Sep 12, 2022

KPL TEAM BATTLE!

The dust has settled, and the 2022 Kite Park League Team Battle is complete, and with it comes a new standard for competitive park riding. Although past contests such as the Triple S, Hood Jam, and other Kite Park League events have fostered progression and acted as a host to some of the greatest riding of its time, the collective quality and level of riding showcased in the Team Battle battle was unrivaled and embodied the potential of park riding's future projection. The riders, teams, videographers, photographers, editors, event staff, and everyone involved in the making and completion of the Team Battle delivered in full and have set the tone for the resurgence of the KPL tour.

After days of riding and hours of sorting clips and editing, the frenzy came to a close, and the efforts became encapsulated in a digital rendering. Thanks to the diligent effort of the editors, each team squeaked in their submissions just before the window shut on the entry deadline. While the performance exerted by those involved was nothing short of exceptional, the Team Battle would have been non-existent if it were not for the support of the event sponsors who helped materialize the vision. The Kite Park League would like to extend our sincerest gratitude towards Knot Future, Duotone, Slingshot, Cabrinha, Naish, Airush, Full Sail Brewing Company, EiR NYC, Klean Kanteen and Pistil Designs. Although the entire event staff worked diligently to curate the Team Battle contest, without the continued devotion of Joby Cook, the man behind the construction of the Slider Project's features, the park would be in shambles. Without further ado, we warmly welcome you to the premiere and awards ceremony. As teams and industry leaders flooded the party, Full Sail Brewing's finest beverages kept the crowd hydrated and morale high. When the sun finally faded, and the lights from the projector illuminated the screen, conversations ceased as jaws dropped to the floor and eyes became glued to the screen. The first video, Team Burgundy, which was drawn at random, set the bar high with a timeless display of quality riding, filming, and editing. However, Team Yellow rebutted at full strength, displaying an excellent variety of riding and editing, conveying the sheer competitiveness of this contest. The crowd smiled and cheered with amazement and support for each video, which continued to maintain a similarly astonishing caliber. Next up was Team Tan, whose video dropped the hammer and showcased an incredible display of team cohesion. Following Team Tan's video was Team Blue, who presented a pristine balance of both video creativity and technical riding. One of the greatest assets of the videos was the creative direction each team could embrace, making each video entirely distinct and a reflection of its individual team members. Rounding out the showing was Team Green, whose work ethic, riding mastery, and the video's fast tempo excited the crowd and left all the riders impressed. When the videos finished, the crowd erupted, and it was transparent that every rider was proud of the outcome of their videos, making the week's endeavors and the Team Battle formatting that much more meaningful. Once the initial excitement eased, the voting began. To make the contest as rider oriented and sincere as possible, the riders themselves voted for the team they believed produced the best video and deserved to claim the renowned Team Battle title. Along with the principal award granted to the best video, there are a handful of other awards allocated to specific portions of the event that were included in the rider-based judging panel. After the twenty-minute voting period closed and the riders submitted their votes, the time had come to crown the winning team. For the Hood River tour stop, we are proud to celebrate the collective efforts of Team Tan, your 2022 Kite Park League Team Battle champion. Without question, Team Tan logged the MTOB this week (Most Time on Board) and seized every opportunity to work as a group, while simultaneously producing the best riding and video for the Team Battle contest. Thank you all for following along and sharing in the glory of the Kite Park League's revival. This is only the beginning. Welcome back. Event results can be found below. 1st TEAM TAN Ewan Jaspan Jack Rieder Lauren Holman Ian Daly Chris Boyle.