Even when your kids are in grade 5 and 6 there is still that little sense of
loss when you drop them off for the first day of school :(
Missing them already!
If there was enough wind I could kite away the blues.... but working on the computer isn't doing it for me!
Wind up - only 45minute window before school pick up... broke a line after 5 minutes.. shortest session of all time .... arrhhhh .... need to practice
At last an hour kiteboarding between school pick up and work.. lots of turns on the big board and left with my hair still dry.. now thats progress!!!
Did a swim session with the squad.. Em wrote a good first session back for us... not to easy not too hard just right!
Now a little bike ride and some board binding adjustments before trying once a again for an early night .. anyone think it will happen?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sun 31st Jan Swim School then kiting a storm....
After a wonderful 1st weekend back at Swim 4 All including Emily's 21 st Birthday Party in the middle, I finished off kiting the weather change. I arrived in a northerly... pumped up in a westerly with all the beach goers rushing to their cars and kited in a Westerly, South Westerly and Southerly.... 10 - 40 knots!
Not that I mind showing off in front of hundreds of beach goers but in a gusty northerly sharing the beach with that many people is not ideal. Having them all run for cover when I arrive and having the beach and water to myself... mmmm paradise.
Normally love the big boosts but had trouble getting air on the big big board that its owner Louis says I need to spend a month riding to get used to. Shame I only have a couple of weeks to go before the big BS. Did practice turning on it... hard work and still head butting the water a bit!
More practice required..
So heaps of work to do but my new revelation is a little relaxation instead of cramming something productive into every waking moment might be better for my health and long term goals...
So I'm going to watch "Up" now... and not work on the computer at the same time..
anyone out there think I can do it??
Not that I mind showing off in front of hundreds of beach goers but in a gusty northerly sharing the beach with that many people is not ideal. Having them all run for cover when I arrive and having the beach and water to myself... mmmm paradise.
Normally love the big boosts but had trouble getting air on the big big board that its owner Louis says I need to spend a month riding to get used to. Shame I only have a couple of weeks to go before the big BS. Did practice turning on it... hard work and still head butting the water a bit!
More practice required..
So heaps of work to do but my new revelation is a little relaxation instead of cramming something productive into every waking moment might be better for my health and long term goals...
So I'm going to watch "Up" now... and not work on the computer at the same time..
anyone out there think I can do it??
Friday, January 29, 2010
Sat 30th Swim 4 All swim school starts back
Getting classes sorted making sure everyone is happy where they are..... and off to the pool for the start of the swimming term.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
29th Jan Maddy at school Nat sick again
Maddy started school today.... most rushed 1st day ever.. up at 8am for a 8.25 start.. iron uniform make Maddy's brekky and lunch pack her bag, do her hair, put clothes on me and get to school in 20minutes. She hardly had time to get upset about leaving me!!
Then pick up Bay from 3rd sleepover in a row..... very tired boy and not surprising after all the activity we both have tonsillitis again. Dr checking my blood for all manor of other stuff too....
Told him sickness was not an option as I have to Kiteboard Bass Strait in just over 2 weeks.
He said I will be well then... of course there is that resting eating well catch to his promise.
So no kiting before school pick up but maybe a little downwinder after wards? If I wear the heated wetsuit..
crap.. better go charge the batteries for it
Then pick up Bay from 3rd sleepover in a row..... very tired boy and not surprising after all the activity we both have tonsillitis again. Dr checking my blood for all manor of other stuff too....
Told him sickness was not an option as I have to Kiteboard Bass Strait in just over 2 weeks.
He said I will be well then... of course there is that resting eating well catch to his promise.
So no kiting before school pick up but maybe a little downwinder after wards? If I wear the heated wetsuit..
crap.. better go charge the batteries for it
28th Jan Coxys Big Break filming
After a PR meeting where they gave me so much to do... talk to every paper, tv news and current affairs show... arhh.... I did some filming and an interview for Coxys Big Break. It wont air until March but still good publicity .. I talked about my cause and wore a swim 4 all t-shirt.. yeah!
Then I did an hour of turns on the big big board before the sun set (which now has a different fin configuration).... only fell in 3 times.. getting there!
Then I did an hour of turns on the big big board before the sun set (which now has a different fin configuration).... only fell in 3 times.. getting there!
27th January downwinder and boys party
Picked up kiddies after sleep over at Suzies, rushed home and did a down winder trying out new board from Ricketts point to St.kilda. Tried to practice turns on big big board... very hard.
Direction of wind and wind strength perfect... can I have these conditions for the Bass Strait crossing please universe. 20- 25 knot southerly and i went about 30 degrees off North virtually in a straight line (except the turns i put in for practice and to get my hair wet falling in!)
Rushed home to meet four boys for Bays sleep over party.
They stayed up to about 3 fueled on sugar.
Direction of wind and wind strength perfect... can I have these conditions for the Bass Strait crossing please universe. 20- 25 knot southerly and i went about 30 degrees off North virtually in a straight line (except the turns i put in for practice and to get my hair wet falling in!)
Rushed home to meet four boys for Bays sleep over party.
They stayed up to about 3 fueled on sugar.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Australia Day in Bass Strait
Received a custom race / tow in type board from Louis Tapper in NZ and met up with Captain Stuart on the Support Boat Calypso to take it out in Bass Strait for a test run.
5 minutes after getting on the very big very strange board I was navigating my way from Bass Strait through the heads with its rips and massive washing machine waves into Sorrento.
Clearly I'm still alive to tell the tale so thats got to be as bad as it gets right??
Captain Stuart tells me to expect the whole run from Tassie to be at least that bad.
OMG what have I signed up for???
We practised doing a boat launch in the Strait... this was a little hairy and of course my lines were inverted. Hopefully for the crossing I will take off from Stanley beach on the same kite I arrive home with. But should there be any malfunction we will need to be able to do a boat launch of a spare kite which will be carried on the boat.
My waterproof radio got water in it and didnt work (just like my waterproof GPS last week - I do hope my iphone waterproof pouch doesn't follow suit) so had to rely on signals from the boat. The crew pointing in the direction they want me to go and me pointing in the only direction I could go lead to aborting the ride after an hour zig zagging to get closer to land. This was done in the lovely calm waters of the bay and was pretty sweet. The landing the kite and getting it onto the boat did go a lot better than last time.
2 months ago when we tried the same mission in a 40K Northerly resulted in a lost board that surprisingly turned up 2 months later floating in Bemm River near Orbost covered in barnacles.
BTW ... small mouse was in mouse friendly trap when we got home and is now happlily running around in his enclosure again.
At least I dont need to go mouse hunting today!
5 minutes after getting on the very big very strange board I was navigating my way from Bass Strait through the heads with its rips and massive washing machine waves into Sorrento.
Clearly I'm still alive to tell the tale so thats got to be as bad as it gets right??
Captain Stuart tells me to expect the whole run from Tassie to be at least that bad.
OMG what have I signed up for???
We practised doing a boat launch in the Strait... this was a little hairy and of course my lines were inverted. Hopefully for the crossing I will take off from Stanley beach on the same kite I arrive home with. But should there be any malfunction we will need to be able to do a boat launch of a spare kite which will be carried on the boat.
My waterproof radio got water in it and didnt work (just like my waterproof GPS last week - I do hope my iphone waterproof pouch doesn't follow suit) so had to rely on signals from the boat. The crew pointing in the direction they want me to go and me pointing in the only direction I could go lead to aborting the ride after an hour zig zagging to get closer to land. This was done in the lovely calm waters of the bay and was pretty sweet. The landing the kite and getting it onto the boat did go a lot better than last time.
2 months ago when we tried the same mission in a 40K Northerly resulted in a lost board that surprisingly turned up 2 months later floating in Bemm River near Orbost covered in barnacles.
BTW ... small mouse was in mouse friendly trap when we got home and is now happlily running around in his enclosure again.
At least I dont need to go mouse hunting today!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Mouse Hunt, short kite session and a radio interview
Often motherhood can hamper ones efforts to train... today a five hour mouse hunt as I lost one of the families pets did mean a short kite session before the big radio interview!!
We haven't found the mouse yet... there were several sightings so there is still hope, but after 5 hours of cleaning a boys room while searching for the mouse I needed a little time on the water.
Not enough time to fit in a down winder I opted for some trick practice before next weekends Nationals.
Managed a new trick ... trying an unhooked handle pass I missed the bar, and the safety released which I caught by the hook on the end Millie seconds before loosing my lovely lovely kite!
Not a trick I plan to repeat.
Radio interview on 1116 SEN tonight was great. Thanks to Finey the host and Chris at Outer Edge Magazine for having me on.
Should have the podcast available soon.
Chris gave me the hot off the press new Outer Edge Mag which has my article in it ... which totally rocks!!
We haven't found the mouse yet... there were several sightings so there is still hope, but after 5 hours of cleaning a boys room while searching for the mouse I needed a little time on the water.
Not enough time to fit in a down winder I opted for some trick practice before next weekends Nationals.
Managed a new trick ... trying an unhooked handle pass I missed the bar, and the safety released which I caught by the hook on the end Millie seconds before loosing my lovely lovely kite!
Not a trick I plan to repeat.
Radio interview on 1116 SEN tonight was great. Thanks to Finey the host and Chris at Outer Edge Magazine for having me on.
Should have the podcast available soon.
Chris gave me the hot off the press new Outer Edge Mag which has my article in it ... which totally rocks!!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Radio interview tonight - 1116 Sen from 9.30pm
Listen tonight for my live radio interview with Chris Ord from Outer Edge about my Bass Strait Challenge!!! From 9.30pm. :)
Jan 23rd Gunnamatta
Went to check out Gunnamatta. Said to be the craziest surf in Melbourne so good too get some wave riding practice in. It was a lovely place but waves gentle enough for the kids to boogie board in and not enough wind to kite in. Our well, nice day out anyway and plenty of exercise walking the steps at Cape Schank.
Jan 22nd Bass Strait Training
Finally got to do a long down winder... from Mt Martha to Port Melbourne. It took 3 hours with a tricky start; kite down; lines tangled; lost board; visit from a seal, but once I got going it was a great run. Took a while to navigate around Mentone as I didnt go wide enough from Mordialloc... must admit that had something to do with not wanting to be out too far alone after the last downwinder when I was accompanied by police helicopter, police boat and the 5 and half meter shark.
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