Complete- Kitetricity Canaveral To Vero Race PHOTOS!

[ricki]

First Installment, the START, more to follow soon

A.J. Morgan from Kitetricity.com decided to put on a downwinder distance kite race starting in Cape Canaveral and finishing in Vero Beach. The race covered over 56 miles in winds and seas ranging from around 20 mph and double head high in spots.



There have previously been distance races further south from Jupiter to Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale to Miami. Things are moving north, good thing! There is so much coastline in the state. We've only touched on a small fraction in races so far.



Captains meeting bright and early detailing what to look for, avoid and tips for riding down to Vero.
Had 22 riders register for this one. Wonder how many would have shown up if they had a better idea
of what fun they were missing? Next time.




A look north toward the inlet and kiters way in the distance. That is the Shuttle Assembly building, I think,
don't know the name of that other construction. This is the Space Coast after all.




Getting ready all around




Rig up and get launched, miles to go








Wide, hard beaches up this way and nice waves too









AJ wisely set up a running start along a line projected seaward from a flag on the beach.
This saves wrapped kites on the beach during feverish launches. Although, there was still
one wrap, for old times sake?








Chris is over from Tampa after running the recent Tampa Bay Kiteboard Masters









Sean is ready to hit it, more than any of us realized! Sean is quite the powerhouse
be it free style or hard hitting distance racing.




Andy is tuned in, camelpak in place and is just itching for the flag to GO









Gebi is ready too, these guys compete at a high level and really take to it




AJ and troops ready to send the riders blasting down the coast




They're off, less one, soon to catch up with a vengance though








They're running fast downwind, Gebi is soon to follow
CLICK photo for full size image








Already passing the pier almost 2 miles away seemingly in minutes.


That's the START, the best part is still coming, the RACE
stay tuned.


Big thanks again to A.J., the volunteers and the RIDERS for bringing this fun even about! A.J is talking about doing another one of these great races in the fall, so get training. Also, he has the third running of yet another fun flat water event, the Kitetricity Kitebash on April 17 - 19, 2009. More at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=39109



http://kitetricity.com

[thierrydehove]

Rick
sorry I was missing this race... ;-)
next time for sure I will be there

T.

[ricki]

Hey Thierry,

Me too! Hope to ride in the next one in addition to shooting parts of it. Travel up went pretty fast around 2 1/2 hours. Unfortunately, heading back south the storms that blew through before and way south, during, the race had SE Florida underwater the rest of the day and night. Still, it was a fun day, lots more photos to come. Already processed for once too.

[ricki]

The second installment of photos, THE RACE!


We've seen the start, now for the RACE! I sat this race out and so decided to chase along via car to leap frog ahead. Other folks were doing the same. These guys were going so fast staying ahead was hard! I think I drove for 17 minutes just to get ahead of them the first time. Even when the traffic lights thinned out the speed limit went up to 45 to 50 mph, it was still hard to keep up and get ahead. Amazingly enough I was rushing point to point for almost 2 1/2 hours and barely keeping up. I would think they were going over 30 mph at a lot of points (over a half mile per minute). I think I pulled over about three times plus climbing up the Sebastian Inlet Bridge. Always had to run to the car to play catchup with these guys, they were ripping fast down the coast.



Looking north up the coast into the pack of kiters




If you guys were wondering what you looked like from the road, here it is. I was going 40 mph at points and it almost seemed like you were keep up, amazing. I think that is Kent, Gebi and Billy going from south to north.




Here comes Shawn. I didn't recognize him at first, wondering where's Billy with the Rasta Flexi kite? Didn't tumble that Billy had set him up with a kite for the race.




There's Andy on the red kite and please help me out with the other rider. Nice waves washing through too.




Remember that late start Gebi had? That's his white and red Cabrinha in the leading group.




There's Damian, closely followed by Billy and Kent is body dragging to recover his board. Despite small hassles and delays like that, these guys ate up the miles after getting back to the front area leading the riders.




Sean runs through the white stuff




Kent flashes past with some big waves running




Andy and Gebi go to back light ripping along




Looking south after the leaders pass. That is Sean in front, followed by Kent, then Graham I think and Gebi smoking along




Andy goes into the trough








Billy riding well through some big stuff



Gebi blasts south




Josh is cranking fast too and looking at ease in the waves




Sean and Kent, waves are still running pretty good




A look up the line, the guys are spacing themselves out although swap placement
fairly frequently throughout the 55 mile run. There's Sean, Kent, Andy, Blue Kite
(help me out here), Gebi and Graham from south to north




Here's Sean ahead of a mountain of foam




Kent riding real fast and popping up off small wavelets. The control and stamina
required to maintain such high speeds over 55 miles is impressive.




Billy cooks along




There goes Graham, these boards got rockets? Looks like it! Sky is darkening to the south.




Josh again. Reminds me of something someone said after one of the Jupiter to
Ft. Lauderdale Races about wasting all those great waves along the way!




Working further south towards Sebastian Inlet. You can see the guys way to the north,
actually got some lead time on them for once. No traffic lights! How's it go? "Something
Evil this way comes?" Yep, there it is looming to the south, a nice storm cell. Lots of guys
opted to ride in and wait for this to pass, not everyone though. Thing about squalls, you
NEVER know what they'll throw down, dead calm, no change or 60 kts. plus gusts with wild
direction changes until you're in them. Lots of guys have been caught in them too, still what
is it they say, oh yeah "not me," sure hope so.
CLICK PHOTO for full sized image




There goes Sean, descending into a grim landscape of storm




Leapfrogged ahead and ran up to the top of Sebastian Inlet bridge. You can
see the guys kites ripping along just above the canopy of skunk palms.
That's Sean, Kent, Billy, Gebi and Graham from south to north. The inlet is
a short distance south. You can see mist from driving rain to the east.




Kent eases out and ahead of Sean. Sebastian Inlet provided a lot of challenges to
the racers. Getting as far offshore as possible helped with them but the wind and
waves made that very hard to almost impossible.




A view from the top. You can see rain clouds to the north, hard to keep your
camera dry at times too. Some guys are passing the inlet from the north and
if you strain you can see some distant dots way to the south. Big waves in the
middle. Making to windward against those seas off the shore was a hard thing
to do. I know low tide was close to this time. I have heard stories saying the
water was coming in or still going out at this point. Which was it?
CLICK PHOTO for full sized image



There goes Sean




Kent moves along making as far to seaward as feasible




Kent passes the south jetty and really works out. Some nice sized waves running too.




Here comes Billy, getting ready for the final push in the last 17 miles to the finish.




Gebi is airborn over the waves easing past the north jetty, until ...



His flight lines get wrapped with a fishing line?!!! Strong wind, outgoing current and whatever the fisherman has on the end of his line rushing towards you to snag or otherwise grab a bit of flesh. Not good and no fun either. Graham passes by and luckily clears the line to seaward.



There's Andy




Looking south, Sean and Kent fight for first place in the running




Damian descends into the trough, he's a big guy too, takes a big wave to do that.




The view down the coast. I think that is Sean and Kent in front, followed by Billy and then by Graham. Gebi cleared his fouled lines and jetted up fast shortly after.


I had to run down the bridge and into my car to blast down the coast to be in time to catch the first arrivals. I regret not hanging on longer to shoot some of the rest of the riders rushing in from the north. Little did I know that the wind would ease, clock more to dead onshore and make getting around the inlet virtually infeasible. A lot of guys were stopped at the north jetty. Jay opted to hop into the cut and kite out bypassing the barrier of the waves pounding on the north jetty.


More to come, there's the finish to still put up.

[danny31292]

Awesome shots Rick. I've attached a few shots of my own. I wish I could have gotten some shots from the bridge but after I launched AJ at PAB I could barely keep up. Those guys were fast. I forget if AJ mentioned it but one of his line extensions broke about 10 minutes after launch. So he had to land , take off the extensions and relaunch. I'm surprised he even caught up to the guys in the back.

Oh. I have way more pictures here http://danny31292.smugmug.com/galler...96834730_zKWKo

Dan

[ricki]

Great shots Dan, thanks for putting them up. I particularly appreciate the ones of the closing ceremony as I was already jetting back south when it took place to try for another shoot. I didn't know that about AJ's run, the stuff that riders go through on these distance races!

[ricki]

Final Installment, the FINISH

So, the racers charge on south for over two hours and then off in the distance to the north a kite would suddenly come into view.



The kiter would work his way around the point, then boost big, drag inland or run up the beach to be officially logged in.



The ladies heard some of the guys would be landing hot and so equiped themselves with a tidy foxhole. It also provides a place to avoid some of the wind.



Sean is first to make it in with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes



First or not, he is knackered like so many other riders to come





Next comes Billy skidding into shore with a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes




Next Kent lands with a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes




Then Gebi comes in with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and first in the over 40 category.
Lots of guys complained of intensely burning legs. Sean kept saying his leg was hurting,
I would ask which one? The strain on two legs is intense but with one leg taking a major
multiplier more load and strain in something like this is impressive.




Then there's Graham at 2 hours, 23 minutes




The guys gather round for comparison of experiences on the way down




Then we have Damian at 2 hours, 26 minutes




Damian went out for riding for another hour shortly after landing, joined by Gebi. Core riders these guys.




Andy came in at 2 hours, 28 minutes. These guys were tight on their times.



Gebi grabs some waves that he doesn't have to blow by for once



Maui easily out distances Kent and looks fairly smug about it too



Josh makes it in 2 hours, 38 minutes and looks pretty relaxed too.




Kent is OK with it, he figures he'll get his own back when they do a directional board kite off!




and finally their was Bjorn while I was still at the finish with a time of 3 hours, 13 minutes.


My apologies for having to run south at this point and thereby missing taking photos of the rest of the finishers.



Damian tries to stare down Maui, grins all around. What Damian doesn't know is that Maui is a closet baggie thief. Loves to yank baggies off surfers and run off with them.



Maui charges after Damian desperately trying to get those baggies, Damian keeps a hand close by to protect, uh, things.



Josh poses with his mom. Is that great or what, both his mom and his lady come to watch him race.




Here's a special thanks to the girlfriends, wives and SO's that aid and tolerate us in the pursuit of kiting! Same goes for guys too.


A.J.'s results for the race:

"1st Place: Sean Reyngoudt...2 hours and 18 minutes
2nd Place: Billy Parker...2 hours and 19 minutes
3rd Place: Kent Marinkovic...2 hours and 21 minutes
4th Place: Gebi...1st over 40...2 hour and 22 minutes....

1st Place, and the Only Woman, and over 40...Debbie Jackson...4 hours and 26 minutes...You Rock Baby...My female Hero...

We had a total of 22 Riders...Total of 57 miles...

Here are rest of the places and times...

5th Place: Gram Goodwin...2 hours and 23 minutes
6th Place: Demian Thomas...2 hours and 26 minutes
7th Place: Andy Hurdman...2 hours and 28 minutes
8th Place: Josh Noe...2 hours and 38 minutes
9th Place: Bjorn Dinberg...3 hours and 13 minutes
10th Place: Jayson Orkins...3 hours and 26 minutes
11th Place: Bryan Schneider...3 hours and 30 minutes
12th Place: Doug Smith...3 hours and 54 minutes
13th Place: Craig Priddy...4 hours and 01 minutes
14th Place: Shaun Jackson...4 hours and 03 minutes
15th Place: 1st Place Woman...Debbie Jackson...4 hours and 26 minutes

DNF People:

Chris Levins
Carlos Curti
Jan Boersma
Allen Lindsey
Erick Lov
Chris Moore
Keith moore

and Yes, I did not make it either...Just could not get around the Inlet..."




I left around this time to shoot some Capoeira in Hollywood way down south. I didn't know that rain had pretty much shut things down. Cranked up on Sunday though, lots of great shots to come on that unusual practice. You can see some interesting images from a few year ago at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=2289





By for now, see you at the races!



.

[TEG]

Great pictures, Rick. Good work following the race, and a good job by A.J. too, since I'm sure organizing events like this take time.
I wish I could have been there, but I'm stuck in D.C. for a few months for work. But I'll be there next race.

I'm sure Trace was watching too...

Tom
formerly of Valkaria ,
now stuck in D.C.

[ricki]

Thanks Tom, glad I was there to capture some of the action. Sure is a nice area up that way. There are so many great and varied riding areas around the state. Hope you get over to MD for the odd wind break up north. Should be good wind tomorrow for the downwind race. Wish I could skip out from work but not this time. Have fun out there folks!

[ricki]

Thanks Tom, glad I was there to capture some of the action. Sure is a nice area up that way. There are so many great and varied riding areas around the state. Hope you get over to MD for the odd wind break up north. Should be good wind tomorrow for the downwind race. Wish I could skip out from work but not this time. Have fun out there folks!