As of writing this post I've not found any definitive information of whether we are or are not allowed to kite in Belmont Shore today due to the Coronavirus. I know here in Orange County there was a bit of confusion created last night with information stating we would be in a full lock down. A public health order released yesterday evening was misinterpreted by some major news outlets as a complete lock down with no gatherings of any kind with the chance of fines or imprisonment. The Orange County health board has since clarified that this is not a lock down, and that the order should be read carefully in its entirety. Here is the link where you can read up more on the situation, and the original letter https://abc7.com/6023579/ This of course made me think what I will be doing with the kite school. I have not been setting up over the past few days, not because of the virus, but due to inclement weather. As of writing this post, the city of Long Beach has not asked outside vendors to close up shop, but most other indoor entertainment businesses have been asked to close their doors. To me personally, being on the beach seems like a decent place to practice social distancing while also being active and healthy, but will respect what the city asks us to do. I do believe though if things continue the way they are that we will be in a situation similar to Europe with no outside exposure. As of today though it looks pretty damn windy so get out there if you can, be careful, practice good hygiene, and happy kiting everyone.
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Current weather in Belmont Shore is partly cloudy with cooler temperatures. Wind is blowing 14 MPH side shore from the Northwest. This wind is hitting us a bit by surprise this morning as it's not called for in any off the reported forecasts. Mike Godsey our local meteorologist briefly mentions a Northern flow, but his forecast is calling for the wind out of the Northeast not the Northwest wind we are seeing as of writing this post. I'm sure as the morning continues we will see a shift to calmer winds from the Southwest, but it'll be interesting to see how long and strong this Northwest wind will get. I wouldn't expect too much action as we get into the afternoon in terms of riding today. I'm sure we can expect the usual foil folks out there today as they navigate the debris in the water from all the rain we have received. Don't expect too much for the twin tip people. Don't worry though tomorrow looks like a solid day for some strong winds!
No new original video content today, but should have a few edits ready tomorrow! For now enjoy an awesome Duotone team video exploring Namibia! Well looks like we can practice extreme social distancing by getting out on the water today! Currently we have overcast skies and cooler temperatures with a few light showers here and there. Wind is blowing 8 MPH offshore from the East. According to the WF-WRF model we can expect cleaner wind earlier in the day, then as the day goes on it gets a bit gusty. Be mindful as well as there may be a few storms rolling in with it. Also be prepared with smaller size kites if we hit the numbers they are calling for in the later afternoon. Even though it's not the nicest weather out we at least are getting our beloved wind!
I've got some fun videos planned for this week so be on the look out for more original content coming out! Today's video is an oldie that Carter through a mixed bag of footage together from 2018. Enjoy and happy kiting! Bad weather and light wind has me chomping at the bit to get back on the water! Current weather forecast is overcast skies and cooler temperatures. Wind is blowing 9 MPH side shore from the South/Southeast. Current forecast model is calling for mild wind in Belmont from the South. All though these numbers are better than what we have been seeing the past few days the Southern direction of the wind isn't great for riding. Some people may say it's the wrong direction for Belmont which is sort of true, but I would rather say it's not the dominant wind direction for Belmont. You can still ride in South winds, but what you'll find is there is usually a current along with it that travels the same direction as the wind. When you have water current and wind current traveling in the same path it dampers your power on the water. For example if you have a 15 MPH wind with a current traveling at 3 MPH while riding it'll feel like the winds closer to 12 MPH. I know that math is a bit more complicated, but that's pretty much what it breaks down to. I've been out in Belmont when the wind is blowing in the high teens, but to stay up wind I've need to use large kites or ride my foil to deal with the current. My take on the forecast is we will have the mild winds they are calling for which should work for the foilers. Foilers beware though of the amount of debris that may be in the water from all the rain coming in and washing the river beds out. Twin tip people I think we are going to have to keep waiting these storms out for a decent clearing wind day.
I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday's goofy post about Chip. I'd like to keep making goofy videos showcasing him so be on the look out for more Chip action over the summer. Who know's maybe you'll see him shredding his kneeboard in Belmont in the next few weeks ;) For today's fun I've included some older videos Carter Thomas my brother in law/instructor/video editor put together a few years ago. They're two fun short edits of some winter/spring days from the past that get me stoked to get back out on the water soon. Please enjoy and happy kiting everyone! Friday the 13th doesn't have to be a bad thing! Even though currently our weather is pretty terrible, our forecast is pretty terrible, and things in the world are a bit wonky we still need to laugh. So I'm briefly going to summarize our forecast then get into something that should help put a smile on your face. Current weather is cloudy with scattered showers. Wind is blowing 4 MPH offshore from the Northeast. WF-WRF is calling for single digit numbers all day with a itty bitty tiny jump to double digits late in the afternoon. Not much kite action in the water today, but on the blog we are just about to get started!
I want to introduce you all to my friend Chip "The Rip" Ripperson. He's a washed up ex professional kiteboarder from the 80s/90s, or whenever he tells you he used to ride. When he was on his game he was living life in the fast lane! Sending the biggest kite loops, but not standing up on the board...that was for p*$$y$. No, Chip pioneered the art of the kneeboard kiteboarding. Anything the other riders could do Chip could do it better on his knees. This sent him to the top with his unique style. Winning countless events such as King of the Air, Triple S, The PKRA world tour you name it, Chip won it. Of course all this success gave Chip fame and notoriety. He was rubbing shoulders with the biggest stars. You would often see him hitting studio 54 with his buddies Rick James and Eddie Murphy! He was living up top with the greats getting everything he wanted. Women came easy, but the drugs came free. He surpassed any rock stars wildest dreams of drug tolerance. Chip would take a 5 day nap after smoking crack, then crush a big air event with all the energy in the world on heroin. It was almost impossible for him to get the high he wanted. Always chasing the dragon, but one day he found his ultimate vice. When Chip became addicted to the glue on envelops, his life came crashing down. You would find him outside post office's asking mailmen if he could fellate them for junk mail envelopes. Just when it seemed like he hit rock bottom he got caught up in some terrible stuff with OJ Simpson. Chip was locked up for accessory to murder for 5 long years. In prison Chip had to come to terms with his addictions and life of debauchery. With the help of Morgan Freeman narrating his prison experience Chip found redemption in that old prison they call Shawshank. Upon his release he wanted to tell his story. He wanted to help others in the world who may be at risk for throwing all their talents out the window like he did. So Chip came to me and my brother in law Carter Thomas about 4 years ago. As long time friends we had a lot of footage of Chip from over the years both good and bad. We set up a camera and interviewed Chip and his other closest friends to tell his story. We are still working on the final product, but we were able to piece together a trailer of his documentary, and I'm happy to share that trailer with you today. Ladies and gentlemen I give you Chip Ripperson, Behind the Lines. Enjoy and happy kiting everyone. Staying positive on a gloomy day. Currently we have overcast skies and cooler temperatures. Wind is 7 MPH offshore from the East/Northeast. Our WF-WRF forecast table is showing a very quiet morning with single digit numbers. Later in the afternoon we see an abrupt jump to the low 20's for about an hour or two before it fades into the mid teens for the rest of the evening. Not a great forecast, but also not a bad one. I'd rather look at the glass half full today seeing there is some decent wind in the forecast. Looks like the after work crew can score a session for both foilers and twin tips if you can catch the jump in time.
Hopefully everyone enjoyed the video content I posted along with yesterday's post. I want to keep the original content coming as much as I can. Today I'm including an older project called Off The Hook Talk. The idea was a "Talk Show" where myself and Carter Thomas talk about different teaching topics through different instructors point of view. The blog kinda touches on these topics, but I may try to continue this series with recommendations from our students. Let me know what you think! Question of the day: What kite skill would you like to hear me break down? It can be riding up wind, body dragging, putting the board on etc.. Happy kiting! Exciting things ahead for the daily blog! But first, let's dive into our daily weather! Currently we are seeing sunny skies with mild temperatures in Belmont Shore. Wind is blowing 8 MPH offshore from the East. Even though we are getting sunnier nicer weather today our wind forecast doesn't seem to be as joyful. According to our WF-WRF we will only be expecting low double digits in the mid afternoon. With our clear skies early on I feel we may get something a little stronger than what they are projecting, but don't expect too much beyond foil weather. Either way I'm just happy to see sunny skies in the morning \\:^)
To touch on yesterday's question of the day on favorite brand my answer is obviously Duotone, but I wanted to give a little more than just a write up. Today I've included a product information video about the Duotone Neo, Click Bar, and Free Foil board with Carve foil. In this video I talk about what the Neo is capable of and why it makes it such a great kite for freeride foil riding. This will be the first of many ride review videos that I'll be making for the Duotone product line. Each video I will talk about a particular Duotone setup while I'm riding and showcasing that setup. This way you can see the gear in action! I'll try and get one of these videos out about once a week, and will link them to our Youtube channel where I'll be posting more fun! If you are interested in trying out the new 2020 demo please send us an email and we can schedule a demo time in Belmont. If you are interested in buying a new 2020 Neo you can get all your Duotone Kiteboarding gear from our local shop No Limit Kiteboarding! https://www.nolimitkiteboarding.com/#/ To add even more fun to the blog I will be doing pro rider interviews! Some of you may have seen that Colleen Carroll shared the blog post yesterday, and I am beyond stoked to have her as our first interviewee! I'll be asking her questions about her kiteboarding career to share with all of you! This will also become part of a weekly series that will be posted during our weekend blogs. I'm so stoked to be able to share Colleen's story with you this weekend and many more to come! Happy kiting everyone! Question of the day! What Duotone pro riders would you like to see me interview? Sunny California? Current weather is cloudy skies and low temperatures with scattered showers in Belmont Shore. Wind is blowing 11 MPH offshore from the Northeast. Our forecast is showing some inconsistent gusty wind from the Southeast. This wind direction is side shore and opposite direction from our usual West/Southwest wind. It is rideable, but just be prepared to be riding left foot forward towards the pier. Also note we do have thunder and lightning in the forecast. If there's just rain you can ride no problem. However thunder and lightning you definitely want to avoid. This may seem very obvious to most of you, but this question comes more often than not. I am also including Long Beach's recreational water sample report. All recreational water areas in Long Beach have rain advisories. Take this information into account as well. Although beaches aren't closed there may be significantly higher bacteria levels in the water after a heavy rainfall. So my take on today is there will be some gusty stronger winds on and off throughout the day. If you want to try and catch it you'll need to be fairly flexible as it will come and go in an instant. Days like today I personally avoid, and wait for better days. If you do get out there have some fun and be safe!
To answer yesterday's question I have a few favorite pro kiteboarder's. It's hard for me to narrow it down to a single person so I'll give you my favorite from each aspect of the sport. Also I'm going to link videos to each person incase you are unfamiliar with how awesome they are. This should also help those rainy day blues. Favorite waterman overall: Kai Lenny (There's wayyyyyy more videos of this guy, but this ones absolutely insane) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWHTuCe9vco Favorite strapless rider: This ones tough, but I'm going to say Matchu Lopez (Airton Cozzolino , Sebastian Ribeiro , and James Carew you guys all are right there as well) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBWZw-n3Fe4 Favorite big air style/Best laugh: Tom Hebert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywgync45Eis Favorite foil: Fred Hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk81CZDU1as Favorite female rider: Colleen Carrol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZieIvOwtDg&feature=emb_logo Favorite park rider: Noe Font https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlUidmKSgJM Question of the day! What's your favorite kiteboarding brand? Time to get back on track with the reports! After yesterday's time change it has been a bit tough to work my schedule out, but I think today's light forecast will get me where I need to be. Currently cloudy skies and cool temperatures in Belmont shore. Wind is blowing 4 MPH offshore from the North/Northeast. All forecasts are pointing to a rather dismal uneventful day on the beach. With storms coming in over the week this looks like the lull before the higher winds kick in later on. With current weather conditions I'm going to stick pretty close with today's forecast. I don't think we will be seeing the trend of higher numbers than forecasted as we did most days last week. Foilers may have a chance out there today, but it's going to be a cold cloudy day for them. Twin tip people get your week started off right at work or school or errands without worrying about the wind!
Now that I have some time I can touch on the questions of the day! Patrick from two days ago brought up why he enjoys kiteboarding, and gave a unique response. Having that direct connection to the elements is something we don't think too much about, but is absolutely what makes this sport so unique and awesome. Feeling that power of the wind through your bar, and the water flowing across the bottom of your board gets us in tune with the natural world. Harnessing these forces of nature is both empowering and humbling. It allows us to do feats we'd never dream of making us feel super human, while also giving us perspective on how strong mother nature is. I think this is a big reason that get's us all coming back day after day! One subject was mentioned in every comment....foiling. Oh how foils have changed the game of kiteboarding in the past several years. It's changed the way we ride, where we ride, how we perceive wind, and done away with seasonal kiting. Four years ago if you saw the forecast that I posted today you wouldn't see a soul out in Belmont. Now if there's even a fart on the beach a foiler is out trying to ride the breeze produced by it. They're the light wind weapon of choice, and now everyone either has one or wants one. It's also a way for experienced kiters to rejuvenate their love for kiteboarding. Learning to ride a foil is quite a humbling experience even for some of the best riders out there. The combination of foiling's light wind performance and feeling of relearning new aspects of kiting is what's pulled me in. It offers me a way to ride before lessons while also get the feeling of excitement from landing new tricks or turns in basically no wind. As much as I do encourage everyone to get into the foil side I will say don't forget about your twin tip or surfboard! My philosophy on kiteboarding is dabble in everything! Once you learn a new side of it don't put off the others entirely. Let foiling become a new branch on your kiteboarding tree, not just the trunk. What I've found is by riding all different disciplines brings fresh new looks into one another. If I go from my foil to my surfboard I find I have more control of my board in the waves. If I go from my twin tip to my foil I find myself wanting to jump more, and try new types of rotations. Cross pollenate by doing it all! You'll find it'll make you a better kiter, and keep you stoked on the sport forever! Finally touching on new locations and where we ride. A theme across the answers to this question seems to be exploration. Kiting basically encourages you to go out and find exotic destinations normal travelers don't seek. Instead of us looking for tourist traps on our travels like Disneyland, Sandals resorts, or cruises we simply look for wind and water. This can bring us to destinations across the globe that are more or less untouched by the tourist traps and the masses of other travelers. Nothing's better than getting to a kite destination to simply find good conditions and other kiters. Every day of that trip is spent doing what we love with fellow enthusiasts from around the globe. Our world becomes smaller when you travel and kite. You meet people from all walks of life from all destinations. You find new locations to ride when meeting new friends who tell you about their local spots. You become part of this community of explorers who just want to share the stoke of kiting. We all speak a universal language on the water sharing smiles and shakas as we pass one another. I encourage all of you to use this universal language of kiteboarding to connect yourself to the world! Today's question of the day! Who's your favorite pro kiteboarder and why? Stoked to see who you all choose! Happy kiting everyone! Well last night we were robbed an hour of sleep. It has definitely thrown a hiccup into my early morning routine, but I am very happy to be seeing sunlight later in the evening. Spring is beginning to spring, and I am beyond stoked. Anyway, due to my untimely post I'm going to be throwing up a quickie today so I can get to the beach. Currently clear skies and decent temperatures in Belmont Shore. Wind is blowing 5 MPH side onshore from the South/Southeast. Pretty mild forecast again from the WF-WRF table with peak wind in the mid teens in the late afternoon. Yesterday we got lucky with a decent breeze filling in and our wind exceeding yesterday's forecast. Things are looking pretty similar to yesterday with clear skies and our wind is already blowing onshore. This may lead to another decent day for us in Belmont. I'll have time to do an onsite update around 12:30 today so I'll be sure to let you all know what it's doing out there. Thanks Patrick to your response to yesterday's question of the day. I'll be sure to dive into your answers tomorrow, and give my answers as well. Look for the midday update!!!! Happy kiting!
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