For the daredevils The real thing starts today. On Friday evening the sixteen men and six women received the redeeming message. Green light for the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge. One of the most extreme competitions in kite surfing. Within 48 hours, participants from countries such as New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil had to be in the Netherlands.
© Amaury Miller
Rugged North Sea
Thousands of people gather on the beach in Noordwijk. With ski goggles on and scarves in front of the mouth they are ready to be sandblasted. They watch how the world’s best kite surfers up to twenty meters fly into the air. As soon as the starting shot sounds, the surfers plunge into a fight against the rugged, cold North Sea for eight minutes.
‘We are a controlled crazy’
Lasse Walker, Red Bull athlete and one of the organizers, emphasizes that the event will only take place in extreme conditions. “It has to blow really hard, otherwise it makes no sense. We sometimes wait for years for that perfect moment.”
Although the conditions in the North Sea are extreme, it is not reckless, according to Walker. “All participants have control. It’s all about skills and agility. Whoever can do this can kit anywhere.”
Yet it remains exciting and stressful. The water is constantly blowing at you. The waves are unpredictable. One wrong movement and you land like a brick in the water. “During a jump it seems like everything is standing still and you hear the cheers of the public. As soon as you land, the focus is immediately back, because it will continue right away.”
New division for women
It is also the first edition in which women participate. Zara Hoogenraad is one of these ladies, last year still world champion in Gran Canaria. “It feels fantastic to go so high in the air, it’s really like you are flying,” says Zara. “Everything is hysterical and we go completely for the extreme. It is great to participate in one of the most extreme competitions in our own country, with the rugged, grim North Sea.”
Her boyfriend and also topker Giel Vlugt is also on the water today. “It’s hectic, but nice that we can support each other,” says Zara. “In such conditions you really feel how extreme the kiting is. One error and you will be hurled back into the sea. It is adrenaline from start to finish.”
‘I’d rather look’
For the public it is a spectacle. “It’s great to see,” says a spectator laughing. “But I am glad I am here and not on a board in the water. Rather she than me.”