2013 What a Year!!!

Not got around to doing a summing up of the year 2013....till now and quite simply I do not know where to start.

It perhaps wasn't the best start, both Sarah and I started 2013 on crutches...but hey it could only get better hey?
It did give me the chance to take a heap of photo's of the boys out kitesurfing last winter and also visiting pro Lee Pasty Harvey when he ripped the arse of some of our local spots.

 Thankfully my ankle got fixed up pretty quick, I'm so lucky I do seem to heal quickly.

S.Wales Powder Day

It was just as well as the season never really stopped for winter, the snow dumped big time in the Brecon Beacons, I still had my leg in a cast but that wasn't going to stop me, it's not every day we get powder!!

Snow Kiting in S.Wales

...we then had a photo shoot for the AA 

 

 Click here for the video they used:  

http://clubmagazine.rac.co.uk/GB/spring-2013/my-incredible-commute

I had my first trip to Cape Verde Islands when me and Wayne did a last minute trip to Boa Vista, unfortunately we didnt score

any classic conditions but we did get our warm water/sunshine fix!

February also saw us score some awesome conditions for the BLAST FROZEN JAM here in Porthcawl, we had a huge turn out of uber keen kitesurfers..you'd have to be just to think of driving across the country in the depths of February huh?

  

The Blast Frozen Jam

We got our new van earlier in the year also and set about transforming her into a right proper Blast Bus 

In May we ran our first group holiday to Hatteras in the USA.....what a place for a kitesurf holiday!

 The Hatteras Trip!

 Not everyday you get to jump over Dimitri Maremanandes 

When we got back from Hatteras the summer season of lessons was in full flow and once again we had some amazing students..many of which have become great friends.

It wasn't long till our next trip to our old favourite PORTUGAL, this was possibly the best trip we have ever had there, great group, great villa in a great spot and fantastic conditions...wind every day!

We did our first presentation with a school, quite possibly the best thing we did all year with an amazing response from the children!

The kids simply could not believe the size of the kites!

The winds during the summer were a bit pants to be honest but it did give us the chance to get out on the SUP's and also we spent a few days on the Cable..a first for us but I'm sure we will be doing a lot more of this in the future

 Cable Park WAkeboarding 

SUP

During the summer we did manage a few weekends away in the Blast Bus...one up in N.Wales which we had excellent winds and surf! 

The other weekend we had away was at the National Watersports Festival. A great chance for us to catch up with so many good friends in this crazy industry.

 

Soon enough the autumn was approaching which also meant that the BKSA National Wavemasters championships up in Tiree were fast approaching, we only decided to go at the last minute, when we saw the conditions they were expecting...quite simply it was EPIC!

 

I was lucky enough to defend the Senior Title I'd won the year before so becoming 2 x British Champion...pretty stoked!! 

The autumn really kicked in then with the beaches becoming quieter and the lessons dying off it aloud us to kite more sessions on our own once again!

Unfortunately during the SKA Beginners weekend which we were teaching at, I pulled a muscle in my calf. No big deal I thought until my next session when it pulled some more, this time with excruciating pain, this happened one more time and then I couldn't even walk. I'd torn the muscle off my calf...badly apparently! Oh and only two weeks before the biggest trip of 2013....Brazil

 Two weeks of intensive physio followed. 

We also had the Lee Pasty Wave Clinic...which was brilliant for two reasons ............

A/. Lee did a brilliant job and every one learnt so much

B/. The storm that hit S.Wales was amazing!!

This was just the start of many crazy storms to hit the west coast of the UK

Brazil...I wasn't sure how my leg would hold up as I'd been told it would normally be two months before I should be exercising the muscle, I need not have worried.

The trip to Brazil was amazing as ever...Hot, Windy, Warm water and great company! The video gives just a small taster of what it was like (kind of)

The end of the year saw more of the storms like we had during Pasty's Wave clinic

So....how are we going to better 2013?

Just watch this space!! 

Lee "Pasty" Wave Clinic

Wow, what a cracking weekend we have just had.

Lee Harvey is current British Wavemasters Open Champion and a national "surf coach" he's also one of the most enthusiastic kiters I have ever met....it's infectious too!

Whilst up in Tiree in September at the British Camps (see blog below) we discussed with Lee the possibility of running a coaching clinic geared solely to wave riding here in S.Wales. This was partly because we have seen more and more buying directionals over the past few years but these same people not quite mastering it and often giving up on it!

So a date was pencilled in the diary and we firmly crossed our fingers, a few weeks earlier the local club (SWWKSC) ran a Freestyle Clinic with Lewis Crathern...that day went amazingly well with ideal conditions and got some awesome feedback from all who attended it.

The pressure was on!
It's difficult enough to plan any type of Kitesurf event in the UK let alone get ideal winds and swell.

The forecast was for a pretty wild Saturday but the decision was made to go ahead with the Clinic especially as there is plenty of theory to go through anyway.

Saturday morning we all met at Malc's cafe at Rest Bay in Porthcawl, Lee went through the very basics of wave riding/placement of the kite etc with diagrams on a wipe board to help get this across.

We then kitted up and got down on the beach, Lee did a few demo runs close in to the beach and then it was session one for the group. Unfortunately this was just as the winds decided to go ballistic!!

The winds went on to build and build so we left for the shelter of the Waterfront Pub on Porthcawl's Esplanade. Here Lee went through every detail you could imagine regarding techniques,equipment,safety,rips, tides, and a whole lot more.

The harbour wall, Porthcawl

By now the winds were hitting 75mph outside and I popped out and grabbed a few shots of the storm in full swing!

63mph peaking at 75mph

 

Fed and watered the students finished the day full of the theory and amped for there first chance to put it all into practice!

Early doors on Sunday Lee and Andy(9lives) hit the local point break at around 7.30am here in Porthcawl as the tides/conditions were good and we could still get down to Aberavon to meet the students for Day 2. Unfortunately I wasn't able to surf as I had torn my calf muscle only a few days earlier and am presently resting it and hoping it will be healed in time for our Brazil trip in just two weeks time.

The Point was firing!

Pasty, killing it!

9lives

7.30am on a Sunday, early bird and all that!

We then rushed down to Aberavon to meet the students and found pretty impressive conditions for Aber..cross on and a decent 3-4feet swell, the winds were around the 6-7m so pretty ideal really!

Alun Jenkins, getting an early one in!

Alun Jenkins getting an early one in.

Lee got right on it and went through duck tacks and gybes and did a few demo runs and then got everyone to attempt these.

Lee running through gybing on land.

"Pasty" doing another demo for the group.

Ian Sav with his new Catalysts, I very much doubt he expected to be using the 6m as his first kite in his new quiver.

We even had a fair amount of sunshine too!

Moody!

Eventually we wrapped up and headed for the local pub and had a well earned drink and a de-brief.

I would just like to thank Lee for a truly inspiring weekend and can't wait to do another clinic next year!!

Some feedback we have had since the clinic

(only yesterday)

A fantastic weekend.
I've been kitesurfing for 8 years.
And waveriding for I reckon 6 years.
The point is Lee has been doing it for twice as long and has been pushing the boundaries of waveriding in the UK since the start.
To listen to Lee during the hurricane was pure gold dust. I learnt more in that 3 hours than in 3 years of getting yanked around at Llangennith.
Got some bad old habits that require some attention, but I know what to work on now.
Good to here that Lee will return and I'll look forward to that.
Book early to avoid disappointment. Think it might be oversubscribed.
Thanks to Lee, Marc and Sarah.  

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Awesome weekend with a great bunch. I've only been using a surf board for a few weeks and have learned so much. Theory was explained in simple terms and demonstrated by Lee so well, he made everything look so simple, if only it was. I realise now that using a surf board strapless or with, is something that will take time and perseverance so if you see me in the water rather than on it you know what I'm up to. I would definitely do another clinic with Lee and recommend it to anyone looking to improve their riding.. Also thanks to Blast for setting it up and for the beach commentary whilst Lee was doing his thing in the waves..

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Lee was great, he took us from the position of an absolute beginner at wave riding (me) through to the technical aspects of board shape and even fin selection - a side of wave riding I didn't even know existed!
So sorry I couldn't attend both days, but just from yesterday I found lots of knowledge and inspiration to work on.
Thanks To Blast for organising a great event.

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I have to agree with everyone else!!! Great weekend, despite getting blown off the beach on Sat!
Learnt loads, in good company!
Thanks to all involved.

If you missed this one, book early for the next one, whatever your level, I'm sure everyone found the weekend very beneficial, well worth it!!