Keichii Kobayashi Wins Back-to-Back at the 21st Neil Pryde Boracay International Funboard Cup presented by Cushe
Keichii Kobayashi, a veteran windsurfer from Guam, finished first in four out of six rounds to make him the third man in 21 years to win multiple consecutive Neil Pryde Boracay International Funboard Cups. En route to the title, Kobayasii, armed with Neil Pryde RS Racing sails, endured a spirited challenge from Turkey’s Salih Cakir and the Philippines’ German Paz.
The event conditions were excellent in Boracay Island’s Bulabog Beach, arguably Asia’s leading destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing thanks to its consistent northeast monsoon and flat water. The hosts for the event were Green Yard Funboard Center and Hangin Kite Center, and the participants enjoyed 15-22 knot winds for the five days of racing.
After a one year break, Boracay’s Bulabog Beach was better than ever. Thanks to the efforts of the Boracay Foundation, the Boracay Windsports Association, and the Department of Tourism, Bulabog Beach is as pristine as it was decades ago.
The 2010 event, held last Jan 22-27, attracted 83 participants (36 kiteboarders and 47 windsurfers) from 14 countries, making it Boracay’s biggest international individual watersports event. 31 joined the kiteboarding event, which for the first time featured Course Racing as a discipline, alongside Big Air and Freestyle.
Top kitesurfing honors went to Cabrinha’s Ken Nacor of the Philippines for Freestyle Men, Cabrinha rep Mike Raper for Course Racing, and Carla del Castillo of Spain for Freestyle Women.
The speed event had kitesurfing and windsurfers sailing down a course at speeds in excess of 60kph. The kitesurfers won the head-to-head with Boracay resident Angel Parzhuber taking the overall top spot, and Salih Cakir of Turkey winning for the windsurfers.
The full winners list and course racing and slalom results are available in a previous post.
In the evenings, there were plenty of parties to attend as the island rolled out the red carpet for the participants and the media. Manila radio stations Jam 88.3 and Magic 89.9 flew in DJs to host the festivities at Windpia, Summer Place, Juice Bar, Cafe del Mar, 7 Stones, and more. Raffle prizes abounded, with grand prizes including Neil Pryde sails and Cabrinha kite kits.
The Neil Pryde Boracay International Funboard Cup is presented by Cushe Footwear and supported by ROX, Cabrinha, Green Yard Funboard Center, Hangin Kite Center, the Department of Tourism and the Municipality of Malay. Official airline sponsors are SEAIR and ZestAir.
Media sponsors include: The Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jam 88.3, Magic 89.9, Studio 23, Lifestyle Network, The ABS-CBN News Channel, Balls, ClicktheCity.com, Action Asia, Business Mirror, One Sport Magazine, and Garage.
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February 19, 2010 | 
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