This weekend we had the final rounds of BKSA Redcar. Because of a couple of comps where i was seriously off form, i needed a top 2 position to get onto the final end of year podium.
Thursday morning started off with readlly light wind and beautiful clean waves, but not long later, the wind started to fill in and picked up to about 20 knts. My first heat was against tour leader Sam Light and Scott Bourne.
We all had a pretty good heat on our 10s, but Sam pulled through with the win and I came second.
My next heat was against tour vice leader James Boulding and Murry Aldrech. This again was a pretty close heat, but i had some good moves which gave me the win, unfortunatly knocking out good friends and competitiors James and Murry.
This next heat was then to get into the final. I had no choice to win it. To get through i was going to have to beat Luke Whiteside, and Oli Sweeney who were both on fire!! I took my 8m for this heat as the wind had picked up abit. Unfortunatly in the first 2 minutes of the heat, me and Luke had a pretty harsh tangle which was unavoidable but not really anyones fault. After speaking to the judges, Oli Sweeney very graciously agreed to letting us re run the hit. So real big ups to him for that.
In the second heat i layed down some great mobes and also kiteloop pass, f16 pass, and downloop sbend to blind, also a few blind landings. This was enough to take me through to the final. Unfortunatly the wind died just before my final between Sam Light and Ned Tayler. It was a very important heat because i could have knocked Ned off the podium spot for the overall tour, but the wind wasnt playing ball so we all got joint 1st. Just the way things roll.
Friday and Saturday there wasnt enough wind to compete either so had some pretty chilled out days, watching the landboarders, buggiers, and course racers which was good fun.
On Sunday the wind really decided to sort its self out. It picked up in the morning so i had a real good 13m sess with a few guys, then it dropped off and then it really started blowoing strong.
I put up my 10m and we had the expression session comp. The idea was to go out for 30mins in a big Jam type session and just impress the crowds and judges. THe wind picked up to about 25knts so i was maxed on my 10 which was great for throwing down some board offs and big airs and spins to keep the crowd happy. I also did some super powered tricks as well which was enough for me to take the win. Stoked

So thats the BKSA for another year. Lets hope next year is as windy as this year. I will post some photos up as and when i get them.
 
 
Hey people. Just got back from Bridlington BKSA event with a 1st and a 4th.
On friday, the wind was too gusty and bad to compete as it was straight offshore so it was postponed as the wind was supposed to get better throughout the weekend.
On Saturday morning, the wind was looking slightly better. It was cross-offshore, instead of bang offshore, and the tide was going out. I was first on the water and had a great little session on my 10m. THey started off with the juniors, ams, seniors and Womens, who all got a complete set of results in their catagories. By the time it got to the pros, the tide was well on its way back in, and the wind had got much gustier. A decision was made to run a 10minute, best trick comp. 1 trick takes all. So all 9 pro men went out for the ten mins and bust out all the moves.  The conditions were really difficult but I won it with a super kite low back mobe.
The sunday morning wasnt looking very promising as it was still crossoffshore and only about 5knts.  At about 1pm, just before the event was called off, the wind switched to crossshore and picked up to about 14knts.
The wind was still very up and down, sometimes going upwind on the 13m, and sometimes you couldnt even get out the water.
I ended up going out in the semi finals in a very close heat with Sam Light.
I then won the losers final against toby raw and rich flindell to come 4th.
Sam Light took the event with a great heat in the gusty conditions. He even managed a frontmobe-blind and switch back-wrapped in his heat so RESPECT. Ned Tayler came 2nd, and Martyn hogg came 3rd.

The finals for the British Champs is in Redcar on the 8th-10th October. Its going to be a close fight
 
 
So the last couple of comps ive been having a bit of a nightmare. For one reason or another ive had some pretty bad deals.
So going into the event i was pretty nervous. Wanted to do well at my home spot.
My first heat was against Toby Raw and Tom Court. I was pretty powered on my 8m RPM. It all  started off pretty badly. I had a few big crashes and wasnt too good.  I then had to compose myself and layed down a few nice moves, railey blind, s bend blind with a pop out, s bend pass, blind judge, backmobe,  NIS and a shifty to wrapped.
I was stoked as it put me through to the next round.
Next round was against James Boulding and Luke Whiteside. I knew i had to put a good heat together to beat these too guys. Ended up having the best heat of my year so far.
Started off with a big railey to blind, sbend to blind, shifty 3, sbend pass, blind judge, switch blind judge, back mobe, kiteloop pass, slim and a blind 313.
After a long wait, i went through to the final with a win.
In the final i was joined by Sam Light, and James Boulding. Just before the final the wind picked up quite a lot. I was totally overpowered on my 8, while Sam and James put some awesom passes down on there 6 and 7m.
I took some massive crashes in the final, as i couldnt deal with the power. In the end i did a few crowd pleasing tricks including a big board off and a megaloop kankan.
The final result was Sam Light in 1st. James Boulding in 2nd and me in 3rd.

It was great event and organised really well by the BKSA considereing there were 71 competitors.

Thanks to Simon Gardiner for taking the pics
 
 
So i went over to Rhosneigr for the RHosneigr park jam. Benn Todd had build some unbelievable sliders and kickers for us to hit and had organised and amazing event.
Everything was sorted from an amazing camp site, food in the morning and evening, and a mental party for the saturday night which went OFF!!!!
On friday there was little to no wind so we started off by putting the flat bar and kicker in the water. We sessioned that behind the boat which was a little sketchy because of the choppy conditions.
On Saturday the sun was out and the wind was building. I started on a 13 fuel for a quick session before the obsticles came out to get used to riding finless and with bindings. Its been a while.
We then all chipped in to set up the sliders aand kicker, changing the angles to get it just right. Once that was done everyone got involved. Everyone started pretty skatey but after an hour we were all hitting the obsticles HARD.
I took a pretty harsh wiepout off the A frame managing to hit all 3 legs, as i was pretty overpowered on my 13. I then rode my 10 and had the perfect power.

At the end of the session we all voted for who we thought won different catagories.
 I ended up winning the slider section, coming 2nd on the kicker, and 2nd overall to Dave Hastilow( big ups to him)
Pretty stoked considering ive never hit a slider with a kite.

Big thanks to Benn Todd, Kitty, and Max for putting on such and awesom event
 
Turkey Shots 07/29/2009
 
So on the Sunday of our turkey trip, photographer Ian Edmondson, from Expix, came out and joined us. Here are a couple of shots from the thousands that he took.
 
Turkey 07/19/2009
 

Im currently out in turkey filming and shooting with some friends. We've had some real good wind so the footage has be really good. 
Im riding with, Jo Wilson, Johara Sykes Davies, Ania Grezlinska, Rob SNuggs, and James Boulding.
Here are a few photos from the other day.

 
Ainsdale Piccies 07/14/2009
 

Had a good session at ainsdale the other day. Some nice flat water lagoons and 9m weather. got some nice piccies

 
BKSA Swansie 05/18/2009
 

Well we just had the first BKSA event of this year in Swansie. It was one of the new Kiteival events so had a lot going on and the set up was really good.
We started the comp on the friday, It was miserable weather and gusty cross off wind. Ranging from about 10-25knts so was quite fun.
First couple of heats were good. Busted out some good moves, shifty3, blind judge, blindjudge 3, kiteloop 3, kiteloop nis, nis, slim which put me through both my heats into the final.
THe wind died down slightly so we decided to leave the final till Saterday.
The saturday morning the wind was mental. I went out early to test the winds on my 7 and threw down some mental loops. Biggest ones in months.
THe the final started. it was between me, Sam light, and Toby raw. I went out and just as the final started the wind picked up some more. I just became stupidly overpwoered and couldnt do jack shit. As soon as i unhooked i jus got ripped off the water. Went for a blind judge and traveled about 15m before gettin spanked hard ha. Then struggled getting back upwind as i was so powered. Threw down a reasonably big megaloopchillout so that was pretty much the end of my heat. Bit of a night mare but thats how things go.
Sam had an awesom heat in the conditions and threw down alot of tricks including some switch. TOby came out the winner somehow over Sam so not really sure what happened. I came a gracefull 3rd haha.

 
 

Just uploaded a bunch of pictures that were taken in South Africa.

Winds not been good at home lately. First British tour stop of this year is in a couple of weeks. Down in Swansie, south wales.

 
 

Check out page 109 onwards in www.iksurfmag.com
Interview and pics from South Africa