| Neil Pryde withdraws Olympic kitesurfing support |
| Monday, 14 March 2011 10:58 |
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The kitesurfing and windsurfing industry has been fired up in the last months. The wind sports are battling for one place in the 2016 summer Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Everyone is trying to lobby for that dream ticket. Kitesurfers believe they should be given an opportunity to show how the sport can be a spectacle. Windsurfers say they are the only ones who can sail in weak winds. Neil Pryde, one of the most relevant wind sports business man in the world, has released a clear message regarding his kitesurfing support, as an Olympic event. "I have been acting as an Ambassador for the IKA in order to assist kitesurfing in its objective to attain Olympic Event status. I have now withdrawn my endorsement of the IKA Campaign because it is my view that kitesurfing has not yet developed the rules of competition and disciplines that must be demonstrated to qualify kitesurfing as an Olympic event," says the entrepreneur. The Neil Pryde brand has investments and interests in both sports, but it supplies the current Olympic class board (RS:X) and is pushing the RS:One as the junior Olympic board. "As the Managing Director of Neil Pryde Limited, the owner of Cabrinha, a world leader in kitesurfing, I remain a strong supporter of kitesurfing and I believe that the sport will continue to grow and develop as a lifestyle/adventure sport. Kitesurfing offers tremendous opportunities to combine sport and travel and there is no doubt that it is an exciting action sport that ultimately could obtain Olympic status". "I would support the inclusion of kitesurfing as a demonstration event at the 2016 Olympic Games, if this is feasible", concludes Neil Pryde.
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