Brasil - Cumbuco

The wind here in Brasil continues. There has been many more days recently where I have been on my 8m Naish Torch as opposed to my 6m. After my trips to Uruau I am back to Sunset Beach Hotel where I consider being my home in Brasil. It is really busy this year and great to meet so many people. Quite a lot of people are here on their own, but at the same time there are a few groups as well. Each year the dominating nationalities appear to change and I think the Brits could be winning the domination of Sunset Beach this time although there was a close call with the Israelis for a while.



(Photo by the waiter)

Considering we are now in November I have been surprised at the number of people on the water. Early October was busier then it is now and the lagoons are somewhere where you can have a good session again without getting tangled. I guess it’s a matter of picking and choosing and if its too busy one day at the lagoon pay the $5 to the buggy man and hit the sea instead.



(Photo by Dave Ibbertson – Cumbuco Beach)

I am having a mix of fortunes with my kiting. Somedays are great others are just full on frustrating. Are all sports this way? I had the best session the other evening at the lagoon. The sun was setting and the wind had appeared to drop off so everyone left but 3 of us decided to use the light wind to our advantage to work on some different tricks, but within 10 minutes the wind filled back in and we had the lagoon to just the 3 of us for almost an hour. Sessions like this a really few and far between and feel really special and I was on form. I was landing back to blind air pass, blind judges, kite loops, air handle passes and getting really close to the back mobe. I landed one, but passed it to the leash so I guess it didn’t count! Whatever, I loved the feeling anyway and it just amped my session further. Everything came together.



(Photo by Dave Ibbertson – Railey twisted hips)

There were two tips for the blind judge that I received which really helped me. Firstly instead of doing a straight railey where both hips and the board are parallel to the water instead it’s a matter of twisting your hips so that your hips are at 90 degrees to the water and therefore also your board. It allows you to create a swing effect and so gather some momentum in order to pass the bar while in the air rather then a slower motion only allowing you to pass the bar on the water. My second tip that I was given was instead of rotating at your shoulder to take the blind position in the air firstly you have to pull the bar towards your chest with both hands. This means that when you rotate to blind in the air the bar is closer to your body rather then fully extended by your arm away from you. It was really easy to practise each of those techniques doing just the railey and not bothering trying to pass the bar in the air and therefore minimising the number of crashes. Once I had both techniques in my head it didn’t take long to put it all together and ta da – a blind judge. The bar is passed still fairly close to the surface, but once you have this technique its all a matter of speed and confidence to make the blind judge higher!!


(Video by Scott Bourn - on its way)

I had the goal to master back mobes, front mobes, back to blind air passes and blind judges here. I am well over 50% of the way through my trip but have learned 50% of those moves. I can’t do it everytime by any means, but if everything is right it all comes together. Now I really just want to land the mobes. I feel super close and I either pass the bar on the back mobe and crash or pass to the leash and land (or just not pass the bar and crash). I am close but have been this way for a long time. The front mobe is getting better. I have also been working on this trick for a long time, but sometimes now I make the pass to the chicken loop! I am yet still to catch the bar properly. It’s the most illusive one for me! There are days where Im sure Im going to get it and other days where im sure I want to quit kitesurfing altogether, but that’s the name of the sport! You cant have the peaks without the troughs and when the troughs are deep the peaks are even bigger! Determination is certainly the key with sport no matter what level you are at! Once I have figured the moves out then I shall break down the key points that helped me and hopefully save any of you the long pain staking process of working it out for yourself.



(Photo by Dave Ibbertson – Front Mobe Crash)

This evening looks set for another mellow relaxed atmosphere and I cant wait to hit the water again as the sun is going down!! Sunset Beach Hotel sets the tone of this trip and as I sadly realise I have just 10 days left I know that these days are the good times!