Even the hottest friday night party could not excuse your absence from the beach in the morning or late morning.

Some of the best conditions for me since a long time. Riding with a 9m with 20m lines with a steady cross-on shore wind from the right. Some of the best waveriding conditions a regular footer could expect. And I was ALONE on the 6 kilometers of beach from New Brighton to Sumner... at least some windsurfers were there...
The swell was not so big but really glassy, the kind of glassyness that happens under the rain, stings eyes sometimes, but so smooth... I guess the Aucklanders see what I mean!

Bigger swell at the high tide of this afternoon though.
It was so nice to throw tons of water on each off-the-lip !


No excuses ; )

Hey Alex, Chris and I kited past your house on our way from Brighton to Sumner to show off in front of the Coast to coast crowd. Helicopter took off from the beach and came close over my kite. We were wondering where you guys were, thought you'd be too tired after yesterdays 35 knots at Lake Coleridge. Slashing swells there didn't quite do it for me either, so it was good to get some real waves today, 130 Firebird and 12m R4 for me. My kite was up from 1230 - 1700. I heard DK was out on his 6 on 13m lines, and came off the water muttering about being overpowered. For our long downwind run it got sunny and windier and switched a little more sideshore and the swell was cleanest out from your place. We put a fair amount of water up too, then had to do a search pattern for Gianlucas (new) board which he'd lost a few hundred metres out. Eventually found it 500m down the beach. Most of the crew came out as we left for a late gloomy session.

Rain today... 20 knots NE tomorrow.

After 10+ hours on the water in two days I don't think you could call me lazy Alex!

Friday morning Su and I caught the outgoing tide at the estuary and rode MIRROR smooth flat water water until it was mud. Drove home and cooked lunch still in our wetsuits. After lunch I had a short but under powered session at the beach. With the tide coming back in I returned to the estuary only 2 hours after we had left to catch the flat water on the incoming tide.

Yesterday morning Irish, Neil, Ian and I had a very powered session on 11-8m kites on the outgoing tide. Me on my 8m/13m lines/pulley bar - hard to get planing due to short power stroke, but super fast over the water once I was. Did a few kite loops with this setup, with the kite almost level with me thru the power - big potential to crash and burn.

Taking of crashing and burning - Irish was pretty close to being KO'ed. He did a huge jump in almost no water, went for the kite loop, decided he was too high, tried to pull out too late and slamed flat. Good thing he is built like an Ox...

Spent the afternoon in the waves, with Tim, Mat and Tom. Swell was a little messy, but the wind angle was sweet.

Later in the day I saw four or five others out in front our place getting there fill of wave riding.

And Su had the whole beach to herself from about 5pm onwards.

I don't think the ch-ch crew are getting lazy Alex - just less like sheep - no need for 40 people to all hit the same spot at once is there?

DK

Chris says, and I agree, that there are less than 40 kiters in Chch. At least active ones who could or would be out in those beachy conditions.

Good strong wind up the coast at Leithfeild today.

No prob, guys !

I was just very surprised that with such a strong wind and nice waves you were still riding in the mud pool...

After my so deserved lunch break, I saw Chris and you going downwind to South B, too late..., but it was time for the girls to ride (was sunny), and I had to wait that these ladies got tired to finish myself in the evening clouds and bigger high tide swell.
Some nice waves just at the entrance of the estuary, maybe due to an offshore sandbar, far from a moroccan wave though, but long enough to accept three to four real slashing rollers in a row...

I like those days where the weather forecast says NE 10kts... always good surprises !

Did you ride in Leithfield ?

Yup it's a good spot there. Often get better waves than other parts of the beach, but don't tell anyone it's our secret okay. Oh that's right everyone seems to be focused on mud baths at the moment anyway.



Nope on a mission to Hamner to restore some aching muscles and show an Italian that there's is more to NZ than Chch.

Chris

That's Hanmer Chris. 2hrs of hotpool soaking is gooood after a hard weekend on the water.

Yes some nice little peeling waves on the other side of the est. mouth, and the wind there can be a little offshore sometimes too.

Just off the water after two hours of further Firebird testing. This time back to a stock standard 140 with all the normal fins and tuck etc but the widest stance possible. Windy as... turbo boost on the 8 R4, but big rolling cross-chop, hard to ferret out the clean lines, only got about three really good long smooth sequences in two hours, and a lot of tripping over and sliding down the face on my belly also.

ohh chch sounds like the mount but without the peelers and steady winds...its been a bit shy on us for the month of january up here at the no-wind nationals spot.....(but great wind the day after)....that was years ago anyway....

kane any newz/stuff you can share with the firebird testing? there are a few of us on firebirds up here. the more i ride the 140 the more i like it. the 130 not so much but really need a good day to get a better feel for it....be good to hear your rap.

x3

You're kidding me. You people can't spell anything right!

bloody aussie's! 8)