Southerly Buster rolls through Brisbane during a kite demo
Not for the faint hearted!
Sunday 17th March. Brighton Beach near Brisbane. Current wind: 15 knots Northerly.
Perfect day for a demo right! 17m light wind kites, flat water and perfect cruising weather. Some say demo days are all cursed to be windless and boring, could this be the day that changes that for ever?
The difference with this demo, was that everyone knew that in the boot of each car in the carpark, was a tiny little storm kite. Just waiting patiently for the goods that Seabreeze.com.au promised to deliver at 4.30pm. So by 4 o'clock when the wind started to die, kiteboarders eyes began to waver to the south, searching for a cloud line.
4.30pm came, and with a solid squall line approaching everyone pumped up 6m to 9m kites and began walking out to the sand bar. It's certainly a weird feeling carrying out a tiny kite in around 5 knots from the North east, but walking downwind so that you can start upwind of everyone else. Get it? Weird.
Anyway, as the huge front built and began sucking in, the Northerly increased and a few even launched to ride in the 5 minutes of Northerly left. Then it hit. 30 knots from the South in one huge wave. Leaving the water glassy smooth and flat (also because of the tide) but with absolutely cranking wind. Guys were flying everywhere, 10m up, 20m up. There was some absolutely amazing boosts going on. What a spectacle! All the while, a huge southerly front was screaming overhead making way for scattered clouds and blue skies behind it.
It was certainly a demo to remember, and one that the Brighton kiters won't forget for a long time!
Note: Southerlies can be nasty, they'll knock you for six if you don't know what you're doing. Every one of the kiters in this video was aware of what was approaching, had the skills to ride in it and had been briefed by experienced riders on what to expect. Yes, if you look closely you'll see a 17m Zephyr being landed after the front has passed. That guy almost died...
Check out the video though!
Freshwater, Sydney, NSW
