WATCH: Will Umhlanga-born kitesurfer, Josh Emmanuel, be titled King of The Air?

After COVID-19 made it hard for sport to take place on a global scale, we are delighted to witness more and more sports tournaments and games reemerge. 

One of our very own Umhlanga resident, Joshua Emmanuel, is a kitesurfer competing in the Red Bull King of The Air tournament 2021. We were able to get on a call with him earlier to chat about how far he is from taking the crown. 

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You might be curious what the sport kitesurfing looks like. Emmanuel shared that it contains a range of disciplines from racing, technical tricks and huge jumps. 

What draws the crowds is the varying glides in the sky - these high jumps have the audience gasping at the acrobatics the kiteboarders are able to perform in the air. 

Unfortunately, there will be no spectators allowed this year due to the SA government’s COVID-19 protocols and restrictions, but there will still be an opportunity to watch Emanuel and other kitesurfers live on Red BullTV.

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He shared how he got into the sport and how far he has gone in the competition thus far. The Red Bull King of The Air tournament will be taking place from 18 November 2021 to 3 December 2021. 

If you are a young athlete looking to get into kitesurfing then have a look at what it takes. Here's an incredible video of Joshua Emmanuel doing his thing in the sky and on the water: 

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You can follow Joshua Emmanuel's journey on his Instagram. 

You can also find the rest of the competition here. 

As he competes in this competition once again this year, we hope a South African can be The King of The Air. 

Main Image Courtesy: @joshu_emanuel_