After 110 mile and 9 hours on the water all the riders completed the massive Kitesurf trip from Ireland back to England.

Hampered for over a year by the weather finally the team got the break they needed and completed the trip.

A great welcome from family, friends and local people saw them arrive together, in style, to Silloth West Beach.

Fraser Dooley, Martin Sandwith, Stuart Wood, Nick Elliott and John Flynn all arrived in good form and even had enough stamina left for a champagne celebration on the beach.

Many thanks to all the supporters and sponsors  who have made this trip
work.

Please check out the website www.kitesurfirishsea.co.uk over the next few
days for accounts of the trip and photos.

Board Labels: it’s not worth going without one

Losing your board at sea can be a big waste of time and cash.  It's bad enough having to trawl the local beaches and humbly check in with the RNLI to see if it's been found, but there could be more consequences.  Somebody will eventually find it and that could be many miles away from where you lost it.  If they think you are still at sea they may call a coastguard station which at the very least is going to be embarrassing if they ever catch up with you.

Permanent markers work but they don't look good and cut the resell value of your board.  The answer is tough plastic labels, made to last in wet and dirty industrial applications.  The print goes on underneath the top layer so they are pretty much scratch proof.  Not taking the manufacturers word for it Sea-ID tested them and they performed exceptionally well on both kiteboards and landboards.  They were virtually unaffected after several years of regular use and these first test labels are still going strong.

Anything can be printed: images, logos, vertical text, etc. are no problem.  There is a range of colours so you can match to the board, go subtle with a clear backing or stand out with metallic or fluorescent.

Too good to lose your board?  Many an experienced rider has lost theirs due to poor visibility, strong currents or big waves.  Maybe they don't shout about it but ask around and you'll soon find somebody who's lost one.  Don't be next!

Labels are available from www.sea-id.com

Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Scotland and Sport Northern Ireland now recognise the sports of Powerkiting, Kitelandboarding, Kitebuggying and Kitesurfing.

Westcountry TV REPORT

The British Kitesurfing Association (BKSA) is now the official National Governing Body for these sports.

Richard Gowers, Chairman of the BKSA made the announcement to press on April 16^th at Watergate Bay Cornwall at the first National Event of the season.

On hand were top UK and current champions Denzil Williams, Will Bennett and Dan Sweeney.

Members of the Board of the BKSA were also available to answer questions from the press - Andy Gratwick (Head of Training), Owen Stringer, Jason McCaffery and William Richardson.

Richard Gowers had this to say:

It has taken over 5 years to get this recognition and it shows how far the BKSA and kite sports have come in 10 years.

This now puts kite sports firmly on the map as legitimate recreational activities which require provision in every area of the country.

The BKSA have a complete program for membership, insurance, clubs, training and events to cover all activities.

Boarders in the Poole Harbour area can now visit watersport & outdoor lifestyle website www.intheelements.com before they hit the water thanks to the launch of the harbour's first high quality webcam.

The webcam streams unrivalled live footage of weather and water conditions, with the camera located at The Watersports Academy.

Overlooking Sandbanks, the webcam also pans from east to west with close ups on various parts of the bay to gain perspective of sea state and wind speed. Check the webcam out at www.intheelements.com.

After many months of hard work we are pleased to announce the launch of a new BKSA website for 2010.

In this first phase of the project we have completely rebuilt the content management system, set up an all-new membership subscription system and have given the site a brand new look. To top it all off, the website is now hosted on a brand new high-end server. Our next job is to restructure, reformat and review over 500 pages of content so please bear with us - it's quite a task!

Please note: If you are renewing your membership of the BKSA please note that the new membership system requires you to set up an online account on the BKSA website. This online account enables you to log back in at any time to see when your membership is due for renewal or to update your contact details. All information supplied to us is, as always, held in the strictest confidence and we do not sell or rent your information to anyone. 

We want this to be your website so shortly we will be setting up a feedback and suggestions form to enable you to send us your ideas, reactions (good and bad), information and articles.

This is just the beginning. We have big plans for the website so watch this space!

ISSUE #43 PLUS FREE 2010 TRAVEL GUIDE!

The 2010 Travel Guide that comes free with issue #43 is our fourth annual world guide. Bigger than ever, this year it features over 50 kitesurfing and snowkiting destinations, from Europe, Africa and the Americas to Asia and Australia. Old favourites and classics, such as Cabarete, Brazil and Tarifa sit alongside new spots in Turkey and even Papua New Guinea. We used our wide web of spies situated across the globe to get up-to-date information from locals in each place to help you decide which will be the best spot for you. Featuring wind charts and practical information on food and accommodation options; if you're planning a kite trip this year, you need this indispensable guide to help you figure it all out!

The mag is it's usual charming self too, crammed with up-to-date news and views from the depths of the sport's belly. We got the first interview on the beach in New Caledonia with new World Champions, Kevin Langeree and Bruna Kajiya and Mark Shinn gives his analysis of recent events that closed 2009, including Lewis and Jake's pier jump, and speculates on what it all means for 2010.

Travel stories in the mag feature Jeremie Eloy swerving bullets and pulling into bombs in Mexico, and Pavel Trcala introduces us to his home-land that was once Czechoslovakia – a snowkiter's paradise.

The fine art of popping is a technique you'll use every single time you want to get that board out of the water, whatever trick you're aiming to crack. So it's vital you understand the basics of it. The Motor Drive project is devoted simply to that, with sequences taken from in front of and behind the rider.

On test we have four surfboards, from F-One, Resin8, North and RRD and four kites, from Airush, Flysurfer, Liquid Force and Nobile ready for some rounds of winter warfare.

Plus all the usual insane galleries, insightful words from our regular columnists and there's a chance for subscriber to win a brand new Ozone C4 kite.

All in, that's over 250 pages for a price that will merely deliver 100 elsewhere. Don't be fooled; bigger is always better!

www.kiteworldmag.com

NEW TELEVISION SERIES ABOUT TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS.

 AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO MASTER A NEW SKILL AND CREATE A MASTERPIECE.

 TV Production company RICOCHET are making a new 6 part series on traditional and contemporary crafts for a major broadcaster this summer. The series will feature episodes on six different types of craft; Thatching, Greenwood, Stonemasonry, Weaving, Stained Glass and Metal Work.  

RICOCHET have enlisted some of the UK’s top Mastercraftsmen from a variety of disciplines who will each mentor 3 eager trainees on an intensive training course.

If you’re interested and passionate about learning the traditional skills of the blacksmith, have a passion for wood or any of the other skills listed above then contact the Mastercrafts team at RICOCHET on 01273 224 800 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   

RICOCHET are the makers of factual and documentary programming for all the major broadcasters both in the UK and US. They have produced series such as “No Going Back”, “Supernanny” and “Born To Be Different”. More recent work includes the Bafta nominated ‘Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts’ for BBC3 and ‘The Real Swiss Family Robinson’ for BBC1

The TRAD Film Co and the Birmingham NEC Outdoor Show combined to send six extreme sports athletes and six amateur videographers to film the athletes on various adventures across the world.  Courtesy of Turbulence Extreme Sports and Prosurf Extreme, Johara Sykes-Davies and videographer Andrew Cockcroft were sent to the MEAK Charity Kitesurf Cup at Nyali Beach, Kenya to document the trip.

The athletes and videographers got to premier their 12-minute videos at the NEC Outdoor Show in March before the DVD of the videos was put together.  The trailer is now out and the DVD will be ready for sale on the 1st July 09.  To see the trailer go to http://www.vimeo.com/5007948

For more information on the competition and to get your hands on a DVD, go to www.tradfilms.com or got to www.ukkiting.com

The new DVD from the RNLI
Order your FREE copy of Serious Fun! today

The RNLI is a registered charity that saves lives at sea, operating 235 lifeboat stations around the coast of the UK and Republic of Ireland.  It continues to rely on voluntary donations and legacies to meet the cost of the crew's essential training, equipment and lifeboats.  

Over 50% of all lifeboat launches each year are to rescue those enjoying boating and recreational watersports. The RNLI also saves lives without launching a lifeboat – it gives advice. The charities new campaign is called Serious Fun! aimed at everyone who goes out on the water. It encourages individuals to enjoy their chosen watersports to the maximum, but to take their fun seriously by raising skill levels and staying safe.

At the heart of the new campaign is a DVD packed full of practical tips and advice. Developed with the help of sports govering bodies, training centres and experts it features 11 short films – each is dedicated to a different watersport and aimed at all levels of skill and experience – one of the films has been created specifically for kitesurfers.  Serious Fun! includes something for all watersports enthusiasts. In addition to kitesurfing there are films on yachting, dinghy sailing, windsurfing, diving, canoe and kayaking, large and small powerboating, sea angling, waterskiing, wakeboarding and personal watercraft; a lifejacket clinic and information on the RNLI and how you can support the charity that saves lives at sea.

To order your free copy of Serious Fun! Visit  www.rnli.org.uk/seriousfun