Ist post and 1st strapless session

[OneidaLakeKiter]

Love the vibe and the site! Well here's the story... Everyone in our little group seems to have a style they go for. One guy is all about jumps and hangtime. Another is all about tricks coming from wakeboarding background. Another is the "long range" guy - he'll disappear all the way across the lake, thru deep water, just freeriding into the horizon. I, being 48, am cautious in the physical sense but in the heart sense, long for exhilaration.

So in my progression, this year my 3rd season, I discovered riding the waves. I'm on a 30 mile long lake that gets pretty decent surf on the end when it's onshore wind, which it is most of the time. I just love not feeling the kite as much but really feeling the water. I ride a Mako King which really slashes the waves pretty well. I felt like the "wave" thing was gonna be my "thing". But this not the ultimate in wave riding. We're talking a small shore break with 1-3 foot waves but fun nonetheless.

But I started reading about the strapless style and the challenge seemed to fit my personality, in theory. So I changed my Mako King to strapless directional and just went for it last Saturday. There is nothing like trying something for the 1st time and actually doing it. I took right to it. The feeling is "Freedom". Yeh the security is not there but the exact feel of the water is. I tried all day to do a gybe and kept weebling and wobbling but finally got one ugly one. My favorite simple thing to do was carve to toeside and then zing a turn back to heelside. I love how your feet make microscopic adjustments to accomodate the different forces at play. You can't really do that in straps - it's like the board makes more of the decision than you. But strapless it's all from your head to your feet to your board.

Riding the wave strapless was a challenge too because to agressively slash the turn you have to be very aware. With straps there's room for error. With just your feet you must have deft of touch.

I know I've only done it once but I feel like I found my style. My friends gave me high fives for the effort and courage when I came in. They saw my kite hit the water a few times and countless pulls off the board in the superman style. I finally feel like I'm doing something that they maybe wish they could do or better yet may try!