The year that passed has been a slightly different one that I initially imagined. I kickstarted the season with three weeks in St Lucia, with a 50/50 wind ratio. Immediately after that I moved from London to Gibraltar in the hope of sun, wind and a different life. I got all three of them. I certainly got sun, and I also changed my busy Metropolitan lifestyle for something a lot more simple and relaxed.
I also got a lot of wind, and Tarifa only 30 minutes away. But despite this I didn’t get out as much as I had hoped for. The problem was living in Gibraltar. Trying to cross the border into Spain after work turned out to be a nightmare with car queues up to an hour some days. This resulted in me resorting to weekends mainly. But without a solid community of kite buddies, which I’d had in London, riding also became less of a priority even in the weekends.
In the end I actually didn’t get more kitesurfing done in 2016 despite my seemingly ideal location. Progress has been slow and although I’ve picked up a few new tricks like the double front, a clumsy dark slide and switch rolls I still haven’t cracked front to blind.
First part of 2017 brings me back to UK, and the South coast. I’m hoping for many sessions, even mid-week after work. I’m even going to share flat with another kiter so potentially there will be a big focus on riding and progressing this year. I’m also planning a few trips this summer, maybe Sri Lanka or Mauritius and the Meds.
2016 hard facts:
Days on the water: 42
Most used kite: Element 15m, shared 2nd place 10 meters Nitro and Legacy
Countries surfed: 3 (St Lucia, Spain, Sweden)
More action to come in 2017. See you on the beach!