| Andre Phillip and Clarissa Hempel win the 2009 Triple-S Invitational |
| Tuesday, 09 June 2009 10:20 |
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Friday, June 5th saw the final day of the 2009 Triple-S Invitational in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Strong SW winds buffeted the Outer Banks and a full day of kiting and partying was on tap for everyone involved. The final Triple-S riders meeting was held under the Red Bull tent and the schedule was set for Slicks (flat water freestyle) from 11:30am to 1:30pm and then Surf from 2pm until 5pm. Riders immediately rigged and then headed up to The Slick for flatwater action. Kevin Langeree, Brandon Scheid, Greg Norman, Susi Mai, Clarissa Hempel. Bruna Kajiya and Shannon Best lit up North Point in The Slick with an unbelievable freestyle session including powered handle passes, kite loops and massive airs (Shannon jumped all of North Point taking off at Waller’s Pier !). Winds were so strong that the girls were eventually blown off of 6 and 7m kites and the guys were lit to the gills on 7m and 8m’s ! A large crowd assembled to watch the action, many of them ducking in the reeds as Shannon flew over the entire event ! At 2pm, the entire event packed up and headed to Ramp 27 (4 miles south of Salvo) for some surf action. Local kiter Brad Doehr of Avon had spotted a new sandbar here earlier in the week and with strong SW winds and a chest high SE groundswell it was on like donkey kong ! Riders hit the water using 5m-7m kites, all on surfboards. Santa Barbara wildcard winner Ian Alldredge stunned the crowd with his powerful wave riding style, mixed with all the lip slides, transition tricks, and strapless airs you have never seen before. Triple-S guest rider Reo Stevens from Oahu showed his powerful frontside attack, as did Sam Bell of Cape Hatteras. Jon Modica of Florida (winner of 2008 Triple-S Surf) showed why he is always at the top with a great mix of aggressive wave rides, tricks and airs that would bring him into the upper mix for the day. With the winds being so strong, it was definitely a handle for the ladies. Clarissa Hempel of Brazil, locked and loaded with a 5m kite, tore apart the surf with her strapped surfboard, showing great down the line style and timing. The fact that the wind and waves showed up in epic form at the close of the 2009 Triple-S, allowing all three disciplines to be completed, only added more fuel to the fire for the upcoming Awards Dinner, Ceremony and Party that would follow later that evening. The Awards Dinner started at 5pm with chicken and ribs prepared on an outdoor BBQ by MOJOs Sunset Café. This event was open to the public, and was attended with enthusiasm from the entire Cape Hatteras community, serving well over 300 dinners, all waterfront on the back lawn. The Awards Ceremony kicked off at 8pm with an autograph session with the Triple-S athletes. Here, fans were able to take home an official Triple-S event poster with 24 of the world’s best kiteboarders’ signatures. After the autograph session, Triple-S event mc Trip Forman officially introduced the riders to the growing crowd which filled the entire west and north decks of REAL as well as half the lawn. The roar from the crowd for each rider could be heard a mile away as the anticipation grew to find out who had taken home the Triple-S gold. Aaron Sales, editor of Kiteboarding Magazine, the first and largest kiteboarding magazine in the world, took the microphone and addressed the crowd as to the importance of the Triple-S on an international basis and where the event is taking the direction of the sport. Aaron has traveled the world and been to every major kiteboarding event. His opinion was that the Triple-S is at the forefront of the sport, definitely the best event in the world…… Then it was time to announce the winners of the Triple-S….Surf, Slicks and Sliders, as well as Best Session, Best Wipeout and the Triple-S Slick Style Attitude Award. The Triple-S is judged by the riders themselves, as well as the media staff, providing 36 ballots to assure an accurate and fair result. Of the 4 previous years, this was by far the most difficult year to judge as the riding level was incredibly high and competitive. In years past the judging ballot would take less than 5 minutes to complete, this year it took over 20 minutes for some riders. In the end there were no losers, as everyone got to ride for the entire week, raise their game and have the week of a lifetime in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Dub Island Sound System rocked the house throughout the Triple-S Awards Ceremony and Party from 7pm straight through until 4am, making for an unbelievable end to an unbelievable week. Dub puts on a show that you have to see to believe, some people dancing for 8 hours straight ! Get ready for Triple-S 2010, scheduled for June 5th – June 11th, 2010 in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It is going to be another epic week of Surf, Slicks and Sliders. Thanks again to all the sponsors who made this week possible, and to the Triple-S riders and spectators who make this event bigger and better every year ! 2009 Triple-S Invitational Final Results Men’s Surf Men’s Slicks Men’s Sliders Men’s Overall Women’s Surf Women’s Slicks Women’s Surf Women’s Overall Best Session Best Wipeout Slick Style Attitude Award
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