Back in Taiba

It's so nice being back to Brazil after such a long year full of competitions and traveling around the world! It feels as being back home, actually it is my second home, as I spend as much time here as I do in Barcelona!
It's always nice coming back and see all your friends and people after an entire year.

I got to Taiba about 2 weeks ago. The first week it was a bit of chilling, you know, relaxing and just kiting an hour a day for pleasure. My body was asking me for a rest!!

This week I started to train hard again, lagoon session in the morning, waves in the afternoon and a bit of jogging either in the very morning or at the end of the day. In two days I have a competition in Cumbuco, the first stop of the Brasilian Championship. The level it's gonna be wicked, not only for the incredible brasilian kids but also for all the Pro-riders who are here in Brasil training. If you are around you shouldn't miss the action!! From Saturday 9th Oct-till Monday 11th.
And that's pretty much for now, just wanna thank all you guys for the support on my last video "Just ONE life". It had more than 12.000 views in the first two days, I really dindn't expect that ;).
If you haven't seen it yet in my facebook, you can watch it here in my blog.
Cheers!

Barcelona Fotoshoot- The Making of!

Yesterday we finally met!! Mai, Marta and me, what a team!! We've been talking about it since a long time ago, but I've been traveling so much for competitions lately that I have hardly been at home. But finally we did it!!
We met in Barcelona and we drove up hills to an awesome place Mai new. I'd never been there before but for sure I'll go back 'cos the views from there take your breath away. There's a bunker from the war full of graffitis and we thought it would be a perfect place for the photoshoot.



Mai was the photographer and Marta the stylist! At the beginning I was a bit shy as there was a many people there and when they saw us they just sat down facing us and looking at everything we were doing! But after a while I forgot they were there and everything began to be more fun!! I really enjoyed the session and I had a great time!
Mai is a very professional photographer and knows how to make you feel relax and comfi in front of the cam, and Marta, what to say! I love her sense of humor and she knows everything about fashion!


So here you have some pics of the Making Of and also a short video I made with my GoPro. The real pics coming soon on my webpage and fb.



Thanks girls for this great work!!
Mai Llinares (Photographer): http://mai-crossroad.blogspot.com/2010/09/lifestyle-photo-shoot.html
Marta Pontnou (Stylist)

I would also like to thank Liquid Force, Oakley, Rip Curl and SkullCandy

2nd place in KTE Swinoujscie (Poland) !!

This week-end was celebrated the 5th and last stop of the Kitesurf Tour Europe in Swinoujscie /Poland. Swinoujscie is famous for his beach with lots of flat water due to the the shallow ocean line.
For me was my second time taking part in the european tour, Austria at end of April and Poland at the end of August. I got excellent results in both competitions, getting a 2nd place in Course Racing. Unfortunately I missed the other three stops as my budget is not enough for assisting to the whole tour, so I couldn't get an overall ranking.
The forecast was not as good as we all were expecting but the single elimination in Freestyle could be finished and 6 races too. I won two races and finished second on the rest.
This is almost the end of the 2010 season competitions. I may go to Argentina at the beginning of November for the last stop of the PKRA world tour.
Now I can't wait to go to Brasil in about 2 weeks and I'll be there until mid December. It's really the best place to train hard and get ready for 2011!!

Weifang 2nd International Kitesurf Festival!!

This has been one of the most awesome experiences of my life. The adventure began even before the trip, trying to get the Visa to get into the country just on time.
This was the 2nd Weifang International Kitesurf Festival but my first time in it and in China too. A total of 60 riders took part on the event, 30 international ones (one from each country) and 30 from China. Like all events in China, everything was big!! Big Opening ceremony with thousands of public, and traditional dancers and fireworks; excellent 4 stars Hotel and big Closing Ceremony on the last day with many authorities of the country. And all expenses from the riders were covered by the chinese government. I want to thank Mr.Liu and all the people involved in the organisation for bringing me there.
What I liked most about the event is that more than a competition, was big performance where all the riders had fun, specially because we had really good and strong wind, agains all expectations. I even used my 8m Havoc kite!
On the second night, they brought us to see a show, the election of Missis Weifang. Another weiard experience!!

The most surprising thing for me was the way we, the riders, were treated in all moment for everybody; we were like Hollywood stars!! We couldn't walk on the street without having a picture taken, people stopping us and even signing autographs!! And not to say in the spot, I can tell you that I was asked to have pictures taken with me more in the days in China than in all my life together!!

On the arrival to Qingdao Airport, some people were waiting for us and drove us into Weifang city, about 3 hours from the airport. Each rider had his own translator that was with us 24/7!! My translator, Becky, she was like an angel ;) Everyday she made sure I woke up and had breakfast on time, helped me to carry all the gear, pumped my kites, helped me to put my boards together...I was even feeling bad because she was doing all the hard work for me!!

Everyday 3 buses took us from the hotel to the spot (around 45 minutes away) and then, around 5pm back again. The spot is a very singular spot, there's actually no beach, it's all mud, they are drowning the see to gain more land.

Even you can see a couple of pics here in my blog and in my FB and I'm planning to do a short video soon, I tell you that the images don't make justice with the reality; well, reality or fiction¿? because I can assure you that nothing there seemed real!

PKRA Fuerteventura

Another event of the PKRA is over. This time the competition was held in René Egli Windsurf and kitesurf Center. I got to Fuerteventura four days before the event started and I stayed in the north of the island, in Corralejo, training a little bit. I shared appartment with 3 other girls that are also take part in the Tour. Then on Monday, on the registration day we went down to the south, to Sotavento.
It was my first time ever kiting in that spot and the place is really nice, an endless sand beach with turquaise water but the conditions there were super hard! Gusty and strong as i've never kited before. Those were really extream conditions!! Next time I go there I'll try to arrive there 3 or 4 days before and get use to it.

A total of 12 races were done. I was way too overpowered even with my 6m Havoc kite. I ended up in 6th place. I'm not happy neither with my results in freestyle. The hard conditions (which I am not used to) added to the tireness of doing 3 or 4 races a day made me perform a really bad heat. But this has given me motivation to keep training hard.
Now i'm gonna be back at home around a week and the 17th August i'm heading up to CHINA!!!! yeah, I just got the invitational to the China Binhai Weifang China 2nd International Kitesurfing Invitational Tournament!!! So stoked!!! They choose 1 rider from each country up to 30 riders. I'm so excited about it!!

PKRA St.Peter Ording (Germany)

It's been 10 long days of competition in Germany, probably the longest event of the PKRA. It is hard to be competing for such a long period, specially if you're doing both disciplines (freestyle and Racing) 'cos you're never released.
The competition started with a couple of very light wind days, so the races were started on the water with only 6 knots. For X-Mas i'll ask Santa for a 15m kite!!! I couldn't even finish all the races with my 12m when all the others riders were using a 15-16 and even 17m kites!
We also had one day of no wind. It was fun making some pics with some of the girls!!
My first heat in Freestyle was against Asia Litwin, defenetly not an easy one. Her first trick was a Slim-chance, so from that moment I had no pressure at all, so I just had enjoyed my heat! The wind dropped a lot but I could land a railey to blind and a backroll surf pass. So even I didn't go through I was happy with my performance.
On the double elimination I had no luck at all. In the minute 3 of it, the quick release of my harness opened and I lost my kite...so that was it.

On the other hand, I had a really great time with the German LF Family!! Thanks Mischa for picking me up at the airport and for the fantastic tour by bike in Hamburg, thanks Heiko and Karina for driving me to SPO; thanks Tom and Michael for everything during the event, thanks Jan and Nina for driving me back to Hamburg; and Malte, thank you for the night tour too and driving me back to the airport, and all the rest of you guys for making me feel like at home and teaching me some German too!!
Hope to see you all somewhere soon!!

Kiteboarding World Tour PKRA 2010 Germany -...

Fent una mica de reportera ;)