The craziness is underway in Cape Town

[Hugh2]

Been on the ground for five days, three of them already epic windy, good stuff, generally boosting high (for me) on 9 and 7m and once down to 5.5m. The beaches are not too crowded yet, still about half locals and half visitors. Local shops had their demo days this weekend, lots of fun trying new kites and boards. But some craziness is apparent.

Yesterday at Kite beach there was a guy, shaved head, riding white and green Vegas with boots on TT, clearly a very good rider, but also a little scary and obnoxious. He was cursing folk on the beach who got in his way, and cursing out on the water if someone was in his "landing zone", including me. He apparently expected everyone else to clear out while he showed off his megaloop skills. Not to mention that he would ride up the sand and stand there with his kite at 12 waiting for an opening to rip another one, generally obstructing anyone else nearby on the beach. To top it all off, he took his little daughter out, clutching his legs, and did some medium size jumps with her, not landing all of them. I try to avoid guys like him.

Today, during a downwinder to Haakgat, I came across three guys with an 8m kite just north of Big Bay. I was completely lit on a 7m. The guy harnessed to the kite was smaller than me and clearly a beginner, tomahawking the kite and getting dragged all over the place. I recovered his board and took it back to shore and asked what was up. Apparently one of the three knows how to kite and was teaching the other two, YIKES! I think they got my message and quit, but a good way to get injured. The wind is just so much more intense here, it really is not a great spot to learn, better to go to Langebaan and take real lessons.

A couple pros are here, Kevin Langaree has posted several videos already, Lasse Walker was helping at the Duotone demo yesterday, unfortunately Gijs Wassenaar, who apparently jumped from Duotone to Airrush, was back in the Netherlands and not present at their demo today, and I believe Nick Jacobsen is around as someone was jumping big on a North kite. Locals Ross-Dylan Player (Red Bull Megaloop champ) was riding yesterday and I know Mike MacDonald (of Woo-record fame) is around but I've yet to see him. Lots of other good locals and visitors riding, including Anthony and Allan on their strapped surfboards, getting ready for the strapped surf-riding competition next weekend. And a few brave guys trying to ride foil-SUPs with wings.

Had a pleasant braai at Mystic house on Friday, Wouter is a good guy there and chatted with Will from Cornwall and "John" (not sure how to spell it but phonetically John) from Turkey who had injured his leg, contrary to my previous perception of that crowd - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2401739&hilit=moon+is+half+full. Gonna enjoy these next three months here!

[BernieTomic1]

Lovely!
What would you say about rocks at Haakgat?
How big is the risk that you ride a wave and get slammed into those? How many rocks are there at the different Steens between Big bay and Haakgat?

[Exal]

Sad to hear about your bad encounter. Always happy to read your summaries, keep em coming and enjoy your time.

[Hugh2]

Bernie, Haakgat is not for me, too advanced and gusty, but the main rocks are upwind, the break is downwind, so not a serious problem there, or at least it was the last few years. When I went past yesterday it looked like there had been some beach erosion and some rocks might be exposed. Upwind from Haakgat is a long rocky section, but otherwise all the way from Big Bay is fine. I just go around the rocky section south of Haakgat, don't want to take a chance ruining my strapless board on those rocks.

[Peter_Frank]

Lovely!
What would you say about rocks at Haakgat?
How big is the risk that you ride a wave and get slammed into those? How many rocks are there at the different Steens between Big bay and Haakgat?

Not many...

A few but easy to spot as jetties on the beach/beachbreak.

And as said, at Haakgat there are rocks, but to windward, the pointbreak side where you dont ride.
Sand where you end up if you screw up out there, some nasty lovely steep waves often

So taking a downwinder from Dolphin or Sunset is fun - of course a bit of rocks before and at Big Bay, but I assume you know where they are, or just go wide outside

Peter

[Hugh2]

On Monday the SEaster only came through late at Kite beach, so because it slowly advances up the beach from the harbor, I launched 9m and surfboard at Milnerton lighthouse and rode slowly downwind to Kite Beach. The waves were small but good for me learning bottom turns.

So yesterday with the same forecast I chose to go south, but driving past Witsand there was no wind around midday, so went on to Platboom in Cape Point National Park. Two guys were just leaving, so I had this beautiful spot to myself and it was cranking. Rode 7m for 1.5 hours on TT, it was too gusty for me on surfboard. Lots of big jumps (not all landed due to the lulls) and some good waves to ride in. As I left, a couple came down and the guy was able to ride surfboard on 7m, but the woman found her 6m too much for strapless riding.

The Witsand forecast was for afternoon, and when I came back around 4 the place was pretty crowded, but I got another overpowered 7m TT session. Vegas-man was there with his daughter (perhaps he does his jumps along the beach to stay close enough to keep an eye on her?). More interestingly, the two local Joshuas were there. Josh Emmanuel on 9m Core working on board-off backroll megaloops, and 14-year-old Joshi Killet on a 9m Fone, doing monster high megaloops. It's always both inspiring and demoralizing when a kid like that can ride a 9m when I am hanging on to a 7m, but he did come in and change down to 8m!

Similar forecast for today, but I'm hurting too much to think about riding today. Westerly storm forecast for the weekend, which will finally bring us some decent size waves next week along with hopefully strong SEaster. If I had the energy I would drive east for the next few days.

[apollo4000]

Aside from ‘Knuckles van der hellava Kok’ the Vegas man, sounds lovely. Another life for me, keep posting. Enjoying the daily diary.

[Hugh2]

I sat out Wednesday, but yesterday, with another weak forecast for Bloubergstrand, a local friend, David, and I headed back to Platboom around noon, which we had to ourselves, but eventually tired of the gusty conditions yanking us around on 7m. So after a nice lunch in Scarborough we headed back to Witsand, which by 4PM was pretty crowded, but good for 7m for me and 8m for him. I enjoyed both strapless and TT, with waves of manageable size, but no exceptional riders to watch. Today was no wind anywhere, and the near-term forecast is unhappy, especially for anyone who is visiting for just a week! Tomorrow is westerly with rain, so even Hermanus will not work well as the westerly is gusty there (SW is best there). If anyone local knows where best to kite on westerlies, let us know! If it turned full NW like in the winter then I would do a downwinder from Bloubergstrand to Milnerton.

[Kozzie]

Vegas mans my hero and i understand his frustration when kooks are endangering his life just because they want to endlessly mow the lawn back and fourth just as they could anywhere else in world but here is one few places where vegas man can go large

[Hpr]

I sat out Wednesday, but yesterday, with another weak forecast for Bloubergstrand, a local friend, David, and I headed back to Platboom around noon, which we had to ourselves, but eventually tired of the gusty conditions yanking us around on 7m. So after a nice lunch in Scarborough we headed back to Witsand, which by 4PM was pretty crowded, but good for 7m for me and 8m for him. I enjoyed both strapless and TT, with waves of manageable size, but no exceptional riders to watch. Today was no wind anywhere, and the near-term forecast is unhappy, especially for anyone who is visiting for just a week! Tomorrow is westerly with rain, so even Hermanus will not work well as the westerly is gusty there (SW is best there). If anyone local knows where best to kite on westerlies, let us know! If it turned full NW like in the winter then I would do a downwinder from Bloubergstrand to Milnerton.

Today is light NW, so hydrofoil or big kite will work at a few places along Table Bay. Otherwise Brandvlei will normally be quite strong with a light NW in Cape Town.