So how long between sessions before you cross the threshold between "kitesurfer" and "someone who used to kitesurf" ?

This winter is going to ****ing suck....

Good question and one I often ask myself.

Left Perth June 19 2006, had my last kite there around end of May 06.
Kited 1.5 times in Kenya, Sept 07.
Have not kited since.
Return to Perth Sept 08. Frothing.

I feel borderline myself. If Perth wasn't on the horizon I'd say I Used to kite.

Bet your winter looks better now.

Ben you can always get a lift with me whenever I go on the weekends. Its a mission, but its better than sitting in London listening to the wind.

Hey Kalavas,

Welcome to your first winter in Perth. It's not as gloomy as you may think. You just need to get through to June, then we start getting rippin' Nor Westers and some filthy big heaving swells

You should still be able to kite at least once a week at the moment, and twice a week in winter, but you have to master some interesting conditions over winter. Time to get your game face on! You will likely need to ride at different locations to take advantage of the best wind directions and waves. Winter is the time to boost huge and ride big RH waves.

You'll be right, just keep an eye on the weather upwind and watch for fast approaching dark rain clouds. When you see one, you have two options. 1. head for the beach and land your kite quickly well before it hits, or 2. head as far away out to sea as you can so when it gusts up to 40 knots, you can tea bag along safely without having to worry about the land.

I love winter kiting, it's so much more exciting than summer, just bloody freezing!

Good winds,

Thanks Lost I much appreciate the offer but I'm in Manchester.

I could potentially head over to North Wales and get in to it over there, but to be honest the driving, the cold and the gear I would have to buy to keep warm has just put me off it. Too long being too spoilt in Perth I think. I got a Mountain Bike instead.

I can see a few HTFUps coming in here but the way I look at it, I paid my cold water dues doing water sports in Tassie for years and years, now I just want warmth.

Hey Ben,

You called it! HTFU Princess!

See ya back in Perth next summer.

Good winds,

Appreciate the insight Darren, but this is my first winter as an "independent" kitesurfer, and I'd like to survive it

Plus, I think I'd need to buy a 14m kite if I wanted to get much kiting in in this weather, three kites in my first real season might be pushing it...

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Ben De Jonge said...

Thanks Lost I much appreciate the offer but I'm in Manchester.

I could potentially head over to North Wales and get in to it over there, but to be honest the driving, the cold and the gear I would have to buy to keep warm has just put me off it. Too long being too spoilt in Perth I think. I got a Mountain Bike instead.

I can see a few HTFUps coming in here but the way I look at it, I paid my cold water dues doing water sports in Tassie for years and years, now I just want warmth.

I'm hoping to get a couple of sessions at Watergate Bay in Cornwall this month. Looks absolutely awesome and get to give some waves a bit of a go.

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Kalavas said...

So how long between sessions before you cross the threshold between "kitesurfer" and "someone who used to kitesurf" ?

This winter is going to ****ing suck....

HTFU and get out there in the storm fronts.
Kiting as an all year round sport in WA :)

i hear ya ben, if that was me i wouldn't even think about going kiting, just rug up and go for a skate.

Kitehard - Thanks for that Darren, I needn't that, I'm off to wales for the weekend! Jokes. Yeah, be good to catch up with Bea, J, Buddha, all that crew. I may even come up and see you guys for a lesson so I can play catch up on all th skills I woulda learnt overthe last 2 seasons.

LostInLondon - Cornwall sounds mint, like the best place to live in the Uk by far, but it's be tough to get career style work there for me. Have a good trip. Thats like a 6 or 8 hour drive for us... depending on the traffic...

Rowdy - Onya mate. It's touch enough just walking to the car in the mornings sometimes. Godforsaken climate it is. But I tell yas what - I will never pay out on poms for being miserable wingers - they have every right to be!