Waiting for the Wind

Bit ho-hum today

We’re no longer staying at Indian Resort, but had a car for a day at the new place – Tamassa Hotel – so I went back to Le Morne again – going to the public beach to launch

Only been out ten mins when I got asked to assist a struggling windsurfer – he couldn’t get up and was outside the reef – before I managed to get him to hold on, a big wave smashed on him – and broke is board in half! ... Big struggle to drag him in – must be a better way but we tried him holding the back of my harness ( I have no handle but used the leash instead) – and holding his kit – very slow, but got him to shallower waters, then is mate took is board I left him to walk his sail in

Then I went out to the BACK again – way out into the ocean – further than anyone else – quite exciting out there, say 2-3kms offshore

Played on the edges of the massive waves out there again, nothing too crazy

Then back to the lagoon, but started flagging and the wind dropped off a bit, so called it a day early


Just about to meet up with Albert, Nico etc for the intro to the Kiteival!

[Pic: view from our room at the Indian Resort & Spa, Le Morne]

I can confirm that this is the kiting I was dreaming of

Two sessions today with a baguette and 5 almond slices in between

First one: twintip messed around in the small waves then saw the big boys heading out to a wave far in the distance. Didn’t feel brave enough to follow them, but ended up getting gradually close til I thought bugger it and made the trip out. WAY out there.
WOW – HUGE waves breaking perfectly. I was too shit-scared to get into the middle but played nicely round the edges. Though found it really hard to keep my bearings as each set broke differently – the whole thing only lasted half an hour or so then they were gone – maybe something to do with the tide or the wind direction, not sure. Anyway quite spectacular and nudged my confidence up a notch for having braved it.

Muscle memory starting to form today

Session two: I was waiting for one of the F-One guys to launch so I could go. And thought "bugger it" – may as well be cheeky: Been keen to get on a surfboard – more than half the guys are on them with it being mostly about waves, and presumably there might be wavey type stuff in the Kiteival. There was a second hand one for sale at the Club Mistral for €250 but to be honest didn’t want to deal with the miserable cow at the desk (sort of doctors receptions type of gatekeeper). And not sure about lugging one around etc.

Anyway asked the F-One board designer if I could try one of his prototypes. He wasn’t keen but said I could have one of the production boards the other guys were using. So I trotted off and borrowed a 5’2” “fish” sort of shaped thing/ ANYWAY--- amazing. Loved it on that thing. Played in the small stuff, then made it upwind to the lagoon. One of the most fun sessions I’ve had – wind just PERFECT for the 11m. Lagoon was flatish. Tried turns, one foot unstrapped. Toeside both ways – totally smooth going left, but still crappy gong right. Then migrated to strapless. And turns strapless. And little ops. And little hops with one foot strapped. And even tiny hops wit no straps!!

Got back an hour late for Kate – I just couldn’t let that wind and that board go to waste. Totally buzzing.

[Pic: The flat water lagoon just before sunset after the wind dropped]

Alain saved the day for me – after writing yesterday I realised my kite was ripped right across, parallel to the central strut – Matthew Rescuer from (the very friendly!) Club Mistral dropped it off with him on the way home, and it was ready for collection by 11:30 today! 400 rupees for petrol and it was back in my hands, plus an expensive repair at 3000 rupees (€80) – but looks like he did a decent job, patched and stitched both sides, matching colour, and guarantees that if it breaks again at the point he’ll do it again for free.

The other issue of course was the bloody bar/chickenloop etc

To recap-
The central rope/chickenloop snapped – a fundamental problem with Slingshot kites – they wear out. Oddly though it snapped and the whole kite disappeared into the waves, with the flagging line (the crappy bungee cord) snapping too as it shot off into the distance. So I lost a few bits too – the cruisecontrol/stopper thing. Fortunately I have a slingshot 7m bar as well so cannibalised that. Real struggle to get the chickenloop rope detached from the plastic loop – there’s a bearing in there that gets wedged. Anyway hacked off the remains of the rope and jammed it out. Still struggled to get the remnants of the rope out of the polo-mint centre of the bearing. Alain found a hammer and got that done for me.

Upshot is, by the time the wind was up again today, I had got a fked kite and fked bar/lines back in working order so didn’t miss a beat!

Had a two hour session, first half playing around in the waves again – smaller than yesterday, less chaotic out there and seemingly less kites/poledancers.

Trying to find that muscle memory again – it’s coming back. To coin Nick’s “man & machine” – well I’m not quite there again yet – but another couple of days like this and I’m bound to be.

Second half was on the lagoon. I tested the bottom on a number of occasions and can confirm it is soft.

Now managing to land backloop transitions 90% of the time in both directions, with a bit of a kiteloop – not sure if that’s the right way, but seems to work.

Played with frontloops but need to look up technique again as totally screwing them up.

Also playing with toeside to the right which I’ve always been sketchy with

Toes side left is totally “dialled in”!

Contemplating renting/borrowing/buying a surfboard tomorrow to play with that.

The F-One team next to us a re friendly – they're here for 2 weeks testing next season's kit and getting promo vids/shots. Had a chat with the kite designer – gave me a recommendation to go in France – Beaudoc. Tarifa too manic.

Body still buzzing!

Family getting into it – babysitting at €8/hr helps


View Kitesurfing spots - Alex on Tour09, inc Mauritius Kiteival in a larger map

[Pic: Kite ripped in half and the chickenloop and bungee snapped]
Copied from my handwritten scrawls over coffee

This was one of those days you sort of gotta have but good to get over with and move on unscathed…
Lost a screw from a fin in the 1st session, came back and realised all screws everywhere were loose! Fortunately had some spares with me – one of the things I did prepare well – I brought loads of patches, a full kite repair kit, the 7m I bought I made sure was Slingshot for interchangeability etc – all coming in useful. Plus bike tool, penknife, Philips etc

Anyway later that day it all come into use after catastrophic failure on the Rev’s bar when the chickenloop snapped when I was out in the big waves. Normally not an issue, but here zere are windsurfers zipping all over ze place, I feared they would tangle in my lines. Even jore feared it when I realised they flagging line HAD ALSO SNAPPED! (I will be cc'ing the Slingshot dealer on this!). Pix below.

So now my fear is for a LOOSE kite bouncing around in the waves with these poledancers getting tangled in 25 of lines. Fortunately very quickly another kiter came by to check on me floating alone in the water, that i was free of te kite and to drage me to shore holding on to his harness. Surprisingly possible, though wrenching on the arms. Did I say bad things about Club Mistral yesterday? I take it all back with bells on. They have a rescue boat which just hangs around in te water waiting to rescue people. Witout an ado they nipped to the the kite, got it on board, lines unall - - then came to meet me where I'd been deposited nearer the shore. Totally matter of fact. I was the 6th they'd rescued today including one guy who'd got stuck 2.5km offshore, two lost boards, a lost other things I didn't understand (windsurf terminology), oh and an upturned boat (maybe the F-One fim crew?). I was their 6th 1,000 Rupees - that is if you want to get your equipment bacl! A fair exchange me thinks.

Well anyway, I was actually on my way ome, having spent a few hours in the excellent lagoon getting my skills back up - and had just stopped for a quick play in the waves. Now I had actually noticed the chickenloop looking a bit worn earlier. But not particularly bad, not enough to think it needed replacing, just enough to think how quickly they wear down.

The evening ahead will involve pissing aout canablising the bar from my 7m kite ...

[Pic: Me outside our hotel room at the Indian - main spot for kiting in the background]

Got on the water at last – it’s been a month or so now since my micro-session at Lake Balaton.

We arrived yesterday but our baggage got waylaid in gay Paris so I had to endure a whole afternoon watching others kite at this wonderful location

It couldn’t be more perfect for logistics: Our room is on the ground floor a few palm trees back from the beach with doors opening direct to the grass ... the trees protecting the general public from the wind!

I’ve just left my kite pumped, resting up against a tree trunk for the NIGHT!

INITIAL REVIEW - LE MORNE
BEST OVERALL LOCATION SO FAR

WEATHER
Shorts & tee
Mid 20’s? It’s winter here at the moment, late July
Some cloud cover
Appears the wind comes in the afternoon, in five day blocks they tell me, typically form the southeast

ACCOM AT INDIAN RESORT & SPA
We have a sand badminton court 10 feet away, large room plenty of room for cot and desk and table and sofa

TODAY'S SESSION
Today’s wind didn’t come in properly til late 4ish pm – had a mini-session in an earlier teasebreeze – enough to wet the spirit – but I ended up landing downwind of our room, at the public kiting beach immediately downwind of the resort
Nobile 555 132cm, 11m Slingshot Rev 2
Crappy backloops
One well formed left-side front loop – surprised myself there
A “warm-up” session really after about a month off the water
Rally enjoyed the waves – loved-em
Only got about 1.5hrs out there

PEOPLE
Friendly kiters – chatted to some South African’s (begin-intermediate, some comedy to watch - but who am I to talk!)

Also there’s a team of people ere – F-One sponsored riders & crew – all on F-One surfboards and flying Bandit kites, and a big bearded man who seems to be in charge, at least of tinkering with kites, and one guy (Miko?) who’s awesome on the surfboard that they were filming today – all friendly


CLUB MISTRAL – KITE SHOP/RENTAL/TEACHING
Staff at Club Mistral reception appear unfriendly – I headed there after missing baggage to work out rental etc – that they do – but certainly not with a smile or any attempt at friendliness
Bring IKO card if want to rent or pay €25 to prove ability
Price kite rental is €45 (2hrs), plus €10 insurance
Great spot on the downwind edge of the resort on the water’s edge
Loads of kit
Presumably was orig a windsurf thing now doing kiting as well
SEE MY COMMENTS IN A LATER BLOG ABOUT THEIR SAFETY BOAT AND FRIENDLY RESCUE SERVICE!

LOCATION
Stunning - - just beautiful to look back at the palm fringed waters edge from out on the water with the extremely dramatic “Le Morne” (the mountain on this peninsula) rising vertically, boxlike, above and behind it.
Darkness descends quickly from 6pm.

FACILITIES
Indian Resort & Spa
Food (we’re on all-inclusive – definitely the way to do it) = great mix of local and Frenchish/Italianish
- Room spots – couldn’t be better for kiters if you take GROUND FLOOR – you can launch from anywhere along the beach, but less broken shells/coral towards the south (upwind)

LAUNCHING
Palm trees close but just enough room to launch with your toes in the water
Not good for total beginners except perhaps at the two ends of the resort
Though the lagoon a few mins to the south is excellent for total beginners, one of the best spots I've seen
Water shallow to walk into, no need for footwear, some broken coral at the downwind end of the resort but not outside your room


WIND
I was OK on 11m today, I’m guessing 18 knots?
Comes in from the south east which is left-cross-onshore.

WATER
Flatish for a few hundred metres to the edge of the reef
Warmer than the swimming pool! Lots of people in wetsuits but I was more than warm enough in boardies and 1mm Radiator
Then some beautiful waves breaking
Water was a metre at its shallowest and no need to be in those areas (tough not sure about today’s tide)
I’m told there’s some dangerous currents at times but not got detail on that yet
[Pic: View from our room - note the kites resting by the tree which is where the stay all night]



View Kitesurfing spots - Alex on Tour09, inc Mauritius Kiteival in a larger map

[Pic: Le Morne - the mountain, taken from the south east at Choisy. The kiting happens to the left of the leftmost tip]

Yep, missed an afternoon's wind as all 6 of our bags are still in Paris. This place is perfect though - staying at Indian Resort & Spa at Le Morne. It's blowing 20kts in the late afternoon.