Last day in NZ and the forecast looked good on internet, but the estuary truly delivered an epic blow! I'd gone thinking I might be able to get out on the 13m Crossbow and MAYBE the Flyradical - but as it turned out, I was over-powered in the gusts :) good times! Anyway ...
Got to the estuary about 3pm, well before high-tide (5pm-ish) but people were out so I thought rather than sitting in the car waiting, I'd just get into it! Was a bit worried about using the 13 cos it was quite windy, but no major problems and it allowed me to get away from the shallow water cos I was able to go right upwind into the deeper water.
First move of the day - back-spin transition - resulted in a face-plant :D but I kept at it and got into my groove. Nice big jumps, easy rotations when the wind wasn't gusting and great riding to be had! Had some plays with toe-side riding but it's so tough with that seat harness! Did some silly 'slides' with the board - too much fun! Managed to do a kind-of pop from toe-side but that's tough too.
After a while I got a bit tired and started making mistakes, trying to over-do the jumps - I set up for a big jump and got a great boost but ... I've over-cooked the launch and whip around 360° on the way up :o sphincter goes epileptic but I've come right around to face downwind at the zenith of the jumps and do a full rotation on the way down again (somehow I've managed to control the kite so the jump is 'normal') and rather than wiping out badly, I narrowly miss riding away ... a small splash down. Phew! Check my shorts!
I take it a bit easier from then on and let the kite do the work ...
Got to get home for a BBQ with the family so I wrap it up feeling tired and fulfilled. Great end to the trip!
Moment of the Day is a tough call cos the whole session was pretty epic. There were a few front-spins that were pretty awesome though ...
Weather was epic. Survival mode in the worst gusts but mostly it was having fun then fighting hard to boost huge ;) in the gusts. The locals were on 8m kites, or maybe 10m at the end of the session. Wind was a bit punchy at the start but got a bit more consistent as the time passed.
What I learned today ...
• 13m Crossbow is a total Swiss Army knife of a kite ...
• Managed to make a propeller of the kite :-/ crashed it during a transition, got a bridle looped over the kite the wrong way ... I was worried it would take off as it started spinning but it spun into the water, then I succeeded in unwrapping and and kept flying - lucky!
• Don't try too hard on the jumps.
• It's amazing what you can get away with sometimes.
• It's amazing what small cock-ups can really hurt.
• Don't open your mouth to say OH crap when you crash - estuary water tastes real bad.
• Don't hold your breath on jumps ... can you believe it?
• 720-amour Sharks float very nicely :)
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