Last weekend myself, Tom, Ricky, Bret and James all went down to the Aussie Kiss SWA (student windsurfing) event in Cornwall. I think the weekend can only be described as EPIC! There was some great windsurfing on the Saturday but it was also because of the partying. The event was part organised by Lisa Kingston another ex-Bray Lake member of staff. So uber thanks to Lisa. When I arrived I was surprised to see another Old Bray lake face in Ed Throne. I typical Ed style rounds of Jagermeister where soon rolling in (not sure who was paying for them). I was trying to stay sober because it was windy the next day and I had a new toy to try, the 2011 RRD TwinTip Twinser 88, which James had brought down for me from Bray. I know that I am completely useless at windsurfing with any little twinge of a hangover. My strength of will didn’t last very long and by the end of the night I was as smashed long with all 800 other people there.
The next day we binged on Cornish Pasties in an attempt to feel up to going windsurfing and headed for Daymer bay. It was really windy. Most people going out of 4.5m sails, I went out on a 3.7m and planed almost all the time. The new board was amazing and surprisingly on starboard tack so was I. I landed a couple of shakkas and loads of flakkas in the flat water the far side. The Twin fin makes it very easy to carve up into the wind quickly for shakkas. On port I was not quite so hot but is was very choppy and there were loads of people launching. When I did get a chance to try anything that side the board felt really nice, punchy when popping and slidey when going backwards. It really doesn’t feel like and 88litre when you’re riding it, it feels much bigger and has great early planning for such a small freestyle board. It however does feel really light on your feet so you feel like you can throw it over your head easily, if that what your into. I think that everyone else had a good sail even James.
After a quick pub meal in Polzeath we had to go fancy dress shopping because Ricky and Aimee (Ricky’s girlfriend) hadn’t got sorted yet. SWA fancy dress parties are infamous. The theme was “999”. I went as Jack Bauer (tradition). The man with the best fancy dress (possibly in the whole party) was Ricky’s brother Adda, who had a WW2 style gas mask and full hazmat suit, he was pretty scary. The party was awesome, can’t really remember much more than that. Nobody could find me the next day much to everyone’s annoyance but we all met up eventually, compared notes on the night before and very hungover went our separate ways.
My new sails arrived yesterday, some North Ices. I can’t wait to try them out sometime soon up in West Kirby.
Contributed by: Jack
