October 2006
Click on the thumbnail pictures to see them full size ...
KiteSurfing
Now before we start, I want to let you know that I have very few pictures of me with a kite, and none of me actually riding the board.. The instructor, bless his heart, was busy keeping me from killing myself while showing me what to do.. I didn't really want to ask, "Gee, can you take some pictures of me while you're preventing me from killing myself?" I did get his sister to take a few on day #2 below..
Day #1: TRAINING The training I did with my 3.6M^2 kite at home
helped me a great deal.. Unfortunately, having learned "on my own" with only the help of a DVD, I learned as many bad habits of flying the kite as I did good ones. Mostly, I was feeding the kite too much input and being too aggressive with it. This caused me to crash a lot more often than it helped me stay aloft. The secret to flying, as it turns out, is to have a light touch on the kite.. The other trick is learning to fly the kite by feel -- and with one hand -- rather than by watching and using two. This took some practice, especially when the winds were really wacky and unpredictable. We flew the trainer kite, and then moved on to rigging and setting a real kite in practice for the next day. It didn't seem like 3 hours, but indeed it was. It felt a bit remedial, but the techniques I learned were invaluable.
Day #2: IN THE WATER The second day, we quickly rigged up a real 7M^2 kite and set out to get me into the water. The lessons of the first day pay off. Today we are going to learn as many as we can of the steps listed below, while also taking some time to learn basic safety and self-rescue techniques.
So, in brief, here's how to kite surf:
First, you need to get out on the beach.. get the kite inflated, and then cover the leading edge up with sand so it doesn't blow away in the wind.
Rig the kite (connect it to the control bar), and then set it in position.
With the aid of your buddy (although you can do this alone), you launch the kite and get it to the seaward edge of the wind window.
Let go with one hand, continue to fly the kite in a position which is gently pulling you toward the water.
With the free hand, grab your [strategically positioned] board with your seaward hand, and start hauling ass towards the water.
Once you get in the water, fall on the board with your seaward elbow/arm (while still flying the kite nicely), then use the pull of the kite to get you out to sea a safe distance...
"dragging" behind the kite.
Once you're out there.. Put the kite up at the park position above you.. flip over onto your back with head and toes out of the water..
(while still flying the kite nicely with one hand) .. bring around the board and put it on your feet..
Dive the kite through the power zone to tug you out of the water.. Turn the board into the pull and stand up.
Voila! You're kite surfing.
It sounds simple. It's not. This is, by far, the most technically complex thing I've ever done, and on this day, the shit hit the fan for me many times.. Waves come breaking over your head,
you choke on the water and crash the kite. . There are times the kite will re-inflate.. times. . not.. which then gave me the opportunity to self rescue. :) I also on one occasion crashed the kite into the sea so hard it deflated. :) Each of these little crashes takes 45 minutes to recover since you need to get you, your gear and the kite to shore.. De-tangle the whole damn mess, and then start the whole process over. The instructor
mostly kept his patience with me, but I can see it was hard for him.. . This is a complex set of variables to coordinate. A deliciously complex set of variables.
Day #3: Finally UP
I made it up out of the water and actually surfed the 3rd day.. I probably made it 50 feet before crashing. Then lather, rinse, repeat like 20 times. I never had what I would characterize as a good ride, but, I learned enough to:
Understand mentally how it works.
Understand enough of the bad things that can happen, giving me some good safety and self-rescue knowledge.
Feel comfortable enough to buy my own kites and start to practice on Lake Calhoun.
By the end of the 3rd day, I was exhausted.. A total of 11 hours of lessons.. I went back to Martin's store and bought two kites, both manufactured by Naish.. (2006 models on sale for 50% off is a good thing, right?) I bought a Shockwave 12, and a Shockwave 16, and then a 150cm board to go along with it. Minnesota, watch out -- next spring you can see me struggling with this in person. :)
This is the coolest thing ever. I wasn't sure it was going to happen, bad (or no) winds and all.. but mission accomplished. Now I've got 3 hours to get back to the airport to fly off the island. Talk about cutting it close. :)
Others
I want to be clear that none of these pictures below are me. . But here are a few pics of other stuff related.. First, some kites on the shore waiting to take flight..
Then, pics of other guys having a blast kiting..
.. This will be me soon. :)
.. TSunset
The Sunsets in Maui are amazing.
And so it goes that finally, it's time for the sunset of my 2006 adventure vacation; To return home having embraced a new sense of peace, an appreciation for the need to spend time alone, with a strong appetite for more adventures more often. Who's with me?
