Being unemployed as it's benefits... not working for scumbags is one, having time during the day to milk the winds is another.
Forecast looked good all day, with the peak around 4pm. I had to work at 5:40pm though (a side-job, as it were) so I went to the lake with my watch on, and work clothes in the car. Naturally, I forgot my shoes and had to go home for them but I still got in a 3-hour session AND got to work on time!
So knowing that the wind was forecast for like, 20 knots plus, I took the Speed3 15 and both Flyboards over to the beach. Initially I thought I should have had the 19, but later I thought I should have had the 12... gusty wind - had the kite trimmed about 1/3 in, which was good for over-powered but equally good when the wind dropped cos the kite got backstall-y...
Anyway. Had to re-rig the kite cos I'd put the 'new' black rope and stopper block on the bar and tuned it. Fiddled with that for a bit... then launched nice'n'easy. Headed out on the 'radical...
Initially a bit tough to get away from the beach - wind was NW this time - but soon was nicely powered. Was thinking that if the wind was going to pick up, I should be on the 12... nah fuck that, can't be bothered - me gusta!
Started off doing some nice rotations and transitions. Very nearly did a heel to toe carve on my goofy side too but messed it up, thinking too much about it.
Then the wind picked up and it was boosting time! Some real good ones :D and I'm getting good at flying the whole thing out with just one hand on the bar, trying to grab the board etc etc. Even started thinking about trying to do foot outs but couldn't get my foot erm out. Rode out a few elevator jumps too, not messing up the descent for a change. Got dropped a fair few times too - frickin gusty!
Managed several double rotations and landed a couple... desperation moves - went up and over-rotated and was like "O SH--" then whipped my head around to try to complete another one. Not classy, but it worked a couple of times ;)
Ji-chan and Master of Disaster were there, but they had buggered off into the distance. I had the beach to myself for nearly 2 hours, then the other turned up. No problems except for fucking Turkey - a disaster on the water, then when I was packing up he wanted me to land him... and proceeded to dump the kite on my head. Literally. Then he launched his smaller kite, then proceeded to dive it into the ground a few feet from me - which he thought was hilarious. Idiot.
4:30pm I packed up and headed off to work. I was good for about 2, 2 and a half hours then got tired and started screwing up. Not so much my legs for once, just a general full body weariness.
Better than a day at work - anytime!
Moment of the day was landing a double rotation... like I meant to do it.
Mood of the session was irritated, elated, tired.
It sucks when you're trying to do the Disco Man and the gust drops you on your head.
Weather was reported as 14 knots at 1pm, building to 16 at 2, falling off to 14 again at 4. Gusts to 26 knots... 28°C at 44%!!!
Wind felt like it was too much for the 15 - or too little. Mostly, I was comfortably over-powered...
What I learned today...
• Heel-to-toe transition on my 'good' size feeling very natural... need to work out how to pop from toe-side!
• Point toes to bring the board within easy grabbing range.
• Turkey is a menace.
• Frickin harness... riding up all the time. Irritating.
• Multiple rotations - I'm betting they're just luck for many people :D
• I think I prefer the 15 on the middle holes of the bar... I'm sure it feels different.
• I might need a smaller board :o
• Backrolls - it's not just pointing your board downwind, it's pointing it more towards the kite than upwind. Like lots of things, really...
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