The Board and Team
Below are the people tasked with running the British Kitesports Association.
As referred to on the ‘Structure, Governance & Policies’ page, British Kitesports comprises the Board (elected from the membership by other members to determine overall strategy, values and objectives) and Service Providers (businesses that provide the day-to-day operational functions of the organisation.
The BKSA Board
Will Richardson
Chairman
Will is an avid kitesurfer and environmentalist. He is an impartial and non executive custodian of the association and has been in the role of chairman since 2013.
Andy Gratwick
Managing & Operations Director
Our MD and training guru, when it comes to kitesports if you don’t know Andy has the answer!
Sylwia Zeleszkiewicz
Non Executive Director
Was born in Poland, living in the UK since 2006. She says..
My passion for kitesurfing started in 2016, when my husband and I began our kite journey at Camber beach.
Since that day, we haven’t stopped much. My biggest goal is to motivate kitesurfers to join competitions and reassure them it’s doable and achievable
Phil Revill
Non Executive Director
Our land kiting expert and valued member of the team
Peter Stephens
Non Executive Director
With over 30 years of watersports and sports retail, experience Peter has been involved with Kitesurfing for nearly 25 years running events, schools and shops.
Dan Charlish
Non Executive Director
Dan is a cornerstone of British Kitesurfing and the father of the Kitesurfing Armada.
As his day job Dan heads up Snow Camp, a charity helping inner city children broaden their horizons and improve their mental health.
Richard Stoneman
Chief Financial Officer
Richard looks after all things accounting, reconciling our membership, reporting and preparing our annual accounts.
The BKSA Team
Paul Sweeney
Schools Manager
Paul helps our schools maintain their BKSA affiliation, and travels the country checking in.
Russell Farrington
Competition Officer
Russell looks after our freestyle competition events and organises the competitors and judges, an actuary by trade he is a spreadsheet and comp ladder wizard. He is also a very accomplished strapless freestyle rider.
Louise Ives
Admin Manager
Responsible for Memberships, Clubs and Training, everything goes through Louise!
Gemma Soloman
Social Media & Marketing
Gemma looks after our social media and helps out with our promotions and events. A qualified coach Women’s Wave GKA competitor and all round enthusiast.
Neil Harper
Website & IT Manager
Neil built and looks after our website and gets it to talk to our Membership system. He is also a BKSA wave coach and when not flying his desk is flying a kite or wing in West Cornwall.
BKSA Coaches
Stav Thraves
Advanced Coach
On the beach or in the mountains, dedicated to a lifestyle of training & playing in nature’s elements … Enjoy what you do & do it well!
Jon Metcalfe
Army Wind Sports Manager / Trainer
Lewis Crathern
Advanced Coach
I’m Lewis Crathern advanced big air and freestyle coach from Worthing, UK. I’m a 4X British Champion, Vice World Champion and very passionate about helping people achieve a better level of kiteboarding!
Lee ‘Pasty’ Harvey
Advanced Coach
I live for the sea, come & up your riding with coaching from me
Will Bennet
Trainer & Advanced Coach
BKSA Women
Ellie Aldridge MBE
Team GB Sailor
Ellie is our first ever Kite foiling gold medal winner and came through the development pathway created by the BKSA.
“I hope I can help inspire more people, regardless of their sporting background to give it a go and encourage me more people to take part and enter into UK competitions in all different disciplines across Kitesurfing. It is such an amazing sport and I want to share the stoke with as many people as possible.
Francesca Maini
Red Bull King of the Air
Francesca is current and first king of the air champion in the women’s division. This prestigious event held every year in Cape Town in high winds is the pinnacle of Big Air Kite boarding.
“The BKSA is where I started my competitive kitesurfing career and pushed me to compete nationally and then internationally. It was the start of where I am today and I can’t recommend it enough to young people wanting to get into the Kite scene. It’s also the best way to meet new friends and share the same hobby.”
Gemma Soloman
BKSA Media
Gemma is a BKSA Coach and also heads up our social media at the BKSA.
Having worked in Canada in the snowboarding industry she is now fully immersed in the kiting scene, swapping snow for its liquid counterpart and slightly warmer conditions!
She has also won our British Wave Masters title, which then led her on to compete on the main world tour in Ponta Preta Cape Verde.
Sylwia Zeleszkiewicz
Non Executive Director
Was born in Poland, living in the UK since 2006. She says..
My passion for kitesurfing started in 2016, when my husband and I began our kite journey at Camber beach.
Since that day, we haven’t stopped much. My biggest goal is to motivate kitesurfers to join competitions and reassure them it’s doable and achievable