6/Jan - board blast w/ Paul

Met up with Paul again today on Herringthorpe Fields for a quick blast about on the boards. Usual gusty winds but my 8m Access II was flying nicely.

I've realised that in hindsight I've been too much of a wuss and need to have more power in order to be able to do this properly, this means bigger kites in higher winds. It would explain my slow progress and frustration at not being able to get moving.

I think it was too gusty and changable for Paul's Rage 2.5m but he got a few runs in too. One day we'll both have a good day.

Also, the field was covered in dog eggs. Both Paul and my board were covered in the stuff. Not happy. :(

HPF fliers? new people & ripped kite

Another gusty day landboarding at Herringthorpe with the 8m Access II, winds were stupidly gusty again and my skills need improving but I'm getting there

Down on Herringthorpe Playing Fields I've seen someone with what looked like a 10m Frenzy (?) + land board alongside someone with a red Beamer (2.5/3m?). I was having a good boarding session with my GII at the time so didn't stop to talk as they're a pig to land.

I saw someone else new last Saturday get their kite ripped to shreds. It was super gusty and I saw their kite (didn't recognise the type) rattling from the trees getting cut to shreds. It eventually cut itself loose, flew across the road and into the bungalows opposite. It looked more like a grass skirt after that! I doubt they'll be back.

It seems to be getting rather popular as there's pretty much always someone there at the weekends, including me most saturdays.

5/Jan - Another gusty day

Another gusty day landboarding at Herringthorpe with the 8m Access II, winds were stupidly gusty again and my skills need improving but I'm getting there

HPF lunchtime session

I got out today for some more lunchtime boarding action, it's slowly starting to come together now but I need more hours under my belt.

JugglerJon was there too having one hell of a time - he's just posted this in the forums:
"Just had a long dinner break. Went out to my usually gusty local spot to find 15mph clean winds cross/up the hill.

I cracked boosting big off the hill, landed my first inland back loops. And best of all kitelooping on the way down the hill to get boosted up into the air and back up the hill.

Amazing session. This grin on my face is gonna last"

It's always good to see someone who knows what they're doing as you can pickup so many tips just by watching.

Shady Jon

I was on herringthorpe playing fields and this shady character in a hoody was walking across the field, paused to have a nosey at my bags (about 30m away) and I got suspicious as I was hooked in and couldn't really do much.

As this character got a bit closer I noticed the 'SKF' logo on the front and Jon (jugglerjon) introduced himself! He'd been driving past and noticed the kite and stopped by.

I was good to put a face to a name for both of us and Jon gave me loads of n00b advise that I wouldn't have got otherwise.
* Some pointers on how to hook in properly using the DD to stop the CL from falling off the hook. Obvious when you know what it's for and it didn't help that Ive got a quadrifoil harness with pulley bar.
* Jon kindly offer to lend me a differnt spreader bar, having never met me, but the pulley was sewn into the harness.
* Advise to use a caribina on my pulley quadrifoil harness (I bought one the following day) as my bar has 2 built in safeties of it's own. The caribina works a treat.
* Some top tips for 1st time on the beach - get down there - it's easier than inland, look out for soft sand, check it's an onshore wind, etc.

A public thanks to Jon and the general helpfulness of the people on these boards. It's well deserved.

1st depower - 8m Access II

By sheer fluke I won an auction for an 8m Access II! and on my birthday too!! :D

After struggling with the handles on the Beamer I've been looking for one of these for quite a while now as they're supposed to be a fantastic introduction to depower as they're low lift and stable. They're allegedly a damned site easier to board with as you take all the power through your harness.

Now all I need is to figure out how to fasten this onto my quadrafoil harness and I should be ready to go. I suspect this isn't quite right as it's a roller harness and I believe it should be a straight hook, we'll see.

Herringthorpe Sessions

I've been down to HPF a few times this week, mostly getting there last thing about 6:30 onwards as I typically don't finish work in Sheff till about 6pm. Sometimes I can sneak in a quick 30 mins on my way home. (norfolk park most lunchtimes)