  Lee racing in light winds on Saturday The weekend of 11th and 12th June, Lee competed in the 2016 British Kitefoil Championships take place at the Edge Cup in Exmouth. Run by 5 times World Champion, Steph Bridge the event attracted top international riders as well as the best racers in Britain, making a fleet of 42 kitesurfers, competing for the £5000 prize pot and various titles. With light winds of 6-8 mph on Saturday the racing was tense at the front of the pro fleet with World No. 2 Olly Bridge taking out 4 wins out of 4. With a few rescues in the Am fleet as the wind dropped off towards evening, racing was called off for the day with promise of more wind and sunshine on Sunday. Sunday came with sunshine and variable breeze of 10 - 12 mph that allowed 2 races before the wind switched offshore and due to the tide made it impossible to race anymore. Lee finished in 7th place overall and 4th in the British Nationals. Overall results 1st Olly Bridge 2nd Guy Bridge 3rd Florian Gruber (GER)  Lee coming round the leeward mark on Sunday I was very happy with my result amongst the top international riders and was getting faster with every race, even beating Gunner Binash who was using the new Ozone R1 V2 in the last race. I would like to thank my sponors- Ketos Foil, North, Fastafoil and Ion for the support and look forward to working on new race wings and getting faster before my next event. Thanks to Steph and all the Edge Watersports crew for running another amazing event. Thanks Lee 'Pasty' Harvey For Kitefoiling lessons and coaching click here
0 Comments
 Surfer's ear is a common condition affecting the hearing of those who go in the sea regularly. Whether this for surfing, swimming or kite surfing they are all at risk of surfer's ear if they don't take precautions. The body reacts to the cold by forming tiny bony nodules around the opening of the ear. These slowly grow over the next few years, narrowing the opening. This leads to conductive deafness and a higher rate of ear infection in sufferers. To avoid this they need to protect themselves.
Having not used protection, the only treatment for the condition is surgery. The extra bone is chiselled or drilled away by a surgeon under local anaesthetic. ZenPlugs wanted to find out how often surfers needed to have the operation. They carried out a survey of 203 avid surfers who were contacted using social media and a hospital staff newsletter. Surprisingly, in this group 6% of the surfers had the operation at some point in their lives. This comes to 1 and 17 surfers. Several of them had even had it more than once. Having the operation does not protect against the condition coming back if protection is not used. The research also showed that wearing surfing earplugs and a surfer's neoprene cap more than 90% of the time prevented the condition. Summary. One in 17 surfer's have had their ears chiselled or drilled. If you don't want to be one of them wear your surfer's cap and ear plugs more than 90% of the time.  Although it has been a very cold spring we have still had some amazing conditions for Learning to Kitesurf at Marazion. Our private lessons have been very successful with the use of the new BBTalkin 2 way headsets. This has greatly improved the speed of learning and all the students that have used them have been extremely happy with some great feedback. We are using them on all private beginner lessons and coaching sessions. Check out our full range of courses here.  This year we are also using the new North Mono 1 strut kite which has really impressed us with its ease of use and water relaunch. The light weight also means it has lots of power for its size and well as being super friendly in the small sizes. For 2016 we have the full range of North Neos, Evos and Mono kites ensuring we have the right tools for the job.  We are also pleased to now be using ION products in the school and Lee has signed on to the UK Team. Check out the full range at www.ion-products.com  With summer approaching now is the time to start getting to grips with Foiling and maximise your water time while experiencing one of the greatest thrills you can get on the water. We are please to be one of the only fully qualified and insured kite schools in the UK to teach Kite Foiling and with Marazion and Mounts Bay we have one of the greatest locations for Hydrofoiling in the World. Check out our Foil lesson packages here  Have a great summer and we hope to see you on the water in sunny Cornwall at some point. Remember to keep an eye on our Facebook page for all the latests news and happenings from our World. If you are in need of some new Kitesurf equipment check out our Kitesurfing shop, where you will find unbeatable packages from North Kiteboarding, KiteFoiling setups, Kite Surf boards and New & Used Bargains! Have Fun and Stay Safe Lee 'Pasty' Harvey We are looking for a Freelance BKSA Kitesurf instructor to work for the 2016 season and possibly beyond.
We take pride in offering the highest quality lessons and coaching. If you want to improve your teaching skills along with your personal kiting on the best kitesurf beaches in the UK. Email your c.v with covering letter to - lee@pastyadventures.co.uk  You may of heard of surfers ear? However it is not just surfers that the condition effects and is something that all water users need to be aware of. In the UK it is a major concern for Kitesurfers and Windsurfers as it is not just cold water, but the cold wind which can cause 'Surfers Ear'. I personally always wear ear plugs when I'm on the water as I know a lot of people who have had to have the operation which is not only painfull but puts you off the water for 3 months! Check out some more info from Zenplugs below- cheers Pasty  Warning: Surfers Are 17 Times More Likely To Go Deaf If They Don't Protect Themselves Against Surfer's Ear If you are a keen surfer you may well have heard of surfer's ear. It is a common disorder among people who have been surfing for several years. Nobody really knows why but the bone of the outer ear canal creates small lumps which gradually get bigger and close the camal over. This results in deafness and more ear infections. Research by ZenPlugs shows that most surfers are aware of the need to wear ear plugs. Unfortunately the majority do not know that they also need to wear a surfing cap as well. This is because wind or cold water on the bone behind the ear can have the same effect as on the ear itself. ZenPlugs wanted to find out just how effective wearing both surfing ear plugs and cap are at preventing the problem. They carried out research using a questionnaire and received 203 responses. This showed that people who wear both more than 90% of the time were 17 times less likely to develop the condition. In fact, all those in the survey who had been wearing them more than 90% of the time were free of surfers ear. In comparison, people who only wore them 40% of the time were developing the condition after 11 years of surfing on average. It is a common misconception among surfers that they do not need to wear protection against surfer's ear during the summer or in warm climates. It is still possible to develop surfers ear under these conditions. The reason for this is due to the cooling effect of sea water evaporating from the skin of the ear and the mastoid bone behind it. Even if the sea and air temperature are warm the temperature of the skin may drop below the temperature as a result of evaporation. Even the wind on it's own can be enough to chill the skin and the underlying bone. This means that protection should be worn all year round and in all climates. Summary. If you want to protect yourself against surfer's ear make sure you wear your surfing earplugs and cap more than 90% of the time. Keep them on all year round and whatever the climate and you will be free of the condition for many years to come.  Join us in Cape Town on a Wave coaching week with a friend and save £50 each off the price! Our wave coaching weeks running on 25th - 29th January and 8th - 12th February are for kitesurfers looking to get into waves and also for anyone who enjoys wave riding and wants to improve their skills while having a lot of fun in one of the best kitesurf locations in the world.
With over 10 different spots located in close proximity to each other and consistent wind, Cape Town really is a kiters dream. The weeks are full of coaching but also offer lots of benefits for anyone who wants to kitesurf in the southern ocean waves, such as-
Aside from the kiting there is so much to do, winetours, Table Mountain, wildlife, culture and this year you can join in the Virgin Armada which is the last weekend in January or watch the Red Bull King of the Air which will run at some point over the end of Jan start of Feb. This will be my seventh winter in Cape Town with January and February always being the best months as its not so busy and the wind settles down into a more predictable pattern. With the forecast looking amazing with SE every day next week and good head high waves, I am super excited to get back to the Cape of Good Fun! Come onto one of our Wave Coaching weeks with a friend and save £50 each which makes it only £200 per person. Limited space available so be quick to avoid disappointment. If you cannot make the dates for the coaching weeks we offer private coaching and guiding throughout the whole of Feb and half of March. More details on the website include accommodation, car hire and flight info - http://www.pastyadventures.co.uk/cape-town.html I hope to see you there. Please email with any questions lee@pastyadventures.co.uk Cheers Lee 'Pasty' Harvey  This winter we are super excited to be going back to Cape Town again for our 7th time. Cape Town is a mecca for kitesurfing with the regular south easter known as the Cape Doctor howling most days. Table View and Big Bay are the main areas for kiting with lots of space and some great waves making it the perfect area to improve your riding. We are running some KiteWave coaching weeks in January and February where you get 5 days of coaching with BKSA coach and British champion Lee Harvey. At only £250 spaces are filling fast, find all the details here. Everyone on our Wave Coaching Weeks will receive a voucher for one free section of the new Progression Kitesurfing Instructional Series. Find more info on the Progression website. If you can't make the full coaching weeks or simply want a days private coaching then I am available from mid Jan until early March. Prices from £100 for half a day including use of the latest BBTalkin 2 way headsets. Get in touch to make a plan to suit your needs- http://www.pastyadventures.co.uk/cape-town.html  Want to get away from Table View for a day and ride some different waves with no one else around? We offer Guiding days for up to 4 people and can take you to some amazing spots with great waves. With experience gained from Kiting, Surfing and Windsurfing all over the Cape since 1999 we know what conditions turn on these special places wether up the West Coast or down the Point, get in touch and ride waves like the one above :) For more info email lee@pastyadventures.co.uk  Pasty at the Bluff Really pleased to see Gwithian or more specifically St Ives Bay which includes our beginner kitesurf teaching spot of Sandy Acres as well as Gwithian and the Bluff where we run more advanced coaching, has been voted the No.1 place to Kitesurf in the UK by Red Bull.
Even better is the fact that our other spot of Marazion came out at No. 3, proving that there is no better place to learn or improve your kitesurf skills than here in West Cornwall. Read the full article here- http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/adventure/stories/1331758180222/10-top-uk-kitesurfing-spots_  To celebrate the arrival of summer and Lee placing 3rd at the British Foil Championships, we are running a comp courtesy of Supersaturated Hard wearing Fashion.
1st prize - Softshell in blue, size large worth £55 (as pictured) 2 runners up prizes of a Supersaturated Tee shirt, various sizes available. To be entered into the draw simply-
Draw will take place 1st July 2015 and winners will be notified via Facebook message. If you do not win, have no fear you can still look good by buying clothes from the Supersaturated website and using the code - SUMMER20 at checkout for 20% off! www.supersaturated.co.uk Terms & conditions- For the draw to take place a minimum number of 20 entries is required. In the event of insufficient entries by 1st July the draw will role over to 1st August. Supersaturated and Pasty Adventures decision is final. Any information regarding this prize draw will be displayed on the Pasty Adventures Facebook page.  The 2015 British Kitesurfing Racing Championships took place at the Edge Cup on 6th and 7th June in Exmouth hosted by Edge Watersports. Split into three classes of Formula race board, Foil board and Open fleet there was a great turn out of over 50 riders from 8 countries including the Top 10 in the World for the Formula class. On Saturday the wind was blowing Westerly 15-20 mph which meant for some great action packed racing with the Formula and Foil classes completing 8 races each and the Open class 4 races. This year I competed in the Foil for the first time after working with Fastafoil over the last year, I was super keen to see how fast I was going and line up against 2014 British Champ Guy Bridge along with 4 visiting French guys. For the first race I used the 10m North Dyno and was super happy to take 3rd place with half the fleet using faster Foil kites. As I wanted more power I quickly headed in to change up to the 13m Dyno and took 2nd place in Race 2 behind Guy Bridge riding on a Spotz 2 hydrofoil and Ozone Chrono 9m Foil kite who was blisteringly fast and overtaking all of the Formula guys after 2 laps despite them starting 1 minute ahead. For the remainder of the races I placed 3rd behind both Guy and Theo de Ramecourt (France) which I was super pleased with after having some great battles with Mateo from France in 4th who overtook me on most of the upwind legs with his ultra fast Elf kite but I managed to overtake him again on all the downwinds with good speed and fast foiling gybes which made the difference. In the Formula class 2013 World Champion Florian Grubber from Germany held a narrow lead from Florian Trittel (Spain) and Olly Bridge (Exmouth). While we took a break for lunch the Open fleet hit the water for 4 races. With a mix of riders using different boards it was Matt Taylor from Praa Sands that was leading the fleet riding a Sector board and North Dyno 13m. A great result from Matt after lots of hard work and awesome to see my coaching paying off with a win in his first event. After a great days racing it was off to Pebblebed vineyard for some top nosh and fine wine, courtesy of Jeff. Thanks again for the amazing food. Sunday dawned and as the forecast predicted it was light although at 9am there was just about enough wind blowing down the estuary at about 6 knts. The course was set and we headed out with me as the only tube kite able to get off the beach on my 18m Dyno. As quite often happens in Exmouth as the sun came up the sea breeze started to work and cancelled out the Northerly wind meaning everyone got rescued before we could start. We then waited to see if the sea breeze would fill in enough and around 12pm the course was reset in 6knts of southerly wind. Yet again I was the only inflatable able to make it to the start line but felt powered and was making my tacks and gybes. At the start I was bang on the money, but was simply blown away by the speed and pointing ability of these big foil kites in such light wind. Half way up the beat the wind dropped a bit and my kite simply fell backwards into the water after a tack. I was then sat there watching all the formula guys get slower and slower as the made there way to the windward mark and by the time they started coming downwind, the wind had dropped so that even the foil kites would not stay in the air and everyone was rescued again. That marked the end of racing apart from a paddleboard race which is always a good workout against the 8knts of tide in the channel. Thanks to Steph and all the Edge Watersports team for another great event, the rescue cover and beach marshalls were the best I've ever seen! Big thanks to all the sponsors for making it happen and everyone for turning up. It was great to see so many foils and have such a buzz around this new discipline. I can't wait for next year, lets make it over 30 Foil boards! Thanks to my sponsors- North Kiteboarding, FastaFoil, O'Neill, Ketos, Supersaturated Cheers Lee 'Pasty' Harvey Results- Formula- 1st Florian Grubber (Germany), 2nd Florian Trittel (Spain), 3rd Olly Bridge (Exmouth) Foil- 1st Guy Bridge (Exmouth), 2nd Theo de Ramecourt (France), 3rd Lee Harvey (Hayle) Open- 1st Directional Matt Taylor (Praa Sands), 1st Twin Tip Lance Oliver, 1st Women Bel Stanley Rou Chater - Iksurfmag To learn to Kitefoil or for kitesurf foil coaching click here             |
AuthorLee Pasty Archives
December 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed