Kai Katchadourian has a long distance relationship with Cabo Verde. He prides himself on keeping his passion for Ponta Preta alive by fly in fly out strike missions for the best swells. He recounts one of his latest ventures on the island nation and the highs and lows of commuting from Northern Europe to Africa in search of wind and waves.
It’s been a long time since I got to rock and roll at Ponta Preta, Cabo Verde, as two years had passed very quickly since the last mission. It’s driven home a few points. You only have what’s in front of you so the moment you see the chance you have to take it. Forecasts are merely a model for guessing - the actual conditions waiting on the other side can often be up to chance, although if you know what to look for - exactly - you can open the gates of the treasure chest if you can make the right decisions on time.
THE CHASE
Living in Finland part time has afforded a great starting point to score Cabo Verde regularly, as getting there is very cheap and direct - as opposed to starting the mission from Maui for instance.
All my chips were stacked on a February swell sequence, this is the time of year when wind and waves are most likely to combine for my favourite spot Ponta Preta to turn on with the legendary hollow peeling ‘African Green Machine’ coming to life. No sooner had my family arrived from our Maui stay than the charts came alive with a low pressure coming off the US East Coast. As I watched the news go on and on about blizzards and brutal weather I began making my plans as the storm was forecast to go out to sea and send a solid shot of NW swell to Cabo Verde.
My typical strategy has me leaving a bulk of my kit in Cabo Verde, my trusty OG Flywave board, masts, booms, and a quiver of surfboards.
Only needing to bring sails greatly increases the ease of arriving ready to go as soon as the swells hit. I ordered my sails expecting them to arrive right on time for departure. Everything was going to plan, the storm had moved off the East Coast and a solid swirling system was due to send swell as if on cue right after Valentine’s Day. Even my wife would be happy to see me go get some epic waves; this was all too good to be true.
Denne historien er fra Issue 368 - August 2017-utgaven av Windsurf.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 368 - August 2017-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
