Kiteventure

Location : Mentone Kite : 10m Switchblade IDS Conditions : 20 knots easterly PredictWind wins again !   Sunday had absolutely no wind - but Predict wind told us that 18 knots would arrive at about 6pm so we headed down to Mentone to check it out, expecting an easterly.  By the time we got there it had kicked in.  Fantastic location, water and sand are great, wind was a little off and on - but being that it was an easterly this is to be expected. Tried the backroll to toeside but couldn't really land it - damn !  Plus my forward 360 was not really working today.  I did work a lot on jumps on my weaker side and think I've got it sussed now - must bend my legs more and stick my bum out with two hands on the bar as per my stronger side.   We did a downwinder across the big bay to Beaumaris - lots of practice on riding toeside so my weaker side got a workout - was great.  On arrival at Beaumaris there were heaps of kiters and reef - different scenar...

Location : St Kilda Kite : 10m Switchblade IDS Conditions : 20 knots southerly Perfect conditions - hasn't happened terribly often this summer.  Fantastic to be out on the water on days like this.  Progression at last. Backroll to toeside - Landed !  After many stacks.   Riding blind - ok for short periods of time.  Very wierd feeling. Backwards 360 on weaker side - landed sweetly.  Just have to get the 720 nailed. Stoked to have achieved so much today.  Time to lookup some new tricks !

Location : Beaumauris Kite : 10m Switchblade IDS Conditions : 25 knots south westerly dropping to 17 knots As this was the only day that was going to be any good this long weekend, we headed down on a predictwind prediction that the wind was going to change and come in hard.  It did - but predict wind didn't tell us that it was going to be accompanied by a storm front.  Heaps of rain and up to 35 knot gusts greeted our arrival.  Had a good session though - some good waves to be had off the point, but it is a perilous place for kitesurfing - rocks everywhere and not a very wide beach.  No real progression today - but really nailing transitions now which is nice.

Location : Phillip Island, Cleeland Bight Kite : 10m Switchblade IDS, 12m Noise, 10m Switchblade IDS Conditions : 15 knots easterly, 20 knots easterly Got out for 2 sessions. 1st session in the afternoon was pretty lame - just enough wind every now and again to do a couple of runs, then wait around.  Had a go on Peters Noise kite - it had enough power to have some fun, but not quite enough to have a ball.  Turns quite well for a big kite, but handles very differently to the little kites I have been flying.  Pete is often having trouble stacking it in the water and relaunching - so don't think I'll be in a big hurry to buy one. Amazing session later on - after dinner we rushed down to the beach, hit the beach at 7:30 with a strong wind blowing.  Fantastic fun - total action - and at last enough wind to have some fun.  I was a little anxious being on such an open stretch of water at feeding time, but great fun for the hour we were out.  We returned h...

Location : Port Melbourne Kite : 10m Switchblade IDS Conditions : 13 knots southerly Forecast looked up and down - and true to form - it was rubbish.  Got a couple of small runs in but nothing much to report.