Just got back from 3 weeks kitetrip to Mauritius and was very lucky to run into Martin Vari (RRD), Will James (NORTH), Jaime Herraz (NORTH) og Jeff Tobias (SLINGSHOT). They had been invited to a local freestyle event at Shandrani Hotel to do an exhibition. They had also brought along the Tronolone film crew (Space Monkeys and Slingshot DVD) and were in the process of shooting the new Space Monkeys 2.
The four of them are completely into their waveriding and are experimenting with surfboardstyle 3 fin boards.
In South Africa we are now also quite a number of guys almost exclusively looking for wind and waves for down the line waveriding, so it was great to meet and see these "trendsetter" guys in action. I have also been experimenting with 3 fin directionals and personally feel it is the way forward for waveriding. The only real downside is that you have to jibe your board. This problem was solved by Martin, Jaime and Jeff by not shifting their feet and simply sailing switch the other way. Dependent on their stance (natural/goofy) they would then ride the waves with either their front or back to the wave. Will James, like myself, jibes his board, but we both come from a windsurfing background, if that's any excuse.
Conditions in Mauritius were excellent this year with wind 16 days on the trot on 9m-13m and everything from 3- 10ft waves and cross-offshore wind. The waves break on outer reefs and are as clean as can be. The Tronolone boys had issued a prize of USD400 to the first rider pulling in and coming out cleanly of a tube for their movie. So the guys were going mental, and they pulled in again and again getting nailed everytime. They destroyed 4 boards, 6 kites, 1 spreaderbar and numerous fins. But I think they got some kief footage. So far no-one got out of the tube cleanly, but they are now off to Sumbawa, Lakey Peak, Indo - they should have good opportunity there. I was in Lakeys in June and the waves are insane, unfortunately the wind was very light (12-14 knots) - but there is one wave called the Pipe which they must get their tube on.
I obviously had a very good look at their boards which are between 4ft 10inch and 5ft 4inch long and about 16inches wide. They are between 1 and 1.15inches thick with surfboard rails allround. Their boards are based on scaled down tow-in boards which are about 6ft long. They run a single concave throughout, which they say should give more grip. My own boards don't have the pointy nose nor the concave, I run flat bottom with a V in the tail.
The guys were ripping, Martin Vari would take very critical sections on his backhand and punch through the roof of the waves, while Will James and Jeff tobias were chasing the faster sections on their forehand. These guys have big balls as the reef is 800m out to sea and the wind goes from 30 degrees off to completely offshore at the end of the wave, so any material breakdown sends you out to sea. But the local surfschools have a couple of boats which pick you up if you get into kak. Only problem is they are using local fishingboats or little waterski crafts which can't go out if the swell exceeds 8 ft. They charge Rps1000 (R230) for a pick-up outside the reef and the guys must have spent a small fortune.
Martin Vari :
Because the reef is so far out I have no useful pictures of the waveriding action and you will have to make do with my beach pictures and wait for the release of Space Monkeys 2 which is due out in October. Ralf Baschschusters DVD "SA Kiteboarding" is in the shops now and that shows a lot of decent waveriding from our local shores - so if you are into waves - get one.
