Big air kiteleague – Cape Town 2021-2022

January 16, 2022 Ced Vandenschrik

Big Air Kite League

In October 2021, I started chatting with Michael Macdonald owner of Big Air Kite League (BAKL) about the event he wanted to organise in Cape Town for the beginning of December.

I had been following BAKL the whole of 2021 with interest. The concept of a contest concentrating on the big air discipline and the creation of a new platform for new up and coming riders to take part in was something, in my opinion, that had been missing in the fractured world of Kiteboarding. With not much time to spare, I decided to jump in there and give Michael a hand to get this contest ready for the 6th of December.

The virus strikes

Once again the little virus, or rather the uninformed media panic that seems to follow it, struck and the contest had to be delayed. We had no choice. Flights were banned, and much uncertainty lay ahead with half of the permit requests process already done and the possibility of South Africa to be shutting down over the festive season.

Resilience

But we kept our hopes up. Where there is hope there is life! After a few weeks, we decided to continue the permit application process with a window period running from the 17th of December to the 30th of January.

Until now the forecast has not played along and as plagued us with much uncertainty, but we remain confident that the event will run before the end of the month.

The venue is Dolphin beach and the contest will be run by some of the best people in the business with the best up and coming riders in the world.

Cedric Vandenschrik: Contest organiser
Olaf van Tol: Race director
Su Kay: Beach marshall
Dave Kay: Flags

So watch the BAKL website and social media network carefully over the next few days as the green light is coming soon!!

Kiteboarding

Looping the “Session” 9m

August 9, 2021 Ced Vandenschrik

The “Session” from Airush is aimed at the waveride / Freeride application. However it has to be mentioned that it comes with two different bridles.

One with 3 pulleys and one with no pulleys.

The 3 pulleys option gives you a very forgiving kite that absorbs gusts and gives you a very comfortable ride. However the fixed bridle, even if it doesn’t absorb the gusts as well, gives you a way more direct kite, a little heavier on the bar but more connected.

And suddenly it starts performing as a looper too!

Check out this video where I decided to push the Looping side of the “session”.

Kiteboarding

SUMMER Kiteboarding IN THE SOUTHERN SKIES 2020-2021

May 5, 2021 Ced Vandenschrik

The summer of 2020 â€“ 2021 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

But the wind blew and the waves pumped and we Kiteboarded, even if we had to dodge some overzealous citizens intent on putting kiteboarding on the dangerous Covid spreading occupation list.

Half way through the summer I received my new AirushÂ â€œSessionsâ€Â which I obviously put to the test. Happy to report that theÂ â€œSessionâ€Â is a kite that has all the wave riding attributes needed but with a strong free ride application too.

There were a few epic downwind (force majeure) into unchartered territory. Discovered some more hardcore spots for summer kiteboarding options.

The other development this summer is a tighter co-operation withÂ Vibram Five FingersÂ shoes. I will expand on this subject in a different post.

Once again I would like to thank the tireless efforts of my favourite photographer Manu Borsato, taking amazing photographs as usual and withstanding the sandblasting conditions on the beach.

A mention as well to Jacques Conradie for getting some great shots and Dewald Dejager for getting in the water with my go pro!

This summer kiteboarding is addictive… hence why I have been jumping from summer to summer for the last 15 years. Well except for last year when a little Virus decided that I should spend a winter in South Africa. It was fun, but I look forward to joining the migratory birds this year and have a few adventures in the Northern skies. There will be a few adventures in between, and I am enjoying them as I write this entry.

The future may be a little less predictable, but dreaming shall prevail.