Surf's up, somewhere, let's have a look ...







Do the skegs on this guys board fold over or something? Spins like a skimboard.



and, if the heat is getting to you, how about a change of venue?




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Why not put up some GoPro "Photos of the Day" in the POD here?


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4582764_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3415347_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3761507_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5904384_n.jpg
Didn't think you could do this with a powered parapante


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._8067844_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7215217_n.jpg
I guess this approach could be used to stop birds from pooping on your canopy?


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6364408_n.jpg

From: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...id=50043151918

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New kind of a kite?.. Looks expensive :)

Damo got a feeling, but it wasn't wind at less than 10 kts.. He went out ripping anyway with his light gear resulting in ...

How about some snow, ice and wind in Norway?





another version appears at:
http://www.ontheloose.tv/episodes/sn...bull-ragnarok/

Have had some nice squall free winds at times over the last few days! I think the swell had more to do with the gradient between Earl and a high fortunately over the SE USA than the hurricane itself.

Tom Leeman documents a session yesterday with THREE GoPros shifted among four positions. Makes me feel less awkward for the two I carry free diving. Looks good anyway at:




and ...

Does it seem crowded where you ride sometimes? Somehow I suspect Tarifa may have you beat:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._1127962_n.jpg


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And I thought the Skyway was crowded on Tuesday.

Clew In

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_012.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_020.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_023.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_036.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_042.jpg

A few more pics from 8/31/2010 Skyway Bridge, Tampa Florida

Clew In


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...2010_20046.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_049.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_066.jpg http://www.fksa.org/albums/album528/...t_2010_054.jpg

Looks like some nice sessions Clew! Sure got a few good days over here too, nice wind and waves.

Chris over in Bimini takes us along on a downwinder tour through Bimini Sound. Great island over there.




http://mappery.com/maps/Map-of-Bimin...ediumthumb.jpg
http://mappery.com/

Red Bull is at it again, this time with Illume Image Quest 2010. They've posted their top 50 selections and are seeking viewer input and votes on your favorites at: http://www.redbullillume.com/gallery...ages-2010.html

Here are just a few of the great images ...

http://www.redbullillume.com/uploads...330_003448.jpg


http://www.redbullillume.com/typo3te...12bd473f48.jpg


http://www.redbullillume.com/typo3te...881a2ce572.jpg


http://www.redbullillume.com/typo3te...986835453a.jpg


http://www.redbullillume.com/typo3te...b55c1d4783.jpg



http://www.redbullillume.com/typo3te...f14918ec91.jpg



http://www.redbullillume.com/typo3te...9de8411970.jpg

Top secret kite testing by the major brands in Brazil:



Did that kid handle pass a garbage bag?!

I understand they're using blankets and plastic bags. Why not take some old kites and leave them with the kids when you're down there? That is assuming they don't clothesline tourists or each other.


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3374332_n.jpg
Chrys posted this shot of another Brazilian heading out on a home grown SUP board aka door? Or, maybe it is a piece of Wonder bread?

Damo and Nick grab some prime tow-ins courtesy of Hurricane Earl far to the east.

Some interesting videography and processing. I see Kinsley Wong shows up in some of the footage prior to his accident. Best to Kinsley and Jamie.



Another more recent video with a lot of strapless footage



NOTE: a video can present an artful view of kiting and at the same time include some ill advised practices. Things like riding in shallow water, poor downwind buffers, hitting equipment without protective gear, etc.. These things are common in kiting media these days and may well remain so until more people are hurt at which time these practices may change. Posting these or any other videos is not an endorsement of questionable practices but is simply that, the posting of a video for viewing and not a "how to" guide. Seek proper instruction for that.

Unusual surfing from Oz and in some large sets too:



"Derek Hynd: still opening new frontiers in surfing. Couple of years ago, but still nothing less than astonishing." Quote from Robert Smallwood

Marc Johnson with http://floridakiteboarding.info/ just told me about this clip. Stay out of squalls or else, ka-boom!

To my knowledge no kiters have been struck by lightning yet, pretty amazing considering how hard some of us try. It may well come someday. The squalls that toss out lightning have taken many dozens of kiters and likely injured hundreds worldwide through excessive winds however.

Avoiding a lightning strike only makes good sense. So does avoiding squall winds, some folks get it and some don't.

Alex Caizergues has officially set a new World Speed Sailing Record at 54.10 knots (62.1 mph, 100 km/hr, 91.1 ft/s, 27.8 m/s) on his F-One Bandit 4 in Namibia in Africa on October 12, 2010. Had no idea it is such a stark place. High winds blowing away topsoil for eons can do that.

http://f-onekites.us/portal/wp-conte...Cworldrec2.jpg
http://f-onekites.us/portal/2010/10/...nots-per-hour/

This is what F one has to say about it:

"Alex Caizergues, F-One Kiteboarding, has officially set a new outright World Speed Sailing Record at 54.10 knots during his 1st run at 15h38 yesterday afternoon in Luderitz, Namibia. This is truly an historical moment. For the first time ever, the 100km/h barrier with a sail has been broken. Alex left his closest competitor almost 2kts behind. Unbelievable. Congratulations Alex!

And congrats to the F-One team as well to provide Alex with the right gear. Record was broken on a new 2011 Bandit IV 8m, using a Kakoo custom board and asymmetrical “RESPONSE” thin fins based on the new UNIBOX system that will equipped all the F-One 2011 twin tips."


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album537/speed.jpg

*** CLICK IMAGE FOR DRAMATIC FULL SCREEN VIDEO



http://worldsportsboats.files.wordpr...hydroptere.jpg

http://worldsportsboats.files.wordpr...hydroyacht.jpg
The low cost competition, only 40 Million French Francs or about $8.5 M USD. It held the speed record last year at 51.36 kts. over 500 m.* Looks like Alex smoked it by almost 3 kts.!
http://worldsportsboats.com/tag/watercraft/

*http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/500-metre-records.html

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future !
 

Amazing, again the rapid progression will show that kitesurfing will be the fastest sport in the future. Time will tell again ! Great to be a part of it !

This is nothing to do with water although it does involve fluid at high altitude no less. This guy seems to be in the Alps judging from the architecture, mountains and snow tunnels. Haven't been into RC planes since I was a kid, this GoPro video might get me to rethink that. Check it out ...

Florida to Oregon Road Trip

"This summer myself and Billy Parker drove from Florida to Oregon with a 48 foot wake / kite obstacle on a F-150. The obstacle was fabricated in Islamorada, Florida by Mikey Walsh of The Otherside Boardsports. Mikey is fabricating winches as well as portable and modular obstacles. This video shows the feature set up as a 48 foot flat bar, a 16 ft incline to a 32 ft decline rooftop, and a 16 foot bank rail. This video is leftover footage from the road trip, that features the Hood River Slider Project and some shakey clips on Billy Parker throwing down."




NOTE: a video can present an artful view of kiting and at the same time include some ill advised practices. Things like riding in shallow water, poor downwind buffers, hitting equipment without protective gear, etc.. These things are common in kiting media these days and may well remain so until more people are hurt at which time these practices may change. Posting these or any other videos is not an endorsement of questionable practices but is simply that, the posting of a video for viewing and not a "how to" guide. Seek proper instruction for that.

Outwardly, this video doesn't seem to be quite possible. No wind ripples and yet of he goes.



"Onboard video of some riding with the Flyboards Flydoor and Flysurfer Speed3 Deluxe kite. Enjoy the epic scenery and feeling from this video. Light wind kiteboarding can be awesome, especially when it is riding on glass, see from 01:00 minute onwards! "

Elliot Leboe's been hard at it, let's see what he has come up with.







ouch!

Going a bit nuts in the old country. Wonder how many trees or cliff faces this guy has snagged with his canopy? Impressive stuff all the same.


A squirrel suit flight in the same area. Some intense imagery.

A week ago some nice swells came along the east coast of Florida, in some areas EPIC swells. I was in Boston, next time! Greg and some friends rescued a boat that floundered in the inlet on another big day a few years back. More about that at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=43902


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4244517_n.jpg
Greg Kuklinski shreds in the largest wave I've seen an image off Ft. Pierce.


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4068331_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._8373654_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5604452_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5331531_n.jpg

Photos by Russ Metz, http://bigdogphotography.net/


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album179/...scue.sized.jpg

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The National Geographic is holding its annual photo contest. Here are some of the entries as posted on Boston.com.

http://inapcache.boston.com/universa...ean-heavey.jpg
2 - A supercell thunderstorm rolls across the Montana prairie at sunset. (Photo and caption by Sean Heavey) #


http://inapcache.boston.com/universa...y-cerdeira.jpg
6 - Liquid Planet. Another picture from the Liquid Vision Series, which shows a different point of view of waves. An angle that people are not used to seeing. (Photo and caption by Freddy Cerdeira) #


http://inapcache.boston.com/universa...iko-molnar.jpg
20 - Against the windstorm on Mont Blanc. My friend Laszlo Varkonyi is leading a group on Mont Blanc, he died on Everest this April in a fatal accident: a big serac fell down. (Photo and caption by Aniko Molnar) #


http://inapcache.boston.com/universa...ael-siward.jpg
28 - Lightning Crashes. A lightning bolt strikes the antenna of The Center building in Central Hong Kong during a storm on September 13, 2009. (Photo and caption by Michael Siward) #


http://inapcache.boston.com/universa...n-timashov.jpg
47 - Cloud and ship. Ukraine, Crimea, Black sea, view from Ai-Petri mountain. (Photo and caption by Yevgen Timashov) #


http://inapcache.boston.com/universa...oao-vianna.jpg
11 - The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil is considered a wildlife sanctuary, but today, even in this isolated archipelago dolphins are victims of the bad habits of consumption. (Photo and caption by João Vianna) #

Note: the dolphins may be victims but they also like to carry trash around. Before trash it was likely seaweed but now they have plastic. The get bored easily after all.

A look back on kitesurfing ...


The last Red Bull King of the Air



Directionals and CQUADS!



Lanes, Maui in 2001/2002



Early days in Austria thanks to Flash Austin



Matt Pindel on Wipikas in 1998 (I started that year, things didn't look that old then?!)

Billabong XXL's Photos - Mark Healey, Mavericks, photos by Fred Pompermayer


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6183082_n.jpg



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7471614_n.jpg



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6411591_n.jpg


As long as we're there, let's take a look back ...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...3_394984_n.jpg
Greg Long, Dungeons South Africa XXL Photo - Nic Bothma

See! They must of had gopro's... and line mounts back then too!

Not sure what they used to shoot that or how large it was. The Elura was out then along with some other smaller video cameras. Even had some lipstick cameras, I think.

Chris Quinn having fun in Bimini Sound, a short plane flight away in the Bahamas!

A mixed bag of videos this morning, first something from the mountains shot with a GoPro:



Nice coulees and deep powder run action! Note: it gets better following the talking glove puppet show at :36.



A trailer for the latest "Windsurfing Movie II." Have to say these guys really do a great job of filming and editing. The amount of skill to pull those moves off is considerable.







A blast from the past, boat tow hang gliding with Miami Hang gliding. First tried this in 1993! It is a fairly easy and fast way to learn hang gliding avoiding the normal dozens of runs and short hops along the bunny slopes. I think they retired the boat and moved inland to setup up a flight park and ultralight aerotow operation. It was fun while it lasted!





Finally, some snow kiting outtakes. This is a sport in which the surface can hit back hard. Hope everyone came out ok, I've seen stars more than once on an impact myself with a helmet on too.

Some ocean views from Budda Bar ...



Bombi time







Sennet City and other favorites

Andre Phillip takes us on a tour of parts of Antigua and down to a favorite stop, Half Moon Bay for some kiting. Nice video and editing!





The hat and glasses make for interesting fashion statements. The thing about fashion, is it changes. Some used to think this was cool back in the day.

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs370...._1092077_n.jpg

Hang on to those photos!

Great setting, cast but the story could do with a bit of work but all in a good cause, Fistula.

The video was an outgrowth of "Sir Richard Branson and Fashion Photographer Russell James Host Supermodels on Necker Island for V2 Night B4 Halloween
Sir Richard Branson and photographer Russell James will host some of the world’s most stunning supermodels, including Emanuela de Paula, Jarah Mariano, Erin Wasson, Nicole Trunfio, and Gracie Carvalho, for V2 Night B4 Halloween, a livestreaming event benefiting the Virgin Group’s non-profit foundation Virgin Unite, to help in the Fight Against Fistula, a devastating birthing injury ..."

Continued at:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Sir-Ri....html?x=0&.v=1


More stills and videos from the event at: http://v2.dipdive.com/

Wind just picked up :) !

They cope pretty well but the mom duck should rig some smaller chicks.

Question, is this guy from earth or perhaps a parallel but somewhat inebriated dimension? The only reason I posted this is the guy's launch technique, I've never seen it before. Usually the guys just throw their chute. It is pretty amazing, then again a good gust and bye bye BASE jumper. As juiced as this guy seems to be he might not feel it though, too much. Still it is an intriguing clip. Kids, don't do this to your mind at home (or anywhere else!).

Good find. I was surprised he was able to stand on the wall being that intoxicated. lol

Some strong cold fronts are moving through these days and bringing some nice swells at times. The last two days were like that. Monday was near epic but unfortnately I failed to take a camera on the commute to the office. Fixed that yesterday on Tuesday and got some photos.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/2_G.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/1_IMG_2057.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/4_IMG_2064.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/3s.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/6_IMG_2168.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/7s.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album564/5s.jpg

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Something a little different, in consideration of the Holidays and new technology. Took the family out on the Intracoastal in Ft. Lauderdale last night to checkout the Christmas lights. I am trying out a G12 which is supposed to be optimized for lower light conditions. Shot the same area with the G9 within the month and was troubled by poor low light performance. This time I was cranking the equivalent ASA up to 2000, even 2500, usually non-useable grain city. This was also shot by a hand held camera from a moving boat. Lets see how things worked out ...


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/1_IMG_2344.jpg
Moving east on New River towards the ICW. I was still shooting with a fairly low ASA, about 1000 assuming any higher would render the shots unuseable.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/3_IMG_2444.jpg
The west area of the Las Olas Bridge. I had started to crank the ASA up to 2000 to 2500


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/7_IMG_2445.jpg
and the eastern side. With exposures on the order of .2 to .4 seconds, I started to pan the camera slowly to try to diminish the influence of the boat motion. Tricky stuff but it seemed to help at times.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/8_IMG_2449.jpg
Moving north of Las Olas. I used to catch the bus to high school in the midst of all those buildings. At that time however most didn't exist!


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/5_IMG_2536.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/4_IMG_2452.jpg
What have they done to the old neighborhood?! Used to be very few midrise condo's, no longer however.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/9_IMG_2470.jpg
Approaching the Sunrise Blvd. bridge


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/10_IMG_2514.jpg
A look back to the southwest and a real funky yacht


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/11_IMG_2485.jpg
A closer look


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/I2_MG_2389.jpg
Boomeranging way to the south to the old fueling spot, Lauderdale Marina


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album568/2_IMG_2392.jpg
The new 17th St. Causeway bridge.


So, all in all, detector technology seems to have substantially improved, a good thing.


Here's to a good New Year for one and all!


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