If you've ever told yourself, I'd love to get into kitesurfing but I'm simply not strong enough, check out this article on, Women Kitesurfing.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Monday, 4 October 2010
Sir Richard Branson Does it Again!
The Channel, over 24 miles, is also a demonstration of the veracity of yet another Branson venture: Virgin Active UK, part of the global health clubs Sir Richard founded over 10 years ago. With his friends, nephews and children, he has been training with special equipment designed to simulate the actions involved in kitesurfing and help tone the muscles needed to perform this feat. Since learning how to kitesurf Sir Richard has fallen in love with the sport and he has indicated it is his favorite sport. He has spent a lifetime preparing for this by excelling in sports throughout, especially swimming.
The journey is expected to take approximately six hours, depending on kitesurf conditions. Remember, Sir Richard is traveling from Dungeness to the French coast, through one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. While he will not be attempting this alone, all eyes will be on him as he makes this attempt as part of his birthday celebration. His wife is quoted as saying that his challenges seem to get crazier as he grows older. With a 24 mile journey challenging him, she may be right.
Sir Richard Branson started with a challenge in his younger days in school (dyslexia) and has proven that if you make the decision and take the risks, nothing can hold you back. Spending time focusing on what he is good at (people, business and sports), Sir Richard certainly has excelled in his life, overcoming nearly every challenge he went up against. Deciding to kitesurf the English Channel seems to be the next natural challenge. Beyond family, many will be sure to cheer him on as he proves again that you can achieve what you set your mind to.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Kitesurfing at the 2016 Olympics
Get behind out sport and support the push to get kitesurfing included at the 2016 olympics.
Kiteboarding Olympic Campaign Episode 2 from International Kiteboarding Assoc on Vimeo.
Kitesurfing LessonsTuesday, 28 September 2010
Kitesurfing for 2000 km solo!!
A 35 liter dry-pack, a kite, a board, and 2000 kilometers of Brazilian coast ahead. That was Louis Tappers life for 33 days when he set a new world record for the “longest kite surfing journey” solo.
Monday, 27 September 2010
Anyone around this weekend and fancy a fun weekend out?
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Friday, 24 September 2010
Kitesurfing Rules of the Road
Meeting head-on: When two kitesurfers meet head on, the kitesurfer on the starboard tack (looking over his right shoulder) has right of way.
Leaving the beach: A kiter leaving the beach has right of way over those coming in, this is due to the fact that he will be navigating over the white water. Overtaking: When overtaking in the same direction direction, the overtaking kitesurfer must stay clear of the slower kiter.
In general, power-boats must keep clear of sailboats, rowboats and canoes and kitesurfers! Kitesurfing Lessons
Leaving the beach: A kiter leaving the beach has right of way over those coming in, this is due to the fact that he will be navigating over the white water. Overtaking: When overtaking in the same direction direction, the overtaking kitesurfer must stay clear of the slower kiter.
In general, power-boats must keep clear of sailboats, rowboats and canoes and kitesurfers! Kitesurfing Lessons
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Remember guys, if you lose your kite report it!
A Nelson kitesurfer who lost his kite in gusty winds at Tahunanui Beach yesterday afternoon is embarrassed he prompted a pointless search operation. The Nelson Surf Life Saving Club and a Nelson City Council launch warden were sent to search for a supposed kitesurfer in the rough water near Rocks Rd, after the kite was spotted in the sea. Moral: If you lose gear on or near the water, report it so it doesn't trigger a search call-out.
The surf life-saving club is regularly called out to save kitesurfers in trouble and is urging enthusiasts to be better prepared.
The kitesurfer, who was too embarrassed to be identified, told the Nelson Mail the strength of the wind ripped the back of his harness which the kite's safety leash was attached to.
The kite took off and he chased it down the beach, but it ended up in the water.
He had been flying the kite on the beach, but did not intend to hit the water as it was too windy. On the way home he saw police and stopped to tell them what happened.
He had given up on the kite which he thought had gone.
"I should have called the cops straight away, but didn't have a phone."
Yesterday was a big day for enthusiasts of the sport, with southerly gusts reaching 45 knots and many heading to Back Beach to hit the water.
Nelson Surf Life Saving Club president Marcus Gardener said two volunteers were involved in the search, which lasted about 25 minutes. He said it was a "yucky" day and nobody would have wanted to be floating in the water.
The club did about 12 rescues of kitesurfers a year which meant it was their "major source of activity".
Mr Gardener said it was frustrating that kitesurfers were not better prepared with safety equipment.
Many just wore wetsuits, but should have some sort of buoyancy vest plus a fluro helmet and mini beacons.
"He lost his kite so you are looking for a head in the water."
He said the number of kitesurfers needing to be rescued was increasing because the sport was becoming more popular.
"Visitors who aren't local and aren't familiar with weather can get caught out.
"When things go wrong they go wrong quickly."
At Back Beach, kite-surfer Brian Pollock said that he saw the kite off Fifeshire Rock.
He said it was the strongest winds he had ever experienced during the three years he had been involved with the sport.
Windsurfer Mark Steel was also heading there and said the conditions were exciting.
"It's full on, there's a lot of carnage like wiping out and damaging equipment.
"I get adrenalin. If I see wind and I am at polytechnic I want to put everything down and come out here."
Untitled
Learn to speak like a kitesurfer!!
Blimp: A Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) type kite.Blowing Up: Crashing due to sheer unmanageable speed. usually happens when overpowered and you unexpectedly lose an edge.Certification: A symbol/seal/certificate used by an instructor to justify a $75 an hour lesson that your pal could have given you.Eating Sh!t: A particularly bad crash, especially after big air.Figure 9: A kite loop immediately followed by a powerdive into the drink. Properly executed, the kite traces a ‘9’ in the air.Hindenburg: When a LEI type kite rolls forward and falls out of the sky.Hucking: Using the kite to jump with emphasis on height.Junk: Male Genetalia. As in “This seat harness is crushing my junk. Owee!!!”.Lady Berries: BoobiesLit Up: Way overpowered.Lofting: Being picked up off of the ground when the kite is flying directly overhead. Especially if unwanted/unexpected.Oh Sh!t Loop: A ‘kiteleash’ this is simply a grab loop at the end of your kiteline. You grab the Oh Sh!t Loop and pop the safety release to activate (In THAT order )Punch Out (Maverick): To ‘eject’ from the kite to avoid carnage/disassembly.Pulling the Trigger: Pulling on one side of the bar, sending the kite up, to initiate a jump.Slapping a Tailfish: A LAZY Stalefish - No grab, just a smack on the back edge of the board between your back foot and the tail. Though it still looks good to the average bystander, calling a friend on it could be used to shame them into purchasing you a beer.Sponsorship: Why your gear costs so much.The Man: Ze Gandarme, Der Polezie, The Police (Not the band), The Fuzz, Johnny Lawdog, Barney Fife, Deputy Dawg, Smokey, Pigs, or any other type of Law Enforcement Official.The Men in the Grey Suits: Sharks. Tindy: A LAZY Indy - Much like a ‘Tailfish’ but on the front of the board. Good enough to get you sponsored… If you are a slightly chubby, blonde, 19 year old, girl -
However, your friends are not so lucky - This usually means more free beer from your pals. Wakestyle: Style of kiteboarding where the kite doesn’t move much to execute low, powered jumps. Requires great skill, but usually doesn’t impress bystanders as much as hucking lazy, big air. Life is not fair.Yard Sale: A crash after which you find your gear scattered over a wide area. It is a start.Kitesurfing Lessons
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Kitesurfing with a tablecloth and a wooden tray!
Kitesurfing just became affordable for everyone!!
http://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboarding/4139-kiteboarding-with-a-table-cloth-and-a-wood-plaque Great tips on correct launching technique
1) It's frustrating to try to launch for someone who just hooks in and then spends a bunch of time fiddling with their lines and spinning the bar while you are standing there holding the kite for them. So, before you ask someone to launch your kite, do them the favour of sorting out your lines first as best you can, from downwind if necessary.2) Make sure you have a good idea of where the edges of your window are BEFORE you even pick up the bar. Go to a little downwind of 90 degrees so that there's no power in the kite when you pull the lines tight. I've seen more launches than I can count go sketchy due to failure on this point.3) Walk upwind carefully with tension in the lines until the wind is just filling the kite, that is the easiest place to reconfirm that your lines/bridles are all right BEFORE you hook in.4) After you attach your safety leash: hook IN, sheet OUT, pull BACK with your harness to keep the front lines taught while you walk UPwind until you feel some power in the kite when you gently pull the bar. Helper should not move downwind from their position unless indicated by the kiter.5) Before launching, sheet out all the way to check that you have adequate depower, then in to make sure that you have enough tension in your back lines for turning and for power. Far better to check this before you launch rather than launching and then putting the kite to 12 oclock to check your power trim.Here is the procedure we teach our students:
______________________________________________Launching Procedure (S.P.L.A.T.): do all of your checks every time to avoid problems S - Situation Re-check beach, water, and wind/weather conditions.
Locate your wind window; identify left and right edges before picking up the bar
P - Position (yours and the kite’s position vs. the wind direction and the water’s edge)
Start by making sure the lines stay loose until you are just downwind of the kite
Straighten/check lines with no power in the kite (at left or right edge of window)
Attach safety leash, hook in & sheet out until back lines are slightly slack
Walk upwind keeping front lines taut until you feel the right amount of power
Make sure you are as close to the water’s edge as comfortable for you & helper
L - Lines and Safety Systems: Lines & bridles free of tangles; connected & adjusted properly
Sheet fully out (to check depower) and fully in (to check back line tension for turns)
Take the time to make sure there are no problems with either quick release system
A - Around Thorough 360 degree check of beach and ocean, just before you give the signal:T - Thumb up with bottom hand (but not if the panels are flapping or the front lines are slack.
Scottish Kitesurfers!
Awesome article for those of you kitesurfing in Scotland or looking for some inspiration to really push your kitesurfing...see how far this wee lass got in just 3 years!
Monday, 20 September 2010
Kiting in Oil Spills?
If so clean your board with baby oil and a soft cloth...now I know some of you were just dying to know that!!
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
2010 Kiteboarding Bar Guide
NIce little review of some of the bars we'll be attached to in 2010
via Kiteboarding Magazine by luke on 2/28/10
2010 Kiteboarding Bar Guide |
| Take control with Kiteboarding magazine’s 2010 Kiteboarding Bar Guide. We’ve assembled the best new kiteboarding bars from more than a dozen kiteboarding equipment manufacturers and detailed their standout features. |
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Airush Smart Kiteboarding Bar |
| The 2010 Airush Smart kiteboarding bar features the Brain quick release — an industry-standard push-away quick release with fast and easy reassembly. Full Airush Smart Kiteboarding Bar Review |
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Best Best Kiteboarding Bar |
| The 2010 Best Best kiteboarding bar provides a great balance of ease of use, advanced safety features and free-ride versatility. Full Best Best Kiteboarding Bar Review |
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Cabrinha Powerdrive IDS Kiteboarding Bar |
| The 2010 Cabrinha Powerdrive IDS kiteboarding bar is an easy-to-use control system that features trim, stopper and security features without the clutter. Full Cabrinha Powerdrive IDS Bar Review |
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Epic Xtend Kiteboarding Bar |
| With the 2010 Epic Xtend kiteboarding bar, select the 55 cm bar length for a faster-turning kiteboarding kite, or use the 45 cm for a wake-style feel. Full Epic Xtend Kiteboarding Bar Review |
| |
F-One Dual Kiteboarding Bar |
| The 2010 F-One Dual kiteboarding bar is standardized with four flying lines of identical length and an integrated safety line. Full F-One Dual Kiteboarding Bar Review |
Saturday, 27 February 2010
To Hook Or Not To Hook?
via Kiteboarding Magazine by luke on 2/25/10
OK, I’ll admit it; I’m old school. This means when I ride, the only time I unhook is after I’ve landed my kite and my session is over. This also means I don’t throw aerial handle passes or make laid-out, one-handed bottom turns when wave riding. But what if I’m missing out on some incredible aspect of the sport? All the pros are doing it. Is riding unhooked really that much more fun? To answer this, I had to find out for myself why unhooked tricks get all of the hype.
On a recent trip to Turks and Caicos, I was introduced to beach after buttery-smooth beach where the word gust wasn’t even in the local dictionary. Also on the trip was 19-year-old Naish team rider Sam Light, who spent his sessions nailing every unhooked trick in the book with style. Eventually he inspired me to learn a few new moves.
Light coached me with the basics of unhooking and popping into raleys, which I found to be relatively easy in such a perfect learning environment. Next, we added a spin and soon enough I was stomping S-bends, which gave my body a new sense of freedom and power. Ultimately, Light pushed me to try an S-bend to blind. It naturally forced me to pass the handle at the end of the trick, and I rode away cleanly for the first time.
I finally felt the stoke and accomplishment of learning to ride unhooked with a relative amount of comfort, and I credit a few things to my success: finding the right location and conditions were key, as well as getting over the fear of letting go of my kite and utilizing the instant depower a bow kite has to offer.
Now I understand how unhooking can completely change the way you ride, how it can add style to your sessions and how it opens up so many new possibilities. But let’s face it, once you’re old school, you’re always old school and, therefore, I still find a hooked-in boost 40 feet into the air hard to beat.
By: Aaron Sales Photo: Bill Doster
Friday, 26 February 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
Windsurfers and kitesurfers will battle for the Dakhla Festival race in Moro...
What a rush...is Dakhla the next Tarifa??
via kitesurf - Google News on 2/20/10
 SurferToday | Windsurfers and kitesurfers will battle for the Dakhla Festival race in Morocco SurferToday Windsurf and kitesurf stars will be in Dakhla to take part in this amazing contest : the Dakhla long distance race, with its famous 40 kilometers course ... |
Monday, 15 February 2010
Kitesurfing Lessons - your questions answered
So you've made the big decision, your going to take kitesurfing lessons. The first question you face now is where to go and who to learn with. For some of you (those lucky enough to live in one of the many Kitesurfing Paradises around the globe) the answer will be fairly easy, simply pick a school you know and off you go. However for the rest of you it's a bit of a tricky question to answer, mainly due to the huge amount of choice and mind blowing array of spectacuar locations all promising guaranteed wind and perfect conditions.
There are some things you can do to narrow down the list and make your choice a bit easier. The most obvious factor that can limit your options is money. Kitesurfing spots are often in remote, far flung corners of the globe and getting to them is not always easy or cheap. Europe offers several alternatives of which Tarifa is probably the most famous, however Eygpt, Greece, Southern France and Portugal all offer good conditions without having to spend 6+ hours and hundreds of euros on a flight. The UK offers very good conditions if your prepared to chase the wind..but it can get a little cold!
Next thng to check is that your chosen location is windy at that time of year. Many winds work on a thermal system and will only work at given times of year, usually in the summer season. Several places are windy all year round such as the Carribean which catches the trade winds, Tarifa where the geography means its windy pretty much all the time and the UK which catches the winter low pressure systems...only for the brave!
You can check the local wind by checking the yearly wind stats for that area and checking that there is wind at the time of year you are going. Note this does not guarantee wind, those stats are compiled over many years and give an average representation only, but at least you can stack the odds in your favour!
With those things checked off you should at least have been able to reduce the options to a slightly more manageable list, making your decision and hopefully your kitesurfing lessons easier and more successful.
To find out more check out Sams website here: Kitesurfing Lessons.
There are some things you can do to narrow down the list and make your choice a bit easier. The most obvious factor that can limit your options is money. Kitesurfing spots are often in remote, far flung corners of the globe and getting to them is not always easy or cheap. Europe offers several alternatives of which Tarifa is probably the most famous, however Eygpt, Greece, Southern France and Portugal all offer good conditions without having to spend 6+ hours and hundreds of euros on a flight. The UK offers very good conditions if your prepared to chase the wind..but it can get a little cold!
Next thng to check is that your chosen location is windy at that time of year. Many winds work on a thermal system and will only work at given times of year, usually in the summer season. Several places are windy all year round such as the Carribean which catches the trade winds, Tarifa where the geography means its windy pretty much all the time and the UK which catches the winter low pressure systems...only for the brave!
You can check the local wind by checking the yearly wind stats for that area and checking that there is wind at the time of year you are going. Note this does not guarantee wind, those stats are compiled over many years and give an average representation only, but at least you can stack the odds in your favour!
With those things checked off you should at least have been able to reduce the options to a slightly more manageable list, making your decision and hopefully your kitesurfing lessons easier and more successful.
To find out more check out Sams website here: Kitesurfing Lessons.
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