I woke up to Catherine's coffee, sports page and ikitesurf on line in front of me on "my side" of the couch.
This is a morning tradition. How fortunate am I? Rhetorical don't answer.
Knowing we had a change of weather and warming trend, I was pleased to see the very positive forecast from
the meteorologist on the pay subscription website for our region.
Walking Catherine to her car, she departs with a calm command of "may it blow". She places both palms together and fingertips towards sky in prayer fashion. Catherine had not a clue what she wished for.
Spent the morning returning calls and e-mails to current, former and potential Ventura Kiteboarding students.
Checking on the sensors, buoys, graphs and satellite/radar maps frequently. I notice the Pt. Conception to North Long beach area 200 plus miles of coast is being awakened by wind. The Po!nt is surprisingly not showing. I check the camera and no wind confirmed. Repeat this process until 1:00pm. The Leo sensor is showing 18-22 mph and the Po!nt is showing 6.
20 miles and 40 minutes later, (traffic lights and speed traps) I pull up to County. Tide is low and two kiters out on 9 or 10m kites. I call Mike with Wainman kites to let him know. I decide to check Leo from above on PCH, absolute desolation. Same surf and I know "Heavens" and "Staircase" can get good with the incoming tide. Shocked at the $12.00 for a day pass, I pay it for the solitude. Call back Mike and warn him of the fee, we decide to do a downwind/upwind plan that sounds good on the phone.
Park at the North end of the car lot, put a wind meter up and get solid 15-18 mph. I pump up a Flexi Rasta 12.5m kite donated to Ventura Kiteboarding by Mark T. Once again Huge Mahalos and props for the kite. Mark is on our lifetime subscription plan of 3 W's, Wind, When & Where.
Suit up and ready to launch the wind is increasing, sand blowing down the beach, I realize the kite will be too big. I rig a PL Venom, equal in size to a 10m flat kite. Self-launch and feel perfectly powered. Head out to Heavens and the kelp beds make their presence known. I find the labrynth maze of a gauntlet to be challenging until I see the pattern unlocking the puzzle.
For the next hour, ride from the North end of the car-lot to above Heavens and sometimes up to Staircase then downwind thru the surf. This formula keeps the kelp bed on the outside and "glossy glass" surface on the inside. There are very few set ups that can have such a smooth wave riding area. All elements must "synch" up and it's a "sometimes" kind of thing.
What about Mike? I see a smallish black kite up-wind. I was thinking to head up wind to County (1 mile) to have a hello and check the conditions. I would get to staircase, then on the outbound tack, well formed and a bit overhead surf would set up. I had to take the wave and sometimes waves, hopping out the back to grab a new one. Easy 100 yards to 150 yards rides.
The wind increased until any attempt to go upwind was all edge and kite low. Trying to "ride the wind out" was worthless and tiring. Fully de-powered kite and full weight on an edge. I found myself using the glutimus maximus, (spell check, whatever) sort of Latin for "Butt Brakes". One uses their arse to have a seat and drag in the water.
I saw Tripper Dave fully wound on a downwinder from County. He saw my kite, and was thinking a kite catch and a ride in the Ventura Kiteboarding truck back up-wind. I throw a hand gesture, turned "shaka" to coincide with a long drawn out bottom turn back to my landing zone. Try to ride some nicely formed waves, but over powered, just manage to cruise on the face of walls. Time to pull the plug.
The small point of Heavens has a small wind shadow and a sandy area I want to self-land at. I remove the donkey, stay hooked in the chicken loop and certain my length and downwind clearance is appropriate.
Once confirmed, I unhook, toss the bar and yank on the kite leash. The control bar slides towards the kite and de-powers the kite "flagging it out". I hold on to the kite leash attached to one line as the kite settles down-wind. Detach the leash from my harness and pull the leash line hand over hand (think tug of war) trotting towards the kite and secure it with sand.
Take the obligatory stance, hands on hips viewing what I was riding. Tripper Dave is wound up on his 10.5 Helix, Cult, Park, Bolt, Charger. Those Naish kites look like quintuplets, not sure what he's riding. Kite straight up overhead and his waist harness is a chin harness. Dave stays out another 10 minutes in punishing conditions.
Load up the Ventura Kiteboarding Truck and head home. Driving West into the setting sun, reflecting on
the day.............thoughts of tomorrow and wind.
Tom
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