The Cost Of Kitesurfing.

Charlie, Pre-Tarifa social in Bristol, Feb ’09: You know you’re going to become addicted to kitesurfing and end up spending at least a grand on kit, right??

Me: Nahh… I don’t really get obsessively into things… I can’t see myself getting addicted enough to spend that much money just on equipment!

Perhaps the biggest barrier to most people (especially teenagers or young kids) interested in taking up kitesurfing is the cost of the sport.  Parents are usually unwilling to invest thousands of pounds into what may turn out to be a passing interest, and one that is largely seen as a holiday sport nonetheless.  However, there are cheap ways to learn and obtain gear, especially if you’re in uni and there is a kitesurfing society on hand to help you out!

Here is a breakdown of the money I have spent to date on kitesurfing, listed in chronological order.

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Tarifa Trip, April ’09: £400

Lessons: Euro 140 (£100???*)

Fuerteventura Trip, July ’09: £350

Unlimited Kit Rental over the summer: £0 (I love you guys)

Gear: Kite- 9m Flexifoil Atom ’08, bar&lines, leash, pump (Ebay): £500

Gear: Board, 138 North Dragon ’07 (Flexi Forums): £180

Gear: Harness, Maui Magic Luna (KiteitRight NorthWest): £100

Gear: Prolimit Kite Golfbag 140 (EdgeRiders Online): £100

Bristol Uni Kitesurfing Society Membership: £15

Various trips with the society: £100 (???? total guess)

Repairs after trashing the 7m Waroo: £0 (I love you guys)

One-Way Ticket to Australia, Nov ’09: £550 (inc. excess baggage charges)

AKSA Membership: $65 (£40*)

Gear: Lost my board, bought a new one- 131 Naish Thorn ’08 (Seabreeze): $470 (£285*)

Repairs to broken kite: Full bladder replacement (SOS Surf): $280 (£170*)

Gear: New kite, 6m Royal Era ’08 (off a friend): $450 (£270*)

Gear: Stolen bar&lines, bought a new one (SOS Surf): $500 (£300*)

Kite Stock ticket, Feb ’10: $150 (£90*)

Hoodies, etc: £60

* Rough estimates

Estimated total amount spent on kitesurfing since April 2009: £3,610.00

New Clothes!

Yesterday I received a parcel in the post- the Bristol Uni Kitesurfing Society hoodies and t-shirts had finally arrived!  Thanks to Rob for sorting everything out and sending it over.  Pictures after the cut (gear shots at the end.. yep, that’s my brand new never-been-used bar in them which cost a shocking AUD$550.. ehhh).

Gotta go kite now, it’s blowing 30+

January

It’s true: kitesurfing is not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.  An addiction.  You go out for three hours without realising and it only feels like three minutes, and afterwards, when you’re falling asleep and you can feel the echoes of the session in your body, your mind will drift to that feeling, of fighting the kite, of tension in the lines, of that perfect balance; it doesn’t matter if your legs, arms, abs are aching, you want to go out again.  You have to.

Road Trip To Geraldton.

On the week leading up to Christmas, I decided to take a little road trip up the coast to Geraldton with Erik (a Swedish kitesurfer I’d met at baggage claim when I landed in Perth) and some other kiters he’d met at the hostel he was staying at in Freo.  In total there would be six of us- Erik (24), Eric (also Swedish, 20), Jan (German, 23), Zak (UK- Sheffield, 25), Mark (UK- Southend, 23), and me (UK? 21).

On Boards.

Waiting for the wind to kick in.

About two and a half weeks ago I went to Lancelin for a little weekend getaway, and of course to check out the kiting.  The place is beautiful, as is pretty much everywhere in WA; how can you go wrong with long stretches of white sand,  perfect blue sea, flat water and steady wind?  I thought of all you guys when I was out there on my 9, cruising along, the warm sun shining down on me and the crystal ocean underneath my board.

Waiting For Wind.

Wind’s been off for the past few days so I’ve just been settling in here instead of kiting.  I suppose it’s nice to know that Ikea’s the same everywhere you go!  It’s 35 degrees today and I wandered down to the beach (5 minutes walking!  At a leisurely pace!) but instead of wind I was greeted with a LOT of bare flesh.

48 Hours In Perth.

Some observations from my first 48 hours in Perth:

• There are caution road signs for kangaroos, ducks and turtles.
• They sell triple cheeseburgers here.
• Bus drivers are friendly!  And they will actually stop for you!
• Public transport is efficient!  Side note: they have a “SmartRider” system which is basically an Oyster card, except instead of “touch in, touch out” they say “tag on, tag off” ^^
• Walking around the city centre with a kiteboard only attracts strange looks 15% of the time.
• Opening a bank account and getting health insurance is very easy and straightforward.
• Getting a driver’s license is not.
• EVERYBODY IS NICE.

There’s nothing here yet.