I'm no longer depressed so there is no need to bring me anymore DQ sundaes. Saturday afternoon didn't materialize so we decided to have a big grill party at Howizards. It was just about 10:30pm when T-Todd noticed it was blowing. We checked the computer and sure enough it was blowing 20mph. I've never seen 5 guys get on the water so fast. We loaded up and were all at the park within 10 minutes pumping up 12m's. It was T-Todd, Howizard, Jeremy, Patrick and me. Brent was there too, but had to watch because his gear was at the shop. We rode until 12:30am under a full moon. It was sweet. With that many guys on the water at night you had to be careful not to run into anyone. Sometimes when the moon went behind a cloud, you couldn't really see your bro, just his kite so you had to kind of guess as to where he was and ride around him. Patrick just appeared in front of me at one point, I didn't see him coming at all on his 8m and surfboard. Judging water depth was a little tricky too. I was screaming along full throttle when I realized I was only in about 4 inches of water so I got waay over on my rail and barely sliced through the sand without eating it. Good times. We ventured out quite far into the bay and there was some discussion about doing a midnight bay crossing but the wind started to lighten up. Plus Howizard lost his board at one point and it took four of us about 15 minuntes to find it. We realized that none of us really wanted to risk losing a board in the middle of the bay at night. Next time we will bring glow sticks and attach them to our kites, boards and maybe put one of those glowing rings around our necks. I guess I should stock up on that stuff for next time. All in all it was a great session. One of those times you remember because it was with all your Bro's, all little bit risky and totally unexpected.
Sunday proved to be a decent 12m as well so hopefully this trend will continue so we can all stay manic for a while! See you on the water.
-Captain Greg'eh
Apparently CC'ing god on my last post was a good idea because its blowing 11mph right now at Wildcat!! This means that it might get to 15mph today by 5 or 6pm. I'm so excited I wet myself (just a little). Going to pump up my 16m. Hope to see you there.
-Captain Greg'eh
P.S. Thanks for the sundae Brent.
The wind blows. What happened to it? I haven't been out riding in what feels like an eternity (10 days?) My mental health has taken a serious turn for the worse. Even DQ sundaes only pick me up for an hour or so, then I fall back into this slump. Someone suggested raquet ball but that's indoors and doesn't involve water. Plus you could lose an eye. I like my eyes. Sure I have lots of spare time now to do things like my taxes (yes I know, they are long overdue) or clean the garage out or mow the lawn or fix broken stuff around the house but that just isn't that much fun. I went sailing with T-Todd and El Jefe the other day and that was actually a great time. I jumped off the stern with a line and dragged behind the boat for a while. This was mildly entertaining. Then we anchored out in the middle of the bay and I watched T-Todd blindly toss a full beer bottle at El Jefe who was swimming around the boat. The bottle made direct contact with his head. Such good friends I have. Then we decided to see if we could swim down to the bottom of the bay and pick something up off the bottom. It was a little creepy going down because its cold and dark but its really only maybe 15-20 feet deep. I brought some mud up off the bottom and smushed it into T-Todds hair. Again, mildly entertaining. We did have a meat and cheese tray out on the boat. There was enough for about 16 people and we split it between the three of us. I did get some endorphines out of the salami I think. So all in all that was a pretty good day but that was like a week ago. It just occured to me that all this light wind would be great for paramotoring with Howizard so maybe I will call him today and go for a flight or two. Strapping an extremely loud 60 pound motor and prop to your back does kind of get your adrenaline going. But again, I'm not sure how long that will pick me up for so if anyone wants to bring me a DQ sundae today, I'd surely appreciate it. Maybe we could set up a rotation so that I get one every couple of hours or so until the wind starts blowing again. Just a thought.
Captain Greg'eh
Some of you may have heard about the beginnings of the Cabrinha Kiteboarding race series here in Corpus. Howizard and I attended the last event however it was cancelled due to a vicious north front with lightning and all the fixings. The make up race for the cancelled event is this Sunday July 22nd at Oleander Park off of Ocean Drive in Corpus. The wind forecast doesn't look promising at this point but I will keep everyone updated. I encourage everyone to come out, especially Seekers: Brent, Liam, Mark, Jeremy, Stef, Josh and Protege Sean. This will be a fun event and a great opportunity to hang with other riders from the area. So bring your WKC gear and represent. As for the racing part of it, it will be a blast, I personally plan on taking out T-Todd at all costs, even if I have to chase him two miles off course or onto land. Again, this is a fun event so ALL level of riders are going to have fun, I will personally see to it and guarantee it. The race is scheduled to be at 2pm, Sunday. Afterwards we have been invited to hang out as guests at the super cush C.C. Yacht Club. Apparently they are excited to have some kiteboarders around to revitalize the yacht club. I don't know about you but after couple of fancy drinks I can be pretty revitalizing. They have a sweet outdoor pool & bar and you can rub shoulders with rich people with names like "Harland" and "Victoria". If you're really lucky you might find one of the ladies (or men-Stef) calling you "Darling..." whom is not opposed to subsidizing your expensive tastes in beer or your kite quiver for the next 12 months. See you there.
-Captain's Greg'eh & T-Todd
P.S. Don't forget about Rocky's garage sale early Saturday morning. If you need someone to pick something up from your house, give me a call. 361-944-7525
Protege Sean, Rookie Liam and Tenderfoot Mark McGinnis were ripping at Wildcat aaaaalll day today with Captain T-Todd and ACE Chatwell. I showed up after work and Liam asked me for some homework. So here it is. Liam : 1) Back rolls - regular and switch. Remember to throw your head. Where your head and eyes go, your body will follow. 2) Front rolls - regular and switch. Try and pop off a little wave and tuck your head and chin down and under your back arm. Basically, try and get a good look at your armpit. 3) Big airs dude. 6 feet or more. Big jumps come from popping off the water with your board (kinda like an ollie in skateboarding) as you send the kite backwards. This will help you go up more instead of downwind. 4) Riding Toeside - regular and switch. Ok, so there you go Liam, study hard!Sean: 1) Start practicing handle passes on a bar on a tree. Put the bar at about chin height. Throw you feet up over your head and spin away from the bar like I showed you and pass the bar behind your back. Try and keep the bar close to your body. Make sure you practice both sides! 2) Surface passes & flat 3's (I need to work on these too bud.) Hook up another bar or use any kind of handle really and practice jumping up in the air and spinning (180's & 360's) and passing the bar behind your back. Keep the handle close to your body. Study hard! See you at school.-Captain Greg'ehP.S. Kiteworld Magazine put out a full two page great story & interview on ACE Chatwell in the latest issue. There is also a full page CrazyFly ad in there which Rocky has posted on his profile page. Check it out! Way to go ACE. P.P.S - if you have any tips for these guys let them know.
Wildcat has been busy lately with lots of action and good wind over the past week. Seekers have been improving quickly. Today I watched Tenderfoot Brent ride well into the "Rookie" rank skill level. Rookair Josh was hucking backrolls and basic jumps on Thursday (see video in WKC media Galleries) and Tenderfoot Stefanie was charging too. WKC Lurker Mike Danish has been spotted twice over the weekend tearing it up. Master Kansas has been chunking sweet down loop S-Bends, ACE Howizard has been testing all kinds of new kites and boards, I finally landed some slims and Captain T-Todd was representing as well (vid in media Galleries) and Rookair Jeremy put work on hold to get some great riding in. Master Patrick is MIA, Rookair Ben is spraying his cotton fields and ACE Chatwell is on the injury list at the moment with 11 stitches in his foot. It looks to be healing nicely though and he should be back on the water soon. Hope the wind blows tomorrow. See you on the water.
-Captain Greg'eh
Well the day started out awesome with great winds and sun. ACE Chatwell just got back in town from the PKRA event in Spain and was chunking super smooth pro moves on a classic Wildcat day. It was great to watch him and his skills have definitely improved since we saw him last a few weeks ago. New Seekers were also out as well as some of the Consulate. Things started to get ugly when Rookiar Josh took a gash to the eyebrow. Then it really went south when Rocky got a nasty cut on his foot while helping one of the Seekers out, bless his heart. Rocky ended up having to go to the hospital and we are all hoping he will be able to compete in the next PKRA event. The shoreline is especially nasty at the moment after all the rain and its a bit of a mine field if you aren't wearing booties (which most of us don't). Thanks to our on site Paramedic Captain T-Todd for patching him up. It really sucked to watch Rocky go down at his home turf after he survived competing in 60 knot winds in Tarifa where other competitors were blowing out knees and breaking legs. It definitely made me more determined to get this project going to clean up our site. I know Rocky is probably feeling pretty frustrated at the moment so send him a message to cheer him up (rockychatwell@gmail.com). I also know that Rocky is running low on cash so we are also planning a huge garage sale to raise money for him so that he can get to the next 4 PKRA events to finish off the 2007 pro tour. If you have anything you don't want (and I mean anything) please bring it by Wildcat, Prokitesurf, my house, Rocky's house or just let me know (361-944-7525 or wildcatkitecrew@gmail.com) and we or Richard (Rocky's dad) will come by and pick it up. Anything you donate will be sold at the garage sale and the money will go directly to getting Rocky to the next PKRA events. The garage sale will be this Saturday morning July 14th at sunrise so if please get your things to us by Friday night. Please do what you can to help out our local WKC champ. -Captain Greg'eh
Welcome to the Wildcat Kite Crew, we are happy to have you as new Seekers. We hope you enjoy being part of the WKC and the associated benefits some of which are: Camaraderie and always having someone to go ride with , both at Wildcat and other spots like group downwinders at the beach. This comaraderie will go beyond kiteboarding as well. If you are doing something else fun or need help with something else in life, ask us, we are a dynamic bunch with access to a lot of knowlege, experience and material things. More access to gear. We encourage sharing when the need arises and also if you just want to try someone's board or kite or test something new that is out, we can usually provide. You will also learn faster as a WKC member, about both gear and riding. This is part of the reason we have the ranking system and awarded dog tags (hardware) for achieving different skill levels. Its an incentive/reward system and also helps prevent you from stagnating at a certain skill level. Feel free to ask questions to other WKC riders, especially the Consulate (T-Todd, Howizard, Greg'eh, Patrick, Rocky, Kansas). We will give you tips and pointers that will make you better, faster and we can also make sure you are on the right gear at the right price.
As new Seekers of the WKC certain things are expected of you (things you are probably already doing otherwise we wouldn't like you..lol). Basically it comes down to the WKC Creedo of Ride, Respect & Represent, which basically means, 1) get out of bed and shred - when we call you to go ride, go ride - its not just about kiteboarding, its about being a good friend. 2) respect other riders, the beaches and the public. Pick up trash even if its not yours, ride safely when non kiters and kids are around 3) represent the WKC - be a cool person, help others out, thank those that help you and most importantly show the Consulate some love! (occasional beer, snacks, drinks, wash salt off truck when we leave the beach etc). Basically you are role models for future new members, so be a good example and when you are WKC veterans new Seekers will look up to you for advice and help. Pump it and chunk it. -Captain Greg'eh
My brother - Rookair KID (Keith Irish Despins) got some wind on the last day of the family vacation from Canuckistan (Canada). Overall the vacation was a great time with Andria and the kids, Naish & Knox, enjoying events including sailing with T-Todd, flying with Jeremy, a tractor ride with Ben, Porsche driving with moi and motorcycles with Howizard. Thanks to all for showing them some fun. Keith got a decent amount of riding in during the first week of his trip and was happy to meet some of his fellow WKC riders. There was talk about moving down here permanently if a good job could be sourced so I will be keeping my eyes open for opportunities. Hope to see y'all again soon. (Photo of KID getting his Rookair rank. From Left to Right: Naish, Keith, Greg'eh, Knox, Andria, Howizard) Miss you guys.
-Love Captain Greg'eh
As you all know, a hard day of kiteboarding and trying to learn new tricks can really beat you down. So much so that often menial everyday tasks such as grocery shopping can become a problem in the days following. Grocery shopping can be quite difficult when every part of your body aches from the repeated, and violent impacts with the water. This is why it is so great to have the community of Portland's support for the WKC and its members. Walmart has set a great example as you can see and I encourage others to follow suit. For example it would be nice if the WKC members could have their popcorn and drinks brought to them seat side at the theatres so we don't have to stand in the concession line. I'd be happy to tip if this was the case. Mowing the lawn is also a major pain. Perhaps community parents who's children are spending too much time playing video games could volunteer their kids to mow WKC members lawn from time to time. Again I'd be happy to tip or provide a popsicle. Just a few ideas.
-Captain Greg'eh (and nephew Knox)
WKC Creedo
- Ride – get out of bed and shred.
- Respect – fellow riders, the public, and the beaches.
- Represent - the WKC & ride hard wherever you are.
WKC Mission
It is the mission of the WKC to bring together veteran and aspiring riders from all around the Corpus Christi Bay area in order to build camaraderie, provide equipment and accelerate the learning of sick, professional level kiteboarding skills in an exciting, hilarious and rewarding environment.
The WKC - What's in it for you?
Welcome new Seekers. If you have been given WKC Hardware and a WKC Rank then congratulations, you are a cool person and we like you. We also hope you enjoy being part of the WKC and the associated benefits. The benefits of being a WKC include:
Camaraderie: Always having someone to go ride with, both at Wildcat and other spots like group downwinders at the beach or a night session at Rockport. This camaraderie goes beyond kiteboarding as well. If we are doing something else fun we will likely call you to join in, or if need help with something else in life, ask us, we are a very dynamic bunch with a lot of connections, knowledge, experience, and access to material things. We have gear connections, travel connections, real estate connections, job connections etc. We also have access to boats, motorcycles, trucks, heavy equipment and even a plane! As a WKC member all you need to do is ask.
More Access to Gear: We encourage sharing within the WKC so if you are new to the sport and you are short on gear, or you want to try someone's board/kite or test something new that is out, we can usually provide. Trying different gear will make you a better rider and you will also figure out quickly what works best for you.
Accelerated Learning: You will learn faster as a WKC member, about both gear and riding. This is part of the reason why we have a ranking system and corresponding awards (dog tags hardware) for achieving different levels of skill. It is an incentive/reward system that is fun and helps prevent you from stagnating at a certain skill level. Feel free to ask for tips on gear and riding from other WKC riders, especially the Consulate (T-Todd, Howizard, Greg'eh, Patrick, Rocky). We will give you pointers that will make you better, faster and we can also make sure you are on the right gear at the right price.
A Unified Voice: As a WKC member you will be respected by the community as an ambassador of the sport, parks and community. As our numbers grow, we will have more and more of a voice with The City of Portland, The City of Rockport, The City of Corpus Christi and the kiteboarding community as a whole. This will help ensure that we will always have great spots to ride at and community support when we need it for WKC events. We already have a great relationship with the City of Portland and it should only get better as we become more involved in the community. There is strength in numbers.
As new Seekers of the WKC certain things are expected of you (things you are probably already doing otherwise you wouldn't be a WKC Seeker). Basically it comes down to The WKC Creedo of: Ride, Respect & Represent.
The WKC Creedo means:
1) Ride - Get out of bed and shred - when we call you to go ride, or do anything for that matter, do your best to show up or help out - its not just about kiteboarding, its about being a good friend.
2) Respect - Respect other riders, the beaches and the public. Be respectful to other riders on an off the water, pick up trash even if it’s not yours, ride safely when non kiters and kids are around.
3) Represent the WKC - be a cool person, help others out, thank those that help you and give back to the WKC. As a new member it is expected that some day you may become a member of the Consulate as a Master, Captain, or ACE. This means that as a WKC Seeker that you are being "observed" to see if you truly want to be a part of the WKC and believe in its Mission and Creedo. The easiest way to show that do want to be a part of the WKC is to simply observe the Creedo, so commit it to memory or tattoo it somewhere! Examples of showing your commitment are: Showing up for WKC events, coming up with new ideas/events/pranks for the WKC, wearing your WKC gear, helping out other WKC riders, giving when not asked to give (snacks, drinks etc), offering to pay for your WKC gear, sharing your knowledge and connections and most importantly being about fun. Basically you are role models for future Seekers, so be a good example and when you are a WKC veteran, new Seekers will look up to you for advice and help, and thank you in return. Pump it and chunk it. - The Consulate
Current WKC Seekers and Rank
- Jonathan Beaty - "Protege", Local - Rockport, May 2nd, 2008
- Sean McGinnis - "Protege", Local - Rockport, June 30th, 2007 ("Rookair" May 5th, 2007)
- Stefanie Douglass - "Rookair", Local - Corpus Christi, Sept, 2007 ("Tenderfoot" July 17th, 2007)
- Jeremy Hintz - "Rookair", Local - Portland
- Josh McClain - "Rookair", Local - Corpus Christi, July 9th, 2007
- John James (J.J) - "Rookair", Ghostrider - Houston
- Keith Despins - "Rookair", Ghostrider - Canada
- Liam McGinnis - "Rookair", Local - Rockport, Aug 20th, 2007 ("Rookie" July 17th 2007, "Tenderfoot" May 5th, 2007, )
- Brent Reagan - "Rookie", Local - Portland, July 17th, 2007 ("Tenderfoot" June 24th, 2007)
- Mark McGinnis - "Rookie", Local - Rockport Aug 21, 2007 ("Tenderfoot" June 30th, 2007)
- Chantal Archambault - "Rookie", Ghostrider - Montreal, Canada . June 8th, 2008
