So after a good tour around the Fremantle ('Freo') area by David Jo we got parked up at Leighton Beach. We had been able to see kites from some distance as we travelled along the beach roads so it was no surprise to see aorund 40 kites scattered along the bay. These guys weren't even competing, just having a sess and sucking up the daily 'Fremantle Doctor', one of the most consistent winds in the world! Hence kitesurfers inhabit pretty much every bay you pass in the Perth area... Back to the comp-we were greeted by Red Bull staff with the regulatory free cans! Viewing spot sorted, we started soaking up the atmosphere as Ned Taylor (BKSA Pro champ) and Kelly Rudd who had been imported from England for the day gave an interview then got on the water and gave a freestyle demo. Ned Taylor especially impressive with his use of the Red Bull bouy as a ramp to boost from.

Forty mins later the guys on the water were ushered in to make way for the kiters coming over from Rottnest, 12 miles away. By this time 500 people were now eagerly awaiting this peloton of kiters to make their way over. On the horizon they were certainly becoming clear and were heading over at a decent speed, flanked by 3 helicopters. On his own emerged Alex Caizergues, who had been especially shipped in by Red Bull from France as the star attraction after clocking over 62 mph and setting a new world record. He finished the distance in just over 20 mins nearly 2 mins ahead of his nearest rival from the 50 strong pack made up mostly from Western Australia.

For most of these guys it was probably their first kite racing event. Squatting on your back leg for 30-40 mins is tough for most but a 65 year old came home towards the end and you could certinaly tell, as he struggled to walk up the beach. The last place guys had it tough after not holding their edge sufficiently to pass through the bouy, therefore requiring them to get a face full of water in front of the crowds and body drag up wind. Others tried getting back up but even struggled to do this, they were that exhuasted! A bit of drama to end the day, 2nd placing didn't actually pass through the finish line correctly so was DQ'd.

If kitesurfing is going to make it into the Olympic programme this is the form most likely. It was an awesome sight to see all the kites coming in at speed in the same direction and not getting tangled and would be even better to get live coverage of how the race developed from over at the island. One day I would love to do this race!

Before we headed off we managed to catch the winner. Fortunately April had managed to talk some Red Bull staff into allowing her to take a poster for me. Better still after his photo shoot we caught up with Alex Caizergues who signed the poster for us! David and Jo then treated us to a drink looking over the beautiful Cottesloe bay just up the coastline.

The evening, Anna and Andrew had kindly sorted a picnic for us to enjoy down at the Esplande, where 20,000 others had gathered for a free concert by the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra (WASO) put on to celebrate 10 years of the millenium bell tower. A great introduction to Australia's love of the outdoor lifestyle and ommunity spirit. Viewers were grouped into seating type, blanket, seats or mixed. Walkways were marked out too. We were treated to around a 90 min set including the classics, Waltzing Matilda and surprisingly Land of Hope and Glory. Cannons were fired during the song during a grand finale.

A great day I will not forget in a while.

Impressive official video of the race:

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Kitesurfing/Red-Bull-Lighthouse-to-Leighton-Kite-Race-Video_4407103.aspx