@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
The ENGIE Kite Tour got off to a start with a first stage in Cap d’Agde in early June, followed by a second in Lorient-Gâvres at the end of the month. This year’s event featured a three-day regatta with kitefoil speed crossing, twin tip (TT), directional board and wingfoil events. Both these stages, organised respectively by the Cap d’Agde Club Nautique and the Lorient Club Nautique, were opportunities for everybody – ENGIE Kite Tour ambassadors and experienced kiteboarders alike – to get together again after the winter break.
On the back of the success of last year’s brand-new Cap d’Agde stage, the Cap d’Agde Centre Nautique once again hosted a stage on the ENGIE Kite Tour on the Richelieu beach. For this first stage of the tour, 75 participants took to the water!
The Lorient Club Nautique organised a stage in the 2023 ENGIE Kite Tour for the third year in a row on the Gâvres peninsular. 122 riders raced the waves, including two internationals – Dutchman Sam Aben and Slovenian Toni Vodišek, world kitefoil champion.
ENGIE's Kite Tour ambassadors were there for both weekends which were all about competition, as well as sharing and getting together. They included Team ENGIE kitesurfers Axel Mazella and Poema Newland, as well as Lauriane Nolot, Chris Ballois, Nicolas Parlier, Benoit Gomez and Jessie Kampman.
@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
The ENGIE Kite Tour broke new ground this year with two new events: the ENGIE Academy and the ENGIE Raid
The ENGIE Youth Academy is an internship for young people from the region who have a local coach, and is sponsored by ENGIE Kite Tour ambassadors. After a day's training, the youngsters took part in the stage – under supervision. The whole idea was to give them the opportunity to get acquainted with wind sports, as well as leaving a mark and a legacy in the region, training the enthusiasts and champions of the future. For this first event in Cap d’Agde, Lauriane Nolot – one of the best kite surfers in the world – was there alongside the coach to provide the 11 youngsters with top-level support. In Lorient, Axel Mazella and Jesse Kampman, who both recently won gold medals in the Formula Kite series, coached five young people on the beach in Gâvres.
@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
The ENGIE Handikite Academy is for all sportsmen and women with disabilities who have already tried their hand at kite surfing, who are adept enough to go out onto the water alone, and want to compete in regattas or improve their skills so they can have a shot at the podium. The ENGIE Handikite Academy has its own specialist coach and also gets support from top-level para kiteboarder Chris Ballois!
@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
The ENGIE Raid brings together all competitors – in addition to those for the regatta – for a long-distance event and an opportunity to discover the coast in a different way. The organising club has its own unique knowledge of the region and has put together a route that provides riders with the opportunity to discover the area in a different, more tourism-focused way. And everybody goes home with unique memories.
@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
The ENGIE Foundation and the Fondation de la Mer, working together hand-in-hand to protect our oceans
@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
As part of their partnership, the ENGIE Foundation and the Fondation de la Mer organise initiatives to pick up waste from beaches along the circuit for each stage of the ENGIE Kite Tour. The aim is to raise awareness among the general public as well as kiteboarders of the need to reduce our waste on a day-to-day basis
The “Le Plastique c’est dramatique” and “Les mains dans le sable” associations were represented at the Cap d’Agde and Gâvres beaches respectively to raise public awareness. Altogether, several dozen people got involved and collected (and sorted) more than 60 kg of waste.
The ENGIE Kite Tour ambassadors shine on the podium!
@ FFVoile / E. Bellande
Lauriane Nolot led the women home and won the Cap d’Agde kitefoil stage. In Lorient-Gâvres, Benoit Gomez triumphed, winning a total of nine races. Jessie Kampman and Poema Newland also made it onto the podium for this second stage. Team ENGIE athlete Axel Mazella won the wingfoil competition. For Axel, the Lorient-Gâvres stage was the final competition before the Test Event, scheduled for July in Marseille. “I am pleased to have taken part in this competition between professionals and amateurs. The aim was for everybody to enjoy the good atmosphere and for us to share our experience with the national team, which was here. It was also an opportunity for me to clear my mind and think of something other than kite boarding. I tried a little wingfoil, and enjoyed it. What's more, we have had a fair wind today, so conditions were perfect for everything to go well. I'm leaving Gâvres feeling fresh. I'm ready to start a final block of training in Marseille before the Test Event”.
The third stage of the ENGIE Kite Tour will run from 6 to 8 October in Saint-Jean-de-Monts: a date for your diaries!