Author Topic: Any multi-talented frothers here?  (Read 15249 times)

Admin

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #45 on: April 19, 2015, 07:00:59 AM »
I'll probably give it a go this year in hood river--with good instructors. I'm staying clear of Admin and Chan, I hear they are dangerous and Chan has the record for being chin dragged across the sandbar.

Yeah, brand new kiters here.  Man, did we suck with those trainer kites.  We have 8 water days under our belts now (last month in Baja).  No Gorge kiting for us yet.  So far, so fun.

The "I'm a kiter", "I'm a windsurfer" thing is not really a Gorge thing.  Most do both...and have 10 other sports as well.  Lots of full garages here with the cars left out in the driveway.  No need to choose.

Any sport that requires 3 safety releases and a backup knife...Safe may not be its thing.

The gear is simple.  Says who?  Lots of parts, pieces and tweaking.  Smaller than Windsurfing in volume but equally or more complex. 

Learning curve - can't say yet.  Still in it.  We bought gear and brought it with us down to Baja.  Went for a month but the wind wanted us to have 8 days (lots of flatwater SUP and bike time :) ).  We did 3 days of instruction (one on one jet ski downwinder deal) which got us to the point where we could launch and land each other and go for as many reaches as we could and then walk back upwind from.  We went one at a time and launched and landed each other.  Our alternate name for kiting is long walks on the beach.  A little humbling but our calfs are sublime.  By the last days we felt some progress.  More riding, trying to stay upwind, less kite crashing, some cleaner reaches.  Then the wind quit on us and we had to leave it there. 

The lessons we took were awesome.  No way we would have touched full-sized gear without them.  The trainer kites on the sandbar were great and I am really glad we did that as well.  Understanding the wind window and feeling it are very different.  There are things that were counter-intuitive about kite flying.  Windsurfing is not a big help there and may hurt in some ways.  Sheeting in while falling.  Bad idea.  Sheeting in while falling .  Bad idea.  Sheeting in while falling .  Bad idea.

Foil has my attention.  Those guys were off on crazy upwind tacks in 8 knots.  That looks so peaceful and fun.  I want that.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2015, 09:00:03 AM by Admin »

TonyGring

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #46 on: April 19, 2015, 09:00:04 AM »
"Foil has my attention.  Those guys were off on crazy upwind tacks in 8 knots.  That looks so peaceful and fun.  I want that."


Master your kite flying skills -  then pick your ride.

My first day on a foil was yesterday. Most of my kite friends here in SB / Ventura area ( They all SUP too ) are on the foil now when no surf to kite in or wind is lighter.

My session was humbling to say the least. Foilboard is completely counter intuitive compared to a twin tip or directional kiteboard.

Well, ya gotta start at the bottom.  I'm a kook again.

And yes - upwind like crazy in really light wind. Smooth and silent. Feeling of flying I'm told.

Watch out -  Foils are sharp. Easy to forget they're 40'' hanging down. Easy to kick - Wear booties....

Admin

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #47 on: April 19, 2015, 09:28:04 AM »
Quote
Master your kite flying skills -  then pick your ride.

Too late :).  We bought twin tips to get started on.  Foil is a ways off still.  I love the look of it but...plenty to learn first.

Lots of old dudes out foiling.  Great to see. 
« Last Edit: April 19, 2015, 09:57:24 AM by Admin »

PonoBill

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #48 on: April 19, 2015, 02:06:53 PM »
I guess I need to pack my Naish lunchtray in with the Footie for the trip home. I think I have the world's biggest twintip. I doubt they make them like that anymore, so I want mine. I can probably paddle it when the wind is light.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

magentawave

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #49 on: April 20, 2015, 06:42:00 PM »
I've never been there but he kites at the point and stays away from the cove. It was an on-the-land kitemare so no other humans were involved. Apparently the kite dumped itself on the ground and stopped. He said that and the metal "skidplate" at his chest (on his harness) saved his ass from injury. He's been kiting for 15 years and I don't recall now if he said it was  a freaky wind thing and a moment of complacency that caused it.

Sounds familiar. I'm sure I've seen him.  Not sure if his kitemare involved another kiter or solo. C St. can get congested. Depending on strength of wind and swell size, there can be a lot of kiters and a lot of surfers at the same time. This ramps up friction between the two groups if kiters ( usually out of towners that don't know etiquette ) are riding too near or ( worse ) through the pack of surfers. There is a lot of room to kite at and above the rivermouth. Policy of longtime area kiters here is to stay out of the cove and surfer pack until it gets so windy the surfers leave the water.

I have found that the area a mile or two up the coast towards SB ( Emma Wood Group Camp) is better suited for my kiting as there is tons of room to kite and no surfers ever.

Be polite and Be safe and it's all good.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

Thor SFBay

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #50 on: April 20, 2015, 10:12:55 PM »
Sure are a lot of scaredy cats around here.  If everyone isn't spooked by sharks or big waves, they are afraid of kites.  Yes, kiteboarding can be dangerous.  But so is life in general and I bet most of you drive cars (kills 30,000 people a year in the USA). 

I've been kiting for several years now in the SF Bay Area and it beats surfing by miles.  Instead of floating around for hours trying to get on one crappy wave (hello Linda Mar in Pacifica) I can spend hours flying across the water or jumping into the sky any time it is windy (which happens a lot more often than good waves around here). 

Just be smart and take at least one lesson from a real instructor and not a friend.  That way you will understand basic kite safety before working on your skills.  Before that lesson, buy a trainer kite and get lots of practice just flying a small kite on land.  Ask lots of questions, especially when kiting somewhere new.  I think it's okay to buy used gear, just make sure it is 2010 or newer (by about 2008 they finally got the safety systems to work ok).   

Weasels wake

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Re: Any multi-talented frothers here?
« Reply #51 on: April 20, 2015, 10:17:36 PM »
Sure are a lot of scaredy cats around here.   
You haven't been around this forum very long.
It takes a quiver to do that.

 


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