Keahi De Aboitiz wins the 2012 KSP World Championship

Keahi De Aboitiz, a young Australian kiter with a magical ability to kitesurf big waves, has won the 2012 KSP World Championship and the Ho’okipa Kite Surf Pro event. The final day Ho’okipa Kite Surf Pro  was on 8 December 2012.

Keahi De Aboitiz Hookipa 2012 (Jimmie Hepp)

Keahi (AUS, Cabrinha), won first place ahead of Mitu Monteiro (CPV, F-One).

Here is a video with some of the action

The Cabrinha team had great results with Moona Whyte (HI, Cabrinha) also winning first place in the Ho’okipa Kite Surf Pro event.

Moona Whyte Hookipa 2012 (Jimmie Hepp)

The womens KSP World World Champion was Jalou Langeree (NED, Naish),

The KSP (Kite Surf Pro e.V.) is the world championship tour for kite surfing in the waves, sanctioned by the IKA (International Kiteboarding Association) and governed by the ISAF (World Sailing Federation). 

Bringing together the worlds top 24 male and 12 female riders for a series of events, the KSP determines the world championship title through the tour ranking at the end of the year/season.

2012 KSP Championship Inês Correia, Mitu Monteiro (2nd), Jalou Langeree (1st), Keahi De Aboitiz (1st), Alan Arakawa, Airton Cozzolino, Lopes Ai and Ninja-Maria Bichler - Photo: Jimmie Hepp

Hookipa winners Kari Schibevaag (2nd) and Moona Whyte (1st) . - Photo: Jimmie Hepp

KSP Championship winners Mitu Monteiro (2nd), Keahi De Aboitiz (1st), Airton Cozzolino (3rd) - Photo: Jimmie Hepp

2012 KSP Cabrinha team - Photo: Jimmie Hepp

Final results for the 2012 KSP World Championship Tour:

Men

1. Keahi De Aboitiz (AUS, Cabrinha)
2. Mitu Monteiro (CPV, F-One)
3. Airton Cozzolino (CPV, North)

Women

1. Jalou Langeree (NED, Naish)
2. Ines Correia (POR, RRD)
3. Ninja Bichler (GER, North)

External links

• 2012 KSP World Champions Crowned On Maui’s North Shore

New 14m kite in lighter wind off Hampton

After a long break - too long - due to work and other commitments, I got back on the water with my new 14m Cabrinha Switchblade. I bought the kite for those fairly frequent lighter wind days, and today was one of those. The wind was blowing SW at about 15 knots.

Here is a photo of the kite on the nature strip.



After scratching my head a little to rig the kite (the front and rear lines were connected, and they are a bit different from my older Crossbows), I got the kite up and was immediately kiting.

For a large kite, the new 14 turned well. As I got out a bit the wind increased and I was able to get going better. Not quite enough wind to stay right upwind though, so I continued with some runs further out, tacking back in towards Brighton Beach. There were a couple of guys a bit further out, but it turned out they were on a long downwinder to St Kilda. Good job I didn't follow them, or maybe they would have given me a lift back . . .

It was great to be out on the water again. Quite a lot of speed. My smaller board (the Litewave Tsunami) seemed a little hard to keep going - I was wondering if my larger one would have been better - most likely it would be for lighter wind conditions.

The new IDS control system was interesting to land. Pop the quick release and the kite just falls out of the sky slowly. But you can't control it, so I pulled in on the line to get to the front bridles and gently flip the kite so it landed edge down into the wind.

Maybe this quick release landing method is really on good for extreme conditions and beginners. You still have to secure the kite when it lands.

Here are my GPS logs for this session.

Session 18: Hampton Beach, body dragging upwind

A good Southerly at last, after several days of strong hot Northerlies which have been bringing down smoke from the terrible bushfires.

On the water at about 11:30.

There was only one other windsurfer at the beach so I self launched, not to elegantly. The wind seemed a little variable but was OK. Some good runs out and back, but good turns still elude me. I lose speed and haven't yet mastered the art of flicking the board in the opposite direction.

I lost my board when getting up to come back in, a fair way out - yikes. No real option but to body drag upwind, so I gave it a good go. Intially not getting upwind enough - the board stayed just upwind. Then I got the hang of it. The trick was to keep your windward arm in the water near the surface, like you are about to start a side stroke, then fly the kite upwind and low until you feel pressure on the arm - at which time it is acting like a keel. Don't put your arm deep as it tends to pull you down. I recovered my board, then returned to the beach and walked back a bit.

Landing the kite was not too elegant either. Keep hold of the front lines to ensure that there is no power in it, and try to yank it so the leading edge comes down.

After a rest I headed out again, with the wind speed increasing. My good side (going left) seemed less good today, but I really got going coming back in (to the right). Concentrating on letting the board plane a bit and gather speed - which I got a lot of - and caught and planed down quite a few bay waves. Great fun.

Tired arms due to the bar pressure, so I stopped. One other kiter showed up as I was leaving. I launched is 14m C kite for him - it seemed huge.

Session 17: Hampton beach in 15-20 knots

I got in the water with my 12m kite at about 5pm with only one other kitesurfer in.

I tried the "sand on the wingtip" launch but the kite launched prematurely so I had to bring it down quick - lucky to not be dragged a bit. I lauched solo using the "beach launch" method, which worked OK. But they tell me in SHQ that this method is damaging kites, if they are dragged on the sand over a sharp shell or something else that causes damage. Nobody to launch it for me so I didn't have any choice this time.

How to do the "beach launch":

• Rig the kite with the bar windward
• Rotate the kite about 90 degrees on top of the lines
• Hook up the harness
• Rotate the bar 180 degrees (so left is on the right)
• Walk backwards - the kite will rotate around and start to catch the wind backwards
• Pull on 1 bar end to lift a wing tip - as per a water relaunch.
• Launch it.
  

The wind was a southerly. Initially it seemed a bit weak, I got out OK, but had trouble keeping enough speed coming back in. Then I did a couple of good runs - with my rear leg aching from the edging pressure. I still can't do a snazzy turn around yet. It is tricky to keep the board speed up, reverse it and keep going. No jumping yet either.

I was going upwind well. Then I put the kite in the water and it did a forward rotation, so I dragged in with the rear lines crossing the front ones and finished for the day.



Overall, a good session. I had to focus on technique as the wind strength was down a bit. Next challenges are to master turning around without plopping back in the water, try for some air, and practice downwind sailing.

Session 16: Hampton Beach in 30 knots

I headed down to Hampton Beach on Sunday 10 December, only to see the 30knot wind drop to nothing as soon as I tried to launch my new 7m Cabrinha Crossbow! I tested the kite out in the remaining light breeze - it turns very quickly.

I also tried out unassisted launching by positioning the kite at 45 degrees across the lines upside down then walking backwards with the bar reversed. The kite pulls around so that it is upside down, and can then be lauched by pulling on a rear line, as a water launch. Easier than loading up a wingtip with sand.

Another 30+ knot day on Monday 11 December, but this time I got some action. I got on the water at 4:30pm and the wind was howling. The 7m kite was well up to it. Lots of speed and big waves, particularly out a bit. Going upwind fast. Noticeably less bar pressure on the new Cabrinha 7m kite, and heaps of power.



I did several out and back runs without mishap. Still a bit rustier going to the right, on one occasion I started to gather too much speed even with the bar out (should have flown the kite high?). Put the kite in the water once, and relaunched it without any trouble.




Then on my last run, I found myself accelerating again, and eventually crashed out. The kite did not hit the water very hard, but it did rip out a panel between 2 struts. I body dragged in with the kite half in the water. Just as well I wasn't too far out.

The kite tore along a seam along a strut, and along the leading edge. I dropped it around to SHQ as it could be a warranty job - it is the first time I had used this new kite. Up until the rip, things were going great.

I would not have wanted to be out with a bigger kite in this strong wind, but others appeared to be using 9m (and possibly even 12m) kites.

Postscript: Cabrinha replaced the kite under warranty, arranged by SHQ, which I am very thankful for. It is worth buying locally from a good shop like SHQ, and they provide good advice on gear and venues too.