Mount Maunganui kite boarder Marc Jacobs has turned a childhood dream into reality after gaining the prestigious title of Vice World Champion with his overall second place in the 2013 Professional Kite Riders Association World Tour.

The 24-year-old competed in the freestyle event, where riders impressed judges with aerial moves based on technical difficulty, power, risk factor, variety, height, smoothness, style and innovation.

Mount Maunganui kite boarder Marc Jacobs flying high on the PKRA World Tour. Photos by Toby Bromwich.

The PKRA represents the pinnacle of freestyle kiteboarding throughout the world and with kiteboarding (also known as kitesurfing) arguably the fastest-growing water sport in the world right now, all eyes have been on the young Kiwi's success.

This year's tour has seen Jacobs travel to Morocco, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, China and Argentina.

He says his most memorable moment on tour this year 'would definitely be winning in Germany.”

'It's the biggest PKRA event of the year, winning that was a feeling I'll never forget.”

Marc Jacobs (NZ) second, Alex Pastor (Spain) first, and Christophe Tack (Belgium) third.

Six-time New Zealand Open Men's champion MJ, as he is known to his friends, will be looking for his seventh championship in Christchurch in February next year.

Jacobs' second overall placing is said to be the best result ever for New Zealand in the history of the Men's Freestyle Event. However, this is not the first time New Zealanders have featured on the world podium.

In the early 2000s, past recipient Cinda Mosey won three Women's Freestyle Tours.