TIPS FOR VIEWING - The Kiteboarder Magazine

40 thekiteboarder.com
It was hard to convince Ian Alldredge to come back to Indonesia after being skunked last
year, but the incredible conditions on this trip made his return more than worthwhile.
30 thekiteboarder.com
Ben Wilson doesn’t usually ride Zach with Kleppe straps, entertains but with the the crowd Fastrack with system, a particularly he can good quickly wipeout. install
straps to just the spot he wants in seconds. Photo Jason Wolcott
Skyline, Utah offers 100 miles of terrain for every level of rider.
Photo Gustav Schmiege
Densely populated areas seem to be experiencing the majority of
multi-use challenges. Photo Katina Arnott
With the Fastrack system, you can fine tune your strap positions to suit your
style or the conditions. Photo Jason Wolcott
On the Darko, the first
Slingshot twin-tip to be
equipped with Fastrack, you
will be able dial in the exact
stance you want anywhere between
20-26”. Photo Courtesy Slingshot
thekiteboarder.com 41
By Reo Stevens | Photos by Jason Wolcott
thekiteboarder.com 31
Proving that powered-up unhooked riding isn’t just for the young guns, Australian ripper Richard
Milne pushes himself harder than most – and is more than 40 years old. Photo Jennifer Milne
Features
launch
In the traditional system, a pack of threaded inserts set in
foam or plastic are installed into the core of the board
and then glassed over. This system has worked well over
the years, but the big disadvantage is that you are at the
mercy of the manufacturer for your choices of strap or
binding placement. Slingshot Kiteboarding has recently
come up with a new system of attaching straps to boards
to solve this problem. Known as Fastrack, this new
system looks similar to a mast track on a windsurf board,
and allows the rider to dial in their stance to their exact
preference. According to Tony Logosz at Slingshot, “Burton
put a similar system in snowboards which was accepted
and liked. When we started prototyping the idea, we didn’t
come across any negatives, only positives, so we pursued
further development. We’ve been testing the system for
over a year now.”
According to Slingshot, the new Fastrack system offers
many benefits over the traditional system and is currently
available on Slingshot’s line of Aviso surfboards. Slingshot
will also integrate Fastrack into some 2010 boards including
the new Darko twin tip, with both options available
(Fastrack and non-Fastrack boards) on select 2011 models.
According to Logosz, Fastrack allows riders to adjust their
stance anywhere within a 20”-26” range, instead of in 1”
increments like the current systems .He claims that boards
utilizing Fastrack are lighter and stronger due to the lack
of insert packs and an improved load distribution. Not only
can your strap placement be much more adjustable with
the Fastrack, but you can change your straps or remove
them in less than five seconds. “Instead of industry set
systems, especially on surfboards, now riders can set straps
exactly to their sweet spot and personal preference and
change quickly to adjust for different conditions or other
riders,” said Logosz. “Now you can make your twin tip more
directional-like by bringing your back foot back, allowing
you to throw big spray like a directional.”
fastrack:
By Marina Chang
12 Fastrack: The Next One Pump?
Slingshot’s the next innovative one pump? new footpad and strap system.
By Paul Lang
Over the past 10 years, most of the equipment we use
as kiteboarders has gone through major design changes,
each time becoming more refined and easier to use. I
say almost all because some of our equipment is the
same now as it was at the beginning of the sport. For
instance, despite all of the technical gains that have
been made in R&D, the system of attaching foot straps
and bindings to boards with threaded inserts has
remained completely the same.
12 thekiteboarder.com
Shades
of
“
Burton put a similar
system in snowboards
which was accepted
and liked. When we
started prototyping the
idea, we didn’t come
across any negatives,
only positives, The Making of so a
we pursued Kitesurf further Movie
development. We’ve
been testing the system
for over a year now.
Green
“
There was a day when we were all content to
pump up each segment of our kite individually,
and now virtually every kite sold has some form
of another Slingshot innovation, the One-Pump
system. There may be a day that we look back and
can’t recall why we let ourselves be limited by the standard
insert placements on our boards, but the Fastrack system
has a long road ahead if it’s going to become the new
industry standard. We always like to see new innovations,
but most riders have never felt limited by traditional
systems, so it may be awhile before the average rider
demands a system like this. The most promising use for
the Fastrack is going to be on surfboards, where you
will be easily able to move the straps to suit the
conditions. The Fastack system is an interesting
concept, and whether or not it becomes
widely used, it’s exciting to see development
happening in area that has remain unchanged
in the history of kiteboarding.
Slingshot will unveil the Darko twin tip with
Fastrack at the 2010 La Ventana Classic and
KiteXpo January 17-24. Check out the new
clinics and day trips offered at this event
along with the latest updates at
www.palapasventana.com/lvclassic.aspx
thekiteboarder.com 13
SNoW PlaCe
lIke HoMe
Domestic Winter Travel
Every winter, the temperature goes down and most of us don’t
spend enough time on the water to stay sane. To get our water fix,
we spend lots of money traveling to exotic locations where winter
doesn’t seem to exist. Doing that keeps us happy, but it also
costs a lot of money.
This year, why not do things a little differently?
Here in the US, we have easy access to some of
the best snowkiting available on the planet.
Why head halfway across the globe, when we
have such a great resource right in our own
backyard? If you have never given snowkiting
a try, make it a point to do it this year. You
probably already own all the gear you need (your
regular kite gear, plus a snowboard or pair of skis) and if you already
know how to kite, then getting started on the snow will be easy.
Our suggestion to save a little money this winter is to keep things
local and expand your horizons by taking a snowkiting vacation.
After all, there’s snow place like home.
For more information on the US Snowkite scene, check out
www.driftsnowkitemag.com
30 Shade of Green.
The making of a kitesurfing movie.
40 There’s Snow Place Like Home.
Domestic winter travel destinations.
El Niño:
By Benjamin Miller, Ikitesurf.com Meteorologist
Blessing or Curse for Winter Kiting?
El Niño has been the scapegoat of weather phenomena for years. In fact, the Peruvian
fishermen who are credited with discovering El Niño in the early 1500’s viewed it as
a curse. And not without reason, for the arrival of El Niño marks the beginning of an
extended period of poor fishing for these generally productive waters. More recently,
climatologists and meteorologists have recognized that El Niño brings many abnormal
and adverse weather conditions to North American winters as well. Most well known are
the destructive floods across California and the unusually warm temperatures across the
Northern Rockies and Plains. But El Niño has been linked to many more subtle effects
too. Just how will it impact your winter kiting plans?
Skyline, Utah, has become a world-renowned
destination for snowkiting, hosting riders from across
the country and the globe throughout the winter
season. Skyline is home to the US Open Snowkite
Masters, and attracts riders of all abilities
to enjoy its varied terrain. The small-town
atmosphere allows for a relaxing vacation
while having fun on the mountain all day.
Rated as “The New Snowkite Town” by National
Geographic and as an ideal place to learn alpine
kiting techniques by Men’s Journal, Skyline offers
something for every winter kiter.
Best Time to Visit:
January- March for the deepest snow and powder
conditions, with an extended season from December- April.
Skyline is consistently windy November-April.
Typical Winter Conditions:
Skyline’s playground is naturally set up to work with
any wind direction, and with a few feet of snow, most of
the mountain he different is open variables to ride by December. that need to Wind come rolls together in kitesurfing to produce
over the ridge a truly at memorable least five days day a week, of barrels typically make from even the the most consistently windy
southwest. waves Storms difficult can bring to northerly score. There winds are along so with many combinations to get right:
potential swell size, whiteouts. direction, During tide, high wind pressure, strength, easterly and winds wind direction. To create that
provide memorable light wind situation sessions is on nearly the lee impossible; side of the hills. much like a painter mixing various
Skyline portions is located of different at an elevation colors to of form 10,000 a combination feet on the that gives them just the hue
exposed and shade Wasatch they plateau, were looking which lines for. it up perfectly for
catching valley thermals and upper-level winds almost daily.
While it offers consistent wind conditions, it is also set up
to grab incoming storms, which can turn a beautiful day
into a whiteout. Be prepared for backcountry mountain
conditions and drink plenty of fluids to combat the high
altitude. Skyline’s snowplow drivers are known as the best
in the state, and they diligently work to keep the pass open,
but it’s always a good idea to check the forecast and be
prepared for the day.
How to Get There:
Fly into Utah’s Salt Lake City International Airport
(SLC) and rent a car. Travel south to the outlying town of
Fairview, a quiet outpost at the bottom of Highway 31. The
riding area is 14 miles up the canyon and will be obvious
as you crest the summit ridge of Skyline. The parking lot at
Milepost 14 on Highway 31 is the spot to be.
Where to Stay:
Mount Pleasant offers all amenities including a full service
grocery store, the county’s only bar, and Utah’s largest kite
shop along with the largest hotel in the region. Fairview
boasts the closest food and lodging at the base of the
canyon to Skyline. Check out Horseshoe Mountain Resort
in Mount Pleasant (435-462-9330) or Skyline Motel in
Fairview (435-427-3312) and stop by the Home Plate
Restaurant for the best food around.
What to Do if No Wind:
Kite Utah offers snowshoe rentals to check out the beautiful
scenery or you can rent a snowmobile at Big Pine Sports
in Fairview for the day and make your own adventures.
Skyline is a huge destination for snowmobiling. You can
also bring your own backcountry skis and tour across
Skyline’s 100-mile ridge.
Contact for More Info:
Kite Utah (www.kiteutah.com) is the local shop and school.
Kite Utah is the only authorized school in the region and
holds a permit from the US Forest Service to teach at
Skyline. Kite Utah will be offering camps throughout the
winter of 2009/2010 hosted by Chip Wasson, Guillaume
Chastagnol, and Heather Schenck, along with private
instruction (dates listed at www.FlyOzoneUSA.com). Kite
Utah is located on the backside of the Triangle Bar, another
kiteboarder-owned establishment.
Departments
30 Close Up
Liquid Force’s Josh Mulcoy and RRD’s Sandy
Parker profiled.
44 Analyze This
The TKB team puts five new products to
the test.
70 Designer’s Corner
Designers talk about their new and next gen
products for 2010.
78 Instruction
How to help a kiter in need and score good
karma points.
84 Workbench
What to fix yourself and what to leave to
the pros.
day range. However, one other factor is that the North Pacific
What adds considerable uncertainty to any extended forecast is that
High is generally farther south during El Niño winters somewhat
not all El Niño’s are created equal. However, preliminary data from
Wind is driven and effected by countless mechanisms both large and small scale and El
6 thekiteboarder.com WHAT IS EL NIÑO?
negatively affecting the El Norte wind. As northwest winds come
the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) buoy network and the majority
Niño is just one such mechanism. To say that El Niño will specifically cause or prevent a
thekiteboarder.com 7
off the North Pacific High, they tend to drive the north-northeast
Put simply, El Niño is a disruption in typical ocean and atmosphere interactions. Ordinarily,
easterly trade winds keep the warmer surface water piled up across Indonesia and north
Australia, while cooler water upwells along the South American coast. However, this buildup of
water can only last so long before the warmer surface water beings to propagate eastward. This
ets off a series of shallow ocean waves called Kelvin waves, which help to transport the warmer
water toward Peru and Ecuador. Once the warmer water arrives along South America it begins to
spread northward and southward and impacts to North American weather patterns become more
prominent. The biggest impacts are generally in the winter and spring months.
Hawaii: During El Niño winters, the North Pacific High dips farther
southward than in ordinary winters resulting in a weakening of the
northeast trade winds that prevail across the Hawaiian Islands.
Because of the sagging North Pacific High, the jet stream is able
to dip farther southward as well. This tends to allow storms to get
closer to the islands. These storm systems don’t bring much rainfall
(moisture gets shoved eastward and drought is a common problem
in Hawaii during El Niño winters), but they do bring bigger than
normal waves to the North Shore and stronger stints of northeast to
northwest winds.
of El Niño climate models indicate we’re in for a moderate El Niño
for the 2009/2010 season. So, in general, the effects this season
should be a bit muted compared to a strong El Niño year.
El Niño will likely impact Hawaii with weaker than normal
northeast trade winds, but stronger stints of winds from passing
storm systems. El Niño brings cooler air temperatures and less
thermal-driven wind.
Skyline, Utah
By Heather Schenk
46 The El Nino Phenomenon.
Blessing or curse for winter kiting?
California: El Niño events are infamous for bringing greatly increased amounts
of precipitation resulting in disastrous flooding, especially in the January to March
timeframe. However, impacts to the winds are less obvious. In El Niño years, the jet
stream tends to split with the storm track dipping more southward than in typical
winters. This split weakens the strength of storms, resulting in plenty of precipitation,
but less storm-driven wind.
After analyzing data from the last several years across the iKitesurf.com weather
network, an interesting pattern emerges regarding El Niño winters. San Francisco winds
tend to be generally weaker across the central coast, Bay, and Delta, due to cooler,
cloudy, and rainier weather. However, springtime winds, especially across the Bay,
begin to ramp up faster than normal. For instance, over the last three El Niño events
THEKITEBOARDER.COM
at 3rd Ave. Channel (see Graph), the month of April has had 21 to 28 days in which the
peak afternoon wind average was over 20 knots. Meanwhile, in non-El Niño years, the
number of times in which the winds reached over 20 knots was only in the teens.
The impact of El Niño to southern California also tends to weaken winter winds. This
is because of slightly cooler than normal weather and increased cloud cover that
accompany additional rainy days. As a result, there are less thermal wind days.
El Niño is likely to bring a wet winter with
more clouds and cooler days, resulting in
less of a chance for solid winds. However,
El Niño of winters generally lend themselves
to a faster strengthening of springtime
winds (April/May) across The the Making San Francisco of a
Bay (especially the Central kiTesurf Bay and
Peninsula sites). Additionally, Movie during El Niño
winters the Sierra Nevada typically receive
abnormally heavy snows, making for great
snowkiting conditions.
Texas: El Niño brings abnormal amounts of rainfall to the Gulf Coast, especially to
south Texas. In fact, over the last century, rainfall during El Niño events has been nearly
double that of non-El Niño winters. The increased rainfall means more clouds and
generally cooler weather. Since Texas beaches are largely dependant on thermallydriven
sea breezes for winds, it is easy to see how El Niño tends to impact the region
with lower winds. This impact is particularly notable in the early spring months (late
February to April). For example, over the last 10 years, South Padre Island has seen 20-
25 days where winds peak at over 20 knots in the month of April in non-El Niño years.
However, in El Niño years, April has usually only seen 14-16 days where winds reached
above 20 knots.
El Niño brings abnormally wet winters to the Gulf Coast. This is particularly noticeable
in south Texas. With cloudier and cooler days, solid days of wind will be fewer and
farther between. This is especially true in the early spring when the more solid sea
Brian Schwarz from Calikites in San Diego Bay. Photo: Andrew Schwarz breezes are generally slower to return compared with non-El Niño years.
Snow Place like Home
Florida: Impacts from El Niño on the Sunshine State are similar to the rest of the Gulf
el nino: Coast region. Florida sees more precipitation during El Niño versus a non-El Niño winter.
Blessing or curse? However, climate data reveals an interesting trend. Temperatures actually tend to remain
above normal through mid-January. So, although El Niño brings additional rainfall and
off to tHe
generally
reScue:
more clouds, winds tend to remain comparable to non-El Niño winters, at least
Baja: iKitesurf.com meteorologist Mike Godsey has spent
through mid-January. Then, temperatures tend to cool and thermally-driven sea breezes
Helping Kiters weaken in a bit. need
several winters in Baja and reports that the more southerly storm
Springtime winds (mainly March and April) during El Niño years have been
track of El Niño winters results in two significant impacts. First,
historically a bit weaker across Florida. The lower wind impacts are greater for the Gulf
Baja experiences cooler air temperatures and more cloudy days,
new Coast ProductS
beaches than the Atlantic Coast.
meaning fewer moderate, or even mild, thermally-driven wind
days. Second, the more active winter weather pattern, coupled
21 for 2010
El Niño brings increased precipitation, but tends to impact the winds mainly in the
with the more southerly position of the Four Corners high, results
spring. Effects seem to be fairly small for the Atlantic Coast, but greater for the Gulf
in a greater frequency of El Norte wind days, which typically
Coast. If you’re planning to go kiting during spring break, I’d say stick to the central or
lasts three to eight days. With the more active El Niño-driven
south Florida coast.
storm track, these events will likely be more in the three to five
CONCLUSION: El Niño is an irregular event that varies in intensity with each occurrence.
El Norte winds farther from shore. In general, look for kiting
conditions to be more challenging as stronger winds tend to
remain away from the beaches.
Baja’s famed El Norte wind is often more frequent during El Nino
but other factors during this weather pattern can make these
winds more gusty and unsettled near shore.
Shades
Green
windy day is beyond any forecaster’s skill. Your best bet for maximizing your water time is
to monitor the forecasts, wind trends, and real-time data for your favorite areas.
iKitesurf.com is a powerful FREE weather service which includes access to over
45,000 weather stations and accurate model forecasts for riding spots worldwide.
A premium service is available which includes precision weather stations and
Meteorologist forecasts. Visit www.ikitesurf.com/thekiteboarder to receive your
discount on a premium ikitesurf.com membership!
While shooting footage
for the Shades of Green
Movie, Ian Alldredge,
Reo Stevens, Ben Wilson,
and Bear Karry scored
some of the best waves of
their lives. Here Ian goes
further into the green room
than most kiters will ever
experience. Read the story
behind this amazing trip
beginning on page 30.
Photo Jason Wolcott