qatar airways gka kite world tour

World’s Best Kitesurfers Honoured During Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Championships Tarifa 2023

The world’s best riders gathered in Tarifa, Spain, to compete for titles in Hydrofoil, Twin-Tip, and Surfboard  

The Qatar Airways GKA Awards Ceremony was held on 3 June to honour the year’s best achievements on the water and in the air

DOHA, Qatar  – Qatar Airways, the Title Partner and Official Airline of the GKA Kite World Tour, closed out another successful competition that took place from 26 May – 07 June in Tarifa, Spain. Additionally, Qatar Airways GKA Awards were held on 3 June, presenting nine categories that celebrate various triumphs and honourable achievements throughout the year.

The Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Championships connected more than 62 riders from across the globe to compete in three Big Air disciplines—Twin-Tip, Surfboard and Hydrofoil—in men's and women's divisions. The festivities continued during this period with the awards ceremony that took place in Tarifa’s Teatro Municipal Alameda for the second consecutive year. The ceremony crowned kitesurfing’s greatest athletes and their achievements. The individual winners of the nine awards included:  

·         Female Rider of the Year: Mikaili Sol

·         Male Rider of the Year: Gianmaria Coccoluto

·         Women’s Move of the Year: Zara Hoogenraad

·         Men’s Move of the Year : Andrea Principi

·         Rookie of the Year: Gabriel Benetton

·         Social Contribution of the Year: Graham Howes

·         Photo of the Year: Samuel Cárdenas

·         Video of the Year: Lidewij Hartog

·         Lifetime Achievement Award (Legends): Mitu Monteiro

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Qatar Tourism, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “As we conclude yet another remarkable GKA Big Air Kite World Championships in Tarifa, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the athletes, organisers, and passionate kiteboarding community for making this event an unforgettable success.

We eagerly anticipate flying enthusiastic fans from around the world to the upcoming Visit Qatar GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup Finals set to take place this December in Qatar.”

“The Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Championships in Tarifa have been a huge success again – thanks to the support from Qatar Airways,” said Dr. Jörgen Vogt, Secretary General of the Global Kitesports Association. “Within one year, the event has become the most anticipated competition of the season and crowning the Big Air World Champions here in Tarifa is one of the highlights of the kiteboarding year. The Qatar Airways GKA Awards night has again been a memorable evening where we have recognized the best athletes, their greatest achievements, and outstanding contributions to the sport. The Awards trophy has become a highly coveted prize in the sport – as shown by the emotional reactions of some of the sport’s biggest names.”

On 5-9 December 2023, Qatar Airways will host world-renowned riders and fans at the Fuwairit Kite Beach resort for the Visit Qatar GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup Finals. The world-class kitesurfing resort, which opened in October 2022, is Qatar’s latest destination for kitesports northeast of Doha. Along with great conditions and beautiful sandy shores, the resort features several spaces for relaxation including a pool, yoga pavilion, padel courts, an outdoor cinema, and a state-of-the-art gym. With a total of 50 rooms, the resort offers 40 beach-front rooms, where guests can enjoy the tranquillity of the natural lagoon.

Qatar Airways as a brand is committed to supporting sports globally, helping fans travel to their favourite events around the world. The national carrier of the State of Qatar is the Official Airline of Formula 1® (F1), Concacaf, Paris-Saint Germain, FC Bayern, the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon Series, the United Rugby Championship (URC) and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), and multiple other disciplines including Australian football, basketball, cricket, equestrian, motor racing, squash, and tennis.

About FKB Fuwairit Kite Beach Resort:

Fuwairit Kite Beach is the all-new, world-class destination for kite sports on the northern tip of Qatar. The resort offers guests a unique atmosphere that matches the location’s serenity and vibrancy.

With 40 beach-front rooms, guests can enjoy the natural lagoon in absolute tranquility. An outdoor pool, a yoga pavilion overlooking the stunning lagoon, padel-tennis courts and an outdoor cinema theatre all operate in unison to offer guests a sanctuary to sit back and relax away from the bustle of city life.

FKB offers Kite Surfing lessons with professional instructors available 7 days a week throughout the season, with additional adrenaline sports on offer including Radinn Jetboard and Flite boards. Day passes are also available for anyone who wants access to the excellent beach and kite school facilities, with equipment hire available for an additional cost. FKB also offers a choice of annual memberships for singles, couples and families which come with a personal locker and a range of additional benefits.

For more information and to book your stay, session, or membership, visit discoverqatar.qa/fkb

For more information about Fuwairit Kite Beach, visit fkb.qa

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About Qatar Tourism:

Qatar Tourism is the official government body responsible for the development and promotion of tourism in Qatar, facilitating the sector’s exponential growth. Qatar is a destination where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in arts, culture, sports, and adventure, catering to family and business visitors, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism seeks to boost the entire tourism value chain, grow local and international visitor demand, attract inward investment, and drive a multiplier effect across the domestic economy. The Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030 sets an ambitious target to attract over six million international visitors a year by 2030, making Qatar the fastest growing destination in the Middle East. 

Web: www.visitqatar.com

Twitter: @VisitQatar

Instagram: @VisitQatar

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the ‘World’s Best Business Class’ for the tenth time at the 2023 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, 'Best Airline in the Middle East', 'World's Best Business Class Lounge' and 'World's Best Business Class Lounge Dining' at the prestigious awards held during the 2023 Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways is an unprecedented seven-time winner of the 'World’s Best Airline' voted by Skytrax (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022). As leaders in industry innovation and digital adoption, Qatar Airways was recently voted the 'World’s Best Airline Website' by World Travel Tech Awards.

Qatar Airways was the first Airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles (such as ISO 14001). As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.

Qatar Airways currently flies to nearly 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, the ‘World’s Best Airport’, as voted by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024. In 2024, Hamad International Airport also received the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ accolade for 10 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the second year in a row.

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Qatar partners with GKA Kite World Tour and announces new kite beach resort

News Published on

• Qatar Tourism becomes an Official Tourism Partner and Qatar Airways becomes the Title Partner and Official Airline Partner of the Kite World Tour through to 2024
• New world-class kite beach in Fuwairit, Qatar due to open later this year

Qatar Tourism has become an Official Tourism Partner of the Global Kitesports Association (GKA) Kite World Tour for three years, with a new world-class kite beach resort set to open in the northeast of the country later this year.

Qatar Airways also becomes the Kite World Tour’s Title Partner and Official Airline, while Qatar Tourism will become the title sponsor for events held in Qatar. The exciting partnership combines the skies and the seas to celebrate one of the fastest growing and most exhilarating new sports.

The announcement was made at the site of an upcoming state-of-the-art kite beach resort in Fuwairit. Fuwairit is a coastal village north of Doha with excellent kitesurfing conditions thanks to consistent winds, ideal ocean water, and powder-soft sands that is set to open later this year.

Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Kitesurfing is a travel sport where adventure seekers compete in beautiful destinations across many continents around the world. At Qatar Airways, we are proud to support this growing sport and become the preferred airline for athletes and fans travelling to GKA events all around the globe including Qatar, our home country, to experience something new and exciting.”

Dr. Jörgen Vogt, Secretary-General of the Global Kitesports Association, said: “There’s no better partner for the Kite World Tour than Qatar Airways, which shares our passion for travel, sustainability, exploration, creativity, adventure-seeking, and competition. Qatar is quickly becoming the global heart of sport, and we are excited to bring our World Tour opening and Finals to this epicentre in 2023.”

The partnership is the latest milestone in Qatar’s journey to becoming a recognised leader for global sports tourism. Qatar has an ambitious strategy to welcome more than six million visitors a year by 2030. Hosting major events, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the annual ATP and WTA tennis tournaments, along with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, are central to this goal.

To kick off the new partnership, Qatar Airways will visit Tarifa, Spain, in June for the Qatar Airways Big Air World Championships. The 16-day event is the first of its kind in kitesports – and will include the Qatar Airways GKA Awards ceremony and the Visit Qatar Kite Expo.

The GKA’s mission is to develop kitesurfing and other kite sports by making them more accessible while bringing world-class competition to every corner of the world. This includes creating world championship events for freestyle, kite-surf, hydrofoil freestyle, and big air disciplines. There are currently three million active kiters in the world, and that number is increasing quickly as more and more people discover the thrill of the sport.

For more information on the Qatar Airways GKA World Tour schedule, please visit gkakiteworldtour.com .

For media-related inquiries, please contact Qatar Tourism’s Press Office on:

+974 7774 7863 | pressoffice@visitqatar.qa

About Qatar:

Qatar is a peninsula surrounded by the Arabian Gulf in the heart of the Middle East, with 80% of the earth’s population within a six-hour flight. Ranked the safest country in the world in 2022 by Numbeo, Qatar welcomes all travellers, and guests from over 95 countries can enter visa-free. Qatar has an incredible variety of easily accessible tourist attractions, a plethora of fauna and flora including Whale Sharks and the majestic national animal the Arabian Oryx, and most experiences are a unique combination of cultural authenticity and modernity. From iconic museums to high-rise restaurants, from thrilling desert adventures to world-famous events including none other than the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, there is something for all types of travellers and budgets. Travellers set to transit through Qatar should turn one holiday into two with the world’s best value stopover packages, launched by Qatar Airways and Discover Qatar and supported by Qatar Tourism.

About Qatar Tourism:

Qatar Tourism is the official government body responsible for the development and promotion of tourism in Qatar, facilitating the sector’s exponential growth. Qatar is a destination where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in arts, culture, sports, and adventure, catering to family and business visitors, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism seeks to boost the entire tourism value chain, grow local and international visitor demand, attract inward investment, and drive a multiplier effect across the domestic economy. The Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030 sets an ambitious target to attract over six million international visitors a year by 2030, making Qatar the fastest growing destination in the Middle East. 

Web: www.visitqatar.com

Twitter: @VisitQatar

Instagram: @VisitQatar

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Are You Ready for the Biggest Kiteboarding Event of the Year?

Visit qatar kite expo: 21 – 26th june qatar airways big air world championships: event window: 21 june – 06 july .

Monday 20th June: Today is the official start to the event period for the Qatar Airways GKA Big Air World Championships! We have lots for you to look forward to,  including the first official GKA event magazine, fully focused on this Tarifa event – scroll down this page to read it!

Meanwhile the brands are ready to welcome you to the Visit Qatar Kite Expo that opens tomorrow (Tuesday 21st) at Bibo Beach. Also, on the main stage there at 1pm the riders competing in the Big Air World Championships will officially register for the event.

We have a long event window, running through to the 6th July, so while we have a light wind forecast for the next few days, get ready to hold on to your seats when the livestream fires up for the contest – news coming soon!

WHO WILL COMPETE? TWIN-TIP: 24 men, 12 women STRAPLESS: 12 men, 12 women HYDROFOIL: 12 men, 12 women

See the full rider list here on the live event page.  

Scroll down to open the official Tarifa event magazine!

TESTING EQUIPMENT AT THE EXPO

The VISIT QATAR KITE EXPO TEST AREA is where you need to be if you’d like to get on the water and test the latest kitesurfing, wing foiling and windsurfing gear from over 20 different brands!

WHERE? The Test Area is located in front of the BIBO restaurant at Valdevaqueros beach / Punta Paloma.

WHEN? The testing hours are: 21 – 25 June: 11am – 7pm 26 June: 11am to 3pm

WHO? Anyone who would like to test gear needs to have an independent and safe kitesurfing level, assured by a licence from a recognised kitesurfing association, such as IKO, VDWS, FAV, BKSA or similar.

• Visit the KITE EXPO and find the brand that you are interested in. To sign-up for testing you must visit each brand’s booth at the Expo.
• Inscribe yourself into the database and sign the consent of responsibility.
• Each exhibitor has their own procedure in terms of leaving your ID card or a deposit.
• Once done, head to the Test Area and pick up the gear you’d like to test.
• You will be given a lycra top to wear over your wetsuit so that the rescue boat can recognize you are officially a testing client.
• Each brand will agree a time that you may test the gear (for example 30 minutes), after which you need to return to the beach and return the equipment and Expo lycra to the same place that you picked it up.
• It is not possible to get test gear at the beach without having registered with the brand in the expo area.

TAKING CARE! As the water is very busy during these summer months in Tarifa, it is very important to please take care while you’re on the beach or kitesurfing in the water, to always observe the usual rights of way and to avoid dangerous situations.

A rescue boat service is available and free of charge for anyone testing Expo equipment as long as they are wearing the Expo lycra.

Make sure to keep visiting the event live page between 20th June and 6th July for all updates, livestreams, videos, Expo stage presentation timetables and more – including the launch of our new tour magazine on Monday! 

🚨Registration is officially open for the GKA ProAm Race 2024 🚨

The GKA ProAm is a fun amateur race which will run side by side with the GKA Test Event in Dunkerque, France from 29 August to 01 September 2024. This four day event paired together alongside the Test Event will bring together kiteboarding enthusiasts and the industry for a vibrant celebration of our sport. Sign up and register today and enjoy this new fun, inclusive and jam packed event together with us!    All information regarding how to enter, whats included so far, entry fee’s, races and categories can be found on the website by following the link below!

👉🏼 www.gkakiteworldtour.com/gkaproam   You DO NOT want to miss this one. 🔥
#gkaProAm #kiteboarding #kitesurfing

How was your weekend? 💨 @jasonvanderspuy 📷 @kinas_media #gkakiteworldtour #gkabigair #kiteboarding

Pacasmayo means.. … Starting to surf endless waves until your legs can’t take it anymore 🏄🏾 @mitumonteiro 🎥 @ricardomatte #gkakiteworldtour #gkakitesurf #kitesurfing

Afternoon glory 🌅 with @jamesscarew 📷 poppashotz #gkakiteworldtour #gkakiesurf

We are thrilled to announce Windguru as our Official Wind Forecast Partner! 💨 Windguru is renowned for its precision in predicting weather conditions, specializing in forecasts tailored not only for kitesurfers but also for all wind enthusiasts. Utilizing advanced weather models, Windguru provides dependable forecasts for any location around the globe. This partnership guarantees effortless access tc accurate weather information, making your outdoor adventure planning seamless and straightforward. 🤝 #gkakiteworldtour #kiteboarding #kitesurfing

Submissions are OPEN for the Qatar Airways GKA Awards in spectacular Cape Town next January! Submit now in these categories: * Men’s Freestyle Move of the Year * Women’s Freestyle Move of the Year * Men’s Strapless Freestyle Move of the Year * Women’s Strapless Freestyle Move of the Year * Men’s Wave of the Year * Women’s Wave of the Year * Men’s Big Air Move of the Year * Women’s Big Air Move of the Year * Hydrofoil Big Air Move of the Year (both genders) 🗓️ Mark your calendars! Submission window is open until October 6th, 2024. 🔗 Explore all categories, learn more and submit now on our website: www.gkakiteworldtour.com/awards-2024/ #gkakiteworldtour #gkaawards #kitesurfing #kiteboarding #gkaxqa @qatarairways

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Qatar Airways enters partnership with the GKA Kite World Tour ‎

Qatar Airways is expanding its sports sponsorship portfolio to become the Title Partner and Official Airline of the GKA Kite World Tour for three years.

The GKA Kite World Tour visits many of Qatar Airways’ global destinations including: Brazil, Germany, Maldives, Morocco, and Spain.

Qatar Tourism, the Official Tourism Partner of the Kite World Tour, looks forward to welcoming fans from around the world to experience a unique offering in 2023, during the Visit Qatar Freestyle World Cup, which will be hosted at the new state-of-the-art kite beach resort in Fuwairit.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, and Qatar Tourism Chairman, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Kitesurfing is a travel sport where adventure seekers compete in beautiful destinations across many continents around the world. At Qatar Airways, we are proud to support this growing sport and become the preferred airline for athletes and fans travelling to GKA events all around the globe including Qatar, our home country, to experience something new and exciting.”

“There’s no better partner for the Kite World Tour than Qatar Airways, who share our passion for travel, sustainability, exploration, creativity, adventure seeking and competition,” said Dr. Jörgen Vogt, Secretary General of the Global Kitesports Association. “Qatar is quickly becoming the global heart of sport, and we are excited to bring our World Tour opening and Finals to this epicentre in 2023,” he added.

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