Short session back home...

There's still some more to write and show about my trip to Mauritius, but I haven't had the time to go through all the photos and videos, since I've been 2 weeks in Turkey and one in Portugal since then...
In Turkey I wasn't kitesurfing, even if I spotted some good potential in the Bozborum and Datça peninsulas (the locals told me it only works well in the hot Summer days, since it's mostly thermal winds). But, back home in Portugal to visit the family, I was hoping to get some good sessions! I always manage to get some days of good conditions, but this time I wasn't so lucky...

It was the Indian Summer in Santa Cruz, a great spot near where my parents live, with temperatures over 20 degrees Celsius in the first days of October, which is nice, but the wind was turning and weak all the time. I only managed to get a small 2 hours session, with a light southern wind (that was actually fun, since the normal direction here is north to northwest). Still, it was nice to be back on the water, to get my new surfboard wet and only sharing the waves with my little brother! Better luck next time...

Waveriding in Santa Cruz - Kitesurf Session 89

The last session of my vacations in Portugal was also the best! Even if Santa Cruz, some 70km north of Lisbon, is an ideal spot for kitesurfing (nice waves, regular winds and endless beaches with enough space to set up your kite and launch without bothering the "beach bums"), the sport is still somewhat of a rarity around there...

(panoramic view - click to enlarge)

For me and my brother, it's just perfection, 5km away from my parents house! And, for once, all conditions where reunited: sunny day, 15 to 24 knots side-shore winds all day long, 1.5 to a little over 2m waves and nobody else on the water.

I never had so much fun on the waves and this was definitely one of the best (if not the best) session of the season so far! Made me think of my "wave loving" friends back in France, with whom I would have loved to share this session... And it made me think that I really need to buy a surf board!

Alone on the water - Kitesurf Sessions 85 to 88

Kiting in May in Portugal has a big advantage: you're often alone on the water, or at least having to share the spots with only a few other kiters and the weather is already warm enough (if you're not coldish, you can use just a shorty, like me, or even no neoprene at all, if the session is not too long).

Unlike the usual north to north-westerly winds that usually blow along Portugal's Atlantic coasts, I got West winds most of the days I was back at home, so I decided to check out the kite spot at Baleal, near Peniche. Definitely, a place that I'll visit again, a beautiful bay that me and my brother had all to ourselves!

On Sunday, we went down to Lagoa de Albufeira, a flat water spot I really like a little south of Lisbon. But with the low tide and a bigger number of kiters around on the lagoon (hey, it was Sunday!), we decide to stay on the ocean side, which proved a much better option, with better wind and only one or two other kiters to share the space with!

With the forecast for Monday and Tuesday also better at Lagoa de Albufeira than anywhere else, I went back to find miself kiting alone most of the time! The wind from the west allowed for some easy upwinds to Fonte da Telha, north of the lagoon (check the map below), and then some nice downwinds on the waves back to the lagoon.

Wave champions at Guincho

With a forecast of light winds around Lisbon, I decided to try my luck at Guincho... As often, the 10 knots forecast at this famous spot turned out to be 20 knots on my windmeter, reason enough to admit that, even if it's far from being my favorite place to kite, it has a "special magic" in what concerns attracting winds...

(panoramic view - click to enlarge)

As soon as I got there, I saw a familiar face... Thinking it through for a little while, I figured out it was Abel Lago, RRD's waverider! I was guessing he had come to Portugal to enjoy some nice waves, when I ran into none other than Mitu Monteiro, having a orange juice and a sandwich before hitting the waves!

As I quickly figured, there were some of Portugal's and the world's best waveriders at Guincho, offering some serious kiting just before my eyes! I didn't understand why they were all there, until somebody told me they were training for the first run of the KSP World Tour, taking place in Guincho from the 1st to the 10th of June.
I wasn't quick enough to get my camera and take a picture of my smiley face together with Mitu, but later managed to get some pictures of his stylish riding, even if the full zoom in my point-and-shoot camera only allows a poor quality... Anyhow, it was a sight I won't soon forget! It sure beats seeing some of this guys on internet videos...

(Mitu on the waves)

Buggy on the grass!

I went to Portugal to visit family and friends. Obviously, I took my kite gear with me! The first few days the wind was quite light, so my brother proposed a buggy session. It was only the second time I sat on a buggy, but it didn't take much time to get some confidence and start having a lot of fun!

 

I had only tried a small axe "sit on top" buggy, so riding with a big axe and comfortable sitting  RS Buggy was a true discovery. I'm definitely addicted now!

Finally back on the water!

Well, this post has been a long time coming... After (seemingly never-ending) months away from my kites, I finally got the doctor's "OK" for getting back on the water! My 12m had a lot of dust, but it was still ready to ride.

It was only for two small sessions, 'cause I have to get slowly "back on the horse", since my herniated disk problem is not 100% recovered. But it just felt so great...

The conditions where great for a comeback: 14 to 18 knots side-on, with only small waves and (almost) no other kite on the spot.

If you're wondering where it is, just Google "Praia de Moledo" or "Caminha". A beautiful strip of sand on the top North of Portugal. In the photo below, the spot is on the left facing the ocean. The hill you see in a lot of the pictures is already Spain, separated by the mouth of the river Minho.

A portuguese Kitetrip - the movie!

Finally, I've finished editing the video from our trip in Mai/June 2010! You can watch it here, but I advise going to Vimeo to see it in HD, full screen and with the sound up! Enjoy... ;)

It's not just kite all the time, but I think it has a nice rhythm and a good vibe so, hopefully, you'll enjoy it as much as those who where there.

A portuguese kite trip - Part IV

We finally get to the last part of this wonderful trip... As I've said before, we decided to have a cool ending, since the group was now reduced to the last few and the forecasts told us that around Lisbon was the place to be. The choice was then Lagoa de Albufeira, where we spent the remaining two days.
Arriving at 9h30 at the beach on a Thursday, we weren't prepared to see so many sunshades! I quickly figured out why... I had forgotten it was a holiday!

No problem, we set camp on the ocean side and, soon enough, the wind starts to pick-up. We ended up spending all day on the waves with the thermal effect getting stronger and stronger. It was actually the session, in all the trip, where we got stronger measurements, with the wind peaking at more than 30 knots! The end of the day was superb, with the lagoon finally only to ourselves. The wind had gone down, but the sunset was superb...

The final day was, as it should always be, unforgettable! Good conditions all day long and almost nobody on the spot. My brother joined us again and, having tasted good waves on the previous day, we decided to start things off on the ocean side...

After a good dose of wave riding, it was time to go inside the lagoon. With only a couple of other kites on the spot, we had enough space to fully enjoy the last jumps and turns of the trip.

I definitely still have some training to do on my "beach to water" starts...

We packed the gear for the last time with a big smile and another beautiful end of the day.

(photos by Olive and Sigo)