Entries are LIVE for the 2010 Resolution Downwind Dash! There are limited spots available, so be sure to secure your entry into the world’s biggest kite and windsurf race. Next year, we look forward to welcoming famous participants like Aaron Hadlow, windsurfing slalom world champ Ross Williams as well as local favourites Greg Thijsse and the French contingent who have just completed the Speed Kiting event in Luderitz.
4th Round of Coreban Core Series- Wave Expression Session – Milnerton - Thursday 26th November 2009.
Talk about Extreme Stand Up Paddle Surfing- with 25-30 knot off-shore winds, Contest Director, Barend Buys made the call to send some of the Capes Top Watermen to battle it out in conditions that were definitely not for the faint hearted.
As the heat started it was Jonno Rosslind who picked up the first wave and set the standard as he rode with style and elegance despite the gale winds, perfectly executing board 360’s and classic Hang Fives on the nose.
Big wave surfer Greg Bertish was up next picking off some of the best set waves followed by top kitesurfer Peter Peterson close on his heels while Tyrone Rawlins tucked in with style. Stand outs for the day were Bradley Orkin slashing on his 8ft5, Eric Groenewoud dropping in late while Dom Gaud, Kana M, Glenn and Anthony displayed superb skills in riding gale conditions.
The day ended with all riders doing a downwind race to the lighthouse before prize giving and finishing with well deserved prizes, KAUAI Food vouchers, Battery Energy Drinks and ready to do it all over again next Thursday in preparation for the Summer SUP Series in December.
For those of you planning to visit South Africa this summer, or if you live here and the sound of a kite surfari tweaks your fancy…. check out what Ben Wilson has up his sleeve for January 2010.
“Explore the culture, wildlife, sights and surf of South Africa on a roadtrip from Cape Town to Durban and beyond! We’ll start out exploring the vibrant city of Cape Town and it’s amazing beaches, waves and wind; before heading up the East Coast of South Africa surfing world famous spots like Jeffreys Bay and many hidden gems which offer amazing waves & wind!”
2009 Lüderitz Speed Challenge Sets Records - New World Kite Speed Record and New American, Brazilian and Slovenian Outright Speed Sailing Records.
After a week of near calm, broken only by bizarrely unseasonal rainstorms and drizzle, the Lüderitz speed strip was re-opened on Friday, November 13 for three consecutive days of racing.
The first day back, the wind was blowing between 25 to 30 knots, and many riders were recording speeds in the low forties, the fastest time of the day going to Sebastian Cattelan (Solid) who recorded a time of 46.29 knots, with the second and third fastest times going to Christophe Prin-Guenon (F One) 45.19 knots and Rob Douglas (Cabrinha) 45.04 knots.
The following day, November 14, saw Frenchman Alex Caizergues (F One) blow the competition wide open, breaking the world kiteboarding speed record with an incredible time of 50.98 knots, improving on the previous world record of 50.57.
Rob Douglas set a new American outright speed sailing record with an equally impressive time of 50.95 knots, just one hundredth of a second slower than Caizergues.
Other competitors also recorded noteworthy times including Sebastien Cattelan (Solid) who completed a run of 49.51knots before falling foul of equipment problems on his radical new prototype kite that has seen him hit a peak of 61 knots in the huge wind that blew in pre-event training. Christophe Prin-Guenon (F One) got 48.44 knots, and Jerome Bila (Genetrix) came in with 47.73 knots.
Charlotte Consorti (F One) again led the ladies with a speed of 44.27 knots - fast, but still a full knot short of Sjoukje Bredenkamp’s (Naish) outright record of 45.20 set last year.
This day would also see Jernej Privsek (Jagermeister) break the Slovenian outright speed sailing record with a time of 43.49knots. A few days earlier, Felipe Johannpeter also established a speed sailing record for Brazil of 42.14 knots.
Sunday, November 15 began a couple hours later than the previous days as riders waited for the tide to drop and the wind to peak. It was a touch less windy than Saturday, and there was a little more chop.
The fastest time of the day went to Rob Douglas who ran a time of 48.45 knots, followed by Alex Caizergues (48.02 knots) and Sebastien Cattelan (47.39) There were also several other riders who were hovering around the 47 to 48 knot mark.
With two weeks still left in the competition, everything is still up for grabs, including the highly sought after world outright speed sailing record of 51.36 knots, set by the French Hydrofoil l’Hydoptère in September of this year.
Had a coffee catch up with Cabrinha team rider Jandre Fraser (aka Pora), local rider from Table View. He’s currently writing exams, and is looking forward to spending the whole of December on the water.
He’s recently been appointed as a Kustom brand ambassador and continues to push his kitesurfing skills each season. This video was taken a couple of week’s back and we hope with Jandre’s continued contribution to the GUST instruction and technique section of the site, that you will improve your style and skills out on the water. Post your comments and questions for Jandre here.
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Description
A normal jump with a kite loop, being hooked in.
How To
1. Get some speed, edge hard and jump, just like a basic jump.
2. Keep the kite at 12, then just before the peak of the jump, pull hard with your back hand.
3. As you fall underneath the kite send it back down just before landing.
4. Point the board directly downwind for the landing.
Tips
To make the kite turn the fastest way possible, your back hand should be at the end of the bar to pull it.
The smaller the kite, the faster it loops.
When you do high kiteloops and in stronger winds, make sure to loop the kite all the way - do not stop the loop or you will crash hard. Just commit to it and go for it, without thinking twice.
Remember to pull the bar close to you and then loop it, making it fly a higher radius, and more powerful. The kite loops tighter if you depower it slightly during the end of the loop but remember (you pull the bar close to you and then loop it).
Once the kite flies up again, power up the kite by pulling the bar towards you, this way it will cause a softer landing, since the kite will “catch” you. If the loop is high (strong winds) then send the kite back down or add an additional loop in the opposite direction since the kite will fly higher behind you in a bigger, more powerful kiteloop.
If you have not already spotted the event poster on the back cover of this month’s GUST, The Resolution Downwind Dash is scheduled for the 23/24th January 2010. It’s the 25th anniversary of the event, and we look forward to a more streamlined Dash next year. Online entries will be available online on gustmagazine.com from 1 December as well as more details on the start and finish procedure in the sailing instructions to follow shortly.
We are keen to publish pictures and letters of our readers in action. These will be posted on the gust website and the best thereof will be published in GUST Jan/Feb 2010 issue.
Also, if you were in Durban this weekend, did you take part in the Scottborough Jeep South Coast Festival? How was it?
If you haven’t voted on our poll, do so ASAP, as this will help us know what webcam to get going on first to bring you real time views of your best kiting location.
Get down to Scotties for a 7.30 am skippers meeting tomorrow morning. Will be checking out the conditions and as soon as there is enough wind we will start running the event. We will only run the main event when there is strong wind - 18 - 20 knots - the lighter wind we will be running course racing - the first race - as soon as there is enough wind will be an up wind downwind race … Everyone can participate in the event as there will be upwind races and course races !
Make sure you are there on the beach @ 7.30 … We will be setting up in front of the Cutty Sark not on the point !
We will be looking to run the following over the 2 days
1. Juniors Freestyle
2. Ladies Feestyle
3. Course Racing
4. Big Air
5. Wave Riding Event
If you have not entered please do this before you get down there … So far we have around 30 entrants - so we should have an excellent turn out!
For more info check out Ocean2Air website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter
If you are a kitesurfer in Durban you need to be down there!
The new GUST magazine is on sale now. If you are not a subscriber, you can find it at your nearest kitesurfing store, coastal fuel station or news agency for only R35.00. This issue, everyone receives a FREE smoothie voucher compliments of KAUAI. We are proud to be associated with the first brand to bring smoothies to SA, and continue to recognise the benefits of good fuel food!
This issue is packed with interesting content including a feature on understanding the ‘addiction’ of kitesurfing as well a travel feature on Mozambique by the Best Kiteboarding crew. Brad Symington, now running the kite school from Surf Zone in Big Bay, highlights all that Mauritius has to offer as well as the usual SUP tips from SA’s extreme waterman Ivan Van Vuuren.
Were you spotted? Check out the readers section for GUST readers in Action.
The annual Resolution Downwind Dash poster is on the back cover of the magazine - so diarise the dates 23/24th Jan for the 25th anniversary of the Resolution Downwind Dash. Notice of race and registration to open soon. Keep logged on to www.gustmagazine.com
Looking forward to hearing your feedback on the latest issue.
Check out the overall rankings here.Looks like the wind forecast for this Wednesday is coming from the Northerly direction, but keep logged on to GUST for updates.
