Finally Kitesurfing

Chuffed to have had the chance to kitesurf on a strapless surfboard today! When I first got interested in Kiteboarding my first major milestone was to kite my local spot, Cook Street. It is a tricky site and I needed to be well beyond beginner in skill to take it on. Happily, I reached that goal last year. My next big goal was to get onto a strapless surfboard. Sure, big air or fancy technical jumps are cool but, to me, riding a surfboard, Kitesurfing, seems like the coolest thing in the wide world of Kiteboarding. Surfing, itself, has so much cachet. Adding a kite to surfing makes it even more incredible.

It was a light wind day at Nitinat Lake. Dave C. generously lent me his Ocean Rodeo Mako Duke for the day. I was a little nervous about taking a surfboard out so I asked Roberto from Strong Kiteboarding to keep an eye out and come fetch me with the jetski if I was hopelessly down at the end of the lake. It is very reassuring to know that the instructors at the two schools will rescue you if needed. That assurance allows newish kiters like me to try new things with the confidence that someone has your back. Most appreciated! Happily, I took to the surfboard quite readily. My first session, I launched by the schools and was up on the board on my first power stroke. After three tacks I had only lost a little ground and landed at the main kite launch area. My second session was better. On shore, I got some advice on how to point the surfboard and it really helped. I was easily up by the river mouth in just a few tacks even though I had to water start at each tack. It is a lot of fun on a surfboard.

I exceeded my own expectations, being able to stay upwind and ride quite comfortably. I might just have to get a Duke.