So winter training and teaching is over. Pretty happy with the tricks I learnt kiting at woodies, safety bay, point walter and lancelin. Shared an awesome house mainly with the Scotch eggs- Tommy and Jake, Scowsas Luke and Josh W, German Stephan and Finn, Italian Ably, Alex p, and Aus bogen Rowdy. Girlfriends, German house, Swedish house, crashers, lenten and many others, its been a pleasure.
Big thanks to Gwen Velge for a wicked trip into the desert along with Luke and Josh, sunrise photo shoots and flyby shoots on his paramotor at Woodies and point Walter. Pretty sure he grew extra limbs to use the control handles, throttle trigger, and camera at the same time. Oh and a go pro on one foot…
Coming into the event I was a bit disappointed by my progress in the last couple of comps but keen to see people again and get in some more competition experience. Especially up for it when I saw the forecast!
The first day, (Thursday this time) was proper windy and a slopestyle session was run where each competitor had 7mins on their own to throw their best megaloop, big air trick and freestyle move. I was up first and had my kit ready on the beach in time but wasn’t fully aware of when the heat was starting as the flags were still up on the sea wall and I kite without contact lenses! I went out for a warm up and once I realised my heat was on, did some nice kiteloops, barspins, darksides and things but didn’t go for a frontloopmegaloop as I was sussing out the spot and getting back into strong wind after a while without. Was a bit surprised to see a couple of the other guys after me being able to unhook- luke threw a mobe and front blind, ned a shifty3 and should have tried a few moves so as to count towards the score. That said Ned and Ali threw mahoosive late backrollmegaloops and Luke, Dan and Tommy were all riding well.
Second day was the freestyle day, started off in a heat against this years champ luke whiteside, still pretty solid 7m weather and did a few nice passes but Luke took it. The next heat was against Ned and Tommy, was pretty happy with this one as I got the usual mobes in and a 313, smobe, bjudge etc and saw Ned crashing a few loops. Near the end after being happy with the unhooking in strong wind I did a nice froll megaloop and landed in a bit of flat water to boot. Won that heat putting me in the top 4 and was then up against Luke again. Doh! Good heat with the mobes, flat spins and passes but then my 1 pump hose connection on the kite split 4 mins in. Waded in and ran around asking for one of the pro girls, Pip as her 7m was on the beach but the spectators were pretty gormless. Pete Jones saw my crash and kindly put his 9m in the sky for me so I got back out and tried to do a few more tricks. Was however pretty powered already on my 7 so didn’t manage much on the 9 with a different setup. Happy to hear at the end that it was a realy close heat regardless and it’s nice to know I might have done realy well. Last heat was against Ali b and unfortunately the same thing happened, about halfway through the 7m I borrowed deflated (hadn’t had my kites deflate once in the last month in Egypt before this event!) So a frustrating end to the season but 4th place in the freestyle for this event, 5th overall not toooo bad.
and http://www.britishkitesurfingassociation.co.uk/news/news-events.html for the full write up and pics
Thought I would start with a quick write up on how I did at the last 3 windy British Kitesurfing Association events; competing for the first time on the Pro Mens freestyle…
• First event at Redcar on the 6-8th may.
Sunday we had some wind but it was offshore and gusty so it was just a few heats of youths and juniors before they called it a day. This was my first experience of being on the competition scene and I realised you had to get good at sitting around and eating. I then decided I wanted to do the whole tour.
and http://www.britishkitesurfingassociation.co.uk/news/news-events.html for the full write up and pics
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• Second event at Wallney island, Barrow, Cumbria on 27-9th may.
I managed to get up to the event a day early, motivated by the promise of mega wind and had a really nice session with a couple of people (most competitors hadn’t yet made it over and others were sat in warm vans watching; lame…) realy good megaloop session to start with and after a while some big black clouds in the background were threatening so I jumped on Phil’s 6m and had fun until a line broke when i was pretty high up! luckily managed to kick the board off and crash alright (glad I’m not a kite land boarder!).
On the Friday the first heat was me vs Luke Whiteside, had a good start to the heat landing klhp, switch klhp, blind judge, sw blind judge but then started crashing a bit and luke pulled out some nice powered stuff and put me in my place Second was against Ned Taylor current champ, pretty bad heat, landed a few things but nothing memorable and nowhere near enough to win. Third heat was against Dan Sweeney. Had a blinder landing NIS, late-mobe, sw slim, blind judge, sw bj, s bend pass, switch s pass, back blind pass and sw back to blind.
Had a nice day Saturday and then expression session Sunday before the prize giving.
and http://www.britishkitesurfingassociation.co.uk/news/news-events.html for the full write up and pics
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• Third event in Conwy, North Wales on the 24-26th June
This came straight after a training trip to Turkey so I felt fit and ready for it! No wind the first day and then on Saturday there were a lot of heats to get through in the cross-off shore wind. The pro’s ended up going later in the day when the tide was higher and conditions were pretty tough. Gusty, up and down wind and choppy. A combination of things didn’t go fantastically there as I got stomach cramp in one heat, toe cramp in another and was on the wrong size kite in most heats. The other guys I don’t think had much fun either but with a good few years of comp experience were much better at making the most of it and adapting their tricks.
and http://www.britishkitesurfingassociation.co.uk/news/news-events.html for the full write up and pics
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• Fourth event in Hunstanton on the 15-17th July
Here we had some good wind, flat water and I was warmed up from a session the day before the comp which was much needed after a bit of a UK wind drought. Friday was predicted to be no wind so we all got into eating mode as per usual. Saturday was an epic day on the water for everyone with pretty much all the heats a great success! The tide was getting a bit high by the time the Pro’s were planned and then it was decided to do them on Sunday. Sunday morning came along and I was first up against Ali Barrett, was a bit choppy as the tide had only gone out a short way at that point but some solid wind. For some reason I was rushed at the start despite having two kite helpers and went out very powered up on a 12m. Started pretty well landing a 313, switch 313, blind judge, sw bj, nis and then broke my board on a big backloop kite loop pass (L3). This was near the end of the heat but I did feel like I could have squeezed in a trick or two more. I was then up against Dan Sweeney and Rich Flindall after they had lost against Luke and Ned. Had a pretty bad start and crashed a few tricks. Luckily though I had a good excuse to come away with as my kite ripped in half;) I quickly got out on my 7m (thanks to Ali for jumping up offering me my 12- should have taken that) and did a few tricks at the end of the heat but it was too late.
and http://www.britishkitesurfingassociation.co.uk/news/news-events.html for the full write up and pics
So overall so far I’m happy that I have given the Pro’s a shot and will see what happens in the last two events after some time on new gear out in Egypt!
Second was against Ned Taylor current champ, pretty bad heat, landed a few things but nothing memorable and nowhere near enough to win. Third heat was against Dan Sweeney. Had a blinder landing NIS, late-mobe, sw slim, blind judge, sw bj, s bend pass, switch s pass, back blind pass and sw back to blind.