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Competitions Legitimacy & Free Participation 24-3-2017
24 Mar 2016

Competitions Legitimacy & Free Participation 24-3-2017

Competitions Legitimacy & Free Participation

IFKO wishes to inform Kitesports Athletes, riders, brands, organizers, media, IFKO members, associations and all interested:

IFKO is an International Federation that is under a legal and official evaluation process for a new Sport recognition in the world – KITESPORTS. It is legally and properly registered and was created under official and specific instructions of SportAccord (IOC umbrella). This guidance is to be respected and our work of the Sport organisation is to be considered legal and official under this period. IFKO competitions and World Championships are the only Kitesports legal competitions in the world.

It was by being first official governing body of our Sport that applied for this recognition (since ever), that was accepted. In its last 2012 AGM, ISAF (now WS) registered the only Kite competition format that had interest “Formula Kite” in a “class” with specific rules, fins sizes and board formats. Only this competition format “Kiteboarding” is now to be respect as being Sailing.

IFKO registered all 17 Water, Land, Snow disciplines of our Sport including Freestyle, Kitewave, KiteFoil, SpeedKite, BigAir, Slalomkite, Boardercross, Straplesskite, etc that are to be strongly promoted and sanctioned in the world.

IFKO World Championships are not to be considered as “Prohibited Events” to WS because they are not Sailing or use Sailing Rules. It is a different Sport and all references or attempts to fake an overseen will be considered as financially damage and prejudicial to the organisation of our Sport. “Ika” events are also not Prohibited Events to WS because they are not Sailing or could be inside WS Competition Official calendar. Neither WS nor IFKO recognize those events!

Athletes (professional and amateurs) cannot be banned or have differential treat at any time without a legal justification. Banish/proscribe/segregate or unequal treatment is to be considered, beside not ethical and anti-sport, also a possible crime. Justice and fairness are most important in Sports. International Federations should be democratic non-for-profit organisations and not private companies (and everything this shows us to represent).

Athletes and Riders are not to suffer from bad information of non-recognized private companies’ aggressive self-media/marketing strategies. Being what most important a Sport may have, all athletes are FREE to come compete for an official World Title and have an Athlete Committee to defend their interests. IFKO recommends not to support or help entities that creates fear by making hostage the will of compete.

Kitesports have its own identity and culture. All problems arising today came from some a small group of sailors that don’t understand that Kitesurf/Landkite/Snowkite will not be Sailing ever. We are many, we have acrobatics in our genes.. and surfing waves.. and do crazy stunts, Big air megaloops, fly over iced hills.. not Sailing… ever… it would not work for our Kite!

       For your own interest help your Sport and not other Sport. Be part of IFKO!

KiteNews.fr - "Exclusive interview of Diogo Paes Fernandes, president of the IFKO"
18 Jan 2016

KiteNews.fr - "Exclusive interview of Diogo Paes Fernandes, president of the IFKO"

Exclusive interview of Diogo Paes Fernandes, president of the IFKO

http://www.kitenews.fr/exclusive-interview-of-diogo-paes-fernandes-president-of-the-ifko/

The kitesurf crosses an unprecedented international crisis! THE IKA is questioned by certain organizers who decided to create a Hydrohydrofoil Tourin parallel of KiteFoil Gold Cup, the conflict IKA / VKWC reached its paroxysm with the announcement of two different world champions in freestyle and the IFKO (international federation of kitesurf) was born and positions in all the disciplines as the inescapable authority.

For kitenews.fr, Portuguese Diogo Paes Fernandes, president of the IFKO, was kind enough to explain that was this international federation by answering our questions:

Diogo Paes Fernandes : The sports with kite are going through very large changes that are reflected in the emergence of new aspects of the Sport, material development, in the official Sport structure/organization, and its competition.

IFKO is the International Federation of Kitesports that is occupying an empty place since many years in the official and autonomous process of recognizing a new Sport, democratically giving back to practitioners and athletes and rest of the community, the destiny of Kite.

For the global Kite community interest, we need to climb all the stairs. Only then we can come up with a credible Olympic candidacy or to the real development of all disciplines of Kitesports with real appreciation and respect for their athletes and practitioners.

Much has been done, much has been hidden, much has been repressed without respecting the own identity and the common interest of the Kitesports. Kite is not Sailing nor will ever become! Possibly, only greedy people don’t realize that this is already a cultural issue.

ISAF regulates Sailing Sport, does not regulate Kitesports. Disagreements that exist are because few are the ones that bother themselves to increase the deep of their knowledge about what’s officially and not. And many are the ones into believing what they read coming from entities with no official recognition that may invent and subvert the truth for their self-interest.

Truth is that IKA is an entity with lack of transparency ruled without democracy pretending a position it never had. This way, they tried to make Kite identified as “racing”, put “Kiteboard racing” inside ISAF …in a very questionable process itself. Also, organizers of events, industry associations and sponsors do not rule/regulate a Sport, nor should try to do so, for their own profit interests in time.

A sport is a Sport when officially has its own International Federation (IF). One for each Sport. Kitesports alone are already a sport too complex to be just a discipline of another Sport. The IFKO is the legal and neutral platform that is available to all Kite organizations to associate it and giving it strength as regulator of Kitesports in the world. Being an International Federation is not a name, it is a status! Being a Sport is not the same of being other sport discipline. Different status here!

Kitesports have reached massiveness and won their own energy, lifestyle, media, industry and requirements as any other Sport that already exists. We need our own self-determination to see it grow with dignity, prestige and recognition like it deserves.

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kitenews.fr : What is IFKO?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : IFKO is the shortcut of “International Federation of Kitesports Organisations” that is an “International Federation” (IF) …and this is not just a name, it´s a statute. ISA, the International Surfing Association, is an IF. Only IFs are governing bodies of Sports, one IF per Sport. A sport is officially a Sport when has its own IF. IFKO is now the governing body of Kitesports.

As any other IF or entity of the World of Sports it´s legally constituted as a non-for-profit association, meaning this, with real associative constitution and non-profit, NOT a “private company”.

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kitenews.fr : What is a “non-for-profit organisation”?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : It´s about money: It´s an organisation that, not being a “private company”, does not have the objective of making profits for itself (and owners). All the money that is surplus, in the end of the year, MUST be distributed. How? The General Assembly decides by fair principles, voted by National Associations (one country = one vote). Profits and its possible greediness of some does not rule a Sport.

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kitenews.fr : Why was created?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : As an IF, IFKO was created to unite all the organisations of Kitesports to, together, manage our Sport and protect our own community interests. An IF exists to serve its Sport community and to be its reference under the values of the Olympic Movement.

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kitenews.fr : What does IFKO bring that is new for Kitesports?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : IFKO brings for the first time in the history of Kitesports the official identity as a New Sport, self-management, and official status to decisions, bringing rights and direct funds to National Associations … and to Athletes, the main priority of any IF.

Brings the end of few people pretending that manage our Sport. Now the Kitesports community has a correct and neutral platform (IF) to be able to be managed for itself and decide its own future, not by another Sport community and/or persons.

Transparency, fairness, impartiality, protection and identity are the values brought by IFKO.

 

kitenews.fr : Who are the Members?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : The Full-members are the National Authorities, Kite associations or federations, one per country, that are the ones that can vote in General Assemblies Meetings (AGMs once a year). With the IFKO international structure axis settled, National Associations will negotiate directly with their country sport government representatives and become National Federations, meaning national authorities of a Sport. This brings law benefits and funds.

International organisations can be Organisation-Members that cannot vote in AGMs but can bring ideas and propositions to be voted, also part of the structure.

The membership of Members is 200USD per year.

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kitenews.fr : Who is the IFKO Team?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : Each new IFKO-Member is invited to integrate one or two heads to be part of the Working Committees. The goal is to have plurality in international IFKO Team. Who are the faces of the IFKO Team is not relevant. Important is that all are Kiteriders and love their Sport. Important is their functions, competences, experience and their selflessly contribution.

kitenews.fr : How is the IFKO work organized inside?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : The Committees are working teams, under specific thematic that study, work and take decisions. Decisions taken, each Committee Director gives the document to the General Director and, if it is ready, sends it to the Council. The Council approves it, signs it and the document is ready for the AGM approval, the official stage of any IF. The General Assembly Meeting (AGM) is the supreme organ of IFKO decisions with its minutes.

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kitenews.fr : What is the relation with IKA, ISAF and WKT?

Diogo Paes Fernandes :

About IKA:

IFKO still didn´t invite IKA to be an Organisation-Member because 2 reasons: the first because, under a small investigation about “public entities” provided generally by Countries governments, we could not confirm the existence of a “non-for-profit association” with that name anywhere, which would make sense with its “sport structure” self-denomination. Only non-for-profit organisations are allowed to be structures of the World of Sports. Companies are not. Companies have “owners” and not “AGMs” with power to vote of “members”. Nor even studying documents we could define clearly the legal nature of IKA. So IFKO needs to clarify this legal point, before an invitation.

The second reason is that we still had no time to find the best diplomatic way to make the invitation to an entity that all these years claims to be a “governing body” of a sport and “gives” Titles to Athletes without being an IF (and never tried near SportAccord). Also Mr.Mirco Babini, when asked about IFKO by Kitenews.fr was not very correct and made some kind of self-isolation to “IKA”.

After the study of minutes of AGMs of ISAF (which official stages are every 4 years) IKA (or company with other name?) has a positioning in Kiteboarding as a IKA Formula Kite discipline Competition Organizer, that is reflected in some of its heads working inside a Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Committee. IKA so is an entity to whom ISAF, the IF of the Sport Sailing, gives the right of co-organizing Championships of Formula Kite discipline as our understanding.

Even so “IKA” can be proposed to IFKO Organisation-Membership, that I would gladly defend, but it is not my decision, it´s a decision for IFKO-AGM. I say gladly because, even not being a structure mainly made by Kiteriders and not quite legally transparent, “IKA” has a value in the work provided to Kiteriders organizing events these past years before IFKO. IKA is welcome and defended for its interests inside IFKO.

About ISAF:

I, as the president of IFKO, formally informed Mr.Carlo Croce, (Director of ISAF) by letter the IFKO creation and explain the will of self-determination for Kitesports, with “CC” to Mr.Thomas Bach, the President of IOC, to whom also a letter was sent informing the creation of the IF of Kitesports. This was done in order to inform and avoid any rivalry issue with the Sport of Sailing as already was developing this only discipline “IKA Formula Kite” before IFKO was created (IF of all Kitesports). IFs are friends and sometimes have to work together because they share Athletes. For example, if Kite Athletes want to go to the ISAF IKA Formula Kite World Championship, and go to the IFKO discipline of Hydrofoil World Championship, we IFs together must combine not colliding dates and help the participation of Athletes.

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kitenews.fr : What do tou think about WKT, ex-VKWC, ex-PKRA, ex-PKT:

Diogo Paes Fernandes : This entity has a lot of value to the community and competitions however never could and cannot give Titles because is not an IF.

ISAF “Special status” is just a figure that I personally don’t understand how it fits in the World of Sports or to be given in a Sport this IF doesn’t rule. ISAF does not give rights to organize World Championships, competitions or to give Titles of a Sport they don’t rule. IFKO will respect and support this IF for its only Kite discipline named Kiteboarding with its 3 only registered competition formats “Ika-Formulakite” “Ika-open” and “Ika-twintip racing”.

Titles and Podiums are sacred for the World of Sports, and, in my personal point of view should not be promoted to frivolous use by companies or posted as official Titles when they are not.

When an event is not correctly presented to the Athletes something fraudulent is being given to them, the Heroes of any Sport, and to their sponsors.

Also would be interesting to find out who are the shared owners or investors of former PKRA-WKT, GKA, KiteBrands, KitePatents because we would like to know if there is, or not, conflict of interests in opposition with the values of impartiality and fairness.

WKT should be proposed for an IFKO-Organisation-Membership and ask IFKO for the right of co-organize World Championships. The informal invitation to one of those transversal owners was already made in middle 2015, but making “competitions” with ISAF with no official Titles involved and non-legal sport recognition was preferred (for Freestyle and Kitewave). Probably there is a why, but we don´t know it, just imagine.

WKT is precious to the Kitesports promotion and organization structure and is most welcome inside IFKO.

IKA and WKT as events co-organizers should share points in IFKO World Championships, as organisations that want the same success for athletes and sponsors. Both are bigger inside IFKO.

Both “IKA” and WKT are welcome inside IFKO, we all as KITE should be united and everyone will gain.

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kitenews.fr : What are the Olympic goals of IFKO?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : As any other Sport, IFKO can decide in AGM if and what discipline/s is/are to be built as candidate/s to the Olympic Games. This decision is to be taken between Kite National Associations in AGM between all IFKO Kite Disciplines, and not inside an internal IF meeting, voted among Sailing disciplines/associations/committees where just few representatives’ persons of an entire community are present.

The existence of an IF brings the power of decision, the self-management, made as community. The creation of IFKO was made already with the required standards to be recognized by IOC in the future. To be a Sport the first recognition is SportAccord´s, not IOC, as many think, and as Mr Mirco Babini and Mr Markus Schwendtner (maybe) do not know.

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kitenews.fr : Who is invited to be part of Kitesports future?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : National Associations (or Federations) to be Full-Members and Kite International Organisations to be Organisation-Members. IFKO is to protect their interests but National Authorities have always priority in case of conflict of interests.

Athletes have a special place for them inside the IFKO: the Athletes Committee, to receive any suggestion, complaint, and idea, anything (with confidentiality if required) … and bring it to the attention of AGMs decisions.

The main priority of IFKO, as any IF, is the Athlete.

IFKO is Home for any kind of Kiterider, any kind of Kite-International Organisation and all the National Associations.

kitenews.fr : What is the relation with International Competition?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : As the Titles of Champions and the sanctioning of World championships only can be made by IFs, IKA cannot and never could give Titles or sanction competitions (ISAF yes, only for their Kiteboarding 3 racing formats) because it is not an IF. IKA can co-organize World championships under IFs umbrellas.

WKT/VKWC versus IKA mess and wars are not good for the Sport and for Athletes revealed some arrogance and clearly that someone lost their head and values.

Every organisation has its own place in the community of Kitesports, just have to understand what it is and correctly/responsively act accordingly.

IFKO will publish 2016 World Championships Calendar of Kitesports in the end of January. Mr Olivier Mouragues, the Technical Director of the Competition Committee and the Committees Teams are working hard on this building. Team is naturally growing.

IFKO does not organize “Tours”, IFKO organizes World Championships of Kitesports with co-organizers (or not). Also National Authorities can organize stages of World Championships, under IFKO umbrella: IFKO sanctioning.

Brands, Companies, City-Halls, Local Clubs, Schools etc., can be co-organizers or sponsors of the organizers: IFKO or National Authorities.

The construction of our Sport has started. And every Kiterider is called to be part. Joining to your National Association and vote decisions democratically is a very helpful start.

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kitenews.fr : What is a Title? What are the implications of a Title to the Kite Athletes?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : When the Athlete wins a place in the Podium or a good place on the World ranking, that fact is provided as a document to the Athlete by the IF. The Athlete with that document takes the Title home and shows it to his National Authority and this is when Sport glues with civil laws because the Athlete will have access to special rights, funds and protection, provided by its Country government. This only can be triggered for the Athlete when there is an IF for the Sport and his National Associations is IFKO Full member.

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kitenews.fr : What are the IFKO Kitesports Disciplines?

Diogo Paes Fernandes : Please visit www.ifkitesports.org. IFKO registered 17 disciplines of Kitesports. All are to be developed equally.

Hydrofoil is one of them, like Freestyle and Wave. Hydrofoil is Kite and not an evolution of Formula (!). Formula is a well-defined Discipline by its IF (ISAF), with a very precise gauge (and limited size of fins). Formula Athletes are Sailors now. Hydrofoil Athletes are Kiteriders, like Freestyle Athletes and Wave Athletes. Different Disciplines of different IFs.

IFKO 2016 General Assembly will be at Muchaxo Hotel, Guincho, Cascais, Portugal 12th&13th March. All interested, please contact Mr François Collin that will preside the Meeting – kitesports@ifkitesports.org.

To go further, the Kite community needs to know its exact positioning, otherwise someone can take advantage on this and make wrong irreversible way choices for us. Look at Windsurf destiny, go and study the ISAF minutes, and see ISAF meetings decisions to development submissions to other Windsurf formats that are not Olympic: “not approved”. Think about it!

IFKO started to officially build from the beginning our Sport as any other New Sport under the World of Sport regulations, building all steps of concrete recognition, to give us our own self-determination.

Kitesports community must be united now.

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

Sailing Anarchy.com"lies, fear, threats, blackmail and abuse"
05 Feb 2016

Sailing Anarchy.com"lies, fear, threats, blackmail and abuse"

lies, fear, threats, blackmail and abuse

As seems more and more common lately when it comes to ISAF and the regulation of the sport, the more you dig, the uglier it gets, and so it has gone with our reporting on the International Federation of Kitesports Organizations and its battle for survival against the might of World Sailing and its delegate, the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA). 

IFKO was formed by French and Portuguese kite associations to specifically address the governance of the 90% of kiteboarding that wasn’t neatly sucked up by ISAF and the IKA under the guise of ‘sail racing’, and with kiting on the agenda when the IOC has their big meeting in Rio this summer, never has control of kiteboarding been more important than now. 

We find the reason for IKFO’s creation compelling, and they’re saying all the right things in public, so we asked them to bring us up to speed on the situation.  Sofia Guerreiro, IKFO’s Director General, responded, and rather than losing her written flavor, we largely left her response ‘as is’:

Yes, IFKO is a real and official organization! Legally registered on the Notary, on the Justice Ministry, with a number of registrations, with sport statutes and all parameters created by the rules of the World of Sports under the direct guidelines of SportAccord.  IFKO intends to give Kitesports its own self-determination as an independent Sport! We are kiteriders, we are not sailors or tennis players. We have our own culture, identity and our own athletes!

Last week’s IKA press release and statement, like any other in the past, is their style move. They have no legal authority, but they try to push people into believing it and fake it.   IFKO simply applied like any other new sport for recognition at SportAccord. After SportAccord’s analysis of our process and legitimacy, we decided to open a platform to start the recognition process. Now ISAF and IKA will have to deal with it and with what they have done in the past!

In 2012, ISAF’s AGM registered one single discipline “IKA Formula Kite” in a self-named “Kiteboarding Committee”.  None of the other 17 kiting  disciplines were registered, and therefore SportAccord recognized the legitimacy of IFKO to apply for recognition of a new sport, bringing together members of those other 17 disciplines and achieving the Full Membership thereafter.

IN DETAIL:

- IFKO does not recognize IKA authority anywhere, nor will we engage in bad vibe discussions with this private company

- IFKO recognizes ISAF as the IF of the sport: Sailing;

- IFKO is the IF of the sport: Kitesports;

- Last AGM of ISAF was in 2012;

- Only IFs AGMs are official stages, so any decision taken, meetings or whatsoever taken in the middle are internal affairs (we do not have to respect it or even read it);

- ISAF legal reach of actions is written in 2012 AGM minutes, where the only discipline registered was “IKA-Formula-kite”;

- IKA is an undefined structure of ISAF, not recognized by SportAccord or IOC;

- IKA company can only work under official decisions settled at last ISAF AGM 2012; saying different is not legal.

- IKA and ISAF would be right to complain if IFKO used the Racing Rules of Sailing or any other property of ISAF, and/or if IKFO organized ‘IKA-Formula Kite’ competitions as registered by IKA.  IKFO does not do either of these things.

- IKFO does not care if IKA tries to make Formula-Kite in the Olympics.  IKFO has 17 disciplines of kitesports to develop and will focus on that.

MORE:

- “IKA”, the legal figure “association” with the name “international kiteboarding association” does not exist, this name doesn’t legally exist;

- IKA said in their “AGM” openly that they are a private company registered in Gibraltar with the name “Kitesports LTD”;

- Private companies have owners, and share holders, do not have “associates”;

- Private companies are made for money self profits objectives and therefore will not have the kiteriders’ interests as their first objective. Profit motives can help explain the motivation behind IKA’s threats to riders and judges and IKA’s goals over the past four years.

- We cannot find any legal contract between Ika and Isaf in the public minutes of Isaf. Is it secret? Who signed it? What does it says? Does it exist?

AND:

- IFKO will not use World Saling Rules, officials or whatsoever sailing stuff – that was something decontextualised and absurd said by new WS/Isaf CEO ;

- IFKO uses Kite rules, Kite directors, Kite identity dynamics, and our own sport identity to our competitions;

- IFKO does not ban Athletes that is blackmail, VERY wrong and ANTI-SPORT;

- SO IKA/ISAF IS BANNING ATHLETES OF COMPETITIONS THEY DO NOT HAVE LEGAL RIGHT TO ORGANIZE!

ABOUT IFKO:

- Our process of recognition of a new sport was accepted by SportAccord and now is opened to receive our reports to build it; - IFKO just gets “recognition” after a proper stage of building (World Championships, WADA compliance, youth anti-doping seminars, actions of equality for women, actions for disabled Athletes, etc.);

- It is supposed we organize Worldchampionships because SportAccord demands reports of it, to submit evaluation if are being properly organized by Olympic movement standards;

- We have guidelines to prepare the process already with standards to Kitesports be able of recognition by IOC.

RESUMING:

- IFKO will not officially answer IKA’s threatening letter, IFKO has no duties to this private company;

- Our letter to the ISAF CEO is ready and may be public soon,

- Actually, if ISAF continues to threaten our riders and judges, it will help our argument to SportAccord.

- We believe IKA is engaging in fear tactics, trying to scare athletes at the moment of registration not do it, because they could have fear of IKA’s procedures.  The spread of fear is unacceptable.

- IKA strategies to our community always were, are, and will be lies, fear, threat, blackmail and abuse…and the most incredible is that community is believing it for years. IKFO does not accept it, and supports the end of secrets and back room deals.  Sport should be transparent, with decisions made democratically between representative national associations.

It´s time to for IKA to prove that it: 1st -exists?, 2nd- have any authority in what?, 3rd- has legal connection/contract with ISAF, made when? Who signed it? What was signed for us all? Where are these papers that should be public documents? Are they hidden or do they even exist?

Why during these 5 to 8 years the Kite community had no access to public documents decided by IKA?

Even more irregular: if ISAF bans Riders from other sport competitions, why is selling “special statutes” to others (and not only for WKT) to organize competitions??

ISAF seems to “sell” world championships: to WKT, to IKA and someone told us there is a 3rd client soon. Amazing. (it does not matter if they are going to court with each other, important is to sell and pretend you have the authority to sell it) (By the way ISAF is also a private company and not a non-for-profit association, as SportAccord membership demands and demanded to IFKO).

All this is why the Portuguese and the French associations joined energies: to give Kitesports a fair chance inside Sport correct values to be regulated by itself and not to be submitted to this subversion and disorder that damage athletes and sport.

Kitesports wants to take the way Surf did, we all kiteriders should join in community and just follow the correct path other sports already did. IFKO is working against this sailing fake fear campaign that, even totally agreeing with IFKO, is keeping many national associations quiet and still.

Yes we have our wallet ready and a team of lawyers and sporting specialists. Now it’s up to the President.

-Sofia

http://sailinganarchy.com/2016/02/05/lies-fear-threats-blackmail-and-abuse/

 

INVITATION TO PRESS CONFERENCE - SNK
17 Mar 2016

INVITATION TO PRESS CONFERENCE - SNK

BY: SNK - Sports Nautiques & Kite, IFKO Member

PLACE: Au Grand Narbonne, 12, Boulevard Frédéric Mistral 11100 Narbonne, France

DATE: 5th April 2016, 11h00

TO: Organizers, Sponsors, Riders

IFKO will be present.

Please confirm presence to: infohamon@gmail.com

FIRST IFKO HONORARY MEMBER  - MR. BRUNO LEGAIGNOUX
17 Mar 2016

FIRST IFKO HONORARY MEMBER - MR. BRUNO LEGAIGNOUX

IFKO has the honor to announce its First Honorary Member:

Mr.Bruno Legaignoux.

"First" it is also a well applied word to such special Kiterider.

“ I wish long life to the long-awaited IFKO and will see to it that this federation be and stay a truly democratic body.” Bruno Legaignoux

Thank you for your support and Welcome!

Page 2 of 2

IFKO

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