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Carl Ferreira gives us a quick round up of his time in Italy and Spain earlier this year. It was all going well until sadly he had a déjà vu of last year’s trip and once again had to head home early due to an injury. Fear not though, he’s already on the road to recovery. Better luck next year…
May 2023 came round and I was off to Europe again to escape the winter cold of Cape Town. I started off in Italy, at the RRD HQ in Grossetto, working on some new projects and developments with the team, and getting some sessions in with Roberto. We kited on Italy’s west coast at RRD’s local spot, Castiglione della Pescaia, and I spent some time hanging out at the local kite school there, PKS – they are a bunch of legends and the spot is definitely a highly recommended place to visit for some fun flat-water freestyle conditions.
Next I headed up to Lake Garda for a few days to visit the team from Pier Watersports for a few sessions. Every time I visit this place I am always blown away by the beauty, though not the wind… It is mostly best for foiling, with lighter winds of 10 to 15 knots. The guys at the school there are always happy to help and give me endless lifts on the boat when the wind dies! A special shout out to Matteo Guazzoni for always accommodating me at this spot, and always hooking me up with the VIP service. Again I would highly recommend a visit if you are ever in that region of Italy.
After Lake Garda my next stop was Tarifa where I met up with the SA boys, with whom there is never a dull moment! We caught some of the action at the GKA Big Air Kite World Championships and attended the GKA Awards ceremony. A shout out to Dirty Habits boy Graham Howes who won the award for the biggest Social Contribution, bringing it home for the Saffas. It was a great vibe in Tarifa over the event, with most of the pro riders and brands in town.
My last stop on my Europe trip was Porto Pollo in the north of Sardinia for some kite coaching and freestyle sessions. It was my first time visiting this amazing location, and there were good vibes from the crew and great freestyle conditions. For sure I’ll be back. Unfortunately, like last year, there was a bitter ending to the trip – I injured my arm during a freestyle session in Sardinia and had to fly back home early for the operation and recovery.
Writing this, it’s now almost two months post operation and the rehab is going great. You can expect another comeback video from me on the way – I’m getting good at these haha! I’ll be ready for the 23/24 season in Cape Town and am looking forward to it. Maybe see you guys there…
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