LONG LIVE KITEBOARDING
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:09 pm
Hello all!
My name is vincent and I'm new to the sport (I started about 2 months ago).
I just wanted to stop by and say "thank you" to all the community.
Seriously, you guys rock. I've been spending a lot of time in alameda when I first started and now spend more time at 3rd ave (which I think is gonna become my favorite place to kite and start working on tricks).
Every time I get in the water, I meet somebody willing to help or give me tips.
When I first started in alameda, I remember guys coming to me after launching and telling me tips like :" you're holding your bar to close to your chest when launching" or Jane and rebecca telling me not to leave my kite tanning in the sun if it's not blowing, etc...
Yes, I did put my lines in the way and got bad looks from locals and learned not to do it ever again (I'd rather have people telling me what I'm doing wrong in my face than bitchin' on my back, which is why I love this community so far).
I know make sure to ask what I'm supposed to do every time I'm launching at a new spot. (thanks ramsey for spending a few minutes talking with me at the lower launch at 3rd yesterday, If one day I talk too much and ask too many questions, don't be afraid of telling me to shut up. :mrgreen: )
Another time, I launched everybody from the upper launch and ended up all by myself with nobody to launch me. A guy came back to the launch area, helped me to launch my kite and went back in the water. "I saw you were waiting to get launched, i just came back to help, see you out there!"
:shock: the dude just came back to help me, just like that.
I've been snowboarding for almost 20 years, and because I love this sport so much, I tried a lot of others to keep me busy when I wasn't on the slops.
I've skateboarded for several year, even tried windsurfing (that, I didn't like at all).
Finally find something close to hang on to with wakeboarding, but I was facing the same issue as snowboarding: it's hard to ride all the time. You need a boat, etc...
Then I moved to SF last year, and as I was walking on the golden bridge, sightseeing, I saw those guys, riding right under us.
Don't get me wrong, I knew about this sport before, but I've never seen it with my own eyes. To me it was just a marginal sport that a few people were practicing.
Ever since last summer, I started to think about it more and more. Got a trainer kite and played with it every time I was going to OB.
It wasn't easy to make the jump into the real practice of kiteboarding, I didn't know anybody riding and I must admit: I'm scared shitless of sharks, thank you spielberg and "jaw" for ruining my childhood :mrgreen:
Anyway, at the end of march this year, I invested into a board, 2 kites and every little thing needed and took a few lessons, and VOILA!
IT'S BEEN A BLAST EACH TIME I GET IN THE WATER SINCE.
This sport is clearly going to become my favorite sport. Not only for the sport itself, but for the community of people I've been running into since I started a few months back.
I've been riding at alameda, 3rd ave and half moon bay, and I'm looking forward to try sherman and waddell ASAP.
Anyway, I'm gonna stop talking.
As I said, this post was mostly to thank every kiter I've run into for the past few months.
Rebecca and jane from boardsports, bruce and nico from F-one, ramsey from 3rd ave (that I'm sure I'm gonna be bugging with Adam a lot with freestyle questions :mrgreen: ) and every other locals or non-locals who have been helpful to me so far.
Thanks again and see you out there!
Vincent.
PS: If you are looking for me, I'm riding 2 Black F-one Revolt 13m and 9m. But chances are, I'll be the one speaking first. :mrgreen:
My name is vincent and I'm new to the sport (I started about 2 months ago).
I just wanted to stop by and say "thank you" to all the community.
Seriously, you guys rock. I've been spending a lot of time in alameda when I first started and now spend more time at 3rd ave (which I think is gonna become my favorite place to kite and start working on tricks).
Every time I get in the water, I meet somebody willing to help or give me tips.
When I first started in alameda, I remember guys coming to me after launching and telling me tips like :" you're holding your bar to close to your chest when launching" or Jane and rebecca telling me not to leave my kite tanning in the sun if it's not blowing, etc...
Yes, I did put my lines in the way and got bad looks from locals and learned not to do it ever again (I'd rather have people telling me what I'm doing wrong in my face than bitchin' on my back, which is why I love this community so far).
I know make sure to ask what I'm supposed to do every time I'm launching at a new spot. (thanks ramsey for spending a few minutes talking with me at the lower launch at 3rd yesterday, If one day I talk too much and ask too many questions, don't be afraid of telling me to shut up. :mrgreen: )
Another time, I launched everybody from the upper launch and ended up all by myself with nobody to launch me. A guy came back to the launch area, helped me to launch my kite and went back in the water. "I saw you were waiting to get launched, i just came back to help, see you out there!"
:shock: the dude just came back to help me, just like that.
I've been snowboarding for almost 20 years, and because I love this sport so much, I tried a lot of others to keep me busy when I wasn't on the slops.
I've skateboarded for several year, even tried windsurfing (that, I didn't like at all).
Finally find something close to hang on to with wakeboarding, but I was facing the same issue as snowboarding: it's hard to ride all the time. You need a boat, etc...
Then I moved to SF last year, and as I was walking on the golden bridge, sightseeing, I saw those guys, riding right under us.
Don't get me wrong, I knew about this sport before, but I've never seen it with my own eyes. To me it was just a marginal sport that a few people were practicing.
Ever since last summer, I started to think about it more and more. Got a trainer kite and played with it every time I was going to OB.
It wasn't easy to make the jump into the real practice of kiteboarding, I didn't know anybody riding and I must admit: I'm scared shitless of sharks, thank you spielberg and "jaw" for ruining my childhood :mrgreen:
Anyway, at the end of march this year, I invested into a board, 2 kites and every little thing needed and took a few lessons, and VOILA!
IT'S BEEN A BLAST EACH TIME I GET IN THE WATER SINCE.
This sport is clearly going to become my favorite sport. Not only for the sport itself, but for the community of people I've been running into since I started a few months back.
I've been riding at alameda, 3rd ave and half moon bay, and I'm looking forward to try sherman and waddell ASAP.
Anyway, I'm gonna stop talking.
As I said, this post was mostly to thank every kiter I've run into for the past few months.
Rebecca and jane from boardsports, bruce and nico from F-one, ramsey from 3rd ave (that I'm sure I'm gonna be bugging with Adam a lot with freestyle questions :mrgreen: ) and every other locals or non-locals who have been helpful to me so far.
Thanks again and see you out there!
Vincent.
PS: If you are looking for me, I'm riding 2 Black F-one Revolt 13m and 9m. But chances are, I'll be the one speaking first. :mrgreen: