Kiting

I kited alameda today after getting skunked twice last week and seriously jonesing for some wind. It was a decent session, and Alameda is such a low key and zero stress place that it just makes for a more relaxing ride. Case in point: a guy on a red Waroo dumped his kite pretty far out and had to self rescue... something like that would be way scarier and more serious in the channel at 3rd.

I think people were burned out from the long weekend, because there really weren't very many people out. There were, however a lot of guys with brand new kites, harnesses, vests and helmets, so it looks like this years crop of newbies has arrived! I have a lot of empathy for them: untangling lines, taking forty minutes to set up during which time fifteen people have launched, getting stuck launching said kites, rechecking everything five times. ahhh. With my new kite with one-pump and lines that have only really been tangled once, thats mostly an annoying memory to me now!

In any case, it was a fun session with some nice boosts off of waves. I'm getting comfortable enough with the new kite that I'll start trying to do some kite initiated jumps again soon.

It looks like there were also some break ins in the lot yesterday, which really sucks. I saw some fresh glass on the ground on my way out and was wondering if that was what happened. When I initially parked, I noticed that there was a crazy looking old lady in a station wagon next to me. She was staring out of her junk piled car cramming an aluminum foil covered sandwich into her mouth. I wasn't happy about it at the time, but she probably scared the thieves away from my car!