July 1 at the Po!nt, meet up with the usual cast of characters and a few Ventura Kiteboarding
Core Crew members.
MarcoPolo, Mark Ride-All, Jamie, JoeMcDammit, Grumpster, TonyG among others. Word
started to filter from up-wind, Emma is rideable. MarcoPolo went to Malibu and most went
to Emma.
We decided, with a King's Low Tide to walk up-wind to the turrets. The wind was cooperating,
starting to ramp up. Easy upper teens to low twenty and STEADY.
Mark-RideAll was using his landboard (think big skateboard with large rubber wheels) and 12.5
Flexi. He rode non-stop for 30 plus minutes. Zig-zagging on the compacted wet sand. He tossed
the landboard aside and exchanged for his surfboard. Mark went out topless with only his shoes
and socks. The water temperature is rising, but it's not that warm. A certain Seinfeld episode comes
to mind, about George screaming to his date that saw his full frontal "picture" "It's THE WATER
It's THE WATER.........the water. (Insert maniacal laughter here) I digress, off topic.
We interviewed Mark the next day, (no not about the water) in regards to riding with shoes on.
He actually enjoyed it and possibly may be his new thing going strapless. No strap riding on the
surfboard and wake-skate. Walking on the rocks with shoes on will be an obvious advantage.
I set up my 12.5 Rasta Flexi. Say hello to Andrew, Jamie and McDammit who hiked up-wind
to Emma and did down-winders to the Turrets.
Self-launch and well powered. The first ramp of a wave I hit, sending the kite and launch into
the air. Extending the tail of the board down and the nose up, reaching and holding the nose grab.
Floating down-wind, holding the grab and position until the very last second for extra style points.
Landing softly, carving up-wind I notice 10 plus kites at Emma. 3 kites including me at The Turrets.
Another 3 straddling the cove.
This was kiting 1999 style, we started a few years later, but we know of stories from the Kite Pioneers.
Major Holiday weekend underway and 5 guys out at The Po!nt! "Are you kidding me with this" I
shouted to a seal that seemed to be frolicking on his back staring at my colorful Rasta kite. Red, yellow
and green, one of the better design formats from Flexi.
The surf was maybe chest to shoulder high with a few slightly overhead sets. Riding from The Turrets past the "old spot" to the cove was the order of the day. Not sure of the distance but 400 to 500 yard rides may be conservative.
The swell and wind angle was custom made for wave riding. Drop in bottom turn and straight back up
the face to bash the lip and repeat. I could actually hear the spray, as buckets of water came cascading
down in deluge form.
Best wave of the day, I had to pick pocket Dumont. Going starboard (out to sea) I am in a toeside stance on the ready to face up on any wave downwind (rights). Dumont is in a regular foot stance (left foot forward) coming in heel side. I slightly head down-wind, thinking he will take the first wave, he doesn't the next wave he passes on also. The third wave is best of all, 2 or 3ft. overhead. Not sure what Dumont was doing. He let 2 previous waves go by without an attempt to ride. I pointed at this wave which was forming and jacking in front of me and cackled. Simultaneously throwing my kite down-wind and immediately on "wave of the day". Dumont attempted to switch to goofy foot to ride down-wind but had to go up-wind first during the transition. He should've gone left -Karma peak style- I left nothing but trails and an avalanche of broken wave behind.
Most goofy footers ride the Po!nt way too slow. Ventura Kiteboarding keeps a virtual file on every rider. Think scouting report used in other sports. Some prefer rights to lefts, some Goofy's will
let a right go to favor their left. Some riders will mow the lawn and push the shopping cart. The Po!nt is a wave riding first, kite location. Twin tip and jumping is done but not in the wave-riding arena.
Triangle right of way, head out to the horizon, turn and come back up-wind. Get on a wave down-wind and when completed clear out of the riding area and repeat.
Most obey this protocol, what may appear to others as chaos is flow of traffic and taking turns. There is a form of priority. If a rider is clueless, a place like the Po!nt will sort the rider out real quick. Wrapping kites with someone should never happen, but will if a rule is broken.
I rode for three hours straight and caught more waves than I could in 3 days of surfing.
Felt good to be out in epic and empty conditions.
We at Ventura Kiteboarding are keeping busy with new students. Now if this Thermal Heat bubble
causing fog would let up a bit. We could instruct and ride.
Ventura Kiteboarding wishes all a Happy & Safe 4th of July. Catherine and I will be indoors, due to
the residents tradition of gunfire on the 4th. All good in the hood.
Warm winds,
Tom and the Ventura Kiteboarding Crew
