Marian Hund: My trip to the kite paradise Mauritius
/NEWS
For me as an old freestyle-stager, I was offered a whole new opportunity in September: I was asked to be a drones pilot on the North Kiteboarding shoot for the 2017 Neo and Evo on Mauritius. Although the World Cup took place on Fehmarn at the same time, I did not think about it twice and flew!
In the first days of our shoot, a typhoon went through the Indian Ocean and forced the drone to a compulsory pause. So I grabbed a 5 Neo and a waveboard, because the waves did not look as big from the island.
As I crossed the reef that is surrounding the island and protecting it from the waves, I realized that the waves were much bigger. It was only when I had made my way through the breakers that I realized the situation. Around me, three-storey houses of water broke down. A thunder of the waves and the hissing of the spray lay in my ears.
“Welcome to the survival battle, Marian”, this thought was irresistibly running through my head. But it was also a great experience because I didn’t have such an adrenaline level in connection with painted full pants for many years of kiting. And it definitely has a touch of snowboarding when you’re hurrying down a 5-7 meter high water ridge.
When kite surfing becomes a real adventure
The waves push you lightly against the already strong wind, the sail is depowered to the limit, the board becomes more restless due to the increasing speed and you know quite well that toppling is not an option. It therefore feels more like an egg dance than an elegant ride. I was equally relieved and seized by the new experiences when I once again had firm ground under my feet.
In the next few days there were other possibilities to shred the waves of Mauritius. Next to each shaft is usually a “channel”, in which the water of the wave flows back into the ocean. Logically, in the case of a shipwreck, you should not swim back in the wave-free channel, but take the washing machine in the shorebreak, which flushes in the direction of solid ground.
However, in order to get outside, the channel is recommended as a conveyor belt to the open sea. Away from the shorebreak, you can then gain back the lost height easily. When the next wave set rolls in, the whole adventure starts again.
House-high waves build up in front of you, the board wobbles, and your knees become soft – just don’t fall off the board now!
At the beginning I definitely had problems to recognize the good sets of waves. In the beginning, I often chose a wave that looked promising for me, but then it just disappeared a few moments later. But with time you definitely get a feeling for it!
You can recognize a good wave by a uniform elevation over the whole width. Usually the waves roll in in a set of two to five and stand out on the horizon. This means that you have to wait a few minutes before the next set comes. But I think that this is precisely the charm of the kiting in the waves, because the patience game drives the anticipation for the next wave into the almost infinite.
Competition for the best waves
Sometimes the waves were heavily visited on Mauritius, so at the peak hours, I counted up to twenty kitesurfers and windurfers alone in Manawa. Particularly when you’re in the wave, it is advisable to observe the existing rules of approach, since a tangling of lines or a collision in the shorebreak can have serious consequences. Whoever has the wave first, it also belongs to. Sharing the shaft is associated with a significant safety risk and should be omitted!
When I was asked in previous interviews about the rivalry between windsurfers and kitesurfers, I always talked about a friendly and respectful co-existence on and off the water. After my first real experiences in the wave, I would however evaluate the experienced relationship rather with potential for the positive.
So on one of my first days in Manawa, for example, I landed with a windurfer in front of the raging spray of a breaking wave, being insulted atrociously in combination with a look that would probably freeze blood in the veins of every mafia boss. But with each further day in the waves, I also accumulated further experiences and could observe that the wind surfers in the waves are usually less agile and flexible than the kitesurfers.
In addition, not only the gifted kite surfing pros make it onto the wave, but each slightly better driver does. The wave entry barriers are definitely higher in windsurfing.
And if a windsurfer chooses a set from a long distance, and follows it along the coast for hundreds of yards, the wave belongs to him. If a kitesurfer then jumps parasitically onto the already impending wave, I can understand the anger of the windsurfers very well.
When kiting, the rules must be observed: Whoever has the wave first, it also belongs to!
The big question: kiting with or without loops?
There are basically two different options for the board. Either one drives the wave rider with loops or straight strapless. Loops logically give the driver more support and control, but restrict the foot positions on the board to a single position. Without loops, all possibilities for the position of the feet remain open, which offers many possibilities for new variations. My recommendation is definitely strapless, but you should practice in the shallow water before and rub a proper portion of wax on the tread of the board ahead of every session.
A board leash is extremely frowned on inland waterways and shallow water spots, but in the waves it makes sense. In the event of a fall, your board will not be washed by the wave onto the sharp and dangerous reef, but will remain on your foot. If a bigger wave has broken on me sometimes, only a kite loop could help me out of the raging white water. Then I always held an arm protectively around my head, just in case the board would come flying back at me.
STATEMENT
Even if I had to forgo the Kitesurf World Cup 2016 – the trip to Mauritius was definitely worth it. A fantastic island with first class waves!
GALLERY
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