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Old 08-07-2006, 07:17 AM
wheresdawind?? wheresdawind?? is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 49
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I can confirm balloonboys kitemare, I remember clearly him getting T-bagged non stop for a long long distance, at first I though it was funny but when he didn't relase after 5 or so loops the show went from fun to scary...lucky we had his boat there...
This topic also remindes me of a couple of experiences on the island:
1.- early 2004 with Matteo, launching my first ever kite a 9m foil, Matteo is holding the bar (2 line) and I am holding the foil straight down wind of him, probably close to 20 knots, I can barelyhold the kite as the lines are hurting my fingers, Matteo gives me the sign and there he goes!!! first 2 meters airtime then a head first dive into the sand and then about 25 meters sand dragged downwinder to where I am standing, I managed to hold him down, I remember his face, eyes nose ears completely full of sand but still smiling!! He the managed to surf for about 5 minutes then the bar broke in half and he had to swim back in dragging the wet heavy foil behindd him...
2. Ridding to club med with ballonboy on heavy big seas, waves crashing close to the boat barely making into the bay , my adrenaline was gone before we even started kiteing. We finally make it in to the bay and we are told to look out for the body of a surfer who drawned the previous day surfing the big break there (body washed in couple of days later) Sad and scary stuff
3. All alone downwinder from paradise island cabbage beach to cable beach or so I thought...wife drops me off and I tell her to go wait for me at cable...had some fun right there and made it past club med all good fun, but wind is turnig more and more off-shore black clouds behind me, already considering dumping the kite and swimming in as I am crossing the harbour entrance, i get nervous and get as close as I can to the rocks on the west side of the harbour, waves are crashing on to the rocks, not the best place to land, local fisherman sitting on the rocks watching me struggle throws a rope attached to a bucket (which he used for keeping his bait) at me, that did not help my situation at all and now i am thinking of sharks as well. I released the safety and hold kite on one line, started swimming towards rocks looking down the deap water for any shades...
finally made it in, cut my foot on the rocks, fisherman thought i was nuts and gave me a ride home....
I am missing the island!!!
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