Russian nails two kiteboard crowns

LISA Nikitina of Russia racked up two victories while Atte Kappel of Sweden repeated as Masters Twin Tip champion in the second leg of the ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour Season 3 at Aqua Boracay in Bulabog Beach last Sunday.

Julius Non from Soloviento, Caliraya, also made an emphatic return to the kiteboarding scene, winning the men’s Twin Tip, while John Clyde Pardo took the novice men’s diadem, edging Gordon Gelito. Jondymar Cortes, William Cansino and Blazei Schmidt placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Non, who won the inaugural leg in Calatagan, Batangas in 2013, scored 10.0 nett to foil local bet Bong Fernando (12.0) while Ronnel Mateo pooled 16.0 for third followed by Doque delos Santos (17.0) and Christian Tio (19.0).

Kappel, riding his Flysurfer, scored 5.0 nett to repeat over Philippine Kiteboarding Association (PKA) president Jay Ortiz (10.0) on his Cabrinha, with Carlo Leongson placing third with 12.0 nett.

Nikitina turned in a nett score of 6.0 to best German Kathrin Bogwardt (9.0) in the women’s Twin Tip event of the three-day event.

The Russian ace also dished out the same awesome form in besting Bogwardt to rule the Freestyle division.

Bogwardt, however, foiled the Russian’s three-title bid, topping the Hangtime class with a score of 3.57 seconds with Mary Jane Gajisan placing second (3.33) and Nikitina ending up third (3.19) in the event backed by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., Cabrinha, Coca Cola, Greenyard Boracay and Sailor Jerry.

PKA vice president Ken Nacor took the men’s Hangtime diadem in 7.39 seconds while Slovenia’s Sabrina Savnik copped the novice women’s plum with 6.0 nett.

Liezl Tio, a Red Bull international rider, nipped Louis Hutter in Freestyle, piling up 31.5 as against his rival’s 21.

Tio earlier edged Andrey Salnik, 31.5-30, while Hutter repulsed Sergei Sotov of Russian, 31-30, in the semifinals.