3 at Kata Beach.

A Trio of Extreme Activities in Asia

Tim B    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     base jumping, heli skiing, kl tower, kuala lumpar, Malaysia, russia, shark diving, thailand

It’s easy to get jaded about travelling, especially if you think you’ve been everywhere and done everything. But thanks to the sheer diversity of this wonderful planet we live on, there’s always something out there that you have yet to experience.One great way to pull yourself free from the creeping feeling of ennui is to satisfy your thirst for adrenaline and try out a few extreme sports. The thrill and excitement provided is enough to pull anyone from the abyss of boredom and apathy. But if you’re going to do it, you should do it right.

To help you out, here are five of the best extreme sports and activities from across Asia, each one sure to kick-start your zest for life.

Dive with sharks in Thailand

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world. They can grow to up to 12 metres (40 ft) in length and can weigh more than 36 tonnes (79,000 lb). But despite their gargantuan dimensions and many rows of sharp teeth, the whale shark feeds almost primarily on plankton and small fish. That knowledge, however, is unlikely to make diving with the massive beasts any less exhilarating.

Richelieu Rock, HinDaeng and Chumphon Pinnacle in Thailand are some of the best locations if you want to come face-to-face with these titanic predators of sea. The whale sharks can normally be encountered in April but have been known to show up during February and March too.

Go BASE jumping in Kuala Lumpur

If you’ve not come across it before, BASE jumping involves leaping from a variety of fixed objects – Buildings, Antennae, Spans (bridges) and Earth (cliffs) – with a parachute. Despite involving altitudes far lower than sky diving, it’s a far more dangerous activity. With parachute deployment occurring much earlier in the flight, the risks of a malfunction arehigh. But with proper training and the right equipment,. BASE jumping is sure to get your adrenaline pumping.

The KL Tower International BASE Jump is held every year in Malaysia, with the opportunity to jump from the country’s five tallest buildings in Sarawak, Sabah, AlorSetar, Penang and Kuala Lumpur. The Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower is the tallest of the five, at over 420 m (1,300 ft) in height.

Go heliskiing in Russia

Next to shark diving and BASE jumping, you might find the prospect of skiing to be a little tame. However, heliskiing is a different kind of thing altogether. Heliskiing dispenses with the mundanity of popular resorts and crowded ski lifts that you’re probably already well-accustomed to. Instead of the traditional ski lift, you’ll be carried away by helicopter to relatively untouched slopes that are off the beaten track. The risks of encountering hazards like avalanches are higher as you’re outside of the normal resorts, but locations are always selected carefully. Most specialist adventure travel insurance policy includes cover for heliskiing for an additional premium.

There are a number of ideal heliskiing locations in Russia, including the Kamchatka Peninsula and Krasnaya Polyana, a town located at the foot of Russia’s Caucasus Mountains. If you’ve already been heliskiing in somewhere like Canada, you might find the Russian experience to be a little more rough and ready but with the right guide and the right equipment, you’re sure to get the adrenaline rush you’re looking for.

Books to take travelling

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure Travel, India, motor biking, thailand, united states

So, you’re packed and ready to go. All that’s left is to decide which books to take. It’s down to taste, no doubt, but there are some books that just beg to be stuffed into your rucksack, to appear thousands of miles later dog-eared and experienced.

So here’s our top three adventure travel books; if you’ve suggestions, just let us know, we’ll include the most popular in Pt2. read more