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Dutch Open 2016 - To the bone

19/10/2016

Daf did some words about when the Mountain team went to Holland #keepitspring   VIA WWW.TAFIA.CO.UK

http://www.tafia.co.uk/news//daf-at-the-dutch-open

Arno VDV - Ride along - Trampa Electro

26/07/2016

Pembrey Cup, Raw Kite British Championships.

27/06/2016

1st place at the mens Pro Freestyle Pembrey Cup, Raw Kite British Championships.

The 2nd round of the British championships took place on the 18th-19th of June on the huge beach of Pembrey country park in South Wales. On the Friday morning the alarm woke us at 3:00am, so we jumped out of bed to start the drive down to Pembrey in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. On route, I was surprised to be driving throw the down pour of rain…. as having checked the forecast, I knew that the friday had the best wind forecast and the plan was to shoot some photos on my new Escape V5s before the event starts on Saturday. 

On arrival the rain had stopped and the weather was a mix of clouds and sunshine, phew! With me being so excited to blast the big beach, we quickly checked the beach to see what the wind was doing….. cross on 15mph, awesome! We then ran back to the van and I got my 17m Fury and 13m Escape kites. My partner Cristina grabbed the camera and spare lens, preparing to shoot something a little different, so we headed down the beach to see if anything stood out. At which point the tide had just got low enough to expose an old shipwreck. We set up and I headed out on the 13m for a free ride, the beach was in perfect condition. The wind was nice and steady and the next two hours were spent blasting and throwing tricks around and over the shipwreck with a massive grin on my face, as it got towards mid day a few of the other riders turned up to join in and enjoy the free ride. 

On the Saturday, riders briefing was at 9:00am at the Pembrey Country Park. We turned up at the camp site, where I noticed the turn out of riders unfortunately was not good. When I say this, I mean there was only Will Rose and myself in the Land Board Pro’s, but it was not just the Pro land Boarders that suffered, as the  Amateur Land Boarders had just 2 competitors as well (Umar Al-Rawi and Steve Parkes). It was not just here the numbers where low, Buggy Pros and Amateur numbers where not good either. Now at no point was I expecting to write about an event with such a low turn out. Anyway, Will Rose and myself rode 2 heats out of the suggested 3 as the tide was against us. The 1st heat was low wind, making it great to get the new school tricks flowing. In the second heat, the wind picked up, giving us the chance to do some big air, and for me this is what Kite Land boarding is all about. The enjoyment of riding against a good friend and that test of the mixed conditions, really pushed us as riders. I landed all my tricks I expected to apart from one, which got me 1st place. I am super stoked with the win!   

At the first event of the year there was a vast amount of people who turned up. You do have to ask yourself why? Was it the wrong weekend? Is there a loss of interest in UK land riders competing, is it as simple as other commitments? (As it was Fathers day on the Sunday). Or could it be the big worry that actually, there is no young blood in the sport? The fact is, that on the same weekend the PKA held a event at the same beach with 30 competitors, now thats more like it! But what can we do to encourage riders to get more involved with competing? Something to think about. If I am honest, I am worried about the future of this sport that I am so passionate about. Are we really going to turn in to riders that just promote only via social media such as videos on youtube and never socialise and interact with each other? I'd really hate to see it go that way.

I would like to encourage kiters out there reading this, to come to events, compete and enjoy kite land boarding, to progress, no matter your level. Competing is a great thing, its fun and a new way to make friends and enjoy the sport together. Nothing beats a big group of the kiting community showing what the sport is all about, and lets not forget the BBQ and a beer of course. These are exactly the reasons Will and I decided to compete, alongside the other groups of riders. It keeps the sport we love alive, and you never know who you can inspire. 

On that note, get yourself down to the next event at Westward Ho! North Devon, create new memories, make new friends and enjoy the event with us all. The event is on September 15th-18th at Westward Ho beach and keep up to date athttp://www.rawkite.com 

Hope to see you all at the last round of the year 

Fly safe.

Winter Wonderlust

09/05/2016

Kris Beech 1st at British Landboard Event

18/04/2016

1st place British Championships, Raw Kite. Black Rock sands North Wales.

The Friday, 

Today was a early start, we made the drive from the South East to North Wales, starting at 4am to miss the traffic and we arrived at Blackrock-Sands beach at about 11:30. Wow, this place looked epic (I had not been here before) it reminded me of Ireland with the mountains in the background. Craig sparks, Will rose and a few others where getting ready for a free ride. The wind was not great being directly off shore, however with a back drop like that I wasn’t going to turn down an oppertunity to get some photos. 

The Saturday 

We all got to the beach for 10am for riders briefing, with the wind still directly off shore. It was then discussed to run the landboard racing as with wind this lumpy, it was not the best idea to push riders to do to much freestyle. Don’t get me wrong, a few of us where still playing around doing some freestyle before the racing started. 

First race 

The racing started, this race was crazy with a few kites dropping out the sky just as the race started, Will Rose, Carl Kirton and myself managed to make it through the carnage. Making the most of my 17m Fury when the gusts where up, racing Will Rose to the line it was a close call as Will had the better up wind tack, I was tacking hard upwind losing a bit of speed. Will went on to take the win, with me in 2nd and fellow Peterlynn rider Carl Kirton in 3rd. 

Second race, 

As we started this race the wind was getting funky with it changing direction and strength. The start sounded and just as I went over the line my kite dropped out the sky at which point. I fell to the back of the race, as I relaunched my kite my mind sparked with "I’m gunning for this now!!" As I got back on my board the wind picked up just right and I got to the first marker, only to notice I had passed enough racers to be next to Will Rose who took a wide line, giving me enough room to down loop round the markers and in to the cross wind tack, by this point the wind had changed direction making harder to keep your line. Making a few tacks I was across the finish line first.  

With the wind getting worse by the minute, it was called to free ride or just chill on the beach for the rest of the day. 

The Sunday 

Today was looking better for the wind direction, however the wind was light. So riders briefing was held and it was decided if the wind picked up enough they wound start by running the Pro Mens freestyle. so I pumped up my 17m Fury and went for a play around in the marginal wind. as the day went on the wind got less and less, the event was cooled off and the presentation for the racing started. 

Landboard Racing 

1st Kris Beech 

2nd Will Rose 

3rd Graham Reed