The appeal of the relatively new kiteboarding discipline of TwinTip:Racing (TT:R) Slalom for young athletes is underscored by the number of competitors who have travelled from all over the globe to battle for the Youth World titles in China. The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) TT:R Slalom World Championships—which also doubles as the final qualification event for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Argentina—sees 23 nations fighting for four spots in the boys’ division and 14 nations going after another four in the girls’ group on the tropical island of Hainan. For the 62 athletes all born between 2000 and 2003 the chance to land the remaining spots to compete for kiteboarding’s inaugural medals in Buenos Aires in October was an irresistible opportunity. The downwind TT:R slalom/boardercross format specially-developed for YOG to foster easy accessibility for young kiteboarders is proving a perfect springboard to high-end kite hydrofoil kiteracing competition among the athletes who have caught the racing bug. But on the second of five scheduled days of racing at the Youth Worlds the onshore breeze again failed to blow with sufficient consistency to allow any racing. But the forecast breezes for the closing three days appear good. For most of the …