The First Big Air WindJam took over the shores of San Francisco from July 27 through the 29 in front of thousands of spectators and kite boarding enthusiasts.
9/13/2007 :: Over 50 kite boarders entered to compete at the Big Air Wing Jam where some of the top US riders and a contingency from around the world including Tahiti, Germany, Romania, and Norway. Two of Norway’s top guys: Sigve Botnen and Jørgen Andersen joined the event thanks to a sponsorship by The Norwegian Consulate General.
Confluent Entertainment was started by Arne Morkemo and Kristian Akseth, both Norwegian-Americans that grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Confluent has focused on producing action sports events in urban environments. In 2005 they produced a Big Air Ski Jump competition which covered 2 of San Francisco’s steepest streets in snow and invited top skiers and snowboarders from around the world to compete. For the last year they have been steadily working on the production of the inaugural Big Air WindJam kite boarding event. “We hope this becomes an annual event for San Francisco and aim to build on the energy and broad international participation we had this year. The San Francisco bay with its strong winds and scenic backdrops makes for an ideal venue for hosting Kite boarding events” says organizer Arne Morkemo.
“Knowledge gained from the event this year will make next year’s even better. Everyone had a great time, and Crissy Field proved to be a great venue for kite boarding events. There were a lot of firsts at the 2007 Big Air Windjam, but there were no lasts” says Morkemo.
Sigve Botnen is jumping in front of The Golden Gate bridge.