The National Kiteboarding League (NKL) Grand Final

The sting of the blazing sun on your shoulders, the thick mask of salt embedded on your eyelashes, the strong and undoubtedly recognisable scent of sunscreen in the air, the dance of the wind, wavering in between the strands of your hair, the desperate sprint to a cool refuge for your toes and the blissful embrace of the crystal clear ocean against your skin; the signs of an idyllic summer's day approaches on a Thursday morning, the 18th day of February 2016.

After travelling around the country and NZ for the past 3 months, testing the skills of those who put themselves up to the challenge- the ultimate ordeal was placed upon the top Australian and New Zealand kiters, as they battled it out on the picturesque shores of the Gold Coast for one of the country's most prestigious prize; the NKL 'Classic Holidays' Series Grand Final Winner.

As 1pm founds its way to the clock's hands, kiteboarders from Queensland, Victoria, Perth, New South Wales, South Australia and New Zealand all gathered round for a roll-call, a brief exchange of glances to those unknown and a happy embrace to those familiar, everyone sat under the trees to listen to instructions given by those in charge. Eager to get out into the water, competitors awaited the call to go set up and ready for their heats.

First cab off the rank was the female freestylers- drawn into different heats, one after the other, each female chucked on a NKL competitor rashie (red, green, blue or yellow, a beautiful array of clean, dry and odorless rash shirts… not), swallowed their nerves and went head to head against their opponent/s in an 8 minute heat with a 2 minute turn-around for the next heat. Following in the same suit were the male freestylers who, as well as the female riders, put on an impressive show for spectators and the judges scoring their tricks. Selecting tricks in a quality over quantity format (which was noted in the riders brief beforehand) the judges ranked each rider in order from 1st right through.

A change in scene saw the few female wave riders (4) competing against one another in a mixed 10-minute heat. Unlike the wildness of the freestylers, the wave riders utilized their surroundings, picking wave after wave and riding it with a smooth style as the judges scored them in the best wave format. Shortly thereafter the red flag, signaling the end of the heat, the male wave heats began following the same 10-minute heat, 2-minute turnaround, best wave format.  The level of riding in all men's heats was outstanding, a very close ranking for all riders.

Picking up from where the comp left off the previous day just before lunchtime on Friday morning, female freestylers, male freestylers, and male wave riders kick-started their heats, competitors battling for the top spot in the rankings. With solid 4-5 ft sets charging through the water, the wind constantly blowing a steady 20+ knots; the conditions were at their peak and a great day of kiteboarding was in the pipeline. With the company of some music and a bit of commentating , public spectators found their way to a nice shady spot on the dunes (the only, might I add, shady spot on the whole beach) to witness some crazy tricks, gnarly wave riding and very  talented kiteboarders giving it all they had, fighting it out for number 1.

For regular beach goers, the ideal summer day is one where your towel will lie flat on the beach without movement whilst the colour of your skin slowly turns tan… The same can't be argued for a kiter's ideal summer day. If that s**t's not flying around and you're struggling to keep your hair out of your face- it's not windy enough for a kite, and it's definitely not windy enough for a competition. Therefore, Saturday was the day to relax, revitalise and rejuvenate. A day to devise the next plan of attack and to come back on Sunday with the determination required to take out first place.

The final day of competition began bright and early on Sunday morning. Knockout rounds were the method that would determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place getters. With wind getting stronger by the minute; competitors had the chance to get a feel for it and practice their moves before the riders brief. With the rankings in place from yesterday's efforts, knockout rounds would begin by the lowest score in a heat against the next position up. The winner of each heat would move forward to the next, going up against the next best ranking and eventually the one-on-one final of the two best kiters in each round. Each final heat of freestyle and wave men and women competitors was a great show for everyone watching- the skill and effort put in by each rider was phenomenal- each a little desperate to take out the win.

In the end, scores were finalised and results were announced, however, regardless of any score or trophy- a fantastic event took place that weekend; fun was had, limits were tested, friends were made and memories were created… definitely a competition like no other. See you next year NKL Series.

Men Wave:

1.       Billy Hampton

2.       James Carew

3.       Beau Pilgrim

Women Wave

1.       Michel Blinkhorn

2.       Michelle Malmedal Sollar

3.       Jacqui Hockaday

Men Freestyle:

1.       Ewan Jaspan

2.       Marc Jacobs

3.       Elliot Drury

Women Freestyle:

1.       Katie Potter

2.       Sammy Pearce

3.       Marine Sudre

What dreams are made of...

Dream

/Dri:m/ noun

1.    a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.

2.    a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.

To 'dream' is defined by two meanings (according to Google): to subconsciously think; to think images, to think emotions, to think sensations in a realistic or unrealistic vision during a subconscious state, like sleep. To dream is also to have aspirations; to have ambitions, to know what you want in past, present or future tense. To have, well… a dream.

As kids, we're told that shooting stars hold wishes, just like when the clock hits 11:11, or just before we blow the flames out from the candles of our cake, or before we hit the bottom with our knife- resulting in having to kiss the closest boy/girl… which actually results in more likely kissing any possible family member within sight, ALL because you hit the bottom of that damn cake before you squeezed your eyes shut to make a wish (yum cake and woah, big sentence). But to state my point- when the moment came around of making that wish, we would a) wish for an exact model of Hannah Montana's incredibly colourful rotating closet, b) endless amounts of wishes or c) wishing for your dream to come true. (So maybe those were only my childhood wishes), BUT never the less, at one point, every single person has had at least one wish, dream or wanted something for themselves.

So what are dreams really made of? Or to put it this way- what is your dream really made of? Is it to have all the riches in the world? To marry the hottest bloke/ chick on the planet? To travel the World, or to live every single moment to the fullest? Whatever your dream, I advise you to follow it in every single direction possible- to the highest of highs and the deepest of depths… fully surround yourself in your dream and base your life around it. I mean why not? If it's truly what you want in life, just do it #nike. This dream of yours could be the absolute cherry on top, so follow it.

So what's the story behind this blog? Why am I writing this mass of words about dreams? Well recently, one of my dreams has come true. Since about 2 years ago (exactly the moment I hopped on a board and flew my kite… hint, hint) I've had the dream of ultimately making kitesurfing happen for me- for kitesurfing to take me places. And recently the journey towards that dream has kicked off at a fast pace; I received a sponsorship by Kite & Sup and North Kiteboarding. And man, it feels good to have wished those shooting stars for this dream to come true. You're probably thinking I'm going to start rambling about kitesurfing and my life (which admittedly I love to do), but I'm not. One of the main kick starters to my dream is a man who is 1. A bloody good salesman, 2. A kick ass kitesurfing teacher and 3. A pretty damn good kitesurfer himself. A man named David Sorenson- owner of Kite & Sup in Warners Bay.

I asked Dave a few questions…..

Who is David Sorenson? What were you like growing up?

"I was born in Singleton, NSW where my parents had a farm. We moved to Teralba when I was 4 years old, to a house overlooking the lake and backing into bushland. I started windsurfing at 6 years old. At High School, I spent my days' cross-country running, windsurfing, BMX racing and freestyling & rollerblading. I dreamt of becoming a professional sportsman- windsurfing Hawaii and the Gorge. After high school I broke my leg severely, skating the half-pipe, which meant 8 months on plaster and 3 months of physio before skating again. I spent the next 4 years semi-pro Inline Skating, doing the extreme games, traveling and working with a local company developing knee pads, selling them internationally. I also managed a skating rink and coached inline hockey and ramp skating at a national level. At 22 years of age, everything happened at once- the skating rink took me to court trying to take my half pipe from me. A week before court my brother hung himself and then I made a decision to leave the skating industry."

How did kiteboarding come about for you?

"I walked into Board Crazy, which was run by Andrew Regan who had been a good friend to my brother through windsurfing, to let them know about his funeral. Andy asked what I was doing as I was looking for new work. A week later I was a qualified windsurfing instructor and I ran the windsurfing school for Board Crazy for 4 years; as well as delivering pizzas late at night for Dominoes. In 1999 Andy wanted to start selling Kiteboarding gear, so one day when the wind was too light to windsurf, he had me fly a kite down the beach. I took it like a duck to water. The next day Andy threw me a kite and told me to learn how to use it… two weeks later I was teaching it. I spent the next 10 years working with Andy at Boarding Crazy teaching, coaching, managing team riders, as well as promoting and helping distribute Slingshot Kiteboarding. I was also competing."

How did your own business Kite and Sup kick start?

"In 2010, I took leave from Board Crazy to work as a snowboarding instructor. When I came home, I started up my own school that was working with Board Crazy, known as Newcastle Kiteboarding School. I was already supping (stand up paddle boarding), I started teaching both kiting and supping in 2011- the first SUP school in Newcastle. In 2012, I finished off at Board Crazy after Andy passed away, and that's when Kite and SUP was born."

I guess it shows that if you put in the effort to work hard, you can truly follow, and maybe one day, achieve your dream. "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting! So, get on your way…"

*You can visit Dave and his shop to check everything out, or if you're looking into learning some kiteboarding or stand up paddleboarding at 2/339 Hillsborough Rd, Warners Bay NSW 2282 , or visit the Kite and Sup website at http://www.kiteandsup.com.au/*

443,617,200 seconds and Counting

11:16 am, Sunday 15/11/15

I have survived the first 16 years of my life. I have lived through 5,868 days, spending each experiencing various emotions, colours and lights. Bring that down to approximately 8,449,803 minutes- taking away the approximate 17,603 of those minutes my eyes have seen darkness within a state of unconsciousness, leaving me with around 7,393,620 minutes I have lived consciously. 

To this day, I have spent 443,617,200 conscious seconds in this world, or there about.

47,520,000 of those seconds I have used up learning to speak, to read, how to write, learning the history of my country, learning the position of the world my country is in, learning how the world was formed, how my body works in this world, and more to the point; learning how to do this equation- during 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 40 weeks a year, for the past 11 years of my life.

I have 7,992,000 seconds left of learning the appropriate skills needed for the next 2,049,840,000 of my life (if I live to the estimated life expectancy of 81 years old).

There are many directions I could go with this information; some people might say the next 7,992,000 seconds of mine and 3,959,416 other kids in the world my age are the most important- the building blocks to our future selves and the future of this world. Some of us might not give a damn about the next 7,992,000 seconds of our life. I mean, they're just seconds.

 Most of us are lucky enough to live a privileged life- education, equality, freedom of speech… So many privileges most of us take for granted. And to say that 3,959,417 kids my age have it all is not correct. 121 million children worldwide do not have access to education. There are 2.2 billion children in the world and almost every second child lives in poverty, with no access to any basic living rights; no education, no equality, no freedom of speech, not even the basic living needs and resources.

So for those of us who are lucky enough to be spending the next 7,992,000 seconds learning, I hope this changes your perspective about what you have compared to those who don’t have. These next seconds of our lives may or may not shape our future, depending how you utilise your time. And once this small amount of time is up, we will be thrown into the real world and be put to work for the rest of our adult lives. Not as such work, the physical kind, but work as in working on our lives.

I'm only 16. So are 3,959,416 other people. And I don't know about the rest of you 1999 babies, but the rest of my life is a long time and I'm a tad terrified to say the least. Of course I'm ecstatic to be able to fully live my life the way I please pretty soon, but it also scares me. Everyone around me wants to know who I want to be and what I'm going to do… but how do I answer that question when I have not a clue myself? The rest of our life seems like a long time. I guess what I'm trying to say is that for the next 7,992,000 seconds left before I enter the real world, I'm going to learn. I'm going to make mistakes and I'm going to learn from them. For the next short period of time I'm going to play it by ear… I'll take every moment as it comes. And hopefully someday I'll have an idea of who I want to be and what I want to do. I guess I'm never going to stop learning, none of us are. For now though, I'm going to learn through a system called school, with my other 1999 pals, and brace myself for the many seconds of life ahead.

I mean after all, they're just seconds.

The 3 part series of Balls: Part One- EDIBLE

Edible… Gutsy… Make way for the females! 

Part 1: Edible Balls

First of all, I'd like to apologise if I am disappointing those who let their minds get the better of them… or instead, I am giving you a sigh of relief by saying; Part 1 of the 'series of balls' is entirely about food. Yep- these kinds of balls actually taste good and are a great kick of energy when you need it. Whether you feel a sugar craving coming on (or what I like to call- a fat sesh), or you need an on-the-go energy boost, or just simply feel like eating- these balls are the way to go.

For those who haven't already got the gist of where I'm heading- I'm talking bliss balls. I find bliss balls are a really good option when it comes to a quick snack- and they're a whole lot healthier than some packaged pick-me-up. I guess you could say they're 'trending' right now; with all the rave about super foods and beneficial ingredients, you'll usually a bliss ball or two at a café or packaged at a supermarket, even at Boost Juice or some Gyms! And they're a really good idea- a small little morsel that is a) healthy b) yummy and c) super easy to make.

So one day I decided to give one a go; having knowledge on what goes in a bliss ball- nuts and some type of fruit, I just randomly put together what I thought would go nicely, and it worked!.... 3 times! They turned out really great, and I take one to school every day. Apparently you can put basically anything in a blender and it will turn out yummy….

3 Bliss Balls:

Salted Raw-Caramel & Banana

Ingredients: makes 8

• 3/4 cup banana chips 
• 3/4 cup pitted, dried dates
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp coconut oil

• Blend the banana chips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs
• Add the salt, cashews and almonds and blend again until it turns into fine bread crumbs
• Add the dates and blend until the mixture starts to form together followed by the coconut oil
• Then roll the mixture into balls- it makes 8 medium/large balls, or however big you want

Choc Orange

Ingredients: makes 8

• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts
• 1 tbsp Cacao (or cocoa)
• 1/2 cup pitted, dried dates 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 tsp coconut oil

• Blend together almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, salt & cacao until it forms dark, fine breadcrumbs
• Add the dates and orange zest and blend until the mixture starts to form together
• Add the coconut oil and pulse until it is mixed through
• Then roll the mixture into balls and roll in sesame seeds (optional)- it makes 8 medium/large balls, or however big you want

Coconut Bliss

Ingredients: makes 8

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 3 tbsp coconut powder (found in the Asian isle of a supermarket)
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp honey

• Blend together cashews, coconut powder & shredded coconut until it forms fine breadcrumbs
• Add the coconut oil, honey & vanilla and blend until the mixture starts to form together
• Then roll the mixture into balls and into shredded coconut (optional)- it makes 8 medium/large balls, or however big you want

Genetic Engineering: savior or disaster?

Recently at school I watched a video in my science class. We've been studying genetics for a while now and it's so interesting. Wrapping your head around everything we can do is hard to understand, but it's amazing once you start to understand it, to see what we can create and how we work. The video is about Genetic Engineering; where organisms have the ability to be modified through a process we use, by altering the genes in the cells of those organisms. Although this video my class watched was very interesting, I however found some of the things extremely disturbing. I decided to investigate it further when I got home, and now, my view of the video and this whole process is swinging in between the lines of wrong and right. So I thought I should share my thoughts and also get you thinking- are we using genetic engineering for the right or wrong reasons?

Before I start I probably should define what a 'gene' is for those who don't know:

Genes are made up of DNA (found in the nucleus of all our cells), and a gene acts as instructions to make molecules called proteins.

Here are some examples of genetic engineering:

Belgium Blue Bull

This bull has been bred through a process called 'selective breeding'. This process is used by farmers to enhance a desirable characteristic- basically by managing the sex of the animal. Take the above bull for example: the desired characteristic in this bull is the amount of muscle or meat on its body. Farmers will take the sperm from one of these animals, and analyse it; looking for the particular gene they want- a gene that regulates the growth of muscle in cattle. These cows have been selectively bred from cattle that contain a copy of this gene that doesn't work. Therefore, as a result, the cow's muscles are much larger than regularly bred cattle.

Now, although this selectively bred bull is actually all natural (as no steroids have been injected) there's nothing technically wrong with this process. But to me, this process is disgusting. For starters; to put an animal through this is not right- they are how they are supposed to be. Any altering of the animal's genetic information may harm it. For instance; these Belgium Bulls weigh over a ton. This can affect the reproduction of the animal (it needs help from farmers to get up on a female cow), it may cause harm to the bone structure of the animal, and altogether the animal is probably more than likely uncomfortable due to its size. And what exactly are the reasons behind this? Because our world revolves around money. Bigger cow = more meat = more food on the shelves = more money for the farmers who support this cause.

Featherless Chickens

 These chickens are being produced by Professor Avigdor Cahener- a man who is solving a problem that could be prevented in the first place. These chickens have been made to reproduce without the gene to make feathers. Why? Chickens are bred to grow as fast and fat as possible. Because most chickens are kept in caged environments, they are suffering from overheating. Their heart rate can reach 300 b/pm and they find it very hard to cool down. Because of their feathers- chickens can't dissipate the heat (as Olivia Judson gave the example of wearing a fur coat in the Sahara Desert). Professor Cahaner came up with the solution of reproducing chickens without the gene that allows them to grow feathers, therefore allowing the chicken to cool down in such environments. However, he is only fixing a problem that could be prevented to start off with. If the chickens weren't in caged environments, they wouldn't be overheating. Free range chickens would not have this problem... But hey, our industries main priority is money right? So chickens will continue to live in cadged environments because they produce the $$$.

But then we get to the stage in the video of the real benefits of genetic engineering- to the point that this kind of science and knowledge could save our lives:

 Transgenics: Glow in the dark rabbits

Dr Louis- Marie Houdebine came up with the idea of the 'green glow in the dark rabbit' by a thing called transgenics. Transgenics is the process in which a gene from one organism is transferred and inserted into the other. For this rabbit, Dr Houdebine found the gene in a jellyfish that enabled them to glow in the dark, and inserted that gene into bacteria. As the bacteria reproduce, the gene is multiplied- then being inserted into the fertilised egg of a rabbit. The egg is then transferred into the mother giving birth, and the gene replicates itself into every cell of the offspring. As this gene was passed onto the offspring, the newly born bunnies, once in darkness were glowing green

This experiment has many benefits to it such as:

• These bunnies can be bred to help medical researchers track the movement of cells.
• Scientists can use the gene to work out where cells go after an organ transplant.
• It could help treat problems like bone disease or blindness.

Genetic modification: Vitamin A deficiency

Genetic modification has the possibility to save lives- but we are not allowed to use it... in this case at least. Researchers have been studying how genetic modification can in fact cure diseases by changing or adding genes into a specific organism. Vitamin A deficiency kills around 2.5 million people a year. That's  equivilant to a tsunami every month, or a 9/11 every 12 hours. As half the world's population gets almost all their nutrition from rice, a lot of these people are susceptible to the disease. Rice does not have a chemical called carotenoids- which is the chemical that gives colour to vegetables. Our bodies use carotenoids to make vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency suppresses the immune system, but even before that, it makes you blind. Wealthy people can survive this disease because of the resources they have, but for those who live off rice, are more likely to die from it. Researches tried to insert genes that produce vitamin A into rice, and succeeded, with a total of 3 genes that could be inserted into the rice. Because the genes produced vitamin A, they had the chemical carotenoids in them, making the newly modified rice yellow- something they call golden rice.

This scientific break through has the ability to save millions of lives each year, yet the rice is not allowed out of confinement and examination. My opinion is simple- what a waste. How many deaths and diseases is it going to take to get people to understand how this research can save lives? Why are we using this technology for the wrong reasons? Making money out of it genetic engineering, instead of saving lives is not right. Something or someone needs to wake up and face the real problems in our society.

For those who want to watch this video, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyLLRjB3NWk

What's your opinion?

Peri x

living Life

Being the fifteen year old teenage girl I am; I'm constantly facing the challenges of a 'fifteen year old teenage girl'. Whether that be stressing over what I'm going to wear, choosing whether to eat a salad or a whole chocolate cake, trying to keep myself from crying about God knows what (literally me last night trying to write this blog), or just trying to fit in. When you look at the big picture, ideally we should all just want to be happy with our lives. There are 2 questions I would ask myself at the end of the day, which you could try:

 

When I look back at my own life, I want to be able to say; I was happy and I was healthy. Always doing and being my best. I can't speak for anyone else but myself, but I believe everyone should be able to love themselves for who they are, and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. We're all born into this thing, this life, and it's all we've got. Living to the fullest to optimise our time is a lifestyle we should all get a chance at experiencing. Not only appreciating what we have, but appreciating ourselves is a lesson I feel like we should learn- but as an ongoing lesson. Nothing is learnt- rather we never stop learning. And one of the challenges that I'm currently facing is learning how to love myself, be happy and be healthy.

As I am currently expressing my views on how to live a great life, (note that these are my views. I am not speaking for anyone other than myself, nor am I telling anyone the right way to go about anything) I feel like I should explain how I am trying to go about living on a day-to-day basis. So here it is

A 15 year-olds perspective on a Happy, Healthy Life:

1. Find happiness in every day- even if it's simply admiring the clouds or filling your lungs up with fresh air. If you can find something to smile about every day, you should start to feel pretty good about yourself. Appreciate what you have, and don't focus on the negative.

2. Eating well is a key ingredient (literally) in feeling good about yourself. I have recently been struggling with what I'm eating, due to recently finding out what I eat affects my respiratory system (breathing) oh and (FYI that goes for everyone, just not me personally). Everyone reacts differently to what they put in their own mouths- and for me, my respiratory systems struggles particularly with dairy products, processed sugar and gluten- more the white stuff. After realising this through Dean (my breathing specialist) I went on a eating plan- or basically I just didn't eat dairy products, white flour- such as pasta or white bread, and copious amounts of white sugar (found in everything!!). This was a long process; giving up all the foods I loved was really hard, but after a while I began to feel really great within myself. I could find it easier to breathe and I just felt a lot more energised altogether. Now as I said- this doesn't apply to everyone, but a few general tips can be really helpful:

• Cut out the processed foods- Everything in a packet has been processed to some extent. These foods can be really bad for your body because of the additive, chemicals and other c r a p. if you can't pronounce an ingredient- then why should you be putting it into your body? If this means not eating your fav packet of chips every now and then, so be it! Have a carrot instead… it will actually fill you up, and it surprisingly tastes OK.

• Keep Hydrated!!!- Drinking water every day is good for your body! It is also a great way to keep energised. Try drinking 1-2 Liters a day, and if you get bored of it, put some lemon in it!

• Have balance- if you pig out on junk all afternoon don't stress; just eat greens the next day. If you're realllly craving a chocolate from the fundraising boxes at school- go for it! Don't feel guilty for enjoying the foods you love. But remember to balance it out. Just take everything in moderation- that way you can stay on top of things.

I feel like I have to explain how I know all of this at the age of 15: my Mum has taught me so much in the way of eating healthy! Practicing healthy isn't as bad as it seems once you get the hang of it. And at the beginning of this year, I did a science experiment on how processed sugar (packet crap) affects your body, in comparison to natural sugar (found in fruit). I'll be doing a post on that soon, the results were really interesting!

3.  Exercise! Exercising can really make you feel good. Whether it's going for a walk, stretching out in the morning, running, skipping, and boxing- literally any type of physically activity, it's good for you. Exercising generally keeps you fit, it gets you moving which is good for your blood, and it's actually proven to help relieve stress. If you're ever down in the dumps, a little workout can really go along way.

I'm no expert at any of these things- but they work for me. Whatever suits your wants and needs is what you should strive for. Being happy and healthy is what I look for in life, so that's what I'm going to be. Surround yourself with those who inspire you, for those who live joyfully, their joy will become yours too. This post might get a big laugh at, or some might put down what I have just written. But honestly, I couldn't care less- your opinion is none of my business. As my Mum always reminds me "treat people how you want to be treated" and "what goes around, comes around".  But this is what I want my blog to be about, to promote a healthy lifestyle and to live happily amongst everyone. I'm striving to be the best I can be, and hoping to inspire others to do the same along the way. I found this in a magazine a couple of months ago "Stand up, be the best you can be. If you want a six-pack, do it. If you don't, have a burger. You're the boss of you. Once you get that, you'll get everything you want in life".

Appreciate the things you have, and enjoy your life! It's the only one you've got.

Peri x

For the love of Kitesurfing

I warned you that the time will come to share my thoughts on this topic. I started this blog about a week ago and ever since I've been straining my brain trying to think of something I could write about. A week ago I had millions of ideas at the tip of my fingers and all of a sudden they just, kinda, flew away with the wind (I'll get to that in a minute). And today I actually missed my bus home from school because I was too busy trying to think of my first blog post. V, (my exchange student from Finland- I'll introduce him later) has a blog of his own, and he told me to just write what comes naturally and not to force it. So what better first post to write about, then the topic of kitesurfing!

I actually don't know where to start so I'll start by saying this:

The first time I kited, I was literally in love. Like a Mum loves their child or someone hungry loves to eat (me all the time), or a 15 year old girl loves to name her fish 'serious' names, aka "Malcolm & Norman" (btw I'm talking about my friend)… getting back to the point: that's how much I love to kitesurf. And it's not just the presence of kitesurfing itself, it's the way I feel on the water with the wind in my face, and how you can feel weightless getting launched into the air (sometimes by accident), or just simply skimming along the water at what sometimes feels like a million miles an hour. And with all the options of experiencing kitesurfing in so many different ways, I find it hard to believe that not everyone would at least like to a) try it or b) watch it.

Here's a photo from Vietnam because there's too much writing.
lol

But don't get me wrong- learning kitesurfing isn't a smooth and easy process: some might say kitesurfing is like learning to ride a bike. Once you get the hang of it, anyone can easily fall in love with it just like I did. I was given my first kite on the Christmas of 2013, after countless times nagging my Dad to let me try it. I have been watching my Dad kitesurf basically my whole life, and even just watching him kite got me super stoked. The process of learning to kite for me was a lengthily one- partially because of the inconsistent wind conditions in Newcastle, where I'm from. Getting slammed on the sand and getting dragged under water, even being dragged out to Nobby's Head once- I knew it was going to be difficult. BUT, don't let this put you off! Because, for me, there is something about trying over and over again to get it right, a feeling of accomplishment. And let me tell you,  

the first time I stood up on my board and

 let the wind take my kite, it was the 

best feeling anyone could experience and I know

 I'll never forget it.  

1 year of waiting, 3 months of practicing and a whole winter season of no wind later (that means no kiting), My family and I travelled down the South Coast to a town called Merimbula to compete in my first competition.  Merimbula has been a part of my life since I can remember, always going down to watch my Dad compete, but now it was my turn and now I know it as one of the best experiences of my life. 

My Bro Sandon and I back in November 2004, experiencing our
very first Merimbula Classic.
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Now I'm not going to explain every single detail, but basically I competed in a three-day wave competition run by Mambo, I was one of about only 10 juniors (only female) and at the end of the comp I came out with 'Kiter of the Future' and won a Kite from world champ Ben Wilson. I can honestly say this trip changed my life- I gained a whole new perspective on Kitesurfing in general, I learned so many new skills, and I met a great bunch of keen-ass groms who will be life-long friends.

Winners are grinners! With world champ
Ben Wilson after winning his award.
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Most embarrassing moment of my life- kiter friend Chip asking
for a photo with these guys who I'd never met before! Turned out
to be the best embarrassing moment as these guys are now my
good friends!
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I actually explained all of this in a magazine called Kite Mag, where I was asked to write an article in by Beau-one of my friends I made down at Mambo. My first ever mag article and I'm still so stoked about it! This is still my favourite video of me kitesurfing (I don't have many but still).

We were trying to get some shots for the mag... Jake wasn't

 couldn't get a photo in time, but this turned out pretty okay.

Jake Evans Photography

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So after all this, I'm hoping and wishing someone out there reading this wants to give it a go! Whether it be freestyle, wave riding or just for pure joy- PLEASE give it a go… it will give you so much pleasure and stoke, I'm willing to guarantee it. If you live in the Newcastle area, these guys taught me a lot of what I know, and I definitely recommend anyone to get a lesson of them.

 http://www.kiteandsup.com.au/kiteboarding-lessons/ 

This isn't the end…

Peri x

NOTE: If you miss your bus home from don't stress because you're probably going to come up with some blog ideas??? Maybe.