What do you remember?

[ricki]

Some articles are going to come out of this event. It would be great to capture and report on some of the individual experiences. What things stick in your mind about the Race, whether you made it the full way or not, volunteered on the beach, whatever? Over to you ...

[toby wilson]

Getting worked in the shorebreak and high dead onshore winds... :oops:

[SURFNUT]

Lots of chop. :lol: And thinking that Stacey was going to beat me.

[C. Moore]

The head high surf at Johns Pass that I was riding in for a good 30 minutes until I realized I am in a race and I need to finish. :D

[ricki]

These are good, one liners can sometimes tell it all. There are about 75 other folks with input on this. So, what sticks in your mind ...

[latino]

saving everybody else's arse and ending up 44th . was that the race?
i thought you had to collect as many boards as possible. :oops:

[The Kite House]

i remember starting dead last heading to the outside and saying holy shit its windy curent and more...........bam my foot strap explodes...i though tits over, but i sorted something out and charged, it was so challanging, was great, should do more......great work guys!

mine would be, what does an overnight drive, no sleep , winding up in the hood, busted gear and bust ass have in comon?

having a great time!

hey rick we searched for waves and scored[belive it or not] in bahia honda, waist to chest high, clean, 3/4 mile off shore with the stand up paddle boards, i am so sore now.....

again thanks for the fun, and sorry i came and went , but the bussiness calls!

aloha Paul

[BeefJerky]

I remember my 12m main bladder exploding on the beach - eight minute before start.
I remember - rushing to get the 9m ready (hoping the wind keep picking up - And thinking everyone will be over-powered - And I'll cruise in first place )
I remember when the horn went off - The 9m was way too small.
I remember having to sail back to the start. And rig my 16m

I remember seeing everyone disappear over the horizon before I left the beach 30min later.

I'll be back next year - awesome
Chris - Green Spike Helmet.

[stacey]

Latino, next year, Best will donate a prize for the last place finisher .... and for the guy who collects the most boards. You rock!!

1) After getting up Wed at 5AM and spending all day on a plane, I got back to Delray around 7 PM, and we left at 11PM, driving the 4 hours over to Tampa. Found a parking lot near a beach south of the launch, and "slept" in the Forerunner until morning. I slept inside, stretched out on top of the kites, while Brandon and "KiteBitch" Scott slept outside on their blowup mattresses ... until it started pouring. Scott climbed back into the front seat, while Brandon (150 lbs tall, 10 lbs wide), looking like Spongebob Square pants, ran off with his mattress towards the trees, seeking shelter.

"Hehehehe, Brandon just headed the north with his mattress!" I shouted to Scott over the downpour, "His legs are going 'deedle-eedle-eedle-eedle-eedle' like a cartoon! I think he's heading for the trees!!" Then two seconds later, "Hurry up ... LOOK! Here comes Brandon heading south with his mattress again.... guess the trees weren't enough .... !!!" It was the funniest sight I've seen in years.

2) Pumping up 3 kites, agonizing over which size would be the best to take, pretty sure that whatever kite I took would be the wrong size. Praying that it wouldn't blow up mid race, or a line didn't snap, or a footstrap didn't come loose ...

2) The agonizing start ... not being able to hear very well down where we were, and thinking the 2nd blast was the start. And starting. And getting a really great start since the guy ahead of me got ripped off his board and his kite went flying to the left, giving me plenty of room to dive my kite, then realizing it was a false start. And wondering if RickI was ever going to realize it was a false start and turn around and head back to shore, or just keep going :) Then waiting ANOTHER five minutes for the real start. And not having as nearly a spectacular real start as the false start, because the guy who got ripped off his board didn't make the same mistake twice.

3) Body dragging back to my board a million times, and losing a place every single time. RRRRRRRRRR. THAT'S why you beat me, Surfnut. :lol:

4) Watching Brandon pass me 100 yards from the finish ... as yep! I fell and lost my board ... beating me by less than a minute. "I was gunning for you the entire time," he said. To make myself feel better, I tell him, "You should be gunning for the first guy, not the first girl." Oddly, this helps. Especially when I add under my breath, "I'm old enough to be your mom, for god's sake." But it was a crushing blow for me, for sure. Beaten by Spongebob. Sheesh. 8)

That race was HARD!!!!!!!!!!! And not fun until it was over. But then it was really fun 8)


What I learned for next time:
1) Run your own race. Don't look ahead, don't look behind. You never know what can happen. Race yourself, and make sure you beat yourself. Because maybe the person you THINK you were chasing, who is now 2 miles ahead of you, isn't really the person you're chasing at all ... maybe they just have the same kites and you got confused. Maybe the person you were trying to beat is actually behind you, so don't give up, keep going as fast as you can, even when you think you don't have a chance ... otherwise, that person you thought was miles ahead of you may just be a few people behind you, and if you give up and slow down, you may be giving them the chance to pass you.

2) If you're going to fall, fall on your butt, lift your legs up as if you're throwing a deadman, and fly your kite past 12, so you can keep sine-ing it and pop right back up and keep going.

3) Try to convince your R&D guy to design you a supersafe invisible board leash, that no one can see except you, that disintegrates when it senses danger (like when it's wrapped around your neck, or when the board is heading towards your head like a torpedo), then magically re-assembles itself when it senses you need it (like when you simply fall off and need to pull the board back towards you.) Bodydragging back to your board REALLY takes its toll!

[Kev]

Did anyone else see the dolphins at John's Pass. They were pretty amazing too. I think they wanted to know what was going on with all the kiters. They were having as good as a time as we were.

[CrazyJay]

I have a request of all the riders who competed last year and this year.

Write a comparison of the 2 events. Include things such as race course length, conditions, and difficulty: event organization: value for entry fees: what worked well, what didnt. etc etc.

Give us your ideas so we can make NEXT year even bigger and better.

[Steve-O]

My first post on the forum. I was told to tell this story. First race by the way.

So I am crusing along working past the Redington pier. Notice kite is loosing air. Work into the beach and have an old guy help me get the kite down. He instantly goes for the bar. Whoa! Anyways, after inspection of kite, notice IN valve is almost out and leaking air. Make the decision to put the valve back in, and try to finish. Bad idea.....after five minutes....out to sea of course....kite just doesn't have enough pressure to keep shape. No relaunch...no nothing...dead in the water. Of course then the kiters behind me start coming. One after another. Many stopped to see if I need help....don't know who they were...but thanks for trying. Never done a self rescue, but seen in so many times on the Real DVD at the shop.....worked like a charm. So I am cruising in flying the kite by hand. Took about 15 min to get to where the waves are breaking. Little did I know there is a frenzy on the beach of lights and people. Then the helicopter shows up. I turn around and an inflatable dingy with 3 firemen are ready to "rescue" me. Ok I do appreciate it guys, but I am like 15 yds from shore and getting ready to be pounded by the shoulder high waves breaking on the bar. Told them I was cool, and to just let me get in. They insisted that I needed help. In my mind, I don't really want a boat with a prop near me in the pounding surf. In their mind....their thinking "save the poor lad!!!" So they throw a rope and yell at me to grab it. Keep in mind I have a board and a kite in hand...oh yeah and waves getting ready to pound us all. So I manage to grab the rope and it begins to pull so hard that I can't hang on. I look up and the boat full of men disappear over the falls. After the wave levels out, I see a boat upside down, with three rescuers in the water. I hate to say it, but I told you so. So they get to the beach, get the boat sucured, get back out, and help me in the last 10 feet or so. Side note....I have had some near drownings in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Hawaii in double overhead surf. No one to rescue me then. Not bitter, but just ironic. Anyway, the guys were cool and asked if I needed anything....drink...money...cell phone. I saw the fire truck and asked "You guys got a compressor?" You can imagine the look on there faces. They kind of blew me off, but I kept asking and sure enough one guy bit. So to put it simply, they got my kite back to pressure, launched me off and I finished the race dead last. Well before PJ...but I am convinced she stops for lunch along the way. :D It was a memorable race for sure and a big shout out to the Fire Department of Redington shores. I could have been in alot of trouble and was glad they were there just in case. Billy.....you da man!!!!!!!

[C. Moore]

Good story Steve-O.. 8)

[PJPJPJ]

This is something good to write about. C.Moore told me to go online and check out the posts on the race. I laughed so hard(Stacey) that I felt the need to post myself... so, here goes...

Friends told me that the person who took last place was mentioned not only in Billy's (WAY TO GO) article giving him massive congratulations, but by other fun loving kiters who realize the importance of doing clean up, rolling up the carpet, turning out the lights, and coming in last place, no matter how long it takes! You guys made it tough this year. And, this only shows what a great community of kiters we have when the last place finisher (even if they called me a chap) gets mentioned right along with the best of the best.

Steve-O, I have to say that you gave me a good run for the money by having a "kiting emergency" and going ashore. The thought would never have occurred to me. I wish you better luck next time. Also, maybe next time I will stop off at The Frog Pond in Redington Beach for a bite to eat as you suggest. Such creative thinking!

Rick I., For some people the most important thing about the race was what place they took when they crossed the finish line. There were some incredible feats accomplished during this race! For others (well me), it was enough to cross the finish line itself. I can't remember feeling better! I had my best ride yet. I ENJOYED THE RIDE!!!!! It will be hard to top. I had almost 4 1/2 hours of uninterupted time on the water, in challenging conditions, with my thoughts and fears, and the dolphins at Redington Beach.

Yes, in retrospect, I could have gone faster, taken more chances, and finished sooner. But I wouldn't trade the ride I had for anything!

[Each and every rider in the Tampa Bay Kitemasters Race faced down a few demons that day!]

ADVICE FOR OTHER RIDERS:

1.) Attempt to do something you believe is beyond your grasp. Once you do it, Immediately Dream Bigger!

2.) By all means hook up a board leash for conditions including 10-foot swells and gusts up to 30. Then, once you have it attached to your harness like I did, forget to attach it to your board until 1/2 way through the race. At that point, seriously ponder when and where is a good place to take a small break to get your leash attached without the swells swallowing you whole. Finally, attach your leash to your board once you see what you are facing at John's Pass because you believe it will make your body easier to locate by the Coast Guard or some wandering fisherman next week. This worked for me! And, I feel like I deserve a little gold star for not only taking last place but for the miraculous feat of
never losing my board!

3.) Always help your fellow kiters in need. This makes us a stronger kiting community.


And, last but not least, (pun intended) a huge load of thank you's goes to Jayson and Julie, Chris M, Amber, Tammy, Chris S., and everyone else who threw in time, effort, money and for those who showed up just to cheer on the riders.

This was an incredibly successful event! Looking forward to the next one.