KiteClash was a kiteboarding competition that took place in either July or August at Squamish Spit which is about an hour’s drive from Vancouver.

If you enjoy kiteboarding, or at least like to watch it, KiteClash would be the event to attend!

NOTE: KiteClash hasn’t happened for a number of years, not since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Squamish Spit (where the event took place) has been removed. The event consequently is unlikely to take place again. Exact details, however, are to be confirmed.

KiteClash Kiteboard Competition

KiteClash was a full-weekend event that included the Canadian Freestyle Championships, Open International Freestyle Competition, Kitercross and Big Air Challenge.

At the event you would enthralled by beautiful views of the Sea to Sky region, colourful kiteboard sails, and watersport athletes flying across the water and high into the air.

KiteClash was the country’s biggest and most important competition of its kind and, when it ran, attracted top kiteboarders from around the world.

The dates for KiteClash, when it happened, were dependent on tidal conditions and they consequently varied each year. The event usually happened on a weekend in either July or August. In 2020 it was going to run from the Thursday to Sunday of August 27th to 30th, before it was cancelled due to COVID-19. The event was again cancelled in 2021. At the time of writing, 2022 competition dates and details were to be confirmed.

About KiteClash

KiteClash was the Canadian Freestyle Kiteboarding Championships. It was a big event, but, surprisingly, not a huge one. In our opinion, it was actually one of the Lower Mainland’s least well-known yet most spectacular events to watch.

The kiteboarding competition attracted over 70 top athletes and around 1,000 spectators. The event was free for spectators, full of action, at a stunning location and highly recommended!

Kiteboarding is the sport where athletes stand on a board, hold onto a giant parachute-like kite and get pulled by the wind. Expert kiteboarders travel across the water at incredible speeds and can soar high into the air when they want to fly.

Event Venue

KiteClash used to take place at Squamish Spit which is a strip of land 15-minutes southwest of the town of Squamish which is about an hour’s drive from Vancouver up the Sea to Sky Highway.

Squamish Spit was one of Canada’s top venues for kiteboarding, which made this an especially impressive event.

Directions to Squamish Spit

Heading up from Vancouver, from the Sea to Sky Highway, turn left onto Cleveland Avenue towards downtown Squamish. Then turn right onto Bailey Street (and keep right). After a kilometre or so Bailey becomes Government Road.

Continue on Government Road until Spit Road and then turn right and then left. At the end of Spit Road, which can also be called Squamish River Dyke Road in parts, is Squamish Spit.

From the McDonald’s restaurant at 38451 Cleveland Avenue (at the corner of Cleveland and the highway), Squamish Spit is about seven kilometres or a 15-minute drive away.

KiteClash

In 2020 KiteClash was scheduled to take place from August 27th until August 30th. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, however, it was cancelled.

Below was the schedule of events in 2019. At the time of writing, the 2022 schedule was to be confirmed. (Note: Times and other details were subject to change and were weather and wind dependent.)

Thursday, August 22nd, 2019

Amateur and Junior Events

• Competition categories included Men’s and Women’s.

Friday, August 23rd, 2019

7th Annual Canadian Freestyle Championships

• Competition categories included Men’s, Women’s, Masters’ (ages 35+) and Juniors (ages 17 and under). 11:30 am was the approximate start time.

Twin Tip Slalom Cross (Preliminary Eliminations)

• Open Men’s and Open Women’s categories. 3:00 pm was the approximate start time.

Saturday, August 24th, 2019

Open International Freestyle

• Categories included Men’s, Women’s and Juniors’ (ages 17 and under). 11:30 am was the approximate start time.

Big Airstyle Competition

• Categories included Men’s and Women’s. 3:00 pm was the approximate start time (weather and wind conditions permitting).

Sunday, August 25th, 2019

Big Airstyle Competition (Finals)

• Categories included Men’s and Women’s. 11:30 am was the approximate start time.

Twin Tip Slalom Cross Finals

• Open Men’s and Open Women’s categories. 3:00 pm was the approximate start time.

Parking and Shuttle Service

Squamish Spit is not a big place and 1,000 people is a lot for the area. Therefore, to help minimize congestion, a shuttle service was provided to and from the venue.

The Backcountry shuttle usually ran between Backcountry Brewing (at 405-1201 Commercial Way) and Squamish Spit all day every 30 minutes from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Both kiteboarding participants and spectators were encouraged to park at Backcountry Brewing and use this service. Kiteboarding equipment was permitted on board. (Note: To get to Backcountry Brewing, attendees could turn off the highway at Commercial Way instead of at Cleveland.)

In previous years a second shuttle service was the Vista Vehicle which did hitch-hike-style pick-ups every 15 minutes or so along Spit Road on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm. Users of this service were asked to park their vehicles north of the final yellow gate. At the time of writing, 2022 details were to be confirmed.

KiteClash Video

To give you an idea of what to expect at KiteClash, should this event return again, check out this video which was filmed at the event a few years ago. As you’ll see, the kiteboarders can fly pretty impressively high!

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips, suggestions and extra information to help you make the most of your KiteClash experience.

TIP #1: Spit Road is a gravel road. Don’t wash your car just before going to KiteClash if planning to drive close to the venue.

TIP #2: Use the shuttle service from Backyard Brewing if you can – it’ll save you getting lots of dust on your vehicle from the dirt road at Squamish Spit. It will also be easier to find parking.

TIP #3: If staying until the very end, have patience! Hundreds of other people will be lining up for the shuttle bus along with you!

TIP #4: If you don’t want to rely on the shuttle service, and if you have bikes that you can strap onto your vehicle, consider driving to Spit Road, parking there, and, instead of waiting for the Vista Vehicle to pick you up (assuming it’s being offered should this event return in the future), ride your bike to the venue. It’s not too far and it’s flat all the way.

TIP #5: If you like trains, consider dropping by the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. It’s located at 39645 Government Road which is just a 10-minute or  five-kilometre drive from Squamish Spit. You’ll pass it on your right along the way.

TIP #6: Especially if it’s a hot sunny day, don’t forget sunscreen, sunglasses and a water bottle. You’ll probably also want a hat, although not one that’ll likely blow away in the wind.

TIP #7: Don’t forget to take your camera, especially if you have friends who’ll be competing. Spectators are right by the action, so photo shots and video results can be excellent.

TIP #8: Food is available for purchase at the venue, as are “adult” beverages. If you look under 30 years of age, don’t forget to take ID.

KiteClash Sponsors

When running, KiteClash was made possible by the support of a number of sponsors including Solterra and CORE. Vancouver’s Best Places was also proud to be a sponsor of the event and we hope to continue the sponsorship should this event return in the future.

Solterra was the competition’s biggest sponsor and it’s a Vancouver-based developer. The other main sponsor was CORE which is a sporting goods company specializing in kites and boards.

Other Information

See the KiteClash Facebook page for more information on the event.

Other events you might be interested in include the following:

• Metro Vancouver Canada Day Events (which take place the weekend before).
• Squamish Farmers Market – a weekly market in downtown Squamish on Saturdays.
• Squamish Wind Festival – an arts festival in July.
• Carnaval del Sol – a large Latin Festival in either July or August in Vancouver.
• Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival – a lumberjack-themed community event on the first weekend in August.

For a list of other events throughout the Lower Mainland, check out our July Calendar of Events or Festivals & Events Calendar.