Posts Tagged ‘kitesurfers’

If you are anywhere near Sauble Beach on Lake Huron or are looking for something interesting to do the second weekend of September  – then Sauble Beach is the place for you.

Sauble Beach is the setting for a kite festival – the Sauble Beach Kite Jam Festival which starts on Friday, 10th September and finishes on Sunday the 12th. This is a new festival that celebrates all and everything to do with kitesurfing and kiting.  It will be a weekend filled with live music, kite and kitesurfing demonstrations along with a family flying area for these new to the sport.

Lake Huron in Ontario has kilometres of the softest beach sand and most pristine waters in the state. It was voted  “Number one Beach in Ontario” by both the Toronto Star and Maclean’s Magazine. The beautiful sand dunes of Sauble are part of an ecosystem that has evolved over thousands of years.

There was a time following the Second World War when Sauble Beach was among the dancehall capitals of Ontario. Located on the beach, it was a romantic place, just right for Saturday night strolls or cutting a rug to the sounds of many a great band. This festival aims to bring back the strain of big bands to this fabled area.

The roots of the spectacular sport of kite surfing go all the way back  to the 13th century, when Chinese people used kites to harness the energy of the wind to power their canoes across the ocean.

Centuries later, in the 1800’s George Pocock (a British teacher and inventor) took this technique to the next level, by designing bigger kites and using them to propel carts over land.

In the 1980’s, the first kites to be flown over water were designed and thus began the rapid growth in popularity of this exhilarating extreme  sport. Every October,  off the coast of Maui in Hawaii, the world’s most famous Kitesurfing competition, known as ”King of the Air” takes place. During this prestigious event, the most experienced competitors from around the world  represent their country in a sport that is destined to become the most spectacular of this new millennium.

Sauble Beach celebrates the evolvement of this sport and is keen that kite clubs come to the festival to fly demonstrations. For more information please go directly to their website.

As you may well know by now, especially if you’ve been reading us for a while, kitesurfing is considered one of the most extreme of the extreme sports, and being such an exhilarating sport it is constantly evolving as kitesurfers keep searching for the ultimate thrill, the addictive adrenaline rush, the pure freedom of the sport.

Kitesurfing has developed many forms from big air to low freestyle technical tricks. From wakestyle to waves. And now there is a new kid on the block – Kite Racing. This may well be the style that becomes the biggest and most influential in terms of kite and board development (ExtremeElementsTV).

It’s been around for a while, but is now gaining rapidly in popularity. In 2005 a sailing club and a kite surfing organization got together and experimented with sending kite surfers around a course. The experiment was a great success and top riders around the world, in search of new direction from freestyle kitesurfing, started experimenting with course racing and discovered that  Kite Racing is not dissimilar to yacht racing and greater speeds can be achieved in light and medium winds.

By 2007 the level of involvement and enthusiasm resulted in a national competition being organized in the USA.

By this time manufacturers were pricking up their ears. Equipment was just as important as technique and several factors had been noted such as boards with a hydrofoil underneath were very quick upwind, but proved slow in other directions. Directional board designs proved to be much more competitive than other types. Boards with too many fins were slower, etc.

The race was on… in more ways than one!

The interesting thing about Kite Racing is that equipment has to be designed to allow you to travel at speed in winds of 6 mph. 6 mph is not much of a breeze, but with the new equipment racers can speed around with ease.

The United States have taken to this sport like ducks to water. Every weekend there is a competition somewhere, everyone eager to challenge the other. IKA and ISAF are involved and it is suspected that this could shortly become the newest Olympic Sport.

Besides all this, kite racing makes for a spectacular spectator sport. Run close to shore and over relatively short courses the scene boggles the eye – the colourful kites jostling for position, the wake stream behind the boards as they slice through the water, the speed and dexterity that the riders use to manoeuvre around the buoys.

Is this the sport for you?

The advantage of kite racing, and this will be of particular importance to all avid kitesurfers, is that you are able to kitesurf in less than favourable winds. How many times have you raced off to the beach dreaming of a halcyon day slicing through the water only to find the wind is insufficient … well, with Kite Racing equipment, even the lightest breeze is enough.

What to do when there’s no wind….

Well, there’s always someone somewhere who will make a plan, and this time we have to thank tomasleeman for the entertaining video.

However, a cautionary tale here. My husband did something very similar in his mad and misspent youth, although in his case they were doing it off the back of a pick-up truck on a farm runway in the middle of the bush. He got up nice and high – 100 ft probably – when the driver of the truck, under the influence of a few too many beers, put his foot on the accelerator thinking this would send him higher. Of course all it did was snap the rope. All 100′ or so of it hit him in the face like a coiled spring and knocked him out. Luckily he came to just before he hit the ground, and having done some parachuting, went into the classic roll on impact.

But it didn’t stop him looking like the Elephant Man for several weeks!

Having just explored Cornwall’s rock climbing regions I thought I might just duck across into another of our favourite topics – kitesurfing – and see what Cornwall has to offer here…

Needless to say – it looks fantastic. Cornwall has the largest area of coastline in England, nine river estuaries and about 300 beaches… not bad, not bad. Whether you’re a first time flyer or a sponsored pro, there is something to challenge everyone.

As with most beaches in the UK, high tide in Cornwall can be a problem and it is not advisable to kite at least 2 hours either side of it at any of the beaches. And, as with many beaches all around the world now, some  have restrictions so you do need to check this out about before launching. It is this sort of thoughtless error which is resulting in more and more restrictions being put into place…

Watergate Bay,near Newquay.

An indication of the quality of this 2 and a half mile long beach for kitesurfing is that in 2002 it was chosen as the perfect site for the first European Kitesurfing Championships.  It is now used annually for the BKSA tour and it is probably the most famous kitesurfing beach in the UK. There is plenty of room for everyone to fly and, with a variety of winds, something for everyone. The beauty of this beach is its safeness (apart from high tide). There is a prevailing SW, but if it veers W, NW or even N it is still safe to stay out. Big Atlantic swells do come in quite often, so you need to be ready to turn quickly if trying to get out the back. However, it is still safe to stay on the inside and play on the large flat sheets of water where it remains shallow – although you stand the risk of being beached.

The main dangers are a small strip of rocks, just to the right of the beach when looking out to sea, and the high cliffs that effect the wind if you get too close.  There are no restrictions on this beach, but you are expected to walk up the beach to the more quiet areas before setting up.

Marazion, south coast and near the island St. Michael’s Mount

The sand on Marazion is coarse so it would probably be a good idea to wear protective booties. There is a small concrete wall separating the road from the beach and although this is useful – it can be a hazard for a kite surfer! Swells are smaller on the south side, but the S, SW or SE winds can still generate messy breaks for you to contend with. There is an outlet pipe further up the beach towards Penzance and also Longrock beach. Some kitesurfers will head over there for flatter conditions but there is the odd small rock and thick kelp so it is adviseable to seek local knowledge.

The main hazard here is getting the tide right because when the waves hit the steeper bank they create a lovely shore break that totally destroys kites! Restrictions are coming into place to stop people kiting above Red River near the town end of Marazion and to prevent any kiting activity near to the road and sea wall.

Sennen and Gwenver

Sennen Cove – also great for climbing, is NW facing. It is just 2 miles round the corner from Lands End and is suitable for all levels of kiteboarding. It has excellent access from the car park. Even at high tide there is usually a sand bank in the top corner where you can rig, launch and land in safety. The waves here are frequently monsters, making Sennen a favourite beach in anything from SW to N winds. Beginners should not attempt this beach at high tide, or in heavy surf. Also be careful of the rip currents outside the lifeguarded zones. These can be ferocious. If you are not confident in rip currents, don’t go out.

But when the lemmings have gone at the end of the day, then Sennen comes into its own – surfers and kiteboarders do battle in style.

Hayle Towans on the north coast in the bay of St. Ives

Hayle, otherwise known as The Bluff, is regarded by some to be the best place to kitesurf in Cornwall, but you can only go there when the wind is N, NW or NE. It is a river estuary providing flat shallow water as well as some swell where the water deepens. It is a great place for working on new tricks. However, as with all river mouths, there are strong currents so keep in the shallows where you can stand up to launch your kite and retrieve your board. Boards are often lost here, so a retractable leash is advisable.

No kitesurfing is allowed in the river when the water is above knee depth or boats are present. Fishermen are making complaints about kitesurfers and this is jeopardising the future of kitesurfing at Hayle. Enjoy it while it lasts…

Gwithian Bay in St. Ives

This is the longest continuous piece of sand in Cornwall but it is named differently depending upon where you park. It is NW facing and is an excellent wave riding spot with N, NW, W, and SW winds. There is easy access from the cliff top carpark and there is generally plenty of space. The beach sand is hard which makes it perfect for buggies and mountain boarding too. There are a couple of big rocks that you need to pinpoint before the water covers them and the water tends to come right up to the cliffs on big tides so watch out.

This beach can get busy with holidaymakers and surfers. There are no restrictions on this beach as yet so make sure you stay in the clear area and then with a bit of luck there will never be restrictions…

That should keep you busy for a bit… there are a lot more beaches down there – 300 didn’t I say? but we have picked out a few on both the north and south coast. Once you start exploring Cornwall you will no doubt be bewitched by a beach I have neglected to mention…

Just one more thing.

It is adviseable to have valid insurance of at least £5m.The BKSA (British Kite Surfing Association) offers worldwide cover which covers all kite activities, even snow-kiting. It costs £30 and can be bought online from the BKSA.

If you can’t get out there to kitesurf today, perhaps you’d like to indulge yourself with your feet up, drink in hand, and enjoy this 9 minute kitesurfing video from referee1the2great.

… and dream of your next trip on the water….

For the third year in a row, the Vanuatu International Kitesurfing Classic will take place on Efate Island.

And you can still register if you would like to take part…

This year the VIKC will be introducing 2 new catagories – along with the traditional freestyle and long distance categories, you will also be able to compete in Waveriding and Air Time.

Kite surfing competitions are all about lots of spectators and everyone having a good time all day long and into the night, so there will be the usual music concerts, barbecues, beach volleyball and rubgy sevens competitions, vendors selling food and souvenirs, and more.

The first 4 days of the competition will be at Pango Village where the waveriding will be organised. And if the wind is off, Pango provides some very good surf breaks. During this time there will also be two long distance races along the pristine coastline between Pango and Mele Bay’s Hideaway Island Resort. As in previous years, the show that most of Port Vila will come to watch is the freestyle and air time competition on the final two days, the weekend of the 19-20 September.

You may well be asking yourself  “where in the world is Vanuatu?” Well, it’s a beautiful archipelago of volcanic islands that will not only host the internationally acclaimed Vanuatu Kitingsurfing Classic, but it will also do its very best to see that you have a fantastic holiday too.

Vanuatu is in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,750 kilometres (1,090 miles) east of northern Australia, 500 kilometres (310 miles) north-east of  New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.

Now you have it pinpointed in your imagination, I can wax lyrical…

The Islanders believe that bungee jumping originated here… see a much earlier blog of ours at: The origins of bungee jumping

The prehistory of Vanuatu is obscure; archaeological evidence supports the commonly held theory that peoples speaking Austronesian languages first came to the islands some 4,000 years ago. The main languages there now are English, French and Bislama, a pidgin language which essentially combines a typically Melanesian grammar with a mostly English vocabulary. It is the only language that can be understood and spoken by the majority of Vanuatu’s population as a second language.

Bislama was a fairly inspired idea actually as in Vanuatu‘s 220,000 + population there are 113 indigenous languages still actively spoken – the density of languages, per capita, is the highest of any nation in the world with an average of only 2000 speakers per language!

It has been placed before Costa Rica as “the happiest nation in the world” though perhaps the Costa Ricans would dispute that… It does, however, have another huge advantage that would make it very appealing to many people: it’s a tax haven with no income tax, withholding tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, or exchange control!!! … mmmm, nice….

The climate is sub-tropical with approximately nine months of warm to hot rainy weather and the possibility of cyclones (between December through to April) and three to four months of cooler drier weather characterized by winds from the southeast.The water temperature ranges from 72 °F (22 °C) in winter to 82 °F (28 °C) in the summer. South-easterly trade winds occur from May to October.

Sounds ideal doesn’t it?

So what are you waiting for. Any riders interested in going who would like to get more information about the event (registration, accommodation options, logistics, etc) can contact the organisers on 2009VIKC@gmail.com or mobile +678 7775875

Here’s a little something from WESTOZRIPPERS1, Australia I’m afraid not Vanuatu, to get your imagination working on that wave riding…