Shinn Kiteboards

CKA East Coast Stop #2

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With the second stop of the CKA aka “College Kiteboarding Association” is now in the books after a weekend spent over in Cocoa Beach, Florida! This stop was held in one of my favorite spots in Florida at the 520 Slick. This spot offers some of the flattest water possible when kiting with a fun little lift off of the surrounding mangrove trees.

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We got lucky and had enough wind to run the whole event on Saturday starting off with the Freestyle division. This time we had enough competitors to run an Amateur division and Advance division, which was exciting to see as in the first contest everyone was grouped together. The wind never got above 15 mph for the freestyle and had most competitors on 14-17m kites. I could barely stay up wind throughout my heat but was able to get in enough tricks somehow to manage a 2nd place in Freestyle.

af2c50a47d7211e38be3129f4076fa26_8After the freestyle was a wrap we started a course race on twintips with all the competitors together in one group. Where we had to downwind it to a marker then back upwind through are gate of markers then back downwind until back to the original mark. I managed to get a great start battling with my buddy Sean Buell for the first mark but once around the corner I was able to hold off everyone to win the race!

IMG_2621Huge thanks to everyone who came out and made this event what it was! Also a big thanks to Ryan Druyor and Billy Bosch and Bret Sullivan for organizing this event and making it happening not only work during the event but all the work leading into a event like this! Excited to tie for 1st after this contest and still be in the lead going into the 3rd stop of the series!

Why Hatteras needs to be on your Travel List

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After getting back home from spending a summer month in Hatteras, North Carolina it makes you realize how special the island truly is. There are not many spots in the US let alone world that you can walk across in minutes and kite waves and butter flat water all in one day. No matter the wind direction if there is wind you can kite somewhere on the island, waves or flatwater depending on how far your willing to drive north or south on the island. With a laid back relaxed atmosphere that moves at a priceless island time, everyone I ran into was so amped about getting into the water regardless of the activity required to make that happen. When a lot of like minded people get together your bound to have a great time!

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Lets not forgot why we went there in the first place! The wind and waves are world class and offer some of the most consistent training grounds for many of the North American Pro’s and up and coming Amateurs. Let alone thousands of kiters a year that come to Hatteras to take there first lesson through REAL Watersports and KittyHawk Kites!

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I personally recommend visiting the island either in the Fall or Spring as both times offer a large variety of different conditions to challenge yourself with. Finding a group of kiters to go with is what makes the Outer Banks experience what it truly is all about! Visiting the island during either time of  the year is also very cheap! Throw a group of 5-6 kiters in a house and you won’t be paying more then a few hundred bucks each for a week in a decked out house with your buddies.

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If flat water is what your looking for look no further as Hatteras offers some of the largest slicks in the US! If you find that there are too many kiters at one slick just kite up or downwind and find your own private slick! With waist to chest deep water its one of the safest and easiest places to progress your riding forward no matter your level. From going up wind to working on your next handlepass this is the mecca for progression! Start planning your trip to Hatteras, NC for a guaranteed good time!

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2013 Triple S Open Kiteboarding Contest Wrap-Up

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Just getting back from a month stay up in Hatteras in which I competed in the SSS Open and continued to train in the slicks and waves that Hatteras, North Carolina is known to deliver! Couldn’t have asked for much better of a trip up in Hatteras besides of course there being quite a lack of wind during the SSS Open contest. Buts that’s to be expected for a kite contest right? 🙂

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The contest started on a light winded note but with the forecasts looking to have the winds building in the afternoons as the thermal southwest winds arrived the competitors stayed excited and forced. It was exciting to see the turn out for the event as it showcased a lot of the up and coming riders in the US along with a few riders foreign riders that traveled quite far for the chance to qualify into the main event. There was 3 heats of 9 riders with the top 3 riders from each heat advancing into a final of the top 9 riders. I ended up getting grouped into a stacked heat with Chris Bobyrk and Brandon Cordina along with a lot of talented riders from Real in my first heat but luckily managed to put together a good heat that put me into the finals. The format for the event was different then in years past with it being setup more as a slope style event. You had 2 runs through the course with 6 combined attempts at your airtricks or the rails and kickers.

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I personally really enjoyed the new format as it but a lot of stress on the kiters to be consistent and really plan ahead and focus on your runs. Without it being a Jam Format though it made for a lot more standing around for the riders waiting out in the water. This type of format you won’t see as much progression in the sport though as without enough chances at tricks no one wanted to be wiping out on there tricks. So you saw a lot of people going back to the basics and getting together a first solid heat and then working towards more advance tricks after that first heat. I found it make the event a little “blah” at times but none the less it was pretty fun having the spotlight only on you when you dropped in for you run!

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Big Congrats to my two friends that advanced into the main event! Stoked Kellen Hall and Hope Levin! Can’t wait for next years event! Thanks William Parmeter for the photos from the event, along with a Huge Thanks to Mutiny Kites, Shinn, Hyperflex Wetsuits and Dakine for your support!

Florida Spring Sessions Edit

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After a nice windy and warm spring spent in Florida it looks like its time to head up to Hatteras as the wind dies down here. But before that its time to wrap up the sessions with a little edit! Check it out and please share it along!