Been kiting for what will be my 4th of season this summer, i've given up racing dingys on weekends and put my name in the hat for the Lighthouse to Leighton race...after watching the kite racing in QLD i'm close to heading down and trying my hand at course racing.

I looked at the Perth Kite Racing page but there isnt much info as to where and when they will have a race/open day..im sure most of questions would be answered there but in the mean time i know you lot have the answers.

I dont have any specific racing equipment but could you guys give me any tips and a ball park $ to get started? My current set up is just a 2013 9m Neo for surfing and a 2012 12m Blade Trigger. I have a 134 Noble and a beat up epoxy 5'6 sb i use for kiting (strapless). Where should I start? Get a race board? Bigger/better kite? Or should i head down and just have a go on a tt/sb and see if it suits me?

Cheers!

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Green Cherub said..
Been kiting for what will be my 4th of season this summer, i've given up racing dingys on weekends and put my name in the hat for the Lighthouse to Leighton race...after watching the kite racing in QLD i'm close to heading down and trying my hand at course racing.

I looked at the Perth Kite Racing page but there isnt much info as to where and when they will have a race/open day..im sure most of questions would be answered there but in the mean time i know you lot have the answers.

I dont have any specific racing equipment but could you guys give me any tips and a ball park $ to get started? My current set up is just a 2013 9m Neo for surfing and a 2012 12m Blade Trigger. I have a 134 Noble and a beat up epoxy 5'6 sb i use for kiting (strapless). Where should I start? Get a race board? Bigger/better kite? Or should i head down and just have a go on a tt/sb and see if it suits me?

Cheers!

I use my formula board as a light wind adrenalin rush : ) 12 knots and a 17m in ocean swll is a hoot. There are a heap of good race boards for cheap. I would recommend a tri fin, and a 69 wideboard for learning. Also if its cost slightly more to get a board with better fins.. pay it. My current board has meanlines and they have perfect flex for ocean work, not as critical how you place them back in the water at speed. I had an AA with cheap fins in it and they were very unforgiving after airing out.

You can use any kite. I have been using a drifter in heavier winds, but the board tries to overtake the kite on a reach and next minute your over the front.. the kite can't keep up with the forward speed the board is capable of..... so I'm going to change to a rebel or an edge type of kite.

I dont do out when its howling, I'd rather be on my surfboard, but I highly recomend it for those 12knt and under days : )

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Green Cherub said..
Been kiting for what will be my 4th of season this summer, i've given up racing dingys on weekends and put my name in the hat for the Lighthouse to Leighton race...after watching the kite racing in QLD i'm close to heading down and trying my hand at course racing.

I looked at the Perth Kite Racing page but there isnt much info as to where and when they will have a race/open day..im sure most of questions would be answered there but in the mean time i know you lot have the answers.

I dont have any specific racing equipment but could you guys give me any tips and a ball park $ to get started? My current set up is just a 2013 9m Neo for surfing and a 2012 12m Blade Trigger. I have a 134 Noble and a beat up epoxy 5'6 sb i use for kiting (strapless). Where should I start? Get a race board? Bigger/better kite? Or should i head down and just have a go on a tt/sb and see if it suits me?

Cheers!

Hey I race in Perth - not much happens winter so now thats over it will all kick off in the next monthor so. You cant really course race with a TT or a surfboard. Keep those for the Lighthouse leighton or Ledge to Lanclin races. Best to get a Formula race board (anything made after 2013 is the go) Any decent fins are good to get going on. Try a general size fin of 40-41cm fronts and 38-39cm rear fin. This will suit most wind conditions. Lots for sale on Seabreeze second hand section.

Perth guys usually train off Mellville beach, Attadale beach along a bit from the boat ramp, and also off Leighton beach. Join the Perth kite race and australia kite racing pages on face book as guys post in there when they going out to meet up with others for training etc..

As summer heats up and seabreezes kick in get down to Mellville mostly and there will bound to be race guys there, all are friendly and will set you in the right direction.

See you on the water.

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Green Cherub said..
Been kiting for what will be my 4th of season this summer, i've given up racing dingys on weekends and put my name in the hat for the Lighthouse to Leighton race...after watching the kite racing in QLD i'm close to heading down and trying my hand at course racing.

I looked at the Perth Kite Racing page but there isnt much info as to where and when they will have a race/open day..im sure most of questions would be answered there but in the mean time i know you lot have the answers.

I dont have any specific racing equipment but could you guys give me any tips and a ball park $ to get started? My current set up is just a 2013 9m Neo for surfing and a 2012 12m Blade Trigger. I have a 134 Noble and a beat up epoxy 5'6 sb i use for kiting (strapless). Where should I start? Get a race board? Bigger/better kite? Or should i head down and just have a go on a tt/sb and see if it suits me?

Cheers!

Hi Cherub,

The facebook page is mostly for news, but the PKR group (www.facebook.com/groups/perthkiteracing/) is where most of the chatter takes place.
We do have a a club website www.pkr.club but it doesn't really have a section for "how to get started" so that's really good feed-back that we'll add to our facebook page and website.

Any kites will do to get started, we even have a few crew on wave kites having a blast this past summer.
the cheapest way to try it on would be a decent race board, again best ask for advise in the group on a good board and there is a bucket load of older dud that are not very user friendly or competitive.

If its something you really looking to get into and you've already spend a decent time on kites, look into the foils.

Hi Guys,

Been thinking of using an old sailboard (Starboard Go 150Lt) as a bit of a tester to start playing with the idea of racing, is this a waste of time?

Also is there any guys in Sydney into the racing/training, I used to race dinghy's as well and do miss it at times would be good to try some fun races to see how it goes. (I was at Yarra bay the other day on the TT and there were a couple Lasers going around the cans, and for a moment tried to stick with them upwind but I can't point for crap with the TT unless its crazy windy) Was fun to blast past them on a reach though :)

Foils look awesome, but I don't think I am ready for cost, learning curve or crashes at this stage! Full respect to those that foil the speed looks crazy, but the crashes also look nasty!

Sunday is looking good!!!