SKA: Tricks for Chicks

Press release for the event is below or if you want to just view some pics and a short write up http://www.expix.co.uk/exzine/events/324-ska-tricks-4-chicks-girls-kitesurfing-weekend-at-watergate-bay-
STUDENT KITESURFING ASSOCIATION
(SKA)
TRICKS FOR CHICKS
WEEKEND
28 - 30TH OCTOBER 2011

WATERGATE BAY, CORNWALL


Date: FRIDAY 28 - SUNDAY 30th OCTOBER 2011
Location: WATERGATE BAY, CORNWALL
Organised by: SKA
Hosted by: EXTREME ACADEMY
Sponsors: FLEXIFOIL, ExPix, NALU BEADS, ITZ ARM WALLETS, EXTREME ACADEMY& MYSTIC
Media Partners: ExPix www.expix.co.uk

Just two weeks after their first event of the 2011 – 2012 season the Student Kitesurfing Association were out in force once more on the beaches, this time hosting the first of their ladies only clinics, ‘Tricks for Chicks’.

Organised by the SKA and hosted by the Extreme Academy, the event was held at Watergate Bay, Cornwall and saw approximately 30 female students taking part from 6 universities throughout the UK including; Southampton Solent, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff and Southampton Alumni.


Retiring SKA Girl’s Rep Charlie Davies said, “Sport continues to be dominated by men and for lots of different reasons females are less likely than males to participate in sports and kitesurfing is no exception. To address this we held the first of our ladies only clinics in 2010 where we worked closely with the girls to encourage them to learn and progress in kitesurfing in a more suitable, less competitive environment.
We received very positive feedback from the clinics in 2010 and were delighted to see a lot of the girls go on to attend and participating in the mixed events that the SKA held throughout the year.
After being inundated with requests from female students to hold more ladies clinics the SKA responded and this event was the first of two ladies only clinics that the SKA will hold in the 2011 – 2012 academic year.
Current SKA Girl’s Rep Pip Grundy said, “Tricks for chicks is all about helping our female riders improve their kite surfing skills, learn new tricks and progress through the sport in a fun, friendly and relaxed environment.
We’ve had a fantastic weekend with tuition for complete novices to coaching for the more experienced riders from a variety of coaches and instructors including Flexifoil team rider Josh Coombes and Ozone team rider Sukie Robertson
The girls learnt a variety of skills and techniques including beach safety, launching and landing a kite, water starts, pack downs, body dragging and turning in waves. And when there wasn’t enough wind for kitesurfing the girls had fun in the water learning to surf.
We’ve been very lucky once again to have support from our incredible sponsors; Flexifoil provide us with a large variety of kites and boards and Mystic supply harnesses, helmets and battle jackets, all of which are used by the students at all of our events, without this help it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do. Our media partners ExPix whose services are invaluable; not only do they document all our events and provide PR and media services for the SKA and our sponsors but they also coordinate our sponsorship programme, managing to secure some lovely sponsorship on behalf of the SKA and not forgetting Nalu Beads, ITZ Arm Wallets, Flexifoil, Kitegirl and King of Watersports who provided products for prizes.
I’d also like to thank the Extreme Academy for hosting the event and for giving us full use of their facilities and providing us with a host of equipment including wetsuits and surf boards, Matt’s Surf Lodge and Belushi’s for their fantastic hospitality, all the instructors and coaches and lastly but by no means least, the SKA committee members who came down to support the event, especially the poor men who were undoubtedly outnumbered!”
The next event for the SKA, the first of the National Tour Stops, is the Slider Jam which will be held in Parr Sands, Cornwall on 11 – 13th November.
Any companies who are interested in partnering with or sponsoring the SKA please contact Jo Edmondson on 0777 333 58 61 or jo@expix.co.uk