Overview
The 2014 Red Bull King of the Air highlighted the extreme harshness of Big Air competition and the overwhelming dominance of the Dutch riders. As athletes battled for unprecedented heights and radical megaloops, several top riders, including the defending champion, suffered severe, career-threatening crashes, deeply embedding the inherent dangers of this extreme sport into the minds of the global audience.
Location and Conditions
The stage was set at Big Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. Initially, the wind was gusty and the kickers were small, but as the afternoon progressed, the wind and swell built up, peaking at around 25 knots of perfect competition conditions.
Format and Participants
Twenty-four of the world’s best riders gathered for the event. A unique four-man heat format was used: after 7 minutes, one rider was eliminated, and the remaining three had their scores reset to battle for the win in the final 10 minutes.
The 24 participating riders were:
Jesse Richman, Aaron Hadlow, Kevin Langeree, Ruben Lenten, Steven Akkersdijk, Andries Fourie, Tom Hebert, Nick Jacobsen, Shawn Richman, Johnno Scholte, Reno Romeu, Billy Parker, Gianni Aragno, Linus Erdmann, Sam Light, Jerrie van de Kop, Luke McGillewie, Oswald Smith, Lewis Crathern, Jandre Fraser, Sam Medysky, Stuart Downey, Kevin de Smidt, and Graham Howes.
Highlights and Epic Battles
The event turned into a literal survival of the fittest. Tom Hebert, who was using foot straps to deliver massive Airstyle tricks, lost control in the air and crashed violently into the water, exposing the heavy risks of extreme moves. Furthermore, the 2013 champion, Jesse Richman, had his kite stall in a lull and hit the deck hard, suffering a broken leg and torn ligaments that forced him out of the contest (this would ultimately lead to his miraculous comeback in 2015).
Meanwhile, Aaron Hadlow experienced a terrifying moment when he was dragged through the water by 10 death loops, but he bounced back to flawlessly execute a Megaloop KGB (unhooking mid-Megaloop with a back roll and handle pass), sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The final saw three Dutchmen—Kevin Langeree, Ruben Lenten, and Steven Akkersdijk—facing off against local South African Andries Fourie.
Ruben Lenten went all out with aggressive, massive front roll megaloops featuring grabs and bar spins, while young Steven Akkersdijk threw powerful loops with his kite extremely low. Amidst this fierce battle, Kevin Langeree demonstrated extraordinary hangtime, described as “flying more than double kite-high and traveling 200 meters downwind.” He cemented his dominance by pulling off huge board-offs in the air. Ultimately, the Dutch riders swept the top three spots, with Kevin Langeree’s unrivaled height and precision earning him his first King of the Air crown.
1st: Kevin Langeree
2nd: Ruben Lenten
3rd: Steven Akkersdijk
4th: Andries Fourie
🔗 関連リンク: https://www.redbull.com/car-en/events/red-bull-king-of-the-air-2014
Search Aliases: KOTA 2014, KOTA2014, Red Bull King of the Air 2014, RedBullKingoftheAir2014