For the second time, Gruissan (11) hosted the “Contest Lords of Tram” from October 3 to 10, 2020.
History of “Lords of Tram”
“The Lords of Tram” is a big French big air competition created by Tristan Hattu. This is the Big Air / Megaloop event that all riders are waiting for. This competition is the only one of its kind in France, and the second is in South Africa. The jumps and figures are used to mark the participants. (50% on the technique and 50% on the height of the jump) .
Each heat ( passage ) includes 4 competitors , and the two best are qualified. In the semi-finals The first 2 clash in the grand finals, the 3rd and 4th in the small finals. This year, the winner is Arthur Guillebert. The department, the KGB (Kiteboard Gruissan Band) and its president Christophe Jammet are associated with the event.
2019, the first edition
The idea started with the absence of Big Air events in Gruissan where there should be. Indeed, the wind is strongest between Gruissan and Perpignan. Only the World Wind Championship offered freestyle and demonstrations, but no Big Air event.
For the first edition in 2019, the competition lasted 5 days with Marine wind, including a 25-30 knots. For this reason, the second has planned a ten-day period with a day of “tramontane” or 2 days at 35-40 knots.
The contest propels young French people into international competitions, giving them visibility in the Big Air. The Gruissan competition brings together big, full riders. It opens at the International with the second event in South Africa. Each complete rider must make kiteloops, boards off, rotations or handlepasses, tricks, boogie loops or no foot rotations…
The 2020 edition
In order to attract the public, the management has chosen posters with the reference “The Tarifa Strapless Pro Tour” by presenting cartoons. This contest had a different name in order to create the Lords of Tram spirit and make the event continue.
The goal is to offer a genuine Pro Invitational so that riders do not pay anything. It is also “a real show in Gruissan, with the mountains in the background, possibly the beach of the Chalets seen from the sea … Visually everything is there, the wind too!”, said Tristan Hattu. In 2021, the creation of a structure and the addition of a live are the next steps.
The event brought together the best in the discipline to make a real show. For that, he refused applications. For this edition, 24 riders from all over Occitania, Brittany and the North, as well as from abroad, were present. The first heat of round 3 (quarterfinals), with 4 kitesurfers in each heat and 2 qualified, started the final tests. Arthur Guillebert was the winner, the first 10 to 15 will be invited for the next competitions.
Riders invited to the Lords of Tram 2020
Enrollment is for both women and men. Among the men were champions such as Antonin Rangin, Aurélien Pétreau, Garat, Arthur Guillebert, Paul Serin, Marius Sanchez, Clément Huot, Julien Kerneur, Louka Pitot.. As for women, Angély Bouillot, Justine Avril, Pippa Van Iersel were present. Half of the competitors Josh Emanuel was to come from Cape Town, but Covid did not allow it.
The final phases took place on the weekend, starting with the first heat of round 3 (quarterfinals), with 4 kitesurfers in each heat and 2 qualified.
What is kitesurfing?
Kitesurfing (aerobatic board or kiteboarding) is a sport of gliding. It combines a board and kite (wing or sail), to evolve on the surface of a body of water. It can be practiced on flat lagoons, a rough sea or in large waves. Kite is a complete physical activity that solves the muscles of the arms and legs are all solicited at each movement. It is a way to develop the whole body, especially the upper part, the arms and the abdomen. This sport keeps you in line while having fun.
Equipment
To get started, choose a wide board, one or more sails and a “panties” harness.
-The board must be 140 to 150 cm long and 41 cm to 45 cm wide for a gage of 75-85kg so that its lift allows navigation in short time. It will remain the same throughout its kitesurfing progression thanks to a rocker and a moderate flex.
-The delta-shaped kitesurfing wing is recommended for beginners. It has less power but is more stable in the air and has a greater reach to the wind. It is preferable to choose sails in the Freeride program to have a soft, stable wing and will forgive mistakes. For freestyle or surfkite, favor sailing to the specific Freestyle/Wakestyle and Wave program.
-The bar varies according to the quiver (all material of a rider, wings and boards. It can count 2 or 3 sails and 1 or 2 boards). The small bar corresponds to a quiver of 5 to 12 m², the large ones correspond to a quiver of 9 to 15 m². It takes at least 24 meters of line and a large bar for a wing of more than 12 m².
Learn how to go kite surfing
Kite surfing requires 15 and 20 hours of practice spread over several weeks. Several cities around the world have the necessary criteria to do an internship. Pontal de Macéio (Brazil), Mauritius, Djerba (Tunisia), the Ebro Delta (Spain), Dakhla (Morocco).
This sport took off in the early 2000s and continues to evolve, as evidenced by the organization of the “Lords of Tram”.
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