Sunday means I've got all day to kite ... started out the morning with a quick blast on the newly repaired Duke - back to full power, smooth-running and no stalling! - and eyed up the webcam and forecast for the P.M. ... hmm, just enough time to nip out for a nice lunch. Hurried the wife up through desert when the wind picked up around 1pm and headed off to the lake.
We got white-caps! But there are guys on their big kites and they only just look powered ... both boards and Ol' Relentless go across to the beach. After I put on the new straps from Flysurfer ...
You'll remember the straps broke on the Flydoor? I took pics, sent them to FSer and 2 days later I got an email not from the guy I sent them to, but from someone else who explained he was on holiday. And I still got a response within 2 days! Gave them my address, and 2 days later they shipped out new straps. A few days after that, they arrived in Japan.
Customer service win! Good on you, Flysurfer!
A brief review ...
The new straps are the 2012 FSer design - still pulling a strap to adjust but there's a different buckle in there so it moves easily and freely. The older straps seem a bit more plush but the newer ones are MUCH easier to fit better against your foot ... in fact, when I took my feet out of the straps at the end of my session, they were dry - and warm!
Like I said, very easy to adjust, even on the move.
The only problem I had was the doohicky inside got flopped around the wrong way or something, and the strap wouldn't hold its position ... quick fiddle on the water and sorted. Hmm, better watch that ...
Anyway. Set up the 21 ... urk, looks a bit grubby :( laid it out for a side launch but bloody Soh has run his lines out right next to the kite - I can't unwind my lines until he launches. Him, or Uncle Junkie. I use the free time to pre-inflate the kite ... I get it so pre-inflated that I don't even remember waiting for it to completely fill :D when I finally get to launch, that is ...
Hit the water with the Flydoor although I think there's enough power to get 'radical. Oh wait no there's not ... enough to ride but I'm fighting to get upwind. Wind slowly picks up though and although it's lully, I'm jumping and having fun, in between working it upwind away from the beach.
A brief rant ...
Mistress of Disaster at it again. Why does she insist on riding a 9m kite and using a wake-style board in less than 10 knots? It's not like she can land the handle-passes she's trying to do within 2 feet of the shore anyway. So she rides out from the shore into me, forcing me to stop dead and zenith my kite. Later, I'm riding out 30m behind but maybe 10m upwind of her when just stops dead in the water - I turn downwind to ride under her kite but EVEN THOUGH SHE SEES MY KITE she still dives her kite to change direction - FFS you moronic bitch.
Denace the Menace is at it again. Drop that bloody kite on my Speed3 and I'll chop it up. If you can't fly a kite without being told when you need to sheet-out or -in, perhaps you need more lessons :o
Ok I'm done.
Wind still drops off so much that even I have to walk ... wait for the wind to come back as I can see the "blow line" off in the distance. I does, so I ride again. This time on the Flyradical cos the winds up. Then the winds down so I ride out the rest of the day on the 'door.
Legs are getting sore - I guess it's been a 3-hour ride! - body is getting tired so I call it a day, even though we got maybe another 30 minutes of day light ... I've had a great session! But when I bump into Soh in the carpark, he says that he was frustrated today.
Dude ... get yourself a Speed3 ;)
Moment of the Day is starting to fall into a pattern ... either the nice massive jump, totally under control and with perfect redirection for extended float with the super-smooth and totally controlled landing ... or riding past all the suckers walking back up the beach ;)
Weather data for the session has got to be total hogwash - 2 to 7 knots? No way. Peak gust of 15 knots at 6:30pm ... I'm betting it was 6 to 12 knots, average around 10 with the good wind at 14.
What I learned today ...
• Dunno if it's correct, but send the kite and, when you feel you've reached the peak of the jump, redirect with a slight sheet-out then hold the kite there at 1 or 11 - you'll feel extra float - then as you start to drop, redirect the kite to ride away smooth.
• Even Uncle Junkie on the Turbine and directional gives up a few knots of low-end to me and the 'door/21 combo ... nobody else comes close except for Uncle with the Slingshots ... man, he must weigh about 15kg - he's the light-wind master!
No comments:
Post a Comment