| Yes Claire, well spoken, Alaskan kiters are SIK! But it is not us who should be thanked, but all of you who consistently show up with your enthusiasm, energy, gear, and good humor. I want to especially thank the many experienced kiters who showed up and filled the holes in our plan with their gear, time, and expertise. I also want to thank those who showed up without a clue and left the event on Sunday as rippers, and more importantly a part of our community. Nothing is more rewarding to any organizer or teacher than to see that progression even if some gear gets destroyed along the way. Thanks to all the Toms, particularly Tom F. who gave so freely of their time. Thanks to Jesse, Tim, Dan, Tia, Rory (the Kiwi), and the adorable brown haired girl who's name I keep forgetting. Thanks to Jeff B. for his kites, expert instruction and serene temperament. Thanks to Trace for pulling so much out of the bag at the last minute, and to George for standing waist deep in the water while student power drove kites into the beach for three straight days. Thanks to Tom for the stereo and everything else. Thanks to Ben for bringing more firewood than we could ever afford and for the grill, which we thrashed, sorry. Thanks to Cat and Ingrid for their skill in organizing and making sure everyone signed a liability form and donated. And thanks to everyone who did a lot but isn't mentioned here. Only your name is forgotten. The event could not have gone better, short of a little more wind here and there. We had sun, rain, at leased three directions of wind, fresh fish on the grill all the time, a fire that never went out, boxes of beer that never seemed to empty, music, and even a visit from the police! Who could ask for more? The main goal of the event, to teach the sport to beginners, was accomplished with flying colors. Of the 97 people who registered, a good number got trainer kites in their hands, and a select group moved on with boards and suits and by weekends end were ripping, if only for very short distances followed by a face plant. It’s still ripping though! I think all of us teachers and organizers are amazed when people can get to this level in just three days. I know it took me years to get to that level... but the again I'm a little slow. The sponsors were very helpful this year. Without them would not have had nearly as much gear to get people in the water with. Lastly, we broke even (close enough anyway) money-wise. This was more than we expected and a pleasant surprise indeed. This included insurance that was $612.50 and about $1,000 in additional expenses. Again, thank you for your help everyone, and for all the new friendships. I for one, feel like the Alaskan kiting community took a quantum leap forward this weekend. We are now more educated, better teachers as well as student, and we have made friends from Homer, Seward, Valdez, Anchorage, Soldotna, and many places in between and nearby (even New Zealand and Switzerland!). Assuming my noseand forehead don't fall off from sunburn, I will be there next year with Trace and George with more gear, more energy and hopefully we will get even more people into the worlds greatest sport KITESURFING! Traveler Terpening 907 299 1119 PS. if anyone has any photos, I am amasing them. If you are willing to share, please send them to me so I can include them in a lightbox of this year that will be on the website www.kitesurfalaska.com email them to: info@... Also: As you may know, the website has a feature called Atlas. This is a resource I want people to use as much as possible. Through Google Earth technology, it records all the best spots for kiting in the state. It would be great if people added their name and phone # to the listings for their area so others can find kiting buddies. In addition, please add a posting for any new areas you may have pioneered. I love the idea of the map being filled with kiting spots from the urban to the super remote. Claire: Did you get your harness? I walked the beach twice and George and I asked everyone. If you dont have it, please tell me how much we owe you and we will send you a check. Seriously. |
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