Waiting for the Wind

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!

[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.

[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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[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 ...

[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]



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[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.

[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

[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

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!!!

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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: Three Sharks article in The Age

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

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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

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!

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)

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...

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

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

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.

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.

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!

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.]

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!