FORD KITE CUP 2013

As always I try to keep you update with my recent achievements, this is going to be a post about the competition that I went to last weekend. It was the 1st event of the FORD KITE CUP this year that, was held in Chałupy 3, which is a very famous spot at Hel peninsula. This is the 8th year of the FKC tour, which make the competition more prestigious and more famous. I love FKC because they want to promote kitesurfing in Poland, they organize the events on the top level, they always bring wind with them and BBQ :)

I am so excited when I write this post, because during last 7 editions of the FKC that were held in may in Chałupy 3, we had the worse weather that you can imagine. It was windy but always cold and a lot of rain.

However, this year we had amazing weather with a lot of sun and wind that not only made the competition more enjoyable but also encouraged spectators to come and watch us compete. Thank you mother nature.

Hop Hop Hop

Raley, Flip, Spin and Win

I won, Kasia Lange got 2nd, and Aga Grzymska 3rd place. Congrats GIRLZ !!

Next events this summer ONLY in Poland. Come, compete or watch us in Rewa on 21-22june, Łeba 12-13 july and Jastarnia 15,16,17 August.

Hope to see you there !!!

Karolina

2nd in the PKRA in LEUCATE

Once again we came with the PKRA to the south of France/Leucate, where the Mondial du Vent was held.

As every rider know, the spot in La Franqui is one of the most difficult places to kite on tour. Strong off-shore wind and cold temperature are obstacles that we have to struggle with during the competition. 

However everybody love Leucate, because of the french food, wine, beautiful localization, the buzz and other french specialties that make the competition week pleasurable  :)

This year the wind was severe, and so strong that, after the trials we had to postpone the main event one day later so the wind could have calmed down a little bit. During my heats I was still using a 5m kite and I was struggling to do tricks because it was so windy.

Eventually, I got 2nd place which I am very happy about, because I had shown my best in the conditions like that. In Poland we call it a storm, but here they call it a tramontane wind.

The competition finished after 3 days, which made it one of the best events ever. Another 3 days that were reserved for the event we spent on relaxing, sun tanning, wakeboarding and enjoying amazing vacation in France.

Merci Beaucoup,

Karolina

TARIFA LEVANTE WIND

Hey,

Here I am in Tarifa in the south of Spain, training before the next pkra event in France. It’s been windy every day for last two weeks. However, the wind called poniente was blowing, and I was using my big  kites (11m and 9m) all the time.

And nowBOOOM a super strong levante wind is here and I have a great opportunity to test my small kites. Strong wind is always gusty and unexpected. And after a session at Valdevaqueros beach it feels like being in a washing machine that twists you in every possible direction.

The good thing about the levant wind is that it’s hot and dry, and it feels that summer is coming. The sun is shining and that makes water look blue. The wind that was before (poniente) was cold and brings a lot of rain to tarifa.

That’s it for today, it’s getting dark and

my hands are tired ;)

Soon a little videoclip from this trip will be on-line.

Wooop Woooop !!!

Karolina

Foto: Alexander Lewis-Hughes, Tarifa, Spain

HOW EASY IT IS TO FLY

YOU WILL NEED :

*a wetsuit when it’s cold or boardshorts/bikini if it’s hot

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

AND STEP 5 FLYYYYYYYYY !!!

HAVE FUN :)

KArolina

1st IN THE PKRA IN MOROCCO

The first pkra of the year had finished, and I gained my 4th victory in a row. The event was held in Morocco/Dakhla/Western Sahara/ Desert/ Far away…

After the long off season I didn’t know how the other girls will ride this year. And since my ‘winter’ training wasn’t the ideal one, because of my injury, I was a bit nervous. But I have trained all the evolution that I wanted, my equipment was working perfectly and I was ready to compete.

The single elimination was pretty sick for me, because I have landed many good, powered tricks and I won the final with Gisela.

The Double elimination wasn’t that great for me, because the wind have picked up all of the sudden. It’s pretty bad when you are warming up with your 11m kite, but when your heat is on you are overpowered with a 9m kite. It was also pretty late, around 18:30, the sun was burning my eyes and I couldn’t see where exactly I had to pop nor land. I think these were the reasons of my fatal 3 attempts to land a trick called NIS. It was pretty stressful, because this trick I normally land for 100%.

Luckily, I had another chance, and another heat to win this event (to win an event you have to win the final twice). This time I chose my 7m kite, and that was definitely a good idea. I started the heat fully on with blind 313, 313, esbend bind, front to wrapped and back to blind. All the tricks were solid with clean landings and good kite position. I didn’t show anything spectacular, but good executed tricks payed off with good scores and the victory.

My opponent, Gisela was pretty angry to loose with me, because she has been beating me for last 5 years, and she thought she was better than me. Well she wasn’t. Now is my time to take the 1st place home.

Hope you enjoyed watching the livestream.

Next event will be in the windy Leucate in France 20-25 april.
Wish me luck this year, because all the other girls are very motivated to take  victory away from me :)

Karolina

SMILE, BE A STAR :)

Today we were filming a little clip for my mum’s dental clinic  Ortodontka.pl. Check out the backstage pics.

Smile, BE A STAR :)

…

Enjoy your smile everyday :)

KArolina

TRAINING IN CT

Do you remember the picture of my damaged leg on Christmas day? Well, I took me 1,5 month to fix it and get back to the water for training.

As every year I decided to comeback to my favorite off-season training destination, Cape Town.

Many times I have emphasized that CT has so many things to offer, that you never get bored, and it is so beautiful that my eyes are happy all the time, even when I can’t kite.

Now I am back on water, back to the everyday routine of doing tricks.

Luckily, here I can practice on different spots everyday, so I never get bored.

Some spots are better, some are worse. But this multiple training hopefully, will pay off during the competition season,  when I will have to show my best tricks during 7min heat in a kite conditions that aren’t supreme.

My first PKRA world tour competition kicks off in Morocco, Dakhla on 19-25 march,  only  3 weeks left to be in my top FORM !!!

Cheers,

Karolina

Photos: Samuel Tomé, and me ;)

IN OZ

I went to Australia to practice before last 2 stops of 2012 PKRA world tour in China and New Caledonia.
We filmed at Woodman’s point and Bli Bli wake park.
Footage by Rick Pryce / adrenaline board sports, and Alex Lewis-Hughes

xxx

Karolina

SURFING IN A CITY ?

HeLLO World!

It’s 2013 YeY !!! ^^

Last year was full of surprises for me, I won the world title, I had an almost naked photo shooting for the malemen mag and I met my second half…  I hope this year will be even more exciting and unexpecting, but only in a positive way.

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Ok, let’s begin with something NEW this year… which is ‘Surfing in a City’

At the pictures below you will see how Janek Korycki and I are desperate to find waves, even in my home city of Warsaw. But we have never found them, so there won’t be any surfing pics :)

This is more an artistic vision of a city as suitable for surfing. Boardshorts, bikini, surfboard and other accessories which are necessary at the beach. How do they fit inland?

Janek trying to catch the ‘Jaws’ wave. The wave was massive around  40 foot bro !

Me as a siren, the symbol of warsaw. I was catching only the little waves, 2-3 ft maximum, I’m not that hardcore. With some beautiful local landscape and the national stadium in the background.

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Photos: Piotr Bednarski

Location: Somewhere in Warsaw

Riders: Karolina Winkowska and Janek Korycki

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KaROlinas

WORLD CHAMPION PARTY

Wow, what an amazing party.

First of all I want to thank everybody who came last night. It was really amazing and surprising for me that so many of you are supporting my career. Hurray !!!

Without people who support and share their happiness with me I wouldn’t have been so strong and encouraged to fight till the last day of the competition.

Thank you million times !!!

Everyone who came brought me so much pleasure, and all the flowers, presents and entertainment that you brought were beyond my expectations.

I couldn’t have expected anything better, then celebrate my achievement with all of you.

Unlucky I am still struggling with my ugly leg, and  so I couldn’t dance nor whirl around everybody all night long, but as my mum said ‘some times there are bad sides of  Karolina’s amazing life’.

Today it’s a new years eve, and I want to wish everybody all the best and lots of fun in 2013. Hopefully this will be the lucky 13 for you and me !!!

Thank you again for coming, and hope to see you soon, if not then hope to meet you next year in the same place, celebrating the same thing !!!

Check out a little video with my best moments from the pkra this year. Weeeeeeee ! :D

Happy NEW YEAR !!!

Karolina.

Photos: Wojtek Antonów, Kuba Atys and Marek Karbowski