Unemployment - Part 2 (wave riding trip video)

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Alright, guess my riding/drinking schedule was a bit more packed than anticipated. Finally got the energy to finish editing the rest of my footage from last Winter's trip. There's some bigger and burlier stuff in this one so enjoy. Some of those falls weren't too pleasant, especially since you could see the reef underwater. Wish we'd had a gopro with us.

http://vimeo.com/8569101

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

5:54

Yeah Baby! Never say die - Hey whatever happened to Gabe?

Mark · Wed Jan 06, 10 9:50 am

Very nice! Good slabs for sure. The Air drop was sick.

TWIN-FIN · Since 24 May 2006 805 Posts Portland, OR Hot Monkey

Sick wave action. Those sets looked pretty big from our prospective, even bigger from yours Im sure. So it looks like you cant reverse launch the Liquid Force Session?

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Gabe's traveling around Asia. Currently in Burma. Gone indefinitely until he gets bored.

Jeff, that's a Havoc and it reverse launches great. I don't reverse launch when I'm lit usually since the regular relaunch is fast. Most of that clip I'm just recovering and catching my breath and waiting for kite to drift downwind of me. The kite did get twisted up a bit at some point. Is that what you're referring to? Anyway, all the kites survived that trip without any issues despite the abuse. Good thing too since replacing them wasn't an option in some remote spots.

chanson · Since 31 Jan 2006 1873 Posts WISCONSIN Chimey

yeah...that last one was quite the "churn"

niice! Cool

kt · Since 16 Mar 2005 763 Posts Portland, Or Opinionated

nice video gene, looks like an awesome trip.

you wearing a leash in those big waves? if so, where do you attach it on the ankle? curious to know if anyone is attaching the leash to the harness instead to reduce the amount of bounce back and lengthen the line a bit.

kt

Chooch · Wed Jan 06, 10 2:08 pm

Sick video Gene....those waves looked sick. That explains why your such a wave snob now Razz

Mark · Wed Jan 06, 10 2:15 pm

Where in Burma is Gabe? How do I get ahold of him. I am heading over there this Feb. Would be fun to hook up.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Chooch, I'm glad you guys finally understand Wink

.

Kt, I would not and did not use a board leash on the big days. I was scared enough during the last wipeout of having the lines wrap around me and the reef without having another choking/drowning hazard adding to the excitement (my feet touched the reef while under). Some people said even using a kite leash on the big day wasn't a great idea. Although I still did.

That said, I did use a board leash at some of the other less burly spots we rode (the ones with greener water). The waves there didn't go above 2-2.5 OH when we were there and they didn't pitch as quickly and as hard (easier to escape). I'd only use a board leash in a place where not having one means you lose your board for good and you can survive a wash cycle pretty easily with the leash.

I think Chooch is on the money with attaching a leash to the harness. My two main concerns are getting hit in the head with the board, and having the leash wrap around my bar/lines. Not sure how relocating to the harness would help with either.

PM'd ya Mark.

barfly · Since 31 Mar 2005 1214 Posts Portland BRACKISH

Yar Gene!! Loved that.

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

Looks like a blast. That pull out gone wrong was insane Cool

Windian · Since 28 Apr 2008 901 Posts Newport, OR NEWPORT OG

I am stoked someone in the world is kitesurfing in downwind lefts. Being a goofyfoot those waves just make me drool and want to move to somewhere warm, windy and full of peeling lefts.

You guys scored big time, way to go on putting yourselves out there...

Very Happy

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Justsmile · Since 20 Jul 2009 1530 Posts Not Portland XTreme Poster

The video is sick for wave riding and the pounding at the end. Nice job and powering through the session!!!

Who are the bands with the music. The ending blues rif rocks it!!!

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

First track is Blackalicious - Passion. Second track is The Black Keys - Just Couldn't Tie Me Down. The Black Keys have some amazing music if you haven't heard of em.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 487 Posts Obsessed

hey guys,

i haven't logged in for a long time since i've been out of the country for 14 months. haven't seen the latest movie from gene yet either, but have seen all the source footage of course.

anyways, just to respond about the board leash topic:

i used to be totally opposed to the idea of board leashes when i rode around the northwest with sandy beaches etc.

with shallow and sharp reefs in australia, and most places without safe coastline, i wavered at first on the leash topic.

but i had some bad experiences when the board would get away from me in the middle of a big set, and would have been destroyed on rocks if someone hadn't grabbed it in time. especially if you drop the kite...even with an instant relaunch. it also can waste a lot of time and upwind ground grabbing it, and can be dangerous for others in a very crowded spot with a loose board...

anyways, i finally built a board leash which worked perfectly for me, saved the board many times, and i never had a problem with it.

i used an extra kite leash (the black tubular webbing with a small bungy in the middle), and attached it to the handle pass leash on back of harness. whole thing extended was about 5'-6'. the bungy keeps it from dragging in the water, but isn't strong enough to recoil. if you use normal flat webbing, it will drag hard in the water. board never hit me. but takes some getting used to--if you want to drag out through a set before it hits you on the head--you can't just tow board behind you--it can submerge and hit the reef hard. this caused a bit problem for me once... you need to grab the board and float it with you.

i mostly rode strapped, so i rarely flew off the board at any speed. if i was strapless in overpowered conditions, i think there would be more risk of getting hit with it. best use case is if you misjudge the lip, and bail out at the top of the wave to go out the back. without leash if you jump off, you're out the back, and the board is gone far, far, with a huge set bearing down on you... with leash, you're back on the board in 5 seconds, before the next wave pounds you... also with leash, i was more able to kick out of the straps more often in washes and save my ankles from injury.

anyways, for nasty reef areas, i would use the same setup again. for strapped sandy coastline i would probably do it also, as a huge time saver. for sandy coastline strapless... not sure.

anyways, this leash setup was suggested by a guy named kevin salter on kiteforum who has used it for years in similar sketchy conditions in N without safe coastline to retrieve a board. more info there.

gene's right--the biggest risk really is that you get tangled in the board leash. need to have some sort of decent quick release. i never had to cut it loose, and i actually think it could be harder than you expect. for the big day footage in this video...not sure i would have used the leash honestly. i think for such days you should accept high chance of losing and destroying your gear, and not worry about it. i'm an old man now, and don't like those kinds of conditions anymore anyways.