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.

Broken Kite

I've been waiting for one month and finally, yes, the wind's back again. Unfortunately today a nasty gust lifted my kite... and broke it, somehow. I'm really pissed of...

RC Helicopter and GoPro

Somebody sticked a GoPro Camera to a RC helicopter and took the video above. More or less this is something I would like to do with a Parrot Drone. Nice and interesting project.

I'm sorry but since the last sessions we had at the beginning of January, we didn't have any opportunity to get into water. No wind and very few waves. Luckily this week things will change a little bit, a consistent swell coming from the north is going to hit the Basque coastline. Time to get into the water again.

Mavericks, Injured surfer

Talking about big wave riders: some days ago, Joacob Trette was found unconscious after wiping out at Mavericks, CA. Trette was rescued by a jet ski in the impact zone after being dragged by 25ft wave. Trette was taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma. He has since regained consciousness. 

Francisco Porcella

Tow in at Jaws 2 Nov 2010 from Happysurfer on Vimeo.


Let me spend some words on this guy here. Francisco was born in Sardinia, Italy. His father Pietro was one of the first windsurfer in Italy and it seems that his mother was windsurfing during her 9th month of pregnancy. Can we say that Francisco is one of the youngest windsurfer ever?
During year 2000 he convinced his parents to move to Maui and convert himself in a professional athlete. At age 25, he's a windsurfer, a surfer, and a big wave surfer (which is not the same).
Francisco is now probably the best Italian representative of the PWA tour. There's a reason for that. Just watch the video above...it's not windsurfing, I know, but if you manage to surf a 25ft monster waves you surely have all the skills needed to become a champion. Have fun!