News: "Spring" 2010 Summary
The ban on kitesurfing at Hayle (aka "the Bluff") has been lifted.- Well the windy start to the year seems to have dried up for a bit.
- The AGM went well (click here for the AGM minutes)
- To help organise events on windy days, we are asking members to send us their mobile numbers. That way we can short notice confirm the exact day (eg Sat or Sunday).
If you're a member of the club and have news you'd like to share, let Rory know (rory@embado.com), or pop it on our FaceBook page.
News Stories
- The ban on kitesurfing at Hayle (aka "the Bluff") has been lifted. There are restrictions with a permit system.
- 31st May 2010 Bluff Kitesurfing update (PDF).
- 1st June 2010 Kiting at The Bluff is Back, the signs come down and the first permit is issued.
- KKC 1st & 3rd BKSA Wave Masters in Scotland
- Summer Kitesurf Taster sessions
- Kernow Kitesurf Club dominate BKSA Course Racing in Blackpool.
- Will Bennet 4th KPWT Portugal
- Powerkiting in School
- Spreading The Word
- Morrocco Wave Masters
Kitesurfing at the Bluff is back :-)
- 31st May 2010 Bluff Kitesurfing update (PDF).
- 1st June 2010 Kiting at The Bluff is Back, the signs come down and the first permit is issued.
KKC 1st & 3rd BKSA Wave Masters in Scotland
Kernow Kitesurf Club members Will Bennet (St Mawgan) and Lee Harvey (St Ives) recently drove to the other end of Britain to compete in the 2009 British Kitesurf Association Wave Masters Championship in Fraserburgh, Scotland from 30th September - 4th October. Three separate days of competition were held at different spots and in conditions ranging from light cross on shore wind with small waves, to a howling cross shore gale and big clean double overhead surf, with the results being added from each day to give the overall winner and 2009 UK Wave Champion.
With the best kite surfers in the country and entrants from France, Ireland and South Africa all making the long journey, competition was fierce and the North Sea produced some epic conditions, with even too much wind on Saturday when gusts hit 75mph! Will won the title for the 3rd year in a row, Richie Sills who is the 2009 UKPT Surf champ was 2nd and Lee was 3rd. Will thanked all the organisers and sponsors and especially the Scottish people for being so friendly and welcoming. With a visit to John o Groats and good surf at Thurso on the way, it was a long trip definitely worthy of the 2000 mile drive.
Results-
- 1st Will Bennet (St Mawgan) 6.7pts
- 2nd Richie Sills (South Africa) 8pts
- 3rd Lee Harvey (St Ives) 8.7pts
News: Summer Kitesurf Taster sessions
Over the summer holidays, Penwith School Sport Partnership have been running Kitesurf Taster sessions in conjunction with; Kernow Kitesurf Club and Ocean High Kite School.
With some strange weather for August causing some days to be cancelled, BKSA instructors Lee Harvey and Lawerance Smith managed to fit four days into their busy summer schedules, enabling 32 children from; Mounts Bay, Cape Cornwall, Hayle and St Ives schools to have a taste of what it feels like to be pulled through the water at Marazion by a massive, powerful kite!
Starting off on land with Trainer kites, allowing them to get the feel for the wind and learn about safety, the youngsters soon moved into the water fully kitted out in wetsuits, buoyancy aids, helmets and harness’s. By the end of the 3 hour sessions all were left with big smiles after flying through the water and sometimes in the air! Maybe one of them will turn into a future world champion like 5x Champ Aaron Hadlow, who originates from Penwith and learnt at the now banned spot of Hayle Rivermouth.
Big thanks to Penzance Sailing club for the loan of the small BA’s, Loz from Ocean High and Kernow Kitesurf Club. For more info check out- www.kernowkitesurfclub.co.uk www.oceanhigh.co.uk www.leepasty.co.uk www.activepenwith.co.uk
News: KKC dominate BKSA Course Racing
The Kernow Kitesurf Club dominate the BKSA Course Racing in Blackpool.
Over the Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend Lee Harvey (St Ives) and KKC St Austell rep Denzil Williams travelled to Blackpool for the British Kitesurfing Association Course Racing Championships, Round 2. The newest form of competitive kitesurfing sees riders competing on a triangular course with a start line much in the same way as sailing races only at much higher speeds.
With winds of around 30knts and a big swell Saturdays racing was full on with high speeds and some huge crashes meaning only 2 of the 3 planned races were run, while Sunday saw much nicer winds of around 15knts and a flatter sea allowing the riders to reach speeds up to 35mph on the downwind legs. In his first UK race event Lee was never far from the front and claimed 2 race wins and a 2nd to win the event on 3.4 points with 2008 UK Champion Denzil in 2nd on 6.7pts. With racing becoming more and more popular and looking hopeful to be in the Olympics in 2016, the club are looking to attract more interest to run an autumn race series in conjunction with local sailing clubs.
Lee is also looking for sponsors to enable him to compete on the remainder of the 2009 Kiteboard Pro World Tour in; Western Sahara, Brazil and Morocco. You can contact Lee through his website www.leepasty.co.uk
News: Will Bennet 4th KPWT Portugal
The end of July saw round 2 of the 2009 KPWT Wave Masters world tour in Santa Rita, Portugal at the Ocean Spirit Festival. Lee Harvey and Will Bennet drove down to catch some waves and hopefully fly the flag on the Podium. This year the event was host to the – Kayak Surf World champs, which had 160 participants, Skimboard world tour, Surf and Longboard nationals and was also a huge Reggae festival with some top bands such as Soldier of Jah Army and Pepper flying in to play to the crowds of up to 8000 people.
With pumping double overhead barrelling waves, the guys were charged up to do well. Lee was cursed with light winds, as low as 8knts in one of his heats and crashed out an unlucky 13th while Will ‘jammy’ Bennet powered through to finish 3rd in the singles only to be knocked down to 4th in the double elimination on the last day of competition. Still, a big congrats on a wicked result in what was an event for the light weight riders! And be sure they flew the flag at the parties and showed them all how to ride strapless.
News: Powerkiting in School
Lee Harvey and Marazion Beach Rep, Lawrence (Loz) Smith have been piloting a school Powerkite programme with a view to the club running out sessions in secondary schools throughout Cornwall.
For these initial trials, they went into Mounts Bay School during their Applied Learning Week on 2 separate days, introducing the joys of powerkiting to 2 sets of 12, Year 8 & 9 pupils. With the aim being to eventually set up an after school kite club, the school fields were used and turned out to be perfect. Plenty of space and the perfect amount of wind allowed them to safely run the session with 6 kites in the air at one time.
Fitting in around the schools timings, the first session ran up until break, covering; setting up the kite, safety, wind direction, the wind window, launching & landing and each pupil got a quick go at flying the kite, releasing onto the leash and launching the kite for another person, all under the eyes of the instructors.
After break and fully briefed on the safety aspect the pupils were paired off, each with their own kite Ozone Trainer Kite (between 1.5 & 3.5m2 depending on their size) and coned out area keeping them safely away from any dangers and the next pairing. They were then given 5 minutes each on the kite before swapping pilot until all the pairs were competent enough to move onto the next level and be taught about the power zone and then onto figure of 8s and kite loops which gave them all a feel for the power and left them smiling away to lunch.
Post lunch was a competition with them being split into 2 teams and 2 opposite courses being set out. The aim of this session was to give them an idea on how you can control the kite whilst moving and also show that team work plays a major role in achieving great things and that you have to be friendly and work together to kite fly.
The sessions were a great success with all the pupils enjoying themselves, learning lots and being surprised at how much fun and power kites can have, as well as them all realising that you have to work together to win and be successful.
Lee and Loz are running Kitesurf Taster sessions during the school holidays for pupils from the Penwith Secondary Schools and are hoping to initiate a kite program within Cornwall’s schools from September with the help of the School Sport Partnerships. For more info and to find out how you can help out or get this program in your area, check out these websites – www.kernowkitesurfclub.co.uk www.activepenwith.co.uk www.oceanhigh.co.uk www.leepasty.co.uk
News: Spreading The Word
On the Thursday before half term, as part of Mounts Bay Schools, learning week, Lee ’Pasty’ Harvey gave a talk on kites and Kitesurfing to 170 year 7 pupils. With gasps of excitement as the kite inflated, all the youngsters were really keen on trying the sport and were interested in both Kitesurfing and Powerkites. Lee gave a brief history of kites and the sport of Kitesurfing before showing the different types of kites, boards and harnesses you can use.
With a lot of questions being asked as well as most of them wanting to have a go (teachers as well), Lee in his new job role for Penwith Schools Sports Partnership as school/club links co-ordinator, is now formulating a plan to deliver power kiting within all Cornish schools as part of an after school club, with a view to the youngsters moving onto Kitesurfing through their local kite school.
News: Morrocco Wave Masters
Cornish kitesurfers, Will Bennet and Lee Harvey pictured in Morrocco where they were placed equal 5th after both reaching the quarters, in the final round of the 2008 Kiteboard Pro World Tour, Wave Masters.
With the final round attracting the best riders in the world and the gods delivering 2 days of near perfect double overhead conditions with sideshore winds and even a few barrels, the boys did us proud by sticking to there guns and riding with no straps on standard surfboards, even with the cries of you guys are crazy, from the some of the top guys. With an awesome display Will went out to event winner and new world champ Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde) and Lee narrowly lost to 2007 World champ Abel Lago (Spain).
In the Womens, Kirsty Jones from Wales continued her dominance in the waves this year taking the event win and becoming the 2008 KPWT Wave Masters World Champion.
After four rounds throughout the year in; France, Portugal, Brasil and Morrocco, Lee finished his first year on tour in 7th position, with Will ending up after his second year on tour equal 5th.
Lee says: ‘I am very pleased after my first year on the world tour especially after the epic conditions we had in Morocco at a spot called Moulay. We are both looking forward to riding some big waves both at home and abroad this winter and aim to fly the flag high on the podium in next years tour!’
