Kitesurfing

For ENGIE, our reason for being – taking action to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions – is expressed through our partnerships, through our desire to take action and breathe life into this vision and to share it.

The Group has been supporting the discipline in France for nearly 15 years – mainly through two events: the ENGIE Kite Tour, a circuit that will feature four stages between June and November of this year, and the French Kitefoil Championships. Evidence that the discipline is gaining in popularity is the fact that it will feature in the Olympics the first time in 2024.

ENGIE has also been partnering France's first KiteFoil Championships since 2017. These are organised by the Fédération Française de Voile (French Sailing Federation), following a change in delegation in January 2017.

Furthermore, the Group is proud to have three ambassadors to help promote the discipline. Alex Caizergues, four-time world Kitespeed champion and current holder of the world kitesurf speed record (an average of 107.3 km/h over 500 m), Axel Mazella, three-time European titles champion and Vice World Champion, and Poema Newland, 2021 European champion and 2018 Olympic Youth Games Champion. The fact that the Group has supported kitesurfing for several years also reflects its policy of helping athletes, providing them with long-term support based on loyalty, a willingness to contribute to the growth of the discipline and high-level excellence.

ENGIE also supports the development of adaptive sport (handikite), and kitesurfing at all levels: talented young people in national competitions, as well as the general public.

The 2023 ENGIE Kite Tour

For the 15th consecutive year, ENGIE is the title partner of the leading Speed Crossing circuit in France – the ENGIE Kite Tour. The event was created by the French Sailing Federation back in 2004 and in just a few years has become a major fixture. Male and female kitesurfing enthusiasts of all ages and from all backgrounds – be they members of the France Team or amateurs – all assemble on the same starting line, regardless of their level or what kind of equipment they are using (foil, twin tip, directional or wingfoil).

The French Sailing Federation and ENGIE have been co-organising it since 2019, and it has become a major competition for promoting kitesurfing in France. Each stage on the ENGIE Kite Tour showcases a sporting spectacle, with each one taking place on the various beaches of the French coast.

In 2023, the circle will feature four stages, all staged between June and November, and all on French beaches: (dates and exact venues to be confirmed)

• Cap d’Agde (2 to 4 June) 
• Lorient-Gâvres (23 to 25 June) 
• Saint-Jean-de-Monts (6 to 8 October) 
• Saint Aygulf (Frejus) (10 to 12 November) 

During the course of these events, the numerous enthusiasts will be able to rub shoulders with the discipline's very best athletes, including Alexia Fancelli (3rd in the 2021 European Championships), Poema Newland (2021 European Champion and silver medallist in the 2018 Buenos Aires Olympic Youth Games), Lauriane Nolot (European Champion 2022 and World Vice-Champion 2022) and Axel Mazella (three-times European Champion in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and bronze medallist in the 2022 world kitefoil championships), Nicolas Parlier (winner of the 2022 ENGIE Kite Tour) and Benoit Gomez (2022 European Vice Champion). Needless to say world speed holder Alex Caizergues – four-times world speed champion and Group ambassador since 2009 – will also be there for the whole event.

Keep up-to-date with the whole competition by visiting the official ENGIE Kite Tour website.

Eco-responsibility on the ENGIE KITE TOUR

Through its “Un Geste Pour La Mer” programme, the ENGIE Foundation is supporting the Fondation de la Mer, further extending its commitments to protecting the environment. This involves supporting high-impact projects, being part of the collective Agenda 2030 effort and embodying ENGIE's mission statement.

To mark each stage of the ENGIE KITE TOUR, the Fondation de la Mer will be organising a waste collection initiative on the beach involving a class of schoolchildren and / or members of the general public. The purpose of this initiative – which is also in line with the FFVoile's CSR policy – is to raise people's awareness (starting with the youngest) of the importance of the environment so as to get as many people involved in protecting it.

At each village along the ENGIE KITE TOUR, ENGIE will be providing solar tents (a solution developed by HELIATEK). These will use solar power to supply electricity to certain areas within the village.

Windfoil and Kitefoil French Championships

ENGIE is also one of the partners of the French KiteFoil, Windfoil and Kitefreestyle Championships – a competition during which France’s championship titles go up for grabs every year.

In 2023, the competition will run from 23 to 29 October at La Franqui (Leucate). In 2022, Jessie Kampman, Lauriane Nolot and Alexia Fancelli won the women's events. Maxime Nochet meanwhile retained his French Champion title. Enzo Perez and Paul Labordère rounded off the podium.

World speed record for Alexandre Caizergues

On 13 November 2017, at Salt and Speed, an event held every year at the Salin-de-Giraud site in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône (Bouches-du-Rhône), kitesurfer Alexandre Caizergues, who has been supported by ENGIE since 2010, beat his own world speed record over 500 m: 57.97 kn, or 107.36 km/h (his previous 2013 record stood at 56.62 kn or 104.8 km/h). This performance helped the French kitesurfer – four-times world champion – to book his place in the history books of his sport. Already back in 2010, Alexandre Caizergues had become the first person to travel at faster than 100 km/h on water propelled solely by wind.