courtesy of the tourist board to finally crack this kiting ...€¦ · me to Grand Cayman. I have...
1
< KITEWORLD #63 52 really feel the cold. No, really, even in the depths of a hazy British summer time I usually wear my winter coat. Working for a kitesurfing magazine, you'd think I'd be an accomplished kitesurfer by now. It's not like I haven't had a good few lessons, but the UK is just so cold and I was shivering throughout my lessons and the seaweed... my god, the seaweed! So I jumped at the opportunity of more lessons in the gorgeous Caribbean. I've always imagined the Caribbean as feeling much further away, but the seven hour flight was easy. We made a quick stop-off at Nassau, but didn't even have to leave the plane, and were soon gliding down over the lush looking island of Grand Cayman. What do you think of when you think of the Cayman Islands? Banks everywhere, tall buildings and millionaires on frivolous spending sprees? I pictured it like the images I'd seen of Monte Carlo, but I couldn't have been more surprised. Everyone in the airport, whether they were a customs officer or a cleaner, welcomed me to Grand Cayman. I have never met such friendly people. The Cayman Islands are made up of three islands. Grand Cayman is the biggest and where most tourists spend their time, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are a short flight from there and worth a trip if you want to get away from the main crowds. There is a kite school on Cayman Brac but I was to spend my week on Grand Cayman, splitting my learning experience between the island's two kite schools. On exit from the airport the lush green expanses and brightly painted Caribbean houses look beautiful and the tourist appeal is immediately apparent. Seven Mile Beach is the main tourist area and truly breathtaking where you'll find seven miles of golden sand with people doing every water sport imaginable. The kiting season runs from November to May, with wind almost every day. My first few lessons were with Kitesurf Cayman, based in the northwest in an area called West Bay in Barker's National Park with Seven Mile Beach conveniently close with plenty of options for your post-kite beer. After an ominous start to the day getting my car stuck in the sand at Barkers and being pushed out by a group of kiters I met Jhon Mhora, the owner of Kitesurf Cayman and my instructor. Although the actual beach area at Barkers is quite small, there is still plenty of space to lay out your lines and the water is shallow and where most people launch from. Grand Cayman is almost entirely surrounded by a coral reef which makes excellent kitesurfing conditions and popular dive spots. Learner kitesurfers can stay in the shallow flat waters inside the reef, but if you fancy a bit more adventure there are places where you can get through the reef to the proper waves on the other side. Learning with Jhon was a very different experience to my lessons in the UK. I didn't even get near the water on my first lesson in the UK, and when I did eventually get wet I spent the next four lessons body-dragging. I gave up before even attempting to get on the board. I was slightly worried that I'd have to revert back to the beginning, but Jhon pretty much got me straight in the water and as soon as I got the kite in my hands the feeling came flooding back. We started right at the beginning, re-capping how to set up the kite and judge the wind, then moved on to figure-of-eights and more body- dragging. I quickly polished my skills and before I knew it was attempting to get up onto the board. I usually feel that I'm quite a quick learner at most things, so was pretty confident that I'd be up on the board in no time. Sadly, my legs had a mind of their own and I kept falling backwards as soon as I was lifted up. I was getting frustrated but Jhon was really encouraging, telling me to take deep breaths and relax before I tried each time. His encouragement worked well and after several goes I was starting to find my balance and travel a good distance. Jhon believes that students should have fun while learning, which means that his lessons run at quite a quick pace. As soon as I achieved one thing he moved me onto the next, making for an exciting learning experience. The feeling of getting up and going is so addictive, and if you can get that feeling in the first lesson or two, you'll be much more motivated to stick it out and learn all the technical stuff later. It was amazing to have my lessons on a gorgeous beach that was all but deserted except the few horse riders for company. I started with an eight metre kite on day two and got straight out in the ocean for more board start practice. I gained confidence and Jhon took me further out in his boat. He then followed closely while I did some longer runs, eventually keeping an eye on me from further away. It's a weird feeling the first time you get left by yourself; just you, the kite and board for company. It's up to you to remember everything you've been taught, and do it well! I talked to the kite quite a lot. Things like, “Come on you bastard!” although I preferred being able to make mistakes and correct them without feeling so self conscious. The wind dropped after about an hour, so I was back on a 12. The difference in feel was incredible. I had so much more control over my speed, but the kite was more powerful, which was a bit scary. My confidence was boosted when I overheard Jhon remark to another instructor that he didn't need to worry because I had 'good kite control'. Result! I was soon whizzing along, which wasn't always a good thing as I frequently ended up splatted forwards on my face when the speed got a bit I Caption >Anina shredding at Barkers photo > Tara Stanhope KITING NEEDN'T BE TAXING intro > Kiteworld office and subscription manager, Anina Simpson, headed off to the Cayman Islands on a press trip courtesy of the tourist board to finally crack this kiting caper. Now you can expect lots of kiting banter and some thrilling minutes chewing the cud with her about the forecast on Windguru when you call the office to renew your sub!
Transcript of courtesy of the tourist board to finally crack this kiting ...€¦ · me to Grand Cayman. I have...
< KITEWORLD #6352
really feel the cold. No, really,even in the depths of a hazyBritish summer time I usually
wear my winter coat. Working for akitesurfing magazine, you'd think I'd bean accomplished kitesurfer by now. It'snot like I haven't had a good fewlessons, but the UK is just so cold andI was shivering throughout my lessonsand the seaweed... my god, theseaweed! So I jumped at theopportunity of more lessons in thegorgeous Caribbean.
I've always imagined the Caribbeanas feeling much further away, but theseven hour flight was easy. We made aquick stop-off at Nassau, but didn'teven have to leave the plane, and weresoon gliding down over the lushlooking island of Grand Cayman.
What do you think of when you thinkof the Cayman Islands? Bankseverywhere, tall buildings andmillionaires on frivolous spendingsprees? I pictured it like the images I'dseen of Monte Carlo, but I couldn'thave been more surprised. Everyone inthe airport, whether they were acustoms officer or a cleaner, welcomedme to Grand Cayman. I have never metsuch friendly people.
The Cayman Islands are made up ofthree islands. Grand Cayman is thebiggest and where most tourists spendtheir time, Cayman Brac and LittleCayman are a short flight from thereand worth a trip if you want to getaway from the main crowds. There is akite school on Cayman Brac but I was
to spend my week on Grand Cayman,splitting my learning experiencebetween the island's two kite schools.
On exit from the airport the lushgreen expanses and brightly paintedCaribbean houses look beautiful andthe tourist appeal is immediatelyapparent. Seven Mile Beach is the maintourist area and truly breathtakingwhere you'll find seven miles of goldensand with people doing every watersport imaginable.
The kiting season runs fromNovember to May, with wind almostevery day. My first few lessons werewith Kitesurf Cayman, based in thenorthwest in an area called West Bay inBarker's National Park with Seven MileBeach conveniently close with plenty ofoptions for your post-kite beer.
After an ominous start to the daygetting my car stuck in the sand atBarkers and being pushed out by agroup of kiters I met Jhon Mhora, theowner of Kitesurf Cayman and myinstructor. Although the actual beacharea at Barkers is quite small, there isstill plenty of space to lay out yourlines and the water is shallow andwhere most people launch from.Grand Cayman is almost entirelysurrounded by a coral reef whichmakes excellent kitesurfing conditionsand popular dive spots. Learnerkitesurfers can stay in the shallow flatwaters inside the reef, but if you fancya bit more adventure there are placeswhere you can get through the reef tothe proper waves on the other side.
Learning with Jhon was a verydifferent experience to my lessons inthe UK. I didn't even get near the wateron my first lesson in the UK, and whenI did eventually get wet I spent thenext four lessons body-dragging. I gaveup before even attempting to get onthe board.
I was slightly worried that I'd have torevert back to the beginning, but Jhonpretty much got me straight in thewater and as soon as I got the kite inmy hands the feeling came floodingback. We started right at the beginning,re-capping how to set up the kite andjudge the wind, then moved on tofigure-of-eights and more body-dragging. I quickly polished my skillsand before I knew it was attempting toget up onto the board. I usually feelthat I'm quite a quick learner at mostthings, so was pretty confident that I'dbe up on the board in no time. Sadly,my legs had a mind of their own and Ikept falling backwards as soon as I waslifted up. I was getting frustrated butJhon was really encouraging, telling meto take deep breaths and relax before Itried each time. His encouragementworked well and after several goes Iwas starting to find my balance andtravel a good distance.
Jhon believes that students shouldhave fun while learning, which meansthat his lessons run at quite a quickpace. As soon as I achieved one thinghe moved me onto the next, making foran exciting learning experience. Thefeeling of getting up and going is so
addictive, and if you can get thatfeeling in the first lesson or two, you'llbe much more motivated to stick it outand learn all the technical stuff later.
It was amazing to have my lessonson a gorgeous beach that was all butdeserted except the few horse riders forcompany. I started with an eight metrekite on day two and got straight out inthe ocean for more board start practice.I gained confidence and Jhon took mefurther out in his boat. He thenfollowed closely while I did somelonger runs, eventually keeping an eyeon me from further away.
It's a weird feeling the first timeyou get left by yourself; just you, thekite and board for company. It's up toyou to remember everything you'vebeen taught, and do it well! I talkedto the kite quite a lot. Things like,“Come on you bastard!” although Ipreferred being able to makemistakes and correct them withoutfeeling so self conscious. The winddropped after about an hour, so I wasback on a 12. The difference in feelwas incredible. I had so much morecontrol over my speed, but the kitewas more powerful, which was a bitscary. My confidence was boostedwhen I overheard Jhon remark toanother instructor that he didn't needto worry because I had 'good kitecontrol'. Result!
I was soon whizzing along, whichwasn't always a good thing as Ifrequently ended up splatted forwardson my face when the speed got a bit
ICaption >Anina shredding at Barkers photo > Tara Stanhope
KITING NEEDN'TBE TAXING
intro > Kiteworld office and subscription manager, AninaSimpson, headed off to the Cayman Islands on a press trip
courtesy of the tourist board to finally crack this kiting caper. Nowyou can expect lots of kiting banter and some thrilling minuteschewing the cud with her about the forecast on Windguru when
you call the office to renew your sub!
ANINA_Layout 1 23/04/2013 13:47 Page 3
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