Thailand

Season in Boracay was about to end, the wind was really light, mostly I was riding with 14m2; it was time to move on. My plan was to go back to Europe, but I changed my mind and decided to participate in last stop of KTA in China (9-12.05) and spend a month in Thailand. I managed to talk my friend Phil into it. Before Thailand we went to Manila, to check out the R3publ1c wake park. The cablepark was really nice, with very good obstacles, but the queue was just impossible. It was fun to meet up some LiP team riders over there.

Last week we flew to Thailand to stay in Pranburi. As I heard April is one of the best months for the wind, I was hoping to kite a lot. The conditions over here are really nice, the wind is smooth and water is flat in low tide. Unfortunately wind was not on our side, so we spent some great days at Black Mountain Cable Park, close to Hua Hin. This cable park is awesome, no people, if you crash they bring you out with jetski, perfect to practise. Yesterday we found super nice and cheap flat close to cable park, thats why we love Thailand. I got an invitation for slider event in summer, so Im really motivated to improve my skills on obstacles.

1st in KTA Philippines

After competition I came back to Philippines, Boracay. The wind was really light and I could not really train, I was sinking on 14m2. For competition we had some light wind in the forecast, which is not really my favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First days we just had wind in the morning, so we finished the single elimination on last day. I was pretty lucky in my heats, even though I couldn’t show my best, cause it’s difficult to do airpasses in light wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In finals we got some decent wind, I was really happy about it, powered on 8m2, whoop, whoop. I was again against Estefania Rosa as in Thailand, I managed to land some powered airpasses and won the heat. After the singles we moved on straight to doubles, where I was once again against Estefania. The wind started to drop, I was out on my 8m2, getting underpowered. I got some tricks done and had really dilemma, if I should change the kite or try to pull off something on my 8m2. On the last minute I decided to change, but it was not enough time to do any tricks. I didn’t do as good as I wanted to, so I was so stoked to hear that I won the heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KTA for me is the most fun tour, so I decided to go to China for a last stop. Im gonna go to Thailand, Pranburi to train and after with the KTA crew to China. Its gonna be BIG!

 

1st in KTA Thailand

After KTA 1st stop, I came back to Philippines, to train and kite. I had 3 days trip to one of my favorite spots, Seco island, which is basically like huge sandbar in the middle off the sea, with offshore wind and dead flat water.

 

On 11th March I went to Bangkok for couple of days and on 13th down to Pranburi. We started with the first heats on 14th. Wind was super light, it was really difficult for me, since I like to ride powered. My first heat was against Paula Rosales, which I won. After that the wind died and we continued with the heats next day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind next day was pretty much the same, maybe slightly more. I was against Aya Oshima, she is riding really good this year. My heat started really good, I landed 5 good tricks and I was going for blind judge 3, but caught the bar from wrong side and crashed the 5th over the kite, it took me ages to relaunch. I had the same thing in same competition, even pretty much in the same place in the lagoon last year. I landed some good tricks before, so I won the heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were not able to run the finals same day, as the wind turned and died. We had finals of the singles in the last day. Conditions were really nice, low tide, flat water and I was powered on 12m2, just how I like it. I went against Brazilian champion Estefania Rose. She is riding really good. I started with my heat really good, with raley2blind, blind judge and 313, and then i crashed 4 times in the row, 2 times with kiteloop3-s and 2 times with sbend passes. I knew I only have 2 attemps left, so I went only for safe tricks without passes. I was not sure what Estefania landed, so I was not sure if it was enough to win. For luck I landed 1 airpass more and I won. I was not 100% satisfied with my heat, but I hope to show some better tricks here in Boracay, where we have the last stop starting on 26 of March.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Im still very happy with my result as Im leading the tour at the moment and I would like to thank everybody supporting me: my sponsors Aloha Surf, North Kiteboarding, ION, LiP; all my friends crossing fingers for me, Aline who was my personal kitelauncher, and all of you watching me on live stream (there was big% watching it from Estonia).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Im back in Philippines to get prepared for next stop. The wind has been really light, hopefully we get some more next days. Follow me for next KTA on my Facebook page

 

2nd in KTA Bintan Indonesia

This year I decided to kick off the competition season with following KTA tour. Last year I was really enjoying the stops for great people, good vibe and not to mention the parties. I came middle of January to Philippines, Boracay to train and work.

The first stop took place in Bintan island, Indonesia 20-24 February. We had such a cool girly trip to Singapore and from there with the ferry to Bintan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me, Dina, Kathrin, Rebecka, Ali and Paula on the way to Singapore

The spot there is pretty awesome, mostly light winds but super flat water in the lagoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had 13 girls joining the freestyle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My lovely dorm girls!

I got preseeded cause I won KTA Thailand 2012. 2nd day we got  20 knots wind, which is really rear for this place. We started with the singles, but since the wind was really side off shore and gusty inside, the competition box was moved out behind the reef to the deep and choppy water. In my first heat I was against Sukie Robertson representing the UK.

I did really well and moved on to next heat, where I met Ali Dudfield. Also this heat I was riding good landing some nice powered passes so I moved on straight to finals, against Victoria Soloveykina from Russia. Victoria unfortunatly crashed her kite with the first pass and was not able to relaunch it and lost around 5 min from her heat. I landed my tricks and won the singles.

 

 

 

Next day we moved on to the doubles with pretty much same conditions, 20 knots wind and competition box outside. Victoria is landing loads of passes, so my plan was to go with more power, choosing my 10m2 Vegas. My first heat against her, I went pretty high with the tricks, but buttchecked and crashed quite a bit. Victoria did well and she won the heat. My second heat against her I was trying to focus on landings and go with a bit less power. I did really good heat, the best I ever made in my life, landing Blind Judge, 313, Sbend pass, Kiteloop 3 and going for a Blind Judge 3, which I didn’t manage to land. KTA is running on same system as PKRA or KTA, for girls 5 tricks with 9 attempts, but no categories.

Victoria was having her best heat ever also landing Slim, Blind Judge, 313, switch Blind Judge and Back to Blind airpass. So the first place went to her and I got second. This was the highest level of girls heat in KTA history, so Im really really stoked to push the level and fully motivated for the next stop, which will take place in Thailand, Pranburi on 13-17 of March.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Kristiin Oja 1st Victoria Soloveykina 3rd Ali Dudfield

My new sponsor LiP

Im proud to announce I have new sunglasses sponsor LiP. Staying every day in the sun on the beach, I need good lenses to protect my eyes. LiP lenses are one of the best on market and they are producing really nice and stylish lifestyle and water sunglasses! Check out LiP Iternational Facebook fan page

Video update: Blind Judge!

Check out my blind judge!

Blind Judge by Kristiin Oja from kristiin oja on Vimeo.

There are more news to come, so stay tuned! Im updating my Facebook page more often, so like and follow my Facebook official site: http://www.facebook.com/KristiinOjaKiteboarding

Camp in Tarifa

Hey everybody!

 

Im doing a kite clinic in Tarifa in Spring (20-27.04). Camp will be opened for everybody, for boys and girls, beginners and advanced riders. Its gonna be awesome!!!

Contact me for more information or book your place in the camp: kristiin@aloha.ee