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MINI brings a fresh blast to the season’s opener

MINI is backing this year's Kitesurf Tour Europe as a title partner, and as such is the world's first carmaker to sponsor kitesurfing at an European level. The MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe 2012 is the official European Championship for kitesurfing and sifts out the top European riders in the freestyle and racing disciplines. With this partnership, MINI is committing to one of the fastest-growing sports in Europe. The five-part competition series starts in Podersdorf on Austria's Lake Neusiedl from 3 to 6 May 2012.

"We are delighted with this partnership," says Sebastian Beuchel, BMW / MINI Brand Management, Sales Region Europe. "Kitesurfers and MINI both stand for an individual and passionate approach to life that is expressed through the creativity of the kitesurfing turns and the design of the cars."

Higher, faster, further through five stages across the whole of Europe.

The MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe 2012 will be held at five European surfing spots. The inaugural event will take place in the Austrian Burgenland, where Europe's best kitesurfers will pit their skills against one another in Podersdorf on Lake Neusiedl from 3 to 6 May. Then, from 26 June to 1 July, they will gather on the North Sea island of Sylt, and from 16 to 19 August the freestylers and racers will converge on Brouwersdam in the Netherlands. Castelldefels near Barcelona will be the fourth venue from 20 to 23 September, with the final taking place from 27 to 30 September in the French water sports paradise of La Baule. It isn't just the broad reach of its venues across the European continent that makes the MINI Kitesurf Tour Europe 2012 an internationally significant event: the participating riders similarly hail from a wide range of countries. This year again, the organisers expect to see freestylers and racers from more than 20 nations. The winners will share prize money worth a total of 60,000 euros.

MINI will be represented at the events with its own lounges and will have the latest models from the MINI brand family on show. Participants and spectators will also have the opportunity to take test drives. A MINI Kite Experience Area gives visitors the chance to gain their first insight into the trendy and fascinating sport of kitesurfing on terra firma under the direction of experts.