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