Uber Kitesurf Kit Clear Out! Up to 70% DISCOUNT ON NEW KIT

Hello!

Hope ur having a fab w’end… or a positive start to your week, if it’s much later than that there’s a chance the kit’s gone but always worth an email to: luke@kitesurfkings.com if there’s anything you’re interested in.

Thanks for taking time to check out this uber Kitesurfkings clearance kitesurfing kit up for grabs for the first time. On Thursday I pasted in a load of kitesurfing, SUP and windsurfing clearance kit for a friend at Cabrinha HQ, today I thought I better pop up some of the uber gems that I have kicking around b4 they continue depreciating in storage!

Brand new kitesurfing kit, still in original packaging but some of it’s been kinda forgotten about (oops!) Over 55% off some of these gems (one board’s @ -70%):

• 2014 5’6 Cabrinha Skillet Complete £450 (RRP £749) – legend of a board, bought this one as a back up as have exactly the same model and wouldn’t want to be without it but after hitting groynes and some hard landings have decide I’m safe to pass up my spare to a good home).
• 2014 5m Cabrinha Switchblade £450 (RRP £749) – this kite needs no introductions, again, I got greedy… after all, how many 5m kites does one person need?!
• 2014 10m Cabrinha Switchblade £650 (RRP £999) – no introduction needed.
• 2013 11m Cabrinha Chaos £580 (RRP £1159) – bridled C-kite that offers the most fun you can have getting high! Not a good first kite but totally dreamy if you’re ready for it.
• Cabrinha Wake-skate (maybe 2012?) £90 (£299ish?) – Make a great Christmas gift, it’s a rudeboy grip tape stylie one, was hiding away but wants a good home. Requires 2 small fins.
• 136x41cm 2014 Crazyfly Raptor Pro LTD Complete (full carbon) £500 (RRP £619) – this is a kiteboard that should need no introduction, beautiful on and off the water.
• 2x 138x43cm 2014 Crazyfly All Rounder Completes £309 (RRP £409) – stylish kiteboard that, as it says on the tin, is an all rounder. Crazyfly kiteboards are world renowned for good reason. This is their entry level board but super sweet at £409, bloody awesome at £309!
• 2014 Crazyfly Scalp 10m Complete (includes bar, lines,leash and pump) £850! (RRP £1159) – Great reviews and feedback on these – grab yourself a bargain whilst I’m in a generous mood 😉
• 2014 Crazyfly Scalp 11m Complete (includes bar, lines,leash and pump) £880! (RRP £1199) – Great reviews and feedback on these – grab yourself a bargain whilst I’m in a generous mood 😉
• 2014 Crazyfly Scalp 13m Complete (includes bar, lines,leash and pump) £950! (RRP £1239) – Great reviews and feedback on these – grab yourself a bargain whilst I’m in a generous mood 😉
• XL Cabrinha Deluxe Waist Harness £60 (RRP £135).

In addition it seems my personal kite quiver has got out of hand too! Here are some gems that are in exceptional condition after minimal use in safe hands:

• 2013 11m Cabrinha Chaos £480 (RRP £1159) – bridled C-kite that offers the most fun you can have getting high! Not a good first kite but totally dreamy if you’re ready for it. This kite is mint! Kind of got forgotten about due to…
• 2014 11m Cabrinha Chaos £605 (RRP £1099) – 2nd generation bridled C-kite.
• 2014 8m Cabrinha Chaos £550 (RRP £999) – 2nd generation bridled C-kite.
• 2013 9m Crazyfly Scalp Complete (includes bar, lines,leash and pump) £550

Thank you for taking time to have a look through, please email requests and enquiries to: luke@kitesurfkings.com

If there are any kites or boards listed that you know you want then feel free to text me on: 07878 399 419 as everything is first come first served.

Loving the change in weather? You can avoid SAD and have the time of your life with a kitesurfing discovery trip to Zanzibar: http://www.kitesurfkings.com/documents/kitesurfkings-zanzibar-2015.pdf (linked from home page of Kitesurfkings website)

Hope to see you at the/a beach soon 😉

 

Luke, Kitesurfkings.

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Kitesurf Kite Clearance! Discounted clearance kites, new, used and x-demo…

In this blog you can look through a list of 2013 Cabrinha kites we have on sale. Some new and still boxed, others used a handful of times, there are real bargains to be had! All of the pricing for the 2014 Cabrinha Kitesurf range will be posted shortly as I’ll physically have them in my hands this time next week and so can share not only the pricing but the full low down.

If you are in the market for a kite you’ve come to the right place. Maybe you’re just starting out or maybe you’re looking for a kite to complement or upgrade the kites you have, whatever the reason I’d be surprised if we don’t have a gem in our Kitesurfkings kite clearance for you; we’ve even discounted some of our clearance kites and have new, used and x-demo 2013’s available on sale. Tell your friend’s, they’ll thank you for it!

Save £550 on a new kite or over £800 on a kite that’s been flown 10 times… keep reading!

Cabrinha kites are considered the Rolls Royce of kitesurfing kites for good reason and that’s why you generally have to pay a little more than many other brands. You get what you pay for! We have not had a single warranty issue with any of the Cabrinha kites we’ve sold since starting 8 years ago… so the qualities not in question! There are just too many awesome features to list, Cabrinha are world leaders in kitesurf innovation and once you have owned one of their new kites they’ll be no looking back.

The Quicklink bar system has revolutionised kitesurfing in terms of control, comfort and most importantly, safety. The Cabrinha Quicklink control bar stands years and years ahead of the ‘competition’. The second safety release is a button inside the chicken loop, so no trying to find your leash if underwater or getting dragged. You can untwist your front lines with your first safety release so, unlike other four line brands, your safety system has no reason to jam or fail on you. One of the nicest things is that you have total depower just from releasing the bar, as the centre line is much longer than other brands but always in reach due to a coil at the top of the centre line. This coil offers additional depower, as apposed to hitting a conventional stopper and retaining power.

Watch this short video on You Tube to get a better understanding (may have to copy and paste the link/URL): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkJtGYxyTw0

I cannot find anyone offering better prices for any of the new, used or x-demo Cabrinha kites than those listed in this blog. I’ve even scrolled through Ebay and the other Cabrinha sales agents’ sites to ensure you’re getting the best possible deals.

Personal kites: used but no repairs, no damage, still crispy and as new. Only reason for sale is that they’re being replaced by 2014’s. 5.5, 7, 11 and 12 have hardly been used, the 9’s been the kite of choice but still in mint condition from the limited use:

5.5m 2013 Cabrinha Chaos Complete RRP £1305 NOW £710 (used 5 or 6 times)

7m 2013 Cabrinha Drifter Complete RRP £1390 NOW £780 (used 5 times – bought in June)

9m 2013 Cabrinha Chaos Complete RRP £1480 NOW £750

11m Cabrinha Chaos Complete RRP £1560 NOW £850

12m 2012 Cabrinha Switchblade Complete with 2013 bar/line RRP £1505 NOW £700 (bought this year (2013) specifically for a two week trip to Zanzibar)

One careful lady owner, immaculate:

6m 2013 Cabrinha Siren (‘girls’ colour Switchblade with close reach ‘girls’ bar/lines) Complete RRP £1305 NOW £750

10m 2013 Cabrinha Siren (‘girls’ colour Switchblade with close reach ‘girls’ bar/lines) Complete RRP £1480 NOW £850

 

Ex demo and used in school since May (so very few times, awesome condition). Available in next couple of weeks, taking deposits now:

7m 2013 Cabrinha Vector Completes RRP £1180 NOW £550 to £650

9m 2013 Cabrinha Vector Completes RRP £1265 NOW £600 to £680

12m 2013 Cabrinha Vector Completes RRP £1435 NOW £650 to £750

 

Brand new, still boxed, 2013 kite completes (all with over a 30% discount):

7m 2013 Cabrinha Vector Complete RRP £1180 NOW £800

11m Cabrinha Switchblade 2013 Complete RRP £1525 NOW £1059

11m Cabrinha Crossbow 2013 Complete RRP £1739 NOW £1189

11m Cabrinha Chaos 2013 Complete RRP £1565 NOW £1079

12m Cabrinha Vector 2013 Complete RRP £1350 NOW £939

11m Cabrinha Vector 2013 Complete RRP £1438 NOW £989

 

What total bargains! If you’ve been dreaming of owning a new Cabrinha kite but couldn’t afford it, well, hopefully now you can. Flown kites are not usually sold in such incredible condition; now, due to the late arrival of 2013 kit this year and early arrival of 2014 kite, here’s your opportunity.

Call or email me directly so as not to miss out:

Luke: 07878 399 419           luke@kitesurfkings.com

We have some of the 2014 Cabrinha kites in the country and are just awaiting the bars. I’m going to list the RRP pricing with pics but having an issue uploading pics right now so you’ll just have to wait… or give me a call. We offer a price guarantee to ensure get you the best deals on all kites, old and new.

 

 

The Big Charity Downwinder… update and vegetarian request

 

 

We’re all very excited about the opportunity to be part of something as awesome as The Big Charity Downwinder, let’s hope some of this wind comes back for the September date options of the 14th/15th, 21st/22nd or 28th/29th… surely we’ll be blessed with wind on one of these dates but only time will tell… stay positive people!

Kitesurfkings are event partners as we think The Big Charity Downwinder is the best kitesurfing events since Worthing’s Big Air Competition last summer… which I have to say was a lot of fun to judge, the crew were awesome and the after party suitably messy!

Our Kitesurfkings Team for The Big Charity Downwinder is now sitting somewhere between 20 and 30 kiters so we’re hopeful of a good turn out and confident of a seriously fun day’s kiting… and after party 😉

There have been lots of questions raised about The Big Charity Downwinder since we received last week’s news that safety cover may have to increase costs by £100 per person, totalling £120 per person before money would then be raised for charity. Things are yet to be confirmed and updates are coming through all the time. If you want to keep up to date then you can pop onto Kiteboarder (a forum for kitesurfers) by using the following link: http://www.kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfing/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=56201&start=15

It’s obviously a mad time for Dan Charlish, the rest of the Snow Camp team and all involved. This is a bit of a plea that whilst negotiations and debates continue about how best to tackle the current challenges, people drop the beef. There’s a huge amount of suport and positivity but there are also those who hide behind their computer screens and hurl abuse… dudes! Constructive feedback’s awesome but in the words of Roots Manuva ”why bring beef to a veggie?”.

Please know that Dan is a stand up guy who we totally vouch for; Dan and the team are putting great effort into creating an event that brings s’thing new, exciting and inclusive for all kitesurfers to take part in a none profit format that can generate money for worthy charities.

If the only feasible option for The Big Charity Downwinder to go ahead will be that fees must increase then riders will have the option to withdraw their initial £20 sign up fee. The Big Charity Downwinder is not a money spinner for the organisers, they are just trying to give something back so please be supportive, considerate and if applicable, constructive.

I had to cancel Kitesurfkings kitesurf lessons today due to the dangerous conditions but it was nice to be able to meet up with guys this morning before they set off for a trial run of The Big Charity Downwinder… hope you make it alright! It’s mental out there! Looking forward to chatting later to see how the challenging conditions effected things… and by challenging we’re talking gusts of 35 knots, lulls of 12 and a constant shift from SW to SE! It’s been sitting at SE for a while so maybe they’ll never make it back!!

Note: these are not the conditions The Big Charity Downwinder will run with, today is a test run with accomplished riders (mostly 😉

 

2013 Cabrinha Kite Review – Cabrinha Kites & Boards NOW ON SALE!

Just about all of our new toys are through from Cabrinha and they continue to blow us away! Last week I added a 5th kite to my quiver with a new 7m 2013 Cabrinha Drifter and haven’t stopped smiling since!

Perfection comes at a price but if you act quickly you might be able to get between 30 and 40% off a new Cabrinha! We’re smashing everyone’s pricing by creating packages that are only possible through Kitesurfkings. We could save you up to £640 off just one kite! Call (+44) 01273 88 88 33 or (+44) 07878 399 419, alternatively email me directly at: luke@kitesurfkings.com

Review

Rather than review the 2013 Cabrinha kite and board range in full I’m going to keep it short and sweet by focussing on some of the new arrivals that have really rocked our kiting worlds. You can read through Cabrinha write ups on their website but this review reflects our views.

Kitesurfkings hosted the first public kit demo for the 2013 Cabrinha kite and board range at Shoreham Beach on the 19th July 2012 and, just the 2012 Cabrinha demo day in 2011, the wind really delivered on the day. If you kite the south coast of England you’ll know it’s seriously lucky to bag wind on a given day! Especially two years in a row 😉 This resulted in a lot of super stoked kitesurfers enjoying afterwork, sunset sessions on the latest offerings from Cabrinha and their 2013 kite and board range.

After the demo day I ordered myself a full quiver of Cabrinha Chaos kites(well 5.5m, 9m and 11m to be exact), Cabrinha’s new c-kite for 2013. Needless to say they are awesome kites and the feedback I have received from other riders around the world has all been extremely positive. Cabrinha have really opened the lid on exciting kiting sessions for the more experienced rider. Although the Chaos’ predecessor, the Cabrinha Nomad, catered for the more hardcore freestylers by looping comfortably and offering solid performance when unhooking it was a hybrid and could never loop quite as fast, have as much consistency or be as smooth and predictable whilst unhooked as a dedicated c-kite. Cabrinha, we salute you, please don’t take it away from us in 2014!!

Recommendations and reviews are always going to be subjective and are going to take into account personal opinion. So, if you’re reading this Kitesurfkings blog for the first time then please let me introduce myself. My name’s Luke Denny, I’m the homeless looking dude in the picture above. I run Kitesurfkings, which is the longest running kitesurf school in the area and I do as much teaching myself as possible. Before starting Kitesurfkings I managed a kitesurf shop for three years, needless to say I love kites and have flown a lot of them. This leads me onto quite a bold statement…

…The 2013 7m Cabrinha Drifter is the best kite I have ever flown!

Come and have a demo or just take my word but if you like wave riding then get your wallet out! We guarantee to give you the best price available and you could have a 2013 Drifter (or any of the other Cabrinha kites or boards) in your hands, depending on where in the world you live, within 24 hours! Anyway, why the Drifter?

Well, if you like the idea of feeling continually connected to a kite, never experiencing any stalls, luffs or slack lines, being able to through a kite around, flying it across the wind window or using kite and down loops to turn with a continual power delivery but without being over powered or pulled off of your wave… it’s all about the 2013 Cabrinha Drifter! Come and fly one today, they are incredible!!! Oh, yes, the obvious stuff: great relaunch, wind range and market leading safety systems – standard Cabrinha Rolls Royce standards.

I’m so excited about the 2013 Cabrinha Drifter that I’ll teach you to kitesurf for free if you buy one, honestly! If you live too far away from the south coast of England to come for UK lessons then I’ll give you a £300 credit towards a Kitesurfkings international session… or maybe a free kite board – just for buying the perfect kite, the 2013 Cabrinha Drifter!

Our top three Cabrinha changes from 2012 to 2013 have been the addition of their c-kite, the Cabrinha Chaos, the fine tuning that has upped the 2013 Drifter’s freestyle performance, making it an incredible all rounder that’s born to ride waves and the Switchblade’s Siren series with corresponding ‘woman’s’ bar. There are signs of real change in Cabrinha’s kite boards too, with the 2013 kiteboards being the first to come from Cabrinha’s own, dedicated, kite board factory. I think we’ll see more from Cabrinha’s latest investment into the development of kitesurfing in 2014 but there are already signs of real brilliance coming through.

Exciting advancements have also been made with Cabrinha’s Switchblade, Crossbow and Vector kites, not to mention the beautiful, black and white Quicklink bar set up, but I don’t know if I’d ever stop typing so will draw a line here! There have been many awesome changes made to Cabrinha’s 2013 product range but if you’re interested in finding out more then it’ll save everyone’s eyes if you just get on the phone (+44) 01273 88 88 33 or (+44) 07878 399 419 and ask away.

Cabrinha aren’t the only kite brand in the world but they are the best 😉

Perfection comes at a price but if you act quickly you might be able to get between 30 and 40% off that price. We’re smashing everyone’s pricing by creating packages that are only possible through Kitesurfkings. We could save you up to £640 off just one kite! Call (+44) 01273 88 88 33 or (+44) 07878 399 419, alternatively email me directly at luke@kitesurfkings.com

Kitesurfkings Catch Up

Blogging standards are at an all time low; I’m going to try and pull it back by reflecting on 2012, filling in some of the missing bits and bringing us up to speed.

We failed to mention that we saw 2012 in with another Kitesurfkings kitesurfing multi-spot expedition to South Africa; not much to write home about, other than… a TV production company flew out from the UK to film us as we kited all of the exciting spots that Cape Town and the surrounding areas offer, enjoyed free style sessions with Kevin Langree (as in Kitesurf World Champion!) and took on Cape Point on a 6 meter day.

We put in the effort and got the maximum amount of kitesurfing out of our two weeks in south africa. Just like the year before we were blessed with wind for the entire trip. The flat spots super flat and the wave spots…

January continued to be all about the waves as some of the Kitesurfkings crew met up with Dom Moore in Newquay for his first Ocean Confidence course. We learn’t loads, drank too much and surfed both days. Due to alcohol consumption and the passing of time we’ve another Kitesurfkings Ocean Confidence course with Dom is on the 11^th May 2013. We all want to be the best we can in the water so training in all disciplines is recommended. Kitesurfkings will be offering additional Ocean Confidence course dates and more first aid safety days throughout the year.

Kite sessions were skinny on the ground as we went into 2013. The UK really wasn’t pumping until we got into June and then it hardly stopped. Obviously we took what there was but the forecasts were unreliable until the local sea breeze effect came into play.

Shoreham Kitesurf Club was borne and plans set afoot to work with Kitesurfkings to continue Shoreham Beach’s impeccable safety record and offer more to Joe kiter that will not only benefit themselves but the people they kite with. ‘Back to beach’ and ‘first aid safety/rescue’ days proved super popular and caused other clubs and schools to also create similar program for their customers and beach users. If ur local club’s not running such sessions then suggest it to them… or just come down and join us. We post on Facebook when we are running sessions but will also endeavour to keep you informed here on the blog 😉

With the summer brought the release of the 2013 Cabrinha collection and really blew a lot of people away by bringing out Cabrinha’s first C-kite since bow kites came on the scene in 2005. As well as Cabrinha launching an awesome new C-kite (the Chaos) they also brought out a girls range of Cabrinha kites with easier to reach controls and less masculine colour lines.

With the season already in swing it was a shame the wind didn’t choose to come without rain for the 2012 Paddle Around The Pier event on the first weekend in July. Kitesurfkings have had a presence at Paddle since 2008 and this was the first soaking we received… fortunately it was also the first year one of Kitesurfkings new van’s was more like a mobile office, come show room, with flat screen TV and protection from the rain 😉

Soon we were in full swing and there were many a success story with super happy, safe, able and excited kitesurfers reaching their kitesurfing independence with Kitesurfkings. Everyone has to work hard at kitesurfing, it’s not a sport that you can just do and fully understand from day one, but with time, tenacity and perseverance the skill of being able to kitesurf confidently then changes lives. For the work to happiness trade off to be equal kitesurfing should really be much, much harder!

We continued with our Kitesurfkings Cabel to Kite sessions at Hove Lagoon for the 2012 season. The cable has started getting busier now, which were really pleased about as the guys at the Lagoon work really hard but it also makes it all the more important for us to keep a Cable to Kite night in each week. We’ll try and make it a regular session for everyone again this year.

The Big Air Open took place on Saturday 14th July 2012 in Worthing, West Sussex. Part of the Olympic Torch Relay Weekend. Luke from Kitesurfkings, that’s me folks, was stoked to have been invited to judge the competition. The event was based on a ‘how high you can jump format’ with points being awarded for the maximum height reached.

We were so close to reaching the end and securing a winner but the wind died on us; all was not lost as I still gave out my prize (Kitesurfkings Style Prize) of a new 2012 pro model wakeskate signed by Andre Phillip and better still we put all of the prize money behind the bar and drank it!

Some of Kitesurfkings proudest moments of 2012 saw Kitesurfking students going from never flying a kite to kiting safely with confidence and landing back rolls in three months! Taking two young school groups through the Kitesurfkings Beginner course and them all receiving the rewards for their hard work. A 74 year old student who took themselves for a body drag and continues to practice with the view to sailing into the sunset in 2013 (watch this space!). Students who have triumphed over their own initial fears, listened, put in the effort and then fell in love with kitesurfing.

Our Egypt coaching weeks sold out again and we lucked out with totally awesome groups and awesome wind again!

We were really lucky with wind, especially in week two and maximised it by running regular down winders through some awesome lagoons, through mangroves and over sandbars 😉

No South African trip this year as 2013 kicked off with another of Kitesurfkings kiting extravaganzas to Zanzibar!

All of our Zanzibar kitesurfing trips have been magical but for some reason this was the best so far; the group were perfect, the wind blew everyday, the food was incredible and the kite sessions out of this world amazing… we’re trying to offer a July 13 trip just to meet demand!

Big Air Open – Kitesurf Competition

The Big Air Open has been confirmed to take place on Saturday 14th July 2012 in Worthing, West Sussex. Part of the Olympic Torch Relay Weekend, Worthing is proud to welcome a new sporting event into the town which is set to become a classic Kitesurfing event well beyond the Olympic year and Luke from Kitesurfkings is stoked to have been invited to judge the competition.

The event is based on a ‘how high can you jump format’ with points being awarded for the maximum height reached. If wind conditions on the day do not allow for a big air format to be run alternative arrangements will be made.

Entry to the event is limited to a total of 36 places, 12 of which are local wildcards. Local wildcards will be selected by The Big Air Open Committee and announced at a later date. The event is open to male and female competitors, and the format is based on a total of 28 heats, each of them lasting 8 minutes. There will be 3 riders on the water in each heat, with the 1st and 2nd place finishers advancing to the next round. The overall Champion and winner of The Big Air Open 2012 will be determined by a final heat of 3 riders.

The entry fee for competitors is £30, with only 36 places available to compete. Registration will be open from 14 March 2012 and the minimum age for competitors is 18.

Lewis Crathern, Worthing resident known internationally for his big air skills & Pier Jumping, is actively involved in the event and commented: “I am extremely excited about The Big Air Open, especially as it takes place in my home town of Worthing. This will be an amazing format for Kitesurfers of all levels to take on the wind and waves, show off their skills and compete for The Big Air Open Title. We have all worked hard on making this one of the best Kitesurfing competitions of the year!”

Read on to see how you can get ready for July’s competition…

The Wind looks great towards the end of this week and Lewis Crathern is offering ‘big air’ coaching to keep in theme with “The Big Air Open” event by running 2 clinics on Big Air. In each clinic Lew will focus on various techniques to gain bigger jumps.

If you have just started working out how to get airborne and are looking to improve he’d like to see you there, if you’re getting air and looking to add some style to it (maybe a back roll or front roll?) he’ll look at that too.

Friday 14th June 2:30 pm – Big Air
Saturday 15th June 3:30 pm – Big Air

Edging Technique, Kite Control, Hand Position, Kite Choice, Posture, Kite Setup…. you name it Lew covers it….

Clinics will run for 2.5 hours, tea and coffee will be available before the clinic during briefing and debriefing in Lew’s van. The price is just £55 per person and 10% goes to the RNLI. Good on you Lew!

Contact: lewis@windmachine.biz to reserve your place. *Max 4 per person per session so don’t hang around!

Whilst we’re sharing Lew’s news you need to know about the next Lewis Crathern Kite Clinics happening in October 2012. Luke Denny (of Kitesurfkings) taught alongside Lew last year for his Ras Sudr Kite Clinic, they enjoyed it, the students loved it! This year there are fewer spaces on offer for the Lewis Crathern Kite Clinic so that Lew can coach his group of upwinders and jumpers and Kitesurfkings are freed up to coach beginner and intermediate kiters… hopefully ion preparation for future Lewis Crathern Kite Clinics. There are two Lewis Crathern Kite Clinic options: 6th-13th and 14th – 21st October 2012…

Lewis Crathern Kitesurfing Clinics – Egypt

‘’This October I’ve teamed up With African Space to put on two clinics in Egypt. I’ve been to Ras Sudr 5 times and I really believe its the best place to go for people to progress. In all my trips to Ras I’ve never had less then 5 out of 7 days of wind and I considered those weeks as bad weeks! Paradise Beach Resort provides the perfect place to take a week out and focus on kitesurfing. Its very uncrowded, waist deep for ages, warm (I don’t wear a suit much), sunny and I suppose I could go on and on but to view the full info on the trip download the PDF here http://www.windmachine.biz/lewisegyptclinics.pdf’’

Kitesurf Lessons – lessons, sessions and events for all kitesurf students

All kiting can be awesome but those first few kitesurf rides revisit us in our dreams and keep us content when we can’t get to the water.. good times.

Summer’s back… and so are the Blogs! Sorry for the lack of Blog action guys; we’ve been pretty hot with Facebook updates but sloppy with the Blog so apologies.

Since the last Blog post regarding the Kitesurfkings Beginner Kitesurf Holiday to Egypt, Kitesurfkings have been running kitesurf lessons around Brighton, on Shoreham Beach over at Greatstone/Cambersands (when we have to!) and taking groups for kitesurf sessions and lessons in South Africa and Egypt. So, there’s been a lot going on and we’d love to welcome you to come and join us for kitesurf lessons and in the fun or free kitesurf sessions…

We offer kitesurf lessons here at Shoreham Beach (Shoreham Beach is the closest beach to Brighton that you can learn to kitesurf and the only beach in the area which has no groynes in the teaching zone, so there’s nothing to crash into) 7 days a week and we are happy to teach anytime of day (as long as it’s light!). We have to be flexible to meet our customers needs and to catch the wind when it blows. For kitesurf lesson info you can go to the main Kitesurfkings website http://www.kitesurfkings.com or give us a call on 01273 88 88 33 or 07878 399 419.

We have teamed up with Shoreham Beach Kitesurf Club to help give something back and to keep Shoreham Beach the safest and friendliest beach around. We’ve been offering students who have already covered the basic course with us the opportunity to come back for coaching days, asking only that if happy to do so students make a donation to the RNLI. The last Shoreham Beach Kitesurf Club day clinic was a ‘back to beach’ refresher day and it could not have been more perfect! We will confirm the dates of the next kitesurf day clinics soon so sign up to receive this blog and we’ll pull our fingers out and keep you in the loop.

On the 9th June 2012 Shoreham Beach Kitesurf Club and Kitesurfkings will be representing kitesurfing at Shoreham and the Shoreham Beach, Beach Dreams Festival. It’s a fun day, well two days but really all happens on the Saturday with many nursing hangovers on the Sunday. We would really like it if anyone would like to pop over and say hi, hang out and enjoy the festival with us. Kitesurfkings will be offering lessons as usual (wind permitting) and we will be generally enjoying the festival but there to answer any questions, chat about kiting, show off some of the kit and have a good time. On the Sunday (10th) we will be kitesurfing down wind from Worthing or Littlehampton back to Shoreham Beach. Down wind kitesurf sessions are so much fun and the more of us the more fun we have, so all are very welcome.

Hope to kite with you soon.

Beginner Kitesurf Holiday – Kitesurfkings Ras Sudr, Egypt

Remember the first day you got up and riding? You will!

Blogging from a very warm and windy Egypt, currently having some down time (kite time) in between the Kitesurfkings Beginner Trip and the Kitesurfkings Kite Clinic with Lewis Crathern.

I am sat at our hotel looking towards the beach with swaying flowers, palms and wind swept water fountains in the foreground, lush lawns, a stream and turquoise swimming pool, lots more palms, and through the gaps the glistening blue sea with a few kites out on the water. In the distance are the mountains of Zaafarana as a backdrop; it’s a nice scene.

We arrived in Egypt on Thursday the 6^th as a group of 10, 2 Kitesurfkings instructors (Luke Denny and John Aldcroft) and 8 students with varying abilities from never having flown to already up on the board. After a few days we were already becoming a close net team and the life and soul of Paradise, Ras Sudr. In the group we had ages varying from 24 to 45, one couple, one guy working in Cairo and a couple of Swiss dude’s; we all met up at Cairo Airport and transferred together in a rather smart coach large enough to easily fit all of our kitesurfing gear inside and sit in comfort.

The transfer from Cairo to Ras Sudr only took three hours, which included a break at a really friendly kofta place where we chilled and took in some Egyptian life; kids helping their parents at work because they were on holiday from school and teens enjoying the freedom of driving dad’s car around the car park, squeezing in a hand break turn to the amusement of all but the kid who’d just washed our coach’s windscreen. Their traditional Egyptian dress was didn’t fulfill my stereotyped image for badly behaving teens but came as a refreshing reminder we’d left the UK.

We rocked up at the Paradise, Ras Sudr at 21.00 and were greeted with a glass of juice at reception and an impressive outdoor buffet in the hotel’s courtyard. We dropped bags off at our rooms, all pleasantly surprised by their size and range of facilities. Food is served from 8.00 to 10.30 morning and evening and so we had plenty of time to enjoy a great meal together whilst continuing to get to know one another. The evening was really nice but not as exciting as the 20+ knots we woke to in the morning!

We met for breakfast in the courtyard at 08.30, enjoyed homemade breads and pastries, cereals, yogurts, freshly prepared omelets, sausages other fuel we anticipated needing to take us through to the afternoon and we were at the kite center with kites set up on the beach by 09.30.

I first came to this spot six years ago, spent many years arranging trips here for other kiters as a result, then popped back myself in November 2010 to make sure everything would still be perfect for both Kitesurfkings beginner kitesurf holidays and kitesurf clinics. It takes s’thing extra to get the KSK seal of approval and as we stood on the beach having a pre session briefing it was clear this would be the perfect playground for our week ahead.

The week flew by and we all had a fantastic time on and off the water. The plan had been for morning and afternoon coaching sessions but it became apparent that the full week would be one long coaching session with the odd interlude.

Everyone worked hard and fed back that they got everything and more they’d hoped.  The goal for most of the guys was to get up on the boards, which anyone can do, achieving solid skills to keep the safe and equipped for all that their kitesurfing lives will throw at them was more of what Kitesurfkings aim to share… but here are the guys up on the boards anyway:

Gotta say constant effort from James B… paid off though, one arm stylin’.

Kurt here, complete newbie, had never been in the water before coming out on our beginner holiday and fully embraced everything we threw at him… apart from smoking the shesha??

Danny having a break through day two… constantly smiling days two to seven 😉

James M proved he could kite upwind even if there wasn’t a sand bar to aim for!

Matt cruising along; on the last day Matt was getting up and riding on every attempt, loving it and happy to take the return transfer in his wet boardies!

Rosa and James B out at dark and both hammering around upwind without a rescue boat… but a full safety team looking out for one another.

James B with his best friend, the 14m Switchblade.

Danny focused on the task at hand.

John carving around, heal to toe, heal to toe.

Whenever we could fly kites we did, even a couple of evenings when we shouldn’t have we did! The light wind came just at the right time as enforced a rest day that ended up being used for kite theory, pack downs, pool polo, SUP wars and fitness training before going into the local town for a great evening that included a traditional meal, freshly pressed sugar cane drink, sheshas and Turkish coffee.

 Pool polo.

Training with instructor John!

Into town for freshly pressed sugar cane.

Into town for traditional Egyptian meal.

Shesha after dinner, nice.

I really have to thank everyone for making the trip such a special one; the enthusiasm, laughs, team spirit and willingness to learn were in abundance. We really were the life and soul of the place and it’s credit to each of the guys out here for their desire to make the most of their holidays and embrace all that we threw at them.

On the final night we had a bit of a party down on the beach with a BBQ and drinks until quite late… well, as long as it took to drink every bottle of duty free and every bottle of dodgy Egyptian booze we could find. Full commitment to the cause was shown next morning when the alcohol poisoning was hardly mentioned and the students were back on the water by 08.30, which is where they stayed until 11.45… the airport transfer was at 12.00 and hey just about left on time, fulfilled, happy but exhausted kitesurfers.

Where’s Mijk (Mike)?

There he is… couldn’t miss you out mate.

Kitesurfkings blogs are sporadic at best but we hope there’s always stuff of interest to those who read them and that the infrequency doesn’t faze anyone. The last blog entry was all about the Kitesurfkings Cabrinha Demo down on Shoreham Beach and the plan was to write a separate blog just about the Cabrinha boards once we’d had another play and got our hands on the Cabrinha Drifter kitesurf wave kite… this hasn’t happened yet people but we’ll share when we can.

What’s New @ Kitesurfkings? Kitesurfing & cable sessions, down winders, trips, Kirsty Jones & Lewis Crathern

Dude!

Don’t like getting the ‘Dude’? Just double Dude then Dude… it’s the way forwards! Personally I love the ‘Dude’, Dude…

Been ages since the last Kitesurfkings blog entry, won’t apologize as I’m sure no one’s that bothered but going to make an effort to catch up today and share the love, and more importantly the news. There’s a free kite clinic with spaces left up for grabs, Kirsty Jones has invited 6 kiters to join her over in Lanzarote, Lewis Crathern has the launch of his documentary next week, Paddle Around the Pier is just around the corner, the cable’s provided fun times and more sessions are booked (I’ll post some fun pics from Tuesday’s Kitesurfkings private session :)), kitesurfing lessons have been a blast, we’ve discounted the pants off the last 2010 kit, there have been some epic kitesurfing sessions had locally and we’ve epic international sessions coming up. I’ll post in sections in case you wanna cut straight to the chase…

Firstly, if you can get away from the 25th June for a week then don’t miss this opportunity…

Kirsty Jones

Kirsty Jones, 3x World Champion and more importantly super lovely kite and yoga coach:

Named as The Kirsty Jones Experience, this one week kitesurf, yoga, surf and SUP trip is being run by Kirsty Jones herself from her second home of Lanzarote. Kirsty will be looking after a group of no more than 6 people for 7 days of kitesurfing lessons, yoga and surfing fun. The beach house that has been booked for the week is awesome, right next to Famara beach where you’d be kitesurfing and where you’ll be finishing some of your down winders, the beach house has it’s own pool, terrace, BBQ area ect ect… I’ve seen it, it’s seriously smart. As well as 5 days of kitesurfing coaching there’s loads more, including a boat trip to near by Graciosa Island, best plan is to have a read yourself and get yourself out there. The trip has been put together by African Space Kite Surfing, so go to the African Space website if this LINK TO THE TRIP is not working.  

Another big name in the kitesurfing world is Lewis Crathern, and hasn’t he been busy…

Lewis Crathern

Lewis Crathern, The Man That Touched The Sky:

What a dude! An inspiration to all kitesurfers, Lewis’ story of how he came to jump Brighton Pier is now part of a documentary about Lewis that will be released eminently. You can watch a trailer for Lewis’ documentary ‘The Man That Touched The Sky’ by following this link: Lewis Crathern, The Man That Touched The Sky or going to the Kitesurfkings Facebook page. We’re invited to the premier of Lewis’ documentary next Tuesday and so will be able to fill you in then.

Lewis was seen this week on BBC One’s Blue Peter, a link’s up on the Kitesurfkings Facebook page and we recommend checking it out, regardless of your age, for some top tips that’ll help with your wakeboarding. The BBC guys all met up with Lewis at the wakeboarding cable at Hove Lagoon and he put them through their paces.

Lewis runs his own UK clinics and you can get info on those directly through his own windmachine website, there’s also loads of interesting info and Lewis’ own take on wind, kitesurfing and wakeboarding. If you want to get away on one of Lewis Crathern’s International Kite Clinics then you need to get in touch with African Space Kitesurfing, CHECK OUT THE INFO HERE, or get in touch with us a line at Kitesurfkings (WWW.KITESURFKINGS.COM) as I, Luke,  will also be joining Lewis on his next international kite clinic which is happening on the 13th October in Egypt… can’t wait!

There have been some epic sessions of late and I’ve enjoyed hearing about other people’s so thought I’d share a couple of my own from the last few weeks as they seemed to get a laugh out of the guys in Shoreham and might encourage you lovely readers to tell us what you’ve been up to…

UK Kitesurf Sessions

Late for an appointment:

Thursday the 1st June 2011 was an epic day by all accounts; the sun was thinking about showing it’s face, the wind was up, waves were in and lessons were cancelled due to the serious, window rattling, conditions that we were greeted with early doors. seldom do kitesurf instructors get to kite the really sweet days as lessons need to run lessons around low tide, when the wind is really pumping lessons can’t run and by 11am on the 1st the wind was already solidly over 40 mph. I made every effort to complete some of the back log of admin (yawn) so I could get out for a cheeky kite session before a doctors appointment at 14.00 in Kemp Town. At 12.00 I phoned John E B in Shoreham to see if he’d be up for a kite, he’d been itching to get out too and so there wasn’t much convincing needed; we agreed to meet up by the beach huts in Shoreham at 12.30. I arrived late and so John was already on the water, powered on his 6m and riding a surfboard. There was no one else around so I quickly pumped up my 7m (should have gone 5 but you know how it is) and self launched, thank you Cabrinha for making such a long centre line!!

We were having an awesome session, the wind was solid and the waves were some of the best I’d enjoyed in Shoreham this year, as you’d imagen there wasn’t much skill needed to do massive boosts so spent half the time in the air and the rest lost in the waves. At the back of my mind I knew I could only stay out for a short time if I were to be back in Kemp Town before 14.00. Before long it was time to come off the water but we’d travelled half way down Shoreham Beach and edging upwind on the 7m was seriously tiring. I started to battle myself about what to do, scrap the appointment, self land and run to the van, keep edging upwind or go for gold and just kite there? John knew I had the appointment and so I gave him a wave and off I went with my kite.

In total it took about 35mins to get from Shoreham to Kemp Town; when you’re driving the route it feels slow when you do it in 25, try it on a kite when it’s 45 mph and you’re heading straight down wind! I went past a couple of groups on the way but didn’t have time to be sociable. There were a couple of people kitesurfing Hot Pipes and just up from King Alfred but there weren’t many kiters out. Gotta say that if you weren’t out that day you really missed out, the waves were sweet all the way along and seemed to get much larger the further out the back of Brighton and Hove I went.

As I came in I was greeted by one of the Brighton Sea Front guys on his quad, he’d been watching me kite as I came in and I recognized the dude. He didn’t have any beef at all but said that there’d been a report of someone hammering down the coast on a kite so he had to come and check it out. Wearing a wet wetsuit and having bare feet in the appointment I obviously felt like a plum and my mrs wasn’t best but I did clear up the puddle before I left, anything goes in Brighton and if I’d have missed the kite session I’d have been kicking myself. 

I’m planning the same route with some mates and we’ll take our time and enjoy it all this time! Kiting alone is never a good move but in my defence I did have an impact vest on for buoyancy, the Cabrinha kites relaunch effortlessly, I only ride new kit so it’s in optimum condition, the safety system always works, I didn’t kite much further than I could swim or go too close to the piers, John knew where I was going and a 35min down winder doesn’t seem like a long trip after having done down winders in South Africa and Zanzibar… safety hat on, box ticked.  

Night kite:

On Wednesday the 8th June 2011 I met up with a best friend, Chris (aka Simo) with the view to having a kite, it was already 20.30 and we knew we had to get on it if we were to get a kitesurf session in before it got dark. We didn’t get on it and it started to get late, we roped in the assistance of a helpful kite bitch (none derogatory name for kite helper) and got a lift to Hot Pipes, set up and got out for 21.40. The light was amazing, yes there was still light, the wind just enough for a sweet 7m session and the waves had way more volume than we usually get in Brighton. I have to say the start of the session was the best I have had this year.

We didn’t get too close to the groynes or various bits of metal work that protrude from the sea behind the industrial estate but did go Mc Donalds stylie LARGE! Simo smashed up the waves, clearing each groyne space with a single wave and I tried doing the same airborne, until it got darker when we both just enjoyed the power of the waves and being perfectly lit on our 7m Switchblaes and ‘at one’ (yo) with the elements as we tuned in to the light from the half moon and white of the waves.

It really was a dream session until we got to about Moroccos where I came unhooked on accident, easily fixed as not over powered. After getting hooked back in and back into the session my foot strap came out, doh! Not ideal but just ment riding down wind like a man with one leg until that got boring and flipped to using the board to body drag. We came in just before Regency Square and the old West Pier at 22.25 where our favourite kite bitch waited with a flash light to greet us.

Generally night sessions are massive no go for kitesurfing but like base jumping and the likes there are things one can do to make such sessions as risk free as possible. We do not recommend kiting at night, who knows what’s in the sea and how would anyone find you if you had a problem? We kite together all the time, didn’t get any further than 200m from one another, didn’t go out further than we could swim, still had enough light to see the important stuff and had beach support following us along the road and waiting on the beach for our return. Tick.

Beer tastes so much better when you’ve really earnt it.

if you’ve any epic sessions or just one that’ll get a laugh or teach a lesson, then ping it over to us here to the Kitesurfkings blog, post it on the Kitesurfkings Facebook page or email it over to info@kitesurfkings.com and we’ll pop it up for you.

Cable Sessions at Hove Lagoon

Our Kitesurfkings private cable sessions are always fun… unable to upload the quality pics but will try and get a couple from Tuesday’s cable session online later as they’re well worth a look. Next session is next Thursday; we don’t run them to make money, there is no financial gain to us just a saving to you and guaranteed laughs. Find us on Facebook if you want to get involved.

Free Stuff

KB4 Girls next event is happening in Lancing next weekend but sadly blokes don’t qualify just by wearing a skirt, I have checked. I’m not sure what the ruling is on ladyboys… I encourage any of you kitesurfing ladyboys out there to test the water. There are still places up for grabs and if you’re keen then give us a shout at Kitesurfkings and chat to Andrina as she’s organising the event. Did I mention it’s free?

Paddle Around the Pier is just around the corner and although there might not have been the usual amount of advertising for the event this year it’s set to be bigger and better than ever. Kitesurfkings will be down there with a stand and hanging out with our friends at Orb360, Hove Lagoon and the likes. Do come and say hi, there’ll be prizes and offers exclusively for the event and it’ll generally be a fun weekend with stuff to do, to watch and to try. So, that’s Paddle Around the Pier on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July.

Gotta finish this blog! Kitesurfkings have some new and still boxed Cabrinha 2010 IDS kites that we can practically give away… well, not quite but almost! There’s a good chance it’s been too windy recently for your current kit or you’re lacking in confidence because you don’t have the latest, safest safety system?? Well, here’s your chance to put that right and grab a 7 or 9m Cabrinha IDS kite for a song! Well, about 600 quid including the bar, lines, leash, pump ect (which cost £360 on their own!). If you want one then gimmie a call on 07878 399 419 (Luke).

Multi Spot Kitesurfing on the 9th May?

Just putting this out there in case any of you lucky people are able to jump on a last-minute kitesurfing holiday… now, this is another one of those trips that really is aimed solely at kitesurfers and everyone needs to be riding up wind…

So, manage to tick some of the boxes??? If not but you like the sound of the session the get some mates together and it can be arranged for groups of 6 to 10, if you’ve got three then check us out coz there might be another 3 after the same trip.

What is it then? Well, as you’d guess from the title you’ll be kiting lots of different spots. Based in the south of Egypt at a newly built ‘surf’ style guest house you’ll have your own apartment in a small kitesurfer owned block of 9 newly finished apartments. You’ll stay on half board bases with a lunch time snack included, you’ll have a guide to take you kiting each day and will be kiting the spots based on the conditions and the amount of people at each spot on the day. Boat assisted down winders are also planned and your guide speaks the lingo, lives the dream and loves to kite… join him and a nice small group of like-minded kiters on the 9th May for a week of south Egypt’s best kiting for £595pp + flight. If you want to book this then contact African Space directly at kitesurfing@africanspace.co.uk or 0121 382 9000. This is not a Kitesurfkings trip but we do know the guys in resort really well and can totally recommend it… the guys that have their names down already ready are super sound too so that’s why it get’s the Kitesurfkings seal of approval and a big up on this blog.

Now, a quick hats off to Kitesurfkings kitesurf students that learnt over the bank holiday as everyone really did do well; even when wind’s picked up yesterday and we were already using a 5m our students were calm, controlled and loving it. If you were kiting over the weekend but had a bit of a battle or were bricking it somewhat then why not get in contact and book a refresher lesson? Booking line for lessons is 07878 399 419; kitesurfing does not need to be difficult or dangerous but it does have to be taught correctly and for students/kiters to feel completely confident, in control and independent… mummy can’t always be there to hold your hand but we could put a dress on.