Red Bull King of the Air is the premier big air kiteboarding competition featuring the best athletes from around the World. Riders are judged based upon the height of their jumps, variety of tricks, and style.[1]
The competition began in 2000 at Ho‘okipa, a beach known for windsurfing in Maui, Hawaii.[2] After an 8-year hiatus, the competition was relaunched in 2013 in Big Bay Cape Town, South Africa, where it has been held annually since.[3] The event is attended by over 7,000 people per day.[4] From 2018, the event was moved from Big Bay to Blouberg.[5] In 2021 the King of the Air was rescheduled to a November/December wind window due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the event has kept to these date since; originally the event ran in January/February.[6]
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Andrea Principi (ITA) | Lorenzo Casati (ITA) | Jeremy Burlando (ESP) | ||
| 2022 | Lorenzo Casati (ITA) | Jamie Overbeek (NED) | Andrea Principi (ITA) | ||
| 2021 | Marc Jacobs (NZ) | Kevin Langeree (NED) | Stig Hoefnagel (NED) | ||
| 2020 | Jesse Richman[7] (USA) | Nick Jacobsen (DEN) | Aaron Hadlow (UK) | ||
| 2019 | Kevin Langeree (NED) | Jesse Richman (USA) | Liam Whaley (ESP) | ||
| 2018 | Kevin Langeree[8] (NED) | Liam Whaley (ESP) | Lewis Crathern (UK) | ||
| 2017 | Nick Jacobsen (DEN) | Aaron Hadlow (UK) | Ruben Lenten (NED) | ||
| 2016 | Aaron Hadlow (UK) | Jesse Richman (USA) | Kevin Langeree (NED) | ||
| 2015* | Aaron Hadlow (UK) | Kevin Langeree (NED) | Jerrie van de Kop (NED) | Jesse Richman (USA) | |
| 2014* | Kevin Langeree (NED) | Ruben Lenten (NED) | Steven Akkersdijk (NED) | Andres Fourie (ZA) | |
| 2013* | Jesse Richman (USA) | Nick Jacobsen (DEN) | Sam Light (UK) | Youri Zoon (NED) |