I am extremely gutted to pass on the news that a great mate of mine, Nick Grant, who many of you will also know and count as a friend, is in a Maui Hospital, recovering from some operations as a result of a very serious illness.

We were all jealous when Nick went up to Maui a few months ago for a well earned kiting holiday with his girlfriend. Persistent stomach pains caused him to seek medical attention and things escalated from there.

Nick is a tandem paraglider pilot from Queenstown and is one of New Zealand's very first kiteboarders. He has consistently been a top competitor at contests and a helluva nice guy - always full of aloha.

Friend Mike Holland, also on the rock has been visiting Nick in hospital and reports he has improved a bit since the initial days after a gruelling operation. Nick's insurance company will be flying Nick home first class in a few weeks, accompanied by a doctor and nurse.

Mike says Nick is not into talking on the phone but is getting his email and well-wishers are welcome to drop him a line @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or send mail etc to room 412, Maui Memorial Hospital, Kahului, Maui, Hawaii.

If you know Nick, and would like more information before you contact him, please get in touch first with Adrian Roper, Mike Holland or myself. In the meantime, go kiting for Nick and let's pray that he makes it through this horrific time and gets back on the water where he belongs.

I'm sorry to bum you out if this is the first you've heard of this situation...

What a difference a day makes! Nick called me today from Wellington and he's well and truly back in the land of the living, after 3 weeks, and two ops in a Maui hospital and a flight home.

He's in good spirits and reckons he'll be skiing again in Queenstown by September - Go Tweaker!

There are many sagas ahead including more operations and 6 months worth of chemotherapy but if anyone can overcome it - a kiteboarder can!

Don't let this great news stop you emailing Nick to wish him well, and hopefully he'll catch up with everyone over the next few months when he has time on his hands.

8)

Chemotherapy???? What actually happened?