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The Teams have been chosen. Let the countdown begin!

Well, well, well, here we are, back in action and ready to deliver, chronicle, and celebrate one of the most beloved events of the season: the 2023 Team battle presented by Knot Future and hosted by yours truly, the Kite Park League. While there are many great kiteboarding locations around the globe, perhaps one of the most historical and elusive is that of Hood River, Oregon, the birthplace of park riding and the pinnacle force that sustains its continuation.

For those who missed out on last year’s triumph, here is a brief overview of the event’s prominence. Unlike more conventional venues that tier riders through a plethora of heats in an effort to identify the best rider, both male and female, the Team Battle takes a progressive leap forward and introduces a format that showcases the best riding while simultaneously making the event more viewer-friendly and accessible to the public. As the name implies, the Team Battle is a team-oriented contest that fosters camaraderie and group participation to determine a winning team. Specifically, the riders are all divided equally into teams, where they are given a week to fulfill the event’s objectives and film a video that showcases the best riding from each team and its members. For 2023, the five team names and their allocated colors are; Team Forrest, Team Gold, Team Scarlet, Team Navy, and Team Ice. Together, these five teams are responsible for filming and editing their video, showcasing their best riding within the confines of the Hood River Slider Project. The Teams have from today, August 26th, until noon on September 2nd to film and produce their team’s video. (Full rule book available for viewing on our website).

Video Criteria: Each rider has to include a minimum of two clips in the video, but a single rider cannot exceed ten clips. Beyond these basic perimeters, creativity, collaborative efforts, and team ingenuity will be the driving force in determining the winner of the 2023 Hood River Team Battle. On September 2nd, the riders will be given the opportunity to exercise their own judgment and cast their ballots for the team they believe has produced the best video, along with individual rider awards. Starting from noon today (day one), the five teams will have approximately 168 hours to ride, film, edit, and showcase the best and highest level of competitive park riding.

The Battle kicked off in a dramatic and highly anticipated fashion. The top-ranked KPL riders, along with a renowned KPL veteran, represented the five team captains who will help lead their team to victory or valiant defeat. The KPL referee and chief officer, “Dude,” read off the Team Battle rules and proceeded to instruct the captains to each roll a pair of dice to determine the order in which the captains could choose their team. Much like dodgeball during schoolyard recess, the players lined up, and the captains took their pick, with each of the five having the opportunity to choose their player of choice in an effort to build their idealistic team. The captains each rolled the dice, and the Team Battle began. The order and the teams are as follows:

Team Gold lead by Brandon Schied - ALEX LEWIS-HUGHES, SENSI GRAVES, NICK BAINES, DEVIN CARBOLL, and KRISTEN COOPER

Team Scarlet lead by RAMIRO GALLART - JACK RIEDER, ALEX MEINDI, CHASE HASCH, EINAR SAAD, and NADJA BIANCHET

Team Navy lead by Noe Font -BRENDAN KERR, ANDY CAIN, ZACH ADAMS, RYAN GOLOVERSIC, and LAUREN HOLMAN

Team Ice lead by Xander Raith - KATIE POTTER, TIM WALSH, Ian DALY, and ASHER CLARKE

Team Forrest lead by EWAN JASPAN - ERIC RIENSTRA, CHIRS BOBRYK, COLLEEN CARROLL, and LEO VERRECHIA

The Teams have been chosen, and the clock has officially begun counting down. With absolute certainty, this will be a week to remember and yet another brilliant chapter for the Kite Park League and its distinguished influence on the entire kiteboarding industry. Stay Tuned and be ready; Hood River Team Battle begins now.