Photo Of The Day!!! [Archive] - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

ricki

03-26-2008, 08:33 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Neil_To_Cuba.jpg
Photo credit: Red Bull
Neil sets off on the way to Cuba, December 21, 2001. Other riders included Kent, Fabrice, Paul Menta and Oliver.

Here is an article from 2002 about the World Record Run:

Kiteboarding Magazine, May 2002

Behind the scenes of the Red Bull Cuba Crossing!
By Ryan Riccitelli

No one can deny that Neil Hutchinson, Kent Marinkovic, Oliver Butsch, Fabrice Collard and Paul Menta are CORE for even trying something like this. After 8 hours and 48 minutes, 88 miles, Paul Menta almost dying, Oliver Butch slamming his kite into one of the rescue boats and the variety of other political and weather-related set backs, it's a miracle these guys pulled this off. Despite the media hype and the significance of the accomplishment itself, there is another story to be told. These five guys trained for months and built a brotherhood of respect among each other, which ultimately helped them to achieve their goal. I caught up with Neil Hutchinson via phone, as he was just about to leave for the Gorge. RR: You guys are nuts, bro. How did you get involved in something like this?

NH: I was over in Maui for the Red Bull King of the Air and I received a phone call from Miami and half an hour later I was confirmed to join the team. It was a definite surprise for me to participate.

RR: How did you train for this?

NH: Gilles, the organizer of the event, did an excellent job getting all the right people involved. Red Bull assigned each of us a nutritionist to make sure we were eating right and prepared for the journey. As for riding, we did several down-winders--the longest from Miami to the Keys totaling 120 miles.

RR: I heard you were dodging the nutritionist because you didn't think she would approve of your diet.

NH: Mate, I wake up and have a cup of black coffee and three to four cigarettes. It's a breakfast for champions. I usually ride all day and do not have time for lunch. At about 7 p.m. I am so starving I look for the biggest steak you could imagine and wash it down with about six beers. Oh yeah … I smoke two packs a day and hate vegetables.

RR: What did she think about it?

NH: She was shocked, to be quite honest. She really tripped out on me when I told her I did the practice run to Key West drinking four bottles of Gatorade and eating two Snickers bars.

RR: What were you thinking about while you were kiting through the 10-foot-plus swells?

NH: I should have listened to Fabrice's weather report. Everyone except Fabrice rigged too big of kites, and we were overpowered and getting launched through the swells as the winds grew stronger off the coast. The hours seemed to melt together as the chase boats lied to us about how far we had come to keep us on track.

RR: Did Paul Menta really almost die?

NH: Yeah, mate! Each chase boat had a rescue diver. Gilles, the event organizer, saw Paul lying face down with a death grip on his bar. He was the first to jump in the water to rescue him. It took him three tries to grab him because his kite kept powering up and pin-wheeling, which ripped Paul from his hands. It was a close call!

RR: What was the first thing you did when you hit land?

NH: At this point my legs had pretty much given out. We couldn't actually kite to the shore due to Cold War obstacles submerged off the coast. I fell off the boat and laid with my back flat on the dock and proceeded to drink a nice cold Corona while, of all people, the event's doctor brought me my cigarettes. The rest of the night was blur of beer, tequila and Cuban rum. The local people were very hospitable.

RR: Do you still the ride with these guys?

NH: I ride with these guys all the time. Our friendships have grown stronger through what we have accomplished in breaking the world distance record for kiteboarding. The feeling that Oliver and Paul couldn't complete the mission only helped drive us to conquer our goal. For us, this was like conquering Mount Everest.

RR: Do you have anything else you want to say?

NH: There is NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that Paul and Oliver could have finished this.
Paul was bitten by a shark weeks before, suffered from food poisoning and was flown out of Cuba shortly after we arrived. Oliver made a simple judgmental error at the beginning, which jeopardized his success. He was so pissed that he did not make the trip he threw up his kite and took it out on the Cuban waterways. I remember seeing the local faces of unbelief as piles of 1950 Fords started rolling up as they watched Oliver inverted 40 feet up, smiling back at them on their normally quiet intracoastal waterway.

neil xrated

03-26-2008, 08:58 AM

WOW! That brings back some memories. Cheers Neil

b-rad

03-28-2008, 07:18 AM

yes it does...

ricki

03-28-2008, 08:48 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Hamish2.jpg

Neil just sent this one in of Hamish, captioned "East at 15-20 Hamish at Tiki Beach. Photo Ian Hutchinson"

(Hey Neil if you have a larger file send it in and I'll put the larger image up)

I have a lot of good shots of Hamish going off unhooked and otherwise over the years. The one below came to mind, the time was early in 2003. Kite leashes were still for "kooks" or responsible riders depending on your outlook. Kites were flying off downwind frequently as a result threatening others and our access prospects.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Hamish_MacDonald_Leashed_Handle_Pass.sized.jpg

Hamish showed another way and at the start of the wakestyle kiting movement. Guys don't want to be chasing their kites all day while trying to learn demanding tricks so a lot of pressure went on for leash development. I think Hamish was one of the first as captured in this photo from the 2003 Islamorada Invitational. It must have made an impression, I recall it had over 1800 hits worldwide in just 24 hours. Way to go and a positive move for the future of the sport!

ricki

03-31-2008, 08:55 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/IMG_0839.jpg
Here is another great shot from Neil. Captioned ...
Alex B on a down winder. Photo Paul Porter

Keep 'em coming. Anyone else have candidates for the Photo Of The Day?

p.s.- Hey Alex, just go around the pier next time. No need to blast a hole in it first!

ricki

04-01-2008, 09:14 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album352/crop1_s.sized.jpg

An incredible shot, one of many captured by A. Patterson on the far side of the waterway of this serious lofting in the Great Lakes. The kiter survived the experience despite being dragged unconscious underwater while not breathing for a considerable distance. He came through in a large part thanks to the solid intercession of his kiting friends ably performing CPR and a fortunate twist of fate. It is a dramatic story of survival worth reading at http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=31305

ricki

04-02-2008, 08:44 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Canine_Fashion_Police.sized.jpg

Beware the tooth and claw of the Fashion Police. They are unrelenting and uh short?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CJ_n_Doggie.sized.jpg
CJ takes things in hand at Kite4Girls

Photos: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-02-2008, 10:03 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CRANDON_NORTH_BEACH_s.jpg
JP provided this very nice low altitude oblique image over looking
North Beach at Crandon Park, part of Key Biscayne, Bear Cut,
Virginia Key and the SoBe skyline in the background.

ricki

04-07-2008, 05:41 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Damien_n_Demian.sized.jpg

Damien and Demion caught in a bubble at the 2007 Jupiter Kiteboarding Invasion.

Photo: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-08-2008, 06:25 AM

http://www.kitehawaii.com/~Action/3_13_2008_Hookipa/image/sj6s8690.jpg

http://www.kitehawaii.com/~Action/3_13_2008_Hookipa/image/sj6s9863.jpg

Kevin Collins got in touch with these great shots of a wave session in Hookipa, Maui. More at: http://www.kitehawaii.com/~Action/3_13_2008_Hookipa/index.htm

RbGar

04-09-2008, 09:10 AM

CJ's a super hottie, hey CJ , you need a big dog? I fetch and roll over too, plus I hardly ever wet the floor!

ricki

04-09-2008, 09:57 AM

http://www.shark-freediving.com/blog/wp-content/willdahab1.jpg
From: http://www.shark-freediving.com/

It's all about the water, and the wind. Still the water part is pretty important and for lots of us there are few barriers to heading beneath the sea for a look around. With the coming calm days of summer, this is a good option to keep in mind.

This image is of William Winram, a free diver swimming down to the Arch at the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt. I think it is about 60 m (197 ft.) deep, perhaps a bit more. Used to like to do this sort of finless free diving with just a mask for a long time. Never went below 50 ft. though!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Blue_Hole_2005.JPG/800px-Blue_Hole_2005.JPG
From: http://en.wikipedia.org

NOTE: We have a forum on this site dedicated to diving perhaps more accurately some of the more unusual types of diving in Florida and beyond. Other interests are good to help get you through the calm months so check it out:

http://fksa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=92

ricki

04-10-2008, 09:11 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Too_Close.jpg
Too close to shore?

Least he didn't seem to break or paralyze anything.
From the Jupiter Kiteboarding Invasion 2008.

Photo: Rick Iossi

kalapana

04-11-2008, 02:45 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/kitebeach.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/hacking.jpg

Danny Albertson shredding on his forehand and backhand @ kite beach, FL. (Jupiter?)

Photographs by Lisa Jefferson wife of kiter Mark.

ricki

04-13-2008, 08:14 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/KB_Masters_2008.jpg

Kiteboarding Masters 2008 kicked off yesterday. I think something like 46 participants registered to compete. The wind eased off a bit in early afternoon, still it was a great time and event in an excellent setting.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Racing.jpg

There was a sailboat regatta as back drop in the morning.

Photos: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-14-2008, 07:55 AM

More from Kiteboard Masters 2008

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Damo.jpg
Damien Leroy wins first place

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Board_Choice.jpg
Kent was giving advice about course racing boards a while back. What was he saying?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Amped.jpg
... will inherit the earth, but only if they're awake! I liked Neil's Capt's. briefing too, go figure?

Photos: Rick Iossi

eclipsedave

04-14-2008, 05:44 PM

There are some more photos here there is a really good one of kent with the sailboats in the background http://www.markhaworthphotography.com/gallery/4706877_3FbJz#278792810_QhgnV

BigR

04-14-2008, 06:21 PM

some of those directionals are looking HUGE!

esp. wide too, dang . am I the only one using as small a board like 5' 9" X 18" X 2.125" ?

kent

04-14-2008, 07:04 PM

18 inches is fine Big R. The length really only matters when heading off the wind in large chop. A longer board allows you to draw out the nose scoop enough so that there isn't an abrupt change of angle causing the board to stick in the troughs. The key is the straighter outline and the flatter tail rocker. Damo's board is really only 18.5 inches wide.

We just got back from traing in Texas and learned quite a bit about new race boards. I just hope a few more people get them so that racing can take off in Florida like it has elsewhere. The added benefit is that most rider will be fully powered in 10-12 MPH. The event this weekend had lulls to around 8 and we could still plane through them.

I like the shot of all the kites in front of the sail boats. That pic is almost perfect, if only we could delete the orange kite it would be a work of art! Great pics Rick. Maybe we will see you next week.

Kent

ricki

04-14-2008, 08:19 PM

Special thanks to Mark Haworth, http://www.markhaworthphotography.com/ for loaning me a long lens. He shot a ton of great images too. Left mine at home, normally don't need it but the course race this time demanded one.

Have so many shots still in the can. Obsessed about the sailboats in the background, must have dozens of those alone. Given the poor viewing rate debating about doing a big writeup per usual. Still, will likely do something highlighting the great event and all the intriguing visuals.

Thanks Kent, sure hope to make it.

ricki

04-15-2008, 08:38 AM

More from KB Masters 2008 ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/KB_Masters_2008_VR_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=KB_Masters_2008_VR_s)
Click image for full sized photo

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Jon_n_boats_s.jpg
Jon Modica rips towards the finish while the fleet heads the wrong way?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Three.jpg
Wind eases, no problem, just standup! Bring a friend.

Photos: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-16-2008, 08:33 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Melissa.sized.jpg

Melissa Gil setting up for the Naples Pier to Pier Race earlier this year.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sanibel_Light.sized.jpg
Doing a ride by of Sanibel Light after the race.

Sorry for the poorer image quality. I used a carry along small amphibious camera for the shots.

Photos: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-17-2008, 09:22 PM

Shots from the first Ft. Lauderdale to Matheson Hammock Race late last year.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Math_Hammock.jpg
Things get real shallow at low tide as the regatta moves inside Key Biscayne

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album323/m1.jpg
Neil and Garry have a breather at the far end of the run. Neil living on the edge "parks" in a posted zone?

Photos: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-21-2008, 05:57 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/hat_s.jpg
Shot over 5000 of these for a calendar last year for http://bikinis-from-brazil.com/. Chrys did a great job pulling in models, attiring them in her bikini lines for the shoot. It was a fun project. Might as well bring some out once in a while. Grabbing for a prop, a hat, there's even kite gear in the frame! More (just a few though) at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=2295

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Capoeira_s.jpg
No kiting in this at all. Wonder if they do Capoeira on the NE coast of Brazil in the kiting latitudes? Caught this photo along with several hundred others during a demo at the Brazil Festival in Deerfield. It is amazing that they do this extremely gymnastic sport without benefit of mats or pads over concrete! Didn't notice any scars or bruises on any of the players either. I imagine that if an adept learned kiting they would throw some truly insane moves on the water. More at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=2289

.

StringBean

04-21-2008, 06:55 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sanibel_Light.sized.jpg
Doing a ride by of Sanibel Light after the race.

Sorry for the poorer image quality. I used a carry along small amphibious camera for the shots.

Photos: Rick Iossi

What a great shot! I used to live in the area and my favorite spot was on Sanibel. Ah, good times.

ricki

04-22-2008, 06:30 AM

Thanks, I was uneasy about getting back to Ft. Myers. Otherwise I would have taken more time with the shots. The wind was falling off and in fact eventually turned off. At least I was able to make it back to the beach over there and walk back, whoops! It is a scenic area, one with some good wind direction options.

ricki

04-22-2008, 09:37 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Paul_M.jpg
Paul Menta of The Kitehouse does a speed run on the Flats of Key West

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Paul_2.jpg
Paul throws one of those spinning hand dragging things, can't ever remember what it is called. Sure looks good though.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/KW_Sunset.jpg
Another Key West sunset, this one from years in the past. Is that a meteor in the upper left part of the frame? Almost 'Shopped it out but started to wonder about it ...

Photos: Rick Iossi

*

conchxpress

04-22-2008, 10:12 PM

Rick, need any help for your next bikini shoot?

conchxpress

04-22-2008, 10:15 PM

From the looks of the position of Paul's board shorts, I'd call this trick "the plumber."

Sorry for the last two posts. Too much coffee too close to bedtime.

ricki

04-23-2008, 07:51 PM

Rick, need any help for your next bikini shoot?

Not sure there will be another. That was the first one that I had done. Still, it was a challenge and I think some interesting shots came out of it. Who knows what may come?

ricki

04-23-2008, 08:46 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Slate_and_Hunter_1_s.jpg
Here are some shots of my good friend Capt. Slate of Atlantis Dive Center (http://216.147.0.114/Florida-Keys-Diving/index.php) in Key Largo and his son Hunter on the reef.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Slate_and_Hunter_3_s.jpg
Here they are again backlit

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Fish_Mob_s.jpg
Getting crowded!

Photos: Rick Iossi

*

ricki

04-28-2008, 08:23 AM

Vacation time is coming up, there's always the Grenadines to consider, although for wind earlier in the year might be better. More to life than just wind, or so my wife says. Wonder if it's true?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Mustique.sized.jpg
Ripping along the north shore of Mayreau

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bat_Signal.jpg
Batfish signal?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Tabago_Cays.jpg
A clear day at Tobago Cays

Photos: Rick Iossi

ricki

04-28-2008, 08:44 AM

btw, all the shots above on this page, except the one taken off Mayreau were shot with a small amphibious camera. It is rated to 10 m or 33 ft., shoots still and video images. It is good to have something portable while your riding, doing shallow free diving, snowboarding or just hanging out on the water. I understand they just came out with the 1070 sw replacing the model listed below.

* Olympus 770 SW 7.1 Megapixel Camera
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/images/prod_assets/colorChanger/1287_header_silver.jpg

3.6” W x 2.3” H x 0.8” D !

For more info: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1287

kent

04-28-2008, 10:46 AM

Rick,

Thanks for the advice. I just purchased the 1030 SW. This thing is killer. 10 mega pixels and underwater to 10 meters. Unfortunately I had to buy 2 of them, because the first only lasted 4 minutes in the bay. I dropped it and lost it forever before even taking a shot!!! I went out a bought another the next day and had a great weekend! I'll post some pics later.

Kent

ricki

04-28-2008, 10:58 AM

Hey Kent,

Damn that sucks! Nothing hurts a photographer more than deep sixing a camera. Sorry that happened.

I've been using the following system with some success on and under the water, walking around, on the snow, etc.. It works pretty well.

I got one of these Lowepro camera pouches:

http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/low/EC.LOW.REZO15.JPG
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=146439

I run the wrist leash through the neck strap. That way if I drop the camera, it hangs off the camera bag. If I am kiting, I run the neck strap through my impact vest so the lot won't fall off in a bad wipeout. I tuck it under my impact vest when not in use to keep it out of the way.

If you don't wear an impact vest an idea might be to use one of these camera floats. Or, better still jury something on your camera neck strap.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/412td-MBlCL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Floating-Camera-Orange-%2528850SW%2529/dp/B0014DURIW

Show us some shots from your new camera!

ricki

04-29-2008, 10:06 AM

The first Tampa Kiteboard Masters in 2006

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Damien.sized.jpg
Damien pushing a lot of spray. This event may have been run in the highest wind of any contest in Florida to date to my knowledge.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Kent_Tampa.sized.jpg
Kent rips along

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Billy_Parker.jpg
Billy Parker still at it after sunset. It was a long day but still looking good.

Sorry for the fuzzy images, not only was it windy it was also sort of dark at times.

ricki

04-29-2008, 11:01 AM

My apologies, my image file was incomplete on the drive I pulled the above images from. Took me a while to tumble to the fact and longer still to find the missing images. Success though and all is well with the world again, at least this small part for now. To make amends, wanted to throw a few more images up from the event.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/101_s.jpg
Raul prepares to launch Kent into a solar worm hole? What sort of QR do you use in a worm hole?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Jayson.jpg
Jayson loops one

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/310_G.jpg
Sun is back and looking mighty fine!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Tampa_Sunset.jpg
Billy lands one as the sun falls beneath the horizon

ricki

05-01-2008, 07:49 AM

Back in October 2001 I tooled up the coast to visit Greg Kuklinski and checkout his new kite line, NEXT in Ft. Pierce, FL. It was developed following the Seasmick line of bridled inflatable kites. These were the original SLE or flat kites years before they caught on in a big way worldwide.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Next_in_Ft_Pierce.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Greg_Jeff_Irma_Mike_n_Next.jpg
Gangs all here. That is Greg on the right holding the kite, Jeff Beige of Best Kiteboarding today on his left. Out in the water is Irma, the kiting wonder woman along with Mike.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Greg_n_Next.jpg
Greg strolls back upwind in failing breeze. Note he is totting a famous Ft. Pierce split tail directional. I think Gebi had one of those for the recent Masters comp. in Miami. The photo was taken before a big beach renourishment project. Glad they got their beach back.

I was looking around trying to find some old Internet information on the line and came across this from ikitesurf in 2001 shortly after these shots were taken in Ft. Pierce. It also followed a really light wind session with a NEXT at the first kitesurfing competition in Florida held in St. Pete:

Im looking at getting a Next NKG kite and am wondering if anyone has had any experience with one.
Thanks,

I am also considering getting one because of the great depowering characteristics of the kite, i.e. no lofting? I have tried them out twice. Once with their largest model in winds that were around 13 mph sustained and still did ok. The next time I tried the next size down in faiing winds, but it still handled well and was surprisingly foregiving. The kites are a bit more technical to fly than inflatable sleds drawing characteristics from both sleds and foils. I think that they are worth a go.

Rick

Took over four more years for the industry to snatch on to the concept, develop it and bring a sea change to kiting as we know it.

linhster

05-01-2008, 10:01 PM

I kite in Ft. Pierce (not as often as I like) and Greg is one of the most influential person in the kiting arena. I guess a true pioneer in the industry. He has many followers I can assure you.

Thanks Rick for the pictures. :D

ricki

05-02-2008, 08:57 PM

You're welcome and yes, Greg has been a key guy in the kiting scene for years. Not quite sure how he manages to have all those attractive women around so much of the time. Must be a gift or something?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album175/8_G.jpg

http://gallery.kiteforum.com/albums/albup92/5a_2.jpg
He even makes Dave look good, well maybe not as good as Dave with his "grille" in place. That is quite a fashion statement. Have a couple of shots of LW Dave with his appliance in place. May have to put them in a future POD posting.

http://gallery.kiteforum.com/albums/albuv80/9_G.jpg
Dimitri scoping out a GK design a few years back at Surf Expo

.......... ///
........ -(@ @)-
--oOO-- (_)--- OOo--
..... Kilroy was here!

Well at least now we know Kilroy was actually from Greece

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album179/5_G.sized.jpg
Greg playing in some small swells off the Inlet

Greg, Gebi, Doug and Dave carried off a dramatic kiter rescue of some kids that had their powerboat flounder in Ft. Pierce Inlet in heavy seas a while back. More about that at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=1448&highlight=kuklinski

.

ricki

05-05-2008, 10:58 AM

Heading back to the 2008 Miami Kiteboard Masters ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Start_1.jpg
Charging out along a broad skirmish line

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Start_3.jpg
It's all about perspective

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/sup.jpg
Putting the spoilers up to avoid grabbing too much airtime during a standup session

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/out.jpg
Racing to catch the start

Photos by Rick Iossi
All rights reserved.

ricki

05-07-2008, 07:56 AM

Todd Essick wanted to try something different from sports photography for the wire services. So, he took a diving course, bought the first of tons of UW camera gear and set out to capture some new and varied compositions. He focuses on model compositions both clothed and nude, underwater often with sealife.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/EssickD331103sml.jpg
This was shot off Nassau about two years ago

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/EssickD331110sml.jpg
The logistics in such shoots can be overwhelming as unexpected animal interactions with costumes can be at times. That is one core water woman, seems to be containing things fairly well considering she's holding her breath, is at least 20 ft. beneath the surface and a shark is tangled in her outfit banging up against her trying to get out. The shark may have been attracted by glittering small sequins attached to the netting. Great model and athlete.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/kriNUS1.jpg
The challenges of shooting free diving models, absent regulator exhaust, with natural expressions and poses, largely blind with all the varied light and conditions underwater are immense.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/MermaidsSmile.jpg
Todd and his skilled models/water women pull it off though.

All photos by Todd Essick

Todd created a collection of his work in book form with many intriguing underwater photographs. It can be a good gift for water people or folks with an appreciation of unusual, well crafted images. More at: http://www.essickphoto.com/sub4.html

ricki

05-09-2008, 09:05 AM

Why not kite Exuma, in the Bahamas? Found some great shots on http://www.exumakitesurfing.com/ from the island chain.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ek8.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/IMG_4019.jpg
No need to fear the dreaded effects of FWN, you can find waves in the Family Islands

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ek6.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/IMG_0886_2_2.sized.jpg
Wheeled directionals are catching on at this launch. So many areas of riding flats.

Photos by Gary Sweeting and Bill Malachowski

ricki

05-12-2008, 09:58 AM

Trips may be on in the coming months. Bequia below St. Vincent in the Grenadines is highlighted in the following shots.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Port_Elizabeth.jpg
Port Elizabeth in the central area of the lee side of the island. There are some interesting shipwrecks around the mouth of the bay worth diving on.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bequia_Industry_Bay_VR_1.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Bequia_Industry_Bay_VR_1)
Click photo for full sized image
A view south across Industry Bay on the windward side of the island. There is a narrow kite launch here with a rock reef about a 1/4 mile to seaward with areas of iron shore to the north and south of the beach. Understand that if the trades shift off due east, turbulent winds can roll in across the headlands. This can cause kites to easily stall nearshore. Heavier seas can bring other challenging conditions out closer to the reef.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Park_Bay.jpg
More iron shore and a narrow reef rimmed beach near the turtle hatchery. As a rule on thumb in areas with prevailing strong winds, like the trades, if there are sand beaches on the windward side of things, rock is the reason. There may be reefs breaking heavy seas up to windward, beachrock outcrops or iron shore sheltering a narrow sand beach in the lee. Good for beaches, often less good for kiting. It can complicate things and up the hazards particularly in stronger winds or if something goes wrong.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Industry_Swells.jpg
Even though the trades had laid down the swells were still pumping in. You can see some good sized ones sweeping over the reef covering the mouth of Industry Bay. Nice wave sailing, just don't break down and try to drift in over the reef, ouch!

ricki

05-12-2008, 10:09 PM

Wave lust can sometimes take a toll ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/87_4dbe5b7d4691b54e185b46914204634c_C.jpg
From: http://www.pipelineposse.com/rostrum/_var/blog/87-4dbe5b7d4691b54e185b46914204634c.jpg
Photo by Unknown
Jason Frederico goes down hard at Pipeline

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/252456_93465_43fe04f5ae_p_E.jpg
From: http://www.jpgmag.com/photos/252456
Photo by: Phil Mislinski
Randall Paulson punches out at the 2004 Rip Curl Banzai Pipeline

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/c0070_20_D.jpg
From: http://www.surf-art.com/gallery/c0070-20.jpg
Photo by: Unknown
Greg Knoll and Mike Strange take the plunge at Waimai 40 years ago

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/UpsideDownMMP_800x692_B.jpgg
From: http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/01_03/UpsideDownMMP_800x692.jpg
Photo by: MMP
Sponger getting sneak attacked by 50 ft. wave off Cornwall?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/FleaFreefall26103_a.jpg
From: http://www.surfersvillage.com/img/st/FleaFreefall26103.jpg
Photo by: Karen Wilson
Darryl "Flea" Virostko of Maverick's fame pursues unaided flight over warmer waters

Despite that, we keep coming back for more. Must be something in the water?

ricki

05-13-2008, 08:25 AM

It is amazing that anyone could ride down the face of such a steep wave and with a long board. Hats off to Greg Knoll! What is the largest wave that has been surfed in Florida do you think? The largest one I have seen in recent years was over 15 ft. but well offshore while kiting. What is the largest one that someone has paddled (or towed into) here?

C. Moore

05-13-2008, 08:38 AM

Rick,

I remember when I use to surf Pipe, Log Cabins, and Waimea that no matter how bad you got punished out there it was the wave that you conquered with your buddies watching. That always brought me back for more punishment.

I still don't know how Greg Knoll took off with a long board at Pipe. It was hard enough on a 6'8" board at 12 to 15 foot pipe with a lot of North in the swell. It was like standing on a roof of a 30 foot building and it would just fall out beneath you.

Brings back some memories

ricki

05-13-2008, 11:23 AM

Hey Chris,

That is some intense stuff. Were you ever bounced off the rock bottom at Pipeline? Your analogy of standing on a three story building as it collapses beneath you is telling.

Bet you guys get swells like this frequently off the Bay area. Well, maybe miles out in the Gulf during hurricanes?

Just came across an interesting clip with some historical big, massive wave footage from Hawaii titled "Greg Knoll Legacy." He definitely is the man.

YLkbkv8eiWk

C. Moore

05-13-2008, 12:55 PM

Rick,

I have a nice scar on my back from collapsing a lung out at pipe one day. Funny thing is I don't remember which wave it was that caused a bleb on my lung to burst. When I got home that night I had a hard time breathing and I felt air bubbles under my skin every time I took a breath. Went to Tripler Army Medical Hospital and 60% of my left lung had collapsed. I always wore a helmet when I surfed pipe, I saw plenty of guys hitting their head on the reef there. Still good times and lots of vivid memories.

ricki

05-13-2008, 09:09 PM

ricki

05-15-2008, 08:39 AM

Islamorada Invitational 2004 revisited, this time in B & W ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Launch.jpg
On the beach

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Kent_II_04.jpg
Kent tacks in

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/XRATED.jpg
X-RATED is here in force

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Damien_n_Bri_04.jpg
Damien and Bri

You can see past Invitational and other events usually in color at:
http://fksa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=119

.

C. Moore

05-15-2008, 11:09 AM

Hey Chris,

Yow, that was some impact to rupture a bleb. Worry about bleb ruptures, if present, causing a pneumnothorax in diving. That is some intense surfing. Do you have any photos of you riding some larger waves in Hawaii? Sounds like prime POD content.

The photos I have a from a far distance. Underwater cameras weren't cheap back then and then trying to convince a friend to swim out in large surf to take pics of me was hard to find. I do have an incredible pic of me body surfing at Sandy's on Oahu's east side. I will find it and post it soon.

http://b4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00662/44/66/662736644_l.jpg

ricki

05-15-2008, 03:20 PM

Great shot, that's what I'm talking about! Please do put up the other body surfing shot when you find it. Although, I find it easier to relate to than surfing Pipeline and Waimea. Have you ever done gymnastics while body surfing? Forward flips over the falls to where you ride out on your back feet first, spins, riding on your back to somersault to feet forward, etc.. Fun stuff until you take too much water up your nose.

ricki

05-19-2008, 10:29 AM

Heading over to Maui, down the shore to La Perouse

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Molokini.jpg
Scoping out Molokini along the way

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Perouse_2.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Perouse_a.jpg
Some nearby rocks just inshore of the break. From some markers on the
path over the volcano flow, looks like some riders came in hard over the years.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Perouse_b.jpg

Photos by Rick Iossi

ricki

05-20-2008, 08:57 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/39034546_G.jpg

Racing on water
Joe Peroceschi, of Muskego, Wisc., is thrown from his boat, Smokin Joe, after losing control on a windy course at the Budweiser Drag Boat Nationals held at Wappapello Lake in Southeast Missouri. Peroceschi, who reportedly suffered a shattered pelvis, was racing against Poppa's Toy, left, driven by Rick Conklin, of Ottawa, Ill. (AP/Daily American Republic, Paul Davis / May 18, 2008)

An amazing composition, looks like the guy is outrunning the boat off to the left. It is great that he survived the accident. Wind can really flip those hydrofoils fairly easily. Wonder how many have been wacked by summer squalls.

http://snsimages.tribune.com/media/photo/2008-05/39039655.jpg

Elvis hangs ten
An Elvis impersonator glides across an icy pond on his snowboard at the Pond Skimming Championships in Mount Bachelor, Ore., on May 18. (AP/The Bulletin,Andy Tullis)

Anyone up for kiting in snowboard boots? That is aside from foilboarding. Has anyone skiied/snowboarded Mt. Bachelor? I've heard they get a ton of snow there.

ricki

05-21-2008, 08:55 AM

Surf Expo is coming up again this September. Here is a quick glimpse from years past.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Dave_n_Greg.jpg
Dave and Greg are always good for a photo op

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/KGB.jpg
The KGB Girls seem to turn out every year

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/se_3_s.jpg
One year they worked male dancers/gymnasts into the runway show. Pretty impressive moves.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Model.jpg
Taking a moment before going on. Tons of swimware is shown and sold to retailers at the show.

Photos by Rick Iossi

ricki

05-23-2008, 03:13 PM

It is kind of hot out, why not drift over to slightly cooler climes for a look, say the Antarctic?

http://norb.homedns.org/nwp/misc_stuff/uai_exhibit/originals/6932.JPG
A grounded iceberg. Note the tiny diver off in the distance near the top of the frame. CLEAR cold (-1.86 C or 28.65 F) water in the Antarctic.

http://norb.homedns.org/nwp/misc_stuff/uai_exhibit/originals/7445.JPG
It almost looks like the surf has frozen in place overhead

http://norb.homedns.org/nwp/misc_stuff/uai_exhibit/originals/8802.JPG

http://norb.homedns.org/nwp/misc_stuff/uai_exhibit/originals/5130.JPG

All photos by Norbert Wu, an amazing photographer excelling in a beautiful hostile environment at the bottom of the world. Norbert's unique work shows up all over, you can buy prints at his website at: http://www.norbertwu.com/

ricki

06-02-2008, 09:06 AM

A few years back an unusual event came off. Kiting from one country into another, Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini in the Bahamas. Big thanks to Neil and all the participants and sponsors for making this one a reality.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Dawn_001.jpg
Dawn and the gangs all here. A bit nippy with a light, failing side offshore breeze. Neil is talking with the troops and there's Stacey, the first woman to kite across the Florida Straits to the Bahamas.
Photo: Rick Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Start_0.jpg
What's wrong with this picture? The kites are on the water nearshore, the wind ebbed just after the start a bit more. If it was easy, everyone would being doing it right?
Photo: Laura Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Chopper.jpg
Once you were out about five miles the wind started to fill in. At some points guys were near overpowered. So, from light and offshore to overpowered all in just 60 miles?
Photo: Guido Flueck

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Kent_n_Gebi_2.jpg
Kent and Gebi drive hard to capture first. They did try some "double dutch" line tricks on the way but that didn't slow them down much.
Photo: Guido Flueck

Gone but not forgotten. Maybe there will be another race across someday.

ricki

06-03-2008, 08:41 AM

Grabbed a few more images from this notable chapter in kiteboarding from December 2005.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Start_a.jpg
Love that start, well, not really but it was different.
Photo provided by Chad Anschuetz

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Moving.jpg
The smart money got offshore fast and early before the wind eased a bit more. There was a sailboat regatta going on at the same time.
Photo: Guido Flueck

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Gebi.jpg
Water's calmer, bluer, clearer? Gebi and Kent must be coming into Bimini!
Photo: Guido Flueck

ipWzzRCVCKo
Here's an interesting trailer. I would pay a premium to get a video of this race myself. Youtube is good fuzzy images and all but there is nothing like DVD quality for viewing. The project stalled but I bet with enough interest, kiteflix could wrap it up in no time.

ricki

06-04-2008, 06:19 AM

If there are some some kiting, surfing, windsurfing, diving or unique water related
larger higher resolution shots that you think would look good here, please get in touch.

For instance, does anyone have some good shots from the race to the Bahamas that
they would like to put up?

PM ricki or email flkitesurfer at hotmail.com.

Thanks!

ricki

06-04-2008, 06:25 AM

We've enjoyed Gavin Butler's excellent images for years in kitesurfing magazines and online.
I asked if he had some snow kiting images to post in "Photo Of The Day." The weather lately
has had me thinking about snow at times, wonder why?

Here's what he sent along ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jake_moonrise.jpg
Jake Buzianis adds new meaning to "Big Sky" out in Montana with some help from Gavin

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jim_bisson.jpg
Jim Bisson rips along

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jake_buzianis.jpg
Jake goes to it again closeup

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jake_buzianis_rail.jpg
Nice slider sequence involving Jake

Thanks Gavin! You can see many more superb images at his website: www.sailfishimages.com.
He also shoots for www.bestkiteboarding.com worldwide

ricki

06-05-2008, 11:52 PM

A late season trip to the Abacos in the Bahamas with WIND at the end of May 2008! Thought it would be calm as anything but it was not.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/EC_1.jpg
Having a blast off Hope Town in a very late season strong cold front.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GGC_1.jpg
Playing in the waves off Nippers on Great Guana Cay. If you ever ride here be sure to save the nipping until AFTER the riding session. Otherwise use a gun, it's faster and cleaner. There are areas of very shallow coral and expose beach rock formations on the beach ripe for bashing into if you aren't particularly careful. They are often exposed at low tide to less than a foot deep at high tide. Great way to mess up a leg or redo your back?! A downside of the Abacos at least on the Atlantic side of the coasts is the need to prespot clear jump landing areas free of shallow coral stands. Some areas say like off the Hope Town Harbour Lodge, an outstanding hotel and place for dinner btw, has way too many tight coral stands for much jumping. Great free diving though with lots of caves to checkout.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/TH_1.jpg
Heading back on a lunch roundwinder to Turtle Hill, Hope Town in dying wind conditions, (after several days of great wind).

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Tahiti_Beach_VR_2_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Tahiti_Beach_VR_2_s)
Tahiti Beach at the south end of Elbow Cay boardering Tiloo Cut. (click photo for full sized image) People go off about this launch but as near as I can tell, it might be better suited to windsurfers. Windsurfers can glide through the lulls easier than kiterboarders with stalling kites. The viable wind cone for sea breezes seems to be ESE to SE. Outside that, particularly to the north you get a LOT of wind shadow resulting in gusts and LULLS. It may be less clocking to the S and SW than from north of ESE. Went here with E winds, side offshore technical conditions near Elbow Cay. At least navigating south and around into the open ocean into some steep short wavelength swells through Tiloo Cut was technical, real fun though.

Photos by Laura and Rick Iossi

ricki

06-06-2008, 11:36 PM

ALERT!

Unseasonably strong, non-tropical system winds are on in parts of Florida this weekend. Go out and grab some while you can. Here are some shots in 20 down south from tonight. The same is forecast for Saturday and 15 to 20 for Sunday. May need to dodge some storms tomorrow though.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ri_1.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ri_3.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Keys_0.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Keys_2.jpg

Photos by Laura and Rick Iossi

N.B. - Sorry JP! I wanted to put the word out, your's are going up. Thanks!

ricki

06-07-2008, 10:34 PM

JP sent in some great shots including this first tandem image from Matheson:

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/PIGGY_BACK_s.jpg
If anyone can identify the riders please let us know. If you have a great tandem shot, please send it in so that I can add it to this post. I think I have a nice one of Jessie and his lady, where is that ...?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CURRY_HAMMOCK_3_2_08_1_s.jpg
JP caught Latino out of the SW Florida riding grounds popping a jump off Curry Hammock in the Keys.

Photos by JP Robinson

Hope everyone has been able to get some wind time in this weekend!

ricki

06-09-2008, 08:31 AM

Looking in on Cayo Huesto from this weekend ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Normal_Operation.sized.jpg
Paul Menta throws one at Smathers Beach in Key West. He will toss a wide variety of tricks most of the day like this.
Photo supplied by Paul

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Landing.jpg
Paul lands one, notice the "normal operation" sign

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Smathers.jpg
The rigging and launch area

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Paul_Launch.jpg
Paul launches one of the 2009 IDS equipped Crossbows. He has been working on T & E with a quiver of four or five of the new kites for a while. You can see Greg Meintjes running out on one of his brand new Eclipse "Full Throttle" kites, lucky guy.

Photos by Rick Iossi except as noted

ricki

06-09-2008, 09:31 PM

Paul Menta of The Kitehouse (http://thekitehouse.com/) and Jessie headed down to Cabarete to continue testing and evaluation of Cabrinha's Crossbow IV with IDS. While they were down there they decided to try some tow-in surfing ala kite. Paul rigged up a Panasonic Optio camera in a Camrig kite mount http://www.camrig.com/ . Some of the shots appear below.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Approach_001.jpg
Approaching the pickup

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Wave.jpg
If you look carefully you can see the wave peaks and troughs passing by

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Riding_2.jpg
Towing in, lots of potential. It would be great to try this in Jupiter when some big swells come in next season. Better still at a clear water venue like Hole In The Wall near Abaco. Clean swells in blue water, would be amazing.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Jump_2.jpg
Seagulls see this all day long, waves from a unique perspective

Photo credit to Paul Menta's Kite, a Crossbow IV? Pretty good stuff, maybe it will write a "How To" guide.

ricki

06-11-2008, 08:18 AM

What sort of clouds to watch out for? Whichever ones spike the wind into dangerous gusts, change wind directions blowing you offshore or stalling your kite, kill the wind entirely leaving you offshore and more. Some from the area of Florida follow. There are other varieties of clouds of differing appearance worth watching as well. There is a lot more to know and do than to simply watch for threatening clouds in kitesurfing, see below for more ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Cumulonimbus_Andros_2_7_07.jpg
A summer squall skids across the Tongue of the Ocean, east of Andros in the Bahamas

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Cumulonimbus_Andros_7_07.jpg
Getting a closer look at one of those summer squalls or cumulonimbus clouds

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Incoming.jpg
Something evil this way comes?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Cumulonimbus.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Cumulonimbus)
A supercell storm cloud near dusk
(Click photo for full sized image)

I just updated a post dealing with Weather Planning and Monitoring for kitesurfing. Based upon analysis of hundreds of accidents and incidents over the last eight years, I believe ALL kiters should undertake similar steps to the following for each kiteboarding session. More at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=33852

Photos by Rick Iossi

ricki

06-12-2008, 01:52 PM

Clew In is at the U.S. National Kiteboarding Championship in San Francisco, http://www.stfyc.com/. He has graciously shared some images from the event for us folks way down southeast.

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d830b3127cce9854c94165ee00000027108SbMnDVu3U
The rigging area is looking pretty busy. Wonder how the winds have been?

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d830b3127cce9854c92ae4b500000027108SbMnDVu3U

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d830b3127cce9854c93ee4a100000027108SbMnDVu3U
Lots O Sand, is that Crissy Field? Never been there but it seems like this might be the place.

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d830b3127cce9854c925658a00000027108SbMnDVu3U

More at: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/pictures;jsessionid=51C0B5733AC5501B4E72ABBF94B62E 48?a=67b0de21b346cecbe4f7&sid=8SbMnDVu3USmg

Thanks for sharing, have a blast out there!

Clew In

06-12-2008, 02:30 PM

Hey Rick,

Yes, that is Chrissy Field. The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in the background.

Yesterday the winds started off light in the morning and kicked in in the late afternoon with gusty winds. I think it was around 15-18mph early afternoon and gust hitting 26 later. Throw in a flood tide, the currents and an occasional tour boat or ship and it makes for a great challenge.

I will try to get some more pictures today.

Clew In

ricki

06-13-2008, 07:19 AM

More from yesterday at the National's thanks to Clew in.

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d833b3127cce9854c9decd9d00000027108SbMnDVu3U

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d833b3127cce9854ce6e0c8600000027108SbMnDVu3U
Racing TO Alcatraz? Well, could be for a new movie.

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d833b3127cce9854c9d8cd9b00000027108SbMnDVu3U
My kite is going to eat your kite?

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d833b3127cce9854c9094c7a00000027108SbMnDVu3U
Clarissa scopes out the field

http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b8d833b3127cce9854ce540cbc00000027108SbMnDVu3U

Lots more great images at:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/p...=8SbMnDVu3USqQ

ricki

06-15-2008, 09:36 PM

Back in October 2001 a strong easterly wind came through. A bunch of guys converged on Bathtub Reef Beach on Hutchenson Island to go kiteboarding. Whoops, sorry meant to say kitesurfing. The big move to change the name by the media had yet to really take hold. Today, you might have trouble finding enough sand to launch from. Coastal recession has taken quite a bit away from this spot.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Old_Gear_Goes.jpg
That's Neil out there on a Naish ARX (?) in his pre-Slingshot days! I think that is Greg Kuklinski on his NEXT kite or pehaps Mike.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Seasmick_Ho.jpg
There's an oldie, a Seasmick kite. You can just see the top of Neil's head as he is hidden by a nice sized wave. Look at the wind streak the water, it was pretty well honking that day.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Irma_Charges.jpg
Terri heads out on a small AR5 kite.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Gang_in_2001.jpg
The gangs all here, almost seven years ago. How many folks can you identify, going right to left?

Hey Neil, Greg, do you guys remember this session? I seem to recall there were some interesting twists so it might come to mind. Here's something to think about. Just how brave (knowingly or not) or lucky these early guys were. I had lofted into a house about 11 months before so I was riding in the ICW to the west not feeling up to hitting the Bathtub in those conditions. I think my smallest kite was about 10 m which I thought was too larger for the winds coming through at the beach.

.

neil xrated

06-16-2008, 11:04 AM

Yep, Iremeber that day well, I was on like a seven totally nuked. I remember boosting big and loosing my kite, getting slammed on my back and my kite ending up in a tree. Was blowing a solid 30+ straight onshore. Amazing that Erma and Terri went out. Good to see Scotty from Hanna Crew on the left. A real blast from the past. Cheers Neil

ricki

06-16-2008, 08:28 PM

Thanks for your input Neil. That was some day. Hopefully Greg will drop by and put up some recollections too. Here's a few more fuzzy shots, poorer resolution in those days.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Neil_n_windsurfers.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Neil_Jumps.jpg
Neil launches one. I wasn't around for the powered wipeout. Not hard to imagine in these conditions.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Terri.jpg
This really dates the images. Terri is setup with a board leash.

.

ricki

06-17-2008, 10:32 PM

New stuff in imaging for the Internet. How about a global video view of the world?
Why not get immersed in it, be sure to pan around to get the full image ...

http://dvice.com/pics/immersive_camcar.jpg
Bugs are on the prowl on your street!

http://demos.immersivemedia.com/index.php?clip=RB
Charge some waves in Teahupoo

http://demos.immersivemedia.com/index.php?clip=NG
Go back in time in New Guinea, sail an outrigger and hang out in early islander dance sequences

http://demos.immersivemedia.com/index.php?clip=FJ
Slide UW and checkout a Fijian reef

http://demos.immersivemedia.com/index.php?clip=SD
Take on some snowboarder racing, not much risk of slamming in this time

How do you house something like this? How about like ...

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/images/2008/03/14/32284hitahiti11x.jpg
More at: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/03/14/index.html

Or, why not paddle into something to take home?

http://www.immersivemedia.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/image-506.jpg
From: http://www.immersivemedia.com/blog/?m=200803

Be sure to checkout the Red Bull clip documenting this new technology in waves ...
http://www.redbullsurfing.com/videos/immersive/

.

ricki

06-18-2008, 08:16 PM

Greg Meintjes is one of the original kitesurfers in Key West. On windy days you can often find him on the beach there or out on the Flats ripping it up. He is a moderator and regular on the Florida Keys Forum at http://fksa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=98 .He was chosen to be one of the lucky Eclipse (http://www.eclipsekiteboarding.net/) Full Throttle sponsored kiters. Beyond all that he is a good ambassador for the sport. I met up with him recently down in KW and grabbed a few shots of him in action with his new kites.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Launched.sized.jpg
Paul Menta just gives Greg a launch

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Greg_launches.sized.jpg
Getting ready to go

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Greg_jumps.jpg
Greg pops one in Eclipse "Full Throttle" livery, looking mighty fine!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Greg_out_001.jpg

See you from Key West for now.

Photos by Rick Iossi

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ricki

06-20-2008, 08:57 AM

Back in the day, way back, there was Wipika and not a lot else.
Here's a look at the Northshore of Maui, Year 1998 ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m14.jpg
Rigged up and ready to rip

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m15.jpg
Remember that transverse Emergency Depower line?
Had almost forgotten about those. How about those LONG
leash lines and wrist cuffs? Naish used those for a while as
well.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/M05.jpg
The cloud stack building up on Western Maui. Checkout that directional Mat Pendle is riding!
Still have a few of those too. Wonder if he was thinking about GK in this shot?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m11.jpg
The guys at the start of things

Photos by Sylvain Cazenave and posted on wipika.com which may be gone (?)
but if so, it's not forgotten.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/hp_bar.jpg
A peak at a new prototype destined to shake the world market (from 20 years ago).
Bruno L. heads out on an early kiteboard (windsurfing board?).

admin

06-23-2008, 09:43 AM

Summer weather seems to be here finally bringing a fair amount of rain and little useable wind. Had to happen sooner or later. So, between short bouts of thermal winds on to other things, like diving. Headed down to the Keys for some wreck scooter free diving (may put together a video on that) and a quick reef dive with my good friend Capt. Slate at Atlantis Dive Shop (http://216.147.0.114/Florida-Keys-Diving/index.php).

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Grotto_1.jpg
Scootered into a grotto awash with minnows, and what should I see?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Lurking.jpg
A lurker, belting out opera? Or, was he getting a dental job from a neon gobi?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Lurker_2_001.jpg
Any guesses as to what this big fella is? PC or the original name will do. I can recall when these were pretty common down that way and docile as big dumb dogs. Then butthead poachers took them out along with the tame loups. Here's an idea, a poacher spearfishing contest!? That is with the poachers being taken for prizes. Seems fair.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Grotto.jpg
Motoring out the far side of the cave and up

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Keys_Sunset.jpg
The obligatory Keys sunset, another great day!

Photos by Rick Iossi

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ricki

06-24-2008, 02:45 PM

CJ has been a regular and competitor at Florida kiteboarding events for sometime. Quick with a smile and a laugh, she has been a familiar sight at events and in articles. Here's a look at some images.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CJ_2.jpg
Running lines out at the 2006 Kite4Girls competition on Key Biscayne
Photo by Rick Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CJ_5.jpg
The pre-party for the 2006 Tampa Bay Kitemasters fell close to Halloween.
So, why not come in mufti? There's Irma off to the right, a likely candidate
for a future POD.
Photo by Rick Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CJ_4.jpg
Wind waiting in style in the 2007 Kite4Girls. Wonder if rabbit ears would help my wakeboarding?
Photo by Rick Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jump_cj.sized.jpg
Throwing a nice jump on their honeymoon in Costa Rica in May of this year
Photo by Dustin Sleichter, her new husband

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CJ_7.jpg
Near La Cruz, Costa Rica
Photo by Dustin Sleichte

Best wishes for your new life together CJ and Dustin!

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ricki

06-27-2008, 08:29 AM

Trying to move things on to a new page.

ricki

06-27-2008, 08:30 AM

Sorry for the distraction, still trying to crank up a new page.

ricki

06-27-2008, 08:31 AM

I talked to Paul Menta down in the Keys last night. He had been out all day on a 9 m, lit! Strange June weather we're having. Anyway, the blow stuff didn't make quite this far north so my thoughts are still drifting to travel and diving. Bringing something up from last summer, the Wreck of the Sapona in Bimini, Bahamas.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sapona_0.jpg
Here's the wreck. It used to have a high stern section listing on its side. Time, corrosion, hurricanes and the odd bomb have altered that. The story behind the wreck is an interesting one. Here is what Bimini Undersea, a good local diving operation has to say about it:

During World War I, traditional ship building supplies, ie. Steel, was in short supply. Looking for alternatives, the US government commissioned the construction of 24 ships made from Concrete. They were to be built by the Liberty Ship Company. Of the 24 vessels planned only 12 were built. And, the history of the 12 is a bit in question. Especially the history of The Sapona.

Some historians have the Sapona completed in 1911, others claim she didn’t set sail until after the war ended in 1920. What everyone does agree on however is that by 1924 she was owned by famous Bahamian Rum Smuggler Bruce Bethel. Stories have it that Bethel was using the vessel as a floating warehouse just off the shores of Bimini during the US period of Prohibition.

Another point, not in dispute is that her present location just behind South Bimini on the Great Bahama Bank is the result of a hurricane back in 1926. The Sapona didn’t “sink” as much as she simply “ran aground” having been driven up into shallow water by the storm. Another hurricane in 1932 caused the stern end to snap off and keel over to the east side. This same 1932 hurricane is rumored to have put the entire island of North Bimini underwater for a short period of time during the storm.

Probably the most famous story about the Sapona has it’s roots in one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. And, the story that launched the legend of the Devil’s Triangle. The disappearance of Flight 19 on December 5th, 1945. During the early 1940’s, the Naval Air Stations located in Southern Florida would regularly use the wreck of the Sapona for bombing a strafing practice. Shooting up the hull with 50 caliber machine gun shells and dropping fake bombs. They shot so many rounds at The Sapona that to this day, following stormy weather, divers still find a few coral encrusted machine gun shells strewn on the bottom on the periphery of the wreck.

More at: http://www.biminiundersea.com/sapona.htm

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sapona_6.jpg
A good friend's daughter has a go with the Aqueon around and inside the wreck. She was a natural picking it up in about 15 minutes. More about this intriguing swimming device at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4372

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sapona_2.jpg
I can remember diving on the Sapona decades ago. There was more to it then. Then again, I guess that is what people visiting the wreck in the 1940's used to say. At least of course before some of the more intense strafing and bombing runs.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sapona_7.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Sapona_8.jpg
If you're in Bimini be sure to visit the Sapona if you can. It is a fun stop.

Photos by Rick Iossi

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ricki

06-27-2008, 08:31 AM

Here's something you don't see everyday on here, WINDSURFING! For those that have been around long enough or may actually still partake, think about this for a sec. Imagine, it is 1995, almost no one is thinking about using traction kites for water sports, yet. So, you HAVE to get a wind fix and it has to be on the water and you don't want to mess with experimental sailboats. What do you want to do? Yes, you got it.

Here's a few images ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/windsurfing.jpg
Burlenčių įskaitoje nugalėtoja tapo vartotojo *anzelka* atsiųsta nuotrauka "Bangų šukos", kuri artimiausią konkurentą finale aplenkė daugiau nei dvigubai. Sveikiname Vėjasgalvoje komandą A. Lapėnienę ir G. Lapėną!
From: http://tinyurl.com/6pww9k

Pretty dramatic conditions, a lot more appropriate for windsurfing than kiting from appearances. The text is in Lithuanian, I think, maybe Russky can help us out with a translation? Hope it isn't something bizarre out of left field.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Turkey.jpg
Got this via Turkey, again I think. Seems to be something from Neil Pryde. Should have asked Garrett to get some images directly. Next time! When's the last time you shredded by desert ruins? Then again on further thought, wonder if this might not be Egypt and a new resort down the shore instead of ruins?
From: http://www.teknolist.net/2008/05/01/spor-severlerin-masa-ustleri-4.html

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/mhj3388_131_s.jpg
파도속의 윈드서핑~! ("Wind surfing in the waves!") I was surprised to get a clear translation and so quickly from Korean. Still, would have liked to know where this is. Maui, South Korea or ??? Gives me pangs of wind lust just looking at it.
From: http://www.kwasa.org/@board/zboard.php?id=kfba_photo

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/EOS_6168_2_s.jpg
Here's an odd one. Makes you wonder what that Mistral boarder was doing in Pipeline? Did he loose his rig? Was he cheaping out on a standup board, and continued good health likely and was using the board for standup? We may never know. One more question, is that a rock shelf a few inches below the water right in front of those guys? OUCH!
From: http://blog.jamie-sterling.com/

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ricki

06-30-2008, 09:24 AM

Headed south to grab the third or so good wind weekend since the wind traditionally shuts off. Here's to it! Had a close look at Henry Flagler's bridge to Spanish Harbor Key. The Florida East Coast Railway was used to transport passengers and freight between Miami to Key West from 1912-1935

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/j1_001.jpg
It was constructed in 1912 and was subsequently converted to automobile use in 1938. The railroad was destroyed by the devastating hurricane of 1935.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/j_3_001.jpg
They cut a notch in the bridge to accommodate boat traffic making for the harbor on the other side. Flagler's bridge was replaced in 1972 by the structure just to the west.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/j5_001.jpg
You don't want to be anywhere near this thing on an incoming tide or any other bridge for that matter. There was a near drowning of a kiter a bit north of here in Islamorada years back. His kite swept under the bridge in a ripping tidal current. His lines were caught by oysters on a bridge piling beneath the water. The kite ripped down current and the lines "pulleyed" by the oysters dragged him underwater down to the piling and held him there submerged until a fisherman jumped in the water with a fillet knife and cut him free. No fisherman, no more kiter, a really lucky break.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bridge.jpg
A look at the flip side of the structure on Bahia Honda.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/j4_001.jpg
The lightwind board takes a break in the tidal flats, wind waiting.

Photos by Rick Iossi

ricki

07-01-2008, 05:34 AM

One of the spots worth thinking about for a trip is Grand Cayman. Just below Cuba and a short jet flight south from Miami lies the Cayman Islands. For whatever reason, the rates with Cayman Airways have yet to jump up much and they still have the old two bag, 50 lb. baggage allowance as of this writing. Besides that, Cayman is a great place to visit and The Kitehouse has just set up shop there for wind fixes.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Coast.jpg
A section of the north shore of Grand Cayman. Note the shallow reef rimmed by the breaker line and all that calmer clear blue water inside. Various areas around the circumference of the island are rimmed by shallow reef containing stretches of sheltered water. When the wind is on, off you go and have fun shredding. You have a choice of riding calmer waters on the inside or hitting the waves on the outside. Or, you could just dive the walls on the outside. Lots of pinnacles, astounding vertical drops and good viz.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Wreck.jpg
Lots of diving options there, from snorkeling, serious free diving to tech diving with wrecks to boot. This is the wreck of the Cali a short distance offshore in Georgetown harbor and within easy swimming distance of a few restaurants and bars.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/East_End.jpg
Near east end with more waves on the outside and calmer stuff on the inside

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ca1.jpg
Playing around with the Aqueon in all that clear water

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/wreck_cy.jpg
The wreck of the Gamma right off the beach, good in the day or night for a visit. There's even the wreck of the Kirk Pride down around 780 ft. for the diehards. What to do, sled dive it or go on mix? Atlantis used to do three man submersible dives on it until a hurricane retired the sub sad to say. There is always the Carrie Lee to checkout. Some guys scooter free dove it a few years back, down to 260 ft. with several video cameras. No end of fun stuff to get up to on and under the Caymans.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/CY_Sunset.jpg
Sunset and the world is fine. Great restaurant right on the rock at the waters edge. Got blown away a few years ago but not forgotten.

In addition to Grand Cayman there is also Cayman Brac and Little Cayman to consider for a visit.

Photos by Rick and Laura Iossi

ricki

07-04-2008, 01:28 AM

I mentioned that Mike Minichiello of The Kitehouse has setup shop on Grand Cayman offering kiteboarding, standup paddle surfing and more. He has located at Ocean Frontiers facility, http://www.oceanfrontiers.com/ , a very experienced dive operation in eastern Grand Cayman. More at: http://www.thekitehouse.com/cayman.htm Kiting photos should follow soon. Some shots follow of a standup session.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_5.jpg
Heading out through the East Channel into some nice swells

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/East_End_1.jpg
The eastern portion of Grand Cayman. Checkout that massive area of fairly calm water sheltered by the barrier reef. Just go outside and you can have waves and some insanely clear and beautiful wall diving. More to come on the wall in another POD.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_3.jpg
Riding in. Mike hauled the three standup boards, kite gear, free diving stuff, etc. on his Kitehouse boat about ten minutes away from the dock to this area.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m4.jpg
Coming in the channel past a bent aid to navigation with yet another wreck in the distance

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_8.jpg
There are quite a few ship wrecks in the area both newer ones and those centuries old. Notice how calm it is inside the reef.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m7.sized.jpg
Sliding past yet another wreck on the outside of the barrier reef

Photos by Rick Iossi

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ricki

07-05-2008, 07:43 AM

JP was down in Nicaragua recently and brought back this great shots. He had the break all to himself for a few days in the first photo. Hey JP, tell us some more about the place, what you liked, getting around, etc.. Never been down there know very little about the place.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jp_1.jpg
Some outstanding swells like the Pacific can deliver. Oh, wait a second, this was on the Caribbean side, not!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/jp_2.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/JP_3.jpg
Great sunsets down that way

Photos by JP Robinson

500EPILOT

07-06-2008, 10:49 AM

Rick, Thanks for putting up my photos! Nicaragua is the new Costa Rica. This quote is from my Moon Handbooks Nicaragua guide: " The hiker, volcano climber,bird watcher, surfer, sailor, swimmer and naturalist, not to mention rum drinker, sunset watcher and fresh fish eater will find themselves quite content in Nicaragua's southwest corner".
Surfers know that San Juan del Sur is the jumping off point for surf trips, with an undulating coast line just north of Costa Rica offering numerous point breaks accessible by land and some only by boat. Just south of San Juan del Sur is Bahia de Salinas on the Costa Rica/Nica border. A destination for world class kitesurfing and windsurfing. The Caribbean trade winds get drawn inland by the super heated air over the jungles and gets a further boost from the numerous volcanic peaks in southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica kind of like the Maui effect. These steady offshore winds help to shape the waves for surfers too! Not far from San Juan del Sur is Granada the oldest city on the continent founded by the Spanish on the north edge of the massive Lake Cocibolca in the early 1500's to show off their growing power and prestige in the region. Nearby Granada you can ride a Soviet troop transport up to the rim of the extinct Mombacho Volacano for stunning views of colonial Granada with it's horse drawn carriages and internet cafes and Lake Cocibolco. There are direct flights to Managua the capitol from Miami and Atlanta. San Juan Del sur and Bahia de Salinas are about a 4-6 hour drive from the Managua airport.
Lots to do down there, I've gone three times and will be back soon.
JP

ricki

07-07-2008, 11:16 AM

Thanks for the photos and great information JP! How many of us would like to have checked out Costa Rica back in the day? Sounds like a great opportunity, like Peru but a bit closer.

http://www.moon.com/planner/nicaragua/maps/sanjuandelsur.gif
From: http://www.moon.com/planner/nicaragua/regions/sanjuandelsur.html

http://www.spanishintheworld.com/img/virtual-tour/nicaragua/san-juan-del-sur.jpg
From: http://www.spanishintheworld.com/photo-nicaragua.html

Found some more info about the area at:
http://www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni/

Rick, Thanks for putting up my photos! Nicaragua is the new Costa Rica. This quote is from my Moon Handbooks Nicaragua guide: " The hiker, volcano climber,bird watcher, surfer, sailor, swimmer and naturalist, not to mention rum drinker, sunset watcher and fresh fish eater will find themselves quite content in Nicaragua's southwest corner".
Surfers know that San Juan del Sur is the jumping off point for surf trips, with an undulating coast line just north of Costa Rica offering numerous point breaks accessible by land and some only by boat. Just south of San Juan del Sur is Bahia de Salinas on the Costa Rica/Nica border. A destination for world class kitesurfing and windsurfing. The Caribbean trade winds get drawn inland by the super heated air over the jungles and gets a further boost from the numerous volcanic peaks in southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica kind of like the Maui effect. These steady offshore winds help to shape the waves for surfers too! Not far from San Juan del Sur is Granada the oldest city on the continent founded by the Spanish on the north edge of the massive Lake Cocibolca in the early 1500's to show off their growing power and prestige in the region. Nearby Granada you can ride a Soviet troop transport up to the rim of the extinct Mombacho Volacano for stunning views of colonial Granada with it's horse drawn carriages and internet cafes and Lake Cocibolco. There are direct flights to Managua the capitol from Miami and Atlanta. San Juan Del sur and Bahia de Salinas are about a 4-6 hour drive from the Managua airport.
Lots to do down there, I've gone three times and will be back soon.
JP

ricki

07-07-2008, 11:41 AM

Headed out to the wreck of the Doc Poulson off Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. Simon and I were up for some scooter free diving to checkout this artificial reef sunk in 1991 in honor of Doc Poulson, the physician that worked to get the first recompression chamber set up on Cayman. The wreck was a former anchor tender and lay in about 55 ft. of water over white sand. The fairly shallow depth makes it a fairly straight forward free dive even more so ala scooter. Still, there are hazards associated with scooter free diving which can't be ignored. More on that subject at http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4615 Reefs are nearby supplying a ready stream of fish orbiting over the wreck.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GCD_2.jpg
Simon heads down. BTW, he has a great site with images from his undersea travels around the world at: http://www.glorifiedfisherman.com/ He prefers to hold the DPV in the conventional way. I vastly prefer to use the saddle, hands free operation and easy steering by flicking a fin tip. Makes shooting images and equalizing a lot easier for me.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Wreck_VR_2_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Wreck_VR_2_s)
Click photo for full sized image
A bird's eye, (fish's eye?) composite view of the wreck

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GCD_3.jpg
The wreck is just deep enough to pickup some garden eels in the sand. They would zip down out of sight as you motor over them. I shot a lot of video on the wreck, stay tuned for that. Caught some interesting images including Simon crafting air rings and then ascending through them, a cuda that quickly followed Simon as he scootered into the below deck spaces, schools of jack, darting garden eels, rampaging groupers and more.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GCD_5.sized.jpg
Running up on some of those jacks

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Wreck_VR_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Wreck_VR_s)
A neat bottom side elevational view of the wreck. Wish I had remembered to shoot a composite in portrait mode. Longer breathhold but well worth the result, next time. (Click photo for full sized image. I was happy with how this one turned out all be it cropped at the top)

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GCD_4.jpg
Motoring by the deck house. Question, what is it with SCUBA divers and displaced toilets? I almost Photoshopped this one out. I did a photo shoot on one our our few wrecks Ft. Lauderdale, FL in the 1970's one cold night for a college assignment. Viz. was great and the photos came out well. Even caught a shot of a guy going through the motions on the throne fitted out with a sea squirt and everything. Next dive the pot was out sitting on the deck. Guys, if the wreck has a head, leave it in the head. Looks more natural.

Anyway, it was a fun dive, thanks Simon for the tour! Hope to be back soon to see more on this great island.

Photos by Rick Iossi
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ricki

07-08-2008, 09:34 AM

trying to get a new page started

ricki

07-08-2008, 09:36 AM

Just brought the "Wayback Machine" forward for this one. Who can identify the following event by name, location, date and how many folks can you name in the photos? By the numbers ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_10.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_9.jpg
Photos 1 & 2

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_12.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_7.jpg
Photos 3 & 4

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_11.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_2.jpg
Photos 5 & 6

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_3_001.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_16_001.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/m_20.jpg
Photos 7, 8 & 9

Photos by Rick Iossi

ricki

07-08-2008, 03:17 PM

No guesses??? Some of the guys that are in these shots show up on here periodically. For extra points you can supply phone numbers for the women in # 4, ha! So, how about it?

ricki

07-09-2008, 08:04 AM

This was the first large kiting event in Florida, the Kiteboard Masters on Miami Beach in March 2002. As to identities, I'll take a stab at it. Could use some help with the gaps. In Photo 1, you have Neil, Pete Cabrinha, David Tyburski, Chuck Patterson. In Photo 2, Dimitri, Christopher Tasti, Julian Sadrat (?) Photo 3, Shannon Best, Matt Cohen, Andy Hurdman, Mauricio Abreu, Chuck again. Photo 4, Bruno, unidentified girls who lost their tops but can dance and Jeff Lagosse (definitely mispelled, sorry Jeff, nice moves though). Photo 5, the Hurdman Bros. riding for F One as I recall. Photo 6, is that Chip Wasson sitting on the table?, Martin Vari is standing in profile and there's Jeff Beige off to the right. Photo 7, Dave Loop, Bruno again, Paul Menta and Brad Lange. In Photo 8, Tophat launches, searching for some major uplift, say to over 200 ft.? (only when he is on camera). As I recall Erik Ecks notable lofting happened a few months later out in Oahu. Finally in Photo 9, Christophe Ribot and Dr. Fabrice.

It was a fun event even if the wind was sort of light. Set in the midst of a massive sports event with about 100,000 attending it was a notable point in Florida kiting history.

Here's a few more shots:

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Andy_rigs_big.jpg
Andy rigs big, not a lot of depower in 2002. Nice hair cut.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Copy_of_NEXT_Bunny.jpg
Before Best and women in kite marketing, there was NEXT. Nice job Greg! What is it about kiting and rabbits?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/M3.jpg
I recall this is Martin Vari's cousin, shortly after to appear in a now fairly famous photo sequence.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Dimitri_Dismounts.jpg
Dimitri performs his now signature beachside dismount

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/At_the_beach.jpg
Ryan chats with Chuck while Martin talks in the background. Vari's kiting career was to take off in a big way in the next few years. Then again, how many other notable figures in kiting that show up in these images can you say that about?

Photos by Rick Iossi, all rights reserved.

C. Moore

07-09-2008, 08:38 AM

Rick,

The girl in photo number 4 is Jenny and her number is 867-5309. I swear. :)

Danimal8199

07-09-2008, 01:54 PM

Chris, you forgot the area code! :)

ricki

07-10-2008, 06:20 AM

Here's a few more from the Wreck of the Poulson in Grand Cayman.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/w_20.jpg
Simon drops down

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/w_16.jpg
Skating along by the bow

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/w_10.jpg
A look aft

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/w_12.jpg
Snapper n eels

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/w_14.jpg
Simon cruises on

ricki

07-10-2008, 11:03 AM

Rick,

The girl in photo number 4 is Jenny and her number is 867-5309. I swear. :)

Could have been over from Europe on vacation or perhaps locals. Wonder if Bruno knows? I have a whole sub album devoted to this unscheduled part of the event. Largely fated to never see the light of day, sigh.

ricki

07-10-2008, 01:21 PM

Hoping to start a new page.

ricki

07-10-2008, 01:22 PM

Still trying ...

ricki

07-10-2008, 01:22 PM

A while back the folks at NPX crafted some inspired videos in my opinion. Sure it is commercial but the content is well put together and entertaining. First some stills provided by Josh Noe at Adventure Sports (Thanks Josh!) It's like the Dukes Of Hazard wake up as kiters and haul butt into swamp country with an airboat and riding flatware. NPX puts out all sorts of great clothing and water wear including boardshorts, wetsuits and rash guards.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Jon_s_NPX_WAKE_07.jpg
Start with my favorite of the lot. Jon styling in his NPX Freddy togs ala swamp muck at speed. Wakeboarding behind an airboat thick into sawgrass, what next?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/airboat_s_NPX_LIFESTYLE_02.jpg
Getting out into da River Of Grass.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/andre_s_NPX_LIFESTYLE_07_001.jpg
Dre models his Freddy rashguard and in prime Everglades fibrous peat. It's a dirty job but Dre's up to it, looking good too!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/grass_s_NPX_WAKE_08.jpg
Julian Fillion is prepared. He's not riding a wake skate for just for any old reason. It's so he has shoes on to run over the top of gators that want to bum a ride. He then picks up his wake skate still in motion and rips on. You should see it, too cool.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Damien_s.jpg
Damien grabs the moment. Hey wonder if the guys kept any of the mud or gator scat for souvenirs?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/andre_s_NPX_WAKE_02.jpg
Grab your socks, cause we're entering the Dre Zone.

Now, here's what we've been leading up to, the video, roll 'em ...

BSMA-t0JyT8

BTW, you can find a much clear video image at the NPX website (http://www.npx-hq.com/index.php)
along with more info on all this great water wear:

Click to catch Andre, Damien, Jon n Julian in da swamp! (http://www.npx-hq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=133)

Still photos by Tracy Kraft and video by Elliot Leboe of ACL Productions.
Great job folks!

Here's good news, there are two more flicks to go, stay tuned ...

Clew In

07-12-2008, 08:41 AM

Cool 3-d Link:

http://www.beamerstudios.com/portfolio/spit_kiteboarding/index.php?name=spit_kiteboarding&vt_type=flash&vt_size=l&tabCat2=2

Clew In

ricki

07-12-2008, 09:22 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Ca_QTVR_1_001.sized.jpg

Thanks for putting this up Clew In. A small section of this well put together dynamic VR Panorama appears above. You need to click the link to Beamer Studios to get the full impact. These guys shoot and assemble these images for clients. Nice work. A bunch of their images including the complete version of the small piece of the 360 degree panorama shown above appear at:

http://www.beamerstudios.com/portfolio/index.php?language=eng&vt_type=flash&vt_size=l

Do you know anything about the riding area in the NW where the image was photographed? Looks like pretty dramatic scenery.

Cool 3-d Link:

http://www.beamerstudios.com/portfolio/spit_kiteboarding/index.php?name=spit_kiteboarding&vt_type=flash&vt_size=l&tabCat2=2

Clew In

Clew In

07-12-2008, 09:49 AM

Hey,

No. I just saw it on a website and I though it was cool.

This picture will not cross the safety boundry and get me in trouble.

Clew In

TBKA

07-12-2008, 11:58 AM

H ere's their association, seems to be doing some good up there.
http://www.squamishwindsurfing.org/

ricki

07-13-2008, 08:50 PM

Some divers consider getting into Cave Diving at one time or another. Having caves close by is a plus as is a substantial amount of training, skill development, gear and a good partners to have at it with. As the light is artificial and at times you can have astoundingly clear water, you can also capture some unique photos.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/cave_diving_521196_xl_s.jpg
Wes Skilles shot this wallpaper image of Diepolder Cave near Brooksville, FL above Tampa for National Geographic at only 250 ft. I believe he used several divers holding powerful light sources to "paint" the vast surface of this chamber. We talked about doing this at night along wrecks in clear water years back. Still need to do that. Amazing imaging and at depth with a large depth of field. Wes of Karst Productions (http://www.karstproductions.com/) has been shooting superlative cave images for many years. You can see and acquire some of them on his website.
From: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/wallpaper/cave-diving.html

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/1004_625_Vaca_Ha_s.jpg
Here is an great image of a tunnel connected to a cenote in the Yucatan. You can see the fuzzy interface between fresh water on top and salt water below. They have karst or large scale solution features in the Yucatan and in parts of northern Florida. Unlike the micro karst we have in southern Florida, smaller voids in other words. Allson is the photographer, from: http://www.discoverydiving.com/charlie_nelson_pics.htm

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Eden_Rock_Cave_2.jpg
There are saltwater caverns and caves as well. Here's the chimney of a swim through in Eden Rock, Grand Cayman. The water is shallow enough to free dive through quite a few of them. At least when you can see the way out from the entrance. Got a lot more video than stills unfortunately but there is this one. There are extensive tunnels and chimneys that riddle the rampart of Palancar Reef off Cozumel. Start with limestone, add acidic water and sooner or later you should get caves.
Photo by Rick Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Mini_Wall_Turtle_Reef_Grand_Cayman.jpg
There are a lot more salt water caverns than well developed caves in some parts. Coral can fabricate caverns and caves under different influences. Shown above is a shallow cavern spilling forth tarpon along the Turtle Reef mini wall on Grand Cayman. Without air exhaust the tarpon just cruise along with you if you go slow. They will even run up on you and join in at times as you approach. Saw quite a few tarpon in caves and caverns there. They hang out in the dim light during the day and they venture out at night to forage. The enclosed environment of caverns and some caves make me feel mellow, how about you?
Photo by Rick Iossi

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Rick_N_Jenny_Springs_1975.jpg
Here's a blast from the past as if you couldn't tell from the vintage gear. It's yours truly in 1975 crawling out through the strong flowing current of one of the twin orifices. This was just below the ballroom of Jennie Springs in northwest Florida. Technically, I would have been smarter not to have been where I was, whoops! I believe Tom Mount and Ike Ikehara put a steel grate up blocking the cave system just outside this point a few years later. The reason could be found just past the orifice. I thought a caving team was coming out seeing a light but my dive light had reflected back to me off a marble tombstone for a lost diver. Lots of lost cave divers in the 1960's and particularly 1970's in Florida caves. New activity, few safety systems, limited training and a lot of denial of the possibility of bad things happening. Sort of like kiting a few years back. Good thing we know better today, right?
Photo by Ben Clarke

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ricki

07-15-2008, 11:30 AM

What's going on down in Aruba, well 3 years ago anyway?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_1.jpg
Fisherman's Hut, a picturesque area with a long standing following of windsurfers and kiters in recent years. There are still off hours for kiting during the day in the area of the Huts and south. The water is flat calm with gusty offshore wind. It is an interesting place to learn to kite. No waves to deal with, shallow water and some particularly gusty winds. I am wondering if learning there when you move to more steady winds you might actually be better trained to deal with things? Flat kites have to have helped a lot with managing the gusts for kiters.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_2.jpg
Shredding before a wreck. I only went off Fishermans twice while I was there. Near as I can tell the trick, particularly for heavier kiters is to rig as big as you can reasonably manage, use a big board and be real cautious during launch and landing. The lulls while you are out may be pronounced. The larger board will help you continue to plane through lulls while the larger kite will help you eek out more grunt to deal with the holes. Armand is a good guy to hookup with over there for lessons and gear, http://arubakitesurfingschool.com/. Oh, if you ride off Fisherman's Hut be sure to pay for the tender pickup service if you get blown offshore. It happens.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_5.jpg
Boca Grande off the SE portion of Aruba is an interesting place to ride. You have windward shore winds near onshore to side onshore and a barrier reef to ease the waves somewhat. The problem is it is a fairly small area probably containing a dozen or so kiters. That assuming the tack offshore away from the beach against the wind. You will want a rental car to access areas outside the resort around Fisherman Hut.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_3.jpg
Riding off the south end of the bay. I went outside through the narrow channel through the reef several times. The waves can be big outside, 10 ft. or better. It pays to look behind you as you're heading out to memorize shore points for your return. You don't want to come in over the reef in inches of water with large following breaking waves! You may be able to ride in the shallow bay just north of Boca Grande at high tide. Still, there are lots of rocks to strike and at low tide I wouldn't even bother. I was looking at Google Earth, a few other prospects showed up around the island with pluses and minuses for more advanced riders.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_4.jpg
A natural rock bridge along the windward side of the island. No end of interesting rock exposures, tormented trees and arid sights across the island.

Aruba is a scenic place with some interesting haunts to visit and ride at. Some are more challenging than others for more advanced riders looking for something different outside Fisherman's Hut. Then there are those ABC Island latitude winds, mighty fine as a rule.

conchxpress

07-15-2008, 02:29 PM

Steve L.

Where are the pictures from the WSW Aruba trip? I'd like to see what I missed.

Frank

ricki

07-16-2008, 08:56 AM

Here's some more from Aruba ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_9.jpg
Checking out Boca Grande off the windward side

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_8.jpg
As you move further off the beach there are areas of waves to play in. It can get crowded in the bay fairly easily as it is small made more so with frequent onshore winds. If you go outside the reef there are lots of waves and room but few options if you need to come in with broken gear, ouch. See those big waves crashing into the rocks in the distance? That is normally the reality on the windward ironshore of the ABC islands. When you can find viable launches on the windward shore for kiting they are special and few sad to say.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_11.jpg
It's real arid in the ABC's and the topsoil blew away long ago. That is if it ever developed in the first place. Windy latitudes.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Boca_Grande_VR_1_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Boca_Grande_VR_1_s)
A look east over Boca Grande
(CLICK PHOTO FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE)

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_15.jpg
Heading back around to the lee shore at Fisherman's Hut

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ar_14.jpg
Somebody once told me these thorny trees were planted by missionaries to compel the natives to wear shoes? Others have said they brought them as fodder for livestock. Oh boy, a nice thorn sandwich? Not sure which I believe less. Sunset off the north end of the island.

*

ricki

07-16-2008, 11:09 PM

Tom Byrne of Adventure Sports Intl. in Miami, FL sent in some great riding shots of him in action, including ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/hobe_1_s.jpg
Going off Hobie Beach
Photo by: Dale "The Destroyer" Baker.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Stiltsville_3_s.jpg
Orbiting off Cape Florida
Photo by Mike Minichiello

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Stiltsville_4_s.jpg
Shredding is mighty fine in Stiltsville
Photo by Mike Minichiello

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Stiltsville_2_s.jpg
Drilling a nice one skyward
Photo by Mike Minichiello

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bimini_Bahamas_s.jpg
Doing the upside down hand drag thing in Bimini Sound. Hey Tom, how many points did the Lemon Sharks that hang out in the sound give you for that one?
Photo by Tom Clark

Thanks for sending the great shots in Tom! Looking good out there!

If folks have some shots they'd like to put up for consideration for the Photo Of The Day send 'em in! I like to use unusual photos, ideally in larger formats and higher resolution (raw shots are good).

ricki

07-18-2008, 10:33 AM

Been looking into diving lately, how about duck diving?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/dd_0.sized.jpg
Uh, no, not that type of DUCK diving. What's all that stuff floating around anyway?
Photographer shimmo23
From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimmo/45992343/

How about this type?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/dd_1.jpg
Photo credit: Roxy
From: http://www.nollie.tv/surfing/

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/dd_3.jpg
Photographer Sharpy
From: http://timesonline.typepad.com/surf_nation/2008/05/killer-shot-of.html

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/dd_5.jpg
Photographer Jim Russ
From: http://boardfling.com/category/surfing/

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/dd_2.jpg
Photographer unknown
From: http://www.amadeus.net.nz/nzedsurfa.htm

So if something big is rolling your way and you can't catch it, don't forget to duck!

ricki

07-21-2008, 08:30 AM

Hurricanes have been a reality for a very long time. Some years are harder than others in this regard. Trials will come but it is how you deal with them and strive to recover which make the difference. In 2004 two hurricanes passed over almost the same section of Martin County, FL among many other areas. These hurricanes may have been the first to come this way in about 50 years. I visited Ft. Pierce, FL in the area a month after the second storm. Here is some of what I saw.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/fp_1.jpg
Kitesurfers and windsurfers go at it, seeking fun on the water. Nothing new there.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/fp_3.jpg
George, a Ft. Pierce regular shows off a vintage duct tape optimized directional and Wipika kite. You can see storm damaged buildings in the background and George like so many others carries on. That is what it is about.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/fp_2.jpg
Sunset is coming on

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/fp_4.jpg
Lots of hard work and drive needed in the rebuilding. And, yet if you went there today you would likely find few signs of that time.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/fp_5.jpg
A new day

Photos by Rick Iossi

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ricki

07-22-2008, 10:30 AM

Heading up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a few years back in 2002. My timing has been off for kiting visits to OBX, usually for lighter winds. Still, it is an intriguing area with lots of sights and things to do.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Waves.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Waves)
A look at Waves, with waves no less. No Bahamas in the way gives you a LOT of fetch to build swells in. (CLICK PHOTO FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE)

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bartons.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Bartons)
The digs out on OBX, Barton's Hatteras Island Sail Shop, http://www.hiss-waves.com/ . He has a nice upstairs apartment. I understand this is a favorite starting/ending point for downwinders.
(CLICK PHOTO FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE)

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Beach_NC.jpg
A PL kite goes up as the rain eases

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Dune_Flight.jpg
Want to work on your suntan and do some flights off the sandy bunny slopes? Kitty Hawk Kites can take care of you. I felt real bad for the instructors out there in this intensely hot "mini Sahara." I am very grateful that all my early training flights were almost a 1000 ft. over Biscayne Bay with boat tow without a sand dune or sandy face plant in sight.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Stilthouse.jpg
They have all these neat stilthouses along the shore. Hope the hurricanes have left them in place.

Photos by Rick Iossi

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ricki

07-23-2008, 09:02 PM

Ok, brace yourselves, the "Way Back Machine" is going way back, well sort of way back to the early 1960's. Found these on Ebay?!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/152166193_o.sized.jpg
I love this shot brings back memories. For one it is a photo of a Rebikoff Pegasus with full camera and instrument compliment. Dimitri Rebikoff was a French inventor of things UW for decades. He was also a pilot. He decided to combine flying with travel underwater and conceived the Pegasus. It was about an eight foot long torpedo like wetsub that you lay on top of. There was a rudder bar for your fins and a joy stick for controlling the aerilons with your hand. The pressure housed instrument pod had artificial horizon, altitude uh depth, compass and other stuff out of aircraft. Looks like he had this one rigged with a cine camera with two UW arch lamps.

You would fly this thing, do power dives, and boost ascents and could fly pretty level for photogrammetric and video surveys. I used to fly its cheaper cousin, the Remora. The main difference was instead of a $25,000 payload (in mid 1970's dollars!) of silver zinc batteries in the case of the Pegasus, the Remora towed a Whaler with a 220 v, 40 A diesel generator by a several hundred foot power umbilical. We used it for all sorts of surveys back in the day. Fun stuff. Oh, and there is mention of Columbus' "Pinta." There was another time we kicked around off Cap Haitian, Haiti looking for the sister ship, "Santa Maria" entombed in the barrier reef using diver operated drilling equipment.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/152172312_o.jpg
I had never even heard of this publication before. Nice that somethings are before my time! Regarding, To Kill A Shark (in) The Mediterranean, I think you first have to find one? They do have tiburons but I think they are more elusive. Here's an interesting factoid from the past. In the Caribbean macho divers back in the day strove to get some black coral often at substantial depth, at least for the larger trees. This was before the practice was heavily banned for non-residents most everywhere. In the Med, macho divers used to collect Cat Shark Egg Sacks at depth? True enough, I once swapped some black coral for one of these funky translucent eggs with a guy from Germany when I was a young spud. Neat cover shot, all that fancy high tech stuff! Is that guy holding a classic RolleiMarin housing, Hans Hass' creation or is it a door opener?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/152168789_o.jpg
Ugh, weeds! Wait, what am I complaining about I'm trying to breath on a double hosed regulator! Deep Dive, wonder what a "deep dive" was considered to be at that time? I recall seeing an amazing account over in Small Hope Bay, Andros last summer of a guy that did 462 ft. in 1962! His partner stayed down there unfortunately. This was on AIR and in the small tanks available at that time, probably "Rhinohydes" or converted CO2 bottles or something. I think in general though a "deep dive" back then was substantially shallower.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/152167014_o.jpg
A final oldie goldie. I've yet to make it over to Greece but recall something about SCUBA diving being forbidden off the entire country without permit or special arrangements. I think this decision had to do with too many historical cultural resources being poached. Free divers can do a lot, no doubt particularly in Greece where the practice goes back mellinia. Still, if you want to dredge some exploratory holes to pillage a trireme wreck in 300 ft. of water you'll be pushing it on just a breath? So, shame on the dude making off with the amphora for the options he has removed from future divers. Most of the damage that will happen to a wreck occurs in the first hundred years as is collapsed, spread around, attacked by corrosion and eventually covered up. After that it remains in sort of a low oxygen or anaerobic stasis. That is until you pop the top on the entombed wreck, let all that oxygenated water in and things can be royally trashed in a decade or so. That is for all time and all future generations, not a good way to treat a non-renewable cultural resource. Beach Temptress Contest? Oh, got a shot of that too, interesting fashions back then.

*

KiteworldUSA

07-24-2008, 09:15 PM

nice!

ricki

07-25-2008, 09:03 AM

No end of marvelous places to check out in the Caribbean. Went through the Grenadines last summer, it's a great destination. They are so close together and yet fall within about a 60 mile stretch north to south. There are so many beaches, cays, reef lines, wrecks and more to explore. The best way to take in the islands is by liveaboard boat. We did it on Windjammer, fun operation but sadly they're no more.

I saw a lot of nice photos from the islands on the website of CARIBBEAN KITE SURFARIS, http://web.mac.com/caribbeankitesurfari/Site/Welcome.html Some of the images follow, lots more where those came from in the Photo Gallery of the site. These folks do the Grenadines AND head south all the way to Trinidad/Tobago and across all those windy latitudes to Venezuela! There are lots of little explored islands and reefs in the ABC, Margarita latitudes. Would love the opportunity to check them out first person on a liveaboard someday.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/g5.jpg
Nothing like some quality island time with WIND!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/g1.jpg
You get this incredibly blue water in some of the island areas. White carbonate sand sets it off even more.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/g2.jpg
Endless island forms and coastlines to explore

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/g6.jpg
You can also fall into some really good swells

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/g4.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/g3.jpg
I think I might have rigged and launched from this same small island in the Tobago Cays. Great times to be had down there, why not check it out?

Photos by Betty Findlay

ricki

07-29-2008, 09:16 AM

The NPX guys got together and headed over to the Miami Marine Stadium for some wakeboarding. The Stadium was built way back in 1963 to host hydroplane races. It was visited by Nixon, Sammy Davis Jr., Jimmy Buffet and Mitch Miller in years past. You know who Mitch Miller is right?! One visitor, Andrew, in 1992 had a little too much fun and shut the stadium down. That doesn't mean you can't rip by on the water though as our boys did.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/NPX_WAKE_04_mm2.jpg
Andre Phillip throws one. Elliot Leboe did the filming and had the great idea to tow behind the boat in a small raft. That way he would next to and under the riders as they threw tricks. Great idea but I hope it was a kevlar raft with extra padding if they guys came too close.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/NPX_WAKE_06_s1.jpg
Going off again!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/NPX_WAKE_05_mm3.jpg
Damien Lerroy rips along before what once was the largest cantilevered concrete roof span in the world. Uh, don't get too close there Damo.

and here's the video!

1429512

The wind was down for these days of shooting. Checkout that dramatic shelf cloud to the west over Miami during one day of the filming, intense stuff. So, don't have wind right now, here's an option.

A clearer version of the video along with a complete look at all that great clothing & waterwear appear on the NPX website HERE (http://www.npx-hq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=134)

Still photos by Tracy Kraft and video by Elliot Leboe of ACL Productions. Thanks to Josh with ASI for helping me out with all the great images.

Great job folks!

*

ricki

07-30-2008, 09:37 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Combos_s.jpg
Cory Roeseler with the Kiteski Dusoski (combos) Photo: Marco van Es
From: http://www.kiteski.de/

Back in the Day, not just any old day either, The Day, there were innovators. Sort of like today only a bit different, as there was no great following, real direction or global impetus. They were the original elves cutting their own path in Santa's T&E toy shop at the North Pole or in this case, the Gorge.

So, let's pickup with Cory Roeseler and his concept (and that of his father William), Kiteski.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ks_2.thumb.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=ks_2) http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ks_3.thumb.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=ks_3)

(Click thumbnails for full sized images)

Patent Abstract

A wind powered system utilizes a free-flying airfoil tethered to a conveyance device such as a water ski, a skegged hull slab or a wheeled land vehicle which either defines or inherently has tracking means defining a preferred traverse vector across an underlying surface. The tractive force of the airfoil is applied at the center of lateral resistance of the conveyance device such that there is no destabilizing moment caused by the airfoil, thereby removing an artificial limit on the sail area that is imposed upon fixed mast sailing craft. A control bar provides a mount for a tether reel which enables the conveyance device, when same is a kite, to be launched from the water without requiring the assistance of a boat.

Patent number: 5366182
Filing date: Nov 30, 1993
Issue date: Nov 22, 1994
Inventors: William G. Roeseler, Cory Roeseler
Primary Examiner: Anne E. Bidwell

You can read the rest of the patent at: http://www.google.com/patents?id=2fobAAAAEBAJ

I remember seeing one of these in a Toyota Truck TV commercial in the early 1990's. I think Cory was booking along dead downwind in the shallows a few feet off the beach and free wheeling truck. He had this massive arch shaped bar in his hands. It was entirely crescent shaped and didn't resemble anything in this writeup, secret prototype, shhh.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Loop_s.sized.jpg
Cory Roeseler in front loop, Photo: Michael Hildreth
From: http://www.kiteski.de/
Love that control bar! I took one of these out to my first trip to Maui (a loaner from F One USA's Raphael) along with Trip Forman's old 5 m Wipika two line kite. Hung Vu had come up with an inventive way to attach a kite leash to this thing (no depower, whoops). So I took the parts along to put one of those together too. Good news is the wind was so strong, the "kite bar built like a Schwin" stayed in my suitcase (along with the 5 m). Good thing, I would have felt terrible if the bar dragged by a runaway kite in 45 mph winds decapitate the top of Haleakala or something.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Wasserstart_s.sized.jpg
Richard Kummeth water starts Photo: Uta Kummeth
From: http://www.kiteski.de/
Water launching had a different meaning back then, remember NO emergency depowering! Hey, it just hit me, Nuclear Gorge winds and NO WAY to kill the power in an emergency!? YOW, there must have been some real interesting sessions back then. Came real close to buying one of these from Scott up in Valkerie, FL years back. Was already collecting way too much kite junk. I was on the search for the Holy Grail of Florida Summer Kiting gear, a light wind kite (which didn't exist, hadn't figured that out yet), so I passed.

Cory was and STILL is the man based upon recent speed kiting results. Have fun out there and thanks for all of those great sessions we have had in your wake. Anyone out there try a Kiteski before? How was it?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/1_NoHands.sized.jpg
Cory Roeseler Photo: Michael Hildreth
From: http://www.kiteski.de/

Ride on

*

ricki

07-31-2008, 09:02 AM

Back to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas with JP and Carlos ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GH_2.jpg
Looking north over the eastern shore of GHC towards Little Stirrup aka Cayo Dark Chocolate?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Iron_Shore.jpg
A typical chunk of Bahamian ironshore, nice to look at, fun to dive around, nasty for the odd kite landing, ouch!
What year is it, oh yeah, 2008!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GH_4.jpg
A busy day at the launch

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gh_7.jpg
A white mini tsunami barrels into JP's Pond

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GH_3.jpg
The Pond from aloft

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gh_11.jpg
Feels like Miller Time, anybody got a Kaliber? Here's to fun times in the Islands!

You can see lots of photos from this day visit by private plane earlier in the year at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=5986

Good winds and happy traveling!

Photos by Rick Iossi
*

conchxpress

07-31-2008, 03:19 PM

Rick. The pics are really inviting. Makes me want to be there, NOW!

We definitely have to organize a Harbour Cay fly-in, sometime in the fall, when the hurricane season is over. You must know a bunch of pilots that kite. I only know one other. We could hit a couple of other spots while we're there. Could be a long weekend, or longer.

Any pilots interested? Chime in with type of plane and how many kiters you could carry, with gear. I have a mooney, so with gear and full fuel, I could realistically only carry one other. Or..... maybe two really fit women.(kiting optional). Could I get an AMEN?

Frank

ricki

07-31-2008, 09:53 PM

Sounds like a great idea to me Frank. I'll paste your post into the last Bahamas Fly-In thread and get this puppy cooking again. Can't wait!

ricki

07-31-2008, 10:15 PM

This Photo Of The Day is in honor of the upcoming Adventure Sports Miami Bimini Winds Event this November. Sounds like a LOT of fun, it is a great event to checkout. On to Bimini, been going there for a very long time. Will have to locate and dig out slides from there over 30 years ago. The place has changed but it is still a great place to go kite, dive, walk around, party or just hang out. More at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6942

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bimini_Wreck_s.jpg
Wreck of the Gallent Lady, a fairly recent addition to North Bimini

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/N_Bimini_Beach_II.jpg
North Bimini Beach, white sand and deep blue water out to the 60 ft. mounds and dropoff beyond

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/N_Bimini_Wreck_VR_1_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=N_Bimini_Wreck_VR_1_s)
A 180 degree view of the south end of North Bimini.
(Click photo for full sized image)

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/N_Bimini_Beach.jpg
I think I read somewhere long ago if you wolf down a couple of dozen of these purple flowers you will get a slight buzz. Who figures this stuff out anyway? Hmmm, just grab a Kalik instead, it's easier.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Bimini_Sound_VR_1_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album347&id=Bimini_Sound_VR_1_s)
The event will occur in Bimini Sound, in the "crook" of north Bimini just a bit north of this view. It's a vast area of shallow, clear, calm water pretty much rideable in wind from all directions.
(Click photo for full sized image)

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Alice_n_Bailey_Town.jpg
A look over Bailey and Alice Towns on North Bimini and some of the great blue water in such abundance in the Bahamas. The contest area is just north of this area. It really is better in the Bahamas, why not find out why?

Photos by Rick Iossi

ricki

08-01-2008, 01:33 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/lobster_s1.jpg

Wellmini season is over, hope all had fun. We sure did at Tiki Beach,

This just in from Neil, think he took the photo too!

How did it go out there?

ricki

08-01-2008, 01:35 PM

Here's a funny story in commemoration of Mini Season ...

It took place in a land far away overseas and decades in the past. It happened to someone I know but who shall remain nameless. He had just been coasting along over a couple of miles of reef just looking around. He had no bugging gear with him as it happened. He came up on a tire on the sand in about 15 ft. of water. I think they call them "condos" these days but back then, just tires. The hubs were long gone but they were fairly sprouting with antennae.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/2225192926_bcd14ffe29.jpg
Like the Bug Coop only deeper
From: http://flickr.com/

Not the easy broken chromed aluminum variety but those bound to Panulirus argus, Spiny Lobster. He thought, hmm maybe should bring some bugs home to dinner, uh, for dinner. Problem, he had no gloves and had experienced the slice and dicing that comes with barehanding bugs that don't want to be manhandled.

The ever inventive mind hatched a solution, take your bathing suit off, wrap it around your right hand and you're good to go. So, hand clothed and privates free to the deep blue sea he descended to address the bugs. Tires have the unique quality of making lobsters feel more secure and providing an infinite distance along which to travel, in circles at high speed inside the rim. Catching them is easier than shooting fish in a barrel, even without a gun. Just plop your hand in the inner recess of the tire and wait for the bugs playing Roller Derby to slam into your open fingers. As this was long ago and far away in a distant land, he tailed the bugs making it easier to hang on to them. Five lobster were gathered in this fashion sans bug bag and off to shore again.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/lobster_s.jpg
Do these guys have attitude or what?
From: http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/divetips.php?s=682

The guy was uneasy about putting his burden down and covering up his privates lest a greedy triggerfish fly in and scarf up the bootie, the bugs that is. So, cupping the tails in both hands he swam in au naturale for a time. Doing the odd barrel role to look around he happened to notice a permit fish in tow. A BIG permit and an eager one at that with a strange look in his eye?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/01_28_B_29sm.jpg
Permit on the hoof
From: http://antiguaisland.blogspot.com/2007_03_07_archive.html

The diver was back peddling facing the permit hands in front along with everything else as it happened. It was a good sized one about the size of a Thanksgiving serving platter. The fish would rush in and then back off. This was starting to unnerve the guy more than a bit, considering a) he thought permits were midwater feeders, no crustacea or annelids in their diet b) despite the presence of bugs there was other potential fodder. There is a certain degree of irrationality that comes with certain types of threats to guys. This was one of those touchy situations and trophic analysis aside, Ockham's razor aside, it wasn't clear to the guy what was in the permits mind or on the menu. The damn fish kept charging in! The guy kicked it THREE TIMES and it still kept running in, dammmuh! He had kicked sharks only twice in the past and the toothy tiburons had fled. Not so our permit though. New problem, the water was getting shallower. He is envisioning running up on the beach holding the bug tails, flapping about with a permit dolphining in his wake to the general entertainment of the bathers on the beach. Understand in some cultures, having your right hand covered and nothing else ... means absolutely nothing?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Permit_say_cheese.jpg
The offending fish saying ahhhh. LOOK at the size of that mauw, gives me the willies!
From: http://captaintadburke.com/the_fishing.html

Coming down to the moment of truth and precious little water, he decided to throw the permit a bone, uh tail. It was the biggest one too, damn! The permit glided up, sniffed it and charged along after the diver AGAIN. In about two feet of water and shoaling at this point, kicked the fish one more time with feeling and it whipped around to gorge on the bug tail on the bottom. He was then able to drop the tails for a second, don his suit and walk out with what shreds of dignity the permit sneak attack allowed.

Moral: Five bugs in the hand are good, but four and safely covered privates are better if permit'ed!?

Text Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008

ricki

08-07-2008, 09:15 AM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/ANTIBES_s.jpg
A postcard view of an old fortification on the quay at Antibes. Likely before Gilpatric's time but it captures a sense of the place I think.
From: http://www.leuchtturm-welt.net/HTML/FRPK/ORIGINAL/ANTIBES.JPG

It was the 1930's in post WW I Europe, France was rebuilding and about to descend into another tumult. Guy Gilpatric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gilpatric), an American, not in Paris but in Antibes on the Côte d'Azur, proceeded to explore a new realm, free diving. Equipment was crude and participants were few. Guy, an acknowledged author wrote some introductory pieces to the sport of "goggling" in his regular contributions to the "Saturday Evening Post." His musings eventually amassed into a book, "The Complete Goggler" first published in 1934. Skin Diver Magazine way back in 1957 published an expanded version of the book with "new" images of the sport and a forward by James Dugan. I received a copy of the later in 1975 as a discard from a very kind librarian at my alma mater, Ft. Lauderdale High School. She was probably impressed by the number of times I had checked it out in my years there. I subsequently found and bought copies for some of my close diving buddies. Since that time the book has become a fairly scare and valuable collectors item. Excerpts from the text follow.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gg_12.jpg
The cover page of the book showing Guy in his element

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gg_4.jpg
As a teenager, this impressed me probably as much as anything in the book. Free diving without fins or proper mask and spearing without any means of propulsion other than a well coordinated kick, stroke and thrust. I was intrigued by the feet first entry and timing of the exhalation of air to reduce buoyancy. Weight, we don't need no stink'n weights!? I had quit spearfishing before this time but could still appreciate an arcane art when I saw it.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gg_10.jpg
It was a new time for a very old, new activity. As with kitesurfing, innovation was rampant in the secluded areas in which the discipline was practiced. Here is a nifty speargun AND compressed air breathing apparatus. Wonder how SCUBA diving would have suffered if developments continued directly along these lines?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gg_16.jpg
The goggles. The only ones you could equalize were the ones with the squeeze bulbs shown at the bottom from Japan. Ama divers had developed this provision long in the past to my knowledge and yet Guy wasn't all that crazy about them. Here's what he had to say about mask squeeze "At depths exceeding twenty feet, you will notice that your goggle rims cut into you uncomfortably and that your eyes within them feel as though they were being sucked out. Down around forty feet, this "suction" may deform your eyeballs, hinder your vision and cause you to miss your fish." He left out that part about acute headaches and perhaps losing your vision in extremes and with regular repetition! I want the ones with exposed aluminum rims, who needs soft rubber? I think my eyes would start to be squeezed out around 5 ft and 40 ft.? Amazing, core divers back in the day.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gg_14.jpg
Some more home crafted gear. I was so taken by this that I made a similar side mounted knife carrier as a teen using a steak knife, kids!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/gg_5.jpg
The weapon of choice. Note no surgical or other drive bands, just a handle. He did use rubber bands for retaining the point cable. Just needed bigger rubber bands, soon. The detachable point with keyway is well conceived. It isn't so far different in concept from some contemporary points.

Thank you Guy for your contribution to free diving. I understand Skin Diver eventually gave copies of the book away with subscriptions and even threw some away sad to say given the lack of interest at the time. The book was said to be in the library onboard Cousteau's Calypso and in Hemingway's library. Got mine fortunately and it actually influenced my perspective on free diving growing up along with other books like Robert Marx's "Always Another Adventure" (e.g. Big Anthony striding around at depth on the bottom off Little Tobago on a breath). More about the book and author here (http://classicdivebooks.customer.netspace.net.au/oeclassics-a-gilpatric.html).

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/cover_s. jpg

*

ricki

08-08-2008, 08:13 AM

Back to this year's Pier To Pier Naples Kiteboarding Race ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/8_napls_race_photos_132.jpg
Setup time, looks like the wind might actually build to what we need.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/1_napls_race_photos_142.jpg
Getting close to the start

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/4_napls_race_photos_033.jpg
Organizer Enrique of SW Florida Kiteboarding (http://www.swfloridakiteboarding.com) and some of the troops that made this event possible. Thanks guys!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/6_napls_race_photos_181.jpg
From whence we came

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/7_napls_race_photos_198a.jpg
The wrap party

http://www.swfloridakiteboarding.com/napls%20race%20photos%20107.jpg
Winners all, way to go!

Photos supplied by SW Florida Kiteboarding. For more great photos of the event checkout:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=5612

And, for more about the event in general, checkout:
http://fksa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=100

*

ricki

08-11-2008, 07:59 AM

Off to Cabarete, D.R. to see what Paul Menta of The Kitehouse (http://www.thekitehouse.com/) is up to. He has been down there in recent times to do some T & E of new Cabrinha gear, kite tow-in, standup sessions and generally hang out in all that wind. More shots from the camrig and towing-in HERE (http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6089&page=8).

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/PM_0.jpg
Here's an overview of Cabarete Bay with Bozo Beach to the west followed by Kite Beach. The wind is usually out of the east with thermal augmented trades in late morning on. You can see the reef and the swell zones it sets up. No wonder Bozo and Kite Beach go off in strong winds with nice swells. What's up with "X Kiter?" Is that the name of a Marvel comic, could make a great movie.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/PM_1.jpg
Paul is out playing in the waves with a camera up on an 8 m kite and a surfboard lower down. Mighty nice waves off Cabarete over the reef. On this day winds were east around 20 kts. with solid head high surf and what Paul calls "surprise waves" on tidal changes. Hey Paul, what's a surprise wave, something like a rogue wave only unannounced and smaller?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/PM_2.jpg
Paul was sliding along when he saw this guy kite down and drifting north offshore and towards the wave breaks. They were about a 1/2 mile out inside or south of the "X marks the spot" area. The guy got caught and gobbled by a breaking wave. His fifth line rig got all twisted up after to where relaunching wasn't feasible. This can happen fairly easily too so it is good to have a good way to deal with things.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/PM_3.jpg
Paul went out recovered the guy's board and brought it back to him. He figured the guy had two options. Including; 1. Paul could ride his board and drag his kite in while the kiter could paddle Paul's surfboard in, or; 2. He could self-rescue and sail in.

The kiter setup for Self Rescue by sailing in using the kite. Paul mentioned he often sees people simply turn the kite upside down and use it as a raft ignoring the substantial advantages of being able to sail in using the kite.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/PM_4.jpg
Once the kite was in position the kiter made shore in no time about 20 to 25 minutes and from a 1/2 mile out. You can see the rider with kite bent perpendicular to the wind from the east and tooling nicely shoreward to the south. Paul kept orbiting by to make sure he was doing ok throughout which is always a good policy when someone is making for shore in this way.

It can't be emphasized enough how vital it is for all kiters to know and have practiced bailing out using the kite to sail in on the water. A new kiter was found on their kite raft hours after dark, expired from hypothermia this year. Not sure if they could have sailed into shore or not without the effects of hypothermia stealing their options away. When severe cold effects are creeping in you need to move early otherwise options fall away. Then again in strong wind you can make up to a few knots and short distances can be covered fairly quickly. We'll never know. There have been still other serious cases out there.

I once used this to sail in from over a mile off the north shore of Antigua. Did the trip fast and easy and considering there was no way my kite was going to launch again before hitting shore, it was a good thing.

How do you do it? There is a video of one approach at: http://kitefilm.com/video/rescue_techniques_part1.wmv

The above example is with a small C kite in good wind, one of the easier scenarios to do this in. When they say watch out for (and EXPECT) lines to catch and tangle on you underwater believe it and be careful. Some advise winding at least one kite wing span of a single line (your kite leash line) on your bar first before winding all the lines up as you work towards the kite. In either case be very careful of breaking waves catching your kite and perhaps you as well with a stray line. More often than not you may have a flat kite and a larger one at that. The trick is to get enough of the kite canopy folded over perpendicular to the wind and making for the shore. You may need to let a little air pressure out of some leading edges to be able to fold them over. Just don't let too much out. Practice this before you need it for real to be able to better judge what you need to do and how it all comes together. With flat kites I've had some success working from the center of the kite wing tips up as shown in the second photo above. I will then pull in on one of the bridles from the shoreward facing wing tip, arching the kite over me. There is no need to hold both wing tips together with a larger kite as long as the wind sees enough of the kite canopy. You can control power or bleed it off if excessive by how far back you work along the leading edge towards the wing tip that is in the water. You can even steer very slightly closer to the wind by pulling the wing tip above the water across the line of the leading edge in the downwind direction. You can even lie on your back on the leading edge with one leg on top of your kite and sail in partially out of the water. I've even been able to mouth inflate the leading edge to be able to do this years in the past when the leading edge valve plug blew out on impact with water. Lots of ways of doing this, you just need to be practiced with a few. So, no excuses know how to do this. btw, wearing appropriate flotation/impact vest and carrying a knife may come in handy. If you are taking Pro Lessons make sure your instructor will teach you how to do this, don't take no for an answer.

Photos by Paul Menta's kite, what's it called, Wilbur?

*

ricki

08-12-2008, 07:51 AM

Sometimes we get a bit too comfortable with kiting. We start to do marginal (aka dumb) things. Doing errands around the car with a kite aloft falls in with that lot. You know, ill advised activities that can rip an arm off, move your face to the back of your head or even do some impromptu redesign on your ride. Skill is no factor in this either, really good kiters can still have a bad day if they set themselves up for it with poor decisions. Sort of like the following ...

http://www.kiteforum.com/download/file.php?id=20978&t=1
Here we have Tophat, Felix Pivec and an involuntary kiteboarder, a minivan?! Yup, the minivan that didn't want to screw with kids, moms, it wanted to go kiting. Reminds me of another van years in the past that was into kitelooping cleverly holding the bar in a wheel well and shredding stuff on adjoining less hip vehicles.

As Felix was trying to collect another kite out of The Hat's van, he caught a line on the sliding door, the kite gets dosed on angel dust, goes ape and the bar rips the poor van's door off and flings it ten feet into the air! Anyway, Felix came out of it ok with some limited contusions and lacerations, as a minor miracle. The minivan was so traumatized that it slipped off that night, grabbed a flight to Italy to be converted into a cappuccino machine. It figured it might come into contact with a saner class of guys only suffering from caffine addiction as opposed to a compulsion to loft automobiles piecemeal.

More photos and details at:
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2350534

http://www.kitesurfmania.com.br/ksm/images/artigos/927/26.jpg
Felix on the prowl for vans in the surf, not finding any but still looking!
From: http://www.kitesurfmania.com.br/

CE_LhbHNg2U
Tophat attending Erik Eck's astounding lofting in Oahu in 2002. What is it about toppers and the bizarre?
More about what might have gone wrong that day HERE (http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=284).

ricki

08-13-2008, 11:02 AM

Just because something appeared almost 45 years in the past, doesn't necessarily mean it isn't a lot of fun or even practical in today's world. Set the Wayback Machine to March 1964 Mr. Professor and let's look in again on the then latest issue of Skin Diver Magazine.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/sd_1.jpg
There it is the Rebikoff Pegasus. A torpedo like DPV complete with airplane controls for steering, diving and ascending.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/SD_2.jpg
Page 1, these things were a blast to fly vertically towards the surface and burst free like a breaching whale, Polaris or something as shown in the photo. The Pegasus was too top shelf for the likes of us with the expensive battery pack. So we used a very similar device with the exception of a long power extension cord (100 yards+). The cord was used to tow a large, 220 V, 40 A diesel generator around in a 13.5 ft. Whaler. Seems awkward but it worked. You didn't want to take it out into too large a sea though. The guys found this out the hard way of Viecas, Puerto Rico when 6 to 8 ft. seas caused the craft to turn turtle and be pulled to the bottom. So, that is how you can sink a whaler, with a huge weight bolted into it. They were on a Navy job surveying reef conditions in the bombing range. So no worries, just send a Huey out and winch it up off the bottom and fly it to shore for cleaning.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/SD_3.jpg
Playing around with the device, it is easy to do. The Pegasus/Remora was designed as a survey vehicle with numerous custom designed UW arch lamps, cine cameras, photogrammetric cameras and the like. I can recall how thrilled we were to find a digital depth gage, an old Farallon, for our Remora to serve as an artificial horizon during photogrammetric surveys to preserve scale. It was the first digital depth gage we had heard of and a steal at $500. in 1976! We used these gadgets in the mid 1970's well after this SD article.

I see Jerry Greenberg shot these photos. Lots of us may have copies of his UW photo books of the Florida Keys. You know back in the day when they still had Elkhorn Coral? Times do change. I have some images of my own of the Remora in action along with some photogrammetric composite images. I'll have to find them and put them into a POD at some point in the future.

Noticed this Dacor ad and thought I would throw it in. How about those prices and nifty gear?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/SD_4.jpg

*

ricki

08-15-2008, 08:27 AM

Weather ... now there's a mouthful and something we spend a lot of time pondering through the year. The more we wonder, the more the wx gnomes create on the Internet for us to try to figure out what is going on. Click on the images to be taken to realtime conditions within the area shown.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/sm_1.jpg (http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=22.59373&lon=-72.81738&zoom=5&type=hyb&rad=0&wxsn=1&wxsn.mode=tw&svr=0&cams=0&sat=1&sat.num=1&sat.spd=25&sat.opa=85&sat.gtt1=109&sat.gtt2=108&sat.type=VIS&riv=0&mm=0&hur=1&hur.wr=0&hur.cod=1&hur.fx=1&hur.obs=1&hur.opa=70&hur.img=0&fire=0)
Here's an interesting one out of Weatherunderground. An interactive map imposed over google satellite imagery. You can see a system moving over Puerto Rico.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/sm_2.jpg (http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=24.32708&lon=-75.68481&zoom=7&type=hyb&rad=1&rad.num=1&rad.spd=25&rad.opa=74&rad.stm=0&wxsn=1&wxsn.mode=tw&svr=0&cams=0&sat=1&sat.num=1&sat.spd=25&sat.opa=85&sat.gtt1=109&sat.gtt2=108&sat.type=VIS&riv=0&mm=0&hur=1&hur.wr=0&hur.cod=1&hur.fx=1&hur.obs=1&hur.opa=70&hur.img=0&fire=0)
What are conditions like across the Bahamas or in the Turks and Caicos? You can get an idea here. Weatherunderground has assembled data from a lot of privately owned weather stations and some public ones in this display.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/sm_4.jpg (http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=28.00653&lon=-83.08685&zoom=9&type=hyb&rad=1&rad.num=1&rad.spd=25&rad.opa=74&rad.stm=0&wxsn=1&wxsn.mode=tw&svr=0&cams=0&sat=1&sat.num=1&sat.spd=25&sat.opa=85&sat.gtt1=109&sat.gtt2=108&sat.type=VIS&riv=0&mm=0&hur=1&hur.wr=0&hur.cod=1&hur.fx=1&hur.obs=1&hur.opa=70&hur.img=0&fire=0)
Zooming in on the Tampa Bay area and a very pronounced August cold front? They guys have been getting lots of wind out of this one.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/sm_5.jpg (http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=25.07565&lon=-81.13678&zoom=9&type=hyb&rad=1&rad.num=1&rad.spd=25&rad.opa=74&rad.stm=0&wxsn=1&wxsn.mode=tw&svr=0&cams=0&sat=1&sat.num=1&sat.spd=25&sat.opa=85&sat.gtt1=109&sat.gtt2=108&sat.type=VIS&riv=0&mm=0&hur=1&hur.wr=0&hur.cod=1&hur.fx=1&hur.obs=1&hur.opa=70&hur.img=0&fire=0)
What is going on in the Keys?

You can even view livecams if you click that option.

Speaking of weather, here's news ... tropical weather season is in full swing. Realtime images, maps and model charts from several sites have been assembled for easier viewing at the link below. Best to keep an eye on things.

Hurricane Prediction And Tracking Resources (http://fksa.org/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=1609)

http://www.wunderground.com/data/640x480/2xat_ir_anim.gif
One image via the above page from Weatherunderground.com

ricki

08-27-2008, 11:06 AM

Hope to start a new page ...

ricki

08-27-2008, 11:15 AM

FIT Divers and Trainers (http://divefit.com/) had the Gulfstream Free Diving Competition over the last four days. It was a real intriguing experience including competition over several forms of free diving or disciplines. Niki Roderick and Martin Stepanek of FIT created this first time ever event. Disciplines included Constant Weight miles offshore in several hundred feet of water, Static and Dynamic Apnea (apnea = breath holding) in the pool. The competitors including a range of athletes with strengths in varying areas. A new national record was set by Niki for Constant Weight descent to 55 m (181 ft. deep)with no fins. Jared also made it to 58 m (191 ft.)Constant Weight (with fins) yesterday.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Rig_s.jpg
The free floating free diving setup with weighted descent lines and even an automatic diver retrieval system in case of emergency. Technical SCUBA divers were deployed to various depths along the descent for the competitors. Safety free divers also meet and escort competitors to the surface at pre-established depths. Should the competitor black out or show signs, there are multiple provisions and personal in place to manage the situation including an EMT.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Martin_s.jpg
Martin just starting his warmup. We go through a series of preliminary descents to activate the mammalian dive response to depress heart rates and improve breathhold efficiency.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/SA_s.jpg
Competitors and safeties performing static apnea or breathholding in the pool. The techniques for the various disciplines share training aspects and benefits in both competitive free diving as well as recreational diving.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Jared_s.jpg
Jared, a former Navy SEAL coming up after his first dynamic apnea dive, ever, I'm told. He made it 109 m (359 ft. horiziontally) in the 50 m pool if memory serves. Tony his safety diver is just behind him.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Martin_n_Niki_s.jpg
Martin eases up past Niki. Martin is a nine time world record holder in various free diving disciplines. Martin (CZ Free Diving Team), Niki (NZ Free Diving Team) and Jared (on the U.S. Free Diving Team) just left today for Egypt for a major international free diving competition.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Ascent_s.jpg
I think this is Todd on final ascent. There were a ton of volunteers required to pull this event off. Lots of technical safety divers equipped with lift bags (no aero-embolism for free divers to worry about), still and video cameramen, safety divers, boat crew, etc..

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Moon_Jelly_s.jpg
Todd again with a moon jelly. It really is blue out there in the Deep Blue.

More to come, have a ton of video clips to edit as well.

ricki

08-28-2008, 10:25 PM

Just had a question about vacation prospects in the Western Bahamas and in Florida. Sent the following out then it occurred to me it might help some folks visiting here. Should be in the "Link Of The Day" oh well. There is a great deal more than this on this site as well about these and many other areas.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album278/Old_Map_of_the_Bahamas_s.jpg

Kiting Hope Town, Great Guana Cay, etc. (also the lower Keys)
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6089

Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos (never been myself)
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6342

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/GGC_1.sized.jpg

Sailing the Sea of Abaco
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=1354

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album336/56_G.jpg

Another island a couple of hundred miles to the SSE of the Abacos
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=5986

Nassau
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4147

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album278/Sunset_over_NP.jpg

Bimini
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=542&highlight=bimini
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=7162&highlight=bimini

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/North_Bimini_Beach.jpg

Exumas
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=37126#post37126

http://www.kiteforum.com/download/file.php?id=22403&t=1

and around Florida:

Key West
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=468
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=3670

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album80/air_2.jpg

Lower Keys
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6089&page=10

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/j1_001.jpg

Islamorada
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=362

Miami
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=3519
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=568

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album244/20_G.jpg

Jupiter
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=3121

St. Augustine
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=830

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album144/26_G.sized.jpg

Tampa
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=977

The top three stickies have good info on Florida launches at:
http://fksa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=89

and many more areas on this site!

TritonKiteboarding

09-22-2008, 02:11 PM

http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/42187/2863223640062782977S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2863223640062782977hrFBma)
Tripp Hobbs SUP - Pass-A-Grille

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/44225/2176266130062782977S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2176266130062782977TCQfvo)
Tripp Hobbs SUP - Pass-A-Grille

http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/41884/2636428680062782977S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2636428680062782977uPzWQA)
Matt Sexton SUP - Pass-A-Grille

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/22446/2595769030062782977S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2595769030062782977fmXomm)

Billy Bosch of the UF Kite Club - Pass-A-Grille Tube

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/40641/2109322900062782977S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2109322900062782977aofByq)
Tripp Hobbs Strapless Kiteloop

ricki

09-23-2008, 09:48 AM

Thanks for putting up the intriguing shots Matt! I understand they were taken by CJ as well. Nice session and great photography!

TritonKiteboarding

09-23-2008, 12:03 PM

yea the two colored sup and surf shots were cj's the others were wells prestons, gulf coast really does get waves! ........but for now we're heading east

ricki

09-26-2008, 02:02 PM

http://www.aolcdn.com/aolportal/fusionman-550lvg051608.jpg
From: http://journals.aol.com/photographyd/AOLPHOTOTALK/

It's a little off topic, but what the hell, I would love to fly something like this someday.
And, doing it over the Swiss Alps, amazing. Yves Rossy of Switzerland just tooled
across the English Channel in 10 minutes with one of these jet propelled wings.

8zrG3B2_Juw

conchxpress

09-26-2008, 04:32 PM

Absolutely amazing. The guy is a 49 y.o. airline pilot from Switzerland. I wonder if the orders have started to pile up. I wonder if he'll figure out how to use it without the jump plane. BASE jumpers must be salivating right now.

I found a new item for my Bucket List.

F.

ricki

09-26-2008, 06:55 PM

It is the stuff of dreams Frank, or nightmares depending on how things go. Maybe he'll do all the critical T and E for us. Here is some more ...

bEXxkWXncuo
The clip of the crossing of the English Channel

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_4.jpg
Just step up and slide in

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_2.jpg
Will it work, strips paint great!

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_5.jpg
Free fall

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_7.jpg
It's a race

http://www.davinciinstitute.com/new/admin/content/FCKeditor/uploads/flyingman07.jpg
Winning

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_12.jpg

Photos from: From: http://fotogaleri.samanyoluhaber.com/galeri/946/4

http://www.davinciinstitute.com/new/admin/content/FCKeditor/uploads/flyingman03.jpg
Touch down
From: http://www.impactlab.com/2007/04/28/yves-rossy-photo-gallery-of-the-flying-man/

Kinda reminds me of a movie... Who remembers this one? Not bad for a Disney flick either.
http://members.tripod.com/makeitsomarketing/PICROCKETEERVIDEOCOVERFORBLOG.jpg
From: http://makeitsomarketing.tripod.com/popularcultureblog/index.blog?topic_id=1085512

conchxpress

09-27-2008, 07:33 AM

There was an hour long special on last night at 11pm on the NGC channel showing his flight from Calais to Dover.

conchxpress

09-27-2008, 12:59 PM

I'm sure the military has already got plans for it's use. And it would give suicide bombing a whole new perspective. As if they needed any more ideas.

F.

ricki

09-27-2008, 01:23 PM

Sorry I missed it Frank, sounds like an interesting program.

USA Today had the following ...

wiss man flies over English Channel on jet-propelled wing
9/26/2008 2:53 PM
**View Full StoryDOVER, England (AP) -- He had nothing above him but four tanks of kerosene and nothing below him but the cold waters of the English Channel. But Yves Rossy leapt from a plane and into the record books on Friday, crossing the channel on a homemade jet-propelled wing.

Rossy jumped from the plane about 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) over Calais, France, blasting across the narrow body of water and deploying his parachute over the South Foreland lighthouse, delighting onlookers who dotted Dover's famous white cliffs, cheering and waving as Rossy came into view.

Backed by a gentle breeze, Rossy crossed the Channel in 13 minutes, averaging 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour. In a final flourish, he did a figure eight as he came over England, although the wind blew him away from his planned landing spot next to the lighthouse.

"It was perfect. Blue sky, sunny, no clouds, perfect conditions," the Swiss pilot said after touching down in an adjacent field. He said he wanted to show, "it is possible to fly, a little bit, like a bird."

Onlookers scooped up their children, picnics and dogs to race to the landing site as Rossy posed for photographs. His ground crew doused him with champagne, and the pilot swigged greedily from the bottle as he waved to the band of onlookers gathered to cheer him and take pictures with cellphone cameras.

A small airplane zipped across the sky with a banner that read: "Well done Jet Man."

Rossy said he had watched passenger ferries cutting a path between the Britain and France as he tore through the air.

"I was happy to be faster than them," he said. The 49-year-old said the Channel crossing was the realization of a dream. "That's the most gratifying thing you can do," he said.

Rossy's trip twice delayed due to bad weather was meant to trace the route of French aviator Louis Bleriot, the first person to cross the narrow body of water in an airplane 99 years ago.

ricki

10-01-2008, 04:14 PM

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2008-09/42667138.jpg
Look at what I saw on the homepage of the Sunsentinel. Looking good.
"World Cup of Surfing (CARSTEN REHDER, EFE)
Tony Frans competes during the World Cup of Surfing in Westerland, Germany on Tuesday, Sept. 30."

Just don't let it go to your heads, they also had this ...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2008-10/42684597.jpg
Captioned: "The Lizard Birthday; Meat Cake With Mice
(DARON DEAN, THE ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Krakatoa, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park’s 75-pound, 7.5-foot long Komodo Dragon, celebrates his eighth birthday with fellow eight-year-olds from R.B. Hunt Elementary School Wednesday, Oct. 1. The children sang Happy Birthday to the large lizard as he was presented with a meat cake topped with mice."

Sponge Bob, a meat pie topped with mice and an excited Komodo Dragon, there's an image!

uh, got any white cake instead?

BigR

10-01-2008, 07:15 PM

I Prefer Sushi

Thanks for the offer tho'

Clew In

10-12-2008, 12:35 PM

Blue Angels over Chrissy Field this weekend. I am going to venture down to Waddell this afternoon and check that spot out.

Clew In

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0052_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0037_Small.jpg

Clew In

10-12-2008, 10:10 PM

Light wind day at Waddell, California.

sWuq2t8S9j4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWuq2t8S9j4

Clew In

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0064_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0048_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0020_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0017_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0014_Small.jpg

Jontan

10-13-2008, 09:37 PM

I love all these pics!!!! and vids. good stuff

ricki

10-14-2008, 07:57 PM

Nice shots CI, thanks for posting them! What sort of wind did you have? Also, what thickness wetsuits are guys using now?

Clew In

10-15-2008, 07:42 PM

Hey,

This is at the end of the season for this area and it was very light wind day 15mph- low 20mph. I think most use a minimum of a 4-3 wetsuit. The water is cooooold.

Clew In

ricki

10-16-2008, 06:20 AM

Sounds like a normal day here, although its been stronger for the last few days. Sounds nippy, thanks again for sending the shots along.

ricki

10-16-2008, 06:24 AM

Having trouble learning to kite, fly, well you're not alone. Here's a tale of a guy that trains eagles born in captivity how to fly. He decided to take one for a flight off Monte Bianco into Chamonix Valley in France.

QTECEPoQixo

Maybe we could use them to attack problem kites? Good thing it didn't drag a stray talon across the paraglider canopy, ouch!

October 14, 2008

Man and eagle soar over the French Alps

Have a look at the video below. If you love birds, flying or mountains, it's impossible not to be moved.

It's a report from France 2 television on a flight last Friday by Sherkan, an American bald eagle from the summit of Mont Blanc, Europe's higest mountain. The eagle, which has a two-metre (6'6") wingspan, flew with Jacques-Olivier Travers, a professional falconer. He specialises in teaching flight to big birds born in captivity.

Travers, who runs the Eagles of Leman park on Lake Geneva had been training Sherkan, a 14-year-old bird born in Germany, the art of aviation for the past 18 months. When he was ready, he took him by helicopter along with paraglider pilots to the top of the mountain, which is at 4,800 metres (15,800 feet) altitude. The result was this film, shot partly from the escorting paragliders, of Sherkan making the 40-minute flight down to the Chamonix valley over 12,000 feel below. The thin air at altitude meant that the bird tired quickly and came back to his instructor mid-air to rest. He enjoyed himself more in the lower air, Travers says on the video. [Thanks, Dot King, for posting the link yesterday]
From: http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2008/10/post-1.html

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Mont_Blanc_and_Dome_du_Gouter.jpg/800px-Mont_Blanc_and_Dome_du_Gouter.jpg
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mont_Blanc_and_Dome_du_Gouter.jpg
It's an amazing place.

ricki

10-17-2008, 08:11 AM

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/10/17/article-1078449-02263FE6000005DC-950_468x352_popup.jpg
Can you say tube, how about cheese? Mike Bradley, eat your heart out, this rat can really grab some barrel time. Wait a sec, IS THAT Mike Bradley?
No, couldn't be he's just opened a new shop, Switchside Kiteboarding in Cocoa.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/10/17/article-1078449-02264E4B000005DC-321_468x286.jpg
How many of us have gone out in four or five times overhead surf. That rat has cojones, uh, unless she doesn't?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/10/17/article-1078449-022649F9000005DC-733_468x286_popup.jpg
Getting into it now, hey not about to eat it for once in the Green Room!

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/10/17/article-1078449-02264156000005DC-908_468x325_popup.jpg
Ok, time to fess up. How many times just before it hit the fan have you felt like this rodent looks?

All photos and the story behind all of this out of Hawaii via London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1078449/Pictured-The-incredible-surfing-rats-taught-ride-4ft-waves.html

loscocco

10-18-2008, 10:40 PM

LOL those pics are great!!

ricki

10-20-2008, 02:52 PM

Way back in 2003 I headed down to Paul Menta's Kitehouse operation in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. It is on the SW coast south of Mayaguez. Took some photos and did a trip report;

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=848

Taking a look back:

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Mangroves_3.jpg
Off the mangrove cays looking NW towards La Parguera

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Mangroves_2.jpg
Used to take a boat out a few miles offshore, tie up in the mangroves, setup in the shallows and rip loose

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Paul_Buckles_One_On.sized.jpg
Paul even did a beer tasting while underway. A helper kindly passed the bottle to him as he flew past the boat. Here he renders his expert opinion of Buckler, a fake beer. It isn't that bad, is it?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Mangrove.jpg
Who would think you could have this much fun in a swamp?!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Ride.sized.jpg

ricki

10-20-2008, 07:42 PM

It's been years since I was in La Parguera. It seemed to me at the time that the wind might have been a little better than Cabarete. Has anyone been down there recently?

ricki

10-23-2008, 10:47 AM

UmXCbQWAPOE

It looks like a kite loop but in fact the guy is doing a chiropractic back adjustment.
Takes a bit of room but it seems to work, as long as it doesn't break your back!

ricki

10-23-2008, 02:14 PM

Well it's OT but pretty funny in a bizarre sort of way. Ever wonder where fish sticks roam?
Here's your answer, at Banksy's Village Petstore & Charcoal Grill.
These guys are masters animating the inanimate! How about some chicken nuggets
but tie em up first, they keep walking away.

2000382

Finnian03

10-27-2008, 09:40 AM

those are some sweet pictures from La Parguera. it really reminded me of the movie Into The Air. looks like the same spot?

ricki

10-27-2008, 10:26 AM

those are some sweet pictures from La Parguera. it really reminded me of the movie Into The Air. looks like the same spot?

Thanks! Yes, they shot the movie there within a year after that trip. More about the movie, location, premier in addition to some pre- and post- hurricane shots at:

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=729

loscocco

10-28-2008, 01:47 AM

pics from a good day out on the SF bay by the golden gate plus a rescue when the wind died.

http://www.wmd.com/200807crissyrescue/medium/IMGP4814-002.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/200807crissyrescue/medium/IMGP5343-010.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/200807crissyrescue/medium/IMGP4892-004.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/200807crissyrescue/medium/IMGP5646-020.jpg

ricki

10-28-2008, 05:24 PM

Clew In

11-02-2008, 06:32 PM

Hey,

A few pictures from Saint Augustine, Florida. A storm came up and killed the wind for the afternoon. What a bummer for the ones that could only make Sunday.

Clew In

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0003_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0005_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0015_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0019_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0022_Small.jpg

Clew In

11-02-2008, 06:39 PM

Some more.

Clew In

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0023_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0022_Small_001.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0030_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0037a_Small.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/IMG_0038_Small.jpg

ricki

11-03-2008, 07:29 AM

Thanks for posting the shots CI. How were conditions on Saturday? Was there much in the way of waves? Wish I could have made it up this time. It is a great place to ride at and visit.

Some shots from the last time I made it up appear at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=830

loscocco

11-03-2008, 09:23 PM

Thanks for putting up the shots, intriguing stuff! Was the tide heading out when the wind shut off? I understand you can get some honking tidal flow under the bridge, does it ease much beyond it? I guess the USCG has kiter recoveries down to a art at this point? Must have learned a lot dealing with windsurfers prior to recent years. Question, what sort of water camera were you using?

hey Rick,

Yeah we usually kite when its an ebb tide since it adds windspeed and is like kiting on an upwind treadmill. SOO MUCH fun!!

But yeah the wind did shut off during an ebb tide and i was slowly drifting out as it was only a 2 knot ebb but it can get up to 5 knots during a big ebb. The USCG has a station right next to the bridge and they pick up kiters and windsurfers almost daily. We try not to used their services but sometimes it is needed and they are very friendly about it.
i was shooting with a Pentax W30

more pics of our playground with supersize toys

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2980798877_8185a3b1ee_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/2980799115_1260649574_o.jpg

loscocco

11-03-2008, 10:03 PM

HMB Storm Kiting pics from today
Today was a fun but insane session at the Half Moon Bay Harbor in California. I got there at about 2pm as Dave was coming in and everyone else was being blown off the water. I pumped up my 8 and went out and had a blast. the wind was 15-35 mph and when the squalls came thru it was almost whiteout conditions with blowing ran and sea spray over the sea wall. Definitely survival kiting. A few other guys came out a bit later and i think things mellowed out a little.
here are the pics from my helmet cam

http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7720-001.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7726-002.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7744-003.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7761-004.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7791-005.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7792-006.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7823-007.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7847-008.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081103hmbstorm/medium/IMGP7861-009.jpg

ricki

11-03-2008, 10:14 PM

Outstanding bridge - kiting shot, I think it is the best that I have seen, well done. Like the cruise ship one too. Thought about hot launching off the aft deck of one once. Good thing not everything that comes to mind, makes it into reality!

What sort of storm winds did you folks have?

loscocco

11-03-2008, 10:16 PM

ricki

11-04-2008, 04:10 AM

in the winter we have big storms that come in and pound the Norcal coast for a few days at a time.. they are definitely NOT ideal kiting conditions most of the time as they can be very cold and gusty but still fun for the hardy and rather crazy guys like me

I always thought you had some powerful storms. Had a few guys swearing up and down for a couple of years that Norcal never had squalls or hazardous wind conditions. One of them was a magazine editor too. It is hard to hide those powerful systems that send fronts across the USA like clockwork through the winter though. I suspect you know about the loss of Daniel Bergin in one of these systems about a year ago. A lot rides on you and your gear performing just so. Statistically, that just won't happen all the time in wx extremes. Good luck out there.

ricki

11-04-2008, 04:18 AM

I visited Neil's operation at Tiki Beach in Ft. Lauderdale yesterday. More unexpected good wind, there has been quite a bit of that recently. The boat show was just winding down so easy access to the area will be restored very soon.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Shredding.jpg
Helga rides though

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/3_K.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Obama_s_001.jpg
Somebody told me that sails on the starboard side have McCain and Palin. Didn't hang out long enough to see it, wonder if it is so (not).

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/W_rides.jpg
William sets up for a trick

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/mask.jpg
The masked rider. Thought he might have had a particular sensitivity to sun. The mask came off on landing so not sure.

Clew In

11-04-2008, 06:54 PM

Hey,

Short video from Saint Augustine:

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=12W3DK4owEI

Clew In

12W3DK4owEI

ricki

11-05-2008, 05:33 AM

This Photo Of the Day is dedicated to Chris and Tammy on their nuptials and pending honeymoon in the Hawaiian Islands. Have fun out there folks!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Hanalei_IMG_5164.jpg
Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Umauma_Falls_IMG_0841.jpg
Umauma Falls just north of Hilo on the eastern shore of the Big Island

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Southpoint_HI_s.jpg
Southpoint on the Big Island. Further south than Key West and far more remote. It is supposed to be the first landfall of the Polynesians when they first came to the Sandwich Islands. Tough landing!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Monk.jpg
Monk seal between the Lehau caldera and Niihau west of Kauai. Was dying to free dive with this guy but was already carrying residual N2 time from SCUBA.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Falls_IMG_2870.jpg
Akaka Falls north of Hilo on the Big Island

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/EOD_IMG_2432.jpg
Sunset off Kona on the Big Island. Not sure why the setting sun can look different over the Pacific but it does.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Wave_IMG_6396.jpg
La Perouse Bay, Maui

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Sunset_IMG_3561.jpg
Sunset over Niihau from Waiokapua, Kauai

C. Moore

11-05-2008, 07:34 AM

Thanks Rick. December can't come soon enough.

ricki

11-05-2008, 02:06 PM

Thanks Rick. December can't come soon enough.

You're most welcome Chris! Can't think of a better place to launch your lives together. As you may have noticed, I have zip photos from Oahu. We landed there for a few minutes between islands. So, if you think of it while visiting your home island, snap a few for us folks way back down east. Have a great time, you'll be flying west in no time I suspect.

ricki

11-06-2008, 11:45 AM

Continuing on with some more images from Hawaii ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Kauai_5.jpg
A look east towards the lighthouse on Kilauea Point on the north shore of Kauai while standing on molten lava! Well, so it's several centuries old, it was molten just a while back. They have these neat lava pools all over the shoreline in places complete with submerged lava tubes in places.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Kauai_6.jpg
Mark Twain called this the Grand Canyon of the Pacific way back when. I have trouble imagining what he went through just to get up to see Waimea Canyon on Kauai in those days. Driving up takes time and walking down into and up the valleys through heavy growth is no picnic today. A core traveler and writer!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Kauai_8.jpg
Foils off Kauai, true story. The fellow is riding off of Hanakapi ai beach off the north shore of Kauai, I think.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Kauai_7.jpg
One of the many river outflows to the ocean along the north shore of Kauai

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Hilo_5.jpg
Another outflow, this time off the east coast of the Big Island north of Hilo. No end of easy kite launches off the windward or eastern shore of the big island, not. With a few exceptions there is a lot of iron shore to deal with the millenia of tradewind driven seas.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Niihau_5.jpg
Not too far to the west of Kauai you'll find Niihau, the Forbidden Island. A Scottish family though they found a great deal with lush forests and good rainfall in the 1830's when they bought this island from the Hawaiian Royal Family. Trouble is, it had been raining quite a lot recently and eventually went back to the normal arid conditions. So the farming paradise sort of dried up and blew away, partially. You are allowed to land on the island only with permission (hence the Forbidden Island) with Hawaiian being the official language there. Some world class diving in the area though.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/kauai_9.jpg
Waioli Huiia Church in Hanalei on the north shore of Kauai. Hanalei is an unusual place, a surfer colony in which affluence and higher costs seem to have snuck in through the side door.

ricki

11-08-2008, 07:18 AM

"Surf-bathing" just what IS surf bathing anyway? If you have a cellphone, assorted iPods, frequently flier miles or even a Starbucks Gold Card, you may be culturally and temporally handicapped in this regard. Folks about a 125 years ago knew, at least the few that wandered into those areas.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/surfing_bathing.gif
Surf bathing in the Sandwich Islands through the eyes of surf dude Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) while "Roughing It." Is that a swallow tail board?
From: http://www.surfingsandiego.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1545

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Surf_bathing_Manly_2_w480.jpg
Manly, New South Wales, 1900-1910. Can you imagine folks going off on the bombora in those getups?!
From: http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/past_exhibitions/between_the_flags/discovering_the_beach/

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/ama_surf.jpg
A little more recently, the ama of Japan get into it
From: http://mermaid-williambond.blogspot.com/2008/01/chapter-seven-ancient-sea-people.html

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/lg051_1_surf_bathing.png
Surf bathing in the Sandwich Islands in the late 1800's. Sure that isn't surf wiping out?
From: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13222/13222-h/13222-h.htm

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/U2F4KFNPTCCU.jpg
Hitting it off Diamond Head about a hundred years ago. What are those ... proto-baggies?
From: http://usvsa.com/auction/APViewItem.asp?ID=152

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/1888PoliceGazette.jpg
Ok, a little temporal confusion, "gay queen of the waves?" Well, could be. Looks like I shaped her/his board, not a lot of rocker there and doubles as a mighty fine door! Very practical. OK, now what have the Sandwich Islands to do with NJ police? Mysteries but still surf bathing.
From: http://tinyurl.com/3b22bn

ricki

11-09-2008, 12:18 AM

2192237

Please check this video clip out, it's short.

then, look below ...

So what is so unusual about the riding clip? Nothing really, just what the guy in riding. I had never seen the like myself, at least not in over a century. Asked a bunch of surfers in the area and they hadn't heard of such a thing.

The last time I saw a board like this was in this photo from Hawaii far in the past

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/balsahistoryimage3.jpg
From: http://www.balsasurfers.com/balsafaq.html

I saw one very similar to it today and being used.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/SB_1.jpg
Check this puppy out, it's a door! I could be made of balsa but it looked like mahogany to me. No skegs, rocker to speak of, still this guy makes it work and well. This is the guy in the three short clips in the video. I wish I could have caught more riding footage of the retro woody surfer.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/sb2.sized.jpg
An edge view.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/sb3.sized.jpg
Look how low the guy is sitting in the water, now we know why.

He said it is hard to paddle, no surprise there but says when your in the wave, it's fast! Bet the turning for aerials is tricky too. Amazing stuff. I could have sworn he called it a "Monaleia board". Have found zip under that and other spellings. Does anyone know more about these rideable doors?

ricki

11-10-2008, 01:32 PM

I've learned more about this board, an alaia. It is apparently inspired by the surfboards used by Hawaiians back in the old days. A guy named Tom Wegener has researched the old designs and has been shaping them. An interview with Tom including a number of photos appears at: http://tinyurl.com/5lhygn

http://www.tomwegenersurfboards.com/elements/newsletter/2/alaia_barrel.gif
From: http://legendarysurfers.com/blog/labels/lala.html

kYVjVqSPZnQ
A video about alaia boards from another shaper.

loscocco

11-10-2008, 10:30 PM

ics from yesterdays Ocean Rodeo trip up to Dillon Beach California.
Very well powered on my 8m and lots of choopy waves. Halfway thru the session a guy had to ditch his kite and board after being hit by several waves on the outside and he said the freezing current was taking him out to sea fast. It took 4 other kiters taking turns towing the guy half mile or more back thru the surf and when Andrew motioned me over to help drag him the last few hundred yards to the beach. Very lucky guy!
Reminds you just how quickly things can go bad out there and even scarier when you think that your right on the dinner table of the great whites.
As Andrew said he felt like he was trolling for sharks with live bait behind him. I am sure the guy was thinking the same thing. Never got to speak with him other than a few seconds in the surf but i hope your okay.

Here are pics from the day
Fully Gallery
http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/

http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/medium/IMGP7927-006.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/medium/IMGP7919-005.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/medium/IMGP7911-003.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/medium/IMGP8109-016.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/medium/IMGP8110-017.jpg
http://www.wmd.com/20081109dillonbeach/medium/IMGP7995-010.jpg

thebestkite

11-11-2008, 09:11 AM

It was a heart-stopping moment fit for the pages of Moby Dick.

As kitesurfer Dave Sheridan skimmed across the choppy waters off Valla Beach, on the NSW north coast, he failed to see a giant shadow gliding centimetres below the surface.

Until, that is, the tale of a southern right whale flicked up from the whitecaps and whipped him on the back of the head.

"I thought I was gone," Mr Sheridan, 42, was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying.

"It all happened so fast that all I could do was crouch down as the whale swam under me ... Next thing I felt was its tail come up and hit me."

The amazing encounter took place 100m from shore on October 26 and was recorded by the camera Mr Sheridan keeps mounted on his kite, 25m above the water.

The camera, which shoots frames every 10 seconds, missed the tail-flicking drama but did capture the moment when the mammal turns its huge grey body directly beneath the kiteboard.

The southern right also proved to be less aggressive than Mr Sheridan feared, with its tail flick apparently meant only as a warning.

"It was more of a push than a punch," Mr Sheridan was quoted as saying. "The force eased off and I sailed away with shaking legs."

A whale expert said the mammal’s reaction was typical of southern rights.http://news.ninemsn.com.au/img/2008/national/1011_sheridan10_sp.jpg

ricki

11-11-2008, 11:30 AM

Great shots loscocco and of the kiter being rescued too! It is interesting to see riding conditions in other areas. Looks like it goes off with wind and waves. Question, the current that was carrying the guy offshore, was that from the outflow of Tamales Bay approaching low tide? What sort of amphib. camera do you carry?

ricki

11-11-2008, 11:34 AM

Thanks for posting the whale story and aerial image thebestkite. I was searching for something early this morning and kept seeing fragments about a kiter passing over a whale. Good to know the details of what happened. He is one very lucky dude to be struck and come out of it ok. Even dolphins can clean your clock but good with a caudal fin strike if they're having a bad day. Something hundreds of times heavier doesn't bear thinking about, ouch! There is still more info about the incident at: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24626925-5012895,00.html

ricki

11-14-2008, 03:39 PM

Headed up to Cocoa Beach with Neil and Gio last weekend to present kiteboarder rescue techniques to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). There was a power point presentation inside (hope to convert that to a video and put it up online here) and a demonstration conducted by Neil afterward on the beach.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/USLA_vr_s.sized.jpg
Neil and Gio walk through a Rescue Watercraft pickup of a kiteboarder

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Neil_n_Gio_USLA.jpg
Explaining quick releases

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Dolphin.jpg
After the presentation I cruised south down A1A and found a great German restaurant right on the Intracoastal. http://cafecoconutcove.com/ has a great location, excellent food at good prices. There was even a pod of dolphins tearing up the shallows during sunset. You can just see a dorsal fin in the photo.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Sebastian.jpg
Stopped by Sebastian Inlet to checkout the surfing.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Sebastian_2.jpg
This guy did land this spin and wasn't caught by the fishermen!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/Salvage.jpg
An artist rendering of salvage three centuries back, rough time to be a Lucayan Indian. In another lifetime years back I used to be involved in UW archaeology through the State and the private sector. The Spanish 1715 Plate fleet that floundered off these shores has been the subject of much exploration and salvage over the decades. Today there are two museums worth a visit, one located just south of Sebastian Inlet and the other on the western shore of the Intracoastal opposite the Inlet. Interesting stuff if the wind dies or you want to checkout something different.
http://www.atocha1622.com/mclarty.htm
http://www.melfisher.org/

The Treasure Coast has a lot to offer watermen.

ricki

11-17-2008, 02:18 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/rd_0.jpg

A first look at the Crandon Park Race Day appears in our new section, SE Florida And The Keys Forum at:

http://fksa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=126

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album365/rd_10.jpg

11-24-2008, 11:56 PM

Rooster Rock Photos From Yesterday
http://www.eclipsefilms.com/rainbow1.jpg
http://www.eclipsefilms.com/rainbow2.jpg
http://www.eclipsefilms.com/rainbow3.jpg
Winnnndy!

ricki

11-25-2008, 07:14 AM

Great shots! Is all that white water wind generated, what would you guess the winds were at? Where is Rooster Rock, looks warm!

11-25-2008, 11:15 AM

Rooster Rock is on the west end of the Columbia Gorge, it was blowin 50-- and NOT warm. The water was about 53º and the air was the same! That just about wrapped it up for our season.

Here's a video from the other day at the Oregon Coast: http://www.eclipsefilms.com/movies/DaPonds.mov

ricki

11-25-2008, 03:03 PM

It looked nippy, with wind chill only more so. You do have some wild beautiful coastline up that way. It reminded me of some of the images from the Vancouver area further north.

Thanks for posting the stills and the video, nice job on that by the way. It really projects a sense of the place. Nice riding grounds you have out there.

ricki

11-27-2008, 09:07 AM

OT - but it came to mind anyway (Disclaimer: this is not a promotion of insurance, it's a commemoration for a duck.)

Someone once said Barney Rubble was quite the actor, the same could be said about the Aflac duck.

bmhpccZCe28
What the world needs is more Super Ducks, wonder if they cleanup Thanksgiving dishes too?

bEpW5BxycNM
Thought it boosted NASCAR a bit, made me watch it!

O-EZf56AfYc
Eddie Murphy in this one?

JokbugkYEpM
Nipponese duck

gtBirwSpLJY
Goats horn in on the act

Apologies for the duck-aside, perhaps they'll gear the duck up for kiting someday. That would be something!

ricki

12-03-2008, 08:39 AM

tyqGHc10dvE

Good time to visit Venice? Can you imagine trying to keep a kite flying in that box? Understand it was called windsurfing on CNN.

http://www.tgcom.mediaset.it/bin/283.$plit/orig_C_0_fotogallery_4452_listaorizzontale_foto_0_ fotoorizzontale.jpg
From: http://www.tgcom.mediaset.it/fotogallery/fotogallery4452.shtml

.

thebestkite

12-08-2008, 04:36 PM

I really like the picture on page one of this posting.

Anyone know how I may be able to get a high resolution copy? Would love to use it as my desktop background picture, as it tells all of it in one shot.
Florida wind kiting speed and a great group of people getting together and having a blast.

Thank you for any help

ricki

12-08-2008, 07:32 PM

I would get in touch with the photographer, Paul Porter and see what you can work out. If you email me, flkitesurfer at hotmail.com, I will send his email address back to you. He did nail some great shots during the race. I can recall a down draft eddy from the chopper spinning along and about dropped my kite to the water during the shooting. Great times.

ricki

12-08-2008, 09:20 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/n505208876_475961_1221.jpg

I saw this photo on kiteforum, it intrigued me to the point to where I contacted the rider to learn more. You can read what came out of it and this 16 year old lady's outlook on kiting at ...

Ella Rides Waves! (http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=37993)

.

ricki

12-19-2008, 10:05 PM

Steve McCormack of Kitepower in NSW, Australia sent this video along. Amazing what you can do with some flowing water.

Mc6QvnyUTME

ricki

12-25-2008, 02:38 PM

As it is snow season in parts well north and Christmas today, wanted to put up a few shots from the mountains in snow ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Overlook.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Fr.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Alps.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Castle.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Klein_S.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Engelberg_nite.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Le_Gets.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album370/Engelberg.jpg
The guys were kiting from Key West to Cuba around the time this was taken.

.

ricki

12-26-2008, 08:11 AM

This just came in from Norway via France? Pretty amazing stuff and well filmed too. I understand there is a second extreme sport. It involves competing teams of guys running around below the cliff catching the skies the flying squirrels kick off?! Looks like St. Nick was the third guy off the cliff. Glad he made it home in one piece to take care of things last night.

1778399

ricki

01-23-2009, 06:44 AM

The Sixth Jupiter Kiteboarding Invasion is starting in the coming week. First a look back at this great event over the years ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album74/20_G.jpg
Antoine pops a nice one in 2005

http://gallery.kiteforum.com/albums/albun58/girls.sized.jpg
Scene from the 2004 event made famous by George of kiteflix.com in a couple intriguing videos

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album229/73_s.sized.jpg
Alex drops in on a nice one in 2007

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album74/vr_12.sized.jpg
Hamish working hard on board off moves in 2005 in some nice waves

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album229/64_s.jpg
Packet throws a loop as Dave rides up in the background in 2007

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album230/9_s.jpg
Jessie gives Matt a tow upwind in 2007

So many shots from all these great events, more to come ...

ricki

01-24-2009, 05:02 PM

More from Invasions past, starting with the first one in 2003 ...

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1399223_3496.jpg
Kent throws one

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1399219_420.jpg
Jeff and Andy

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1399220_1405.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1399222_8382.jpg
George works at his art as Karen strolls by

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1399221_2266.jpg
An early shot of Shannon, Jeff and the crew at Best, just starting out

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1399224_3907.jpg
Damo hops one, I think this may be the first event I saw him at

More at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=341

ricki

01-26-2009, 03:00 PM

More from the Jupiter Kiteboarding Invasion from past events ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album229/67_s.jpg
Damo charges in

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album229/Jon_VR_1_s.sized.jpg
Jon Modica throws a nice one

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album230/3_s.sized.jpg
Mike likes tubes, hope this one didn't gobble him up in 2007

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album229/66_G.jpg
Dimitri gets a tow upwind

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album230/2_G.jpg
Melissa winds down between heats

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album229/Billy_VR_1.sized.jpg
Billy Blackman carves

The entire writeup of the 2007 contest appears at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=3121

Still more to come

ricki

01-27-2009, 08:37 AM

and still more ...

http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1410741_9181.jpg
Flash and Lightwave Dave in 2005 at the Invasion

http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1410743_331.jpg
Andy Hurdman pops a nice one, same year

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1410456_4235.jpg
Bumper kites?

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1410459_5270.jpg
All at sea, having fun

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1410461_5938.jpg
Demion catches a wave

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/5/106/633803198/n633803198_1410460_5566.jpg
George from Kiteflix shoots, lots of great content from tons of events on his site, kiteflix.com

ricki

01-30-2009, 08:45 AM

The Sixth Event starts today! A quick look at last years and then just have to wait and see what comes about this time.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album333/Cover_shot.jpg
Complete write up at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=5725

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album333/Alex_s.sized.jpg
Alex throws one

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album333/Gebi_Surfs.jpg
Gebi puts on the (Black) dog, looking good too

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album333/Surf_Cropped_Oval_s.jpg
Slashback, wasn't there a book by that name?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album333/Kiters_n_Conjunction.jpg
Looking for some big boosts again this year

and ...

we'll have to see what follows in this weekend's event!

ricki

01-30-2009, 10:17 AM

Missed some, here are a few more from 2006. You can see the write up and lots more images for this year at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=964

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album157/Mikey_jumps_s.jpg
Mike Bradley went off this year in particular in strapless wave riding

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album157/Damien_T_VR_2_s1.sized.jpg
Demion can really toss of the kite loops and in zippo water depth too. Still, those bottom impact have to hurt, yooowch!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album157/Mike_VR_3a_s.sized.jpg
Hamish passing on the flat, strapless ... while riding a wave?!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album157/203_G.sized.jpg
Latino, organizer of the Naples - Ft. Myers events trots along

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album157/Mike_Bradley_s.jpg

Clew In

02-01-2009, 12:14 PM

Hey,

Watch out:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6768107

Clew In

ricki

02-03-2009, 01:16 PM

They do that all day long too during the migration. Spinners a poppin, literally. Surfers seem to ignore them mostly, unless they get nipped. Must smear board wax on it and go back out.

ricki

02-03-2009, 01:17 PM

Paul Menta just sent this along to me. It shows the Keys off in a good way and Paul even does some moves on tape ...

http://www.thekitehouse.com/vid/keys-road.htm

TBKA

02-20-2009, 11:11 PM

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn98/Kite-4-Life/BlueDolphinSkyVert200crop.jpg

ricki

03-02-2009, 08:34 AM

Just came across this on the BBC news site. There are quite a few more photos taken by Clark Little from Oahu at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7910000/newsid_7916500/7916550.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45521000/jpg/_45521584_wave_two.jpg
Riding a wave into 1/2 " of water, yeeha! Broken neck here I come!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45521000/jpg/_45521586_wave_bubble.jpg
Snow wave

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45521000/jpg/_45521595_wave_sand.jpg
Great shots a bit tough on the photographer though I would guess. Got the shot but here comes the wave, bamm!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45521000/jpg/_45521599_wave_tunnel.jpg
The ultimate tube! Looks more like a tunnel of foam, amazing shot.

greg meintjes

03-02-2009, 10:41 AM

Reminds me of home, I did a lot of bodyboarding in very similiar shorebreak at my home town in South Africa, in that pic where the rider is dropping in towards the photographer, we used to play chicken on similiar waves with other riders by taking off towards each other and then getting barrelled together, as long as you know how to crash you very seldom get hurt.

Greg

ricki

03-02-2009, 11:13 AM

Pretty amazing stuff, bet you had some outstanding waves back home. How do you fall to avoid getting hurt when a wave that size is piling driving you into the sand? Can't recall what I was looking up but fractured necks in this sort of setup aren't that uncommon sad to say. Haven't been in extreme locked out conditions like that much, by choice!

greg meintjes

03-02-2009, 02:24 PM

Neck injuries do occur, if a rider goes straight down the wave, but if you ride sideways along the wave like the rider in the pic is doing, when the wave bowls over him, he will proboably just roll with the impact and come up through the back of the wave, of course sometimes you do get dragged up the sand, but that is just part of the fun.

Greg

ricki

03-02-2009, 09:08 PM

Here's to popping out the back then. Being driven into the sand is no picnic. How many of us have been slammed into the bottom in several feet of water after falling off the crest? Hurts just to think about it.

btw, noticed Clark has a website with some great shots available as prints at competitive prices at: http://www.clarklittlephotography.com/main/gallery_images

ricki

03-20-2009, 08:46 AM

Come on in, the water's warm! Well, maybe too warm. An undersea volcano is building a new island in Tonga.

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t01_18348447.jpg
"An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga, sending plumes of steam, ash and smoke up to 100 meters into the air, on March 18, 2009, off the coast of Nuku'Alofa, Tonga. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images)"

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t04_18348431.jpg
Second in a series of undersea volcano eruption photos off the coast of Tonga, taken March 18th by photographer Dana Stephenson. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t06_18348433.jpg
"Fourth in a series of undersea volcano eruption photos off the coast of Tonga, taken March 18th by photographer Dana Stephenson. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #"

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t10_18347717.jpg
"An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga on March 18, 2009. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #"
or, this is what happens when you really piss off the cookie monster

All these photos and a ton more great ones at:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/undersea_eruptions_near_tonga.html

ricki

03-27-2009, 01:42 PM

Adam Koch took these excellent shots of Daryl Drown ripping it up at the Superfly Open in Utah recently.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album388/1_AK_3802.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album388/2_AK_3820.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album388/3_AK_3510.jpg

Great riding Daryl and excellent job capturing the action Adam! Daryl won the big air contest and came in fourth in the bordercross after crashing his kite. And ... on skies, snowboarders watch out! Way to go guys.

more at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=8021

a d a m k o c h
p h o t o g r a p h y

mobile;
310.760.2100
office; 970.247.1241
portfolio; www.adamkochphotography.com

On Mar 17, 2009, at 1:23 PM, Daryl Drown wrote:

ricki

03-27-2009, 02:28 PM

btw, you should checkout Adam's website, looks like his kiting expertise has extended into photography ...

www.adamkochphotography.com

ricki

03-30-2009, 10:35 AM

Our own AJ Watson, a moderator of the Bahamian Forum, out of Nassau Town is an artist, in his own way and time too. He just had a show on New Providence, acrylic on canvas. I understand it sold out. Way to go AJ! No end of inspiration in the islands that he travels. Must do some incredible kiteboard graphics too.

Here's a look at his unique style ...

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2580/46/42/607641759/n607641759_2786768_1337973.jpg

http://photos-e.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2580/46/42/607641759/n607641759_2803620_2722161.jpg

http://photos-b.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2580/46/42/607641759/n607641759_2803617_7881915.jpg

http://photos-g.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2580/46/42/607641759/n607641759_2803622_4509823.jpg

http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2580/46/42/607641759/n607641759_2803623_772233.jpg

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2580/46/42/607641759/n607641759_2818491_3380502.jpg

I asked if he was considering going to a limited run of lithos. He said no way, paint or nothing. Think there is going to be some growing demand for his work. Have questions, commissions, etc. you can contact AJ at: ect xshore@gmail.com

You can see more of his work at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=111597&id=607641759#/photo.php?pid=2803673&id=607641759

and, I did a write up a while back on AJ, his wife's family that goes back in the Bahamas several centuries, movie spots, riding areas around NP and more at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4147

koch

03-30-2009, 10:52 AM

more land!!!! awesome.

Come on in, the water's warm! Well, maybe too warm. An undersea volcano is building a new island in Tonga.

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t01_18348447.jpg
"An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga, sending plumes of steam, ash and smoke up to 100 meters into the air, on March 18, 2009, off the coast of Nuku'Alofa, Tonga. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images)"

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t04_18348431.jpg
Second in a series of undersea volcano eruption photos off the coast of Tonga, taken March 18th by photographer Dana Stephenson. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t06_18348433.jpg
"Fourth in a series of undersea volcano eruption photos off the coast of Tonga, taken March 18th by photographer Dana Stephenson. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #"

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t10_18347717.jpg
"An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga on March 18, 2009. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #"
or, this is what happens when you really piss off the cookie monster

All these photos and a ton more great ones at:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/undersea_eruptions_near_tonga.html

ricki

03-30-2009, 11:05 AM

Yes, reef and waves to go with in time as well. Never been to Tonga, would like to check it out someday. Have you been in those parts Adam? Pretty amazing images they captured. Just saw "Knowing" over the weekend. Accents these natural events in a different way somehow. Science fiction, go figure.

loscocco

03-30-2009, 09:09 PM

What size kite do you rig to kite that?? Wind forcast..... 0 to 500MPH with occasonal gusts of 700 MPH.
A kite made from bullet proof kevlar might help

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/tonga_03_19/t10_18347717.jpg
"An undersea volcano erupts off the coast of Tonga on March 18, 2009. (Dana Stephenson/Getty Images) #"
or, this is what happens when you really piss off the cookie monster

All these photos and a ton more great ones at:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/undersea_eruptions_near_tonga.html

ricki

04-06-2009, 08:39 AM

Another look at the Abacos and some late season wind ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/GC_P5260237.jpg
Great Guana Cay near Nippers, wind and sea running

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/HT_riding_001.jpg
Cruising north along Elbow Cay towards Hope Town

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/GC_IMG_2903.jpg
Way down south at Little Harbour on the island of Abaco. Nice waves and iron shore here just outside the hurricane hole harbor.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/HT_IMG_2681.jpg
A look at the back towards Marsh Harbor

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/HT_IMG_2648_001.jpg
Cemetery Beach opposite the lighthouse in Hope Town

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/HT_IMG_2476_001.jpg
Sun is fading but the wind is still on

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album392/EC_LH.jpg
The light at Hope Town

ricki

04-09-2009, 08:39 AM

Checking out more at Boston.com at the "The Big Picture" ...

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/surf_08_04/surf13.jpg
"South Africa's Grant 'Twiggy' Baker rides a wave to win the 2008 Big Wave Africa surfing event held at Dungeons Reef off Cape Town's Hout Bay, July 26, 2008. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)" Wouldn't call this guy "Twiggy?" That is one intense wave.

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/surf_08_04/surf2.jpg
"Pat O'Connell cruises down a wave during the Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge at the U.S. Open of Surfing on Sunday, July 27, 2008, in Huntington Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Sean DuFrene)"

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/surf_08_04/surf4.jpg
"Anthony Tashnick of the U.S. gets airborne during the 2008 Big Wave Africa surfing event held at Dungeons Reef off Cape Town's Hout Bay, July 26, 2008. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)" Foam fight?

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/surf_08_04/surf9.jpg
"British Kiteboard World Champion Aaron Hadlow gets air on his kiteboard off a Tarifa beach in southern Spain, on July 5, 2008, during the Kiteboard Word Championship 2008. (JOSE LUIS ROCA/AFP/Getty Images)"

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/surf_08_04/surf15.jpg
"Workers clean up blue-green algae from the sea as windsurfers sail behind, at Qingdao, the host city for sailing events at the 2008 Olympic Games, in eastern China's Shandong province Tuesday June 24, 2008. The Qingdao government organized 400 boats and 3000 people to help remove the algae after Olympics organizers ordered a cleanup. Experts say the algae, which has clogged the coastline of the Olympic city, is a result of climate change and recent heavy rains in southern China, according to the Xinhua news agency. (AP Photo/EyePress)" I heard that stuff tastes better with soy sauce?

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/surf_08_04/surf23.jpg
"Hawaiian Mark Healey takes a fall during the 2008 Big Wave Africa surfing event held at Dungeons Reef off Cape Town's Hout Bay, July 26, 2008. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)" Adds meaning to the term "dropping in."

More at:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/riding_the_waves.html

ricki

04-15-2009, 05:18 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/Small_Hope_Bay.jpg
It has been a couple of years but I got to thinking about Andros, just north of Fresh Creek along the Tongue of the Ocean in the Bahamas. Small Hope Bay Lodge (http://www.smallhope.com/) has been a diving destination for decades. With clear viz. wall dives, blue holes, shark dives and more. It is also a pretty good kiting venue too and only about 55 minutes east of Florida. The land of three toed chickcharnies, sea duppys and AUTEC?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/Fresh_Creek.jpg
Here are some random shots from around the area. Here is an old lighthouse at the mouth of Fresh Creek. There is a barrier reef miles out bordering the drop off creating all this sheltered calmer water on the inside.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/SHB_Andros.jpg
Small Hope Bay is a quiet but comfortable place. A good place to go to decompress and grab some quality water time be it above and/or below. These were shot in a calm period in July. The wind goes off and frequently too throughout the winter and spring I'm told. Flat water on the inside and waves ... not sure about waves. Maybe on the barrier reef.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/day_starts.jpg
Dick Birch started this place for diving in 1960. Can you imagine what the islands were like then? Even has a nudist blind of palm thatch on the water?

http://www.smallhope.com/GIF/45DoubleHoseDivers.464.gif
The early days (photo from smallhope.com). Hey can't be that old, I used to have one of those backpacks!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/SHB_Andros_VR.sized.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/Wreck.jpg
There's a tug wreck a mile or so offshore. Understand the captain sort of flipped out and had to be removed from the grounded vessel years back.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album399/SHB_07.jpg
Check it out sometime, for a change of pace.

Rusch

04-27-2009, 09:21 PM

Whats up,

Some shots from Lassing park just South of Downtown St.Pete.

Enjoy

-Rusch

From 4.27:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3368.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3318.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3167.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3138.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3128.jpg

From weekend of 4.25:
Excuse the small size I'll make sure they are bigger next time

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2494.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2535.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2573.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2588.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2649.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2661.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2669.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2674.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2689.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2692.jpg
Love this one:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2740.jpg
and this one:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2778.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2883.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_2967.jpg
DAMN:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3029.jpg
Double Damn
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3044.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/Rusch24/DSC_3071.jpg

ricki

05-14-2009, 10:43 AM

The Miami Kiteboard Masters is coming up this weekend. Let's take a look back at other kiting events at Crandon Park ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Racing.jpg
The Masters Event from 2008

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album379/Beach.jpg
A few scenes from earlier this year

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album379/D_Pass.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album378/Pack_2.jpg
Course racing with a difference

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album176/Four_Girls_Hit_It_s.jpg
Kite4Girls 2006, trying something new

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album111/77_G.jpg
Irma flys with the Anhingas at Kiter4Girls 2005

ricki

05-18-2009, 09:38 AM

Great weekend in Southeast Florida with the Miami Kiteboard Masters at Crandon Park ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/3_IMG_1466.jpg
Surreal sky for yesterday's happenings. Strapless ride off, barefooting and more.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/1_IMG_1373.jpg
Large turnout for Saturday, tons of fun too

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/Start.jpg
... and they ran the second stop of the Hobie Standup Paddleboard Race Series out the Miami Yacht Club, down along Government Cut and looping back over the Venetian Isles. Jim of Liquid Surf & Sail shown here pulling out on his Hobie as the pack runs out of MYC.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/Gebi.jpg
Gebi strokes north to arch west above Venetian Causeway. The cruise ship terminal shows up in the background

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/Jim.jpg
Jim moves in front of the new LS&S outlet store location on Star Island?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/Finish.jpg
The folks pull back into the wind to make the finish where it all started back at MYC

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album412/2_IMG_1527.jpg
Great weekend all around.

** Tons more photos to be processed to be put up on coverage of both fun events.

Stay tuned ...

jetpack

05-18-2009, 11:08 AM

Here's a panoramic pic of Sunset Beach (http://www.kitebeaches.com/kitesurf/loc/Sunset_Beach_Park.html) I took the other day (5/13). Session was easy going for about 4 guys on 16m & 17m.
Picked up around 5:45pm for 40 mins and I could ride my 12m. Took this after everyone had packed up for the day.

http://www.kitebeaches.com/storage/pics/14380bsunsetbeach2.jpg

ricki

06-01-2009, 04:22 PM

Went scooter free diving on the Vandenberg yesterday, huge thanks to Paul Menta of The Kitehouse setting me up with a boat and GPS. The Vandenberg is a large 522 ft. artificial reef and former radar tracking ship. She was sunk in 140 ft. off water about 7 miles south of Key West on Wednesday. Wore a Go Pro camera in a chest harness shooting stills every 2 s and hand held a camera for video. Thanks to Mike Hirooka for giving me a loaner camera and tons of mounting gear pending my camera arriving. I wanted to catch it shortly after sinking before the algae covered all the white surfaces up. I still remember a Stephen Frink shot of the Duane off Key Largo in clear blue water just after sinking. White on blue! Just put up a short video clip from my Canon G9 pending processing all this stuff into a video:

4944629]

Here are a few stills as well from Mike's Go Pro camera on auto:

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v1_PICT1583.sized.jpg
Viz. was about 50 to 60 ft. I think the cameras saw further than I could in some cases

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v2_PICT1482.sized.jpg
The bow has a surreal aspect to it. Passed a couple of divers holding a Conch Republic flag up after of this point. There was about 1.5 mph current running north. With the scooter on high power you could motor fairly easily into it. On downwind turns you went flying though! Covered about half the wreck on one dive.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v4_PICT0321.sized.jpg
Both radar dishes were dislodged by hydraulic forces during sinking. They've been cabled in place to pad eyes on the deck to secure them for the time being

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v3_PICT0916.sized.jpg
Coming up from the bottom at 140 ft., looking way up the side and to the sun.

Nice session, lots more to come

ricki

06-02-2009, 12:07 PM

Here's a few more photos from Mike's Go Pro camera on auto during the free dives on the Vandenberg ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v8_PICT1536.jpg
Heading aft into the current before the pilot house deck. About to cruise off into that portal along the port wing.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v7_PICT1376.jpg
There were a few SCUBA divers on the wreck, not a lot of free divers though?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v5_PICT0177.jpg
Something about the wide angle distortion makes this look like a model in miniature to me. I need to have a closer look at the sinking footage. It almost looked like this dish was already secured at that time on the deck?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album416/v6.jpg
A look aft from closer to the bow.

More to come, anxious to get some projects behind me so I can start working on the video. Stay tuned ...

The video was finally put together, you can see it below:

5087227

ricki

07-14-2009, 09:29 AM

A few photos from the Kiteboarding Masters Competition at Crandon Park. For those that may have forgotten, this is what wind or heavy breeze anyway, looks like.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album429/day_IMG_1466.jpg
Nice sky and a good turnout

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album429/setup_IMG_1622.jpg
Mike sets up

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album429/Damo_Barefoots_s.jpg
I've wondered for years about barefooting while kiting. Thanks to Damo's prowess, have my answer and the shot to prove it! Amazing athlete. He wrapped up with a "one-footer!"

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album429/Jump.jpg
Katrina catches a strapless aerial

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album429/Todd_up.jpg
Todd pops a nice one, sans straps

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album429/Damo_spins_s.jpg
What is this called, strapless-footless?! Damo does a rotation on his finger tips. Has to be a name for this aside from real hard.

ricki

07-27-2009, 10:31 AM

The summer eases on with the odd bout of useable wind out there. Still, overall, it feels like summer (i.e. not much wind). Lots of things to do though, this weekend was a busy one with a Standup competition along the barrier island in Ft. Lauderdale AND the 2009 Gulfstream Freediving competition off Hillsboro Inlet in deep water. Here are some shots from both events ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/VR_10_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album434&id=VR_10_s)
The start off Bahia Mar near Tiki Beach Sunday morning.
Click photo for full sized image

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/10_G.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/VR_2_s.sized.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album434&id=VR_2_s)
Getting into position at the starting line offshore
Click photo for full sized image

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/22_IMG_6397.jpg
They're off ... lots more photos to come from this one. Got some nice images of the action.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/22_PICT0028.jpg
Here's an unusual GoPro Wide shot of Capt. Pam and crew, the chase boat for the event. She graciously set up no end of great shots during this fun event. The field of view is so wide that it will grab your face if you let it, e.g. note above!

... and for something a little different;

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/0_rig.jpg
Heading about ten miles north and about four miles offshore, we head to the FII 2009 Gulfstream Freediving Competition on Saturday. The free diving rig, a lot of thought and development goes into competitive free diving. This rig has a diver retrieval device built into it, designated warmup stations, a stage line for technical/mixed gas rebreather safety divers at various depths and still more.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/1_preparing.jpg
A look at the underside of the rig

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/3_Martin_up.jpg
Martin Stepanek surfaces after a qualifying dive to 60 m (about 197 ft.), without fins, for a future competition. He holds the world record of 113 m (372 ft.) for that discipline and 121 m (401 ft.) for Constant weight (mask, fins, snorkel).

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/4_Jared_pack.jpg
Jared the event sponsor, prepares for his own qualifying dive.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album434/group_IMG_1969.jpg
Doug and Niki go down with the tech safety divers for the free diving competition for a group photo op

5791213
Here's a short unprocessed clip of a competitor dive using a GoPro Wide camera. It may not be all that sharp an image but the 170 degree field of view provides an interesting look!

Hope to put a video together on the freediving competition soon as well.

ricki

07-27-2009, 05:23 PM

I just added a couple of unusual GoPro Wide shots to the post above this. Check 'em out, it provides if not a bit fuzzy, unusual perspective.

ricki

08-17-2009, 03:57 PM

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album441/Dawn_Sky_s.jpg

Any ideas what this is? That is aside from patriotic (red, white & blue)?

action jackson

08-17-2009, 04:42 PM

Delta 2 rocket! I saw this same veiw this morning over Clearwater........aj;)

admin

08-17-2009, 08:53 PM

Very good, top points! We had no idea it was going up, just walked out of the hotel early in Orlando this am and there it was. We were only about 50 miles away, you were about 150 miles away from Cape Canaveral. Amazing how far away these shots show up from.

More about this historic final Delta 2 launch at:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sfn-090817-delta2-last-af-launch.html

ricki

08-20-2009, 11:21 AM

Diving into the Devil's Den in northwest Florida ...

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album442/Devils_Den_Skylight_rs.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/gallery/view_photo.php?full=1&set_albumName=album442&id=Devils_Den_Skylight_s)
CLICK PHOTO FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE

A strange place in northwest Florida. Looking at the bizarre trees
intertwined over Devil's Den or a sinkhole in formation.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album442/skylight_IMG_7458.jpg
Don't fall in. Doubt wildlife managed that all the time back in the day before the fences went up. Warm Mineral Springs reportedly resembled this, thousands of years back. Only in that case the hole was about 400 ft. deep, filled with mist and vines. Saber cats, ground sloth's and the like fell in and were entombed in the anaerobic sediments there. History repeats, on a smaller scale.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album442/rick_P8160137.jpg
Walking into the grotto for some free diving and at $9. a head it is an incredible bargain for a truly unique experience. The water is a refreshing 72 F, so bring your wetsuit. Kept fogging my lens up.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album442/stairs_IMG_7469.jpg
Entering the grotto. The camera image makes things look a lot brighter than they are. Still, you can see the brilliant wall coloring, deep blue water more readily this way. It is a fairly large, hemispherical chamber caused by the gradual failure and subsidence of underlying limestone. One of these days most of the roof will fall in and the bottom slip out below resulting in a full blown hour glass shaped sinkhole. No time too soon ideally.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album442/Sink_IMG_7543.jpg
They've constructed a stagging platform for divers to gear up on, to avoid silting the place out. You can free dive it but pay attention to the skull and crossbones signs at the mouths of the secondary caves. Also watch your head on ascent to avoid smacking into some of those inverted walls. For folks wanting to penetrate with SCUBA, make sure you are fully NACD qualified for the dive. Too many lost souls in the cave systems of Florida as it is. That is lunch easing down through the skylight for a group of spelunking cows expected in the afternoon.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album442/stairs_IMG_7485.jpg
A truly remarkable place, recommend checking it out. They even have a pool area and campground. I shot some poor quality,
likely surreal video, may put up a clip to show you things underwater.

More info at:
http://www.devilsden.com/

.

ricki

08-21-2009, 09:57 PM

6217222

Video from one of the more bizarre dives in Florida, Devil's Den. Located along the northwest coast around Ocala, it is worth checking out. Apologies for some of the video, poor cameras were pushed beyond reasonable limits in low light. Still, there is some unusual imagery in there. The viz. was actually better than implied in the clip.

jetpack

08-22-2009, 09:26 AM

"Is that kite coming out of your car or are you just glad to see me" ;)

kiteboardinggear

08-27-2009, 03:55 AM

Wow that's a nice place to go diving!:p

ricki

09-16-2009, 08:54 PM

CyVQjUnRZ0g

Just saw this on kiteforum.* It is a pretty interesting speed kiting clip of a record attempt with a nasty wipeout at the end. The guy was around 50 kts. at the time of the wipeout on a speed sailing course (shallow, fast with ripples - no waves). I understand all he messed up were two sprained fingers.

* http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2359841&sid=8936bc67afb2b863d4b79a95ffdeeb62

Wiping out at half that speed can feel almost as bad at times. Speed vs. impressions, so 50 kts. may feel like a 100 kt. wipeout? Brave folks hitting the high speeds.

ricki

09-18-2009, 04:46 PM

A look back a a Shameless Charlotte bikini calendar shoot from a while back.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs256.snc1/10331_133109483198_633803198_2587997_3179750_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs276.snc1/10331_133109488198_633803198_2587998_2608595_n.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs276.snc1/10331_133109493198_633803198_2587999_4957070_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs256.snc1/10331_133113998198_633803198_2588058_4100941_n.jpg

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs256.snc1/10331_133114003198_633803198_2588059_65206_n.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs276.snc1/10331_133114013198_633803198_2588060_2712585_n.jpg

Have to do another one of these sometime!

ricki

09-22-2009, 12:51 PM

From Brien Mastriana's Photo page on Facebook, maybe off Indonesia, not sure.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs211.snc1/7821_1214543557725_1052893010_711465_606223_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs231.snc1/7821_1218431934932_1052893010_723357_5258820_n.jpg

Impressive stuff in any case!

ricki

09-26-2009, 08:19 AM

I was looking for an unusual historical image last night, still looking too. Anyway, came across some strange stuff in the Popular Mechanics archive site.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/human_sailboat.thumb.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/human_sailboat.jpg)
CLICK FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE
HEADS UP! I AM CONVINCED that this is the future for kiteboarders. No more line, space, bystander issues. All the thrills, huge jumps without the peripheral issues. Well, maybe after a few beers?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/01_snorkel_air.thumb.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/01_snorkel_air.jpg)
CLICK FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE
Free diving will never be the same again. Wonder why I never saw this before? Well, there could be a few reasons, air embolisms for some of those beginners?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/bathing_chute_0.thumb.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/bathing_chute_0.jpg)
CLICK FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE
Who needs cable parks when you can have the bathing chute?!

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/xlg_bathing_chute_1.thumb.jpg (http://www.fksa.org/albums/album447/xlg_bathing_chute_1.jpg)
CLICK FOR FULL SIZED IMAGE
This would be better if you could tie in I think.