Playa Puerto Alberni launch aka "the big blue whale"

the big blue whale

your uh...intrepid reporter (cough, cough) filed this story recently for the Alberni valley times

this will become the ramp for launching kites from the dock at the wildwestwatersports site

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At sunset, Monday July 26, the Wild West Watersports gang with help from Brad Berry Enterprises
launched the kite ramp at the old plywood site and new wind sport park at the end of Third Ave.


Made from a recycled fish farm pontoon and weighing approximately 20 tons and more than 90ft in length over the past weeks Wild West Watersports and many friends and volunteers have been
grinding, sanding and painting the old pontoon in readiness for placing it at the end of the dock at the old plywood site so that watersports enthusiasts including, kiteboarders, kayakers and windsurfers can access the beautiful waters of the Alberni inlet.

the excavator playing roll the logs

Brad Berry, his excavator, and ground support Paul Wagner, rolled the giant pontoon along the ground in similar fashion to early Egyptian pyramid construction methods with logs generously supplied by log salvager, John Christmas. Logs were placed perpendicularly in front of the pontoon so that they were able to roll it along the ground towards the water.

dumping it in the drink

a little leverage for the final push

It was a real community event as the windsurfers and kiters in attendance that day along with their families watched in awe as Brad artfully manipulated the boom sticks like toothpicks to easily roll
the twenty ton 90 foot behemoth, dubbed the Blue Whale, into the water with a massive splash as the sun disappeared over the horizon." - Alberni Valley Times, freelance contributor, Rod Frew

almost there

Oh ya the kiting has been good too! Grins.

Lit on the Gypsy 6.5m

two days in a row completely overpowered on 6.5 Gypsy with trim strap fully depowered...sheesh!

Talk about hook in and hang on!

jumping in with the Gypsy

lit on 6.5m Gypsy

I kited Tue at Alberni inlet at port Alberni, Vancouver Island. The wind was steady and just got stronger all afternoon.

I was actually out playing on a 3.7m windsurfing sail for a while!
 It's been nearly 10 years and although my gybing skills are a bit rusty it was a blast to get back on the "pole smurfer" and go blasting across the inlet fully lit. I even got a few jumps in.

Later in the day Matt Williamson of Wild West Watersports and I were out on our small kites fully powered . We kited all the way downwind in the 2-3 ft inlet swell right in front of the isalnd to the P.A. Harbour Quay and put on a show for the folks hanging out there. coming back up wind was easy so powered we palyed around a bit in the flat slicks behind the log booms (FUN!) and were back up to WWW HQ in no time.

The next day, Wed., with family and friends in tow, we ventured out to South Chesterman Beach near Tofino. Matt & I optimistically rigged up 9m kites. It was hard to tell in the nearly offshore wind. Over my shoulder while I was setting up the lines for my Smoke, I watched as Matts kite pulsed dramatically in the heavy gusts. Matt returned from the waters edge and pronounced it WAY to strong for our 9s .

We swapped into our small kites again and  I walked up the beach with my lines swirling behind me trying to catch up with  Matt.  DOH! I wont do that again, the 40+ gusts severely tangled my lines as they dangled behind me on the walk upwind. Oops.

south chesterman (look closely for kite very deep in Cox bay)

beach break down the line on Gypsy

After a half hour of untangling them (newbie move) I headed out thru the 2-3' shorebreak. I made a few passes to judge windspeed and direction behind Leonard island. There was a bit of a hole there but I wanted to check out the school bus size rollers I could see outside of Cox Bay. I manged to "ride" a few easy looking ones but the wind seemed kinda fickle and I didnt like being that far out without a buddy or support so I headed back in closer. I spent the rest of my session riding the small but really fun shorebreak in the offshore wind with friends and family as audience.

all in all two really great days! I love my life.