3rd year kiting, 1st in a comfort zone

[whit74]

070107

Damn it was fun. That session was so sweet. I tacked back and forth probably 15 times. And a couple times I had some jumps. I was soaring off the tops of those waves. Felt like flying. And I didnít even create the lift by doubling back the kite on my board direction. I had that one sweet reach where I was laying way over steering with one hand and dragging my other hand in the water. Fantastic.

I'll play little videos in my mind of my hiking way back and harnessing the wind so effortlessly. Jamming around on the surface of the water and the air.

071707

Lordy, that was a volcanic session yesterday. I was on the water from 4:30 ñ 8pm. Three plus hours. It was insane. I tacked maybe 50 times. At first the reach was easiest, launching off the tops of the waves. Then I got into carving on the face of the slight swell. I got my kite so dialed for the perfect amount of power. I could lean way back and just hold on with one hand. And on the return play with the little waves as I cruised in their direction, playing off the power of the kite, crossing up the power of a kite stroke with really digging in the edge of the board.

Then there was that spirit moment when I put the kite up at 12 neutral and I layed on my back and let go of the bar and just let go and floated there in the water with the kite way overhead. Harmony and balance.

Iím gonna have to go tonight. Just tape up my fingers.

071907

Once again Iíve had the most amazing day kitesurfing. Its almost spiritual. It must be a square mile or two I cover. Thereís very different areas and vibes and features in each and each one calls for and supports a different style of kitesurfing.

By the second hour the wind was strong and steady. So then I was out without a problem for about two plus hours. It was during that session that I started jumping. The first one I did was more or less effortless. I thought Iíd get disoriented jumping. I thought about how much I enjoyed swing sets as a kid, it seemed more natural. So I set it up, trying to power up the kite, send it down wind a bit, and edge my board hard up, then I just coordinated sending the kite back to 11:30 and at just the right moment flick my board hard upwind and jump a bit to launch. Then there was that uncanny floating, somehow my hands knew to send the kite back into the 3 oíclock position. I was lofted 10 feet into the air, and hung there, and as I brought the kite back into forward power I floated gently back to the surface of the water. The whole process did send me downwind a good section, but it was no problem getting it back. When I landed and realized what I had happened, how rad and easy and free it was I started howling and screaming knowing no one could hear me.

After the first time I started hucking with more abandon, sensing how I could screw up the landing and still control the kite. Somehow I lost a bit of the touch timing after a while, where the takeoff board motion needs to be dialed.

The other really fun thing was getting way upwind. I was way above the hero launch spot, and it was super fun to jet in there skirting right along the beach with people watching.

And its gotten really fun to share the crazy fun with some of the other kiters out there. Rejoicing when some dude boosts huge air, and just waving howdy.

I love finding just the right amount of sheeting. There seems to be an action when I sheet in a bit, it helps me put the kite even higher in the window to go more upwind. And it enables me to go slower to really feel the board on the waves. Then thereís that dialed slot I get in where I have just the right power and leverage to lean WAY back as I pick up a good head of steam and come screaming back in towards the beach, holding the bar with just one hand the other skimming along in the water. And now I feel the power to loft. Thereís all that space out there, the gorgeous views of the sunset, the clouds, the bridge and boats and city around me. And with a couple football fields between me and the next thing on the water.

Suddenly it takes on a new sense spatially, similar to a mountain on a huge powder day. Itís a playground of gods, managing chunks of space and time bigger and more dense than normal mortals. Super heros. We are not just legs and arms, but this beautiful colorful appendage, like the martians in Stranger in a Strange Land. We become these insects, aphids, amphibious anthropods. Little seeds off a flower.


072607

A very educational evening of kitesurfing. I solidified my feel for lite wind kiting. I was jolting the kite out of backwards stalls. I also learned to really sit on my back foot, as Max suggested. I was able to slip my back foot out of the strap a bit to really sink the edge in. And finally I accepted that its better to go downwind than to lose all forward momentum and have the kite fall out of the sky. I did several ìrunsî where I went downwind several hundred yards on the beach and walked the kite back up. And I never got my kite wet. Phenomenal.

So I knew I was passing up going to class tonight and went kiting instead. I chose kiting because its only windy for a couple months and I want to take advantage.

080807

Finally feeling beat down after riding a crazy high for so many days.

Then I went kiting last night.

Hoooh boy. It was another humzinger. I was having such a blast carving way out west and driving my way north. Then Cutting along the north end of the beach. My body felt achey and brittle from the flu I was hosting. But the water was soft and forgiving. I hit a couple jumps that gave me a redefined feeling of controlled airtime. Iíve been having trouble keeping power as I pull the trigger and send the kite overhead. Often I mush out before or as I try to launch. But a couple times I was buffeted up and up when I launched.

Then there was that time towards the end when I was working on carving in opposite stance. It was certainly tricky, and I chundered several times massively.

There was a great sense of play as I flitted my way back down south to the home tack. And there was Max and Adam. I was able to carve nicely through the swells almost directly perpendicular to them, though I often felt I had too much power and it was too gusty to really play off the lips.

I got right in front of our launch zone and Max and I went back and forth for a while there. I followed him a bit, then the other way. I tried showing off with a big ol jump. All the while I was ditching regularly, and laughing my ass off. Finally I crashed too big, and tried to control the kite as I fell and submerged. I came up and saw that my kite was in a full hindinberg dive having gotten too high in the window and lost tension on the lines. It came down almost on Max as I yelled, ìLook out! Look out!î

Another amazing session. I think Iíll go out to the beach now and dry off my kite.

081607

Finally made it out last night after 8 days of the flu. I got to the beach and heard about Adam and his accident at 3rd. Hoooooleeeee Shit. Well, you're a great athlete and have a fantastic attitude. I hope you get well soon so we can get back out there.

The wind was marginal but enough last night.