Testing out Answers, first winter swell coming in!

To start I have to give solid props to Gunnar now that I've ridden the Zero7 bar with the Synergy 12, and lately every other kite I have (including some Caution Answers) as well. I love the bar design--wide, simple, spinning, and more throw than I expected. When I get around to it I will add a couple of more inches to the throw, but most riders would be fine (or even prefer it) as is.

The hard-core locals had become somewhat more accepting now that I'm riding a surfboard strapless quite a bit, and A couple of weeks back one of the local Caution team riders asked me why I only ride Peter Lynn kites. I answered that though I love them, I would have more kite designs in my quiver if only I had an unlimited budget. He starts going on about how my riding is limited by the PL, and proceeds to offer me a 9M Answer, 7M Answer, a bar/line setup, and a pump (Eek!) for $100. How can I turn THAT down? I've ridden the 9M a few sessions and it's a piece of cake. You can do those super-quick turns and get the kite back around in less apparent wind when a Venom or Synergy would be pretty slow, but you definitely cannot surf down-the-line and ignore the kite like I love to do. Gotta keep an eye on that kite constantly too, and I have yet to try it in gusty winds. More possibilities, however, is always a good thing, and now I have that rain/storm winds tube kite I never got around to buying--and in the nick of time with our first storm of the season coming in tonight.

I am absolutely amazed at the reaction I'm getting riding a Caution. Everybody that ever ignored me with their nose turned-up at a "foil rider" is suddenly smiling, saying hello, and hooting it up out on the water. Several have come up smiling and said "well, isn't that just such a better kite than those Peter Lynn's?" Very funny to see such a strong reaction--as if I'd just been on the news for saving a baby from certain death--but I'm keeping mum about my "true" Arc feelings until I get a few more sessions and can fully tear-it-up with the Answer. Then, once everyone agrees that it has transformed my riding, I'll break out the Synergy on a windy day and demonstrate that I can do basically the exact same thing. Perhaps a few misconceptions will be cleared up ;-).

On the water we're finally starting to get some Gulf of Alaska swells. Yesterday I got about 1 1/2 hours riding right in town off 26th ave. beach in 1 1/2 overhead swell. It was sketchy, though, as the wind was extremely light near the shore and a couple of times I got caught inside after a wave closed-out behind me . . . Throwing/looping my V16 for all it's worth wasn't enough to get me past a slow/slogging downwind plane, and then the next 6-foot rush of whitewater would just slam me back towards the beach. Once I got a puff of wind, thought I could make the jump over a large breaker, and nearly cleared it. Alas, by board was up high, and from my waist-up I also cleared it, but it caught my butt as it broke and that was enough to take me down and into the washing machine like a rag doll in the blink of an eye.

This weekend the surf is holding at 10 feet plus/12 second gulf swell mixed with a 3-4 foot/20 second New Zealand swell and winds in the high teens to high 20's. It should be a wild weekend mixing it up with Synergies, Answers, Directionals, and surf boards, Wait, I forgot, DAMN! I have to work all weekend :-(. I have to take a break sometime, though, don't I . . . . ? I'll report on how things go in a couple of days.

Cheers,

Gideon