Downwinder from 1st Groin to Hollywood

I did my back in - just before my bro was in town for a day - I'd promised kiting so we had to do it - I was reduced to cameraman for the day. Got a cupla good 'uns of Coley, and Daz.

 


 

Rich & Coley out the back

Midweek sessions ... teaching etc

Defintely adds to it knowing everyone else is in work!

Three Dutchies down there at 1st Groin for 20ish kts soueaster. Landing frontloops magically.

Taught three hour lesson last week - totally heroic - my teaching that is - I got this total novice body-dragging upwind and on the board planing in one direction after just that one session.

From Kitesurf lesson Gerard at Hollywood St (Alex)

1st session at 1st groin

Back on it - southerly, 20kts +, on the 11m slightly overpowered. VERY choppy.

"MADE MY MONTH" was Coley's comment afterwards! Sweet

The moneyshot from Cornwall - the Branson kitesurf re-enaction

Nomad test drive / review at Kurnell

Got to demo the Nomad 9m today ... 20-25kts gusty/bounding around, so going from underpowered to just about right.

Nomad review: I hated the old IDS but the new one gets my thumbs up, they've put the flagging line through a sleeve so it doesn't wear-out through the bar. And the stopper is now adjustable rather than the old fixed one. relaunched off the water fine. Only issue I had was it turned inside out after a wipeout landing with the lines slack. My old Cabrinhaa rvolver never turned inside out no matter what I did to it. Nomad turns very fast, got some reasonable lift off it as well.

But firstly - gotta love Kurnell - such a great spot, quite flat yesterday close to shore, sun shining, beautiful colours from the west as the sun set, small crowd down there midweek for the a westerly. Two hour sess.

Back in Sydney - three powered SW sessions

Back a week and already three sessions at our favourite "top secret" souwester spot. 1st sess was like the old times - ie Where did the wind go the minute we arrived? Etc. Classic. I ended up on the rocks just north of the sailing club when the wind dropped to zero on my final run back to the beach. Packed-up. Worst fish & chips in Sydney later and the wind was back - actually got a good session after that.

Then we went back for the BIG wind day. Seabreeze said it had been gusting to 70+kts, but "only" mid 40's when we were out. We took it in turns on my 7m rev - Coley ended our session by breaking one of my steering lines and humbly getting dragged back to shore - fortunately no whale watching today!

And a perfect hat-trick ... third day we parked at the sailing club and launched downwind of the big rock groin - a few obstacles today with pipe-laying in operation but we kept clear with no issues. Coley's 9m SB3's de-power strap snapped so he had to retire it for the day being too strong to stay fully powered. I suggested 7mins each/competition style - get all your moves in front of the other one, then swapping. worked well - will do this again for sure. So obviously I let him have a go on the 7m again - using borrowed lines (thx Rich) - and guess what - crash/pull wrong side of bar/kite smashes to other side of window and he blew one of the nipples off the one-pump valves. Great. Back to the 9m to conclude the "comp". I think I won - with front 7 back loops both ways and backloop transitions and totally gay railey and even gayer board fumble.

Thanks god there's no wind given lack of operating equipment!

Gnarly North Wales session at Kinmel bay

Location on Kitespots map 

Hour session in 7m weather hanging on for dear life, VERY VERY choppy, different conditions for me with waves coming from all over the place and very variable. Sun came out just as I stopped and got this snap! Tidal spot. Loads of space. Safe for beginners I'd say given the space and lack of other users. But clearly choppy so maybe difficult.

Thanks to the Kinmel Bay Kitesurf school, based right at this spot - for the 5 quid loan of a wettie and the launch & land!

Bye bye Mauritius / perfect front loops / board lost in the current

[Pic: Just found this nice little wave jump one from the Kiteival Camrig pix of a few days ago]

Tides make a huge difference at Kuxville. Went out yesterday - final day in Mauritius - in some strong winds. Was flat when I left, then had a minimare, then when I got back out again it was full choppy, then an our later it was perfect flatwater upwind of the little island. PERFECT for perfecting those bloody front loops! Managed to land quite a few in the end. It's obvious and funny with all these things, once you've grapsed it you've no idea why it was so hard before!

Anyway the minimare: Just as drift launching, I lost my board in the current running downwind. This i not a problem normally, but here it was close to the shore and thus in the lee of the wind. So every time I bodydragged close, the kite started dropping. So I was following it along downwind, downstream, trying to get close enough to the bugger. In the end I dropped my kite too close to some rocks, and it was mission aborted. No harm done. Except a few more coral cuts on my feet and a nice bruise on my knee.

Well worth paying that little price for the two ours I had on the water before heading to the airport for what was 24hrs of journeying - taxi/plane/transfer Paris/plane/aborted Heathrow Express/taxi/fast train to Chester/pick-up. Last half of that with just me & the toddler, and seven bags! Enjoy Brighton mummy!

Unhooked begins ... (Tour09 Mauritius)

Had a look at the Advance Progression DVD yesterday, and today there was a spot of wind at last. So tried out the unhooked thing - essentially just steering off downwind, unhooking, hanging-on, then steering downwind again to hook back in. Why I've not been doing this before? Well cos I never watch the DVDs - why AM I trying to reinvent the wheel. I got the best two ours of the day out there, which was still marginal, I came in when the tide got very low and a trapped fin on the coral ended up bloody. Just two others out today. Forecast good for tomorrow.

And now thinking of heading to this Beauduc place in south of France in a week or two

Pic is from the other day, waiting for the drift launch in VERY light winds to kick-in

Reading my book, wind light this afternoon

[Pic: From the verandah. really recommend this place to stay wit family to kite. comes with housekeeper, 3 en-suite doubles, and its in the less of the wind, you launch a 4 min walk away]

I have the strange sensation today of being glad the wind is not there so it means I can sit on our verandah and enjoy the afternoon with my little girl, take her swimming and catch up on emails and start my John Steinbeck book – from the limited English language section at the Kuxville library.

Here's the house 'Alain' at Kuxville

Smooth water session outside Kuxville, Mauritius (Tour09 #)

Beautiful session, went out alone but was soon joined by young David and his mates
There’s a beautiful little flat water spot which comes good at half-high tide, in the lee of a tiny rock island
First proper landing of a forward roll, NICE
Played around for an hour or so crashing over & over, doing backloop transitions and forward loops. Going to the left – my usual preferred direction – I find it harder to land the front loops.
After all tat I made a big upwind run out to two kites on the reef to join them on some waves for a bit. Quite exhausted by the end. Sweet run home to a chaotic self-land at the little beach out of the wind.
Sweet session.

Kuxville
Twintip
2.5hrs
Smooth flatwater & reef break

1st gybing practice (Anse La Raie, Mauritius, Tour09 #)

Nico Kux lent me his directional – I have one back in Sydney but have rarely used it. So I took it for a spin, pretty big and unwieldy compared to the F-One fish (5”2’) I tried in Le Morne. I played on the edges of the reef break where the crew were – Daniel, Cameron etc – then went to the Anse La Raie lagoon to mess about with gybing. Or try it for the first time. Manged quite easily to get either foot out. And to turn to toes side with rear foot out. The hard part is the wriggle-round which I didn't manage to pull off.

Kuxville, 6”6” directional, 11m Rev2, chop, skirting the reef break, lagoon

1st session at Kuxville, Mauritius (north) Tour09 #

[Pic: Flag at Kuxville]

Launched at the point 5mins walk clockwise from Kuxville
Wasn’t really sure of the territory so went on a big upwinder to get my bearings and check out the depth of the water/coral/reefs etc
Then all of a sudden I had a moment of clarity – recognised where I was – aha, I had kited up to where we finished the Kiteival, and did the course racing – so back to the upwinds. Amazing how that made me much more confident straight away – knowing I’d kited here with the crew before, it was all safe, I wasn’t somewhere where there was hidden dangers etc

Nice little spot too, with the rock islands

Was perfectly powered at the beginning of my session, but past 2:30pm wind picked-up too nicely for my 11m and spent the rest of the sess over-powered. So played around in the lagoon with crappy tricks, mostly practicing powering up pops to give me pure veritical lift – I’m thinking this will help me manage the psychological pregoression from back loops to front loops?

Half way thru went in for a strugglesome land at the public beach where most of the kiters kit-up to change the kite settings, clutching at straws to get a bit less power. Slightly tricky landing, quick swap of the attachment points, and back-up. In the meantime, someboy fed is lines thu mine so the launch was tortured wile he sorted is sh1t out. Then back on the water for more of the same.

In the end decided to finish my session here, rather pathetically I was nervous of hammering it round the corner overpowered into te back of Kuxville. Landing at Anse La Raie was chaotic again with the wind gusting, so ended up dropping the kite and letting it release onto the flagging line, then some guy grabbed it. Nice little walk home from there.

Kuxville
Twintip, 11m Rev2


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Solo session at Palmer, failing front loops, choppy

Went for a solo mission at Palmer public beach. Could've kited directly in front of this hotel on that beautiful sand bar out front but sought the company of others for launching & landing a short clockwise stroll from the hotel.

Started off in 11m, got some tips on front loops form a bystander but had no success.

Wind picked-up so tried 7m but was all over the place with it. Bit unsatisfactory all-up but good to get out nevertheless. Nice walk through the lane/vegetable patches back tot he hotel.

Did I mention the awards ceremony last night - for Kiteival. Daniel Kux swept the board getting Freestyle, Course and Wave Expression. And then to mine - and literally everyone else's surprise - I took the speed kiting. I managed to get 65kmph speed with most of the others getting around 58-59-60kmp. Crazy hey!




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Does it get much better than this?

I’m sitting looking at the ocean at the open air breakfast restaurant, two eggs just perfectly cooked in front of me and two pancakes the same – they even had Nutella. And my coffee came with hot milk.

I woke up this morning with abs. Honestly – I caught a glimpse in the mirror when I got out the shower. First time ever I think.

And a hangover – I left them on the dance floor at Banana Bar at 3am - my driver was awaiting outside!!

You need to spend a lot of money get the high I was on yesterday – someone last night described it as a typical runner’s high.

Somethings that fuzzily are coming back to me - Nico saying something about me taking a year off his life when I went down in the reef - thx Cam for getting that kite back in the air so neatly rather than leaving me int he channel with the big animals.

It hurts to clench my fists, I've had some good exercise the last week or so. Here's some wipeout pix in the reefbreak

Kiteival day 4: Roches Noires to Anse La Raie + Course racing

[Pic: Start line for course race]

Oh my god
What a day
That was the best kiting hour I’ve ever had – somewhere on the downwind section from Roches Noires to Anse La Raie – so stunningly serene, sun shining, carving trough the surf along the reef break for miles and miles, with the crowd

Great bunch of riders, totally friendly no bullshit attitude, helpful

What an amazing event – well done Nico and the team!

The course event this afternoon was something else – already knackered from the morning and four days of endurance kiting, we finished with two courses – in the Anse La Raie lagoon – ie kite out to the buoy, then upwind to another buoy, then back in through some rocky islands to the shore, and round to the first buoy again and back.

Sketchy wind made the start line hilarious – with kites dropping like bombs. Fortunately was shallow and sand so people kept it together with no crossed lines. Then – off. The (horn)), I managed to beh at the back of the pack before we’d even left the shore line practically, and stayed there til the end of race one.

For the second race my mission was to not finish last! I succeeded, coming second last! Managed to get a better position for the start – in fact I was running second to the first buoy – then lost all my ground over the big upwind section

Legs just running short of juice. Nothing in them

Totally high when we finished. Very like an very expensive high. Like the feeling I had when I completed the marathon. Music blaring. Almost weepy from exhaustion and delight. Kiteival rocks.

Off to got some of the harder stuff than sunstroke now


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Kiteival day 3: Palmer to Pointe Lafeyette + Freestyle comp

[Pic: My highish jump manoeuvre!]

Smoothest easiest downwinder we’ve done – and shortest. Wind was UP, so I took the 7m for a spin (using the 11m bar having cannibalised the 7m bar after last week’s kitemares) – new for me riding properly on such a small kite – took a bit of getting used to how quickly it moved, and playing with my posture – obviously a lot less forgiving than a big kite. Fun though, and quick for turns. Messed about in the reef break all the way downwind from near Palmer to Pointe Lafeyette

Really nice smooth water on te shore side of the breaks

Exciting finish to the downwinder with a big Red Bull tent and music pumping in anticipation of the freestlye comp later-on

And then lunch

FREESTYLE COMP

And then 8 of the 13 riders put their names into to the two heats for the freestyle. I was in heat two, so plenty of time to plagiarise the other riders best moves. Yeah right!

I was planning the baby arm bands/pants-off routine as the only way to make my mark on this comp. But I had sudden bowel urges before my heat so ran out of time to get my costume prepared. Wind dropped a little so Thilot let me use his 9.5m Best Kahoona. Which was perfect. 15 minutes to strut my stuff in front of Cameron & Brad – the judges (and of course Kate and the other riders and the crowd and the local press and the locals).

Well, I did manage my biggest air yet (highest jumps) – some of which I actually landed. And I pulled off one double backloop that I landed. And lots of crash and burn stuff. There’s half a chance I will come 7th rather than 8th but I’m not holding my breath til the results on Saturday!

On the 2hr bus journey now from Tamassa again to Roche Noires. This is an amazing event – all the kiting stuff – even the wind, the safety, the guys, Nico has been awesome. The logistics from Tamassa is a bit silly though – Tamassa was more about promoting that hotel I suppose rather than begin well located. Doing 3-4hrs in the bus daily – though we have got to get a good view of the islands windy suger-cane lined roads

Loving Kiteival

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Kiteival day 2: Pointe d'Esny via Ile Aux Serfs to Trou d'eau Douce + Speed kiting comp

[Pic: Aerial of the Pointe d'Esny sailing club]

Tim Tams, Snickers water and beers in quick succession ...

Very big day – felt like an endurance thing. Nico got rare permisson to launch from the sailing club at Pointe d’Esny. Wind was howling til we set going (11m), then a huge upwinder to get out of the bay – Brad (South African/long scrabbly hair/great kiter) and I got stuck in a hole, with the current around the island dragging us up the river mouth downwind. A gargantuan effort and the longest single direction run of my life eventually got us out of there – my leg was shaking as we eventually got to the reef break!

Then messing about in the flat water while some of the others who'd made it out as far as the sand bar played around there.
Then downwind to our island golf course for lunch – totally exhausted and freezing cold – one of our packing measure for this big trip was to skimp on the wetsuit. Everyone else sung in their shorties, I was in a 1mm radiator top! Thanks to Nana for the hoodie! Anyway eventually got our stamina reset to go intot he sopeed racing comp.

The idea was to wear one of four GPS watches in the flat part of the lagoon, for 15mins, and the winner is the one who achieves a maximum time over 15 secs. Nice ting being you can try out different runs and techniques during your time and it doesn’t matter. So long as you get one decent score. Results not til Saturday. I got one really good run that ended (after 15 secs) in a massive wipeout in 1 foot of coral-bottomed water. LUCKY


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Of course the speed course was a massive upwinder from the island.

Then finished the day with a punishing downwinder to Trou d’Eau Douce (near Hotel Tropical) then Tim Tams Snickers water and beers in quick succession.

Wow – that was exhausting

What I must mention is that my health is deteriorating day by day. Starting off with tickly cough I’ve moved into phlegmy cough, and then sinus blocked – and lots of achiness that I’m not sure whether to attribute to the kiting or the cold. (swine flu!!??)

Big bus ride back to Tamassa Hotel, late feed and BED

Kiteival day of rest

[Pix: Buffet at Tamassa; The pool]

Sunday seems to be respected on this island which suits me fine.

God I need it – obviously some of the kiters – Thisot, Cameron etc have gone back to Le Morne – Nico didn’t kite yesterday so is keen to get out there, and Cameron needs some waves footage – I’m familiying today and giving my body a rest. Smoked loads ciggies last night which was dumb as really feeling it today.

Food here at Tamassa is great – either buffet or menu/a la carte thing – great qual food, nice hot curries, perfect breads/croissants, fresh omelettes, things cooked for you in front of you

Kiteival day 1: Downwind Bel Ombre to Le Morne + Waves Expression

[Pic: The start line at Tamassa, Bel Ombre]

This is the Mauritius Kiteival - the 2nd time Nico Kux & Albert have held the event. It's part of the reason we came out to Mauritius for the 3 or 4 weeks we will be here ... this is the first day ...


Kited out from Tamassa hotel on a approx 10km downwinder to the lagoon at Le Morne. Cameron Dietrich, Cabrinha team-rider gives the thing some kudos. Safety boat followed us.

Beautiful flat shallow water out side the hotel, but a bit of coral - - I started feeling it in my legs fairly quickly – this being my 6th kiting day on the row after a break for a few months - - Started off just keeping with the crowd, then got into playing with toe side, and half way along I’d nailed right toe side which had always been problematic for me
Very exciting
Got lots and lots of jumps in – in fact I had to - - jumping was a good way to keep getting downwind – the whole downwinder concept is great and gives you time to play with moves


View Alex's kitesurfing spots (Tour09, Kiteival) in a larger map

IDEA: –Run these in Sydney/NSW – charge people a fee for the transport and really for the boat support? Need to get a boat guy involved. That Green Island to Yorkey's Knob downwinder is still unfinished business. rich should be able to get a boatman to track us.

The big rock at Baie du Cap was where they had the cameras/video based to picture us – extremely choppy around there though. Some waves to play in too just a bit upwind of that spot.

Then got to the upwind part of the Le Morne lagoon – just divine – beautiful turquoise water with sand below, perfect for my playing with backloop transitions.

Revelation: POWER THE BLOODY KITE UP when doing tricks!! Makes a huge difference!! Obvious, I suppose.

The wind was perfect for the 11m all the way

Sebastian kept up the rear moving the stragglers along to keep the group together

Then lunch at the café at Les Pavilions – got on the back of a Ute to get there which added to the excitement – wind blowing through the hair along a bumpy coconut tree lined road makes you feel like your on a tropical holiday!

Ludo had a GPS on his mobile phone – it took us 35km to ride the 10ish km

Day 1 afternoon – WAVES EXPRESSION SESSION
Nico orgniasd for a watchtower to be rigged up on the edge of the reef –Cameron, Nico , Brad and AN Other boated out to it – and raised a red flag – after an hour the flag was dropped.

In the meantime the aim was to strut our stuff in the wavers, or have fun, or generally fk about in my case. Eight of the group had a go – clearly some of the guys were really good, I was probably the weakest – but as I told myself – not as weak as the half of the group who didn’t try at all!

I was twintipped and just loving my kite mucking about in the big waves, jumping over the white water, ramping off smaller waves, and ramping off the swell - - big confidence building session

Retired back to base at 5ish – back upwind to the lagoon – that had been the best wind in the 6 days I've been kiting here

Made it to dinner early and to the bar with Cam – who was full of lots of tips of places to go that might fit into our vague schedule: Summary: Portugal & Sardinia for all round experience – people/kiting/food – seems like he'd had a poor experience in France, and loved Cornwall and its drinking – raves about Namoua(sp?) in Fiji and the other one beginning with T – private resort islands, great to kite – and of course Cabarete. Tarifa uncomfortably crowded and regulated. Has been on Odyssey (I’ve been contemplating that for a few years , and was emailing Gavin just a couple of months ago about joining up for 2010 – I think I need to get Jon to join me on it) – and totally rates it and Gavin. Knows Moe and Ben and knew of that New Cal trip I went on a few years back. Has links with some place in Peru/yoga resort/kiting which sounds great.

Saved a poledancer from himself

Bit ho-hum today

We’re no longer staying at Indian Resort, but had a car for a day at the new place – Tamassa Hotel – so I went back to Le Morne again – going to the public beach to launch

Only been out ten mins when I got asked to assist a struggling windsurfer – he couldn’t get up and was outside the reef – before I managed to get him to hold on, a big wave smashed on him – and broke is board in half! ... Big struggle to drag him in – must be a better way but we tried him holding the back of my harness ( I have no handle but used the leash instead) – and holding his kit – very slow, but got him to shallower waters, then is mate took is board I left him to walk his sail in

Then I went out to the BACK again – way out into the ocean – further than anyone else – quite exciting out there, say 2-3kms offshore

Played on the edges of the massive waves out there again, nothing too crazy

Then back to the lagoon, but started flagging and the wind dropped off a bit, so called it a day early


Just about to meet up with Albert, Nico etc for the intro to the Kiteival!

I can confirm that this is the kiting I was dreaming of

[Pic: view from our room at the Indian Resort & Spa, Le Morne]

I can confirm that this is the kiting I was dreaming of

Two sessions today with a baguette and 5 almond slices in between

First one: twintip messed around in the small waves then saw the big boys heading out to a wave far in the distance. Didn’t feel brave enough to follow them, but ended up getting gradually close til I thought bugger it and made the trip out. WAY out there.
WOW – HUGE waves breaking perfectly. I was too shit-scared to get into the middle but played nicely round the edges. Though found it really hard to keep my bearings as each set broke differently – the whole thing only lasted half an hour or so then they were gone – maybe something to do with the tide or the wind direction, not sure. Anyway quite spectacular and nudged my confidence up a notch for having braved it.

Muscle memory starting to form today

Session two: I was waiting for one of the F-One guys to launch so I could go. And thought "bugger it" – may as well be cheeky: Been keen to get on a surfboard – more than half the guys are on them with it being mostly about waves, and presumably there might be wavey type stuff in the Kiteival. There was a second hand one for sale at the Club Mistral for €250 but to be honest didn’t want to deal with the miserable cow at the desk (sort of doctors receptions type of gatekeeper). And not sure about lugging one around etc.

Anyway asked the F-One board designer if I could try one of his prototypes. He wasn’t keen but said I could have one of the production boards the other guys were using. So I trotted off and borrowed a 5’2” “fish” sort of shaped thing/ ANYWAY--- amazing. Loved it on that thing. Played in the small stuff, then made it upwind to the lagoon. One of the most fun sessions I’ve had – wind just PERFECT for the 11m. Lagoon was flatish. Tried turns, one foot unstrapped. Toeside both ways – totally smooth going left, but still crappy gong right. Then migrated to strapless. And turns strapless. And little ops. And little hops with one foot strapped. And even tiny hops wit no straps!!

Got back an hour late for Kate – I just couldn’t let that wind and that board go to waste. Totally buzzing.

Chaos continues - my kite was in TWO, but Alain saved the day (Mauritius day 4)

[Pic: The flat water lagoon just before sunset after the wind dropped]

Alain saved the day for me – after writing yesterday I realised my kite was ripped right across, parallel to the central strut – Matthew Rescuer from (the very friendly!) Club Mistral dropped it off with him on the way home, and it was ready for collection by 11:30 today! 400 rupees for petrol and it was back in my hands, plus an expensive repair at 3000 rupees (€80) – but looks like he did a decent job, patched and stitched both sides, matching colour, and guarantees that if it breaks again at the point he’ll do it again for free.

The other issue of course was the bloody bar/chickenloop etc

To recap-
The central rope/chickenloop snapped – a fundamental problem with Slingshot kites – they wear out. Oddly though it snapped and the whole kite disappeared into the waves, with the flagging line (the crappy bungee cord) snapping too as it shot off into the distance. So I lost a few bits too – the cruisecontrol/stopper thing. Fortunately I have a slingshot 7m bar as well so cannibalised that. Real struggle to get the chickenloop rope detached from the plastic loop – there’s a bearing in there that gets wedged. Anyway hacked off the remains of the rope and jammed it out. Still struggled to get the remnants of the rope out of the polo-mint centre of the bearing. Alain found a hammer and got that done for me.

Upshot is, by the time the wind was up again today, I had got a fked kite and fked bar/lines back in working order so didn’t miss a beat!

Had a two hour session, first half playing around in the waves again – smaller than yesterday, less chaotic out there and seemingly less kites/poledancers.

Trying to find that muscle memory again – it’s coming back. To coin Nick’s “man & machine” – well I’m not quite there again yet – but another couple of days like this and I’m bound to be.

Second half was on the lagoon. I tested the bottom on a number of occasions and can confirm it is soft.

Now managing to land backloop transitions 90% of the time in both directions, with a bit of a kiteloop – not sure if that’s the right way, but seems to work.

Played with frontloops but need to look up technique again as totally screwing them up.

Also playing with toeside to the right which I’ve always been sketchy with

Toes side left is totally “dialled in”!

Contemplating renting/borrowing/buying a surfboard tomorrow to play with that.

The F-One team next to us a re friendly – they're here for 2 weeks testing next season's kit and getting promo vids/shots. Had a chat with the kite designer – gave me a recommendation to go in France – Beaudoc. Tarifa too manic.

Body still buzzing!

Family getting into it – babysitting at €8/hr helps


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"ALIVE" - gotta have these days but good to get over and move on (Mauritius Day 2)

[Pic: Kite ripped in half and the chickenloop and bungee snapped]
Copied from my handwritten scrawls over coffee

This was one of those days you sort of gotta have but good to get over with and move on unscathed…
Lost a screw from a fin in the 1st session, came back and realised all screws everywhere were loose! Fortunately had some spares with me – one of the things I did prepare well – I brought loads of patches, a full kite repair kit, the 7m I bought I made sure was Slingshot for interchangeability etc – all coming in useful. Plus bike tool, penknife, Philips etc

Anyway later that day it all come into use after catastrophic failure on the Rev’s bar when the chickenloop snapped when I was out in the big waves. Normally not an issue, but here zere are windsurfers zipping all over ze place, I feared they would tangle in my lines. Even jore feared it when I realised they flagging line HAD ALSO SNAPPED! (I will be cc'ing the Slingshot dealer on this!). Pix below.

So now my fear is for a LOOSE kite bouncing around in the waves with these poledancers getting tangled in 25 of lines. Fortunately very quickly another kiter came by to check on me floating alone in the water, that i was free of te kite and to drage me to shore holding on to his harness. Surprisingly possible, though wrenching on the arms. Did I say bad things about Club Mistral yesterday? I take it all back with bells on. They have a rescue boat which just hangs around in te water waiting to rescue people. Witout an ado they nipped to the the kite, got it on board, lines unall - - then came to meet me where I'd been deposited nearer the shore. Totally matter of fact. I was the 6th they'd rescued today including one guy who'd got stuck 2.5km offshore, two lost boards, a lost other things I didn't understand (windsurf terminology), oh and an upturned boat (maybe the F-One fim crew?). I was their 6th 1,000 Rupees - that is if you want to get your equipment bacl! A fair exchange me thinks.

Well anyway, I was actually on my way ome, having spent a few hours in the excellent lagoon getting my skills back up - and had just stopped for a quick play in the waves. Now I had actually noticed the chickenloop looking a bit worn earlier. But not particularly bad, not enough to think it needed replacing, just enough to think how quickly they wear down.

The evening ahead will involve pissing aout canablising the bar from my 7m kite ...

On the Mauritian water at last + Review of Le Morne/Indian Resort & Spa (Mauritius Session 1)

[Pic: Me outside our hotel room at the Indian - main spot for kiting in the background]

Got on the water at last – it’s been a month or so now since my micro-session at Lake Balaton.

We arrived yesterday but our baggage got waylaid in gay Paris so I had to endure a whole afternoon watching others kite at this wonderful location

It couldn’t be more perfect for logistics: Our room is on the ground floor a few palm trees back from the beach with doors opening direct to the grass ... the trees protecting the general public from the wind!

I’ve just left my kite pumped, resting up against a tree trunk for the NIGHT!

INITIAL REVIEW - LE MORNE
BEST OVERALL LOCATION SO FAR

WEATHER
Shorts & tee
Mid 20’s? It’s winter here at the moment, late July
Some cloud cover
Appears the wind comes in the afternoon, in five day blocks they tell me, typically form the southeast

ACCOM AT INDIAN RESORT & SPA
We have a sand badminton court 10 feet away, large room plenty of room for cot and desk and table and sofa

TODAY'S SESSION
Today’s wind didn’t come in properly til late 4ish pm – had a mini-session in an earlier teasebreeze – enough to wet the spirit – but I ended up landing downwind of our room, at the public kiting beach immediately downwind of the resort
Nobile 555 132cm, 11m Slingshot Rev 2
Crappy backloops
One well formed left-side front loop – surprised myself there
A “warm-up” session really after about a month off the water
Rally enjoyed the waves – loved-em
Only got about 1.5hrs out there

PEOPLE
Friendly kiters – chatted to some South African’s (begin-intermediate, some comedy to watch - but who am I to talk!)

Also there’s a team of people ere – F-One sponsored riders & crew – all on F-One surfboards and flying Bandit kites, and a big bearded man who seems to be in charge, at least of tinkering with kites, and one guy (Miko?) who’s awesome on the surfboard that they were filming today – all friendly


CLUB MISTRAL – KITE SHOP/RENTAL/TEACHING
Staff at Club Mistral reception appear unfriendly – I headed there after missing baggage to work out rental etc – that they do – but certainly not with a smile or any attempt at friendliness
Bring IKO card if want to rent or pay €25 to prove ability
Price kite rental is €45 (2hrs), plus €10 insurance
Great spot on the downwind edge of the resort on the water’s edge
Loads of kit
Presumably was orig a windsurf thing now doing kiting as well
SEE MY COMMENTS IN A LATER BLOG ABOUT THEIR SAFETY BOAT AND FRIENDLY RESCUE SERVICE!

LOCATION
Stunning - - just beautiful to look back at the palm fringed waters edge from out on the water with the extremely dramatic “Le Morne” (the mountain on this peninsula) rising vertically, boxlike, above and behind it.
Darkness descends quickly from 6pm.

FACILITIES
Indian Resort & Spa
Food (we’re on all-inclusive – definitely the way to do it) = great mix of local and Frenchish/Italianish
- Room spots – couldn’t be better for kiters if you take GROUND FLOOR – you can launch from anywhere along the beach, but less broken shells/coral towards the south (upwind)

LAUNCHING
Palm trees close but just enough room to launch with your toes in the water
Not good for total beginners except perhaps at the two ends of the resort
Though the lagoon a few mins to the south is excellent for total beginners, one of the best spots I've seen
Water shallow to walk into, no need for footwear, some broken coral at the downwind end of the resort but not outside your room


WIND
I was OK on 11m today, I’m guessing 18 knots?
Comes in from the south east which is left-cross-onshore.

WATER
Flatish for a few hundred metres to the edge of the reef
Warmer than the swimming pool! Lots of people in wetsuits but I was more than warm enough in boardies and 1mm Radiator
Then some beautiful waves breaking
Water was a metre at its shallowest and no need to be in those areas (tough not sure about today’s tide)
I’m told there’s some dangerous currents at times but not got detail on that yet
[Pic: View from our room - note the kites resting by the tree which is where the stay all night]



View Kitesurfing spots - Alex on Tour09, inc Mauritius Kiteival in a larger map

Arrived in mauritius, ex my kite gear!

[Pic: Le Morne - the mountain, taken from the south east at Choisy. The kiting happens to the left of the leftmost tip]

Yep, missed an afternoon's wind as all 6 of our bags are still in Paris. This place is perfect though - staying at Indian Resort & Spa at Le Morne. It's blowing 20kts in the late afternoon.

Kiting in Hungary, time out from a stag-do in Siofok

[Pic: Day after the night after the kite session on Balaton]

Here's the launch spot on the Hungarian Lake Balaton

I was the sole kiter so could easily launch here, shallow water for maybe 1km+ out, not much sand, but easy in the shallows

I think this is a 12m location

No sharks (nice)!

I kited here for a sunset session, taking an hour or so out of a stag-do

Great to learn I reckon

Perth2 - Got out on the river

[Pic: It's not all kiting - one of the vineyards west of Perth]

Did get out on the water one day .... Crawley on the river got from 8kts to high 20's in the space of an hour.

11m Rev2, Nobile 555 143cm.

SHALLOW water, awesome for learning or practising your tricks. But limited space to launch/land. nice grassy area. lots of hazards, eg road/footpath between set-up and launch. But can laucnh in the water. Seemed to be no more than 1 meter for at keast 500m out.

I was out there in SSW which worked nice

Watched Nellie I think his name was on a 9m Griffin doing some amazing stuff - just soooo natural looking, made it all appear soooo eeeeeasy

Perth1 - live to fight another day

Great time staying with two sets of KT's friends - - I obsessed with the wind somewhat - - Perth has just gone into winter so its beautiful summer seabreezes are dead. but there was a storm coming thru while we were there. Paul let me take his car (thanks) so I ambled down to Woodies (Woodmans Point)

Two days watching chaos with large storms coming through, totally overpowered on my 7m Rev, didn't get on the water.... gusts were in the high 30s - - but BIG squalls coming thru regularly - - the "pros" were downing their kites and getting off the water

But great spot, big local scene here, awesome riders out there, some guy demoing a 2010 Airush, some good stuff form the curly haired guy on the 6m XBM

Etc... anyway, I was a total wimp - - if my wingman/partner in crime had been there I'm sure I'd've gone out. We'd've gone out. I spent two afternoons beating myself up. It all went wrong when I arrived with ONLY my 11m. It was gusty, but I thought "fk it" - - but then one dude wouldn't launch me - said he "wanted nothing to do with anyone putting up an 11 in this weather" - - blah blah "how long you been kiting for" all that put down stuff, I lost my bottle. Then went back for it asking this Irish newbie to launch me, but he'd overheard the previous coversation so followed suit. Clearly they were all in the right, I did convince myself of that evntually after lots of cursing under my breath. I was gonna sod-em and self-launch at one point. I'm still sure I would've survived. That's what the safety's for right!

I resurrected the situation by calling the guy who was advertising a 7m on seabreeze and managed to salvage an afternoon by making myself useful spending $700 on a 7m Rev - - pretty good value, only the tiniest scratch on the canopy that he'd repaired.

So Day 2 Perth i headed back to Woodies trying again. but the wind was even stronger, the 7 would've been god yesterday or even that morning. but the wind was mental. so I convinced myself again of the merits of "living to fight another day" - - not before launching the kite thoguh, and getting bounced down the beach. The others were having to tend to someone unable to land his kite so I was alone and had to pull the safety.... [ASIDE: 7m slingshot Rev, safety pulled, ie the red pin pops out easy ebnough, but the the chicken loop stayed in harness-hook as it was jammed so tightly - - I was calm and gave it a nudge, but strikes me as not being a failsafe system.

That's it. Came home again tail between legs.

Did watch some chaos. Got some pics. Two blokes + chick turned up late despite hearing of everyone else's troubles they went out. Chick on 5m had to be brought back down straight away after launching despite being held at her back. Bloke1 came in with chaotic landing. Bloke2 ended up 2km down the beach with a very big swim. A shark had been seen at this spot yesterday do not good for a long swim!!!

View Kitesurfing spots - Alex on tour in a larger map

Last day in the office - - yeehaaa

#31 - KITEBLOG IS BACK!!! Electric shocks, a lost IDS & big waves

I sadly neglected this blog between 2006 and Jan 09 - but I'm back on - I can actually kitesurf now! I'm an IKO-level 1 instructor and one of my new year's resolutions is to get to Level 2, I'm in the waves on a twinny but BIG waves scare me on the surfboard, I can do some basic tricks, know the ins & outs, in the last year have snowkited NZ, continue to Kite Botany Bay for regular relief, occasional other places round Sydney - Lingerie, the SWester place over the winter, been enjoying Picnic Point lately for teaching weekends, Seven Mile, Shoalhaven lagoon, etc etc - will get  bit of an update of the year together soon. It's been EPIC.

 

Here's the last few days:

 

It's all going pear-shaped again! Proto & Cuspy - we need you back!

 

1 - Got electric shocks kiting on Sunday at Botany - read this:

 

I got my first electric shocks on Sunday night - Jon & I arrived early eve as the masses were packing up after a great day's wind (I had Saskia-duty all day) - got out in some 20ish knots but it was all a bit ominous with dark skies coming in from the SW despite the wind coming from the NE? Weird. I'm no weather man but that must be a phenomenon of some sort.

 

Anyways, came in as looked so scary, dropped the kite then messed on the beach teaching Tuna Jon how to self-launch and land while waiting for it blow over (as if?). Then while my kite was in the air stood on the sand I got shocks thru my feet. I was shocked - thought i'd been bit by some creature - then it kept hitting me. Screamed at Tuna to land my kite. Can't remember what I said - but he was acting dumb for a while. Momentarily scary. Afterward i didn't quite believe it was shocks - though I've been done by electric fence and homemade radios before and it was very familiar. There was no lightening in the sky. Then about 30mins driving him we saw the lightening flashing cross the sky! .... More on this stuff here: http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=44581 ... basically says I'm not mad - has happened to a few people.

 

Had a great session - only me & Jon at the beach opposite Scarborough - all those shark tales must've scared the punters away: http://news.theage.com.au/national/three-sharks-attack-swimmers-in-two-days-20090112-7eua.html

 

 

 

2 - Tuna's first decent KITEMARE

 

He now has a great tale himself - to keep it short - he tried to jump. Crashed. Came up for air and KITE WAS GONE - across the bay. I was on the SRT half a km upwind - I could only see the kite, couldn't see why he couldn't relaunch. But Nick from kitesessions was there so I left it to him to do the rescue. Transpired that his fancy new IDS is not totally cook-proof, or Tuna-proof - it had unhooked and as NEEDS no leash, just shot off. I didn't realise Jon wasn't attached to the kite til he shamefully dragged his heels back to our launch spot. Must've forgot the DOG DICK???

 

 

 

3 - OH MY GOD - last night was EPIC

 

At the LINGERIE location - VERY F"IN BIGGGG waves - I need to emphasise BIG and SCARY somehow, a bit more

Anyway today my left elbow is completely buggered - I spent all morning Googling tennis elbow - now also widely known as kiters elbow

 

As for last night:

 

Me and Daz, and three others

Massive waves

I really crapped myself on the way out the first time - - just thinking shit gotta get through these breaking waves then I'll be safe out the back

And these bloody surfers keep appearing everywhere - gotta dodge them and the other three kiters doing their thing as well while getting smashed about a bit - no big wipe-outs though (yet!)

 

Thinking gotta get to the back

Gotta get to the back

 

Then got there - and oh my god the world was moving - enormous swell, a storey deep on either side of me, and some waves breaking right out there as well

Went further further til I was at the edge of the bay

Not quite til I could see rind to the next bay - that's for another time when I have someone with me out there!

 

 

Then I got my guts together and felt safer to head back in

 

Nice rides back - not really surfing the swell-forming waves or waves themselves - more kiting them

 

Got some great runs back & forth - - buzzing buzzing buzzing

All over the shop

Starting to get a bit cheeky, running hard at the breaking waves trying to jump off them, no need to try that hard really, had to TRY NOT to jump off the swell even

And trying to jump OVER the whitewater, that was nice, also getting used to careering hard through the whitewater

 

 

Anyway loads of nice stuff, good vibe between the five of us - I think was the only one NOT to crash his kite in the water! Daz almost dropped his kite on some girls head on 30 secs from going out! Not that has anything to do with ability - there was one bloke who was awesome on his surfboard. Daz the Irish was Daz - though not as happy as usual - on his 8m IDS complaining about lack of power - - but I was totally fine on the 9m Revolver - - and your board helping me out - HAMMER TIME (btw only time I've used it while you've been away) - - - I took the SRT but GLADLY didn't go out on that otherwise would've been a complete fkup. Though I did get out on it on choppy Botany water on Sunday and really got into it.

 

Also took my 11m to the beach but I was plenty powered on the 9m - great kites those I reckon

 

Anyway time passed

Then loads of wipe-outs - one after another

 

Got completely nailed by a wave I was surfing behind when I fell over the front of it and it broke on top of me

 

Lots of flailing around in the washing machine, but I kept the kite (with my left hand) so in a way it's better then when you wipeout while surfing as certainty of where is UP is very reassuring

 

 

Lost the board a cupla times just had to bodydrag toward shore and pick it up

 

Really got into it - nice to get aggressive with the waves on the way out and caress them on the way in

 

Didn't quite get a pure surfing feeling off any waves last night though -not like the time we went when it was orgasmic

 

Maybe the board - your's great - but there's nothing like a board you know and you're "man-and-machine" with - especially when in dicey conditions

Friday, September 29, 2006

#30 - If jump don't use leash!

Well of course we know that. Anyway in this tight session we started trying out Toe side riding. Proto's been watchin his kite DVD and got all buzzed up about that.

I was expecting it to take ages - but it was surprising easy. Though easy heading left but for some reason my brain couldn't work it out going right.

Sensible stuff, in difficult to go upwind conditions. Went only 2 groins down and walked back up...it was hard work to walk back and I suggested putting kite high to walk

Proto in vain tried again to find his wife's lost wedding rign in the sand!

Proto ended with a big reasonable downwinder.

b ut not before he injured himself. Jumped sort of and got thwacked in the shoulder by his board.

"my shoulder cracckkked...like an axe wound (non hairy).

if jump no leash"

ahh

Monday, September 25, 2006

Mad f'kers - out in 45 knot gusts! (#33)

Nutters. All three of the kiters out on Botany Bay on Sunday afternoon. Me & the Protocolette included.

But as someone said
"only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go"

so we discovered the beautiful Waroo 9m can survive 45knot gusts.
I'm glad I got out the water before we got into the '50s though!

Check that chart above!

And commentary from the co-case:
he and i went out yesterday- he was out in 30 knots gusting to 50. I tried to stop him but he was totally up for it. I worried loads and thought how can i let go of the kite that results in his destruction-his wife would kill me.....anyway as it turns out i couldnt hold the kite anyway and up it went and off he went across the bay like a total pro-he was awsome.We were the only 3 kites out in the bay- the only kite most of the time. The waroo 9m can handle anything.

the waves were massive for botany (normally flat water) - 6 feet the surfer amoungst us reckons.

we didn't kill ourselves.

no real disasters - though the kite did manage to wriggle from under mountains of sand after I'd landed and head off towards the road. we nipped it in the bud tho.

this kite malarley is just pure madness

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

#31 perfect 15-20 knots at Brighton-le-Sands

Sunday worked well for an early session. We had perfect 15-20 knots down by the Novotel at Brighton-le-Sands.

No dramas for a change. Just beautiful speed on the water. My second time up was the best session ever, on the 16m bowkite. Doing some nice upwind, dropping my arm and working on my stance.

Much much much easier to go left foot first for some reason. Cuspy reckon's it's the direction of the waves, ie on our way out right first we're crossing the waves by a few degrees so its a bumpy ride. But on the way back in right foot first we're parallel with the waves. Maybe. Might also be that I'm, just no good one way. Cuspy had fun, first time out in a few mths given his recent addition.

Still p1ssing around doing alternate turns. Next time with Proto or Cuspy we must break that hurdle and go out at the same time. Will treble our water time for each visit to Botany at least. When we're losing ground just have to come back to the beach more regularly and walk back up. Just have to work on self-launching for the second guy up.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Sneaky early evening outing

Wind was howling yesterday - first decent knots in ages - 15 gusting to 25. Me & Proto made it down to Dolls Point - wow what an awesome location on weekdays - just us and a handful of other kiters, stunning white sands, big beach (thx council for chucking all the extra sand on!). Beautiful, sunny and a bit of wind.

Went for the 16 depowered. Soon reaslised error of our ways and powered her up.

Proto got an awesome session in - not losing any ground for the first half. Then he came a cropper and lost a bit of ground he couldn't make up, so I had to meet him downwind (northerly) before he ended up o ff the edge of the beach.

Then I was up, wind of course dropping by now. Hey - I am up first next session. or maybe we go crazy and both go out together??!!

Had to really throw her around to get some decent momentum. Not long after getting out there the wind fell off a cliff, kite hit the decks, and I was left struggling in the middle of the Bay.

I stuck it out for 20min or so trying & trying to relaunch. Now the 16 crossbow is nrmally really easy to relaunch - even we've found when she's inside out. But in zero wind and upside down and inside out there was no chance.

I was remarkedly calm. Normally in these circusmstances I can't untangle knots for thiknking about sharks. And frightening myself everytime the board leash touches my legs under the water! Any way I went thru the process very calmly, blissfully unaware that I was drifting awy from Brighton toward the national park on the other side. The guys on the beach were far more worried than I. There was apparently talk of police and the current I was drifting into and the local woman who drowned in it last year. Tide wasn't moving though so wasn't really that bad.

Fortunately not long after I started getting cramp i spotted a small fishing boat heading roughly my way. I tryed a fdew more attempts at relaunch then gave in and asked for a ride.

They'd caught no fish so a bedraggled kitesurfer was probably not a bad result.

More soon.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Sneaky 12 knot session

Yesterday served the purpose of broadening our potential wind spectrum.

The airport telephone message was saying 10knots 40degs, the chart shows what 'breeze was saying. JK mocked me as I set out to Botany.

But there was a consistent 2hrs+ of 12 knots from 3pm. After pussyfooting around on the middle setting for the first few runs we saw the light and went to max. Then the 16 (Crossbow) came into its own giving me some awesome runs, I was screaming, getting the buzz again! Proto got out too - though we were both losing lots of ground downwind.

I made a few improvements with some onshore instructions, the wind being light I was able to hear!

But kiting not being kiting without some incident or other. Proto's beloved lost her wedding ring - maybe on the sand? What's the score Proto - did you call the ringfinder dude? Did you find it in the car?

Thursday, July 20, 2006

NSWKBA .... Mandate to...

So I decided twas about time I got to know a few people, got into the scene, got to know a bit more so we can move things forwards!

Well, more precisely I got my invitation in the post to the NSW Kitesurfing Association in the post and decided I'd go along. There was also a nominations form to get on the committee. Before I knew it I'd stood for election, won, and found myself treasurer of the association. The power of being present at the meeting? Anyway 20 ish people at the AGM - a record apparently. Banter. Lots of ideas. Try and get more members. Get involved. Get some stuff up and running. No shortage of enthusiasm that's for sure....

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Mid-winter session. A new season begins????....

Saturday's gustiness was interesting. I tried out Proto's new toy - his 9m Waroo, by the Novotel - awesome kite - it fared well in extremes of 10 to 35knots. Even better than the Cabrinha bows - just so simple, no clutter.

Anyway here's what our guest writer ProtoCole has to say himself. His uncle doesn't run Best. Neither does he own stock.....

Arrived at Botany Bay, 2pm, wind howling, gusty 20 to 35 knots, rain pouring down. Empty beach.

Having recently bought a 16m Crossbow last season- wow what a revolution in kite action! We loved and still love it. However, on Saturday I used my new 9m Best Waroo for the first time- Its another step forward and an Absolutely Fantastic kite- I have been buzzing all weekend!

I am totally impressed by the Waroo. It has all the best bits bits form every kite i have flown (Flexifoil storm 1 (10m) and 2 (14m) , Naish Boxer (12m) and (16m), Switchblade (12M) Xbow (16m), Best Nemesis 21m) and none of the over complicated (having now flown the Waroo) unnecessary dangly bits that other kites have.

I have always assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that Best kites are the cheaper-lower quality kite on the market, but this is certainly not the case with the Waroo-it has everything-even lovely sponge tubey things on the lines to make holding them in the water a pleasure.

We took the Waroo down to the sand. Unpacked her. First impression was of good build quality, and reassuringly simple.

Valves on each strut, and one inflate and one big deflate on the leading edge. No awkward fancy big sand plagued valve as on our Cabrinha Xbow. Every valve has stopper ball too which worked well. Very simple super easy to inflate, a couple of minutes and she was pert and ready to go.

The bar and lines are top quality, really excellent. (Bar and lines were unravelled- again very simple, no over complicated pulleys of dangly plastic tube things for the depower, just a lovely colour coded strap system. Bar comes with color coded lines, a wrist lease, and release on the chicken loop. All very straight forward and easy.

As for flying- Once the lines were connected correctly! The launch was super easy and controlled- the power easily dialled in or out by sheeting the bar. Turn speed was incredible (was a 9m metre) massive power when needed and no power at all if required by simply pushing the bar away! Incredibly re-assuring (it was 20 to 35 knots and gusting to over 40 by 5pm!). After about 2 minutes I was in the water, on the board and racing across the bay with the biggest jet of spray shooting out behind me- totally amazing.

I dropped the kite a few times initially as it took a few runs to get used to how much or how little i could sheet out to reduce the power. A few times i sheeted out too much and lost speed and the kite gently fell. However- re-launching was super simple, I just held the bar to turn the kite out of the water, it floated to the edge of the window and just sailed up into the sky! incredible! After about 20 minutes i was completely used to the position of the sweet spot to be able to maintain steady flight or dial in major pull, and had no more troubles. The secret with bow/SLE kites seems to be to keep some power in the kite and not over depower (unless you are in trouble-which is when the depower safety comes into its own).

As for bar pressure-what bar pressure- there wasn't any to speak of-I could have gone out all day-had to stop as my legs were knackered and it was dark!

In summary the kite is fantastic and the best i have flown yet. If idiots like us can have an amazing session in terrible gusty conditions then this is the future of kiting!

#end

Monday, April 17, 2006

Kitesurfing #27 - Confronting the surf (Sat 15 Apr, Boat Harbour)

[Pic: Pulpit Rock - Friday's walk, Photographer unknown] 

A 6.28 am wake-up call on Hat Hill Rd in the Blue Mountains. The word from my man on the ground in Sydney, was that the arrows were already green and we should get our arses down to the sea asap. By 6.33 am we were on the road, the wife still asleep in the back of the campervan. By 7.33 am I was trying to charm a local officer of the law to let me get on my way, and 'yes - I will observe the speed limits for the rest of my journey'. It was comedy in retrospect. The copper said he saw me "hooning" through Blaxland from the other side of the road. He turned round and pursued me and was expecting me to scream off at the next set of lights. But from the third lane to the right I had spotted Maccas so waited for all the cars to go before crossing three lanes to get our skim flat whites and bacon egg McMuffins. Then I saw the lights behind me flashing. "quick lie flat, hide under the covers". Fortunately I was ignored and my pyjama-ed wife leapt into the front seat instead and hastily belted up.

The confused copper enquired as to whether I'd been drinking. Last night had been an early one so the breathaliser reading was nil. I didn't mention the race for the wind and the fair reasonable honest copper let us on our merry way with a mere ticking off.

[Pic below of Cronulla beach, Photographer unknown] A military-esque mission saw me and Cuspy at Boat Harbour (the 4x4 access on the east of Cronulla Beach) while the wind was still up. We hedged our bets and set up the 12 Switchblade and 16 Crossbow. The only kite (9m) on the beach came in as Cuspy went out. We got chatting - that was a mistake - he told me about the 5 ft hammerhead he'd just been out in the water with.

The brave boys that we are. We rationalised that there are sharks there all the time. Just because someone saw one shouldn't make it any more or less dangerous. So I took the helm and enjoyed some really great wind. What a fantastic day, we both got out 4 or 5 times. It was hard at first battling with the surf. We're more used to the flat waters of Botany Bay. The wide open ocean, the surf, the space, and of course the sharks, made today's session an invigorating and totally knackering experience. [Pic of Friendly-looking hammerhead. Any resemblance to Saturday's sharkie is purely coincidental, Photographer unknown]

The wind came more up and down, more gusty. But we both showed good improvements, I had my best session ever, did the occasional decent upwind run, got used to bending my knees as I hurtled over the waves.

Of course kiting wouldn't be kiting without an incident to report. Today's was minor - in the midst of a beautiful run I had a small wipe-out in the shark feeding zone at the back of the surf. No problem, should be easy to get going again. But then the board got bashed around in the waves, swung around the front of me and made a bee-line for the harness and triggered the quick release. The kite fell out the sky and I was faced with a long, exhausting and daunting swim back to shore.

Like a man riding a horse and cart long after the advent of the motorcar, JK came with us to battle with his windsurf. The polesurfer wasn't faring well in today's inconsistent wind and surf. So I let him test-drive the Maclaren F1. It was exhilarating even for the bodydragging co-driver. I hung on the back and let JK throw the 12m around and to lift 150kg into the air.

All in all a top day at the beach.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Kiteboarding #24 - 'ProtoCole getting too big for his booties' (Sun 12 Mar)

A late entry for what was another great great great day. One where we all rediscovered the joys of this great sport.

It was Sunday March the 12th 2006, the three muskateers down in Kurnell:

Proto summed it up:

dudes, that was one awsome session yesterday...thanks for use of the kit...
Still high from the rush....bring on more wind.

We had an awesome day with Cuspy's 12m Switchblade. What a perfect kite that is.

Most of the afternoon messing around. Proto left early, realising he was still a recent father. Cuspy has still got a few weeks before he will be facing the same dilemma. Me & him messed around into dusk...

And on the day and the Switchy, from Cuspy's deaf ears:

got one more go in - wind turned directly onshore which made it tricky to get pass the groins

awesome day in all though

FatChicken tried to get stuck in the nature reserve, made it with inches to spare.......

'like trading in a morris minor for a ferrari'
'great not to have the long walk home along the beach'
'protocole getting too big for his booties'
'sensational'
'one purchase from KP Steve I'll never regret'


nuff said

Kitesurf in Sydney #26 - A top day on the waters of Botany Bay - Summer winked at us again

Saturday had been like last week - we got going early but by the time Cuspy & I had made the trip south, alas a beautiful calm had fallen over Sydney.

[Proto & Chaos setting up, Photo by KT]

We got a treat in the evening though, the eagerly anticipated premiere of the stupendous N,G&A feature film of the main event of February: the Dangar Island, Peat's Bite wedding fest of me & my lovely new wife. A top production - even featuring some "early footage" of Capn Chaos in action. Thanks guys.

But what an amazing Sunday on the Bay.

The 5:58am text messages (early after the previous day's disappointment) said have a lie-in. I was full of flu so that was a blessing. But by 9ish, we were go. The arrows were lining themselves up for southwesterly. Me & the Proto legged it down to Brighton-le-Sands expecting to go to the Cap'n Cook bridge for the SW facing beach over there.

But the wind was 220 degrees, ie perfectly cross-shore on Brighton. And it was blowing. Weyhey. Proper bloody kitesurfing action.

Wind a bit off & on, but plenty for us to get going with the 16 Crossbow. Now officially out of its bag. And a bargainous purchase it was too. $1,150 second hand off the other Bay, the 2006 model, a bit of use, nothing wrong with it. It's $2,300 RRP ($1,900 new with discounts). Takes a bit of getting used to, flying very differently to the 12 Boxer that I've "grown-up" on. Slower, less easy to throw around (due to the size), but so much more control. Flies itself enough to be able to start messing around on board control. Love it.

The missus came down with us. The last time she saw us being about a year ago, so she was expecting a day of tangled lines, kites falling out of the sky, no wind, disappointment, cup of tea in the van, and losing something-or-other.

As it was she brought the camera, and it took pictures of me doing my magic upwind. Cuspy & Proto doing their magic too. She was mightily impressed!

[Cuspy just avoiding smashing the kite on the water, Photo by KT]


Proto had to go early and pack for his trip to the homeland. So he's gonna be out of action for 2mths. Probably worried he'll come back to find me doing jumps. And able to surf!?

But Cuspy was down so me & him continued til the wind dropped. Up, down, messing around, lots of upwind, down by the Novotel shark net. Amazing. The thrill of flying across the water. Some turns. Some board control.

A full day of beautiful kitesurfing.

[Me in front of the airport and city, Photo by KT]

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Playing in the swell at boat harbour (Kitesurf Cronulla #25)

Winter's here for sure. Yesterday the southwesterly morning forecast told us to get our arses out of bed and get down to Boat Harbour (Cronulla) before breakfast. We fannied around and tried the small (south-facing) beach by the George's River Sailing Club (by the Captain Cook Bridge). Not a bad spot actually, for a southwesterly. But only if its actually blowing.

Before heading back to the City with our tails between our legs, me & Cuspy thought we'd check out the Boat Harbour, where there might be more knots, it not being sheltered by anything. I was slightly nervous about the swell. Especially seeing it as we drove down the dunes to the shore. But round to the right behind sheltered by the reef, it was bearable.

A surprising amount of wind though, considering how poor it had been inside Botany Bay. We tried the 12m Switchblade first. But too hard with the swell, and the surf, in what was light wind. So we moved up to the 16m Crossbow - now a whole two weeks since we bought it. It was hard work.

The two other's kiters out there - a couple?, and later on a bigger posse of kitedudes and dudettes - had moved on from 11m's to 16m's. And then decided there was more value on standing around than being in the water.

We struggled on. Met one of the guys who was friendly and had some helpful tips.

Of course decent wind and smooth waters are very forgiving of lacking talent. Today's conditions were not!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Kites stayed in the bags, but we still had troubles

It was my birthday on Sunday. So me & the wife, Proto & his & our
special guest from windy Perth, and Cuspy & his went down to Botany Bay.
We decided we'd hang out at Kurnell, at the National Park, so if the
wind didn't materialise then we had a nice picnic venue...somewhere nice
for the ladies!

So we hoped for a while for some wind to get the kites out. None came.
So we spent the afternoon scoffing muffins & chicken, and ogling people
and boats with our new 'noccers' (that's Binoculars!).

The kites didn't leave their bags, but there was still of course room
for things to go wrong. Of course there was. This was a kite-day-out.

First up was Cuspy's new car battery. Well it kept going flat. That was
a good start.

Then later in the afternoon we were graced with the company of Fish &
Jade. Fish only came to pick up his deck (the one that went camping)
from Cuspy. So we strung him along for a while that we'd left in it in
the garden in the mad rush out of the house. Would it rain?

But Proto came up trumps - winning a bottle of wine from Fish just as
darkness was falling. Jade had left the keys in Fish's car, half an hour
before the National Park gates would lock us in! No luck with the NRMA
(like the AA) or locksmiths. But while Fish had been on the phone, and
me and Cuspy were choosing our battering ram for the back window of the
Susie (Suzuki), Proto and Perth had been quietly utilising some innate
northern knowledge. He'd broken a bit of wire out of the fence and
managed to shove it down the side of the door and pop the lock up.
Screams of relief all round.

I'm s'posed to out on the water right now as I type. The arrows are
good. But the work situation isn't. Something has to be resolved here.

Since our last almost-festive wind week, I did get married to the
beautiful K, and honeymooned, and learnt to Hobycat in 5 knots, and my
grandpa died at 94 (he was a fan of this kiting tale:
http://waitingforthewind.blogspot.com/2004/01/kiting-5-sundays-outing-wa
s-frankton.html)

Saturday, January 28, 2006

#23 - Kitesurfing 4 times in a week! Wind blowing as well - what's going on here?

Went for a Friday evening, frantic drive & set up to squeeze some time in the water before nightfall. The arrows were green green green go go go. It was 12m wind...have a look at the chart:

I had some excellent goes - the wind close to overpowering the kite - I dropped the lines down two notches on the leading edge of the kite.

Proto was a star - four or five times he went out and returned to where he started. Looked f'in fantastic - though still bending those knees too much mate!

My antics were slightly less brilliant - but great progress all the same. I did loads of upwind action - but couldn't make it back to where I started. But that's for the next session.

It's amazing how you forget about the sharks when you're hooning along rather than spending your time in the water with legs dangling as bait.

Anyway I'm to be wed in two weeks time. And Kt is starting to worry that I've become obsessed. There's definitely something in that - but the arrows are green at the moment. Everyday - and that's a rare occurrence for Sydney. I know we've got a wedding to organise and I can kite for the next thirty years. But it's so exciting right now. On the cusp of greatness!

Very excited about the big day - loads of friends and family coming over. Some time to appreciate Sydney - and enjoy ourselves. And the honeymoon is to Fiji. I've been given very strict orders about not taking the kite!

Work to do...

Friday, January 27, 2006

#22: Officially on the cusp - discovered a new sport called kitesurfing yesterday

Seabreeze forum

Oh my god. A top day out on the Botany Bay. I think me & the Proto
cracked it yesterday. "This is a different sport" I heard as the Proto
came in from his first session on the 16.

The ingredients for such a top day...were of course some green arrows;
and Cuspy's 16. We borrowed it last week and fortunately hadn't returned
it yet. We flogged the trusty 12 for a while first - having some fun on
a few Brighton-le-Sands downwinders - the kitevan following along the
beach. Anyway we then braved the 16. And kitesurfed.

Proto went up first. I got in the van to fetch him at the end of a
downwinder again - but no. Flippin 'eck, the boy was coming back to
where he started from. Some real, genuine, relaxed upwind action from
the master. Great to watch. I was gagging for a go. Once out there - the
kite was flying perfectly. It's a Boxer - just like my 12 - but with
short lines and no dog-dick. So we put my bar & lines on here. It was a
dream.

I just couldn't believe how easy it was - no need to aggressively
figure-8 just to stay up and keep going. And plenty of time to
appreciate, and to think about the board and my feet and going upwind.
Yes - going upwind. Unbelievable. I'd been out on Thursday (6am,
before-work!) for my second ever wakeboard session with some guys from
work. That I think was good just to get some confidence with the board
crashing over the wake at a good speed. So I put all that to the test
with some pretty good speed over the waves in Botany.

Australia Day 2006. February 26th. To be renamed Kite Day. The day we
cracked it. Our chief groupie was there again - I think she was slightly
more impressed than our antics at The Entrance a few days ago. Though
there was possibly less amusement and giggle-some behaviour!

This is the place we start off from in Brighton

The amazing thing in all of this is that it's essentially taken the pair of us two years to work out that to kitesurf, you need wind, and you need the right sized kite. Astounding. There we've been there last few months flogging a dead horse with the 12 in all sorts of wind. And even a few days back flogging a dead one with the 16 in no wind at all. Then yesterday it all came together. Now we just have to buy a 16. Sell the 21. No we'll keep it for amusement value. Maybe it will even fly ok on a sub-12 knot day?

Bring it on.

http://waitingforthewind.blogspot.com

Monday, January 23, 2006

#20-21: Takes of joy and woe from a windy weekend in New South Wales

Best wind we've seen in ages. Sydney's a sht place for wind. Except
this weekend. Green arrows green arrows galore.

But 4:30pm Friday I was still stuck in the office. Green arrows tempting
me out though. So it was a quick word and a promise to finish things off
on Sunday, a call to ProtoCole, himself ready and waiting at home. I was
in the lift by 4:38 and - having risked life & limb biking through
rush-hour across the city - to the flat, load the van, to Proto's place
- we were on the road, kitted up, the 12 pumped, the lines untangled and
helmets adorned - in the water by 6pm.

Wow. Perfect wind conditions, if anything a tad too windy. No: rubbish,
no such thing? We'd bought a 2nd hand 21m Best Nemesis earlier in the
week - hence the decent wind. I'm hoping we never have to pump here up.
My 12m Boxer - workhorse she is - flew like a dream. Proto kitesurfed.
Yes - kitesurfed - no messing around with lost boards or any other
Chaotic behaviour. The Cap'n himself even got out there. Loved. Loved
it. Loved it.

Wow - what a rush and amazing feeling once you get going, out in the
middle of Botany Bay. Some air; not intentionally of course. But
controlled once up there. And time for a nanosecond of reflection,
realisation, and a crash landing into the water. And controlled
kitesurfing. Best session ever. I even dabbled in upwind action? Not
100% conclusive - I was sure I upwinded, as was the dude on a 16m we
were sharing the beach with. Proto's a tougher judge of angles. Either
which way. I was out there with enough control to even contemplate
working out upwind.

Two sessions each. In the bag. Quit while we're ahead. 7:50pm. Stopped.
Packed. In the van, wind drops. Buzzing. And it was still only Friday!

Kitesurfing rocks

----------------

Then there was Saturday. The big adventure up-north. Been biggin it up
all week. Getting excited. Up early, picnic packed, Westfield, Bondi
Junction bit o' shopping, get a car radio installed. Checking out new,
uncharted territory, at The Entrance and the lakes nearby. Virgin
kitesurfing soil, just waiting for two mavericks to discover, to tame,
to make their own.

Well it was a stunning day - the weather. We had guests - some of
honour, having flown all the way from India to experience this momentous
day in the history of Australian kitesurfing.

Here's Tuggerah Lake 1.5hrs north of Sydney Town

E & G were queens of patience, G by now clearly learnt the art of
humouring the ridiculous antics of her worse half, whilst simultaneously
dealing with the relatively well behaved 6mth year-old.

1st up was that penis-shaped intrusion into the lake from the Western
bank (Chittaway Point).

Beautiful on first inspection. However deemed unusable after we heard
the squelching sound of my lower leg struggling out of the stinking mud.
Don't kitesurf at Chittaway Point. Wind was up though - so off, keen
adventurers to find a better spot. No worry, still early, and the wind
should last all afternoon?

Rocky Point? Less mud and more rocks for sure - but no decent landing
spots for us downwind wonders.

Baby fed. Muffins inside of us.

The Entrance it is then. Off to the Eastern side of the lake. Much
scoping out of mud, jetties, wind (now slightly offshore), toilets,
where can the ladies buy an ice-cream, bike hire, mud, picnic tables,
shade, picnickers, domestics, litter, bright sun, some wind, Long Jetty,
Picnic Point, Long Jetty Picnic Point Jetty Long Point Picnicky. And
after much indecision we settled on Long Jetty. Actually, the slightly
less long jetty with all the people on it rather than the longer-one
with no people on it.

Mud. Wind dropping. Kites up. 16 and 12. No 21? Too scary. Too much mud
to navigate. Jetties to negotiate. Nails to tangle in. Seaweed to tangle
in. Our special observer from India was in hysterics.

The kite flew - the 16, sort of not really. We were using the lines from
the 12 and it just wasn't working. Back to the trusty 12. The workhorse,
the star. But even she couldn't fly in these offshore-ish, sub 12
knot-ish conditions. Don't panic we weren't really kitesurfing in
offshore winds. More wading around in the mud in the shallows of the
anyway-shallow Lake Tuggerah.

So after much struggle, and patiences tested, to the soundtrack of
chuckles from the jetty, Proto actually got up on the board. For a good
minute. Maybe two even. I collected him in the car - I drove the few
hundred yards to the next jetty. The pain of it all.

Well there we are. We did get some decent chips and fishing
entertainment in the town of The Entrance before the quiet drive back to
ol'Sydney.

Next time we'll be hiring one of those tourist boats with outboards and
shade to do a serious downwinder across our Lake Tuggerah. If we can
ever persuade ourselves to do it to ourselves again.

Thanks Cuspy for the lend of the 16. Thanks E&G for the shoulders to cry
on, the patience. Thanks the bub for giving the day meaning & purpose.
And Kt for the greencard! x

Friday, December 30, 2005

#19 - What more could go wrong?

Wed pm, late December. Green arrows galore - best day on Seabreeze yet - 20's no gusts. Left wk early - week before xmas so things quiet, and most of the office at lunch every afternoon - so took the chance to get some action in.

Scootered home, picked up the loaded van, straight to Proto's and we're blowing up kites in Brighton before you know it. Sun shining. Wind blowing. Green cards and green arrows for the afternoon.

Getting my shortie on when the phone rings. "Private Number". That means work....do I...don't I....

Well I did. "Just thought I'd let you know he's just walked into the office". Now "he", ie the boss, was supposed to be many hours away in a different state, on hols. NOT in the office. Fk. Fk. Fk.

Ok at this time of year - you don;t want to ck things up - half the office might well be p1ssed but you're not them and you work for someone different. So - over to Proto - who's enthusiastically pumping up the 14m...

OK, we had to leg it back. Drop Proto. Van back home. Quick change to suit. Back on Scooter. 45mins. At my desk. Calm.

He understood. Disappointed clearly. But not as disappointed as the next day - when we went for a re-run to find the wind was shitty, and the greatest fun we could get was by tormenting ourselves with the print-out from yesterday's Seabrook charts. Green arrows green arrows all the way through til 8 o' clock.

Not been a day like it since.

Monday, December 12, 2005

#18 - Not keen on Dolls

Out at Dolls Point Saturday. Cuspy'd bought his brand new 12m Switchblade along so we were all gaggin for a go on that.
Wind was sh1tty to start, Cusp finding it hard to learn the new ways in shoddy conditions. But then it picked up and he got some of his money's worth. Proto had a go as well.

Cuspy was just picking up the kite to get set for me to have a go when some bloke said "Oi - there's a big Southerly coming in". At that moment Cusp was still trying to get the lines right so I didn't launch. Fortunately.

A minute later 30 knot gusts came in and swept sand over the beach. Very dramatic moment. Same bloke - thank god there's some sense on Dolls - screamed at some other bloke not to launch, while a way-overpowered 20m red was given a helping hand.

That was that.

The curse of. I didn't even get to fly the kite.

Don't like Dolls. Too many other kiters messing up and doing stupid stuff. Bloke with flouro yellow number spent most of the afternoon pissing off the sunbathers at the northern end of Dolls with lines and kites twisting all over the shop. This flour-guy's afternoon ended with a bollocking from some bloke whose girl had been hit by his kite.

Saw four kites drop badly on the beach. And in our midst is the casual bathers and family swimmers. Too hairy for me. Back to the north end of B-l-Sands, or give me Kurnell anyday.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

#17 - Back to Kurnell, 2 days on the run

It was worth leaving the keyboard and getting down to Kurnell again.

Me 'n Proto had a few good runs. Incident free. The wind not as strong as Saturday - but just enough for the 14m. Even my 12m sort of flew.

So all in all a top weekend for the kite thing. Lots of excitement about Cuspoy floggin all his old gear and buying into a Cabrinha Switchblade. Met bloke on beach - Ad - flyi9ng a 16m - makes the whole thing look dead easy, loads of easy control, twice as much power/depower. Thinking of putting a 14 on the wedding list.

...
and to finish off previous comments...
The upshot was we spent over an hour f'in around trying to retrieve the board form the middle of Botany. The tide/wind was fortunately pushing it gradually inshore as it progressed towards the heads and the the big open sea.

We were saved from the wrath of Stevie at Kitepower by a bloke with a telescope. After the jetskiers did a shot job of not finding it, we were hollered over by bloke on balcony. He'd been watching the commotion, and gone and had a look through his scope. And could see exactly where the bugger - light blue - nice colour - was.

That was handy - then Proto bravely faced the shark-infested waters to swim out and retrieve it. He wa lucky the low tide kept them at bay.

Looking fwd to crackin this sport this summer.
Cuspy's last chance!!!
Tho Proto might be proving that wring at the moment!

Sunday, December 04, 2005

#16 - Another one for the blog

We broke the 3-month kite-drought yesterday, with a trip to Kurnell with ProtoCole and Cuspy, plus the kitechicks and new groupie - Archie.

The wind was 20-25 but quite gusty, westerly - so cross-shore at Kurnell. Pretty reasonable conditions.

Proto did alright. I did OK. Cuspy proved he was still on the cusp.

Til I saw Proto running back up the beach - - Cusp'd lost his board. Eh? He leashes on with one of those reel leashes. But he'd come a cropper in the middle of the Bay and the shoddily attached leash had come undone. I think maybe I have to take some of the blame for that. But anyway...

I had thought we'd covered most of the ground on kite-mishaps (read the previous 30 odd entries below!). Here was a new one. Cuspy got two jetskis to go in search but that was to no avail. And of course it wasn't just one of our old boards. No it was the Demo one we borrowed from Kitepower that morning. The one that had reluctantly been lent to us as the owner wasn't keen on his board being in Kurnell for the day.

[ I'll finish this later - as the butterfly effect has just been proved: The beans I had for brekkie appear to have brought us a single green arrow at the airport. And we're tracking above 5 at Kurnell. Plenty enough to torment me and Proto. And the two groupies for today...hopefully I'll be concluding this later with tales of upwind action and beautiful consistent 15 knot wind that came up behind that single green arrow.]

Monday, August 22, 2005

#15 - All the stars were aligned on Saturday

Been a long time since I've been out with the kites. But I got rudely awoken by ProtoCole early morning Saturday with a "get up the wind's blowing". Within seconds I was regretting the 3am triple-gin tonics. Though a few hours later I was not regretting the wake-up call.

Had a FANTASTIC session. Totally rekindled my excitement for this emotional rollercoaster of a sport.

All the stars were aligned on Saturday...
...we had great wind, perfect knottage for me
...a low tide
...the clouds were hiding the blinding sun
...a Westerly so we could go to Kurnell for cross-shore. I like Kurnell
...so no dogs or children or canoes or bathers or fishing boats with loudspeakers...

Perfect

The gin wasn't doing me much good though so I was keen for ProtoCole take the first few runs. My stomach settled though and I had the best session ever - zipping across the water at great speed and some control as well! Back forth - all downwind - but it wasn't the day for learning the hardway. We were keen to have some fun. So there was plenty of walking back up the beach!

Proto was good and did two great recoveries relaunching in the water. I also managed one.

Obvious - but having good wind makes all the bloody difference. As the afternoon drifted by I went out again towards the end in dodgy gusty wind. And it was a crap sess. Obvious really.

Anyway. Back into it. Can't wait to get out there again and start properly trying for some upwind action.

Friday, July 22, 2005

It's not just me who can't get it up...

As I say, not just me. And also not just me who gets the shits over the shadows in the water cast by my board. And the other classic is the shark that keeps following me round, slightly downwind and downsun of me. My heart still misses beats when I see the shadow of my kite on the dark menacing water at the 'Nell. Clearly some of the side effects of pastimes-of-old catching up on me.

Here's what Keeny has to say about it all...

As for Kurnell, it has a tendancy that if the tide runs downwind you’ve got no hope of getting your kite relaunched because you can’t swim fast enough.....pommie p told me that when I got out and thought I’d all of a sudden turned into a useless kiter....very much relieved at hearing that! I did also have a minor panic attack because you can see through the water there and splashing around like an idiot being pulled further away from the other people I started to think OMG I could be on the menu....it wouldn’t matter if I couldn’t see the sharkies come get me but I would’ve on that day. At one point I freaked myself out because out of the corner of my eye the board in my hand was causing a shadow beneath me so I had to think happy thoughts to calm me down as the mind can play nasty tricks on you

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Satellite maps of Botany Bay

This is my toy of the day - google maps are now in Australia - here's the link to Botany Bay.

Here's the Bay and where we go...

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-33.985519,151.193504&spn=0.077299,0.160795&t=k&hl=en

The airport to the north.

On the west of the Bay of Brighton-le-Sands, with Dolls Point in the bottom left corner.

Kurnell is the north facing beach in the bottom/right.

Cronulla beach and the Boat Harbour 4x4 park face south to the opensea.

#14 and a couple of aborted attempts - blowing in Botany

Kiting 2005 #14 (Sat 9 July): It's mid-winter in Sydney and a tad chilly. Sydneysiders are in denial though - and no houses or apartments have central heating. So I sit writing this close to the electric oil heater, with it pathetically trying to heat the living room.

Its a real shame I have to work. It's definitely getting in the way of my hobbies. And my marathon training is conflicting with my kitesurfing, as is my cycling. And this weekend so was my drinking. And ProtoCole's impending baby birth has screwed his Saturday mornings with antenatal baby classes filled with emotional videos.

But around all that stuff I've managed to get down to Botany Bay three times over the last two weekends. Lets go back to the first...here I quote from Fat Chicken's other blog...

"...we did a great bike ride on Saturday. The forecast was rain but we decided we'd touch base at 5:45am. I looked outside and annoyingly the rain had stopped so there was no excuse to snuggle back up in bed. Having gone to bed at 1:30am I wasn't feeling that inspired. But I was driver and organiser so I could hardly drop out. Picked up J and Z on the way up to Kurungai National Park (1hr north of Sydney). Was starting to get light as we got there.

Fortunately the first few kms are down hill - from the entrance of the park heading in the direction of West Head. I came round gradually as the sun rose and a beautiful, stunning morning was upon us. The ride was short (50kms) but its reasonably tough because of the hills. The first highlight is the views from West Head over to Palm Beach - just beautiful, especially on a still early morning with the sun rising and not a soul or car around.

The second highlight is the breakfast at Akuna Bay Marina. The cafe's apparently just changed hands and they did us an awesome chicken/avocado etc open sandwich. Just enough fill to contemplate the never-ending ascent past the turn off to Cottage Point and back to the van.

I was dreaming of a snooze in the sun on the drive back, but got a call from "On the Cusp" who was off to Kurnell for a bit of kite-in-gale-action. So I obediently made my way down there...but that's for another blog..."

So here we are down in Kurnell and the day's hours of light are slipping away. OnTheCusp was out on the water and KeanKayla pointed out his flouro-yellow 12m snaking around downwind from us. And was it windy. Bloody hell. Really windy. Norwesterly, so perfect for Kronulla.

I watched OTC for a bit, while collecting my nerves. My legs were stiff, I was tired and it was VERY windy. My excuses were primed. But, NOOO, I must go out. It's never bloody windy and this was well over 20 - there were ten kiters out there having loads of fun doing exactly what I want to do. So I got the stuff out and starting pumping up my 12 Boxer.

I kept an eye on Cuspy and just as I'd finished pumping I noticed he was trying to land the kite. I legged it down the beach to help him (he'd drifted a few groins downwind) but a friendly windsurfer had helped him out.

But it was good Cuspy had landed as I now had him to help me launch. I'd been uncomfortable with the idea of doing it on my own. Having been out with ProtoCole most times since my heady early days of madness I've forgotten what it's like to set up alone and ask some random punter for a launch. So Cuspy's landing was what I needed. He was keen for a break and was more than willing to keep an eye on me as I went out. Phew.

So off I went. Bloody windy so I depowered the backlines before launch. Got out there, bodydragged away from shore and into the middle of the experts jumping around and the odd windsurfer zipping by.

Its funny how kiters cluster together dispute the obvious dangers. I can understand the comfort from being near others - the chance for a launch, and a landing, and friendly faces if you get in trouble. But I do worry about tangled lines and craziness - especially as the show-offs jump over the shoreline when others are launching - not all of whom (myself included) are 100% in control!
Anyway out I went. Bloody hell it was windy. The depowering meant that turning was muted. I had very little control. Overpowered I think they call it. I was being gently lofted as the gusts wafted over the Bay. It was easy to stand. Even on the small board I'd borrowed from Kitepower to trial. But not easy for me to control. I was shitting my pants out there. I messed around for a bit then made my way back into shore. I was just totally uncomfortable in that wind.

So it was over to Cuspy for him to show us some magic.

There was another chick out there as well as KK. Without tricks but she looked good. I'd be happy to be at her level right now. Very happy.

We took more boards home with us as we were planning an early one Sunday. The wind was promising us all sorts of fun. And did it blow. It was a classic winter kite day. Again seeking solace in thermos-tea. We even bothered to check out Boat Harbour, which was great to see - huge surf crashing around. The van got a bit of 4x4 action and covered in salt water and sand from the wind. ProtoCole and his enlargening wife joined us. Which was a shame as it doesn't enamour the better-halves when they get dragged around in shitty weather without even seeing any decent action.

So on to the weekend just gone. I'll be brief. I went cycling again. Proto and the Belly were at antenatalisms in the am so I cycled with J round Bellevue Hill and down to La Perouse. And then squeezed a couple of hours in the office in.

Then I got the call. Proto'd had enough of birthing vids and the wind was PERFECT. It was a hasty last-minute-one again and I was already preparing myself for disappointment. Which was prophetic. Raced down there. I forgot my 12m so we got out Proto's 14m - - that's the 14m lead balloon that we've had so little fun with in the past. But we were proven wrong ... after some adjustments the baby flew well. Proto did some good turns. It was my go .... as the clock ticked toward 5:30 .... the wind dropped. Oh well. Heydiho - it was good to see Proto out there and I reckon a victory just to get the 14 outta the bag and flying nicely.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Training for the Sydney Marathon

When the wind fails to blow - - often now winter's set in, or at least less predictably - - then I run around training for the Sydney Marathon. Having worked out the blog thing and quite enjoyed writing for Waiting for the Wind, I thought I'd pen my progress pounding the pavements. Read all about it at Marathon Musings at http://ifanyonecan.blogspot.com

Sunday, June 19, 2005

#13 - New spot up at Palm Beach - shoddy wind again though

Kiting 2005 #13 (Sun 19 Jun): Sunday was the second kiteday of the weekend. Me 'n OnTheCusp went up to Palm Beach. Again it was s'posed to be an early start but one of us was in dire need of bacon sandwiches and other cures before we could begin. Not a problem though as the wind didn't really get going til late afternoon.

We met up with KeenKayla, who even out-geeks me I reckon on the kite-obsession thing. To the extent I think she may even be impressed with this whole blog thing (it being difficult to gain much enthusiasm from my mates). She arrived without water kites though which is a bit dubious. But is equally keen to run (fly) before she can walk, already talking about IKO instructor courses. I've been gibbering on for a while about the course in Boracay which teaches you up, but takes a month which would be difficult with work. Keeny tells us she's at the going upwind stage, and jumping but with no control, following on form her successful few weeks in Fiji, as opposed to OnTheCusp's windless week.

We had some fun with the land kites, I got to fly OnTheCusp's 4.5m for a while.

Wind was offshore, west to norwesterly, so for water action it was the Pittwater side. I had couple of goes but it wasn't quite blowing enough and the kite was prone to leadballooning, while I was a bit nervous about the proximity of the car park in what was direct onshore. Given my lack of ability on the upwind side that gives me little room for manoeuvre.

OnTheCusp did much better, living up to his name he showed us some reasonable upwind board action, returning to his point of departure at least twice.

It was a good day despite my not getting too much time in the water. Met some new people. Hanged out at what is admittedly a much prettier place than Kurnell. And finished with a top curry.

My discovery today is this site, where these blokes have put up the designs to make your own kite: http://web.media.mit.edu/~saul/zeroprestige/kitemake (Cuspy - this could be something to do in the nowindtime we were discussing yesterday).

This is the other thing I've discovered today, a hybrid foil/inflatable kite. very cool?? http://www.ikiteboarding.com/article_detail.aspx?id=146

Saturday, June 18, 2005

#12 Just like last winter - crappy wind in Kurnell (Sun 19 Jun)

Spent the day with Cuspy. This time of year I'm being told that wind blows early in the morning, and not necessarily onshore (from the east). Which perhaps explains why my memories of last winter's kiting revolve around disappointment at Kurnell and Cronulla.

So winter's here - though to be fair winter in Sydney has temperatures of 18 degrees! But crappy wind.

So me & Cuspy were to meet early. The wind was blowing. Got in the van - - and, yes, it wouldn't be a kite-outing without some shoddy incident. I couldn't find the keys to the steering-wheel crook lock. An hour spent ransacking the van and the flat to no avail. Retracing my steps of the last week, the last time I remember having them was in Mudgee, about 3 hours from here! So no van for today.

So we went off Botany Bay way. Made that classic error of stopping at Kitepower in Sans Sousi. Wasted time. Got pure wallets prised open...I bit the bullet and decided I'd pay some more dues to safety...I bought my first helmet, and got a coil leash to replace my deadly catapulting surf-board leash. No I know all about the leashed/unleashed debate and that can be for another time. And nipped into the excellent bakery next door.

Some time later we actually got to Kurnell. Two kites up. Hoorah. The only two up in the Bay. And a third was just launching (foil kite, more on that later). So we fannied around setting up Cuspy's 16m Boxer, during which time the wind was dropping, dropping, dropping off. Cuspy got out there by the time it had dropped sub-10 knots. Crap. Bllocks. Typical. I had a brief go but there was not enough wind for us amateurs to get any board action (though a guy on a 13 with a MASSIVE board was having fun out there). I did get to use a 16m for the first time which was novelty. Heavy, difficult to manoevre. But, sorry Proto, not as difficult as the 14!

Nothing for it then but to call it a day. Had an equally miserable time trying to land-board over in Cronulla. Again 1st time for me so good to try these things at the very least.

Back to Kitepower then, for a really good discussion with one of the the employees there. Surprisingly friendly given our previous experiences with certain people in that shop. Lots of hype at the moment about the impending launch of Hellfish which is Best's new kite using Cuban Fibre which is some super-light material. Had a chat about that, and me getting a bigger kite. Seems its between a 15m Best Yarga, or wait out til the Hellfish launches and get one of those. While I can go out with Cuspy and use his 16 there's no urgency so might wait a month.

Monday, May 30, 2005

#11 - Bring on the coastguard: But good job it wasn't a real emergency

Kiting 2005 #11 (Wed 18 May): Another blogtastic session on Sydney's Botany Bay - I'm reliving this one 12 days later so the detail may get a tad sketchy, but here goes: Me & N caught up early afternoon on a spontaneous decision. Winter's coming and the chances of good wind are gonna be fewer so we grabbed the opportunity.

N went out doing his magic. All good. Maybe vaguely upwind - N, were you? His launch was perfect - and was rewarded with applause from the European school party passing by. The wind was roughly southerly, ie cross-shore and toward the airport.

Then me and the trouble began. Well, not quite yet. I was straight up, looking/feeling good. Messed around for a while. Then I dropped the kite and couldn't relaunch. Well, the six weeks off since the shark episode were showing as I struggled in vain to relaunch the kite, while getting slowly dragged toward the airport (still a good few miles away). A long time later I was still doing the same. And a bit longer later there I was, still in the middle of Botany Bay, slowly getting dragged downwind, and still unable to relaunch. I tried and tried but couldn't get the bugger up.

Oh well, nothing for it but to pull the ejector switch - ie, to release the kite (releases three of the kite's four lines, for those unfamiliar with the intricate workings of these mechanisms). The intention being to then swim back to shore (the kite dragging behind, but now with no tension in the lines).

But instead, it seems that in my kafuffle trying to relaunch the bloody thing earlier, I'd accidentally dislodged the "fourth" line. So off the kite went, merrily blowing in the wind toward the airport. I valiantly tried to swim after it. For about 2 seconds. Off it flapped into the distance. Then I dithered and tried again. No chance, nothing for it then but to swim ashore. So some minutes later I was out of breath and feeling thoroughly pissed off as 400 quid's ($1000) of kite got smaller and smaller.

It's OK said N. "No worries" (not really, he's no Oz). "Don't worry", "the coastguard are on their way". Mmmm, what? Well the bloke in the ice-cream kiosk had kindly called the coastguard half an hour before as he'd thought I was in trouble - - which was very nice of him. It was a good job I hadn't been in trouble as otherwise I'd be shark fodder by now. But as it was I was happy they were coming as maybe they could get my kite for me. The bloke called them up to say it was no longer an emergency, but they didn't tell the boat, which was now (having gone first to the wrong side of the Bay) hanging around the spot I had been treading-water in 45 mins earlier.

Anyway to cut a long story short, we couldn't communicate with them, they disappeared, the kite continued to the airport, I started to worry (sh1t, what if this gets in the local papers?), N went to get the van so we could chase it (but couldn't start the van!!), I called the airport to find out whether we could retrieve it (told them it was an emergency at the perimeter, got passed around SEVEN departments and ended at voicemail - - what if it WAS a real emergency, hey Sydney Airport?), three airport vehicles arrived at the perimeter with flashing yellow lights, and eventually the coastguard got there too, we called them up, and another hour or so later were eating humble pie in the police office thanking them for retrieving the kite!

So there we have it, another day on the kites. It's no wonder it's taking so f'in long to master this sport!

Monday, April 18, 2005

17 May: More sharks in Sydney

No kite action this weekend. But more shark tales...

Within hours of returning from Maroubra for a surf with N on Saturday, we got the SMS: There'd been a shark attack that morning in Bronte (a few beaches north). All over the papers etc - some local hero dude who went back in the water that afternoon. Well, no heroics from me & N. We'd avoided Botany Bay after last week's brush-by-biting (though admitedly, not because of it). And then funnily enough ended up in tasting-range of the local column-inch filler.

Got some "surfin" in though. I'm about 4 weeks into my new and first board. Long way to go I think. Not really stading yet, except for the odd nanosecond.

Sunday I was fearlessly facing the 7-footer again swimming the length of Bondi (about 1km) about 100 yards out from the surfers, thinking of nothing but sharks and freaking out at every dark shadow.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

An aside: R&J are exploring WA at the mo and have just reported in, with a tale worthy of publication on this catalogue of errors:

...we are now in Exmouth about 1400 ks from either Perth or Broome. Awesome conditions here - has been blowing 15-20knts most days. Had a couple of setbacks - poor launching sites mainly. However, got the kite out down at Carnarvon (great water and wind, but not v. pretty) and round the corner from here on the NW Cape - lovely beach, nice flat water, cross-shore 20 knots. Was getting into the groove again - up and down wind, even managed a wave to Jess on the shore. Then disaster struck - , just as I was the farthest out, getting ready to turn, one of the lines broke, so with my safety-first hat on, I let the bar go - then realised it was the F****ing safety that broke. Mad swimming ensued, but to no avail, the kite had the wind and current behind it, I had just the current. So my kite is now going on a safari down the edge of the ningaloo reef. Wind was pulling it in, tide pulling it out. Coastguard reckons its on its way to Indonesia

Monday, April 11, 2005

Kiting 2005 #10 (Sat 9 Apr):

SHARK BITE IN BOTANY

"Now that was one for the blog" I said after I'd regained my normal senses. There was still blood dribbling down my leg but ProtoCole had come over and assured me I had no big chunks of flesh missing from my arse, and that the scratches were merely superficial. Not that my heartbeat agreed with that appraisal.

It all seems rather silly now that I'm safely tucked up 20kms away and 26 storeys up from the dark shadowy sundown waters of Botany Bay. But when that "thing" made a grab for me 60ft from shore "silly" was the last thing on my mind. The kite was also low down the list, which is probably why it ended up spinning around it self and heading towards the rock groyne. What was on my mind was: What the fk is it; and If it's a shark should I stop flailing around madly and do that pretend-to-be-dead thing, or am I ok to carry on flapping?

Well I flailed around madly and - according to Proto's recounting of the scene of turmoil, squealed like a puppy that had just been trod on. Maybe that was exactly the frequency of sound that scares those Tiger Sharks away. Because I lived to muse over what really touched my leg and caused such cuts.

Well, the board could've caused the cuts as they were very straight lined, though somehow on the front of both legs and the back of one. Or maybe some metal railings or fences left behind by the builders. Or a chain with no buoy. Or. Or. Or some gigantic underwater octopus with long razor-like tentacles. Probably not a shark though.

I'd spent my day's adrenaline, but Proto was still up for going out again - though a km back up the beach from its lair. I'd had a good kite session by the way, before the incident pit opened: straight on the board and away, no pissing around. But some falling off still. Proto managed upwind action and one decent turn. He also got some Air - though of course not intentionally.

Can't wait to get out there again.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Kiting 2005 #9 (Sat 19 Mar): Blowin' good (15-20 knots). Went to Botany Bay with N & G. Kitted up just south of the Long Reef shop (BRIGHTON-LE-SANDS). Reasonable board action, getting used to it - this really only being my second to third session out on the board properly. I had the hangover from hell so started to flag after an hour and a half's messing around. N went on for longer and managed his first upwind action, though strangely could only do it in one direction ie left foot first. Wind was blowing roughly cross shore from the south-west.

I found it strangely difficult to get up left-foot first. Right-foot first (ie towards the sea rather than the shore at Brighton on a southerly) was loads easier. I played around a lot with trying to stand better. Very conscious of a very poor stance, taking too much weight on the bar, and so not allowing sheeting-out and the kite to depower, hence slowing and dropping back into the water. Seems strangely difficult to manage this. N having the same problem. G took some video shots on an excellent zoom, and that confirmed it all - looking terrible - knees bent, leaning toward the kite, taking the power through my arms!

Much work to be done. But now it's a helluva lot more fun.

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Kiting 2005 #8 (Sat 12 Mar): AMAZING. Had an amazing sess with N down at Brighton-le-Sands. Great wind. I was on the board and FLYING. Pretty much went half the way from Brighton to Dolls Point. The wind was cross to on. More cross which was great. Mostly 18 knots (at the airport, not far from us).....GREEN arrows on seabreeze.com.au.


ProtoCole at Brighton le Sands (2005-03-12)




I was on the board no problem. I stayed on the board for some really long runs. Messed around with my stance a bit with not much luck. Played with retaining momentum at the top of the window and the sides. Mostly left leg first, though did a bit the other way round - but that would sort of mean coming to shore more quickly. Tried - unsuccessfully - to go upwind. But I'm sure that's not far away now.

Top day out. Made such amazing progress in a short space of time, having been stuck for so long before that. Very comfortable flying the kite now - one handed, no handed!, whilst submerged in the water and blinded!

N did good as well - tried to get upwind bit also couldn't.

Yippeeeeee

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Kiting 2005 #7 (Sat 5 Mar): My birthday outing - K treated me to a trip to BYRON BAY and I was taking full advantage of birthday-boy status so we spent Saturday afternoon playing with kites. Byron is a beautiful spot, the Bay has a wide sweeping beach, roughly north-east facing, with enough curve to turn noreasterlies into cross shore. We based ourselves on the easterly side, which unfortunately has a load of kids playing around & surf lessons in action, though later in the afternoon it cleared up a bit. There's another beach round the corner that is long and straight and faces south-east.

So it was very windy. I was nervous, and without my kite-buddy more cautious than usual. The waves made it look more scary. The wind was very gusty - sand blowing along the beach knots - so we waited around a while before launching. In the meantime I taught my beautiful assistant some of the theory.

Eventually I couldn't take it any more and we got out into the water. First go was the K&A tandem run. K did a fine job of launching the kite, then grabbed my back and I took her for a spin. That was good fun and there was enough wind for both of us to get some decent speed body dragging through the waves. We landed glitch-free, giving me the confidence to go it alone with the board.

Now at this stage I'd been on the board a few times, never in waves, and never managing to stay on it for too long.

I left the leash behind as I'm starting to get more paranoid about getting a fin in the back of my head - especially in choppy open waters. The water is reasonably shallow for far enough out to be able to stand and mess around. And I did that for a few seconds. Only a few outings ago I was struggling to get my feet in the slots. Now that - and flying the kite one-handed - is easy. Feet in. Swoop the kite down from 12 to the right and I'm off! Through the waves without losing the board, for three up/downs of the kite before I lose momentum. Much more of this before I lose the board and crash the kite.

But I got a relaunch and retrieved the board and went again.

Fantastic.

A couple more goes of the same and I was a very happy chappy. Board action; in the waves; without a leash; good relaunches; and K's now proficient at launching and landing and she's had a taster of being in the water. A top day.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Best of the web: Having spent the last week lost in the internet - here's my top kite sites:

1. www.kitebeaches.com where to go to find out where to go
2. www.kitesurfingschool.org top tips and a lot more - the best place for learning
3. www.kiteforum.com the best place for kite banter & news
4. Kitesurf group on Yahoo the 2nd best place for banter & news
5. www.windguru.cz for wind around the world (only modelled, not real readings)
6. www.seabreeze.com.au for wind forecasts in Oz

It's birthday time and I've done well so far - "The Complete Kiteboarding Guide" (DVD made by kitefilm.com) arrived in the post today. I'll post my review and top tips from this in the next week or so. And yesterday, the book "Kiteboarding Vision" turned up (published by the IKO guys). All very exciting. Clearly my lack of progress is being pitied by some and they're trying to help me on my way...!

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Kiting 2005 #6.1 (Sat 20 Feb): Staying the weekend at jervis Bay - so headed to the excellent St George's Basin for an afternoon session - in the pouring rain, but very decent wind. SANCTUARY POINT boat ramp is the launch spot - there's always two or three windsurfers there - but I've never seen kites.

The wind was direct Southerly - so roughly in the direction of the Erowal Bay boat ramp. Proto's folks were over from the UK and keen to see the son in action - so I let him go first. Proto had a fabulous session - performing well for the assembled umbrellas. They left to head back not long after.

So I stayed watching the master at work, as the thunder began and the mist dropped over the lake. Lost him. He was trying to make his way upwind - and did make it to roughly that level on the other side (Bream's Beach?). But not - and ended up at the Erowal Bay boat ramp.

Of course - as it came to my turn the weather took a turn for the worse, and the thunder started coming closer. We set up and waited. And waited. As it progressively got worse and the lightning nearer. Some wind came back, but lightening and kites are probably not a good mix - so after a cuppa tea in the disabled toilets, we eventually heeded Kate's advice and called it a day. The next few times with Proto - I'm going first!

Given I didn't get any further than donning my wetsuit this doesn't count as an outing.

Monday, January 31, 2005

Kiting 2005 #6 (Sun 30 Jan): Sunday was kiteday. And in Sydney the wind was up. Me & ProtoCole on the strings. Kate in the van on the zoom lens. Went to Dolls Point for a bit of south to south-easterly 15 knots.

First up was PC - with a great performance for the paparazzi, putting all scepticism to rest, and resulting in the offer of a fine cuppa in reward. PC was in the water, smooth, easy launch, body drag out 100m, straight on the board and off. Turns. Sleek turns. Some cool manoeuvres swinging the kite overhead and skidding the board around. Excellent stuff. He's making good progress very fast.

Then there was me. Of course, in the true ways of the kite, the wind dropped a spot. But I shouldn't really be making excuses. The wind was good enough. Just I wasn't. I piddled around getting on the board. Falling off the board. On. Off. On. Off. Sinking the board. But not doing anything remotely photogenic. Ended up half a mile down the beach and no decent results. I'd say it was good practice though. And there was some movement made. The problem - again - is that I'm too chicken to go directly downwind and still tack sideways - not getting enough momentum. There was one moment when I went left (shoreward) rather than my usual right. And did get a decent amount of momentum, speed and thrill.

So Proto let me go again. He's clearly worried that I may lose interest if he gets too much better than me. No need to fear. So I went again. Scrappy session. And yet more blog-worthy antics...

The kite dropped, and I tried to relaunch. Having reasonable success but then decided that too close to the groin. So I started swinging it round toward the sea. The kite ended up downwind of a buoy, with the kite lines either side of it. The kite's on its back and pulling me toward the buoy. Calm. Control. I tried to get the kite to go right and the lines to lift over the buoy. No chance. We already know how fond they are of tangling amongst themselves...given the opportunity to tangle with a floating ball on a chain they jumped at it.

So the kite continued to pull downwind, dragging the buoy deep into the murky sharkpit of Botany Bay. And starting to take me down with it. So I very calmly pulled the safety and let the bar go down. Somehow the leash wriggled off me as I flailed around in the water, and the whole lot sunk. Bugger.

Well it's times like these that kitesurfing really comes into its own.

Or at least the limited buoyancy of the board does. There was no way I was diving down into that tangles murky seaweedy dark mess to retrieve my bar. So I started swimming toward the kite. Going through the should-I-leave-it question in my head. Well not possible really as all that string if it didn't kill me would certainly get tangled up in the next surfer kitesurfer or great white and I don't want that on my conscience.

Then I noticed International Rescue. Proto was front crawling toward me with a look of confusion on his face. I motioned for him to undo the kite. Which after a bit of a struggle he did - then he took it to shore.

So without the tension on the lines from the kite, the buoy bobbed up to the surface as did the bar. So it's a short swim to the bar and start winding in. I was slightly panicky that I'd get tangled in all the now-loose lines. String everywhere - around me and below me. So I started winding in. Fk how long it'll take at the other end, I wound and tied and tied stupid knots and wound for bloody ages till the whole lot was back on the bar and unhooked from the buoy. Then off to shore.

Now I forgot to mention that just after ProtoCole got to the kite the suburban-family-in-canoe went past. I pointed them away from us (tangle hazard) and they looked at us very strangely and carried on.

Well. Now they're coming towards me. Just after it's all done. All the hard work, they come toward me and ask me if I'd like to put the lines & board in their boat. I couldn't be arsed unleashing the board which was dragging behind me, but swimming with the bar in my hand was irritating so I chucked that to the kid, who got screamed at by father when he picked it out the water. odd. But never mind, at least swimming to shore will be slightly easier.

The point of that little tale is that Proto then told me (before I'd got my breath back) that he'd asked them to go and assist and they'd refused. So he said something cocky like "well we'll just leave him to drown then" so they said "ok, but he's not getting in the boat". Bstrds.

So shore I was at. Back to van. Cuppa tea. Untangle. Proto back out on the water. More cool manoeuvres from the lad, though wind dying now. Lots of good recoveries of the kite. Then my turn - naked (well, wetsuit-less) - but wind was shite by now. So back to van. Cuppa. And offski. Another great day in the sea.

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Kiting 2005 #4&5: An excellent weekend down in Jervis Bay with Proto & his kitemissus. Saturday the wind was not so great but we got some normal surfin' in first so it wasn't total disappointment. Great place to surf - to learn to surf - is Caves Beach, in the National Park down that way. So for Kites we went in the afternoon to to George's Bay....This is the best place yet in NSW I've found to kitesurf...perfect for mere novices like ourselves...we launched from XXX. There's plenty of other places to launch from depending on the wind direction. But this was good for us. Shallow water. A sort of lagoon with somewhere only a small exit to the sea so no chance of being eaten by sharks or ending up crossing the Tasman. So the Sat afternoon we pissed around a bit, but didn't get enough wind for any serious board action. Though good progress made by G and general messing about.

On to Sunday. I spent the night in the van. Lovin' the van by the way. Pic coming soon! We rose early from our super-quiet camp site (called XXX). And headed off to meet Jen and John down at Caves/the other one next to it again (called XXX). Well blow me. The waves are shit for surfin' cos....the wind's up!!! So smug as you like we left the others to their shit surfin' conditions and headed back to our launch on St George's Bay. Northerly (I think - must check...Proto??). Anyway wind heading in direction of the boat launch on other side of the Bay. So it was an afternoon of Georgian Crossings which were fun. Forget this tacking malarkey.

Proto was first. He's officially cracked it now. Doing all sorts of magic on the board. We had the binoculars so we could see where on the other side (about 1-2km away) he'd land so we could drive round and get him. That worked well so we repeated the routine again and again.

My trip was reasonably successfull (for my standards)...I'm still not quite there. Can't believe it, given how long I've been playing around with this sport for, though hey ho). Anyway I made the crossing tacking around, messing around for the first time in ages with not a care - no dogs, no kids, no other kitesurfers or fishermen or boats or sharks or crab traps or bouys or waves or groins. What a joy.

So, without exaggeration here's where I'm at: I can get on the board. I can stay on the board but not for very long. I spent some time trying to work out why - it seems I mostly put too much weight on the front which then sinks. I'm also a bit chicken about going directly downwind so end up going sideways and not getting enough speed/momentum. Ican fly the kite well without the board. But the biggest bug bear is when the kite crashes and lands upside down on the leading edge I can't bloody relaunch it. Well, true to form this happened about two-thirds the way across the Crossing. But all was OK. I sailed her in to the awaiting G & Proto....

My second crossing was similar although this time I dropped the kite - again only the once but once is enough and too much and generally the end of it for me. It dropped and landed and went limp and I realised the bladder must've burst. Bollocks. So I'm in the deep part of the Bay now. No probs: pull the release / start winding up / using the board for buoyancy / tiring though. But then my saviour came. Rich (or maybe Rob) I think his name was (Proto - is that right??). Anyway he's the windsurf dude and had been our only company out on the bay that afternoon. He'd noticed the kite no longer in the sky and come to investigate. Well he comes zoomin' up and taps on his board. “Looking tired". Well bloody fantastic. I sat on the board and got my breath back.Not that there was any drama but it was nice to have a rest. And roll up the kite sat on the windsurf board. Well the good news was there was no puncture - only the stopper thing had come out. We did that rolling up thing then the dude decided he would windsurf us both to shore. Very impressive I thought, but it proved too difficult so we waved some kids down in a passing dingy and they took me and my raveled up kite to shore.

G got a go as well on the crossing. Proto decided he'd swim behind her. D|ck head, but good exercise! He took the flippers. They both made it alive.

Top location. St Georges Bay. Good fun doing the crossings. Though who's the knobhead with the windometer with his cocky remarks about, “well I think you should do it like this, not like this“. Well, mate I think you should get off the shore with your windo thing and get in the water. Mate.

Can't wait to go back down that way. Top trip. Nice one P & G.

St George's Bay. Top Spot. That's me with the kite.	The pelicans at least were enjoying ProtoCole's antics
He's got the clobber sorted out if nothing else!	XXX put somethign here

Monday, January 17, 2005

Blabbering on: So I know that what's needed is a decent few days of good consistent wind with no fking around, just pure unadulterated kitesurf action.

So I've decided that a holiday is gonna happen in the next three months. Alone if necessary. But definite. The only question is Where? Either Perth area - if cheap flights keep popping up from Jetstar. Or somewhere in Asia - Vietnam looks good. Maybe Boracay. Maybe somewhere else.

Going back in time: Kitepower weekend in June 2004: Here's some pics from that weekend that Tim from Kitepower organised. Some beautful scenery. Shame about the wind!

Me in the sunset, knackered from relaunching. Beautiful location though	ProtoCole and Tim doing something vaguely useful!
Kite babe!	Bex on the water

Kiting 2005 #3 (Sat 15 Jan): So after the week's debacles we decided Saturday would be fully dedicated to the cause. I had high hopes. Proto had high hopes and had spent all Friday night dreaming of air and bigger air. I'd just dreamt of getting properly on the board and managing to stay on it for more than a few seconds, and of course the great wind continuing.

I was ready and waiting at Proto's at 9:15am. We went through the obligatory faffing, shopping, indecision and general timewasting, before eventually heading to our now regular spot at BRIGHTON-LE-SANDS. We got into the water at 11:30am. Prematurely - there still being no wind. But at least the kites were "prepped" and we were raring to go for when the promised 1pm or 2pm breeze picked up. So cuppa tea time, read of the Herald, honey on crackers. Excellent.

G & Cuspy came to join us at 1. Cuspy's The Kitesurfin Guru so we've heard. At least that's what he's told me over the odd beer. I even saw some of it in action briefly once.

Well, needless to say we spent the next few hours launching and relaunching kites into a crappy 5-ish knot almost directly on-shore wind - in what all of a sudden became the most popular beach in Sydney for fearless inquisitive passers by and kids with kite-centric gravitational systems.

In the style of days-gone-by, we stuck with it against all evidence of its pointlessness. Even the guru couldn't get it up. In fact he was so bloody useless I've downgraded him to The Kitesurfer Formerly Known As The Guru, But Yet To Demonstrate Any Guru-Like Qualities.

Another shit day kitesurfing. And the first rip in my kite. But a nice cuppa and great tuna sarnies G. Oh - and thanks for the refund Steve!

And Proto said: Saturday.......ready and waiting on the sand by 10am, just a matter of time before the big blower is switched on to obey the forecast and kiting we will be.....still waiting at 4pm.....the usual story, very little wind arrived and after a few hours of forced kite throwing, thrashing and dive bomb crashing, we packed up and made a brew in the van.....oh well there is always tommorow...THATS KITING IN SYDNEY....forget the kiting dude magazine images, sydney kiting is the passion of patient gentleman.

Kiting 2005 #2 (Thurs 13 Jan): So we went out again - the following day - expecting great things.

Unfortunately the only thing we're being taught is patience. And how to manage disappointment. The wind was shit. I'm struggling now even to rustle up the enthusiasm to write this.

Proto's account: Thursday: (shopping and parking the car ruled)....the
dangerous duo did iot again and missed the wind....by the time we were ready and contrary to the forcast, the wind had dropped (gutted).......oh well there is
always tommorow (Friday).

Friday: (complicated city chaos reigned)....no
kiting....oh well there is always tommorow (Saturday)

Kiting 2005 #1 (Wed 12 Jan): Met NC down at Dolls Point. He'd gone down early to get a lesson with Tim - who'd generously said that NC was now far too good for lessons and that he should have his $140 back. NC picked up some top tips though - the main ones it seems to me is that (1) your leading leg should be straight, and other bent, with back straight, and body at 90 degress to the kite lines; and (2) when it comes to kite set up, take all 4 lines to a point and they should be the same size when firstly the bar is one-third away from fully-powered and secondly the main power/depower adjustor is at half-way.

So there was very good wind. Too good. Have a look at the wind chart here.













seabreeze.com.au (Sydney on 12 Jan)


There were only five kiters out - including the Oz national champion and Tim - and they both had there fair share of coing-a-cropper. Wind was off the scale and blowing a sand storm across the beach. So I didn't get on to the water. But it wa good to spend an hour or two watching the masters at work! Certainly inspiring.

NC's account of Wednesday's antics: After many dramas sourcing parking space for a car full of kitegear in smackhead central i.e. downtown darlinghurst/kings cross, Sydney, the morning dragged on waiting for 2pm then i could shoot off to the kiting mecca of kitepower and botany bay for a lesson with tim the calm kama kiting guru.

Following a few tips, i was off like a rocket, whipped along by the 25 knot near gale force winds....oh memories of scottish beeches came flooding back.

Awsome time had and 3 hours later and two lungsfull of sydneys finest vintage seawater i was 'stoked' and ready to take a break in anticipation of more kiting antics with Fat Chicken who was hot footing it from work to join me.

Disaster, the unthinkable happennned, the wind was too strong for us to go out. we couldnt believe it after so many dismal forced floppy kite days, how could it be too windy for kiting....oh well there is always tommorow (thursday)...

Thursday, January 13, 2005

New year update: It's been a long time. Far too long since I last blogged my kiting. I had rather geekily hoped to have logged and blogged every step of the way on the course to being a great kiteboarder. Well I've missed a bit, and what's more in the meantime I've discovered that the course is gonna be longer than I'd hoped as well.

But now it's a new year - and by the end of this year - 2005 - I want to have cracked this sport.

Between May and this last week there were many outings - mostly me 'n Proto to Kurnell or Brighton-le-Sands (both on Botany Bay, south of Sydney). Proto sneaked a lesson in once when he went up North but other than that we have been unguided, and left to our own rather haphazard devices. G's been along a few times too - and done some amazing air - albeit all of it totally unplanned, out of control, and raising the blood pressure of all around. The many comedy moments are too many.

Just before xmas we both got close to properly kitesurfing - by that I mean on the board and moving, though not necessarily for a long time (more than a few seconds in my case) and not with anything resembling cool or control. We've mostly been on my 12m Naish - with Proto; G's 14m and 10m occasionally coming out of the bags.

The hardest part has been the wind. The pair of us - against all conventional wisdom - battled on well beyond the summer in shitty wind berating the "fair weather" kiters who we no longer saw out on the beach. Well, we used up a lot of hours, and untangled a lot of string, and dropped kites like US military helicopters from the sky many many a time - but never really made big progress. Not til late November when the wind picked up. Remarkable what a difference it made!

Well - on to this year then.............

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Kiting 2005 #1 (8 Jan): Here's Proto's account...

Saturday the trio rise again for more kiting action. good wind and the trusty twelve rides again. botany bay with white caps, just the way we like it at last.
Camera in hand, bosy dragging and even a little board action. G body dragging Proto clamped to the harness handle, all was rosy.

Proto's second go: a few fine board moves, out into the bay and back to the beach, two successful runs out and back for a third. Getting close to the beach and indicision kicks in, should i land the kite or turn again to tease out another run. Before the answer to my turn or land turmoil travelled from around my head i felt the pull, and what a pull! Sudden silence, water draining from my shoes and the dark surface falling away from me.

I was going up, and up high, pulled effortlessly 30 feeet above the water and swung trapeze style over the sand. This is not good, its going to really hurt, 'i told you so' i could hear from my workmates.

And then the drop began, leggs despirately running in fresh air, swung out and around by the speed of the kite , the sand passing friom below to behind me and the water surface came quickly onto focus. Smashed into and along the glassy surface like a stone thats too big to skim, i crashed into the waste deep water, eyes closed for impact and ready to recieve the pain.....nothing, i was alright....i couldnt believe it, nor G, chicken and the silenced jaw dropped onlookers. Releived to be ok I was buzzing.....

a different story 10 minutes later once the realisation of what i had got away with sunk in.....

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Kiting #10 (16 May): Went out to CRONULLA with R & J. Friend of friend of friend stuff - Brit & American in Sydney and both learning - so excellent people to go out with. J is at about my level while R is a budding champ! So it was a beautiful day for 'winter'. Windy enough (at least for me) - south-westerly, though did drop off later in the day. Cronulla's a great place to go - couple of miles of empty beaches except for some 4WDs, two other kites and a fisherman - entry only by 4WD and $15. Long curved beach so can pick up a variety of different wind directions.

So I was a tad nervous going out - having had another 4 week break between outings. And yes, I'm still only body-dragging and I think still some way off getting on the board. Went out on the 12m kite. Bit unsteady. Bit too nervous really. Hardly in control of the thing. But got some playing in. Then of course there's the near-miss (I seem to have one most times I go out - this surely is a dangerous sport).....more later, I'm running late....

Back. J and R were charting my downwind progress along the beach, and after a short while I decided to bring the kite down. 50m or so from the only other kite flying on the 2 mile beach. Not too bad on the control. R grabs for her. Misses. And the - suddenly - I lose control and the kite swings to the right. And, yes - no - shit - I encounter my first entanglement. My strings cross the strings of the big yellow kite. I get out the water. The flyer stays put, calm, keeps his kite flying. His girlfriend comes running. We get it untangled. No harm done. Except to my pride, and their opinion of us.

Anyway. J went out. R went out and showed us how it’s done, but the wind started to drop off. I had another go before we left – but on J’s 7.5m kite – which I really enjoyed. Mostly ‘cause I wasn’t scared of it. Anyway, all good stuff, and a great venue. The plan from here I think is to get some practice in on a smaller kite.

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Kiting #9 (10 Apr): Yes. Getting there. A great session (with Ben again). Straight into the water and about two hours of body-dragging in nice wind. Some others complaining they'd have to get their 14 or 16 kites out, but for me it was perfect. Got really into the technique of using the four lines - building up loads of confidence compared to where I was a few weeks ago. Got fairly lucky with relaunches from the water. Except for one time when I just couldn't get the bugger back up in the air. Had to unhook and swim her back in. Knackering. Tried a self-rescue out in the water. One minor hiccup but other than that - fine. So all in all a great session. Now back to riding solo for a few sessions before I go back maybe for another lesson. Of course I'm still not on the board - but it's getting well within my grasp.



Dolls Point, Brighton-le-Sands, Sydney

Monday, March 22, 2004

Kiting #8 (22 Mar): So another session. My first in Aus and a big set back, but hopefully with some potential. So I called up kitepower down at DOLLS POINT, near BRIGHTON-LE-SANDS in southern SYDNEY) having decided that I'd go for a lesson to push me forward a bit quicker - and given that my confidence had waned a touch having not been on the water now for about seven weeks. Lesson booked. I call them the morning of Saturday to check out the conditions - but leave the conversation with my kite-confidence utterly destroyed. Asked me loads of tricky questions (maybe not that tricky, but I certainly didn't know the answers that were wanted). I had my previous instruction slagged off and the sanity of me having been out on the water questioned.

So I was well and truly knocked down, and feeling like I was back in Nelson again.

So I dragged myself off to my lesson anyway - with Ben-I'm-one-of-only-5-level-two-instructors-in-Australia. Now I'm sure he is, and admittedly he seemed to know his stuff and went into safety, self-rescue and the general theory in detail I hadn't considerer before. But he was still pretty smug about it, and seemed to relish knocking me back to lesson one despite my few lessons in NZ and my crazy sessions out at Nelson, Anglesey and Queenstown. Though I thought I'd best not dwell too much on some of the finer detail of those.

After two and a half hours (to be fair to Ben he did give me half an hour more than I paid for - 140 bucks by the way) my big toe hadn't even touched the water. And I never did get in the water that day. Spent the whole time on process. All good stuff really, and I did leave the day with a tad more confidence than I started it, but coming from a low point that was not too hard. I'll try and describe the rather complicated self-rescue technique when I write next. But, suffice to say, I've booked myself in for another session next week. Sensibly I'm sure I'll make shit-loads more progress forking out for a few lessons and humility, than struggling on my own for the next few months. I've got to keep my eye on my target for the year - that I'll be kitesurfing properly (ie able to jump) by 31 December.........

The school: www.kitepower.com.au
Ben's a Brit and I I'd recommend him for anyone who wanted to do this thing safely. He's been kitesurfing for 4.5yrs and scratched his foot once (last week!). Apparently there's been 20 or so deaths in the sport in as many months. Not good stats.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

No action for along time now...been in Sydney in new job finding flat - all that stuff. Out on Saturday though - place called Dolls Point off Botany Bay. Til then!

Monday, January 26, 2004

Kiting #7 (25 Jan): First outing in the UK. Fk'ing freezing. Went to NEWBOROUGH WARREN (Llanddwyn Bay) on ANGLESEY, NORTH WALES. Cracking venue. Plenty of wind - cross to on-shore. Almost too much wind. In fact - too much wind. Took my bro to show off my new talents. Very foolish. All my strings were tangled so took a good half hour to sort that shambles out. Was a bit chilly - and he being a diver had all the equipment for that (a Welsh winter, murky quarries un'all diver). I came with my 2.5mm shortie. Well I managed to squeeze another wetsuit over. But no socks. And none of the sexy headgear (probably not necessary - we're not ice diving).

Tangled again

Sexy hat!









So, string untangled, we get the bugger set up. The tide's fked off out to sea about half a mile so we plod over there. Not too bad on the launch. Off we go...........Well not too bad in the start, plenty of swinging left and right and a bit of well controlled body dragging. The water temperature on my bod is not too bad. Just my feet really (totally numb a few minutes later). But then - we're off, There's a massive gust and my nicely controlled body dragging is taking me at 25 knots along the beach. SHIT. OK, got the thing under control. Sort of. But then off again. Struggling big time and having flashbacks from my day under the runway at Queenstown (kite over the hill). So a bit more dragging then big gust again and I'm off down the beach totally out of control. SHIT SHIT. I've gotta stop this. Cack my pants as try to get kite down and having much trouble. Get it down to the ground to find that the bloody thing is trying to relaunch. And is still dragging my along. So frantically wave to Richard to come and assist. But he's nowhere to be seen. Yes he is - about two miles back up the beach. Fortunately he's been studying his brother's methodology for own use later - so sees frantic waving a rushes over. All the while the kite is trying to get back up, and does, and I get it back down. God I need some serious practice at this!!!

So he arrives, seems like hours later, probably about 5 mins. Gets it down. I come in out the water. "Wow" blah blah blah. "So me next then?"......"Um, no, don't think so Richard. Could well be a bit of accident here." Which is all a bit of a shame as he's come all this way and is gagging to get wet, and to die perhaps. But fortunately we're saved by Will from Chester who ambles over for a chat after dropping his own kite.

To let Rich have a go with the kite - I go to launch her while Will (who actually knows what he's doing!) assists Richard with the bar, and holds on to him in case it gets a bit hairy. Well, fk me it does. Richard's straight up in the air, launching straight thru the powerzone. His ankles are at Will's face and Will is stretching to keep him in this galaxy. This is looking a tad scary, so I grab hold of Will and we get the thing down to ground (not a bad landing Rich!).

Will and his mate









Enough for one day. And thanks Will.

More on Newborough Warren (Llanddwyn Bay): You pay two squids to get into the privately owned Newborough Forest, which presumably pays for the spanking new toilets. You could avoid the toll but have to walk 2 kms through the forest or across the dunes. You're only a minute from the sand. The beach is enormous, with lovely shallow water, gentle waves. You can see the Welsh mainland from the beach, a mile or so away. There's not so many people around - just the odd dog walker and fellow kiters (6 when we were there). Bags of space. I was told there's a beach called Dilas just over the water which is almost as good but has no other kiters - so in the summer when this one fulls up, off yer go.

Newborough Warren - The water


Directions: A55 to Anglesey going over the Pont Britannia bridge. First left is the old A5, down that. Then first decent left down the A4080, sign posted from there.

Map

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Kiting #6 (12 Jan): So the next session was a touch calmer. Pofty and Linda - friends from the UK were in town so we met up for drinking Sunday night, where over some stunning pool victories I persuaded Pofty to have a go on the kite the following morning. So yesterday afternoon we made it out to FRANKTON again (see prior day's blog below). Definitely no chance of any accidents. The wind must have blown itself out the day before. But we go for a launch. Me in the water, Pofty in only his trunks attempting launches. Fairly unsuccessfully. But we get it up once and I mange a good minute or so flying before the wind stops dead, the strings lose all tension and the kite crashes into the water. Many more attempts, Pofty's feet now numb (I'd rather cleverly worn socks! - Oh, and had my wetsuit on!) - but no luck. So we swap round. I give him some in depth instruction, covering all the theory, scenarios and technique I've learnt so far. So a good ten seconds later he's in the water with the harness on and I'm launching. The wind is crap. We just about feel the occasional gnats breath. I struggle to launch. He struggles to launch. But then......we're up. Pofty's flying the bloody thing. For a good 20 secs before he's attached by the same deadness and the strings slacken to give way for a splendid emergency landing/shot at my head.

We swap and try the other way round but after valiantly trying for about one a half hours, give up to sit on the bank and sun ourselves.

Our only rejoicing coming from the inability of a couple of paragliders to launch their (even larger) kites a few moments later! So maybe we're weren't just crap.

Kiting #5: Sunday's outing was FRANKTON, just a few km from QUEENSTOWN on LAKE WAKATIPU. And scary it was too. The wind was onshore, but fairly strong. As yet I'm still no good at judging what a strong and not so strong wind is. So bugger it, I set up and went for it. By the time I'd finished inflating the kite, untangling the strings and dipping my toes into the incredibly cold water; it had started to rain and was a little gusty. But having been disappointed by Lake Wanaka, the water here was shallow enough for a beginner, albeit a little choppy.

The location is a 1-2m strip of gravel on the edge of the lake, just under the flight path from the runway at the local airport, with a grassy bank leading at 30 degrees up about 20m to a park before houses.

View from top of the hill









So I dragged K out of the car and she bravely assisted in the launch. It was unsuccessful. So she tentatively got her ankles wet. Still no good! Then a launch, but straight into the tree to my right - but under control, I pulled it free, and we tried again. Now it got more exciting - my lovely assistant dropped her top, hitched up her sarong and went for it. Getting waist deep in the water we launched again. But now I'm getting further out and am just on tiptoes. So we launch again - straight into the tree. OK. New strategy: move away from tree! She gets in the water properly and the kite's up - straight to 12 o'clock. No probs - but I'm hanging out of the water - this wind is a little strong for my 12m kite I think. Shit. How am I gonna get it down. So I tentatively swing her to the right - and I'M OFF - SHIT. Heading toward the shore, I swing her to the left, but no use. I'm choking on water and we're well out of control, the gravel beach hurtling towards me. Bollocks. I try to depower the kite but can't see what the fk is going on. OK, nothing for it. I pull the cord you're never to pull, and the kite detaches from me. I look up to see the kite flying into the grassy bank…….and a white bra and knickers running up the bank after it. I run out the water, then come to a stop as I realise the board is attached to me still. Struggling to release the leash, I hear shouts of "I've got it".

Phew.

No cars with kite wrapped round the front windscreen. No planes taking of with kite wrapped round the front windscreen.

So I've worked out wind conditions I really shouldn't fly the kite in!

Friday, January 09, 2004

So the weather was shit and the lake not as easy as I'd thought. it gets deep quickly and, given that I'm not on the board yet, I figured I'd either get dragged out the 20k's to the middle of Lake Wanaka, or would end up with my kite tangled round the conifer trees. So, yes, I wimped out today. So, LAKE WANAKA = not that great. Queenstown we headeth tomorrow so hopefully more luck there.

And Ben - if you got here - maybe we can have a quick go down in BRIGHTON (definitely good place for it) in a few weeks. Get yourself a sickie and borrow a wetsuit from someone and we'll have a day being dragged around the cold cold waters of wintery England.

Thursday, January 08, 2004

Driving down the West Coast now - discovered a couple other places good for kiting. Just to the east of the Abel Tasman national park you've got a large beach called MARAHAU, and there's a local school there called kitescool me thinks. Then further down the coast at the beautiful OKARITO there's a large salt water logoon - which, of you get the the few hours either side of high tide would be great too. Now we're in Lake Wanaka, which I'll be testing out this afternoon, weather permitting.

Thursday, January 01, 2004

My first kite!

Kiting #3&4: So out on the kite again today and also yesterday. Yesterday (new year's eve) was my final and third lesson. But all conspired to go wrong. Out at ARAWHAI (spelling, not sure) to the east of NELSON. Nice weather. Wind OK as we set up. The instructor was the German guy from Adventure Paragliding and Kitesurfing (can't remember his name - but I now remember that the other girl - the British instructor of the other day is called Sue). And there were two students - me and a girl it transpired was from the local rag - the Nelson Mail - and had been sent to do lesson so she could write up an article - for the 13th/14th Jan. So she was a total beginner. So we went out - me on 6m kite, she on 8m. But I was useless, and kept dropping the kite in the water - but there was f all wind - so kept dropping from the sky. So the instructor got fed up relaunching - and I couldn't't get the thing to relaunch itself either. And I took my kite in so we could share the 88m. Time wasted. And as I get back out again, the other two are coming back in as the 8m has torn. So we set up a 9m. Pump it up from scratch etc. To go out and discover that the wind has completely disappeared! So he showed us a couple of things - for me first time I'd used/had explained the four line thing, depowering etc. And that was that.

Now on to today. 12 midday woke up with a stinking hangover and a mouth like a desert with the disgusting taste of the Edam I raided last night from the campsite fridge - having had our own Camembert nicked by some other bugger. So I headed off down to the shop to get my kite. After the palaver in Wellington/here over finding a kite - I didn't want to miss this opportunity before we head off to walk the Abel Tasman track tomorrow. So I went for a 12m Naish Boxer and a 157cm Naish board and harness for a whopping NZ$3,000, - but that did include the two lessons here in Nelson. And then a bag on top for another NZ$170! But it's about time I treated myself (after a 5 month holiday!) - but it's my reward for pulling off the job in Sydney to start in Feb.



So we took the kite out this av. All a bit dodgy. Hangover. All a bit different to the training equipment. And the first time I'm doing it all alone with no instruction. Kate helps best she can. Lines tangled. Stupidly put the lines on up by the car (we go to TAHUNANUI BEACH - which seems an excellent place for the job) - and end up carrying the thing through the undergrowth and getting all tangled up. So Kate helps me launch. It's an amazing beach - tide out, lovely warm shallowish water, calm water, enough wind. The launch is a bit messy - I can't instruct her as I'm not really sure myself - but the main thing is we get it airborne. then I realise the lines aren't right. Oh well. Do a load of good body dragging in the water and build up some confidence with using this larger kite, and being more aggressive with the power. And land it nicely to Kate to stop and sort out my harness which is not done right and sort the lines. So some friendly bloke comes along to help me launch but it's all tangled up and it is evident I don't really know what's going on. So he helps and I think is astounded by my lack of knowledge - to the extent that i don;t know what the lines are called or where they go - they'recolour coded you see (as were the ones when I was learning).

Me with the kite on Tahunanui beach

It really is me!

Others doing it properly









We get it together. he launches and I have another good session body dragging and playing around. The wind drops and i retire for the day. Next time I'll be on the board - but must get a leash first!

Monday, December 29, 2003

The very beginning of kitesurfing, December 2003 in NZ!

Kiting #1&2: So it's day 2 of my kitesurfing (kiteboarding) experiment. I'm in NELSON, just at the north of New Zealand's South Island. I'm cheating a bit here - we'll start at day 2, and then backtrack to day 1 as it comes back to me. So Saturday (today's Monday) ended with disappointment. We had a day in WELLINGTON and I'd planned to visit Wind & Waves on Oriental Bay Wharf (or whatever it was called) but following a very interesting few hours in Te Papa and a "quick" trip to The Warehouse, we located the shop only to find it was closed. But that's New Zealand for you. There's that famous quote from somebody-or-other from the 50s who remarked that when he got off the boat/plane he found the country to be closed. Sunday's are here like they used to be a good 15 years back in the UK.

But I do rate the Warehouse - now this is a shop like I'd imagine Wal-Mart to be, less some of the food. A cross between Woolworth’s (the UK version), B&Q and Matalan - but all at Poundstretcher prices. "Where Everyone Gets a Bargain..." - it's on the radio all the time here! I've seen more Warehouses than pubs so far in this country. Anyway, sulking we returned to the town centre still under the impression that there was only one place in town that sold the boards. See, I had this idea that I'd buy a board & kite in Wellington then spend our four weeks travelling round the South Island seeking out great kiting spots and by the end of it I'd be up and running. Well it looked like it wasn't to be. This was the last big city we'd see till most of the way through the trip - and if there was only one shop here in the capital city and a great windsurfing area, then I had no hope elsewhere. So we ambled through town on the way to our 5:30pm Cook Strait ferry. K popped into a skateboard shop while I, to no avail, checked out a camping shop. Well she returned with good news - there's a shop on the way to the train station (from where we'd be making our war to the ferry) which might just have some equipment.

So off we marched, checking our watches as it crept past 4:15. Sweating we got there, enquired about kiting. And yes, they've got some stuff. Under a table! I had a quick look through - I knew I needed a 12m kite and a 157 board, and a seating harness. They had only one brand I hadn't heard of and not in the sizes I wanted. The young lad in the shop was pointing me towards a 6m kite. Now I'm confused! He insists that's good enough. Then when I say I've been told to get a 12m, he begrudgingly finds an 11ish metre one. And they don’t have a 157 board but he assures me a 130 or so board will be fine - the only one they have. And there are no kiting harnesses. But they've got loads of windsurfing ones - and they're essentially the same. Just missing some of the safety devices! OK, I say. Give me your best price on the lot. He goes to consult with the boss. I think he sensed I was in a rush. I'd been quoted $3100 or so for a Naish kit up in Bayswater (Auckland) - so that was my benchmark. While he's gone though I take a few breaths and manage some thinking. This is far too big a purchase to rush through - and now I'm confused about sizes, and rapidly losing confidence in my already limited knowledge of the sport. He returns with $2,600. A good price - maybe? I don’t know. Cheaper than before, but not what I'd wanted. So I thank him and flee - disappointed. And hoping that there'll be another such shop in Nelson - where we'll be on Monday (today).

So you can imagine my joy when I see a couple of kites in the air as we near Nelson. We're in the middle of a row (K and I) and driving with steam coming out your ears is never the best - so the chance to stop and watch for a moment is gladly taken. I drive on and tentatively park up near where they're launching. Now I’m getting better at these situations but I always return to some 14-year-old shyness when confronted with what looks like a load of people doing what they look like they know what to do, while I now close to zilch about it. And I want to find out more and ask questions - but am not entirely sure what questions to ask. So I furtively approach from the side, along the gravelly beach. And watch a moment. It looks more like a teaching set up. So that's a bit easier. There's a Brit, part of it but not looking like she knows what's going on either. So I set upon her with my bumbling questions.

Well I establish - HURRAY - that there's a kitesurfing shop and school in town. It's on Bridge St - I should be able to get some lessons on Tuesday - and should pop in tomorrow morning. But it seems a bit silly given that all the instructors etc are around me now. So I kind of say Hi to one - john I think - a German chap with - YES - the same NZ$88 Warehouse wetsuit on that I bought back in Wellington. Now I'd seen in the paper that their wetsuits were in a 30% sale. And assuming they'd be bloody cheap before a sale; and assuming that that kind of thing would be expensive from a watersports shop - I thought I'd save a few quid (or dollars) by getting one at my favourite shop. And surely there all kind-of the same: Neoprene and stitching. Well we'll see how long it lasts - but it did me proud today - and the instructor was wearing one too!

But I digress. So the following morning - today morning - I found Bridge St. Not easily mind you - K was navigating and doing her favourite trick of barking out lefts and rights despite having not yet determined which street she's actually on. So we went round town a few times first. But I’m used to that. And I find the shop and talk equipment. And somebody doesn't turn up for their session. And they'll give me a lesson free if I buy. And they're pushing the same Naish gear at almost the same price as the guy up in Auckland. And I'm reassured. And I'm getting bloody excited. And we um and ah about board sizes and kite sizes and brands. And a space appears for a lesson this afternoon. And I say I just need a coffee before shelling out all this cash. Coffee and wrap down - K off to the hairdressers - while I'm back in the shop and raring to go. I'm still scared of parting with the cash so say I'll do the lesson first then buy if I'm still keen. Okeedokee.

So on to the lesson!!! At last! I drive off to meet the others on the side of the water - a few K's out of Nelson on the was to Picton.. We've got the British girl from earlier - Lucy I think - (from earlier today, not the one I met yesterday). Having assumed it would be a male dominated sport. And one Kiwi's would be all over. I was slightly surprised to see the shop populated by Germans and Brits most of whom were women. The guy who taught me up in Auckland was also a Brit (he'd just left his kite school in Essaouira as tourist numbers there had dropped off). So I meet Jack - there's two of us learning together this afternoon. And don my new wetsuit. And as I always do - pretend I know slightly more than I do. I'm a strong believer in not wasting time going over things a gain when it's possible to push on. Or taking diddling little f'ing institutional type steps when you can just jump in. I didn’t push it too far though - 'cos I'm still a bit scared off all those bits of string. And when I tried it in Auckland on a 5 or 6m kite I got thrown around in the after a fair deal.

We're gonna do “bodydragging”. I assume that’s the same as the getting thrown around in the water that I tried a couple weeks back. Yeah - I've done that before. So we wade out. The water's nice - fairly warm. The breeze is fairly stable - but not very strong. I'm not into windspeeds yet and couldn't tell you the speed. But I'd hazard a guess at somewhere between 1 and 30 knots! 6m kite wind - enough to get dragged along the water. Lucy was a fairly good instructor. I preferred her to Tim/Tom/Jim (can't remember his name) of BAYSWATER, north shore of AUCKLAND. So I got bodydragged along first - though not very convincingly and not very far. She didn't appear impressed and said something rude along the lines of being a scared-y-cat, poof, battyboy, woman etc! Ok - try better next time. But I didn’t floor the kite, which I thought was a bonus. But that kind of thing is given I now realise. Jack next - now he's already learnt to fly his own kite on the land so I'm preparing myself for some embarrassment here as he performs superbly in front of here and she stands there admiring his s\technique. Well I was wrong. He was OK-ish but no much better than me. We did this a few times. And I'm starting to enjoy it. See I thought I'd done body-dragging at Bayswater but this is shit-loads better.

Never mind the board - its fun just being dragged along the water by this amazing power - thing. Need better words for that one. It was far easier to control. And, well, just - better. Ok m- I think I'm gonna get the hang of this faster than I thought. We played around at this for a while. To the right to 1-2 o' clock, then sweeping back across the power zone to 6-7 o'clock. And back and fro. And all the while moving forward. I forgot the shoe - on my second go - the one she wasn't impressed with anyway, I lost my wetshoe thing. But hey - they'd got them from the Warehouse too, so no big deal.

So we moved on to the board: me first again. This is a bit tricky - one of those things where at first there appears to be too many things to think about at the same time. Keeping feet in the straps (one missing a shoe), while controlling the kite. Getting the feet in the straps. Not sinking. Facing the right direction. Now I write it, sounds no big deal, but it was tricky at the time. I moved the kite to the right a bit then a big one to the right - and we have power and we have lift-off. A Challenger lift-off in all but flight time. I fell straight in the water, over the front/side of the board (kind of starboard). Again! She moaned again about lack of power.

OK, let’s go for it. Loads of right - 2 o'clock. And left... And the same happens again... but this time the kites down in the water. All that red, blue, no more red. I've got red on full..... Etc..... But Jack had to help me re-launch it. Another difference between this and the last time I tried. That kite had re-launched from he water really easily. So much so I'd been very surprised. Now again I'm thinking that this is a sport that I'll be spending a lot of time getting ready for and not as much doing. Like my surfing attempts in Sydney three weeks ago, where after three sessions and a good five hours in the water I spent only 1 nanosecond standing on the board.

But we re-launch and have one more go. I down the kite again. So it's Jack's turn. And on we go. Till the wind dies. And it's back to shore. And it starts raining so I rush off in the Car (our 1989 Toyota Corolla) back to the tent to rescue the sleeping bags that earlier on I'd so cleverly suggested we leave out to air. Excellent! So I made good progress I think. I'm not so scared of it anymore. And I'm definitely gonna buy one. Just see if I can get another lesson out of them first.

So that's also the end of the beginning of my new, first blog. Another thing, there are many - that I've been meaning to do for f'ing ages. And already I'm wishing I'd been doing this all the way through our Sri Lankan adventure. But hey…….