Plonking in the Rain

Wind looked good this afternoon but there was supposed to be rain with it. The skies looked clear though so I thought I'd risk a quick ride between jobs. Got to the lake and it looked ok! Naturally, as soon as I'd pumped up the 16m Crossbow, it started raining again ... but that didn't stop me! Another guy was there - haven't thought up a name for him yet - but he lurked out at the club house, watching through the gap in the trees until the front arrived (see below).

Hit the lake about 4:30pm and was just powered on the 'bow & Flydoor, riding around getting blasted in the eyes by the rain. Worried about a soggy kite too ...

Then the wind dropped a bit so I stood around and waited, watching the front as it approached. It's stopped raining now too - sweet! Jumped on the water just before it arrived and BLAM I'm powered! Switch to the Flyradical but it's not consistent enough for that so I go back to the Flydoor but now I'm at the upper limit of the kite - it's twitching and bucking so it's over 25 knots! Time is running out though so I just ride ...

Miyachi has hit the lake and so has the Guy-with-no-name so it's just the three of us ... bust out the back-rolls and they're all fine - some are sweeter than others though, big fat flat-on-my-back spins; blast some big jumps but the old harness is groaning and creaking which gives me the creeps; try some front-rolls and they're awesome!

Decide sunset has arrived although I can't see the sun - it's getting dark. As I stand around on the beach trying to decide how to best land the kite by myself and the loop of rope at the anchor point (where has the clip gone?!?!) Miyachi comes in and offers to catch my kite, which he does then I land him. I'm rolling up the lines when I hear the local speaker bing-bonging the 6pm chimes - sweet, I'll easily be in time for work!

Moment of the Day might have been surfing downwind on my own wake after a heel-to-heel sliding transition but it just couldn't compare with the back-roll transition plus down-loop to fully power out of it! Kind of an accident, as I hadn't intended to loop the kite but I needed the speed and just sort of went for it and didn't get spanked :D so it was cool as shit!

Wind speed was recorded as only 4 to 12 knots while I was on the water and 20 knots gusts but that was bull cos I KNOW the Xbow won't let me ride in less than 14 and it gets ugly over 25 ... which it did. I was being a plonker again.

What I learned today ...
• How to double-team a kite landing: Miyachi put his kite at the edge of the window, walked back to mine that was standing on its tip and pulled it over into the smilie position - I ran upwind and grabbed the kite then landed him. Looked pretty easy at his end too ... hmm, wonder if you can launch from that position?
• Actually throwing the lower-half of my body around to spin the board under me - works good.
• Finesse for front-rolls - initiate the roll (contorting toward your heading and looking behind you) as the kite passes the zenith so you're pretty much guarenteed to roll; then redirect to whip you around the last part of the rotation. Maybe :o
• Trust the gust - rig smaller. I would have lost maybe 10 more minutes only.
• STILL can't cope with the Flyradical - feels so wrong down there, skittish and not hugging the water like the 'door :(
• Shouting "AHOY!" when you nail that front-roll is probably a bit mental.