A group of kiteboarders and action sports professionals has announced the creation of the International Federation of Kitesports Organisations (IFKO).
In an especially turbulent moment for the sport of kiteboarding, the newly-created organization aims to represent national governing bodies, as well as all kite riders, i.e., kiteboarders/kitesurfers, snow kiters, and land kiters.
The IKFO has its headquarters located in Guincho, Portugal, and features a few well-known names in its founding council: Kirsty Jones, Dominique Cartan, and Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo.
"A new era has begun for kite sports. Like FIFA to Football, ISTF to Soft Tennis, WFDF to Flying Disc, or IDBF to Dragon Boat Sports, we now have the reins of our own sport," underline Diogo Paes Fernandes and Jean-Pierre Pouleau, co-founders of IKFO.
IKFO argues that "only International Federations (of any sport) with registered disciplines are allowed to officially crown 'world champions.'"
The self-proclaimed governing body for kite sports adds that "the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) is not an International Federation, and that the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) only has registered three IKA disciplines [Formula Kite, Open Kite, and Twin Tip]."
IKFO says it won't depend on third parties to lead the way.
The new institution expressed the will to crown official world champions in all kite disciplines because it has been accepted as a member of SportAccord.
The next step is full recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
ISAF and the International Surfing Association (ISA) are IOC-recognized institutions.