Kite Girl Adventures

So before give you the low down on “Girls week” in Turkey (NOT a girl´s camp, just good luck that there were a lot of Kite Girls around), a few words about the early days.

I was living in Mexico when I first saw people (well guys) kitesurfing. It is the most beautiful sport I have ever seen....the kite has cosmic powers...and from the first moment I saw it I knew I had to try it even though I had never seen a girl kite....

Kite Girls Costa Rica

So off I went in February 2006 to Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica. Bahia Salinas is a beautiful bay with sideshore wind on the Pacifıc coast.

What a place to start! Bahia Salinas is a seriously windy location (most of the seasson it blows 25 knotts and above) and it's a more than a tad gusty. If you go to Bahia Salinas you will never be sitting around waiting for the wind to pick up. Quite the opposite – when you're sitting around it's because it's gusting 30 knotts + and even the pros don't dare to go out! But it is a good location to learn because the wind is always side shore and there are no boats, no people, well actually there is.......nothing but a few kiters!

In Bahia Salinas I took some great lessons from Nicola (www.suntoursandfun.com). But bloody hell was it hard. I spent 10 days dragging myself around the bay, tea bagging, crashing the kite and kitelooping out of control towards the beach. I was terrified and frustrated most of the time. Would I survive another day? Would I ever get up on that damn board!? AARRRGGHHHH!

I think the difference between women and men learning is that we admit we are scared sometimes and we don´t take as many risks so perhaps we learn slower. Anyway, I was lucky to meet Rainbow and Manda in Bahia Salinas – they were already up and riding and they encouraged me all the way – Thanks Girls!

OK, OK, so you have got past the long hair and realised that this is not a Kite Girl....

This is "Kite or Die" Mikey. I just could not leave him out because helped the girls out so much by mending broken gear, taking photos and giving great tips.

And boy does he rock!

They say if you survive Bahia Salinas you can kite anywhere in the world. I am not sure that this is really true because learning in really high wind does not prepare you well for kiting in light wind.

Nevertheless you know how to hold yourself in a lot of wind after kiting up there.....And I survived it! By the time I left I was getting up on the board and riding a little way downwind (always ending in a huge crash). Now I was really hooked!

This is Kite Girl´s second time on the board

Girls Week Pirlanta Kitesurf Beach

After Costa Rica I got a few days in here and there.

In the UK I had a couple of nasty grey cold sessions (off shore gusty winds and not a girl in sight in Southend – YUK!) and then a couple of days back in Mexico (wind too light to get anywhere).

But then came “Girls Week”.....

In September I was at a wedding in Turkey and checked out the possiblity of kiting there.

I washed up on Pirlanta Kitesurfbeach www.kitesurfbeach.com which is a stone's throw away from the beautiful town of Cesme on the South Western cost of Turkey.

I did feel a little apprehensive about kiting alone again – I think its normal for women to feel like that.

Wherever I have kited before I have either been the only girl or one of two or three at the most. I know that an increasing number of women are getting into the sport and the number of pro women to inspire us along is on the increase, but let's face it we are still a small minority in this male dominated sport. And sometimes it can be daunting being the only girl rigging up on the beach. People look at you as if a) your crazy, or b) your never going to get it .......

But when I arrived at Pirlanta Kitesurfbeach in early September this year I knew I had come to the right place. I was greated by Husnu owner of the kite school and Cabrhina rider who shouted out “Hi! Welcome to Girl's week at Pirlanta Kitesurfbeach!”

WOW Girls Week!!!!!! And this was not a Girl Kite camp...The thing was that there were two other girls alone and five more who had brought their men along!

The Girl's week vibe was fantastic - we helped each other launch and land, gave each other tips and inspiration to try out something new on the water. And everytime Husnu spotted one of the girls progressing encouraged us with cries of “Vıva girl's week!”.

The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and Pirlanta is a great place to progress. Most of this bay is exclusively for kiters. Beach users are not allowed to swim, sunbathe or walk on the kite beach and so there is loads of room and it is safe. It was not crowed with kiters either. The most I ever saw out on the water was seven at a time and that was at the weekends when the Turkish pros turned up.

The wind at Pirlanta is thermal and beautiful. It is really constant and it blows side on-shore. The water is shallow for quite a way out so if you are still not ready to brave the beach start you can walk out far enough away from the beach for a safer waterstart. There is a little chop but just enough for you to be able to try jumping off waves without too much effort or danger. FUN!

I spent two weeks in Pirlanta and I was able to kite every day in a variety of conditions. Most days I was out on my 12m. But there were a few really windy days (up to 25 knotts) when I was out on a 7m or a 9m. Great to be able to try different kite sizes and conditions.

At first I was a little daunted by the fact that the wind was side on-shore, but with bow kite safety and encouragement from the girls I soon overcame my fear of being dragged into the beach and was confidently cruising upwind and jibing.

In fact for my level the side on-shore wind was just what I needed because it forced me to quickly learn to get going upwind. The other girls also progressed that week. Sinem from Istanbul started jibing toeside and cruising confidently and Asuman, Banu and the other beginner girls all got up on the board and started riding.

Well as you may have already guessed that this blog was created because there is no wind right now. But when the wind picks up the adventure continues....

Watch this space!!!