North American Course Racing Continentals and US Nationals

The dates for the 2009 United States Wind & Water Open (WW09) have been set, and not only has the event expanded in length, it's expanded in stature.  This year's event will be headlined by the 2009 North American Course Racing Continental Championships as well as the US Kiteboarding National Championships.  The championships, which will be hosted by the Corpus Christi Yacht Club, will take place Tuesday, May 5th through Saturday, May 9th. 

Although several kiteboarding championships have taken place during past U.S. Wind and Water events, this will be the first year for this level of competition.  "To have the Nationals and Continentals in Kitesurfing, the fastest growing water sport worldwide, in Corpus Christi is fantastic," said competitor and Omni Hotels GM Nils Stolzlechner.

The event will be sanctioned by ISAF (International Sailing Federation) and an official IKA (International Kiteboarding Association) Grade C event. The points awarded count towards the overall 2009 World Championship Tour competition. 

In addition to the Kiteboarding events, the WW09 will also feature the US Windsurfing Regatta, the WW09 Volleyball Classic and the WW09 5K.  The WW09 5K will once again be the official warm-up run for the annual Beach to Bay Marathon.
 
"The Kiteboarding events will be a great addition to what has been a great annual event for Corpus Christi," said Karina Paris, EPIC Director of Operations.  "We're excited to partner with the Yacht Club on what should be a great week of competition."
 
The US Wind & Water Open, formerly the Velocity Games, is an international favorite to both competitors and spectators. Over the past 20 years, the national events have evolved from a local weekend outing into an annual international celebration on McGee Beach.  
 
The combination of competitions in the Wind and Water Open are unique to Corpus Christi.  Each event is "green" in its use of natural resources, and each event is feasible here because of the natural conditions along the Corpus Christi Bayfront.  "We, at the CVB, are happy to partner with Epic Sports and Entertainment, to promote WW09 to visitors from San Antonio, Austin and Houston, in particular, as a compelling reason to visit our waterfront city for fans and families," said Keith Arnold, CEO of the Corpus Christi CVB. "We welcome the Kiteboarding Continental and National Championships to Corpus Christi."

For More Information:
 
US and Continental Kiteboarding Championship:                          WW09 Events & Sponsorships:
http://www.uskiteboardingchampionships.com/                    (5K, Volleyball, Vendors, Sponsors)
Nils Stolzlechner                                                                                                Karina Paris
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Corpus Christi CVB
Michelle Horine 
Communications Director
 361-881-1818 office
361-446-4152 cell
361-888-4998 fax
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The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau's mission is "to drive overnight visitor$ to the Corpus Christi Area".  For more information about the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau or to plan your next trip to Corpus Christi, visit www.corpuschristicvb.com or call 1-800-678-6232.