Kitesurf365: KOTA Fleet Reaction | The Megapod

Host: Adrian Kerr
Co-host: Colin Colin Carroll
Release Date: November 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Kitesurf365’s “The Megapod” dives deep into the controversy and complexities surrounding the 2025 Red Bull King of the Air (KOTA) fleet selection. Hosts Adrian Kerr and Colin Carroll debate the fairness, process, and backlash following the official announcement. They critically unpack the qualification system, discuss snubs of big-name riders, probe the selection of lesser-known entrants, and also highlight the exciting women's field. The tone is passionate, at times irreverent, and full of candid, sometimes conflicting, opinions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Is the Current KOTA Selection Damaging the Brand?

• Adrian immediately questions if the selection process harms the KOTA brand:

  "Is this damaging for the Cota brand to have selections like this?" (01:22, A)

• Colin suggests that controversy and debate may be beneficial, keeping the event relevant and dynamic.
• Both hosts agree that while some change is good, the current selection process is deeply flawed and opaque, leading to widespread frustration.

2. Breakdown of the Qualification System

• Red Bull claims to promote both elite athletes and developmental opportunities, but the current system feels contradictory.
• Fleet Composition:
  • Top 3 pre-qualified.
  • Qualifiers from results at major European events.
  • Remainder via video entries judged like a live heat, based on specific criteria (no drone, no POV, etc).
  • Controversy: Only 12 spots, no true "wild cards" issued this year (05:00, B).
  • Heavy dependence on video entry quality, judged by an 8-person panel, further complicated by lack of clear communication about qualification weight and criteria.
• Adrian’s Issues:
  • The qualification series only in Europe excludes global talent:

    "You're basically got a system that only favors European or European-based riders. That's why that system is not working." (06:46, A)

  • Calls to scrap pre-qualification, favoring a global points-based "tour" system.
  • Believes current rules cause strong riders to miss out unfairly, especially those outside of Europe.
  • Examples: Hugo Wigglesworth and Jamie Overbeek, both missing out despite consistently performing at the highest level.

3. Comparing and Justifying Selections — Or Not

• Some newcomers, especially French riders like Baptiste Jacquemin, are debated hotly. Adrian cannot "put a case together" for his selection (13:37, A).
• Both hosts review Baptiste’s and others' videos on air and find them lacking compared to omitted veterans:
  • Colin admits:

    "Those two video entries [Jamie & Hugo] are way stronger. Damn it. I can't. I'm meant to be bloody defending this." (15:10, B)

• Possible but unsubstantiated theories about sponsor "Duotone" athletes being favored, but both agree there's no evidence (16:04, B).
• The independent video selection process is subject to bias, recency effect, and inconsistencies.

4. The Cost of Excluding Big Names

• Setting: Jamie Overbeek, Finn Flugel, and Hugo Wigglesworth all missed out despite justified claims.
• Jamie’s omission:

  "Jamie’s one of the only people that could actually go the distance and could actually win it. He's one of the only people. And he might not even get to ride..." (19:28, B)

• Mark Jacobs’ omission:

  "Not just a semifinalist, also a former king. Yeah, yeah, he should have got a wild card, but his video was not good. Sorry, Mark. It was not." (37:26, B)

• Adrian fears this could demotivate committed athletes:

  "If you're going to start pissing off riders, riders will be like, well...do they care about the product enough that they don't give a shit about the riders?" (18:19, A)

5. The Women's Fleet: From "So Wrong to So Right"

• Hosts are enthusiastic about the high caliber and fairness of the women’s KOTA selection:
  • Francesca Manning, Mikaili Sol, Natalie Lambert, Prana, Svenja Peters, and Zara Hugenrad make up the six-woman field.
  • Lana Herman in reserve, coming off injury but looking strong.
• Colin and Adrian predict an exciting showdown, especially between Mikaili Sol and Svenja Peters:

  "The woman's fleet's awesome…It's sick." (24:02, B)

• Discussion on how wind conditions may affect competitiveness and whether fleet depth is deep enough for upsets.
• They raise the point that quick elimination rounds mean no slow start — women must be on fire from the first heat.

6. Solutions & Suggestions for the Future

• Both agree that the tour should move to a points-based, world-wide qualification system, similar to other professional sports:

  "I think that is the solution because the video entry has so many inherent problems with it." (31:16, B)

• Real-world constraints (location, budget, logistics) need to be considered, but current Europe-centric structure must change.
• The subjective nature of video evaluation is fundamentally flawed:

  "It's like even more subjective than the riding in the actual competition which is already too subjective. So it's kind of a disaster." (30:52, B)

• Acknowledgement that drama and emotion are part and parcel of professional sports and fan engagement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Drama and Sport:

  "Take away all the moaning and stuff like that, but that's what sports about, man. You know, professional sport brings emotions involved and that's why we like sport. That's why we do this, because we get emotional about it." (33:28, A)

• On Omissions:

  "No Aaron Hadlow or Marc Jacobs for the first time in 11 years." (37:07, B)

• On Conspiracy Theories:

  "Is Duotone a sponsor? I mean, I don't know, dude." (15:46, A),
  "Yeah, well, let's throw some conspiracies in there as well." (16:04, A)

• On the Women's Competition:

  "The woman's fleet's awesome…It's sick." (24:02, B)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Controversy over Fleet Selection: 00:00–05:00
• Qualification Process Breakdown: 05:00–07:00
• Pre-qualification vs. Points Tour Debate: 07:00–10:30
• Debate over Omitted Big Names: 10:30–13:37
• Evaluating Baptiste Jacquemin's Entry: 13:37–15:00
• Possible Sponsor Bias & Video Quality: 15:00–16:20
• Fairness and Communication: 16:20–18:19
• Wider Ramifications on the Sport: 18:19–19:28
• Classics: Past Controversial Picks & Fleet Evolution: 19:28–21:08
• Women's Fleet Analysis: 23:55–29:26
• Proposal for Points-Based System: 31:10–32:21
• Final Reflections & Predictions: 33:04–34:27
• Legacy Names Omitted (Hadlow/Jacobs): 37:07–38:25

Tone & Style

• Irreverent, passionate, and informal.
• Deeply invested in the wellbeing and growth of kiteboarding.
• At times, the hosts devolve into playful bickering, but always circle back to reasoned debate.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• The 2025 KOTA selection has caused real division among riders and fans due to persistent system flaws and lack of transparency.
• Key figures (Jamie Overbeek, Hugo Wigglesworth, Finn Flugel) were controversially left out; hosts argue these omissions hurt KOTA’s credibility.
• The women’s field is seen as a bright spot, promising exciting competition and growth.
• Both hosts advocate for a transparent, tour-based point system to replace opaque video selection.
• Despite the controversy, expectations remain high for a thrilling KOTA event—if not the very best possible fleet, at least one guaranteed to make headlines.

For more on this debate, check Kitesurf365’s upcoming Hugo Wigglesworth interview and stay tuned as Adrian and Colin cover ongoing changes and the competition itself.