Home from Brazil with a sugar snow sprinkle

Well last week I finally made it back home after a 7 week stint in Brazil. Brazil offers some of the most phenomenal kitesurfing during the UK's Autumn and this was one year that it wasn't going to let the side down. In 7 weeks I think I had just one full day without wind - now that is one hell of a record



(Popping some stunts at Taiba with James Boulding)

I went out to Brazil to escape from the cold temperatures of the UK. I wanted to head to somewhere that was guaranteed to be great kiting and to get me on the water on a regular basis where I could rebuild my level and then improve on it. Brazil is certainly the place to do it and I spent around 2 weeks in Uruau where the wind blows for a 12m, then Cumbuco and then Taiba where I was largely on my 8m and then to Paracuru where you can find more regular waves. I also rode my 8m Torch, but could have got away with my 6m on a couple of days too.



(Building up the handle passes in Uruau with Pro Kite Brasil)

These days I am finally getting in to the wave riding. My friends have been going on at me for years to pick up a surfboard, but my heart is in the freestyle and whenever I have given the surfboard a try I have always missed the twin tip and popping out a small trick at every little perfect ramp or ideal stretch of flat water. Either that or I have wanted to train on one particular move for the entire session, so the wave board has never got me too pysched.



(Building up the handle passes in Uruau with Vincent Bergeron)

My freestyle in Brazil was the best it has ever been and I was landing some powered handle passes with some fairly good consistency and I have been having fun messing about with kite loops and darkslides as well, but this year I took the wave board with me and a couple of Naish Parks and really enjoyed evening sessions when most people had cleared the water to mess about with tacs and gybes.




(Crusing out in Taiba, Photo James Boulding)


In cumbuco the tide gives rise to a chunky shore break and some of my funniest sessions were when I was trying to tuck myself in to one of these before being spat out up the beach. Im still gathering gravel and sand out of my bikini lining and it took a couple of showers before I could unpick it all from my hair.




(Too hard before washed up, photo James Boulding)

I even took on a couple of downwinders where I had some of my best wave rides to date and am glad to whole heartedly say that Im starting to 'feel' the wave riding too. I'm starting to feel the surfboard is an extension of my feet and not something plonked underneath me.



(A view from up above in Taiba)

Now back in the UK I have been welcomed by snow. The temperatures are pretty chilly, but Im still psyched to get on the water. I have a couple of toasty wetsuits from Prolimit and an awesome rigging jacket. Its my first winter while being sponsored by them, so Im looking forward to testing the suits out. Bring on the waves over the winter. The UK sends through some phenomenal low pressures bringing world class conditions to those willing to look for it. I'll keep you posted on life as a seal!

Palm tree wilson

Well Im here in Uruau, Brazil. Staying at Pro Kite Brazil. I have been here a week now and it has been lovely. The wind hasn't been exactly pumping - it seems that it needs a rest, but I have been out everyday on my 12m and busting some stunts, building my strength back up and ironing out the kinks of a few months in the UK. I cant complain at all!!!



(Hiding under the palm tree)

Pro Kite Brazil have been set up for a few years now and I first met the managers when in Sotavento in Fuerteventura and am always glad to see them. Its just great they got out of that crazy wind place and came to this little paradise.

My travels to Brazil were eventful. It had been a busy build up to leaving and when I finally arrive at the train station to get to the airport I realised I had left one bag behind!! I quickly did the maths to see if that bag was necessary and with it containing all my Naish Torches it came quite clearly evident that a mad rush through rush hour traffic of Kendal, was necessary! We were back on the platform with minutes to spare! Unfortunately the fun didnt stop there as the platform manager told me I couldnt travel by train as travelling with a surfboard was against the rules!!! It had been for all the 20 years that he worked for the national rail! Ah crap! with no plan and no idea how to get to the airport he finally relented and let me on!



(Not going to stop me getting to this peaceful paradise)

It didnt stop there either! Once at the airport I had check in woman from hell! She seemed all sweetness and nice from the outside, but its true to say beauty only goes skin deep! She was one horrible mean lady! Despite my luggage being under weight she wanted me to pay £350 extra for luggage because my surfboard should have been in its own seperate bag weighing 12kgs, but because it wasn't she wanted to rip me off despite being well under weight! I wasnt having any of it and had a spare bag in the bag which she had just sent down to the aircraft! I had asked her not to send it until everything was checked on, but she ignored me, so I asked her to bring it back so I could do as she said and put the rest of the luggage in a separate bag! Seemingly a pointless task as it wouldnt effect the weight but she made me do it anyway she still refused to take it saying it was not clothes and shoes and so I still had to pay even though it fitted in a bag under the dimensions and under weight! I definately was at the end of my politeness and was seeing red by this point!



(A lagoon all to myself)

Next up I went to pay followed hotly by this mean horrible lady and I explained the situation to the lady who takes the money! She agreed that it was out of order and told the mean lady that she was being unfair! Ha - I win! Except I didnt as the horrible lady had checked my boyfriend and I all the way to brazil on seats at the opposite end of the planes to each other! Grr!! Watch out for her if your coming out on my coaching trip flying with Tap! Her name is Debbie, she is the epitomy of beauty only goes skin deep!

Well sat here sipping my coconut after a session on my 12m I suppose we did win because we are now here in Brazil, kiting every day and enjoying every second of the sunshine while she is busy back at heathrow going through the same old ritual and succesfully ruining people's days but only for small insignificant moments in time!! If you ever get her - keep smiling. It will be worth it on the other side!



(Trying to get the kgb back which I last landed in Egypt in July)

In two days time I am running the first if my Brazil Baby Surfari and Coaching Holidays. The trip is fully booked and everyone is in for one heck of a ride! Check out www.jowilsoncoachng.com for updates or follow us on facebook

Prolimit International Team Rider

Hey all, guess what! I finally have a fantastic sponsorship for wetsuits. In my career of kitesurfing I dont think I have ever been 100% satisfied with the wetsuits that I wear, but now things have changed. I have just signed a contract with Prolimit International.



(Throwing down a railey in the Prolimit Pure Chill Top Vest)

I have tried their wetsuits in the passed plus I had some fantastic light thermal tops for my recent trip to Egypt which worked absolutely perfectly. Being based mainly in the UK having a great wetsuit is crucial, so I am over the moon to have Prolimit behind me. They can provide the wetsuits necessary for the wide variety of different locations that I visit as a professional rider and as a coach. Woop woop!!!



Crusing in the light afternoon wind in Egypt in the Prolimit Sleeveless Shorty

Check out their website at Prolimit

Egypt

Well Im off to Egypt tomorrow. I have a couple of weeks of coaching mixed in with a couple of weeks of training. Im so fired as I have all my Naish 2012 kit which looks amazing! Im already in love with the bar and I havent even unwrapped it yet!



Im taking my boots out there again this year. Ive put a bit of time in to them, but not much, but my last session up here in Cumbria spoke volumes and Ive decided I need more action in them, so they are coming.



Im lacking in some awesome action shots at the moment, so I shall do my best to get some out there and load them up online!!

I have a couple of spaces left on my Egypt Coaching trip from 1-8 July. Check out www.jowilsoncoaching.com if you are interested! It will be amazing!!

The video is here

Its my turn to be on Naish TV, wahoooo! Oh yerrrrr! Check out our video from Norway at the Redbull Ragnarok where Jalou Langeree and I get a taste of what snow kiting is all about! Rock on and enjoy!!


Please check it out: Redbull Ragnarok



Unleash the fury :-)

Thanks to Criag Sawyer for all the hard work, filming, editing and putting up with our smelly socks (his were worse)! Thanks to helen Rustle for lending me all the winter stooff!