Go with your gut, next time

Southerlies again, over to Mie I go.

Supposed to crank around 1pm... it's 15 knots when I arrive. My gut tells me the front came through early but I rig small (13m) to be ready for the 20 knots!

Mmm, looks cracking but there's no waves and I'm really not that powered. I can barely get any height from jumps, there's no float so I won't be able to do multiple rotations, even front-rolls and just hovers over the water :(

Kite-loop back-rolls are a joke, when they work - they're just back-rolls with a loop to keep moving. Or a face plant cos the kite is looping in the bottom half of the window.

I get fed up and try the Mako, cos the waves have decided to make an appearance. Not enough power... go back to the Flydoor.

And to think, I was thinking of rigging the 10!

Keep riding but the wind is right off. Do 4 hours though... should have sunblocked my lower legs. Dang.

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Moment of the day was that kiteloop backroll that was perfectly timed and felt like an unhooked move looks.

Mood of the session was annoyed not-amused placated.

Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots, gusts to 20 at 1230 - just as I was measuring the wind, you cheater. 25ºC at 75%.

Wind felt like just powered enough to ride upwind easily enough, but not enough to have any big fun.

What I learned today...

• Gotta fix my S3 15 - I would have been happier on that.
• Except for all the fucking wooden stakes on the beach for all the digging and construction they're doing... uh oh.
• XB doesn't loop worth a damn. For me, anyway.
• Really need a surfboard!
• Even with crappy wind, you can load up and boing pretty well...

You win some, you lose some

Low-wind forecast, hoping for a bit more but got what we got it was ok.

I was the only one constantly riding. Hooray for Jesus! Still, a bit of a struggle for a while, til the thermal kicked in, I guess. Even then it was pretty iffy - only a few double rotations, and even singles were a bit tough.

Then I discovered that by popping when doing hand-drag backrolls, you actually can do a kinda-backroll kiteloop :D so I did a lot of them.

Lost my Sharks doing one. Get this - they fell off my head, the strap looped over my heel and the force of the water pulled the strap off the glasses. So I found the strap, floating... but not the glasses. Gah!

Gave it up after the sun slipped behind the hills.

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Moment of the day was landing the first kite-loop back-roll. Duh!
Mood of the session was dissapointed greatly amused.

Weather was reported as 6-8 knots, gusts to 16. 25ºC at 73%.
Wind felt like... well, I was only just going upwind most of the time. A trick per tack would be just holding ground, except for the rare occasions the wind picked up.

What I learned today...
• Really gotta secure glasses with a leash for them to be 100% loss proof :
• Kiteloop backrolls!!!

Variations on a theme

There wasn't supposed to be any wind at all, but there was a bit of a puff when I walked out the door at work. So I stopped off at home and grabbed the togs...

Just me and the skinny man at the lake - I reckon I could make a ride out of it.

Out with the great white lumbering Jesus... onto the water with the Flydoor, powered enough to have some yahoos.

Try to perfect my single front-rolls, but just can't get them sorted with big air... only the half-hearted low-level solos work. Doubles work fine :) Even nailed some mighty double back rolls!

Then I start playing with hand-drag back-roll transitions, and discover they're actually easier done as just as back-rolls, the loop being a proper kite-loop :o hmm, maybe I'll be able to dark-slide or back-roll kite-loop eventually!

So it was a loop and roll fest till dark-ish. Back in the car by 8pm.

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Moment of the day was that double back-roll that was so totally under control. I might have it sussed now, or at least know what I'm looking for ;)
Mood of the session was LOL bah har.

Weather was reported as 10 knots, gusts to 14. 25˚C at 75%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots :D just-powered, a few times we got close to having-fun-powered.

What I learned today...
• I'm out of shape... totally exhausted!
• Foot-out loop transition may be a bit ambitious when you've only ever landed two foot-outs on that side! An amusing splash, nonetheless.
• Foot-outs on my other side feel as awkward as trying to use chopsticks with your feet.
• Can kinda do one-handed backrolls, as a stepping stone to grabbed rolls... need a bit of work.
• Carve harder for front-rolls.
• More vertical launch for double back-rolls.
• For the back-roll hand-drag loop thing... just do it!

Flite 175 departing as scheduled

Two different forecasts online today: GPV said a nice peak at 1pm then falling off; JMA said 12-18 all day. Hmm… put my money on GPV and went early.

Arrived about 12:30. Hmm, tough call on the weather—people are out on 9 to 12s… it's supposed to pick up too. I'll go with the Flite, I think.

Hmm, crowded beach—lots of non-regulars. Launch and go, making my way through the gear.

Out with the Flydoor, easy powered but could do with more power. Jumps aren't massive and I can't get double-rotations done. After a few minutes, it picks up though and I'm enjoying myself.

Good double front-spins, definitely different feel to the S3—more direct which shouldn't surprise me. Seems a bit easier to time it too, but it's also easy to send it back too far. Splash!

Had fun for a while then decided to get on the Mako before the wind dropped. Had a nice time playing out there, then decided to head back and get the Flydoor and a drink again, but could hardly get back to the beach, so had to walk a bit.

Went back out but it was light, so I gave up and headed back to the beach. Hironobu was doing his TV thing in the Shiva suit; very amusing! Stood around watching that and waiting for the wind, but I don't think it's going to happen so I pack it in. First back to the showers, that's a first!

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Moment of the day was… well, there were the perfect 720 front- and back-spins, but I think the long ride into the marina beach on the mutant was the winner.
Mood of the session was well-satisfied.

Weather was reported as 8 knots with gusts to 15; 28˚C at 60%.
Wind felt like 15 dropping to 10, gusts to 18—happy-powered at best, just under-powered when I got off the water.

What I learned today…
• Flite likes speed into the jump with enough edging to load and pop but not so much that your stop the board.  Sheet in, ride downwind a while until you build speed then send the kite and edge.Be gentle with the board!
• Front 720 down-loop transitions. Easier than 360s!
• Hand-drag back-spin transitions… watch the loop! Hand further out.
• Sunburn season is here :( glad I wore my hat!
• Sand burning feet season is here too!
• Accidentally did a kite-loop back-roll and I didn't die. Not sure I want to try it again just yet though.
• Mistress of Disaster is just u-s-e-l-e-s-s: she can't even transition properly. And she nearly dumped her kite on top of kids swimming at the YMCA beach zone. Stupid cow.
• Turkey just can't relaunch any kite. He got blown down to the marina beach and his kite dragged over the rocks on the drain. I spotted 2 holes in his canopy when he tried to relaunch later on…
• Back foot pad further back on the Mako… sticks better into the water but also feels vaguer. Which is odd, cos with it further forward it feels less vague but more slide-y.
• No problem with upwind again.
• The thing with the bottom end Flydoor vs. Mako mutant—the 'door will park 'n' ride for longer but the angle is about the same. You gotta work the kite sooner on the Mako and so you sink. Not much sooner though…

Ehrma-gerd! Ar lurve Jesus!

Fuck work. Let's just get that out of the way.

Got to the lake just after 5, rolled over to the beach with the 21 on my back, the Mako and the 'door under my arms. Wind looks lighter than yesterday, and it's supposed to drop—like yesterday. We'll see…

Yeah, it's fine. Some boosts, rotations etc but I'm worried the wind will go before I get a chance to use the Mako. So I swap board… what a hoot!

Do that for a bit, then the wind drops off—leaves the 10m surf boys with kites in the water, and me looping to get back to shore. Walk up the beach, watch the front come in, head back out on the Flydoor.

More silliness ensues… there's wind "up there" and down that end of the beach; it's shifted to the east. I do all kinds of flukey stuff but get increasingly paranoid about the wind dropping right off and leaving me swimming, so I call it a day.

90 minute session—not bad! Quality, not quantity today! Unlike work, which is just a mountain of shit.

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Moment of the day was landing the first ever front 1080 down-loop transition :D
Mood of the session was aah rah ooh-er.
It sucks when you're just getting into the zone and the wind dies.

Weather was reported as 4 to 8 knots, gusts to 14; 26˚ at 76%.
Wind felt like 10-15… comfortably well powered.

What I learned today…
• Bottom end of the Mako Mutant is astounding!
• Carving to toe-side, then popping off the lip to switch back to heelside… roolz!
• The board carves so hard and throws such as solid wall of water :o
• It's actually quite a workout riding that board—end up breathing hard on a really fun tack.
• The sets (is that the right word?) of waves go into the crappy beach. So long as the wind is up, it's easy enough to get out…
• It *IS* possible to do hooj phat single front-spins… just not sure how :o
• It is also possible to do hooj phat triples :D
• The line extensions make it possible to catch that good air up there…
• Mako wants MOAR SPEED!
• Jesus saves!

Wanna see my stiffie? It's huge!

So the forecast was for 5 to 10 knots… we got more like 18–20 solid. Well, after I got out on to the water with the S3-21 anyway.

Was light-ish when I got there. Hironobu was being interviewed by a TV crew (of one) and Grandad was showing off.

Beach was crowded so I had to launch in the middle of people's shit, but it went up easy enough. Once it filled, sheeting in with the kite at zenith was an up-lifting experience :D paraglider time!

On the water with the Sumo for shits'n'giggles. Kinda feels like the Mako, sorta skatey unless you get the edge right. Work up to some multiple rotations when…

… I go for the first 720 and halfway through, I here someone whistling. I look around thinking the shit is about to hit the fan, but it's only Miyachi trying to get a beginner under control. The distraction is enough for me to leave the kite out of position, stall it and… twist the tip.

Can't relaunch it, have to drag it across the shore. Get it emptied and the bridle sorted then go to launch and MOTHER FUCKER that beginner has just crashed his kite on the shore right next to where I'm trying to relaunch. So I have to wait for his dumbass… thanks Miyachi.

Kite seems ok, except for a twig stuck in the bridle. I go back and get the Flydoor.

And so, over-powered, I proceed to noodle around lazily and boost some good airs. A few make me go woo-hoo but mostly it's just days of hangtime, grabs and giggling. A few back- and front-spins but mostly it's about the air time. And silly bugger wave-riding…

Ride until dark. I'm so over-powered though that I can't land the kite by backstalling. Was about to do the WTMW method but Hironobu grabbed the kite for a perfect foil landing. Nice!

Grandad is looking old and thin though :( hope he's ok.

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Moment of the day was jumping right out of the board. It was funny :)
Mood of the session was annoyed lazy amused.
It sucks when you're sure it's not your fault.

Weather was reported as 13 to 15 knots, gusts to 24; 23˚ at 68%.
Wind felt like about as far as I'd want to push the 21. I can't have lost that much weight… maybe it's just tuned better? cos it's a fucking beast now.

What I learned today…
• I need to fix the S3-15.
• I need a smaller board.
• Gotta check over the 21 for damage, but it seems fine. Seems to have stretched in a few places… we know the lines shrink, does the fabric stretch?
• Found a bloody loop knot in a bridle line—cheeky bugger!
• Loops on landing to save a jump… not a good idea when the wind is up. Warp speed, Mr Sulu!
• Can wave-ride ok with the 21, if you don't ride down-wind too much.
• That feeling. When you pendulum under the kite, redirect then sheet in hard and just sorta hover there, with the board just about the water… magic!
• The above is the best way to land a jump. Spend most of the time with the kite behind you!
• Learning that a trick you can do is called a "stiffie"… priceless!

I'm a mutant lover

Good forecast, hit the lake after playing table tennis at school. Musta got on the water about 5pm.

Rather powered with the Flite and the big board, not really feeling in the mood for boosting though. So I land the kite and run back to the car for the Mako.

Have a hoot on that! Likes being so powered up cos it just sinks when you stop it, but it's great fun. Good lord it's fast and stable! Slices up the lake like a katana.

Wind drops off, and I have to walk up the beach. Go back out on the Flydoor but WTF, I have to walk again? Give up and go home. Get in the car about 8pm, musta had a good 2 hours on the water!

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Moment of the day was actually smacking the lip of a wave. SMACK! it went, in a wet way.
Mood of the session was unconvinced amused impressed.

Weather was reported as 14 to 8 knots, gusts to 20; 23˚C at 61%.
Wind felt like just about to get uncomfortably over-powered, falling to under-powered (no white caps) with the Flydoor.

What I learned today…
• Right time for the short john suit.
• Bottom end of the Mako… pretty impressive ackshully. Couldn't get upwind on it, and couldn't on the Flydoor either!
• Want to try the back foot back as far as it'll go.
• Want to try it as a TT again too!
• Want to try a King too.
• Goddam! the Flite is a great kite for noodling around under… but it really doesn't get a lot of altitude.
• So I'm thinking I might keep the XB16 for boosting in 15-20 knots.
• Buying Cab lines in Japan is expensive.

Back in the saddle

Didn't seem like there'd be much wind today, but the forecast filled in as the day progressed so I headed down the beach after work. Looked like I'd be able to get away with the Flite…

Well, just. Losing ground if I don't work it hard and go without stunts on at least one tack. But I have a good time doing rotations; get some good ones in, bork up some too.

Brain is getting in the way sometimes and I forget which hand I'm supposed to pull to redirect—very nearly do a double front spin kite-loop by accident :o got me thinking though… which is dangerous!

So good session, bit under-powered but happy to be riding again!

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Moment of the day was that first perfect double front-spin.
Mood of the session was ho-ho-ho! oof!

Weather was reported as 11 knots falling to 4, gusts to 18. 23˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like 15 knots falling to 10 with gusts to 18. Just powered 50%, comfy powered 50%. 100% wanting more!

What I learned today…
• Redirecting the kite gives it some sink when doing front spins.
• Gotta really whip yourself around with the less-floaty kites.
• Power in the kite determines what stunts you can do, or how cool they look.
• Very incomplete front-spin down-loop transition, landing with the board almost backwards upwind, can result in cool powered carves into the other direction!