Hutter, Amle soar in kiteboarding

BORACAY, Philippines – Frenchman Louis Hutter and Malin Amle of Norway put on a pair of scintillating performances to dominate their respective sides in the freestyle singles of the ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour-Season 2 in Bulabog Beach here over the weekend.

Hutter, from St. Malo, Brittany, came through with solid powered tricks on a low kite, combining board grabs to dazzle the crowd and impress the judges and claim top honors in the men’s freestyle of the event serving as the second leg of a four-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services. Inc.

Christian Tio, a 13-year-old Boracay-based rising star, also showed awe-inspiring tricks to finish second while Andrey Sagnyic of Ukraine and another Frenchman Pierre Vogel placed third and fourth, respectively, in the three-day event which drew 120 participants from Asia and Europe.

Not to be outdone, Amle put her talent and skills in full display, dishing out fast in-and-out tricks with more stability on the kite to rule the women’s freestyle. The Oslo native, who placed third in the European Championship in Italy last year, defeated Japanese champion Aya Oshima while Julia Tausch from Austria and Poland’s Zuzanna Czaplinska placed third and fourth, respectively, in the event backed by Cabrinha, LIP Sunglasses, The District Boracay, Diamond Watersports, The Lazy Dog Bed & Breakfast, Ultimate Apparel and Boracay Terraces Resort.

German ace Kathrin Bogwart and local bet and Philippine Kiteboarding Association vice president Ken Nacor topped the Cabrinha Hangtime Challenge with the former clinching the win – and a Cabrinha Board – with a 4.7-second hang time. Nacor put on a 5.3-second performance to bag the top plum in the men’s class, including a Cabrinha Kite worth $2,000.

Finland’s Viola Kaukonen placed second to Bogwart in 4.2 seconds while Romanian Ana Enciu, Amle and Liezl Tio took the next three spots in 3.9, 3.8 and 3.4 seconds, respectively.

Swede ace Atte Kappel, who topped the kickoff leg in Sta. Ana, Cagayan last month, settled for second in 5 seconds followed by Hutter, Warner Janoya of Boracay and Swiss Peter Blum in 4.9, 4.8 and 4.3 seconds, respectively.