Here's a short edit of Ryan Coote, strapless kitesurfing Conra Carraig in Ireland during the recent ‘Black Storm'. Some good shots, and nice to see he got out of some pretty testing conditions ok… Now in his words:
“Conra Carraig is a very dangerous wave in the best of conditions. You have to kite it when the tide is completely low or it is a death wave. It was a good size and held some shape on most waves. There was nothing perfect about it. Trying to ride in maxed out storm conditions is all about using every single one of your senses. It's about calming your mind no matter what.
It was a little different from other days that I have kited it, as the mood of the ocean was very angry and aggressive. The wind was 30-40 knots and The angle was not great on the wave. I was on my 6m Reo which handled the mental wind, but I could have – and should have -been on my 4m. I took the risk, rigging the 6 to ride powered up which made for some of the intense drops.
WHY? People ask me!
Until you feel the power in the waves and the strength in the wind you will never know why we ride in storm conditions. It's like your body is being blasted with energy from every direction. Your body is on max alert all the time. Adrenaline is rushing through your veins from the first second you touch the water until you step off the board at the end. It's our hit from mother nature: THE drug that extreme sports people are hooked on.” (words republished from original video here)
