Kitestorm 2005 Report

What a weekend�nature blessed us with incredibly smooth and bountiful snow, 3 days of steady, fun breeze, some sunshine and 750 new and experienced riders and volunteers plus 300+ onlookers to make 1,000+ people part of the Kitestorm over the course of the weekend.

Some Kitestorm highlights:

-the weather

-riding Friday afternoon with the early arrivals�everyone practicing their backloops  (720�s for Blake from Peter Lynn)

-Giving out a prize to nearly everyone who came to the After Party

-Counting 45 kites in the air at one point on Sunday

-Hammering around on a snowmobile doing a re-launch and chocolate chip cookie delivery service

-Seeing more ladies on the snow learning, riding and demo-ing than being kiteslaves

-408 people registering for Intro, On the Boards and Jump Clinics throughout the weekend

-Seeing 4 of my past students out teaching the Intro Clinics and getting compliments from new riders on the job they did

-The incredible generosity from our partners and hard work from 19 volunteers to make the Kitestorm run smoothly with enough prizes, drinks and chocolate chip cookies to keep everyone psyched and powered up the whole time

Congratulations to Kitestorm Speediest Rider: Steve Stanley whose run of 31.2 mph took the Peter Lynn Bomba 13m kite! And Gregg Gnecco who got the most notice to take the Expression Session and stylie Dakine hoodie.

Stormboarding would like to send a huge and enthusiastic thanks to our partners. They were here because we believe in their products and they believe in ours:

Ozone Power Kites: Brian, Heather and Emily for hooking riders up with Frenzies and Samurais

Peter Lynn Kiteboarding: Blake for hooking riders up with Venoms and Phantoms

92.1 KISS FM: For the pre-event hype and help, Pepsi and tunes on Saturday

Sugarbush: For sweet prizes, tickets, hoodies, Balance Bars, M&M�s bars and music Sunday

Dakine, Ultra Nectar, Kiteworld Magazine, Gaastra, Rossignol and Petra Cliffs for loads of awesome goodies to give away

Dynastar for showing up to give ski demos

Rhino Foods for copious amounts of chocolate chip cookies to give away

Best Western/Windjammer Inn for the hospitality and hot tub

Lake Champlain Chocolates for hot chocolate to benefit Straight Talk Vermont

The Monkey Bar for hosting us Saturday night

Minuteman Press for helping with printing and posters

Tasty Persuasions Catering for standing in the cold to bring nourishment to riders

Straight Talk Vermont, a program of the Boys and Girls Clubs

Green Mountain Power Sports: for the sweet snowmobile, it was a godsend and fun

Jaydan Flahive, Bryan Agran, Ellen Morris and Tom Eriksen for the photos below, Flyerwear for the bright neck-warmer and surfy skirt and a last HUGE thanks to: Rooney, Ted, Eli, Jaden, RJ, Ellen, Barclay, Chris, Dan, Curtis, Paul, Shirley, Patty, Linda, Bruce, Matt, Kate, Mom, Dad and Josh for your time, cold fingers and hard work!

It is snowing as I write this. We will snowkite straight through to spring then get psyched for a summer of adrenalin watersports and get it all going again next winter for Kitestorm 2006.