Fixing a kite with Tuck Tape…

This poor kite got shredded…

So we pulled out the Tuck Tape…

Throw a roll in with your kite gear…

All this tape got the kite flying again the next day…

Time to ride…

North WAM 5’10” Surfboard Demo…

North Wam surfboard…

I got to demo a North Kites WAM 5’10” surfboard setup strapless with thruster fins. It was a ton of fun! Rode great strapless. Turned nicely and handled the chop with aplomb. Seemed like a great board to shred wind swell and then tackle some real waves. The 5 fin box design lets you tweak the ride between thruster and quad fin options.

If I had one criticism it would be that I’d like a concave deck for better control riding strapless.

I can say without hesitation I this is a board I may well buy when I have some spare gear $$$.

Here is what North says about the WAM:

• ALL ROUNDER
• PERFECT TRAVEL BOARD FOR ALL CONDITIONS
• TRI / QUAD FIN CONVERTIBLE

• BALANCED FEEL
• ROUNDED-SQUARE TAIL

A subtle blend of medium rails, fast rocker and well-balanced outline make the Wam the all-round workhorse of the NKB surf range. The Wam delivers dependable performance in the widest range of conditions, strapped or strapless, from small to well overhead surf. Building on previous year’s models, the 2013 Wam now features thinner, refined rails, a rounded-square tail and a slight reduction in nose width to pull through those critical turns. The tri/quad fin configuration allows the Wam to be customized to your desired feel; Tri-fin mode offers more hold and drive, while quad-fin mode offers a more skatey and loose feel ideal for smaller surf.

Thanks to North Kites and Mark Bavis at Elevation Kiteboarding for organizing the demo down here in La Ventana, Baja – not to mention the delicious free micro brew beer! :)

Kite Bike…

Not sure who this photo belongs to???

Someone sent this to me. I don’t know how practical it is to power your touring rig with a kite, but it makes for a great photo! ;)

Update – Gerco sent me this video link which explains what’s going on a bit – starting at 5:44. ;) Thanks!

Naish Surf…

Inov-8 Evoskin…

Silicone rubber footwear…

My friend Scott turned me onto these silicone rubber slippers from Inov-8 Footwear called Evoskin. They seem like a promising option for watersports that need a bit of protection, but also value excellent board feel through the slipper. The open top wouldn’t work for sandy beaches or beaches with small rocks since the slippers would fill up, but I’m hoping we’ll see other silicone footwear options that are sealed up a bit on top in the future.

You can read a review here.

Mark Bavis from Elevation Kiteboarding…

Baja skim action from KSurf Magazine – click to jump to e-mag…

Merry Christmas!

Santa waiting for Mrs. Claus to go tandem riding… ;)