10th November 2006
Kitesurfer Andreya Wharry returns exhilarated from a Fijian kitesurf Odyssey.
Newquay kitesurfer Andreya Wharry has returned from a challenging 10 days in Fiji where she took part in the world’s richest-ever kitesurf event for women.
Dreya, who holds the world record for the longest kitesurf, competed against some of the biggest names in the sport in a freestyle competition as part of the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey, which took place in late October.
The women-only event, which drew together top professional kitesurfers and improving amateurs, saw Dreya travel to the remote Kadavu islands in Fiji - with the geographical location and weather conditions both proving to be unexpectedly challenging.
“The Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey was a real adventure – we were staying on a remote island with no roads and very basic infrastructure, just getting there was a challenge,” said Dreya.
“The location was absolutely beautiful with the sea lapping ten metres away from my burro door; it was absolutely fantastic. We had a couple of mellow days getting over the jetlag and exploring the island, and then the wind just kicked in to 30 knots plus every day - and all night - I think someone’s burro blew over! It was pretty full on because the conditions were very challenging.”
The event was the brainchild of three-time PKRA world kitesurf champion Cindy Mosey, who had the aim of creating an event quite unlike any other. 10 professional kitesurfers were joined by a 14 ‘social’ girls - amateur kitesurfers ranging in ability from novices to advanced - all keen to learn from the pro women on the trip of a lifetime.
A series of competitions were scheduled for the pro and social girls with each group acting as judges for the other, with the professionals on hand to offer advice and tips.
In her first heat in the freestyle competition Dreya faced Kirsten Boese (Germany). With Kirsten coming back off world tour having just won her second consecutive world title, Dreya couldn’t have faced a tougher opponent in her opening heat.
“Kirsten was on top form, so unfortunately that’s where my run ended! I hadn’t seen her ride for a while so I think I spent as much time trying to watch her as concentrate on what I was doing! Kirsten then went on to win, so I didn’t feel too bad about that. It was great just to see everybody riding from Susi Mai to Petra Goeschl and Sonia Fishl . . . there were some great riders there.”
Dreya also spent time coaching the social girls on the intricacies of racing in a long-distance passage. Drawing on the experience of her world-record 135 mile crossing from Watergate Bay, Cornwall to Ireland, Dreya shadowed a group of girls making their first inter-island passage.
“It was a really fun thing to do; lots of girls would never get the chance to do a run like that because you need to have a boat with you, and for most people that is an impossibility,” said Dreya. “Coaching more advanced riders was really satisfying too; you can really see the improvement when you are coaching more proficient riders and often just a few tips can make a big difference.”
Along with the coaching and competition, a key element of the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey was engaging with the local community on Kadavu. The area is relatively undeveloped as a tourism destination and many of the Fijians had never seen kitesurfing before, so there was often a crowd of interested spectators watching from the beach.
Said Dreya: “It was really rewarding to be involved in an event where you can see a direct benefit to the local community. At a lot of competitions you can’t see the benefit to the people involved, because all the emphasis is on individual performances, but the Odyssey was based on a whole, as a team. There were competitions, but we also focussed on the environment, where we were. We were in quite a remote area and I would never have found a lot of these experiences without being taken there.
“I would like to say a massive thank you to all my sponsors: White Stuff, Flexifoil, Bradleys, Camelot Casino Slots and the Extreme Academy. Without their support I wouldn’t have been able to take part, and I got an awful lot out of this event. I made some fantastic new friends from all over the world so I’ve got loads more exotic locations to go and visit now.”
ENDS
Notes For Editors
Andreya Wharry is a former national and international Gladiators champion, wing-walker and world top ten kitesurfer. In September 2005 she set a world distance record by kitesurfing 134 miles from The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay in Cornwall, to County Waterford in Ireland - a feat that saw her recognised by National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of their Adventurers of 2005.
The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay is one of Britain’s leading venues for beach sports. Founded in 1999, the Extreme Academy comprises specialist schools for surfing, kitesurfing, waveski and mountainboarding; technical equipment hire; and the Extreme Store, stocking a wide range of clothing and technical equipment. The Beach Hut, newly refurbished and now located on the ground floor of The Extreme Academy, is well known as Cornwall’s coolest beach hangout, and a great place to eat.
The Hotel, Watergate Bay. After an extensive programme of refurbishment and a merger with the Extreme Academy, The Hotel, Watergate Bay offers an unique contemporary beach lifestyle on the north coast of Cornwall. Still family owned and run, The Hotel features a fresh modern look, AA Rosette dining and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Facilities include 70 bedrooms, two restaurants, two pools and a tennis court.
White Stuff, the fashion lifestyle clothing label, was founded in 1985. They currently have 35 White Stuff shops and over 100 wholesale outlets throughout the UK as well as a website and mail order business. The brand is definitely fashion for lovers not victims – and this is reflected in the relaxed styling, lovely detailing and discreet branding on their quality clothing. White Stuff customers are 25-40 ‘something’s’ who know the fashion trends but have their own sense of style.
Media Contact - PR on behalf of Andreya Wharry.
For more information and images contact: Jim Michell at Barefoot Media.
Telephone: +44 (0)1208 895089 Email: jim@barefootmedia.co.uk
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