CYPRUS-WIND

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Here’s all about the latest kitesurfing action in Cyprus !

A month in paradise.

 Maui, Hawaii was my training destination this fall and the legendary island of the Pacific did not disapoint. Postcard setting, warm weather, consistent wind and waves combined with a relaxed lifestyle is what I got for a whole month… My base was in Haiku/Peahi on Maui’s north shore only minutes drive from the famous spots of Hookipa, Lanes and Kanaha (read and see more).

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After a long awaited arrival the brand new F-One Bandit 5 is finally here. A totally new designed kite offering better performance and safety than ever before yet as always extremely versatile performing at all levels and all styles, from beginner to pro.

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Check out the magnificent F-One Antandroy video filmed in Madagascar and learn more about this kite  here.

Xenon kiteboarding is a new kiteboard manufacturer who makes some of the lightest and strongest boards on the market today. A fresh new design makes them stand out of the crowd and a 2 year warranty means they are a very reliable acquisition. The Laluz model was voted by specialized magazine reviews best freestyle board for 2010.

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For 2011 they are also releasing a range of 2 surfboards in 6 different sizes, among the classiest looking designs ever ( more).

Chile, Matanzas kite trip.

Big waves, strong winds and cold water basically describe this coastal part of Chile. Extreme wave riding guaranteed! Matanzas is a small one street village located two and a half hours drive south from Santiago. It belongs to the borough of Navidad and is home for a few families that practice traditional farming, small scale fishing and increasingly tourism powered by surfing ,windsurfing and kitesurfing (read and see more).

Cyprus-Wind Pro Center  has specialized in  windsurf, yacht sails, paraglider and kite repairs for the past decade. As the only authorized professional repair center on the island our responsability towards local sailors is huge. Having started on a small home sewing machine borrowed from a friend back in 1999, things have gone a long way since then…

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The recent addition of a factory top of the range sewing machine has taken things even further. Special features such as extra long and high arm (no sail creasing), needle cooling, pneumatic puller and presser foot control, result in a very practical, precision tool capable of outstanding work.

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After 10 years spent Kitesurfing in Cyprus and as many Windsurfing before that you would think we knew every beach and good spots in existence on such a small island. Using a boat has recently opened a hole new variety of places from where it is possible to kitesurf in Cyprus. Only accessible by sea, no crowds, untouched and only few minutes away from our base in Pissouri.

The end of an era! Kitesurfing schools in Cyprus are no longer  allowed to operate legally within the territory of the British bases. All existing permits have been retracted and from now on anyone caught teaching or being taught on Avdimou, Paramali or Ladies mile among other beaches also situated on the bases will be prosecuted.

Reasons for this forbidding is still unclear but  some kite schools  will now have to relocate, which is easier said than done as there are no other locations on the island available for this purpose. Kitesurfers wishing to use these beaches for recreational purpose are still welcome but as always subjects to eventual routine military police controls.

Cyprus-Wind Kitesurfing Pro Center is located in Pissouri bay and therefore not affected by these events.

In it’s constant pursuit of offering the best possible structure for learning to kitesurf Cyprus-Wind Kitesurfing Pro Center has acquired a new state of the art RIB. This boat allows to improve  students learning curve, safety and guarantee that whatever the wind direction we can give a lesson. Off shore winds ruining your kitesurfing course are a thing of the past !

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Thanks to this specially fitted dinghy all water lessons are boat supported and more efficient. We can also extend our down-wind rides and excursions to further away beaches.

A cool little beach town right on the Pan-American highway, Mancora is a great base from which to explore Peru’s north coast. With incredible restaurants serving world class fresh tuna steaks and seafood, and plenty of chill bars to relax after a long day on the water, we were once more delighted with Mancora’s laid back vibe. Constant wind and near perfectly shaped surf made Northern Peru, once more, an ideal destination for riding waves (read and see more).

The Cyprus-Wind Kitesurfing Pro Center and friends has installed an ultrasonic  solar powered windmeter on one of Cyprus’ windiest kitesurfing spots. This device enables designated users to remotetly access real-time and historical data about the wind speed on the location of the device via cell phone (sms message) or PC web portal interface. As a kite school we now know precisely what the wind is at the beach before getting there enabeling us to program  lessons more accurately, and for everyday kitesurfers less time is wasted looking for wind. For details on how to access this device please contact christophe@cyprus-wind.com.

Episkopi Turtlewatch chose to celebrate ‘International Endangered Species Day’ in an apt manner by completing its annual beach clean programme.  A host of eager volunteers braved the hottest day of the year so far in order to prepare Paramali kitesurfing Beach for imminent turtle nesting season.  The efforts of the turtlewatch volunteers were supported by several members of the SBA police, the newly formed “Cyprus Women of Today” group, local kite surfers and Paramali Council.  Funding was supplied by Project AWARE Foundation International.

Thanks are also due to the muhktar of Paramali who surprised the participants with well deserved refreshments after the hard work had been completed.

The HEADZONE Sports Coaching System enables the coach to communicate directly with the student on the water, using a wireless waterproof radio helmet. We can now instruct in real-time and achieve better results faster. The impact of ‘real-time’ sports coaching will of course vary from person to person, but to date we have had nothing less than a 30% faster learning reported.

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More than ever we can now advise the student, suggest corrections and see immediate results. Safety is increased as well. The coaching is more efficient and  the students gain more from each lesson.

Cape Town, South Africa is a very windy place and one of the top locations in the world for kitesurfing at all levels. The beaches are stunningly beautiful and there is a wide selection of spots to ride weather you like flat or waves. My friend Steve and I spent 3 weeks kitesurfing spots such as Big Bay, Haagat and my personnal favorit Witsands. Combined with good food, lots of sight seeing, and cheap rates it is no wonder it has become one of the top training grounds for the who’s who in kitesurfing (read and see more).

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Northern Peru has extraordinary kitesurfing conditions with perfect waves and reliable winds. This is where you go if you want to KiteSURF. If you are going to be doing freestyle, this is not the best place for you. You will just be in the way… Mancora was the perfect base for reaching out to spots such as Lobitos, Tres cruces or Baterias. With excellent seafood, nice people and chilled atmosphere this was my best kite trip to date. I will be back (read and see more) !

Winds were light but forecasted to get stronger later that day. I only had 6 & 4m Kites with me so why wait any longer ? With the help of a good friend what started as a joke became a reality, so we stacked both kites using 4m line extensions . 

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Flying the kites stacked was very simillar to flying a single kite. Most tricks and moves were possible and the extra power allowed me to kitesurf till the wind got stronger. Water re-launching was not attempted but could certainly be a problem…

Moulay Bouzarktoon, down on Morocco’s Atlantic coast is mainly considered a windsurfers spot. So, very few kitesurfers there apart from my friend Yiannis, kitesurfing champion Bertrand Fleury and me… Nuclear winds with big waves and rough seas converted into epic sailing conditions… for those up to the challenge (read and see more).

What do kitesurfers do when there is no wind ? Spot spoting… Take to the air, fly slow and low, go wherever you please, and have a new look on potential kitesurfing spots. Discover new beaches, find access roads and if you are not too dizzy after go ride them !

Kitesurf surfboard design is something that has always been and continues to be very personal. Most riders know what works for them and what they like, but nothing replaces the feeling and performance of a traditionally shaped and built custom kitesurfboard.

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Wave’s handmade boards are now available in Cyprus and together they can work with you  to bring out what you like most in a surfboard. Check them out !

Winter 2007/08 will be remembered as one of the best kitesurfing seasons yet by Cyprus waveriding aficcionados. Curium  delivered  wind and waves (up to 4meters) very consistently and has given many local riders a new look on the sport other than freeride/freestyle. Surfboards are now a common view on the spots and their number has tripled in the past year.   

A  video of some of the action can be seen here :  http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/curium_gusting_40.html. Back to reality, with the spring and the summer ahead of us it is going to be a long time before we get a good swell again.

It has  now become a tradition for us to go on a kite trip every January and this year was no exception. Our destination this time was Shacks beach in Puerto Rico the “Hawaii” of the caribbean. Unfortunately the holiday came to a tragic end when our good friend Dominica drowned after loosing consciousness while swimming back to the beach after a kite session at Montones.

According to doctors her drowning was due to cardiac arrest. A lot of crap has been circulating on the internet about how this accident really happened so I hope this will set the record straight. At age 29 she was a sweet girl and a keen kitesurfer. She will be missed (read and see more). 

It is 7.30am on new years day 2008 and my good friend Manolis and I have made arrangements to meet at Ladies mile beach to welcome the new year in the best possible way. A kitesurfing session ! The wind is blowing from the east 20/25 knots and Manolis decides to use an 8m kite whereas I go for a 6m. 

I remember us saying to each other at the end of a 5 hour long session, this had been the best new year’s day we had in a long time. See you next year file mou ! 

The island of Sal might not be the best place for sight seeing but who cares when you are a kitesurfer and have a world class wave called Punta Preta to play with every day ? We spent two intense weeks last January riding the fastest cleanest wave ever, which alone makes this magical island worth visiting (read and see more).

Jerome Caillet the shaper of “Radical custom boards” visited our island during two weeks this August and could be seen kitesurfing at Paramali beach every afternoon. His arrival was long awaited by the large number of local kitesurfers that use his boards which followed into long discussions about future shaping technics and materials. He particularly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and cypriot cuisine.

For those among you who are interested in surfing, Willy Libourty wrote a detailed article about surfing conditions and spots in Cyprus during his visit on the island this summer. Apparently not such a bad place for surfing. To read his article and follow his advetures go to this link :. http://www.willsurf66.com/Reportages/Tripsurf/Chypre.htm

The Cyprus-Wind Kitesurfing Pro Center team and friends passesd most of January 2006 training down under in Western Australia. A memorable trip none of us will never forget with nuclear winds and perfect waves. We drove close to 3000km kitesurfing legendary spots such as Coronation, Lancelin, Gnaraloo or the Abrolhos islands. A destination that will be hard to beat in the future (read and see more).

Curiosity killed the cat . Not this time ! The first kite foilboard was brought on to the island this summer. After a few hours of practice results were spectacular and make foilboarding an interesting option for those light wind days. Pehaps the futur will make it more practical and easier to use.

The second edition of the downwind dash organized at the Lemmings water sports club was again a success and dominated as last year by the Cyprus-Wind Kitesurfing Pro Center instructors who managed to keep even the fastest windsurfers at bay in winds reaching 25 knots. A kitesurfing freestyle session followed which lasted till late in the afternoon.

I wanted to sail the Ladies mile salt lake for a long time.The rain we had this winter made it deep enough and the early departure of the flamingos that usually cover the area made it possible this year. After rigging in the mud the SBA police came to see what was happening. There curiosity past they watched me launch and drove off. They came back later after they realized that sailing the salt lake was forbidden but by then we where long gone. Very muddy but a lot of fun, carving in 10cm depth of perfectly flat water. It was like sailing the ground. My thanks go to buddies Panicos, Panayiotis, Christos and Savas for their invaluable help.