After hosting the Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA) events two years in a row, Pingtan will strive to include kitesurfing as one of its most attractive features, Fujian Daily reported Monday.

A total of 122 kite riders from 30 countries and regions in the world participated in the Pingtan leg of the KTA tour from May 9 to 12. Dubbed the most interesting surface water sport, kitesurfing combines aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding and gymnastics into one extreme sport.

Kitesurfing entered the Chinese market late. The sport is most popular in Fujian. Pingtan and Xiamen are the two best places for the sport.

Pingtan is a perfect place for water sports, considering its water quality and an average wind speed of 6 degrees (39 to 50 kilometers per hour), said Neil Godbold, KTA's founding director.

Godbold also revealed that Pingtan is capable of hosting large international sports events. The KTA plans to launch a kitesurfing training base here.

Pingtan's kitesurfing events will boost cross-Straits communication. It should make use of the opportunity to develop the sport and build itself into an international kitesurfing training center, said Chen Zhonghe, deputy director of the Fujian Provincial Sports Bureau.

The infrastructure facilities have been greatly improved after three years of construction, creating better conditions for hosting large-scale international water sport competitions such as kitesurfing, said Gong Qinggai, director of the Pingtan administrative committee.

The Pingtan Kitesurfing Association (PKA) was established in April. Its missions include holding and organizing national and international games, as well as providing skills training and other services. Pingtan will be an important host for international kitesurfing events and a main training base for kite riders, said Di Dahui, the PKA's president.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai