The 2019 Red Bull King of the Air is remembered as a monumental milestone in kiteboarding history. It marked the first time a rider achieved a historic third crown in the world’s most grueling Big Air spectacle. Concurrently, it produced a thrilling underdog story as an amateur rider broke through the barrier of elite professionals.
Location and Conditions
The arena was Kite Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. With a crowd of over 10,000 spectators packing the beach, the infamous “Cape Doctor” wind howled at over 30 knots. The extreme combination of massive swells and fierce winds provided the perfect stage, pushing the world’s best riders beyond their limits.
Format and Riders
An elite lineup of 18 riders competed. Alongside past champions Kevin Langeree, Jesse Richman, and Aaron Hadlow, a mix of established veterans and rising stars like Liam Whaley and Lasse Walker entered the tournament. Standing out in the fleet was France’s Aurélien Pétreau, who at 35 was the oldest competitor and the only non-professional (amateur) rider in the event.
Highlights and Showdowns
The event opened with massive drama in Round 2 (the elimination round), when 2-time champion Aaron Hadlow suffered a heavy crash, injuring his ribs and causing an unexpected early exit from the contest.
The biggest surprise of the year came from “The King of Non-Pros,” Aurélien Pétreau. Having qualified for KOTA 2018 but choosing to withdraw and return to France right before the start due to the passing of his grandfather, he entered the 2019 event with immense determination. He performed completely beyond amateur standards, unleashing massive Megaloop Double Late Backrolls and Megaloop Triple Late Backrolls. In Round 4, a ruthless 3-man format where the lowest scorer at the 8-minute mark faced a forced flag-out elimination, he outlasted icons like Ruben Lenten and Lasse Walker to charge into the Semi-Finals—a historic feat that was later turned into a Documentary movie.
The 13-minute final became a breathtaking 3-man clash between defending champion Kevin Langeree, 2013 winner Jesse Richman, and stylish Big Air specialist Liam Whaley. In nuke-force winds, Kevin Langeree relied on his Naish Pivot to deliver clinical, high-amplitude jumps. Jesse Richman took extreme risks using a pre-release North Orbit prototype, executing a massive Kung Fu pass from 13 meters high before suffering a violent crash in his desperate chase. Liam Whaley put on a stellar performance to secure his second consecutive podium finish following his runner-up debut the previous year.
Event Results and Heat Ladder
Round 1 (1st to R4, 2nd to R3, 3rd to R2 Elimination)
Heat 1: 1st Jesse Richman / 2nd Ross-Dillon Player / 3rd Gijs Wassenaar(FO)
Heat 2: 1st Nick Jacobsen / 2nd Aurélien Pétreau / 3rd Aaron Hadlow(FO)
Heat 3: 1st Liam Whaley / 2nd Posito Martinez / 3rd Jerrie van de Kop(FO)
Heat 4: 1st Ruben Lenten / 2nd Lewis Crathern / 3rd Janek Grzegorzewsky(FO)
Heat 5: 1st Lasse Walker / 2nd Joshua Emanuel / 3rd Oswald Smith(FO)
Heat 6: 1st Kevin Langeree / 2nd Marc Jacobs / 3rd Carlos Mario(FO)
Round 2 (Elimination – Winner to Round 3)
Heat 7: Winner Oswald Smith / Eliminated Janek Grzegorzewsky
Heat 8: Winner Gijs Wassenaar / Eliminated Carlos Mario
Heat 9: Winner Jerrie van de Kop / Eliminated Aaron Hadlow
Round 3 (3-Man Heat. Lowest scorer at 8 minutes is Flagged Out. Top 1 to Round 4)
Heat 10: 1st Ross-Dillon Player / 2nd Marc Jacobs / 3rd Oswald Smith(FO)
Heat 11: 1st Aurélien Pétreau / 2nd Posito Martinez / 3rd Gijs Wassenaar(FO)
Heat 12: 1st Joshua Emanuel / 2nd Jerrie van de Kop / 3rd Lewis Crathern(FO)
Round 4 (3-Man Heat. Lowest scorer at 8 minutes is Flagged Out. Top 2 to Semi-Finals)
Heat 13: 1st Lasse Walker / 2nd Aurélien Pétreau / 3rd Ruben Lenten(FO)
Heat 14: 1st Nick Jacobsen / 2nd Liam Whaley / 3rd Ross-Dillon Player(FO)
Heat 15: 1st Kevin Langeree / 2nd Jesse Richman / 3rd Joshua Emanuel(FO)
Semi-Finals (One-on-One)
SF 1: Winner Liam Whaley / Eliminated Lasse Walker
SF 2: Winner Jesse Richman / Eliminated Nick Jacobsen
SF 3: Winner Kevin Langeree / Eliminated Aurélien Pétreau
Men’s Open Division Final
1st: Kevin Langeree (27.60) *First-ever 3-time KOTA Champion
2nd: Jesse Richman (26.50)
3rd: Liam Whaley (24.86)
Search Aliases: KOTA 2019, KOTA2019, Red Bull King of the Air 2019, RedBullKingoftheAir2019