Baja Fresh!

Finally - I made it!

Well a new transmission, a new clutch, a new set of tires and 10 days on the road I finally pulled off the main highway and drove the last few kms to La Ventana.  I stopped in at Baja Joes to chat with the Elevation Kiteboarding School Gang from Lake Nihnat in BC and see if the free camping in the arroyo I had heard about was a good idea. They said it was fine and I rolled a bit further North and found a great spot in the second arroyo.  It was nice to see some familiar faces from Squamish at the arroyo as well as lots of other friendly folks.

My camp in the arroyo is pretty and has some bushes/trees for privacy, but it’s close to the main road, which is a bit noisy.  Happily the town goes to bed early so I haven’t had any issues sleeping.  Unlike my typical Baja trips that featured solitude and remoteness this one seems to be quite the opposite.  I can walk to some free showers, clean porcelain sit down toilets, wireless internet, multiple restaurants and bars as well as grocery stores.

On one hand It’s great to have so many services so close.  On the other it’s not a very quiet reflective sort of experience.  Given that I need to work on this trip having easy internet access is a good thing and if I wanted I could still stop at some of my more remote camp spots on the way back home.

Sun rise at La Ventana

I can see the Sea of Cortez from my camp and it’s a 60 second walk to the beach with my SUP or kiteboarding gear.  Some professional windsurfers from the US have setup a sun shelter right on the beach complete with a sectional sofa!  My first day here I sat down on the sofa, put my legs up on a stool and enjoyed several very cold beers.  Although kiteboarding isn’t as hardcore as bike touring the GDR it does come with several benefits like a beach front sofa and the tendency for bikinis to be present….=-)

Since I will be online daily Monday to Friday I guess I’ll be updating this blog a lot more than I had expected….

 

The fleet stashed out of the sun...

 

 

SPT Lockable Tie Downs

SPT Tour 13' Lockable Tie Downs

If you need to leave big items on your truck at stops or overnight it’s nice to be able to lock them.  These SPT Pro Tour tie downs do just that.  They have two steel wire aircraft cables inside to prevent cutting and the lock also means once tightened they don’t slack off.  I’m using two sets of these at the moment and they work great.  Ideal for SUP boards and/or kayaks.

As with all locks a thief can and will get through them with time and the right tools.  This at least gives you protection from snatch and grab thieves.  I’ll be interested to see how the locking mechanism deals with saltwater in the air, dust, sand and gritty rain water on the highway.

Just a note that the manufacturer’s website lists a $90USD MSRP.  I got them for $60CDN so they are available for less if you shop around.

Features:

• 33mm U.V stabilized webbing
• 2 x hardened stainless steel cables
• Soft Santoprene protective casing
• Polished die cast buckle
• Weather resistant lock with dust shutter
• 4.0m strap

Adios Amigos – Surf’s Up!

Well everything for Baja is packed.  All my critical work is done and I’m heading south of the border Monday AM.  I hope everyone has a great winter, stays safe and enjoys the holidays.  I am not sure if I’ll be posting from Baja or not.  I may, but I don’t want to make any plans until I see how things work out at La Ventana.  I’ll be working on my laptop as it is for my “real job” so it’s hard to say whether I’ll be motivated to spend more time on a computer.

I’m really stoked to get a ton of hours on my kiteboard gear and learn to surf…not to mention rolling my Pugsley across miles of beach sand in search of cold beers n’ tacos!

Surfboards for Kiting

Kiteboarding the surf....

If you are looking for a surfboard to use with your kites you’ll find this article handy.  With the speed and power kites can generate you’ll want something built to take a lot of abuse.  With strap inserts and sized for your weight.  If you are going to ride powered up all the time you can go for a shorter board, but if you want to ride unpowered you’ll need something bigger.

Naish has some great options for kite specific surfboards.

A shortboard with straps designed for kiting....

Olympus Stylus 850SW Update

Olympus Stylus 850SW Waterproof Camera

I just received my Stylus 850SW back from Olympus Canada. The LCD screen has been replaced for sure.  I’m not sure what other work may have been done as there was no paperwork sent back with the camera explaining what action was taken.  I have to give them credit.  They did the repair and had the camera back in the mail to me 3 days after receiving it.  That’s darn fast.  I’m glad to have this camera back and to be headed to Baja with two waterproof digital cameras.  I’m all about redundancy and back ups.

Thanks for the fast warranty service Olympus!

 

La Ventana – Baja

La Ventana Baja Mexico

This will be my home for two months this winter.  With the advent of broadband internet you can work from just about anywhere in the world if your job doesn’t require a lot of face to face contact.  Cleverly I’ve invited my boss down for a few weeks of beach action over the holidays.  I’ll provide a fully guided beach experience with all the sports gear she could want to use at her disposal.  Hopefully she gets hooked and wants me to go to Baja every year…=-)~

Waterproof Camera Review

Canon D10

Damian was kind enough to post a link to a test of the current generation of waterproof point and shoot digital cameras – thanks!.  Check it out here.

Canon D10

Canon D10 Waterproof Camera

I am super excited that Canon has stepped into the waterproof point and shoot digital camera ring with their new D10.  I have been very pleased with all my previous Canon products and their customer service has been outstanding.  I bought one of their waterproof housings for an older Canon digital camera and it was very rugged and absolutely waterproof, but it was also really bulky and awkward to use.  As a result I ended up with the waterproof cameras from Olympus and Pentax that I’ve posted about recently.

I haven’t read much about the D10 yet so I don’t know what to expect.  Given the performance of the other waterproof cameras I’ve been using the bar has been set pretty low so far.  Hopefully this Canon will impress me.  I’m going to hold off buying a new waterproof camera until either my Olympus Stylus 850SW or my Pentax Optio W20 give up the ghost completely.  That may give Canon enough time to develop a 2nd generation waterproof camera and fix any bugs that inevitably turn up in a 1st generation product.

Pentax Optio W20

Pentaz Optio W20

I posted yesterday about my Olympus Stylus 850SW that wasn’t waterproof.  I thought I’d post briefly about my other waterproof point and shoot – my Pentax Optio W20.  You can read this detailed review to learn about its specs and features.  I’ve owned this camera for a number of years based on the recommendation of a kayak guide I met in Baja.  As you would expect the camera a water-sports professional likes was and is actually waterproof!  I have abused this camera far more than it deserves and it continues to work for me without complaint.  On the plus side the construction seems pretty bombproof and the camera is dead easy to use.  Ever since I got my Olypmus Stylus last Dec I’ve been loaning this camera to all my friends.  They haven’t been gentle with it and they haven’t had any issues with it – except one I’ll mention below.  Picture quality is not bad, but not great.  It’s worse than my Stylus 850SW, but not by a lot.  Where it does suffer is in comparison to my Canon S870IS.  Again as with my Stlus as long as it provides worry free waterproof performance and remains robust I can live with average picture quality.  After all I wouldn’t dare pull out my Canon point and shoot on a surfboard or in the pouring rain.

This camera has some issues though:

• Since there is no lens cover water drops or dirt can get onto the lens and unless you pay attention you can take a whole bunch of ruined photos without noticing the problem on the LCD screen.  This happened on a kayak trip in Baja where dried salt on the lens made 20-30 photos my friend took pretty much useless – she was seriously bummed.  Since I’m aware of the problem I regularly clean the lens and I haven’t had a problem myself.
• The camera body is very rounded which makes holding it one handed tough – especially when wet.  I like to grab my camera from my bike’s bar bag and shoot one handed while riding – this is virtually impossible with this camera.  I bought a silicone sleeve for it [$25cdn] that made it much easier to hold, but the sleeve made using the controls tough and eventually it ripped apart.
• The camera uses a non-standard USB cable so you have to bring a special cable with you when traveling which is a pain.  Canon uses a standard mini-USB which I can share amongst several USB devices on a trip – thanks Canon!
• The battery charger is much bulkier than my Canon chargers which is a pain when traveling. I can’t see any reason for this than poor design.

Pentax Optio W80

As a note the W20 is out of production, but Pentax has a new waterproof model the Optio W80, which appears to be a direct response to Olympus’ Stylus line of cameras.  The W80 looks to be more squared at the corners so I’m hoping it will be easier to hold.

Olympus Stylus 850SW

Olympus Stylus 850SW

I’ve been using an Olympus Stylus 850SW for much of my sports photography since I got it last Dec for my Baja trip.  For the most part it’s been a good camera for me.  It doesn’t take the best photos, but the fact it’s waterproof and shockproof make that a fair trade for not having worry about it when I’m out and about.

I took it to the SUP demo this weekend and had it in my pocket while in the water.  It took a dozen photos for me and then the LCD stopped working.  The camera still powered on, but there was no life on the screen.  I put the camera away and when I opened it the next day there was water in the battery/memory card compartment.  I took out both items and left the camera sit open on my desk.  I eventually got around to trying it again and the LCD was working again.

Doing some research it seems that I’m not the first person to have issues with the camera’s waterproofing.  I checked the seals and they were clean and secure so I think I’ve got a leak somewhere else.  Since the camera is still under warranty I’m going to send it off and hope I get service from Olympus that is as good as the service I’ve received from Canon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

It would also be nice to get the camera back before I leave for Baja in November, but that seems unlikely.  I’ll settle for having a waterproof camera when I get back in Jan 2010.

As a note Olympus has replaced this model with a newer version that may perform better underwater.

Airtime Boardsports

Kite Porn

This past spring when I decided to jump into the sport of kiteboarding I didn’t know a whole lot about it other than it looked like a ton of fun.  I called up Philippe @ Airtime Boardsports in Vancouver and asked him what gear I should get.  He spent a lot of time with me working out a package that meet all my needs. Since I didn’t have the experience to second guess him I just ordered everything on faith.

After ordering the gear I spoke with some other folks who were suggesting different gear choices and I had a crisis of faith.  I was worried I’d just blown a bunch of money on the wrong stuff.  So I called Philippe up again [actually several times] to discuss what the other folks had told me.  He very patiently went over each issue explaining why the gear I had bought was the right choice to start with and why it would see me through my first couple years in the sport.

Looking back on things now that I have spent a good chunk of my free time in 2009 learning to kiteboard he was 100% right.  Everything he told me was bang on and the gear he sold me was well matched to my needs.

Sharon is keen on learning how to kiteboard this winter in Baja so I called Philippe up to order her a harness.  He recommended a different one than I was initially going to buy.  Naturally I went with what he suggested…=-)

Girls ‘n Kites

Susi Mai

Tandem Kiteboarding

Airline Luggage Maddness

Naish Golf Bag

I recently had a funny airline luggage experience that reminded me how crazy the whole airline luggage business is. I flew to Vancouver with my kiteboarding gear packed in the bag shown above.  This bag is labeled “golf” and weighs 45lbs fully loaded.  Because the airlines think it’s full of golf clubs they let me fly for free with it.  If I rolled up with the same bag and it was labeled “Kiteboarding” I would be charged $75 because it’s over sized.  Ironically on my flight back from Vancouver I also had with me a used 5′10″ surfboard I bought from a fellow kiteboarder. This board weighs about 12lbs in its bag.  Because it’s a surfboard they charged $75 for it.

Another time with the same airline I flew to LA with my touring bike in a box.  They charged me $75 for the bike even though I had called ahead and was told that as long as it was one of my two allowed bags it would fly for free. On the return flight I couldn’t find a large bike box and  had to pack my bike into two smaller boxes.  I was expecting to get charged $75 for the first box for being over sized and then $75 + $50 for the second box since it was over sized and I now had 3 bags.  When I checked in they didn’t charge me a penny for my luggage.

What did I learn from all this:

1. Lie about the contents of your luggage.  If 45lbs of golf clubs fly for free and the exact same bag with kiteboarding stuff costs $75 I feel no shame or remorse for not telling the truth.
2. Be early for your flight and be super friendly to the check in staff.  The folks at the check in counter can pretty much do whatever they like when it comes to over sized luggage.  If you are there early the plane will be empty and all they need is a reason to waive the fees so smile and chat them up.
3. Be ready for anything to happen.  If the airline has an official policy that works in your favour print the details off their website or get the name and tel# of someone you spoke with as proof.
4. If it all goes pear shaped and you are getting charged a bunch of $$$ accept it with grace.  Freaking out will likely not do anything to change the situation and you are just starting off your trip on a sour note.

Naish Porn PT2

Naish Secrets

Naish Cult

I’m starting to plan my winter trip to Baja.  I came across this video and it got me super stoked to get out on the water with my kiteboard.  I want to get more skilled with my kiteboarding and learn how to ride a surfboard with my kite.  I’m not sure why, but surfing holds an almost mythological significance in our culture.  I’m keen to find out why.

A new project…

Photo: Tristan Savatier - Flickr

I’m going to start looking for free windsurfing gear that I can use to build one of these.

Photo: Drew Noakes

Without the long kite control lines I could use this all over Black Rock City at Burning Man.

Photo: Tristan Savatier - Flickr

I have a couple mountain boards so all I need is an old windsurf boom, mast and sail.

2010 The Plan…

Castle Mtn here I come...

Here is my plan for 2010:

• as soon as I’m back from Baja I’ll be hitting up Castle Mountain Resort for some powder surfing.  That will continue until they close in April with a keen eye on the snow reports we’ll focus on the steep and deep days.  I was interested in some heli/cat boarding, but with a new truck that’s not financially practical.
• urban assault Pugsley action will also continue through the winter from downtown rambles to trips to Canmore the mountain bike is no longer idle in winter!
• I’d like to do another 3-4 week work-cation in Feb/March like I did in 2009.  I’m thinking splitting the time 1/3 Moab mtn biking and 2/3 South Padre Island Texas kiteboarding.  We’ll work in the AM, ride and then work in the PM….work, play, work…=-)
• I’d like to get in a short bike tour in May as well as start road riding early when the snow is gone.
• June will see a trip to the Mojave for the 17 year moontribe anniversary gathering and some trips to Keho Lake for kiteboarding.
• In July I’d like to take a good chunk of my summer holidays to kiteboard at Lake Nitinat BC.
• sometime in June/July/Aug I want to take a 4 day weekend and do an uber light assault on the GDR.  I’d ditch the panniers and carry a lot less gear riding much farther every day.
• In September I’d like to head back to Nitinat for a last gasp of Canadian kiteboarding.
• September/October I’ll be poaching as much mountain biking as the weather allows.
• an early November trip to Moab seems like a good idea.
• finally I’ll close the year out with another kiteboarding and Pugsley trip to Baja.

Gosh…I’m tired just writing that all down!  Should be a blast…=-)

What’s left for 2009?

Kurt gets another drop in the bucket...Moab UT

I’m happy to report that 2009 has been a great year for bikes, boards and travel.  Although snowboarding and kiteboarding do cut into some potential bike time it’s really nice to be able to switch things up and use my body in different ways.  Now that we are about to hit September I can already see 2010 creeping up on me so what’s left to do for the rest of 2009?

• I’m off to Burning Man this weekend and will be gone for a little over a week.  Besides music, dancing, art and other forms of mayhem on the playa I’ll be riding my Surly Pugsley as well as flying kites and riding my landboard under kite power.
• the rest of September and October I’ll be trying to fit in some fall mountain biking while the weather is cool and dry.
• at the start of November I’m hoping to get away for a week of riding in Moab Utah.  I’m really keen on riding the whole of Porcupine Rim.  The upper section of this trail was snowed in when we were there in Feb ‘09.
• in a perfect world I’d also like to get away to South Padre Island Texas for a week of kiteboarding in late November.  However, things at work would have to line up with the stars to make Moab and this trip both happen.  At the moment if I can only do one I’d rather get my Santa Cruz Nomad dusty in Moab.  Tough choices!
• at some point when the snow starts flying the Pugsley will get the call to tackle some urban assault winter biking action.
• starting around the middle of Dec I should be headed to Baja for 3-4 weeks of kiteboarding and Pugsley beach/mtn bike action.  I’m really excited for a chance to explore a whole new side of Baja.

And that’s it!  Wow the year sure went by fast…2010 here I come…=-)

Top 3 Reasons to Kiteboard

Reason #1

Reason #2

Reason #3

Squamish Spit – Aug ‘09

Riding away from the Squamish spit....

I’ve had a great time here in Squamish BC.  The kiteboarding launch on the spit is very challenging for a newbie as it’s crowded and has loads of obstacles immediately downwind like the shipping terminal and ship you see in the photo above.  I had my butt handed to me a couple times which was a bummer, but at the same time I’ve learned a lot from those moments.  On the plus side I’ve learned how to do a slide transition which is awesome!…=-)  That opens the door to a bunch of cool moves like carving turns.

A quiet day on the Spit...

Off the water I’ve met a great bunch of kiters – many of whom will be down in Baja this winter when I head south at Christmas.  It will be cool to show up in Baja and be able to camp with a bunch of friendly faces!…=-)  I have to say the social aspect of this sport is a real plus.  It’s not that bikers are less friendly, but kiteboarding from a single launch means everyone is hanging out in one place all day which naturally makes for way more social interactions.

The scenery here is amazing...

Well I’m off for a last session before I catch a plane home to Calgary….

Learning to Kiteboard

Flying as low as you can go....

I’m headed out to Squamish BC for 5 days of kiteboarding starting tomorrow.  This is a work-cation where I work on my laptop in the AM, kiteboard in the afternoon and work again in the PM.  A reasonable compromise between all work or all play!  I thought I would just jot down some of my thoughts about learning to kiteboard so anyone interested in starting from scratch had the benefit of my experience.

• get a trainer kite and fly it as often as you can this will pay off for you when you get your first real lesson
• get a instructional DVD and watch it a few times.  There is a lot to learn and by watching the video you’ll save time during your lessons by already understanding the basics.
• get some lessons from a certified instructor.  Kiteboarding is a challenging sport that can be very dangerous if you don’t do it properly.
• set aside as much time as you can to learn.  A week or two of dedicated time learning is much more effective than 20 weekends spread over 2 years.
• pick a good spot to learn.  I tried 3 spots and they were very different from each other.  If I had to rank them in order of ease of learning they would be:  Lake Nitinat BC, Squamish BC and Hood River OR.
• use the kite school kites during your lessons.  Even if you have a kite use the school’s gear.  The first 6hrs of kiteboarding you’ll crash the kite a lot and since lessons are expensive you might as well take advantage of their beat up kites rather than trashing your own.  To be clear I’m not suggesting you don’t treat their gear respectfully.  It’s just that as a newbie you’ll be out of control the first couple days no matter how gently you want to treat the kite it will get pummeled.
• schedule lessons around your fitness level.  If you are tired stop the lesson and pick it up the next day.  Learning to kiteboard is physically demanding and as a newbie you’ll do everything the hard way so you’ll get pooped fast.  When you are tired you won’t learn effectively, you’ll erode your confidence by flailing at the end of your lesson and you increase your risk of an injury.  Don’t hesitate to take a rest day off while you are learning.  You can always hang out and just watch other folks kite.
• watch the good guys.  When you aren’t getting lessons just sit and watch the good kiteboarders.  You’ll learn a lot from them just through observation.  As you learn more you can also identify the folks that are doing things unsafely or using poor technique.  You’ll learn from both ends of the spectrum.
• try and learn with a friend.  You can help each other during the lesson and give each other feedback from a beginner’s perspective at the end of each lesson.  You’ll also be able to work as a team and take turns practicing when you’ve progressed enough to be independent from the instructor.
• stick with it!  There is a lot to learn and it can seem overwhelming.  Frankly there were a few times I thought I just wasn’t cut out for the sport, but I kept taking lessons and then one day – *whoa! I’m up and riding*…=-)  You might get it in two days, but I’d give yourself a week of lessons in a row until you are competent to kiteboard without supervision.
• kiteboarding is an individual sport, but it only works if everyone in the windsports community works together.  It only takes a few irresponsible individuals to get a kiteboarding spot closed.  It takes a lot of effort to keep kiteboarding spots healthy so every time you go out for a lesson or to ride make sure you do something positive to support your community.  Help someone launch or land [when you know how], pick up litter, behave respectfully when around non-kiters/non-windsurfers, etc…
• windsurfers are not part of some different group from kiteboarders.  They just use different gear to harness the power of the wind.  Treat them like the comrades they are.  We are all in this together and division hurts everyone’s interests.
• Have fun!  Playing with a kite and a board out on the water is a blast.  Be safe and pay attention to what’s around you, but don’t get so wrapped up “how to” aspect of the sport that you don’t feel like a 10 year old on summer vacation…=-)

Completely Board!

Launching at Lake Nitinat BC

I made it back from an awesome road trip to Squamish British Columbia and to Lake Nitinat on Vancouver Island. First I spent 4 days taking lessons at the Squamish Spit from Tom at the Vancouver Kiteboarding School.  I have to admit I was getting a bit frustrated with how long it was taking me to nail my water starts and get up riding.  This is definitely one of the harder sports I’ve learned.  Eventually all that time in the water paid off and I could actually get on with learning how to ride the board and fly the kite as I moved around.

Kurt up and riding at Lake Nitinat

Since Kurt’s brother Sean was at Lake Nitinat and we had heard good things about the kiteboarding there we made the trek into the depths Vancouver Island to see for ourselves.  Happily it was pretty much the kiteboarding paradise we’d expected.  A beautiful campground amongst some giant trees, friendly kiteboarders and windsurfers, consistent wind daily that wasn’t gusty and water that was on the warmer side of things.

Our first day at Nitinat we paid Elevation Kiteboarding to help us get started and follow us in the water using their jet boat.  We ended up at the bottom of the lake eventually at which point they gave us a lift back to the launch.  Although we didn’t stay upwind we were able to make some ground back up the lake.  The next day we scheduled the same downwind service with Elevation, but we were stoked to be able to ride back upwind ourselves so we didn’t need a pick up.

The rest of the week we spent riding on the water everyday working on our skills.  We are still total beginners, but at least we are now beginners riding our boards and getting better each day.

I had my Surly Pugsely with me on this trip, but unlike Hood River everyday we were in BC the wind was great and we were able to kiteboard.  We did get some bike riding in, but just cruising around visiting other camp sites, ferrying our gear up the beach or running to the store to get supplies.

Kiteboarding Photos

Kiteboarding Squamish BC

That's what I'm talk'n 'bout....=-)

Vancouver Kiteboarding School

Squamish Spit

So we’ve settled on heading to Squamish BC to take some more kiteboarding lessons with the Vancouver Kiteboarding School.  The lessons take place at the Squamish Spit.  They’ve got a super cool interactive photo of the spit here – worth a look!

Squamish BC won out because we were able to work out lessons and a campground in the area easily.  As well with Whistler close by we’ll get is some word class mountain biking on days that aren’t windy.

I’m still really interested in Lake Nitinat on Vancouver Island, but I think that will have to wait for next year…=-(  I can’t do everything!

Hood River OR – PT2

Kurt practices power strokes on the sand bar...

We are back from Hood River, OR. We learned a ton down there – thanks to Jim & TJ at New Wind Kiteboarding.  The sport as a whole is taking a lot longer to learn than we expected, but at the same time the fact it’s not something you can jump into overnight is attractive as well.  It has been nice to see a progression in our skills and how comfortable we are with our gear.  When we started the power of a 9m or 12m kite kind of freaked us out and now that we know how to safely handle them these kites are just tools of the trade.

No wind?...no problem!

One thing we learned about kiteboarding is that some days the wind just sucks so have a plan B.  We had longboards with us and used them a lot, but it would have been way better if we had bikes on the trip.  That way a bad kiting day could have been a great biking day.  Lesson learned!  We won’t go kiteboarding again without bikes in our quiver.

New Wind Kiteboarding our school in Hood River

We are back in Calgary at the moment regrouping, doing some mountain biking and figuring out our next move.  Most likely we’ll leave for a week of kiteboarding in British Columbia starting next Tuesday or Wednesday.  The two leading spots so far are Squamish, BC and Nitinat Lake on Vancouver Island.  Squamish has great mountaining biking [Whistler BC] for the bad wind days.  Nitinat Lake offers a more chilled out vibe with beach camping and zero driving required once there. We’d take Santa Cruz Nomads to Squamish for all mountain fun and our faithful Surly Pugsleys to Nitinat for crawling over rocky beaches.  Either options promises to be fun…=-)

Hood River OR

The sandbar at Hood River can get hectic!

Our Hood River photos are at the bottom of this Flickr set.

Kurt signing way his life.

Pumping it up.

Kurt surfs the parking lot.

Flying a 6m kite.

Body dragging - you gotta start somewhere!

Adios Amigos – PT2

Most likely not what I'll be doing....=-)

Kurt and I are off kiteboarding in Hood River, OR for a couple weeks.  I’ll have a laptop with me and continue to post trip reports from the GDR as well as some *gasp* kiteboarding content….=-)

More my style!

Learning to Kite Board DVD

An excellent instructional DVD from Fat Sand Productions.

Philippe at Airtime hooked us up with this instructional DVD from Fat Sand Productions.  I was quite impressed with how well it was made.  It covers all the basics without getting too advanced and there is enough repetition to be useful without being boring. Not only is this a great DVD to watch when starting out – it will also be a helpful refresher after taking some lessons.

When the time comes there are more advanced DVDs avilable.

Landboarding

Learning to carve the Flexfoil Flexdeck landboard.

We hauled a couple landboards a.k.a. mountain boards over to a nice grassy hill adjacent to the Foothills Hospital today to hone our landboarding skills.

It wasn't as hard as we thought it was going to be.

I wore all my MTB body armour, helmet & gloves just to be safe – not to mention there was a hospital emergency room only 5oo metres away…=-)

Kurt ready to rock!

As it turned out years of snow boarding and skate boarding prepared us well.  There were no horrible crashes and well had a blast.

Kurt's brother Sean was the most fearless rider - bombing the hill uber fast!

We picked a perfect hill to learn on..long gradual slope…wide enough to turn as big as needed and a large audience of hospital workers taking their lunch breaks to keep us honest.

The long walk back to the top of the hill.

The toughest part was waking back uphill with a 15lbs board over your shoulder!

Sean taking another run.

We spent about 3hrs riding in total by which time we were tired from all the hiking and getting hungry for some lunch.

Kurt really enjoyed carving on grass.

We’ll probably take another opportunity to practice with our kites and boards separately before trying them together.  It will be sweet – no hiking uphill!…=-)