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.

---

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...

Wind, waves, and range!

No wind in Shiga this weekend but Mie was supposed to have some… with some rain too. Thought I'd chance it and dragged the wife out the house early and got to Machiya about 12. Measured the wind—20 to 25 knots, yup that's how it feels… out comes the 10m.

Sketchy launch, assisted thank god cos the beach is crowded and strewn with shells 'n' shit and the other side of the drain-thing is under construction… looks like they're building a seawall, neat!

Powered ok on the big board, some amusing jumps but very soon I wish I had the 13 up. Wife has gone walking with the car key so I just keep riding. Small kite is fast and entertaining, especially with the loops—some amusing yoinks horizontally that I'm not used to.

As the wind keeps dropping, I start playing with the waves more. When I can—the windsurfer-kooks keep falling over! Get some nice carves and rides in, once or twice carve toe-side then heel-side etc like a real surfer.

Rain starts early, around 1:30 but I keep riding anyway. Finally give up when the wind has dropped to the point where it's a nuisance to get back upwind.

What a groovy session!

---

Moment of the day was snap-popping a transition and landing on the crest of a wave, actually surfing it and then, as the kite caught up, riding out the other way under power… magic!
Mood of the session was amused entertained satisfied.
It sucks when you realize you might need a surfboard too.

Weather was reported as 22 to 13 knots, gusts to 26; 74% at 19˚C.
Wind felt like what they said. Measured 20 to 25 knots before I set up but it dropped steadily… ok-powered to only just. Was pretty shocked I could still ride a 10m at the end of it there!

What I learned today…
• The ocean is rough!
• The kickers are nice though - gliding up a big ol' wave and riding out the top is awesomesauce.
• Small kites are quick and seem to make more power when they're moving quick… so if you don't choke the kite with the board, it's gravy.
• You can get face-slapped like a BI-ATCH on the smallest waves when you dig a tip in. Like, insta-slap!
• Ninja-waves are getting better at hiding themselves… sneaky buggers!
• I might need a directional :o for the ocean, the bouncing around gets annoying but the waves are just so much fun!

Zinging in the Rain

O woe is me! More than a week with no ride! So despite the forecast of rain along with a good blow, I loaded up the car and headed over to Mie at the crack of dawn. 9am. It's Sunday, y'know - anything before 11 is the crack of dawn.

Wife insisted we go to Starbucks (blerg) so we didn't get on the highway until 9:30. Drove through the rain, which lessened by the time we arrived in Tsu, at the beach, about 10:45. Rain was non-existent and the wind looked great!

Hironobu was coming in just as I was going out - said he doesn't like the rain that's coming but he was comfortable on a 9 C-kite. Hmm, I think I'll give the 10m Xbow a shot. Measured a solid 18+ knots on the shore.

Naturally, as I start pumping up, it starts raining :-/ Fuck, I'm still going for it. Jump in the water with the Flyradical... I might not be powered enough for it but - hey whaddya know, I'm riding!

Ah, it's fun to be back on the 10m - it's been over a year since I used it, I reckon! I can see why people like the quicker kites and now I'm kinda used to it, it rules. Jumps start off pretty good, kite is easy to redirect all around the show and the landings are smooth. Sent back-rolls are good but a bit hairy on the landing - the water is pretty rough. There's a nice flat are south of the launch spot - tide is low-ish - so that's fun.

Noodle around for about an hour, then the wind drops. Swap the 'radical for the Flydoor. Still riding and having fun...

Been raining all the session so far but shortly after I swap boards, the rain REALLY comes in - zOMG it's vapourizing the surface of the ocean! The wind then dies off so I come back to shore and land the kite. Or rather, it falls outa the sky and I walk in and secure it. Wrap my lines up and wash the salt out of my hair in the torrential downpour...

Rain slacks off, wind picks up. I go back out for another 1/2 or so but the wind just doesn't have the oomph, even with the Flydoor, to do much other than mow the lawn. I call it a day and pack up - now it's after 1pm.

Yes, it was worth the drive and trunk-full of soggy gear :)

---

Moment of the day was getting out and riding at all... then being well-powered on the 10 and my 'small' board!
Mood of the session was surprised stoked deflated.
Its sucks when it's raining so hard, the water pools in your leeward eye socket!

Weather was reported as 20 falling to 14 knots, gusts to 28 just around the time I got on the water; 18°C at 81%.
Wind felt pretty good - I was surprised I could ride the 10m in only 20knots and have fun.

What I learned today...
• I seem to be able to get away with riding smaller kites in 'less' wind - maybe I have some kite skills finally? :o
• Riding in the rain is actually bearable. Will do it again. If I have to.
• Going from the 'radical to the 'door - the new 'door with the center fin feels like it has more drag, but is actually faster and certainly seems more locked into the water. Holds a line like it's on rails, while the 'radical needs the rear weighted to carve and can be bouncy. But is more fun :D
• I see a need for either less depower or a stopper ball on the smaller kite.
• That frothy area behind a breaking wave made me eat shit a few times again today - keep forgetting to weight the rear of the board to compensate!

Big smiles in size 12

Earlier in the week, Miyachi told me there was a typhoon rolling in this weekend so apart from having to work on Saturday, the weekend looked good... Forecast came up to par too so I headed out, aiming for a 12:30 on-the-water start. Highway wasn't co-operating though, with a traffic jam on the important junction to Tsu... a 70-minute traffic jam. So I jumped off at Tsuchiyama and took the bottom roads...

Arrived at around 12:30pm to a good blow - people putting up 6's and 9's. I measured on the shore - dipping to 6m/s, gusting to 13, averaging around 10. Hmm... it's supposed to pick up too. XB 13 is my smallest LEI but wait, I've got the Speed3 12 in car... hope I can get out with that on the small board!

Nuts, forgot I tried to swap the Black Line and hadn't finished tuning the lines... quicker to swap the bar for the S3 15's. So I do that.

Ooh neato - the tide is out, leaving a good size of clean beach to set up on and some flat water just... down... there. Lay the kite out, re-rig the bar... help some people launch :-/ easy launch for me - except for fatty standing right next to the kite and looking like he wanted to help but didn't know what to grab so he just fucking stood right next to it and refused to move. So I launched over his toes...

Into the water... tough to get started - trim the kite, that's better! Ok we're moving and we got some board speed - booOOOST! Gonna be a good day!

And it was! Some epic big boosts, carving nicely up the face of clean waves. Also had fun trying to ride the waves, carving some gybes... even got a few nice back rolls in, I was feeling so brave.

I stuck to what is apparently the appropriate area for kiteboarders (!) cos the water was better anyway. Got a bit crowded as the day progressed - The Fattest Kiteboarder in Japan was there, that gringo from Nagoya and a bunch of people I recognize but don't know the names of. A few occasions of having to do a quick gybe to get out of their ways but otherwise, no problems.

Had some fighting with the kite in the lulls... had to keep it trimmed to stop backstalling it but that didn't seem to affect the jumps :o Had a tip-wrap that I could only solve by flying it to the edge, putting it on the water, letting it drift back onto the LE then relaunching it that way. Dude on the shore looked like he was going to help LOL no thanks! Towards the end of my session, it got punchy as hell - kite was jumping like a summabitch, making like it was going to invert and generally giving me the shits. Add to that the abrasion from the harness and so, I packed it in.

Sat down to reverse land but it behaved itself once it was down... 2 and a half hours on the water! Great session!

As I was wrapping up, I noticed that the guy on the F-one had just ripped a hole LE to TE on his kite... poor bugger!


Moment of the day was, for once, not the massive jumps but actually dropping into a wave and feeling the drive... I can see why those kooks get into it!
Mood of the session was mellow thrilled surprised.
It sucks when the guys taking photos with the telephoto lens doesn't offer to email you the pics...

Weather was reported as ESE 21-19-20-20 knots at 1-4pm; max gust of 32 knots at 5pm. 28.5°C at 78%.
Wind felt like it was closer to the peak gusts than it was to what was recorded... 30% just underpowered, 60% perfectly powered and 10% slightly worried.

What I learned today...
• That turbulent bit just behind a breaker is not so good to ride it - not enough water?
• Kept landing little hops too much on my front foot = face-plant.
• Sharks stay on even when you get hit in the face by a giant breaker!
• The spreader bar pad is catching on the power belt - that's why it's flipping up.
• The 12 is so quick across the window when you turn that you HAVE to sheet in to slow it down... but be prepared for the power!
• Fancy footwork with the board gets you around waves nicely...
• Maybe I don't need a Nugget after all!
• Almost filling my thermos with ice makes for sweet, sweet cold water!

The cheese is OOzing! Let's DO this!

Finally, I don't have to work AND the wind is blowing AND it's not pouring rain... but I have to head south to the coast. Which means choppy water :( oh well, it's gotta be better than nothing.

An hour on the highway later...

Mmm, I measure 7 to 10 m/s at the beach - nice! I decide on the Speed3 15 cos I can't be assed pumping up the Crossbows. Toddle off looking for a section of beach free of detritus... best I can do is a patch with grasses and funny little twiggy ground bushes, with a patch of sand to weight a tip. Carefully lay out the lines... easy launch! Pah, who said untidy launch sites were a hassle? Ooh, nicely powered... going to try out the 'radical...

And we're off! No problems riding upwind! And the wind is supposed to peak at 3 - neat! Of course, the water is choppy... but we start with a decent jump and that's just fine by me.

Dunno what happened next, but I tooled off down the 'other' end of the beach where the club has their little area and well, well, well - whaddya know? Nice water down here. So I hang out down there, riding between what I guess is the river mouth and the pier at 'our' end. There seems to be 2 semi-flat spots and some decently shaped waves...

I boost some decent jumps but spend about 30-60 minutes getting used to the hang-time of the Speed3 again :D too-early redirects put me on my ass a few times. Once I get into the swing of things, I'm riding the waves, gybing, riding toe-side, and boosting really big airs :D

So it was a great day. Was back in the car at 4:30pm, so maybe 2 and a half hours on the water.


Moment of the Day was boosting a good one, having a pole dancer shoot under me pumping his fist going "Loop! Loop! Do a loop!"... with a huge margin of safety. FYI.

Mood of the session was grateful, psyched, exhausted.

It sucks when you're trying to gybe, weight the front foot too much and fall on your face just as your mouth is wide open, sucking in a big breath of air. No actually that's not true - I can live with that. It sucks when you're getting so psyched and having such a buzz out there... but your body just can't cope. Because old.

Song stuck in my head was Oh My Dayum by Schmoyoho feat. Damn Drops... via Cheezycheese.


Weather was reported as 16-18 knots from 2 to 4pm with gusts to 24 at 3. 29°C at 79%.
Wind felt like 9% almost underpowered 90% perfectly overpowered and 1% uncomfortable.

What I learned today...
• I've been kiting at the wrong end of the beach for all this time...
• Need to check the tune of the 15's lines. Just in case. And check that bridle line.
• Cracked my Flydoor some time in the past... need to send pictures to FS and get a diagnosis.
• Nice fat gybes are the ticket - trying to do them too tight means my knees drag and I loose speed and drive? out of the turn.
• Having fun in the waves... do I really need a Nugget?
• I HAVE to learn riding toe-side and gybing the 'other' way.

Mako's up!

Wind's up again. Headed over to Mie...

Forecast was much the same as yesterday but when I got there, it was a bit stronger. I went for the XB 13m... nobody else around except some pole dancers so I self-launched... which nearly turned into a disaster when the bar jumped out of my hand and looped back to the left and slammed into the concrete footpath :( no damage at all though!!!

Head out on the Mako to start with - determined to get to grips with it. Bit hard to get moving - the board likes speed but the water is so choppy is very bouncy out there... pads hurt my feet some too - both the sore on the RH foot and general arch pain. Seems a bit easier to get through the rough stuff though and rides nicely... just bouncy. Upwind is a bit of work (although jumps are fine) so I go back in for the Flydoor.

Easier to ride slower with the bigger board, but it's less fun. Jumps are just too crappy - no flat water to boost from and no decent waves to kick off. I play with the waves some which is fun and even manage a gybe turn without thinking about it!

Give up when my legs get sore. Self-land by attaching the kite to a big log. Much easier than I thought it'd be! On the water for about 2 hours...


Mood of the session was relaxed, intrigued, irritated.

Moment of the day was floating through the air while the fish leapt out of the water under me. Got a good look at them this time...

Weather was reported as 16.6 knots steady, 31°C 68%. Gusts to 21 knots...
Wind felt like I could have gotten away with the 16 but not without an assist on launch/land.


What I learned today...
• Mako is FAST when it gets going... which makes it bouncy. If you go slow, it's more sinky. I think it'll be better on flatter water. Maybe; I might just have to get used to it! Does carve awesome and ride through and down waves really nice though.
• Flydoor feels like a bus in comparison... but I think I knew that.
• It's just not worth trying to do big jumps or tricks when the water is that chopped up - better to surf?
• Need mutant fins for the Mako...

Back down to earth :(

Back in Japan, back to crappy summer southerlies... off to Mie with me! Checked the harbour cam in the morning - kites on the swimming beach?! Apparently there's racing on down there, which explains the Speed3 I saw...

Get there about 1pm-ish; wind looks good. I measured 8 to 20 knots though... go for the 16m XB but the repair on the Mystic harness has been stitched through the power-belt so I have to unpick that :-/ Have to self-launch (and make a gash in the LE :-/ FFS) and head out on the 'door.

Easy powered... but DANG after the smooth water of Thailand, the chop sucks ass. No really good jumps, don't want to do any 'tricks' cos the landing and take-off suck...

Play with the waves some too... got me thinking about how well a Sector 60 would do on days like today...

Had a mad polio dancer come rocketing in behind me, then throw a turn right in front of me... then fall over. Idiot!

Pack up and in the car at 4pm...


Mood of the session was mildly annoyed, mellow.

Moment of the Day was landing a jump on the face of a wave and actually surfing on down it. Dude!

Song stuck in my head was Electric Blue by Ice House. Oh I had a dream, for a moment I believed it was true... mmm, flat water...

Weather was reported as 15 to 18 knots with gusts to 21; 31°C at 67%.
Wind felt like it was pretty smooth, always powered, a few times slightly overpowered; but I should have been jumping higher :(


What I learned today...
• Chop sucks.
• That Mystic harness sucks. Colonoscopy, much?
• Chop really sucks.
• My 16m XB is a magnet for frickin damage... I'll never be able to sell it!
• Sigh... wish I was back in Thailand...

Pre-Thai shake-down

Probably shouldn't, considering I'm supposed to be packing and doing other chores, but it's last chance for a session here and Mie is looking good again. That big cell of nasty looking clouds sitting down to the S.E. seems to be driving the groovy weather we've had for the past week or so! They're sitting there being all intimidating as I drive down to the beach.

Oh goody. Beach for of university students with barbeques, alcohol, and jetskis, all screaming at each other and behaving like junior high school kids trying to cop a feel. Grr...

Set up the Crossbow 16 cos I want to compare it to the S3 15... lay out my lines, then drop my kite on the beach in a clear spot. Well it was until two asshole windsurfers drop their gear up- and down-wind of my stuff... sketchy self-launch. Wankers.

Get on the water and feel better. Track up to the tidal lagoon and start playing in there... mostly. Good idea cos it keeps me away from the pole-dancers and DICKHEAD directional riders who don't look behind them when doing their imitation of surfers who miss all the waves... and can't jump worth shit :D

So I have a good play time... use the flat water to do some sent front- and back-rolls - they're ok but I'm worried about knees/ankles so aren't trying to go big. No seriously! Bit weird riding an LEI again - been a long time since I was on one. Bar pressure... phew!

Had a good 3 hours out... now to pack up for Thailand!


Mood of the session was relaxing athletic educational.

Moment of the Day was probably that first front roll that was just so perfect and easy!

Song stuck in my head was Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys.

It sucks when uni student mongs stand within a foot of you watching you wash yourself down with the hose... just standing there, watching... and looking... and staring...


Weather was reported as 13 to 15 knots between 12 and 4pm, pretty consistent. I measured 14 to 16 knots on the beach when I arrived at about 1pm. 22 knots gusts at 5am was the peak... 31°C at 69%.


Wind felt like I could have gone with a smaller board... but would have had to work hard at getting back upwind.


What I learned today...
• Delay releasing the edge a bit longer for more height... when you feel the kite REALLY pull upwards.
• Send it back further than you have been.
• Xbow has almost NO pull when looping and well sheeted out...!
• But sheeting out when redirecting makes a nice loft for gentle touchdowns...
• Sent rotations seem to be easier with the 'bow... I'm betting cos it sits & pulls downwind more than the Speeds...

Spicy sausage

Had a lunch-time obligation that I thought I couldn't get out... then I just decided to put my foot down and inform the wife that I'm leaving at 2, like it or not. So I did, and I did...

Got to Mie in time for the blow that was forecast from 3pm... measured 15 to 25 knots on the beach. That'll explain the full carpark, the hordes of pole dancers and a bunch of kites too. Hummed and harred about the gear... decided on the S3 15 and the Flyradial, as the wind was supposed to drop off.

Man, I'm glad I did! Perfectly over-powered... big ol' jumps, big ol' smiles :) bloody gusty though - lots of times, I went up beautifully then the kite stalled and I got dropped... took those landings on my ass so as not to risk the ankle. Enough wind that I could cruise upwind at very slowly walking speed, just hanging on the kite... then sheet in, point the board downwind and BOOOOOST! I like that... good kickers today too, but only one direction - wind was cross-on.

Got an hour of awesome riding, then it seemed to drop a bit - came in for a drink. Went back out and now had to work and actually ride the board at speed to get upwind.

Trying too hard, I launched a medium sized jump but overdid the take-off and... ended up doing a double back-roll :o I knew on the way up it was going to be messy, but with my long experience of messy kite action I managed to keep my head and tried to fly the kite properly; even if I wasn't going to land properly, I'd rather not just slam down... by some miracle though, I touched down perfectly and rode off. LIKE. A. BOSS.

Wind didn't want to pick up and although my hands didn't hurt, my legs were ok and I was still having fun, I was getting to the "Oooh shower and a drink" stage so I called it a day.


Mood of the session was timorous pumped amused.

Moment of the Day was definitely the double back-loop... even big ol' air can't compete with the slickness of that move!

Song stuck in my head was The Flight of Icarus by Iron Maiden off the only IM album I like - Live After Death. "Fly... on your wings... like an eagle!"

It sucks when you had the spicy sausage for lunch and keep belching.

Weather was reported as 17.2 knots, dropping to 14.6; gusts of 25.2! 31°C at 67%.
Wind felt like 10% zOMG! 60% AW hell yeah! 30% hmm...


What I learned today...
• What a double back-roll feels like. It feels like awesome.
• Landing bum first is what causes the harness to go riding wa-aaay up in there.
• Sending the smaller S3 back more than directly up gives the yoink up, then redirecting gives the float for a nice landing. Which is doable cos it's fast enough.
• Was a long drive home... very sleepy.

Great Expectations

Cracking forecast for Mie today!!! Should be mental...

Well. It WAS mental, just not mental enough. I measured 18-22 knots when we arrived at 12 but the forecast was calling for 30 or so. The 3 or 4 other adult kiters were on 9 or 10s and Lil Grom was on a 6 LOL so I should be good on my 13 and small board.

Mmm... not living up to expectations. I can ride mostly ok but it's gusty and I'm not loving it... ride around for a bit, wishing I hadn't erred on the side of caution and had put up the S3 15 instead. Waves are big and the chop is rough... tweak my ankle slamming into a pre-breaking wave face :(

Come in for a drink and the Flydoor... wander back to the car, have the drink, chat to the wife, head back to the beach, oh ho! The wind has picked up! Head back out on the Flyradical...

That's better! Even more gusty... get all excited about powering into a kicker, sheet in and then... nothing. Back-stall. Even though I've trimmed the kite so I can't back-stall in the lulls o_0 but get too aggro with the bar and the kite is violent. Gah.

But the jumps are great, when I time it all right. Some nice big floaty ones too. Lots of slams into wave faces, getting bounced off edges etc which got old quickly.

I'm (mostly) having fun but my hands are starting to kill me... maybe I need gloves. That blows. Harness is wedged so far up my butt I can taste neoprene. Legs are getting tired too. Timing is off. Starting to think about cold drinks and the fresh water shower...

I pack it in. Pretty good session but I'd have been happier if it was less gusty. Can't sneeze at riding for 3 hours until you're knackered though!


Mood of the session was frustrated elated invaded.

Moment of the Day was finally getting to show-off for the wife with a couple of monster jumps. Yes I'm 12 years old.

Song stuck in my head was My Hero by Foo Fighters. Watch him as he goes - whee!

It sucks when you're over-powered then sheet in to boost and the kite back-stalls...!

Weather was reported as 16 to 18 knots, gusts no more than 30; 32°C at 69%.
Wind felt like it was trying to sneak up and spank me for getting aggressive in the lulls.


What I learned today was...
• The wife can't put on sunblock properly HAaaar!
• The flat-water area is only good at lowest tide and disappears in a couple of hours.
• 20 to 25 knots IS the sweet spot for the 13 but up to 30 is the big fun.
• I need a slightly bigger board for these conditions for easier planing while working.
• Should have taken the Mako with me!
• It's not landing the big jumps that hurts the ankle, it's the little hops :-/
• When you start fantasizing about the cold fresh-water shower rather than the next boost, it might be time to get off the water.

Worth the drive? Yes.

Good forecast at Mie but I have to work in Shiga at 5pm... looks like I'll miss the best wind after 3pm when I pack up and head home. (Which wasn't the case as the hourly forecast shows the wind died after I left... oh, how sweet!)

Anyway, got to Machiya about 12 and onto the water with the Speed3 15 about 20 past. On the beach, was nice and floaty. On the water, going upwind. But jumps are just average... goes that way for the next 3 hours. A couple of tacks on the Flyradical in there but it's too much work so I stick with the 'door.

A few nice jumps, most were pretty average though. So I started playing with back-rolls using the kite like you're supposed to. Not bad but tough in the chop. Doing one of them, I dropped on my ankle hard and tweaked it again. Dang.

Choppy choppy! bouncin' around like a rental car down a rutted dirt road...

Loop-transitions working fine - both ways! Got a good one that was like a proper loop - pulled me forwards and as it went up, lifted me up softly for a sweet landing! Couldn't repeat it though :(

So it was a good session, especially after the shite of Locus recently. Gloves Guy turned up as I was leaving... had the beach mostly to myself though, a couple of pole dancers and a couple of kiters from 'the other end' but it was pretty empty out there. Sweet!

Oh, forgot to add - I got mugged by a fish! I'm cruising along when suddenly a silver torpedo leaps out of the water and makes a dive at my crotch :o BAAAAH! clonk right into my knee-cap.

And PPS the wife says I have matching bruises across my ass cheeks... bottom of the harness, maybe?


Mood of the session was hot premature bone-rattling.

Moment of the Day was that loop that went really well.

It sucks when you have to pack up early and go to work.

Weather was reported as 12.8 knots climbing to 14.4 with gusts to 19.8; 32°C at 67%.
Wind felt like I should have been jumping bigger...


What I learned today...
• How a proper loop feels.
• It is possible to get in 3 hours riding and back to Shiga for work... just. Damned traffic jams cos smacktards can't merge!!!
• 'Proper' back-rolls feel good.
• 15-20 knots is easy riding on the S3 15, 10-15 is working it hard... 20+ is necessary for the 'radical.
• Wave-riding... not as easy as it looks. Especially when the waves don't really have the push to actually surf on 0_o
• Back-roll transitions... it's necessary to start the dive sooner to not stall it and to pull you in the right direction...

The Early Bird messes with your head

Been keeping an eye on the forecast, the way you do... nothing here but Mie looked good in the morning but dropping off around 3pm so I figured I should haul my ass out bed early and check again in the morning. Which I did, around 8am... hmm, worse than yesterday. I should pull finger and leave ASAP. Early bird gets the worm, and all that...

So I hit the highway and roll up to the carpark around 10:10am and the wind is crankin'! Better than forecast—I love days like this! Couple of pole-dancers and a couple of kites setting up 11m kites. Let's go for the S3 15 again, shall we? Bit chilly too... full length wetsuit!

Whoah—rapid prefill... this should be good! Head out with the 'radical tucked under my arm... BOOM off like a rocket! A great session follows...!

The waves are good; shoulder-height north of the pier/drain thing but nice and clean, knee-height south and perfect kickers! The tide seems to be going out, and oh look! there's a sandbar down south that makes for a perfect flat water playground... so long as you can get over the bar without digging fins and falling over. It's way closer than that other area way down near the river mouth too. Yes I enjoyed that a lot! Heading back into the waves and big boosting off the kickers for big yippees!

Got a bit hairy judging that crossing... at lowest tide, had to time it with waves going in (even though they were only a few inches) and riding just fast enough to plane with the board flat. Was getting enough 'reflected' waves that they were splashing back up a few feet high :o

Hang-time is great today, lots of hover. Not massive height but I can see that I'm clearing the masts of the pole-dancers with ease. But just hanging there, lookin' around, takin' in the view for a few... hours it felt like! :D

Ninja-waves got me good once... just for ol' times sake! Caught me in a lull with no board speed to pop over it, trying to get out, and I got tumbled good... kite even hit the water :o

Another time, I got lazy with a take-off and ended up doing a really slow back-roll and getting slammed good halfway through.

Rain and clouds... messed with my head and got my paranoia working over-time—was sure that I kept getting static shocks and kept looking around to see if there was lightning about. None in the forecast (usually get a warning) and none to be seen or heard, so I figured it was shock through the depower line or just rain hitting my hands.

Gravy! Rained almost non-stop though, so I have a soggy kite to deal with... but I'm happy! Got the worm!

Mood for the session was soggy psyched showing-off.

Moment of the Day was any one of the perfect carves and boosts up the face of waves or perhaps... jumping just in front of the lip of a wave and drifting downwind as it broke under me, hovering over the foam, finally landing on it and riding out of the froth... neato!

It sucks when you fall over and the water drags on the rear of your harness, levering the spreader bar deep into your liver.

Song stuck in my head was Gangnam Style by M/V... or maybe PSY. Damn you, Drew! "Dum de dum de dum whoopah! gangnam style!" over and frickin over...

Weather was reported as 13.2 - 10.6 - 8.8 - 17.8 - 13.2 - 12.4 knots from 10am to 3pm; gusts to 22.2 knots at 1pm. Fairly steady 22°C at 88% and 0.5mm of rain... was that all? Got soggier than that, surely!
Wind felt like it was a little gusty but otherwise, perfectly powered for steady, regular and predictable "having fun" jumps.

What I learned today...
• There's a sandbar south of the pier/drain that makes a wicked flat-water zone at low tide.
• My basic load'n'pop technique is fine; on flat water, it works nicely. So when I cock it up in the chop, I can blame the conditions after all ;)
• Better to have the heels closer to the edge than toes—locks the edge in chop nicer. Straps over the toes more...
• REALLY need to sack up and try to loop the kite when I get elevatored by gusts.
• Don't try to edge too hard when 'carving' a wave... dig the toes in, but don't over do it!
• Don't leave the pop too late... which I seem to be doing when I get tired and lazy.
• Doing the upside-down look-behind-me—don't drop your knees when you recover; keeping them into your chest when you come upright makes it easier to land and judge the touch-down.
• Turn hard, sheet out and load'n'pop aggressively gives the best height for jumps, I think.

I'm burning for you

Good forecast at Machiya/Tsu again today. Leave home early, go buy some new swim-shorts and hit the highway. Only size they had in a design I liked (ie. not all black) was 5L ... my current ones that replaced the zebra pants (both ripped up a seam) are 4L and incidentally, the same pattern as the new ones. Guess the shop I bought them from didn't sell them since last year :D

Traffic moving smoothly and I got to the beach early - 12pm, about 10 minutes before Junkie Sensei - makes me the first of the Locus folks.

Wind looks good! I worry that my Xbow 13 is going to be too big but it's the smallest kite in the car. I pump it up and set up anyway. Think I've crossed the lines on set up so spend some time checking them out ...

Launch the kite but ... hmm, where teh wind gone. Noodle around on the Flydoor but it ain't happening. Come back in after a bit and stand around looking at the horizon, trying to figure out what to do. Meanwhile, Boofhead, Taaki and Gloves Guy turn up ... Gloves Guy goes for his 15, Taaki his 12, and Boofhead and Junkie Sensei are barely powered on their directionals and 12's ... 16m Xbow? Can't be buggered pumping it up and the wind is supposed to peak at 2pm ... SPEED3 15 DOOD!

But where to launch ... there's a teeny open area of sand between the detritus over the other side of the pipe outlet ... but I still get shit stuck in the lines between the LH steering and mains, and the mains are caught together a meter or two from the canopy :o luckily, it all breaks and falls off as the kite fills. Phew!

Much better! For the next few hours, I'm having fun. Some decent jumps, a couple WHEE!s and some fun'n'games with transitions. Have to swap boards a few times as the wind is up and down, but I ride almost non-stop (others are walking!) and kill my legs!

Give up around about 4pm cos the wind has dropped again and my body has had enough ... good day!


Mood of the session was bemused, joyful, slaked.

Moment of the Day was boosting a passable jump, looking behind me and seeing Gloves Guy going up! We flew through the air at the same time :) Would've made a great photo ... or GoPro vid. Nuts.

Song stuck in my head was "Voices in My Head" by Denis Leary. Bah-na-na-nana-na!

Weather was reported as 10.4 knots at 12, 9.8 knots at 1, 15.4 knots at 2, 11.6 knots at 3, 9.6 knots at 4. Max gust today was 21 knots at 5pm. 32.4°C at 66%.
Wind felt like it was playing silly buggers. I wasn't over-powered at all, was nicely powered for short periods but mostly underpowered and just riding.


What I learned today ...
• You're better off wearing a size bigger swim-shorts than you would normally wear. Well I am anyway. New togs = win!
• Sun very hot.
• Sand burnee feet.
• Sun burnee legs, feet ... ouchie!
• Sun even burnee my bonce through my (thinning) hair. Must wear the hat I bought especially for the purpose :-/
• Listen to the small voice in your head that says "Hey dumbass I think you crossed your lines when setting up."
• S3 15 ... what a kite!
• Need to check the tip bridles on the 15 - they look a bit short. Grr.

Topping off the tanks!

It's been a bloody week and no wind or damned southerlies. More southerlies so today but it's the weekend so after riding the Duke in the morning, I plan on riding at Mie in the afternoon. Leave home at 12.30pm, arrive at the beach around 1.40. zOMG there's no wind! Not due till 2 though ... wait around and true to forecast, the wind arrives.

There's not much so it's another 21m day. Crap all over the beach - the last storm has left debris everywhere. Erk, going to be a messy launch.

Or not! Kite goes straight up without a hitch - or tangling on the sticks, weeds etc - nice! Wind is still light though and my first attempt at riding is a fail. Wade out, stand around ... ooh here's some more!

So I get some riding. At first, just mowing the lawn, then some jumps for the joy of the baseball boys cavorting on the beach. Some rolls, a few nice 'jump' transitions, some rotations ... all good fun!

Thought the wind was picking up so I change out my board for the 'radical. A little fun but the wind suddenly drops off ... I have to walk up the beach for the first time in ages!

But I'm happy with the session! Even smiled and waved at the jet-ski guys, said hello the family on the beach ... nice!


Moment of the Day was riding while the skinny cool guys were walking and fishing their kites out of the water. Fnar!

Mood for the session was grateful, fizzing, happy.

Song stuck in my head - none. My head was empty. For a change.

Weather was recorded as 4 knots building to 11, gusts to 18 (at 6pm!) and 32°C, 62% humidity. Hot!
Wind felt like I shouldn't have been riding at all, until it "picked up" - very weak!

What I learned today ...
• 3 hours driving IS worth 90 minutes riding!
• Leg straps on the Fusion harness are starting to fall off ... hmm, I make that about 60 sessions on that harness. Time for another moan :-/
• Apparently, I can do little jump transitions ... news to me but there you are.
• Water is now tepid. Do not need wetsuit.
• Do need sunblock.

Fat lady sings off-key

Looked like it should be a good long session at Machiya today, starting at 3pm and finishing after dark, so I loaded up the car and headed on over at 1:30pm, with the wife in tow. Arrived at about 2:45 to find only Auntie and Uncle there :o not a good sign. He's trying to ride his 10 but it's not happening, so Auntie is pumping the 14. The wind doesn't seem up to much ...

I decide that I drove all this way, I may as well have a shot at it. I unroll the lines from the XB bar and untangle them then decide that ain't going to work so I scout about for a clean area of beach (no shells, sticks or trash) to set up and launch from ... good luck with that! Just have to do the best I can ...

Hmm, tough going. Ending up downwind but so is uncle. Then the wind picks up a little and gradually, we're going further upwind. I start to have enough power to be able to play silly buggers. Jumps aren't up to much, backrolls are tough cos we don't have enough power or speed but backroll transitions are easy.

UNTIL

I do something wrong and crash the kite LE down. No problem I'll just do a quick reverse launch! Oh wot a bridle is wrapped around a tip? No problem I'll just erm ... hang on ... ah ... oh ... well ... float to shore and untangle it there. Hmm that ain't right.

Sort out the kite, lay out the lines, relaunch (on shells! EEK no it's ok no holes!) and try to spot my board. Grr, kite is all squirrelly ... guessing cos the TE is soggy. But that means I can't body drag out to the board. Oh it's cos the wind has died right off. Fine, stand and watch the waves wash my board into the shore, collect it, whack myself on the ankle with it then trudge back up the beach. Wife comes and carries the board, which is nice.

Pack it up then go and look at the dead porpoise. Bit of a pair of flat notes to end the day on really ... still ... it had it moments :) even though I now have to wash and dry my biggest kite :o

Mood of the Session was annoyed amused annoyed.

Moment of the Session was sorting out the back roll!

Weather was recorded as 7 to 10 to 7 knots, gusts to 15, 22°C at 77%.
Wind felt like it wasn't reaching its full potential.

What I learned today ...
• Been thinking for a while about back rolls - rather than spinning around under the kite and over-rotating all too often, I thought about edging up and popping into a jump, then as you hit the peak start the rotation so on the way down you've rotated then just fall at the water. Seems to work good - need to try it in more wind.
• Converting board speed to a clean pop gives good height but ... if there's no power in the wind then you just drop like a mong.
• Careless relaunches can result in bridles wrapped around the tips.
• Unlike an LEI (AAAAARRRGH! DEATH LOOP! Save yourselves!) that particular tangle results in a kite that flies sideways and pulls you downwind kinda ... thankfully, away from the large concrete pipe thing.
• I gotta tune that SZ line ...

To the sea ...

Long time no riding. Feels that way anyway. Forecast looked like it might be worth a trip to the seaside in Mie, over the hills and not-so-faraway.

Wife wanted to come so naturally, we ended up leaving late - I'd planned on leaving at 12-ish but we didn't get out of the driveway until 1. So I took the highway and hauled ass!

Got to the carpark just after 2 - not a bad effort. Wind was picking up slowly. I hummed and harred about what kite to use - the beach looked not as trashed as usual but was tight, with people in tents (?!?) and kids making spiked death traps out of sticks. So I went for the Cab 16 instead of the Speed3 ...

Started out riding crosswind only on the Flyradical so I came back in for the Flydoor. Better, going upwind easily. As the wind picked up gradually, things got more fun then I switched back to the Flyradical. Sometime in between all that, I had to replace the straps on the 'door cos now the right hand one is slipping - new design is easy to adjust but totally can't handle the strain!

Had a pretty good day; nothing fabulous but it beat the ass off of not riding. Some jumps were ok but nothing that'd make me go Whee! Mwa-hahaha! Ahoy! etc. I did some really nice downloop transitions, either 'carving' or jumping. So tired now I can't remember exactly what I did but one of them made me cackle with glee ...

Wind died right off and I gave up. Must have been just after 4:30 so I got off the water ... and discovered that I hadn't attached my leash when I relaunched the kite :o
Shook my head, then packed up and headed home.

Noticed as I was rolling up the kite that my right knee hurt when I kneeled on it - wonder if that time I dropped the board off one foot twisted that knee ... seems ok now though. Oh and I sliced up the bottom of my left foot on shells.

Not a bad effort for someone suffering from the flu.

Mood of the Session was satisfied happy tired.

Moment of the Day was getting the timing and kite control just right so I could land jumps on the faces of waves and surf away! Nailed everyone I attempted - sweet feeling!

Weather was reported as 8 knots at 2pm, climbing to 16 at 4 then falling off again; gusts to 20 at 3pm ... at around 23°C 62%, more or less.
Wind felt like I should have been more powered. Even when I WAS powered, I didn't go upwind much ... tide was coming in, I think ...

What I learned today ...
• The mong on the Waroo and directional is a dangerous, erratic little man. By way of confirmation, he parked his kite in the trees at the end of the day.
• Check your leash is attached :o
• Probably should have tried out the Mako instead of the 'radical ...
• The 'door has a bit of a hard time in the big choppy sloppy conditions ... bounced and slapped around a bit.
• I love my lake!
• I love my Sharks too ;)

Whoa dude WTF?!

Irene or her bastard off-spring delivered the goods. Or at least, that's what the forecast said was going to happen. Comes with a side-order of rain but I thought I'd chance it. Headed over to Tsu and got the rain in the mountains - was hoping that had come early and left fair weather at the beach ... 

When I got to the beach, Ji-chan was coming in telling me his 12 was over-powered. I measured the wind - 12m/s at the peak, and it was supposed to pick up by 4pm. I rigged my 10m cos I'm a chicken. Just as I got into the water, the wind dropped. No go with the 10 at all.

Stood around for a bit looking at the horizon ... decided to pump up the 16. Got onto the water for a 1/2 hour or so having fun, but the wind dropped right off again so I gave up ... started wishing I had the Silberpfeil ... wind picked up a little and I went back out, then after 15 minutes it picked right up again! I swapped the 16 for the 10 and - believe it or not - was nicely powered ... for the most part.

It was gusty as all hell though, and it oscillated between having to work the hell out of the kite (and stalling it a lot) or being over-powered ... in between was great though.

I swear, I did some of the biggest jumps I've ever done too! I only got dropped a couple of times, and thankfully I was near the water anyway. Love the Crossbows! But still got numerous spankings - I just can't cope with the smaller sizes :D although I made enough power out of working it to ride, which was interesting.

Did some back-rolls (causes of the spankings) and some were stylish ... the waves were big and crisp and we actually had quite a lot of flat water in between, due to the beach shape and tide level I guess. Lot less choppy than it has been. There was a nice big spot to the RHS of the concrete pier thing and I got some good jumps off the flat water there. The wind was all over the place though. The kite started doing weird things and around 4:30pm decided to just nose-dive into the surf and refused to launch. I got dragged into shore and had to sort it all out and relaunch from there. Decided I'd had enough so walked back to the landing area ...

Y'know how I'm always going on about how stupid people are and you're probably thinking I'm just being an arsehole? Well get this ... While landing the now floppy kite (water sucked all the pressure out of it!!!) and the assistant struggling to get it over, Mr. Cool, his missus and their two dogs walk back to the carpark - directly into my lines. Assistant is still trying to get the kite under control (it's flopping around over his head) but they just walk straight into my lines then start lifting them over their heads like they've walked into a washing line 0_o thank god he got the kite down cos if it had powered up ... morons.

So despite the bizarre wind, the gustiness and the sucky nose-dive, it was pretty good riding. Some guy even said "Hey Bob nice big jumps!" although I don't know who Bob is ...?!

Moment of the Day was all those times I jumped in front of the white water, boosted up over the wave and rode away on the other side :D the breaking waves had a really funny texture on the backside of it, all rough and lumpy like riding over gravel.

Wind speed was reported at Tsu as 7.1 to 9.0 m/s between 2 and 5pm (up and down) with gusts of 14m/s. I'd say we averaged about more like the 20 knots when I was riding the 10, with frequent gusts above it. I occasionally felt over-powered on the 10 so I'm guessing we actually got 30 knots as the water's edge ...


What I learned today ...
• Small, fast kites + big wind = huge jumps ... easily!
• Despite feeling under-powered at times, I think I chose the right kite - in the end.
• It'll be a Mako King I need.
• Bend at the knees, not at the waist to load the edge. Or at least, don't bend so much at the waist that you drag your ass in the water and kill your jump :(
• Best kites - not so best, actually. Another one flying like it was broken. And that was a brand new model too :o
• Even small kites won't relaunch when they're underwater. And they get soggy too.

Machiya and Me

Wind looked ok on the forecast and I decided to drive over and brave the rain that might be lurking around - according to the forecast, but not according to the web cam ... arrived about 1pm to clear skies and 20knots. It's supposed to drop off though ...

... so I rig the 13m Crossbow and jump onto the water with the other 3 kiters. Quiet day at the ocean!

At first, I'm nicely powered and having a good time but the wind IS dropping and it's getting harder to boost decent air at all. I'm still able to go upwind ... just. Spend a good time riding around, enjoying the sun, water and waves.

After about 2 hours, the weather makes like it's going to pack in, so I think about packing it in. My back is starting to hurt - being unable to lean against the kite means the harsh impacts from the chop is going straight up my spine.

Moment of the Day is again, drifting across the peak of two waves with my ass just scraping the tops.

Wind speed was recorded as 8.4m/s from 1pm. I got my 16 knots and that felt pretty close to the average ... which means, the 13 is only fun from 20knots on the ocean. Yikes!

What I learned today ...
• Spinning around under a kite, facing back the way you came from - I had a lot of problems with that a while back, and I did it a few times again today. Seems it's the result of improper load and carving upwind and/or bringing the kite down too soon and/or not aggressively enough, letting it pull to the edge of the window.
• Suicide on the Cab bar still pulls a lot - accidentally unhooked after a big prang. Got yoinked downwind.
• You CAN land the Xbow by pulling the front lines, but it'll bobble off downwind a bit - watch out!
• Should've gone with the 16m.

Southerlies at Mie again

Good looking forecast so we loaded up the car and the wife and I went to Mie - southerlies and salt-water!

Slather myself in sunblock before we leave in the hope that the extra time soaking in will protect me :D load up the car - 2 Flyboards, 1 Silbpfeil and 2 Crossbows. Onward!

Arrive about 1:30pm and the wind looks good! HUGE turn-out! I count 22 kites in the air, on the water and more setting up! The tide is right out and towards the university, a sand bar has created a second beach ... never seen that before. Mind you, I've never seen twenty kites at one spot before either :o

Measured the wind ... 6-ish, gusting regular to 9m/s - 12 to 18 knots. Hmm, tough call - I decide to go with the 16m Crossbow and damn my girly fingers! Lots of sizes out, from 15 to 9 ... TT's and directionals ...

Set up, struggle to find space on the beach. Hook up the GoPro for a change. In the air, into the water! No worries. Nicely powered, good choice ... so far. The big 'bow is slow though and I blow jumps non-stop. Chop seems bad but I get used to it after a couple of hours. There's a nice calm patch of water down one end of the beach - good for proper flat-water load'n'pop to jumps but watch out for the Surf Life Saving swimmer festival thingy.

Have some fun with transitions, 'wave riding' ho ho ho, jumping and water starts - finally getting the "board-is-behind-me-but-I-send-the-kite-and-pop-out-and-ride-away" nailed and the wife got one on video! I'm showing off for the camera - or trying to - so there's good entertainment value in the wipe-outs. After about 90 minutes, I slam a good one and the GoPro comes off the lines. Ride in and try to sort it out on the beach but my lines get tangled around boards that people have dumped all over the beach >:( decide to give the GoPro to the wife, have a drink then go back out.

Wind has steadily picked up during the day and I'm starting to feel over-powered. I'm also getting tired, so my pops are weak and I'm getting spanked cos I can't put the effort into controlling things. Then the wind picks up more and I'm getting lofted from just sheeting in ... I decide to call it a day. I'm one of the last on the water anyway ;) pity, cos I was finally getting in the groove dealing with the chop - either that or the wind was blowing it flat.

Come in, pack up and a local goes out on a 2011 Crossbow 13 ... I get my anemometer from the car - constant 10m/s gusting to 15! No wonder I was over-powered! Glad I made the effort to go, even though I felt a bit wrecked and burned from the day or so before.

Moment of the Day was losing my hat then finding it a half hour later ... only to lose it again!

Wind speed was recorded as 7.0 to 9.9 m/s, with a peak gust of 13.4m/s at 5pm, just after I packed it in. I was recording up to 15.4 at that time ...

What I learned today ...
• Rubbing sunblock into your hair WILL protect your scalp - I lost my hat but didn't get burned. Best to lay down a nice thick base before you head out too ...
• 'Drying' out the GoPro in the car's air con is the recipe for fog-free recording - at least on the line mount.
• No matter how steady, secure and free-moving the tripod, Cameraman O can still make it look like it was operated by a palsied drunk in an earthquake. Crikey.
• It's time to try rotations. Body made some attempts but brain aborted before the launch.
• 16m isn't as bad as I thought it was - maybe I was just out of shape. Hands hurt and have callouses though ...!
• Sharks - still awesome!
• Jumps go better if you're facing the direction you're going ... just be aware of the kite position, don't let it get too far behind you.

Tea-bag Transitions

First Saturday off work in a long time but there's no wind at the lake forecast, but there is some at the ocean in Mie. It's supposed to be much the same as the other day I went and that hardly blew my skirts up so I spend the morning humming and harring about it. Normally, there'd be NO humming at all but with the boo-boo on my toe, it's kinda hard to walk ... but in the end I just figure WTH it's gotta be better than sitting in front of the TV!

So I jump in the car about 1pm, suffer the traffic - seriously, who reads a newspaper while trying to drive? oh fat-ass in the shit-box in front of me does - and finally get to the beach around 2:30pm ... oh goody, continuing the theme of being surrounded by annoying half-wits - the local university students have decided to have beach parties  to celebrate a whole winter of not dumping rubbish on the beach so there's hordes of 20-somethings running around screaming like they're fresh out of day-care and the mommies are having a tea-break  :-/

Sigh.

Big turn-out though, there's a bunch of kiters and a couple of windsurfers ... Boofhead is there, Junkie Sensei is on the water and Granpa is in the carpark so we have a chat - Hironobu is in Tokyo for school tests (?) so he's on his own and reckons I need 'that white thing' today. I measure 5 to 6 m/s so I agree with him, but I'm a bit nervous about unrolling the precious session-saver on the trash strewn beach with crowds of retards around and then trying to ride in the light wind on a choppy ocean ... well at least the tide is out and I can see that damn pipe I chopped my shins and toe on, and the waves aren't so huge.

Have to head down the beach a lot further than usual to get some clear space to unpack and roll out the lines - not much open space with sand to weight the tip here ... but we get set up and launch eventually and onto the water.

Wind is ok, nicely powered so it's all smiles and cackles as I take a few tacks quietly to settle my nerves. Ocean is a lot flatter than it has been but it's still hard keeping up board speed through the chop ... day dreams of a Mako.

Relaxed now so I start trying to do some jumps but the board speed isn't there and can't get the timing so I give up and play silly buggers. Load'n'pops are monster big but the landings are harsher than proper jumps! Playing with slide transitions and toeside riding and even have a crack at aerial transitions. That leads to some falls and stalls of the kite but some canty line-pulling keeps the beautiful white tractor in the sky and off the water!

Also play with the trimming to try and see if sorting out the line lengths would improve things ... no, seems like it pulls harder with the stretch left in but I bet that's gonna kill the top end. But that's not what the Silberpfeil is for though, is it? Backstalls a lot more though when the wind drops right off. Better email John ...

Wind is up and down so I'm alternating going way upwind and then riding parallel to the beach - and ending up having to ride through the middle of the surfers. After I spray one of them I figure I better just change tack before I ride through them again and work my way upwind. Dodging windsurfer riding along at less than crawling pace is always entertaining too.

Water is so warm that my hands are starting to look like I've been sitting in the bath for too long. My legs are starting to get tired so now I'm pretty much just riding around ... the only other kiter out there is Auntie's Husband on his new 14m RPM and he too is mowing the lawn. Poor old Auntie can't ride on her 12 and still has no luck when she swaps it for the RPM. Huh! He must have some mad lightwind skills or weigh even less than her :o

Finally decide to pack it in around 6pm cos I'm tired and the wind is really on the bottom end of no fun. Reverse land the Silberpfeil ... as I'm securing it, a local kiter comes over to help land but I wave him off - you never know what they'll do with foils ... just as well I did too cos he says "I've never seen that kind of kite before, who makes it?" o_0

Good day, better than working! Ice blocks on the way home!

Wind speed was supposed to be 6.1 to 5.6 m/s for the time I was at the beach with a peak of 8.6 m/s at a quarter to 5. When I got my anemometer out at about 3pm I was reading just on 5 to just over 6 m/s ... compare that with the 6.1 that was posted at 3pm ... it's gotta be an average, eh!

Moment of the Day was discovering "tea-bag transitions" were fun but not as fun as the big boost up the face of the wave with a perfectly timed send for massive long hang time and float ...!

What I learned today ...
• Even almost no waves is still worse than the lake. Ma-aaaaaako!
• Aerial transitions on the SA - tough. You gotta muscle it around hard and fast and edge hard or it stalls.
• Get onto it and pull a rear line ASAP and you'll save even a tip through the bridle!
• Sure, foils are more work to keep flying than the LEIs but the pay-off - how you enjoying the walks, fellas?
• Tea-bag Transitions - send it back and lift your legs so you dip your bum just a bit in the water ... or float above surface ass-down like erm a tea-bag.