Bryan Lake and Katja Roose are the 2014 PKRA Slalom World Tour champions. The kiteboarders confirmed their titles at the Pingtan Kiteboarding World Cup, in China.
Athletes were greeted by 20-25 knot winds on the course, as wells as bumpy conditions and breaking waves at the finish line. It would be an intense day of races, for sure.
Roose and Annelous Lammerts were neck and neck coming into the day, and the Dutch riders' battle came down to the last race of the event.
"It was so close! I was really determined to win one of the races today, it didn't go my way in that respect, but I came to win the world title and I secured that, so I'm very happy. It's a big relief," expressed Katja Roose.
"My win here came down to the discards, one of which was a redress from the first race where I was tangled with another racer. Annelous and I were equal for the event, and so it all came down to the very end."
In the Men's division, Bryan Lake deserves a good night sleep. Despite the flutter of anticipation in his mind, the American seemed almost untouchable in the Chinese event.
"I feel great. Man, I can't believe I did it! I'm going to sleep well tonight finally. I didn't sleep at all last night because I knew it was going to be gnarly today."
"I came out going fast and the big breeze does kind of favor me. I just didn't look back. It was like a mogul field out there; I was on my smallest kite and it feels good to come out on top when I'm really challenged."
2014 PKRA Slalom World Tour | Standings
Men
1. Bryan Lake (US)
2. Julien Kerneur (FR)
3. Oswald Smith (SA)
Women
1. Katja Roose (NL)
2. Annelous Lammerts (NL)
3. Bibiana Magaji (SK)