Addicted!!

Where this actually came from? It was long time ago when we saw with my brother a guy, desperately swimming in the windy day in the middle of Lipno dam, playing with some kind of strange thing, which was supposed to be flying and not floating in the water. I didn’t pay much attention, but Jan did so I was hearing time to time after that about some cool sport where you are riding on the water and that flying thing is pulling you. That you can jump high, do crazy tricks in the air and that it is definitely a lot of fun. That thing is called kite, the sport kitesurfing and from many videos you can see that it is really COOL J

So when I came to Dubai, to the land of sea & sun, it was not very difficult to convince myself that this sport would be great and that I want to learn those tricks and fly high!!

Now it is a year and a half I’m riding. It’s a year and half I’m going to the beach to try if there is wind and if I would have a go. Sometimes I’m lucky sometimes not. But I still go. I try, I fail. Sometimes I manage to do a good jump, sometimes I don’t. But I still keep trying. I think, I analyze. Sometimes I figure out where was the problem, sometimes I don’t. But I’m still willing to improve. I watch, I observe. Whenever I see moving palm leaves, I start to think about going to the beach and I check wind forecast every hour. Crazy huh? J

When I was going to Qatar for the first month, I had three kites at that time 15m, 12m and 9m and of course I took one kite and board with me, the 15 RRD Obsession. I didn’t want to miss a single windy day. The wind was good for couple of days, but also too strong some days. So the next month I brought 12m RRD Hypertype II for windier days also. And my wish came true when the forecast showed one whole week of superior wind around 20 knots. Paradise!!

I disappeared from work half an hour earlier to maximize the riding time, pumped up the 12, which was a bit overpowered but nothing serious and launched in. One ride back and forth to check handling and if I can go upwind, followed by the first jump. I managed it nicely. It was probably the highest and longest jump I have ever done. I shouted with enjoyment while hanging in the air, landed smoothly but I forgot about the kite so in the strong wind it took a fast turn and smashed to the water. Not an especially hard crash I thought when re-launching, but…it didn’t want to fly again. After a quick look I found out why…there was a huge tear through the whole canopy L So after five minutes in the water I was already packing up and going home. But the worst thing was that I lost the kite for the rest of the week!!

The next day I skipped, but I really had to hold myself back and drown the urge in beer. But the day after I just couldn’t stay home, so I pumped and completely depowered my 15m Obsession and went in.

And the history continued. After 15 minutes of OK rough riding in meter high waves and 20 knots gusts I jumped. I jumped high and flew far, but unfortunately faster than the kite, so when I landed it stayed behind me, stalled and started falling straight to the ground. I saw it falling and thought “It will get hit by a gust just before the water and will yank me hard!!” And exactly that happened, with only difference that I stayed in place and it was the bar, that didn’t survive the impact and broke, which flew away!! Later I discovered that also one line snapped.

Nice performance again and I was for the second time in three days waking with kite and board on my back that 300 meters to the shore. That was my “Paradise” kite week!!

But I didn’t give up and as it was always I was thinking how recover and learn from it. I went to Dubai to get the 12 fixed and…by chance there was very good offer for a brand new 12m RRD Addiction. I fell in love immediatelyJ The 1000 horsepower kite with endless lift and hang time was exactly what a lately discovered that I want to be doing. Flying…and flying long!!

My kite collection grew to four, but I’m still waiting for a good day to really prove that it does what the sellers say. The one day I had, I blew my chance because I changed the settings as I was used to, but it unfortunately completely destroyed the trimming and it performed like an old-timer!!

But instead we had another couple of super windy days, so I went for some serious action equipped with the 9m I also brought from Dubai.

And history continued again. My super strong Hypertype couldn’t handle a 25 knot gust and I instantly and uncontrollably slid downwind, fell, lost control of the kite which immediately looped, threw me to the air…no need to continue or express how I felt flying without control 3 meters high and just waiting to crash back to the sea…

After second leap I managed to release, so I was once again walking the loser’s 300m back to the beach. This time also with a hole in my hand which needed stitching!!

I was really pissed. On the kite, on me...but as it always was, I calmed down, analyzed the situation and came to a conclusion that it was my fault. I shouldn’t ride when I felt so overpowered...So I went to Dubai seeking solution once again and it came in form of even more amazing offer for RRD Obsession 7mJ My quiver didn’t grow thought, because the canopy damage on the 12m was too serious, that I’ve been advised to leave it…but I have 5 kite bags anyway J

You know…a lot of bad things happened lately to my kite mind, but somehow I feel that it just made me stronger, wiser, more experienced, more deliberate and most importantly that it didn’t touch my passion for kiting.

So with a great enthusiasm and better equipment I’m waiting for the next windy day to unleash everything what I’ve learned and become a better kiter…that’s my addiction!!