We was robbed. Again.

Supposed to be good. Looked like it'd be great. It was actually crap. Put up my 10m then the wind died. Put up my 17.5 and got a few tacks in but it was all up'n'down again.

Bah. Got me nothing but tired, as the Master of Disaster said.

And fucking Taki - 3 of us walk upwind and "queue" to get into the water, and that old bastard jumps in beneath us and proceeds to hold us up cos we can't dive kites to get away. Naturally, the old gimp can't keep his kite in the air so we've got to wait for him to get off the water. FFS I've had it with self-centered thoughtless assholes.

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Weather was reported as 10 to 14 knots, gusts to 28. 18˚C at 68%.
Wind felt like crap.  The 28 knots was the blow that got us all excited and out on 10 or 6m kites... but the 10-14 was inconsistent and just crap.

What I learned today...

• wait for the first gust to pass over, then choose a kite.

Birthday #2 bimble

After the excitement this morning and 3 hours sleep, I thought I wouldn't be interested in the lake... ho ho ho, was I wrong!

Rocked on down about 2pm, jumped on the water and after a slow first few minutes, it was good fun. Started on the Dialer for 15 minutes maybe, but then the wind kicked it up again so I swapped back to the Origin.

Whee! But the wind dropped off after a while and it sucked.

Eventually I thought I'd had enough but then spotted the 2014 North Nugget amongst the demo gear and waited around trying to get a ride... Grandpa ended up chatting the guy up for me. You'd think with such a small market here, they'd be sucking dick to get customers!

So impressions from a couple of underpowered tacks...

• Goes well in low wind - if you can get up on it, get it planning and keep the kite moving.
• Don't know how much better it is that the Dialer but
• The shorter length seems like it could be easier to throw around and
• The fins seem to really lock it in...I might have to mod the Dialer.

Wish I could have gotten on the Rebel 10 too, but didn't have the gumption to ask... it was like pulling teeth to get the Nugget...

Oh well back to reality...

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Weather was reported as 14 knots, gusts to 26; 18˚C at 47%.
Wind felt like an hour of good fun, an hour of slog with the some in the gusts and 30 minutes of time wasted.

What I learned today...

• I want a Nugget now, too.
• Deffo need the 4/3.

Birthday Bat-shit Bonkers Boost-fest!

Forecast looks rad, hit the lake at 12; it's supposed to drop off by 4.

Measure the wind at the shore: 16 knots gusts to 32. Huh... this'll be fun. Think I'll go for the 10 and hope it doesn't gust so much. Other guys are setting up 9, 8, 7, 6m kites...

Easy riding to warm up; then it's time to drop the hammer.

The wind gradually picks up, and so does the elevation of the jumps. Fabu! Pretty sure a few of them, I got a foot for every year since my birth :) even enjoyed a few elevator rides - and landed them. Not so successful were the elevator drops... got slammed down a few times when the wind dropped off as I was descending.

It was all epic for about 90 minutes, then it dropped right off. Sat it out, then tried to go out again but it was mega-gusty and I was tired. I landed a few back-roll kite-loops but got overly aggressive on one and catapulted myself into the water - sphincter first. HE-llo!

Shortly thereafter, I front-roll looped the kite into the water and it inverted. Wind is so gusty now, I had a hard time getting back to shore to reset it. Went back out but I'm too tired to deal with all the on/off bullshit.

Great session though! Happy birthday to me!

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Moment of the day was huge-ass air!
Mood of the session was rock on!

Weather was reported as 22 knots falling to 13, gusts to 40 (!); 17˚C at 61%. That'll be why I was cold then.
Wind felt like 10% bah-humbug, 50% yeah baby! 37% AW HELLS YEAH! and 3% I'm going to die.

What I learned today...

• Big jumps rule!
• Waist harness is no more hassle (eg. forcing it down) than the seat... unless you ass-plant soundly.
• The key point is to get is to sit over my hipbones... but it doesn't want to stay there.
• Time to fish out the 4/3.
• And maybe the 2mm gloves...

Sissy of a typhoon!

Forecast was for wind at Tsu until 2pm then pissing rain - everywhere. Looked good on the cams so off I go.

Hmm... light drizzle clears up but the wind - well, I go for the 13 hoping the forecasted pick up in wind from 10 to 12 doesn't get the better of me.

It doesn't - the wind gradually drops off over the next hour till I just give up. Better than nowt - but I could have lived without the bolt getting jammed into my tyre on the way, requiring a repair :-/

Weather was reported as 16 - 8 knots; 20˚C at 93%...?
Wind felt like I was going to have fun for about a half hour, then it died right off...

What I learned today...

• I'm completely used to the Origin's straps and pads now... amazing!
• Two days in the ocean - bad for you eyes. Ow.
• Wish I'd tried the Renegade again...

Rain? We don't need no stinkin' rain!

Supposed to be a typhoon thrashing the islands but while it dull and dingy outside, there's not much wind. Check the interweb for Tsu... looks OK. Might even not get the rain that's forecast cos they sky looks clear-ish.

Head out early (damn work) and get on to the water at the Yacht Harbor at just before 11. Bit tough getting out through the waves - dumping right on the shore, one after another. That nailed me a few times today...

But otherwise had a lot of fun. Some good jumps and amusements on the waves. Some nice rotations with good air and even a few kite loop back-rolls.

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Weather was reported as 14-15 knots, gusts to 25; 21˚C at 70%.
Wind felt like underpowered and annoyed 5%, underpowered but coping 15%, ok-powered 60%, woo-hoo 20%.

What I learned today...

• I really like flying the 10m XB.
• Loving the Origin!
• I should really ask the guys who take photos to send them to me.
• You can survive an off-axis launch and rotate to land safely.
• Getting the board ripped off your feet and splashing down... do a bomb! so you take up less water and don't hit the bottom.
• You don't need to wear a t-shirt.
• I have GOT to get a better spreader bar!!!

A small victory but otherwise...

Got stiffed by the wind. 20 minutes of waiting, a few minutes of riding underpowered, then a brief hit of powered fun. Nuts.

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Weather was reported as 6 to 8 knots, gusts to 16; 21˚C at 70%.
Wind felt like yeah, that seems about right.

What I learned today...

• You CAN transfer your feet from heel to toeside THEN gybe...
• People who zoom into the beach then barrage-blimp their kites while you're trying to walk up the beach piss me off.

Hoo-ray for typhoon-ies!

So... there's a typhoon hammering the coast of Japan. Good news for me! Checking GPV and the webcam, I head down the lake once the rain has stopped and hopefully the wind has stabilized some.

I had fun. Then I came home and got annoyed so I can't be fucked writing anything else.


Weather was reported as 20 to 22 knots, gusts to ... 40 :o 16˚C at 74%
Wind felt like 10% bah 25% ho-hum 60% aw hell yeah 5% OHH MYY GODDD!!!

What I learned today...

• Sometimes, gusty can be good.
• 
  

Mixed bag, in many ways.

Had to work yesterday so was hoping the wind would stick around till today... which it did. Yippee.

Wind filled in about 12 so I shot out the door to the lake. Looks good, maybe my 13 will hit the spot.

Switch back and forth between the Origin and Dialer as the wind rises and falls all afternoon. I get a 4 hour session in but probably only rode for 3, altogether. Did lots of front- and back-rolls though, which was cool.

Mistress of Disaster is now renamed Hag Whore Bitch of Disaster cos I just decided that Mistresses are sexy. And she's not in the slightest and is an annoying fucking bitch. Tacking toward each other, me slightly upwind... if everyone kept going, it would have been fine but she just stopped and put her kite at 12 which forced me to turn away, or my line would have hit hers... cow.

Taki has been relabeled Grand Master of Disaster. He fell over or lost his board or something in the river mouth and was drifting towards the bridge... with his kite at 12 o'clock.

Grandpa launched my kite for me; let go my kite before I was in position and it shot forward, nearly wrapping a line around the tip of other kites on the ground :-/

Jackasses.

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Moment of the day was a perfect double front-roll. And the back-roll kite loops that didn't kill me.
Mood of the session was thrilled chilled spilled.

Weather was reported as 12 to 15 knots, gusts to 26; 23˚C at 43%.
Wind felt like it was gonna be good in the gusts, but the rest of the time was just ok, lulling to shit.

What I learned today...

• We're back into the gusty season.
• A typhoon is coming this week :D
• Missing your front foot and falling face first into the water hurts like a bastard.
• The glasses I bought in Thailand float and are easy to spot.
• Origin can pop so well with speed, that landing from the rotations is hard on the knees. Not bad for a non-freestyle board!
• Windchill in the late afternoon was a bit much... going to cut the legs off my old 3/2

ame no mae blow

Was going to go to Mie in the morning but watching the wind, looked like I was going to be gyped again so I stayed home. Just before 3, I checked the JMA and WTF - forecast has been updated and it looks good! Check the webcam... yup, it's coming.

Got to the lake just after 3 and there's only one other guy there, but the wind looks good. Trying to decide between 13 and 10... go for the 13. Rain just starting as I get on the water...

Get 20 minutes of hucking and blasting - awesome! Then the rain comes DOWN... my word! Vaporizing the water! Worried about lightning and anyway, I can't see :o

Wait the rain out, then head back out... gusty now, but rideable. Start on the Dialer, switch back to the Origin and enjoy!

Before the rain, the wind was powerful but controllable. After, it was powerful but weak - jumps were way better before...

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Moment of the day was doing a front roll loop transition, then landing on a wave a surfing away :) oh yeah, and all the hucking.
Mood of the session was amped soggy satisfied.

Weather was reported as 12-7knots, gusts to 26; 23˚C at 88%. Scoff!
Wind felt like 10% just-powered, 50% well-powered and 40% woohoo!-powered.

What I learned today...

• Nice to ride around slowly on the Dialer without being over-powered.
• It pays to watch the forecast... sometimes, you get lucky!

Gypped by GPV

Promised 20 knots but got barely 75% of that. Pretty crappy... at least I didn't get sunburnt or rained on.

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Weather was reported as 14 to 7 knots :( 24˚C at 81%.
Wind felt like under-powered to just riding :(

What I learned today...

• Something about my Dialer feels like I've got stuff wrapped around the fins, creating drag - WTF?
• My harness is already starting to fall apart!!!

In which I swear a lot

... at the kite, the wind, the boards, and myself.

God, what frustration. The first half hour was fun on the Origin, but then the wind dropped off. Tried to ride the Dialer but it wasn't working... it got more gusty and annoying from then on, hence the mounting frustration and increasing amount of language.

Wind was up and down, really bad on and off. Got to the point of wanting to break things... I wonder how much of it can be blamed on the kite?

Thoughts on the 2014 Switchblade 12...

• New inflate valve is great - easy to use and good flow; even better than the 2011 Sprint. "New" material on the kite is light and brightly coloured - I like that too.
• New bar... hate the mini-5th. Like the below the bar swivel. Like the trim strap knobs. Don't see the point in the adjustable bar ends; and the added mass, when spinning the bar after rotations, means the bar spins a bit further than necessary. Don't like the blue/grey for the LHS either.
• Stable, smooth, and predictable in the air. Turns around the center of the wingtip. Makes a little power in the loops, but isn't brutal. Low-end seems to drop right off suddenly though and becomes useless and backstally... might be the crap wind, but it felt like my 10m XB. Actually, with the close V and the near-the-tip center lines, it felt a lot like an XB; differences being the SB is smoother and more consistent through a loop (but not much), XB makes more power on the strokes and lifts at the apex better, but is stally going around turns. Meh, I know what I mean.
• Range... seemed a bit narrow and abrupt, especially at the bottom. Could work it on the Dialer but felt like I had something wrapped around my fins, just wouldn't get going.
• I think if you chose the sizes carefully, you'd be happy going from an XB to the new SB... wish I'd had a 14 today though.

Got to the point of wanting to tomahawk the kite into the ground and decided to call it a day.

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Weather was reported as 14 to 19 knots, gusts to 25; 23˚C at 55%.
Wind felt like ok-powered to fucking useless. Damned gusty nowhere 20 knots on average...

What I learned today...

• Won't be trading my XBs in any time soon.
• But have an option for the future... maybe.

Murphy's Law

Forecast was identical to yesterday, but the wind never arrived until right on sunset. Handful of tacks out and back...

Spent the time from 3 pm trying to get some riding in on the Catalyst 14. Nice light bar pressure, bit light on the feedback though. Fast, turns quick... doesn't pull in the turns though, at least when it's underpowered. Was making like it'd fold at the tips if I loaded it right up though. Need another ride.

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Weather was reported as 10-11 knots, gusts no more than 20; 25˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like almost under-powered to, at the end, powered.

Physiotherapy? I feel good!

Wind forecast was for some, at the lake. Nice. But I'm feeling banged up - stiff muscles, tendons in the knees, ankle feels like hell, I'm sunburnt... really wondering if I should go at all.

Har! As if... dig out the full bottle of sunblock, my long-sleeve rash guard and toddle off to the lake.

Looks like it might be a Flite day but I'm going to go with my gut and GPV and so I take the Origin and the Dialer over to the lake with the XB13... and the Flite, just in case.

A tad of wind... go with the XB and try a run on the Origin. Riding, but walking some. Amazed that I could ride at all. So I go back out on the Dialer - riding upwind easy enough.

Bit out of sorts, not feeling as slick as I did on Sunday. Getting ok drive upwind though - outriding the lighter guys on 12's and directionals :D yah me!

Wind's picked up, I'm riding upwind way easy so it's time for the Origin. Yes, nicely powered now. But not boosting to the moon... a few ok-ish jumps and then I start in on the rotations. Damn, that board  disguises some nice pop with it's gentle launch! BIG back-rolls - happy!

So happy, that I start in on the double rotations... splash-downs but a hoot nonetheless. Wind drops off again and I nearly get stranded in the marina bay, but I ride the gusts back to the beach. Sun is going down, so I call it a day. I call it a GREAT day...

... as I get off the water, I release that nothing hurts - not my neck, shoulders, forearms, and my ankle only bothers me when I stand on it. Physio I can dig :)

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Moment of the day was feeling so good I just HAD to throw down some stunts - double front- and back-rolls, kite-loop back-rolls... awesome!
Mood of the session was trepidatious, rapacious, bodacious.

Weather was reported as 9 to 10 knots, gusts to 16; 26˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like just nicely powered to underpowered. But OMG riding a "small" TT and a 13 in this weather? WTF?

What I learned today...

• Origin is AWESOME!
• Tough too - hit bunches of big solid posts floating the water... not a mark on the board.
• Even getting used to the straps. Gotta be better ones around though.
• Can't believe I was riding a 13 when others were on 12s and 10s - and was having fun.
•  Miyachi has a 12m 2014 SB in the shop to play with. But Cab is out of some spares for my big bar :(