Photo Of The Day!!!

[ricki]

A different look at racing, from underwater in the Red Sea!

[ricki]

Had waves this morning on the way to work. Another strong cold front is passing through, dropped temperatures to the 40's when this was shot. It also cranked up some nice swells ...

[Clew In]

Hey,

Not big by any means; however, if you lived near there I bet you try to ride them.

http://www.grindtv.com/surf/blog/235...ng+five+miles/

Clew In

[ricki]

A look at Naish kites since the two line AR3.5. I used to have five AR5's, the first four line LEI's. They were good back in the day, no QR or spinable leash, those were still in the future. Too bad they antiqued the video so excessively.

[ricki]

Here is something for stylin' water goers everywhere, a look back at water drag. People want to look good, some more than others. The curious part is what may be deemed to be too cool for school will likely gag later generations. Interestingly enough, fashion doesn't demand function, in fact it may throw facility under the bus as you will see below.

Images from: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/travel/b...6.photogallery (lots more there too)



This has to be my favorite of the collection. Perceived function overwhelms fashion, actually opens a can of whoop ass on it, fairly mugging style. This 1875 concept reportedly rendered the wearer unsinkable and comes with a marking buoy to prove it. They didn't have fins but did come with those nifty hand paddles that doubled for shovels at all you can eat buffets. I can see this taking off with kite pants crazed kiteboarders or perhaps spandex togged free divers.



I have a theory about these bathing costumes, they in fact might have been intended to do away with the wearer. Imagine body surfing in one of these or trying to get out of a rip.



Now remember, this lady, I think it is a lady, was deemed hot 111 years ago. Bears keeping in mind with some of the off the wall gear out there today.



1909 was no stranger than other years, even today.



Stripes were big at times over the years as in 1915. Even Greg Knoll liked zebra baggies in the 1960s



We could use these 1929 creations today, not as portable dressing tents but as traction aids in stronger wind.



1949



1950's, getting smaller but sloooowly!




Bettie Page modeling something more acceptable in present day terms which may have been deemed over the top back in 1955 when it was photographed.



Jayne Mansfield digging dirt and styling at the same time at her manse back in the day.



1960's, almost here but not quite.



1960, ahead of its time. Just 20 or 30 more years and you'll be there.



No way they wore these in 1972?



Not sure but this could be Ginger off Gilligans Island being fingered by her suit in 1975.



1999



2002 and things are looking more normal ... for now. Nothing as constant as change.


There are about 90 images at the link above of water wear through the years.

[ricki]

http://www.stefanvanderkamp.nl/





Strange things going on in Zanzibar. A lucky fellow, hope he played the lottery.


How did he get up there? He climbed, with a board, kite flying, meteoric winds ripping with a nice soft steel deck and derricks for absorbing impact errors of judgment.


http://www.stefanvanderkamp.nl/


You can see a sequence of still shots including Nick climbing up and jumping off the derrick at: http://www.stefanvanderkamp.nl/#TB_i...g_autoviewer63





and some background from the local shop, http://www.kitecentrezanzibar.com/:
"kitecentre Zanzibar 17 hours ago
Just talked with Nick;
It was an impulse action he said, with struggels he could grap the edge of the boat and climb on it, after that the plan was just to jump off the boat on the other side, but than he saw the crane and thought, just go for it. With just half a meter on both sides in between the cranes he climbed up, binded the board with his leash behind him, no resque plan. .... At the take off, he was swept away in the wrong direction. He pulled the bar in the loop in the wrong way, he said he thought he would die. Suddenly the kite pulled him the right way again and he finished his jump. ..
After that his camera and all his gear was stolen, just after a beach elastic tow-inn session a hour later...."'





http://www.nickjacobsen.dk/

Nick Jacobsen is a kiter from Denmark. It would be good to get some more specifics but it looks like the jump height was a bit less than two line lengths or perhaps 40 to 50 m high. http://www.nickjacobsen.dk/



If you don't think these things out adequately in advance it is good to be (real) lucky! See he has also done some static kite towups secured to the towline. Poorly thought out and executed stunts have a way of catching up with you. I wouldn't keep relying so much on luck Nick.

.

[ricki]

Course racing in Miami yesterday off Matheson.



"Patrick pulls the fastest 10 second average of the day, but I won the tallest racer competition."

Uploaded by Todd to FB

[ricki]

The guys headed out to Stiltsville on a rainy day for some wind time on the flats. Here's the video ...

[ricki]

Hope this isn't footage of kiting in schools of sharks gone wrong or a loft fest in a tropical storm. Carnage? Must mean different things to east vs. west coasters.

[ricki]

New performance and board views from Jimmy Lewis:



"Buying a quad because 4 fins are cool and everyone's doing it? Why not learn the difference between a thruster and a kwad and choose what's right for you. Jimmy Lewis has two great shapes that suit their fin setups. The Chamber and The Kwad."