IKSA Newsletter April

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Welcome to the first edition of our

IKSA Newsletter April 2010. The main aim

of this issue is to keep such a dispersed

group of kiters in Ireland in touch with the

Kite Events around the country...not

everyone lives in Dublin... ya for some of

us in the sticks as well.

Also we decided to do a little truthful

review of some kite gear you might like to

test. We have a Rider of the Month

review with Keith kindly agreeing to tell us

all his business and why he loves

kitesurfing on a surf board. We have

Oscar in Dublin in Me my Van, who

gives us an insight into the advantages of

making tea while still in your wetsuit! And

we have some info on a secret spot...they

still exist!

We are also encouraging Irish

Kitesurfers to join IKSA for insurance

reasons. The insurance this year has now

improved. Its always nice to know you are

covered when kiting on the beach should

anything happen to passers by as a result

of your kiting!

April2010

You cant afford not to!

New improved Insurance for 3rdparty liability insurance to cover

you up to 5,000,000

Free IKSA t-shirtFree board stickerFree copy of KiteWorld mag

Voting rights at the AGMSupporting IKSA Events

IKSA

Warren Vance - Northern [email protected] McCourt - [email protected] Irwin - [email protected] Roche - South/[email protected] Shelly - Galway/[email protected] Barry - Limerick/[email protected] Armstrong - Sligo/[email protected]

KITE CALENDAR

JOIN IKSA

KNOW YOUR IKSA REP

Hooked KitesurfingZumosurfLSDIrish Kite Lessons

KiteloopyPureMagicSnSKiteworld Magazine

IKSA T-SHIRT SPONSORS

Kyra McKenna

Ciaran GilsenanEDITORS:

APRIL MAY

24th Rhino WaveCharge

24th CompetitionPrep in AchillPureMagic

1-3rd Sligo IKSAevent

15-16th IKSASandyBurger inAchill

22-23rd RhinoWave Charge

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Events for May and June

The Kite Wave event of last year is back and the first event

starts on the 24th April and 22nd May. These event known asRhino Wave Charge are voluntarily run by Ryan Cootes, one

of the best Wave Kiters in Ireland and also recently featured in

the latest issue of KiteWorld magazine. Check it out at

www.rhinoswavecharge.com

Achill boot camp has been organised for the weekend of the

24th April for those who want to beat the pros at their own

game. More info at the PureMagic website www.puremagic.ie

Kiting is a natural spectator sport which pulls in the crowd.

With the wild antics on display from sponsored to beginner

kiters, every event is always worth the drive. The next big IKSA

event will be the Sligo event starting on the 1st May. Check it

out at www.lsdkiteboarding.com/sligo-kitesurfing-festival

At last the IKSA Sandy burger is back! Its a free event where all

levels of riders turn up and get to know the kite community.

The next one is at Achill on 15-16th May. It will be kindly

hosted by PureMagic. Phone Francois on 0851056344 or email

[email protected]

APRIL MAY

24th RhinoWave Charge

24thCompetitionPrep in Achill

PureMagic

1-3rd SligoIKSA event

15-16th IKSASandyBurger inAchill

22-23rd RhinoWave Charge

KITE EVENTS -

RHINO WAVE EVENTS

IKSA SLIGO EVENT

IKSA SANDY BURGER

ACHILL BOOT CAMP

CALENDAR

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WAVE RIDER

Rider: Keith McGeown

Co-founder of Elementsportz, Keith isone of the top wave kiters in Ireland.Originally from Drogheda and now livingin Belfast he gives us some backgroundinto his passion for wave kiting.

How did you start kiting?I started surfing in 93 when I was in college.Once I graduated I decided to do my ownendless summer surf trip around the worldthat lasted a glorious18months Most of thistime was spent living and surfing the northernbeaches of Sydney where I had a house. Youcant beat surfing before and after work,especially in boardies or a steamer! When Igot back to Ireland I was frustrated by the lackof water time and inconsistent swell I wasgetting, after having been swell-spoiled in Oz,Indo and Hawaii. A friend suggested checkingout kitesurfing but being a surfer and havingseen it in the mags I kind of dismissed it. Butafter some convincing I decided to go have alook at some lads doing it in Dublin. Onarrival some fella was doing 3 or 4 jumps and

crashing down like a rock. At that point Ithought to myself 'that looks like fun!'. 3 dayslater I booked a lesson. That was June 2001and I've not looked back

Is any of your family into surfing orkiting?Ya my partner, Sweva kited and competedback in the day but she hasnt been on thewater for a while, career break I think they callit. Ive had my 2yr son Killian on a long boardand an SUP but hes still a little too young forit yet defo potential there tho! Ive swapped allhis Bob the Builder dvds with surf movieshoping for a brain-wash effect:-D Where is your favourite beach andwhat conditions are best?Its hard to call a favourite spot as there are somany both in Ireland and aboard, and on the

right day and in the right conditions anywherecan be magic. And the same place can just asquick do the nasty on you too if the windshifts or the tides are wrong! Scored theMullet a couple of times last year in perfectcross-off which was very nice, just a park andride down the line Theres a reef inDonegal (secret spot?)that on the right tide,wind and swell direction can be amazing - butit's so rare to score it with everything on. Keepwatching the charts! It's hard to beatRossnowlagh as beach break though. Whats the deal with the shorts overwetsuit look?I used to wear boardies over the wetsuit backin my freestyle days to save the wetsuit. Asanyone that rode with me back then would tell you I spent half the time getting dragged upthe beach unhooked from a missed handlepass or other trick, and the shorts saved manyan innocent beach-goer from a flash ofMcGeown cheek! Now I only ride waves Idont bother with the shorts, it just makes abig swim back to the shore more hassle. Youcan forget about looking stylish if youve akilometre plus swim to make and rollers

breaking on your head the whole way in.

What gear are you riding?Ive been riding Ozones since 07. Found themmega stable in the waves and because theyhave their own factory, build quality is secondto none. In this year's quiver Ive a 10m C4and 8m, and a 6m Catalyst. All fast with loadsof depower. And the biggest factor for me...no pulleys! Gives me all the windrangewithout the stress of something breaking orjamming when a big set is bearing down. As for boards, definitely wave boardsHavent owed a twin-tip in a couple of years. Iride a 61 Al Merrick K-small custom, a 511

Firewire yum yum and a 58 SlingshotCeleritas. Each have their conditions forexcelling which makes choosing on the daypretty easy. All strapless of course.

A lot of the Northern kiters are flyingOzones. Are you responsible?I guess I had a part to play in that, EddieHawkins as well but the reality is people willride what they like, what suits their style andmost importantly whats reliable. You can readall the hype on the internet and in themagazines but the fact is until to try it youcant tell if its for you or not. Luckily thelocal riders all love the kites.

Can you jump on a wave board?

Oyes but be careful most wave boards arentconstructed to handle the impact of a heavylanding on the deck. I normally take out the58 if Im having a strapless jumping/tricksession. Its good craic when the waves aresmall or not there at all. Its also good topractice keeping your feet on the board whenin the air, something that comes in very usefulwhen youre trying to get out the back on thebigger days. Just try not to land on anupwards facing fin

Whats your worst wipeout story?Other than the 3 months on crutches Ivebeen very lucky. Couple of big swims over the

years but if your going to go out in waves thenI guess you have to be prepared for that longswim to the shore.

Favourite kite clip?But if you want inspiration in the waves Ithink you have to look beyond kiting intosurfing and whats going on there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_o3TmMilkWhose your kite daddy?Elementsportz.com

When is the next big event in yourkiting life?

Just waiting the next big swell. When I startedit was all about the wind and any wind woulddo... now its hard to get excited for anythingless than 18knots and a 3m swell. Just a windsnob now I guess... ; )

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BOARD REVIEWBoard: Fone Acid IIIYear: 2010

Size: 130/39Reviewer: CatherineKite Experience: 3 years

Catherine at Puremagic hasthe luck of being surroundedby all the latest gear, but thisboard in particular caughther eye and she has kindlyoffered to review it for us.

How did you get thisboard?I just got it few months ago,used to have the Flxunderground. Fone is oneofthe brands we sellat PureMagic and so I have a lot ofgea r to choo se f rom.However, this is the one Iliked best. It has a great popand i t a l lows smoothlandings, so responsive too.

What your level riderare you?Freerider! Doing some jumps, rotations, starting to

unhook and if conditions are really easy andI'm brave enough I'dtry to loop the kite ;-)Why did you choose this board?The Acid IIIhad great reviews, I actually tookif for my holidays without trying it before andI have to admit that I have been veryimpressed and loved it straight. I also reallylike the design and colours (probably a girlthing!), and the set of pads and straps arereally comfy and perfect fit for my small feet..

Are you swayed bythe fact Fone isFrench too?maybe a little bit ;-) Justkidding! I also ridemost of the time Fonekites and this brand isfor me really trustfull inter ms o f qua l i t y ,perform and style!

So where can weexpect to find you? Achill/Belmullet fortheir mix of flat waterand waves not crowdedbeaches and w i ldspirit!!and of courseDollymount for Dublin,and so many otherplaces like Dakhla( M o r o c c o ) , J e r i c o( b r a z i l ) , B r i t t a n y(france)...Places where

w e g e n e r a l l y g o e v e r y y e a r .

Favourite move on this board?First time I landed a backloop kiteloop waswith that board! Don't know if I could do itagain though!

Worst kite crash story?Ive many crashes but nothing scary thanksgod... I try to measure risks as much as I can,safety first as we say!

KITE REVIEWKite: Cabrinha SwitchbladeSize: 10mYear: 2010Class: 4 line Bow Kite

Reviewer: KyraKite Experience: 2 years

Having spent thelast year or so

looking for theperfect kite, I wash a v i n g t h a tGoldilocks feeling.T h e r e w a ssomething wrongwith every kite Itried. Ozone lackedoomph, North Rebel needed serious muscles,Naish just too twitchy when jumping...until Itried the Cabrinha Switchblade (care ofFrancois in PureMagic). I had finally got thatureka feeling...at last the perfect kite!

The Switchblade is best described as a gruntykite. One start loop and you are flying along.The bar ends are soft and seems to helpturning, the sprint system means its reliableand quick to inflate.Below the bar safety leashattachment. Only mild annoyance is above thebar depower system.

If I could describe the handling I would saybutter, as its just so smooth. Appearances andquality has that luxurious feeling. Stable forjumps and moves and feels much better thanthe 2009 version. How did I ever kite withanything else!! Ok so Im a convert, but I ambetting that most people will feel this way ifonly they had a chance to try!

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MY

VANSo Oscar, tellus about yourvan?

Its a Renault Trafic 2005. 1.9 litres, 6 gears,really economical. 80 litre tank, 1000 kmautonomy. I got it for my birthday on thesummer of 2006 when I was made redundant.The best thing that could ever happen to me!!!

Are u a van rookie?First van yeah. I always travel with acrazy man that calls his van Dirty Blue,so mine is the opposite..its Clean SilverIs it pimped?Everything you need! 2 cooker rings, 5kgbottle of gas, 12 v fridge, sink, clean-waste water tank, foldable table, bed,Movie player and internet for the forecast via laptop, Instant hot water showeroutside, electric blanket for the chillynights, 2 leisure batteries, inverter for220v, plenty of storage space, speakers...How much kite gear can you fit? As much as I want.Wave board,landboard, harness, 2 wetsuits, 2 kites, ohyeah and the twintip.Does it smell?Oh yeah, there is a funny mix of wetsuitand fried bacon smell.Any guests stay over? Im not that selective whoever comes to the van with food, drink and good stories arewelcome. Once, we were 3 dudes sleeping inthe van after guinness, never again!!!Where is the weirdest place you parked,

what happened?I dont think I slept in any weird place, exceptthat one time while sleeping in the Mullet.When everyone went to bed, the wind pickedup for a few minutes and a big metal bbqgazebo took off, and landed on the windscreen.Clean Silver saved the life of a kitesurfer friendwho was sleeping in a tent right beside the van.He was so grateful that the van took the hit, nothis head ; )

Any tips?There is no way back to a car, thats for sure.Van is the way to goYou go to the best spotsto kitesurf, have a little party, bon-fire, playguitar, a couple of beers, stay overnight, sleeplistening to the waves and you wake up justthere in the beach, and you are ready for next

day kitesurfing!

Location: North Sligo besidethe village of GrangeBest Wind: W/NW/ NEBest Tide: Low tide gives youloads of room on the Wave side

Riding Style: Wave kiting onthe northern side and flatshallow water lagoon to thesouth. However the lagooncan only be ridden at one houreither side of high tide andbest during Spring tides.

I am always a bit suss spillingthe beans on a per fectbeach... for fear it will end upovercrowded. But so far itsstill fairly empty, possibly cosonly locals are in the know.This is easily the cleanest

most beautiful beach in Sligo!Not only that it has somemurky past too involvings o m e p o o r S p a n i s h Armada...but thats anotherstory for the locals in Langspub in Grange to tell you!

SECRET SPOT