X-Tech construction: too fragile?

I'm writing this post because I'm pissed off. I've been using the RRD Board since two months, and I had to bring two timesit to fix some bad cracks I've seen at the end of the sessions. I'm guessing if the X-Tech construction is too fragile for a kite board. Yes, it is light, but two cracks in a row it's really too much. The first one could be due to a bad land after a jump - I can understand - but the second seems to have been caused by my heel right below the front pad. I went out last sunday and the conditions were kinda choppy. Even if I'm loosing weight I'm still a heavy guy, I know, but I would expect a stiffer deck for this boards, especially considering that it will be used mostly in hard conditions like what we had two days ago.
I'm fed up with having to pay 30€ each time I use it... :-(

Berria

Let's admit it: I love kitesurfing. I love the sensation of sliding over the water, powered by the force of mother nature only, the contact with the elements, the sun, the waves, the wind. The past Saturday  has been for sure one of the best kitesurfing moment in my entire existence - said with Homer Simpson words - "'TILL NOW". I will for sure remember it as one of the best experience I've ever had. Please don't get me wrong: life's too short, don't waste it and get all you can from it.
On Saturday weather forecasts were showing some strong NE wind components. I bet that Laredo was "fully booked", plenty of people, sails, few room to sail safe and no waves, so I decided to try a different spot: Berria. The beach of Berria stays just next to Santoña hill - basically next to Laredo - going west. Thanks to the mountain, when the wind blows from NE direction it accelerates (because of the Venturi's Effect),  so typically you got 3 to 5 more knots there. Somehow gusty on the seashore, but pretty consistent a few meters far away from it. The landscape is spectacular anyhow, so even if you don't sail I really suggest you to pay a visit. If you sail, well, you also got waves there since the beach faces north and there's not obstacles for the swells that are coming from , so you know...
I arrived there late with my wife, and got into the water as soon as I could inflate my 10sqm Rebel. Lots of windsurfers, just one kite was in the water. Small but funny waves let me properly (as a "wave beginner", of course) test my mono directional board. As usual I shoot and edited the video above: I can promise you won't waste more than 4 minutes of your time watching it. Enjoy!

The biggest wave I've ever ridden - Ben Wilson

wind is blowing quite strong out there, with pretty consistent swell coming in. Time for some action, so I'll be quick. Like Ben Wilson and that monstrous wave.

Passion without limits

Timmy Curran, Nordic from INNERSECTION on Vimeo.

10 minutes - astonishing video

Chris Bryan Films Phantom Reel from Chris Bryan on Vimeo.

Just sit down, boost the volume of your speakers and enjoy this wonderful video in super slow-mo.

One day in Kanala

Fatal Wave in (small) action

Picture (c) QueteKite team

;)

New board in my quiver

...a RRD Fatal Wave 6'0", year 2010. As you may notice, it's a monodirectional board. I've had the pleasure to test it during the last kite session we had in Laredo: not the ideal conditions so far, low tide,  light wind (no more that 15kn onshore) and just 1m waves.

By the way, It has been one month since the last post in this blog. No excuses except my laziness. That does not mean that I didn't sail: as previously stated, thermal wind season started more than one month ago, with Laredo working pretty consistently. I'm recording all my 2011 kite sessions (yes, no windsurf anymore... did I tell you I'm selling almost all my windsurfing gear?) on My windsurfing Session site (check it, my nick is Surfcanarias) and up to now I scored 21.... not bad but surely I can be improve this.

Last but not least check the latest picture my friends took in Laredo. Some nice jumps, carves and on. Thanks Manu!

An Inspiring short

This is what I call an "Inspiring video": 20 minutes that are worth spending. Nothing really related to Surfing, but I promise you won't be disappointed.

We had some good kite session here during the last two weeks. In Laredo the wind season just started, and we had some consistent days with some small waves too. I believe that the time to buy a monodirectional board has come. In my whishlist there is also space for a new kite - probably a smaller one, let's say a 7sqm wave - for those days where the wind is stronger than usual. I will probably sell my Crossbow, my too big, slow turning kite, so I would need a 12sqm kite for those light wind days. In one of the latest session I tried a Naish Torch from a friend of mine and I had very good sensations, rapid turns and quick response to the bar. I need to try more kite eventually, let's see if I'll be able to find the perfect match.
Resuming it all, the ideal equipment would be 13, 10 and 7sqm kites, twintip + monodirectional board. That all. Now I got a 13 sellable kite + a 10sqm Rebel (that I'm in love with) and a twintip... need to invest some money in.


That's why I'm selling my windsurfing gear! If anyone is interested here's what I still have:

- Hot Sails Maui Fire, 5.8, perfect conditions (used three times) year 2009
- Hot Sails Maui Big Waves Mast 430 RDM, 90% carbon, new (same as above, used three times only) year 2009

Drop me a private message if interested. The Equipment is available in Bilbao area, pictures are available on request.

Fuerteventura - March 2011

We've just come back from Fuerteventura, Canary Island, where we spent one week off... I took the opportunity to try the KiteHero accessory with the GoPro and the video above is the result.
We've been quite lucky: the wind never stopped blowing during the whole week. I managed to kitesurf almost everyday, if we exclude the only day when the wind reached more than 30 knots (getting out with my 10sqm Rebel would have been really crazy).

Let me spend some word about this trip and off-season holiday. We booked the flight ticket, the hotel and car rental really late (just one week in advance). Price was quite ok, especially if we consider that due to the current geopolitical situation in North Africa and Egypt almost all tourists were diverted to Canary Island and most of the hotel are fully booked till October. We stayed at the Melia Gorriones which is in front of the spot, few hundred meters from the Rene Egli Wind and Kite center. The hotel is quite good, food is delicious (well, especially after 4h kitesurfing), some pools for the baby and your couple... maybe too far away from night life (Costa Calma is 10min from there by car, but if you really want to live the Spanish "marcha" you should go to Puerto del Rosario, 45min drive). If you like waveriding I strongly suggest you to go to the north part of the island to El Cotillo and to Corralejo (Flag beach). Unfortunately I discovered this two spots (especially the first one) only the last day we stayed on the island, and they are both incredible. I can't tell you more about flag beach since there were no wind that day. We moved to El Cotillo (which in reality is a small fisherman village) and there were 20/25 knots cross shore, and 2mt waves. It was too late to get into the water so I just stood at the cliff and watched the show.