Seeing as there are alot of good point breaks down around Taranaki and not that many kiters riding the waves I wondered about promoting a kiting event similar to the others around the country. Theres places to kite from a NE to SE and normally good wind. I've spoken to a couple of riders down here and they said they were thinking of organising something. There's so many breaks down here I reckon you could almost claim to be the first kiter on some of them. With the wave element taking off and more people getting directionals for wave it would be good to see whats possible. I live in Opunake which is just down the road from Kina Rd where all the windsurfers go, but theres Backbeach, Fitzroy, East end , Waitara, Oakura, Rahotu, Middletons Beach, opunake bch, tai rd, Izzy Bell beach and much more........

so are there many who would come for kiting in the naki and prefer to have a crew to ride with?

reply or pm me if you are interested

david

that would me sweeet would it be likt the wave nats?

SHsH man, Lets keep it how it is thanks, less publicity the better.

There's not many places in the world you can get a break to yourself with just your mates.

With NZ's inconsistant swells & winds it would be more practical to take video of your riding & have voting or judging on the kite forum. That would avoid the circus of a contest & means you can ride wherever , whenever.


Criteria would be for the best wave ride, so video footage would have to be unedited - (the whole wave ride, no compilations of one-hit-wonders) panned out wide enough to see the wave & the kite.

This idea has already been suggested by a guy on kiteforum.com, I think it's a great idea, but no-ones been brave enough to submit anything yet!

had meant more of a moose meet type thing, not a "comp", maybe see how it grew in the future.

skyrider the naki aint like raglan its not like you'd get day trippers invading like raglan, also some breaks are isolated so if an event you could organise an irb for the weekend from the surf club just incase. surf highway 45 is pimped alot and still you can have a surf break to yourself i dont see too many issues there....

Hey David, sorry I got the wrong idea 'cos of Brocks post.... And the heading did say EVENT.

I still don't really see the need to organize a "moose meet kind of thing".


When the conditions are on there are already heaps of riders in New Plymouth & Waitara - fortunately there's little recognition of many places/waves to ride by the majority of kiters living in or visiting the Naki.


I've been a Naki day-tripper, week-camper, month-squatter for the last 20 years. What I meant about minimal publicity is real... The Surf Highway 45 brand is a case in point, surfing is way more crowded there now.



Had a good session down there last Sunday in head high cross/off 25-40 kts SW.

Hey good luck, I might bump into you down there one day.

What did you think of the video competition idea?

Come on skyrider, gotta stop the localism.

You say its fortunate, I'd say its a shame that local kiters are not aware of the proper places to kite at home. That shouldnt be a problem to advise people (tourist, newbie or anyone) on where to go in what conditions.

Dont worry, even if we made the trip there once for a wave nats that doesnt mean that wed be there every week-end, and that all your secret spots would suddently be invaded. Not so many kiters are skilled enough to get out in head high cross/off 25-40 kts SW anyway

Surfing might be way more crowded now, but at least that means that a lot more people get to enjoy surfing, and lot more waves ridden. If theyre tourists well tourism to a certain point is not all bad for NZ. And if theyre local kids, Id rather see them in the water than at home working on the kiwi obesity epidemic or breaking into cars etc... Promoting the sport cant be that bad, its not California here yet.

And for your video comp idea, well for some reason, all having a blast together in a cool place is more appealing to me than watching someone having a blast on my computer screens although I might be a bit biased as I really enjoyed the nats in Nelson and cant wait for the next ones

Nico

Hi Zico:

Guys who know me would tell you - I'm not a extreme Localismist, compared to some other Raglan surfers I'd say I am more fundamental mellowismist.

There is however a simple equation;

WAVES + CROWDS = STINK SESSIONS



Riding waves with a kite in the Naki , is already "busy" the windsurfers have still got it going on, so when you add say 3 kiters to a 12 pack of windwackers, it's a feeding frenzy for the set-waves..... Now if you add the usual group of kiters adding an obstical-effect, tootling across the close-out zone at the downwind end of the wave - that would be a typical 20kt day at Waitara.....

You guys want to ADD a "moose-meet" internet-zoo, text-mess, dial-up crowd to an already congested line up?

If the object of what you want to do is get together with a few mates & enjoy riding some waves - sweet - do it, enjoy it, there's already a contingent of people riding waves in the Naki.

If the object is to have a WAVE RIDING EVENT - could be a logistical headache - the naki being fickle with it's wind & swell. Windsurfers wont stop riding when the conditions are on just 'cos of a bunch of danglers.

Organizing a big group to ride together in waves is whack - crowds & good surf sessions are mutually exlusive.

I guess what you could easily settle for with your event, without overcrowding the local sweet-spots, would be holding it in onshore slop.... But then you might as well hold it at Muriwai.

If the object is to find the "best" wave rider - the video idea blows away any "EVENT" B.S.

A yearly review of video submissions would help stop over-crowding or putting any pressure on one particular spot. Riders wouldn't be limited by time constraints or weather conditions..... Maybe not "feel good" enough for some, but I think it's a great idea.

I'd be keen.

I can't see why an event wouldn't work, look at Mambo in Oz.
To get out the back you kite in the channel.
Normal wave-riding rules apply for precedence.
No shortage of waves in Taranaki, I'm sure everyone will get their fill.

The more the merrier, kiting on your own in Taranaki is a bit dodgy. Have a jet-ski on stand-by, in case someone gets in trouble.

Simon

I'd be keen as well. I've been to a few wave riding comps in Oz & they seem to work pretty well. The only issues was with some of the judging & how do you judge a unstrapped rider v's a strapped rider. They also had judges from a surfing only background at the Wave Nats which caused a bit of controversy.

I'm in Welly & wave ride as much as I can, although conditions aren't always the best with wave riding at Lyall in on shore conditions. I'd be keen for some cross shore action again.

A Video comp sounds interesting, although you'd want to all be in similar conditions.

Mark

dont make it a comp? unless you have didcated judges it will turn out like the mambo... the best knowen wins lol.. just like a gathering would be fun!

Ha hahahah , you gotta be kidding!???

So now it's gonna be - like / not like - the Mambo ? Isn't that Aussies longest running wave-sailing comp?

Some of the guys posting here have suggested having IRB's & jetski's ( ooh-er it's a bit dangerous in the Naki). Why not get a firetruck & Ambo on stand-by while you're at it.

And what about the Judging ?!!!
Yeah good point, you can't have one of those biased guys with a background in surfing & down-the-line-sailing judging, for heavens sake, he would only score you on how you RIDE the wave....
That's not gonna work for doing twirly tt transition dangle-arse-passes. or kite power tt sliding wave riding - bogging turns & running away from the pocket on a glorified biscuit tin lid. Better make it in-house judge Eh?!!

I've got a few names for this "event":

Naki Newbie Nationals

Taranaki tt Tour

Hey, I hate to be such a cynical old B#*@##, but c'mon guys keep it real.

Riding waves with kites has morphed into a sport in it's own right.

Sure you can ride a tt in waves... Just like you can ride a mo-ped down the motorway

actually Skyrider, we were thinking of asking you to be the head judge.

certainly seems to have stirred a bit of passion.

I agree with Nico theres some good riding here and not many local kiters in south taranaki , if seeing more people out riding inspires a few to get into the sport great.

my original idea was to not have a comp but just name a weekend when people would know there going to be other kiters in the area interested in try out some new spots. i could try to get a local pub / cafe / camping groung in behind it. opunake is in the process of getting a manmade surf reef which will be kiteable maybe in a SE in the future.

yer theres waitara but theres other breaks which you could try in a SW. From what I understand alot of the local windsurf crew also kitesurf when its not blowing hard so you wont be competing in the waves with "pole dancers".

it could be also a good chance to show off your wisdom and skill skyrider. as a vetran you could become a guru of wave kiting in nz....

keep posting on this thread so i can judge interest level.

David

I think a get together rather then a comp is a better idea as well.

When I was living in oz we used to have (and they still do) have social days where everyone met at a certain spot & just kited or we'd do a 10km downwinder & have a few drinks & BBQ afterwards.

Be a bit hard have to do a downwinder around Taranaki but just getting out there amongst the waves would be great! Waves is what Taranaki's about.

holy gyneacologist skyrooter you sound like you're getting your period...

Yeah , hey sorry...

Lost my rags again, something about the semi-anonimity of this forum, I can't help but let rip sometimes.... usually end up regretting it. :oops:

But feck it all, it's a good outlet to rark up some debate, spark up a fire, fan some flames maybe?

Don't take my rantings too serious...

Kiting is too much fun to be pigeon-holed, enjoy it whatever way ya like!

- Skybleeder

lol wanna see some good fights... seabreeze haha they absolutly RIP into eacher other there hehehe

skyranter - keep up the good work, you can say whatever the hell you like.

Yeah actually have you got Dr Gyno's #? I need a new board...

Well there probably arent many places I havent kited in the naki and the reason it doesnt get crowded is cos alot of folks arent up for the rock walk and gusty cross off winds that go with the best places to ride waves.

Compititions usually suffer from some one wanting to stage the event at a place that isnt working on the day, or the wind doesnt do it on the day of the comp.

To ride here in the best conditions usually means a small kite 7mtr and a big board ie surfboard and to be dailed into handling the apparant wind that comes up the wave face in down the line cross off conditions,,,,,,,,,,,,so the best comp to run might be to see who can actually get out onto the waves and link together some decent turns on the days when its going off!!! cos on those days alot of would be riders become carpark spectators!!

Thats why this place will never get crowded when its going off cos most folks go looking for easier cross on shore crap to ride upwind on, which imo isnt really wave riding, but each to there own such is the freedom of this sport. 8)