July 2021 13 www.bahrainthismonth.com feature “That’s why we kitesurf … Depending on the wind strength and your mood you can do almost anything on the water” - Richard Stephens From an outside perspective it is amazing to watch how practice leads to perfection and how this group make everything they do look so easy. Ulli and Stephen come hurtling past at speed on their new “Foils” which lift their conventional kite surfing boards about a meter out of the water and as they come past sitting nonchalantly on the boards, legs hanging loosely over the edge almost in the water, they look as relaxed as though they were sitting on deck chairs at a BBQ. Davide , Don Bradley, Ash and the others sail past on their windsurfers making it look “just oh-so-easy” - but trust me on this - it takes a lot of practice and time on the water as well as some good guidance and lessons to get as far as they are. This is a great day out, good fun and the camaraderie amongst these water sport knights is tremendous. Every now and then there is a splash, and someone is in the water, but it doesn’t take long before the board is slicing through the water again and the sails or kites are whizzing past making an exhilarating sound that only those in the know fully appreciate. “It’s just a question of practicing, learning and doing better each time you go out” The Bahrain fraternity of wind-driven watersport enthusiasts is quite small, but there are some outstanding participants with some extraordinary talents and on any reasonably windy day it pays to pack a picnic lunch, get the folding chairs and umbrella and head out to Nurana, or any of the awesome wind watersport spots, and watch how exciting these sports can be. Even as a spectator it’s enthralling, exciting and exhilarating to see, and a viewer might quickly find themselves embraced and welcomed, so much so that they pick up the sport and give it a try. There is a lot of positive energy in this sport and lots of fun to be had, and it is easy to get carried away in the thrills and spills and pulled into this sport by the spontaneous desire to feel the adrenaline rush - but be cautioned these are sports that take practice, commitment, tenacity , endurance and drive, not to mention a lot of energy. If you want to get involved, remember - talk to the knowledgeable experienced surfers, and inquire politely if you do want to participate - Questions cost nothing, mistakes cost money. Almost all the surfers will tell you what they did wrong and how to avoid the pitfalls. BTM readers can scan the QR codes to see more and especially interesting is this particular link below to see the expertise of a “Cheeky Dark Slide” perfectly executed, with exact timing and skill - a truly amazing feat. It looks easy, doesn’t it? Richard Stephens doing a “Cheeky Dark Slide” Davide windsurfing The Nurana Match Race 2021 Image Credit: Marco Boria Image Credit: Marco Boria
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