ISLE FILE
Deleau, Mai capture kiteboarding titles

Advertiser Staff

Charles Deleau of France and Susannae Mai of the Dominican Republic won the freestyle kiteboarding divisions of the $20,000 Red Bull King of the Air event Saturday at Ho'okipa Beach on Maui.

Deleau, 25, solidified his victory with a double-spin, board-off fin grab some 30 to 40 feet in the air.

"For me, it's a dream to win here in the best American place there is for kiting," said Deleau, who beat out runner-up Mark Doyle of White Salmon, Wash.

Mai has been kiteboarding for only 1 1/2 years and competed at Ho'okipa for the first time.

"This event means a lot to kiteboarding, so for me to win was important," she said.

Sheldon Plentovich of Kailua, who was diagnosed with leukemia in January, finished runner-up.

"If someone had told me I'd be getting second at the King of the Air, there's no way I would have believed them," said Plentovich, whose leukemia is in remission. "I'm really happy to have finished second."

In the hang-time competition, Marcus "Flash" Austin of Maui was the men's winner with 7.29 seconds and Julie Gilbert of Maui led the women's field with 5.01 seconds.

Kiteboarding is a sport that uses a kite and blends surfing, wakeboarding and parasailing. The King of the Air competition is considered the most prestigious kiteboarding competition in Hawai'i.

GOLF

• Ting advances; Kimura does not: Desiree Ting, of Wailuku, Maui, shot an 8-over 79 yesterday but qualified for match play in the USGA Women's Mid-Amateur Championships at Hilton Head, S.C.

Ting had a two-round qualifying total of 155 to make the cut of 161.

Robin Burke, of Houston, led the field with 72—142.

Match play begins today with the top 64 players competing.

Elsewhere, Paul Kimura, of Kane'ohe, shot a 6-over 76 yesterday and failed to reach match play in the USGA Men's Mid-Amateur Championships at Wilmington, Del.

Kimura finished the two-round qualifying with 154 to miss the cut of 148.

Tripp Davis, of Norman, Okla., led with 66—137.