AssetID: 55102501
Headline: Kitesurfers Tackle Storm Amy's Immense North Sea Winds At Red Bull Megaloop Event
Caption: Kitesurfers Tackle Storm Amy's Immense North Sea Winds At Red Bull Megaloop Event. The Red Bull Megaloop kitesurfing event returned to the Dutch coast in dramatic fashion on Monday as 22 of the world’s leading kitesurfers braved Storm Amy’s 100km/h winds and three-metre waves in Noordwijk. The Megaloop is regarded as one of kitesurfing’s most extreme contests. It is held only when conditions are severe enough, and riders are required to soar more than 15 metres into the air while forcing their kite through a full 360-degree loop. This year, Storm Amy provided the brutal mix of wind and waves athletes had been waiting for. Organisers gave the green light just 48 hours before the event, drawing competitors and fans to Noordwijk – hometown of Dutch kitesurfing legend Ruben Lenten. For the first time, the competition featured a women’s division, marking what organisers described as a landmark moment for the sport. Athletes battled head-to-head in elimination heats, performing towering loops in gusts of up to 100km/h. In the men’s division, Italy’s Lorenzo Casati sealed victory with a Doobieloop Boardspin. In the first-ever women’s final, Zara Hoogenraad of the Netherlands took the title on home waters with a Boogieloop.
Keywords: Sports,Kitesurfers,Storm Amy,North Sea,winds,Red Bull,Megaloop,Red Bull Megaloop,kitesurfing,waves,Noordwijk,extreme,contest,conditions,severe,riders,soar,kite,competitors,Dutch,legend,Ruben Lenten,Lorenzo Casati,Doobieloop Boardspin,Zara Hoogenraad,Boogieloop
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