The International Kiteboarding Association sets out its proposal for Brisbane 2032: retain the Men’s and Women’s Formula Kite Events and select new equipment focused on affordability, durability and wider accessibility.
Formula Kite’s Olympic future can build on the athletes, national programmes and youth pathways already established around the world. IKA’s proposal combines that foundation with a simpler one-design equipment approach designed to support the next stage of the discipline’s development.
A concrete proposal for Brisbane 2032
In a letter addressed to World Sailing Council Members, the Board and Member National Authorities, IKA President Spyros Krotsis sets out a distinct alternative for the Olympic programme:
Retain the Men’s and Women’s Formula Kite Events, with new equipment selected within those Events.
This approach follows the route provided by Regulation 11.5(a)(iii), which allows an existing Event to be retained while new Equipment is selected.
IKA proposes a simpler one-design equipment package, with affordability, durability and wider accessibility as priorities. The aim is to strengthen Formula Kite while building on existing investment in athletes, coaching and national development programmes.
An established Olympic discipline with room to evolve
Formula Kite made its Olympic debut at Paris 2024. Its speed, athletic skill and visually distinctive racing provide a strong foundation for further development.
Selecting new equipment offers an opportunity to address recognised challenges within the established Events. IKA’s position is that this route deserves a transparent assessment against the same criteria applied to any proposed replacement.
A decision supported by comparable evidence
The current committee recommendation proposes replacing Formula Kite with Wingfoil Freefly-Slalom. The Joint Final Report also acknowledges unresolved questions concerning wingfoil’s reliability in lighter winds, equipment maturity and international pathways. Its intended cost benefits remain uncertain until the equipment and provision model are determined.
These questions matter when comparing the value and delivery risks of the available options for 2032. The assessment should also account for the transition required of athletes and MNAs, alongside the potential benefits of reforming Formula Kite.
An explicit choice for decision-makers
IKA’s letter calls for retention with new equipment to be explicitly assessed and included as a distinct voting option before recommendations are finalised.
Retaining Formula Kite with new equipment is a concrete proposal for Brisbane 2032. The outcome must be determined by an informed choice, not by the omission of an alternative.
Watch the video above and read the President’s full letter below.
