KPWT : Mitu Monteiro et Kirsty Jones in Essaouira, Morocco

In Essaouira, the KPWT ends its year with the wave event. Conditions were excellent at the local spot called Moulay. Mitu (F-One) beat everybody and grabs first place.

MEN WAVE MASTERS RESULTS
1. Mitu MONTEIRO (CV) – F-One
2. Jesse RICHMAN (US) – Cabrinha
3. Abel LAGO (SPA) – RRD
4. Jan Marcos RIVERAS (RD) - Starkites

WOMEN WAVE MASTERS RESULTS
1. Kirsty JONES (UK) – Flexifoil
2. Ania GRZELINSKA (POL) – North Kiteboarding
3. Kari SCHIBEVAAG (NOR) – Ozone
4. Céline COLLAUD (SUI) - Slingshot

More at www.kpwtessaouira.com

4th Annual Contest Jan 22-25 2009

Registering for this competition allows you to participate in the 11.5 mile island crossing race, the buoy course racing finals, the trick competitions, and the SUP and paddleboard race.

You will also receive a souvenir lycra jersey to keep.

Registration before Dec 15th is $60 USD
Registration after Dec 15th is $80 USD
Processing fee: $3.50

- Fundraiser for our local schools!!
- 11.5 mile downwind Race from Cerralvo Island to La Ventana course racing finals
- 4 days of Expo with demos from the top 18 manufacturers
- Paddleboard race
- trick contests

Sign up on line right here starting October 1st. Limited to first 150 racers to register. Book your rooms before they are gone.

Visit Palapas Ventana Website for more info.

Bjorn Kaupang (F-One pro snowski rider) made a new snowkite film called "Dimensions" with the best riders in the world. You can check the trailer here.

More information on http://www.snowkitefilm.com

Check out the new F-One website where you can find useful information about all the F-One certified dealers across the US, including Hawaii, as well as contact info to inquire about becoming a F-One dealer.

URL: www.f-onekites.us
Email: info@f-onekites.us

Here are the sizes and expected availability for the 2009 F-One twin-tips lineup:

New School Freestyle: ACID
127 x 37
130 x 39
132 x 40.5
Available early march.

Freestyle/Freeride: TRAX
132x38
134x39
136x40
Available early 09

Freeride: TX
132x38
135x39
Available end 2008

Cruising: FLUID
135x39
140x40
140x42
Available early March 09

Light Wind: 50pro
150x45
150x48
available early March 09

And maybe a Fluid for kids, in 127x37

2009 Bandidos review size 7m 8m 9m 10m 12m

By le prof aka Frank Wittke 6’0 200lbs

I’ve been testing the bandidos for the past two month and compared them with the 2008 bandit.

The good things:

1) All the good things about the ’08 bandits are still here: incredible range, HUGE depower, very powerful for its size ( usually one size smaller than other brands) fast turning and direct C kite feeling, same huge floaty jumps, easy auto re-launching from water, and very easy self launch and self landing on the beach.

2) In the big sizes : 12m , 10 m and 9m that I tested, the kites seemed more powerful than last years although they seem to pull less because of the noticeably reduced bar pressure. Testing the ’08 11m and the ’09 10m back to back at Crissy was an eye opener. In marginal wind I had to move around the 11m to keep it on a plane and felt a slight pull on the 55cm bar vs virtually no pull on the 45cm bar of the 10m and no need to power it in the lulls. I tried briefly the 12m last week and I was fully powered on the 12-16 knots at wadell with the new recommended 45 cm bar. I thought about getting a big bar (55cm) for it but I don’t think it will be necessary anymore.

3) The small sizes 8m, 7m, and even the 5.5 (that I tried for a few minutes) feel the same or smaller than last years. Especially comparing the ’08 7.5 vs the ’09 7m, I had to powerstroke the 7m more often, but the bar pressure is so light that it is not a problem, and the kite are so fast.

4) The new bars come with a red stopper ball that you can adjust with an Allen key. It took some time for me to adjust to the shorter lengh of the depower line, especially in the waves when I’m used to a complete kill of the power on the bottom turn, and even though I got used to it, I decided set the red stopper ball to it farthest position on the depower line, so the incredible depower is still there! But it’s nice to be able to set the stopper ball for a shorter travel when doing freestyle moves.

5) The bars come with a set of 22m lines + 2m extensions already mounted, so no need to buy a extra set of short or long lines ! I set one bar with 22m and one with 24 and I’m set for all conditions, I had a dream session last week with the bandidos 9m on 22m lines in the usual up and down fall wind at Waddell when most riders were on 11m cautions and 12m Cabrinhas.

6) One noticeable improvement is that the kite seems to park itself better in the surf especially when bottom turning toward the waves and the lines get slacked. I did not realize it was a problem with the ’08 until I flew the new ones and realized they stay in the air much better.
The kite seems to be more balanced on the front line which helps the kite float instead of backing up in the window. This also seem to advantage the unhook riding as I did not need to adjust the settings and pull on the depower strap before unhooking like I used too with the ’08.

7) Last year on very gusty powerful winds (35-40kt) the wings tended to fold a little giving you some jerking feed back on the bar. You could decrease this by pumping the kite extra hard (those French kites like it hard, baby !) and not going to the extreme depowering knot on the center lines which unfortunately enhanced this unstabilty. Well , with the added attachment point on the bridle and the added pulley, this seems to have been taken care of. The kites feel very solid and stable .

8) All the kites and bar come “ready to fly “ with no adjustment needed. The dos seem less sensitive to stalling or back flying than the ’08. I even used my “secret” tuning tip of pulling on the outside lines adjustable straps (red and green) to “add”power buy shortening the rear lines, and the kite flew a little further back in the window with more power without stalling when the wind slowed down.

A good friend of us, Max Mogren embarked on this sailing/kiting trip from the Gorges to who knows where... for sure heading south. I saw them in San Francisco, where they stayed a couple days. Real adventure... They were in San Diego several days ago, ready to go to Mexico. Their blog is a lot of fun. You can check it out here http://oilfreefun.blogspot.com/.

"The Trip Without End" is a no-budget, sustainable kitesurfing adventure. "La Sin Fin" is our 27 foot, 35 year old sailing home. Overloaded she holds three people, 6 boards, 12 kites, and even some backcountry ski gear. With luck, she'll carry us around the world in search of the perfect session. We teach to spread kiting and stay fed. Contact us for lessons or other info. maxmogren@gmail.com. Check back to see if we're still afloat!

Click on the map to see their progression:

Any form of kiting is highly addictive. Do not participate in this sport if you are having difficulties at work, school, with your marriage or family. You will feel the addiction after your first trainer kite session. It will leave you with the need for more. Feeling the power of a big kite and the adrenaline high that comes with the act will deepen the addiction. Once kite riding, you will spend countless hours watching weather reports and fabricating your own weather predictions. You will spend excessive late night hours on kite forums. You will begin spending a large sum of money on kites, boards, and gas. You will alienate yourself from the general population with your constant kite chatter with few people to understand your addiction. Participate in this sport only if you have a strong constitution.

We have started shipping with the 09 F-One BANDIDOS a brand new bar that includes an adjustable de-power ball.



The stopper ball needs a hex key #3 (metric system). Key is provided. Just in case you lose it, you can get some at any decent hardware store.

HISTORIC ! WORLD KITE SPEED RECORD ! NEW WORLD SPEED RECORD : 50.57 noeuds !

After one mounth of strong competition on the Luderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia, Alex keeps his own world record ! Alex Caizergues speed chart : - World Champion in 2007 ! - World recordman in speed kite 2007 with 47.92 knots ! - World recordman in speed all sailing classes in 2008 with 50.57 knots ! We also congratulate Charlotte who keeps her World Champion title and make the second women rank with 44.74 knots ! We congratulate Christophe Pringuenon for his 49.53 knots, his 5th rank at the world speed ranking all classes and his 3rd rank at the World Championship. Many thanks to all team organisation of the Luderitz Speed Challenge for the extraordinary work and all riders for this event wich will stay in the kite history. Crédits : Craig KOLESKY/SANDISK – Luderitz Speed Challenge

12 years old national F-One Rider Sebastian Wagner won the Kids Pro camp, the special Event for young Kids in Germany. Congrats!

Next speed runs - wind expected for Thurs 25 Sept.

Below is a pic of Alex caizergues on his Fone Bandidos 7m.



Top results of the event so far for the 500m speed sailing category under WSSRC rules:

New world record – outright: Rob Douglas USA – 49.84 knots (92.3kph)
Sponsors: Black Dog, Lynch, Dakine, Amundsen, Cabrinha

New world record – women’s outright: Sjoukje Bredenkamp RSA – 45.20 knots (84kph)
Sponsors: Naish, Roxy, Oakley

New France record – outright: Sebastien Cattelan FRA – 49.59 knots (91.9kph)
Sponsors: Genetrix, Xelerator, Prolimit, Ocean Eyewear, Dabens

New South Africa and Africa record – outright: Hennie Bredenkamp RSA – 47.59 knots (88kph)
Sponsors: Naish Africa, C3 fins

New Spain record – outright: Marc Avella ESP – 42.76 knots (79kph)
Sponsors: Reef, Oakley

New Namibia record – outright: Jurgen Geiger NAM – 44.90 knots (83kph)

Open water windsurf record: Bjorn Dunkerbeck (SUI) – 44.74 knots (83kph)
Sponsors: Red Bull, VW, North Sails, Basf, Ecotel, Proof boards, Oakley, Mystic

New UK record – kiteboarding: David Williams GBR – 43.65 knots (81kph)
Sponsors: Best Kiteboarding

New New Caledonia and Pacific record – outright: Joan Henaff FRA/NCD – 41.01 knots (76.1kph)
Sponsors: Nouvelle-Caledonie North Kites

New Slovenia record – outright: Jernej Privsek SLO – 39.76 knots (74kph)
Sponsors: Jägermeister, Cocta, Kitesfera, Garmin

There is no WSSRC category by age – but South Africa’s Oswald Smith (12 years old) reached 33.62 knots

1. Pauline Boussard (FRA) – F-ONE
2. Kristin Boese (GER) – BEST KITEBOARDING
3. Marine Sudre (FRA) – CABRINHA
4. Ainhoa Garcia (SPA) – AIRUSH



Read more here.

SBC Kiteboard Test Team

Check out the review here.

Style: Delta C four-line
What’s new: Improved unhooked performance and upwind ability, maximum depower with shorter bar travel

Last season F-One was the first company to introduce this new style of shape, which attracted a large following due to its all-encompassing performance. The ’09 Bandito DOS has undergone subtle re-engineering. F-One is one of the few companies to offer a single kite model that spans all levels of riding and all disciplines.

Bar set up and safety systems
The new Bandit features a unique and well-thought-out bar and safety system. The above-the-bar trim strap is now easier to reach, thanks to the shorter travel distance needed on the centre chicken loop line. The leash can be connected via the mini fifth line for full depower, or directly to a stainless-steel ring for a C-style partial depower suicide leash.

Key kite features
F-One introduced the Delta C shape last year, and it sets the Bandit DOS apart from the competition. The unique Delta C allows for fifth-line-style depower from the mini fifth line and EVO bridle system.

On-water performance
A year of refinement has supercharged the Bandit’s performance. Our expert testers who still ride C kites instantly feel at home on the Bandit DOS, landing all of their favourite tricks first try. Combine this with big jumping, easier relaunching and greater wind range, and the Bandit makes traditional C kites obsolete. Maximum depower is achieved with less bar travel than last year’s model, making it better suited to small riders. The Bandit is trimmed well right out of the bag and doesn’t oversheet like last year’s model. Upwind ability is also improved. Turning speed is comparable to the best new-school freestyle kites on the market, and positional feedback is excellent.

Reality check
In marginal winds, the relaunch doesn’t work as easily as last year’s Bandit. Relaunching, after engaging the mini fifth complete depower, can result in a session-ending line twist.

Bottom line
From beginner to expert, regardless of riding style, the F-One Bandit DOS will help maximize your progression. All thumbs up from the SBC Kiteboard test team. We look forward to reviewing some of the other sizes available in our next issue.

The Luderitz Speed Challenge 2008 is happening from the 15th of September until the 13th of October, bringing many International Windsurfers and Kitesurfers together for a battle against the elements , to ultimately be crowned 'The Fastest Sailor on Earth'.

Alex Caizergues will try to break 50 knots, the mythical barrier of the speed sailing world! Go Alex!

You can follow the event here: http://www.luderitz-speed.com

or on Facebook.