Not good for kites but what can you do?
Miyachi said it'd be a good session today so I left my gear hanging up last night and made my way to the lake at about 4:45 today. Hoping for another 15m session :)
Started well, was great for about 20 minutes then the wind dropped. Came and went in gusts so I stuck it out while the other 2 packed up. Then a front came in from the NW and it picked up a bit again.
So I started out doing some ok jumps, then got into sent back- and front-rolls, then tried some actual kite loops (with a Speed3!!!) and then went back to rolls and jumps. Tried some heli-loops but couldn't make them work.
Started raining as the sun set so I called it a day. Good session, worth the effort despite the less than stellar wind and the rain.
Moment of the day was a big phat sent front-roll. Felt all proper-like.
Mood of the session was yargh bah mah-mah.
It sucks when you have to pack a wet kite.
Weather was reported as 14-10-12 knots, gusts to 24 and 10˚C at 61%.
Wind felt like ok powered to under-powered (but holding ground) to blah powered. If it was truly 10 knots, then bloody good job S3 15 and Flyradical!
What I learned today…
• The S3 15 isn't a looping machine :D it (or I) seem to loop in the lower half of the window. I'm only just getting off the water so perhaps the kite doesn't have the time to climb back up the window and catch me…
• It's a hell of yank downwind. Or rather, backwards and sideways—it reminds me of the feeling when you send the kite back to like 10, or launch off a wave before the kite is all the way sent.
• Can't see how you can Darkslide like that. Attempted some not-jumping loops but it just felt so wrong :-/
• Really shouldn't slam the kite—it's not an LEI, don't just let go the bar fool!
• Wore gloves and boots and I'm glad I did: still had cold hands for a wee while.
• Get your knees up on front-rolls, redirect when you're facing the wrong way but when you feel the kite pull stop pulling on the bar.
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