Culture Shock!!

So after being in Padre for a month, and going back to Mt. Pleasant, Utah. It was the biggest culture sock. Everybody dresses to keep warm. Nobody has tans. The weather is just out right cold. I turn into such a cold weather pussy!

Well at least the 92 Grand Voyager made it back with out any problems but eating oil! Thank you old man that took care of the van for me!! I had a good time driving back hauling ass at 80mph!! Way faster than Clark Speed!

I made it just in time for the season opener! People needed me! Or maybe they needed the C4!! Anyway glad I made it for the Grand Reopening of the new Triangle Bar!!! I wouldn't miss it for the world! I heard the Triangle Bar is going to make a bar slider Wall of Fame!! With Motz as the head of the Club!!

As for the first session's on snow!! Bad Ass!! I love my new Decosse Customs snowboard. What good pop and fun turning board!

The First day was a little bare for snow. With alot of bushes and rocks! But if you sticked around after the weekend it snowed about 2-3feet! Then the conditions were great. With the snow being better, and alot of kiting in SPI. Gliding and Kite loops just happened! Maybe a little early in the season to be jumping so high but totally worth it!! You just got to land everything, right?

Can't wait for the 2010 snowkite season!! Also can't wait to defend my TITLE!!

2009 US Snow Kite Champion!! (SKI)

Maybe this year I will hang up the skis and try it on a Snow board!!!

Oh and Happy New Years!! Let 2010 bring good snow and wind to all!!!


Peace

Patrick

Hard Hand Shakes and Hand Cuffs!

I have been slacking on the blog lately. But there is a good reason behind it! I finally did the unthinkable. I SOLD CLARK the incredible 1986 4x4 Toyota MoHo!! Man what a great trip I had in my very missed Clark.

I can't believe I rambled around the country in a 23 year old motor home. Have to hand it to Clark for being such a trooper for the last 5 years. It gave me some of the best years of my life. It's crazy how much a vehicle can change your perspective on LIFE!!!

Anyway congratulations Sean from Tennessee. He traveled all the way from Afghanistan and flew into Huston. Picked up my ride in SPI, then drove it to Tennessee. I hope he takes as good care of Clark as I did. He was a family member and I disowned him :( Oh well off to bigger and better!!! (FUSO!!!)

Well after selling my rig I had to clean him out. I have to thank Monty from ALWAYS OPEN LOCK AND SAFE. For letting me store 30 kites, buggys, boards, bikes, dishes, everything from Clark! I didn't think that there was that much stuff in my rig!!

Then I looked into renting a van to get back to Colorado. WOW who would pay $800 dollars for a one way trip to Colorado from SPI. So I went on Craigslist and bought a dam mini van. Never thought all my stuff would fit , but it was stuffed from floor to ceiling and from front to back. I even had shit in the front seat. Oh well I got back to Utah for the season opener for snowkiting.

As all of this was happening I almost went to jail because of other peoples actions! Can't we all just get along!! How come dudes need to prove themselves and have to think there tough. Or why do people even antagonize others to the point others crack! All well fights get broken up, tears get wiped up, and the cops should never be called.

I got picked up just for being a witness. Dam, why couldn't I have ran away instead of waking cool!. I would have never thought that the cops wanted to put hand cuffs on me. For what, just because I broke up a fight. Man did it suck. They then later tried to charge me with Public Intoxication!!! What I am here to help not get arrested! How did I get myself in this mess. Bastered SPI cops, they really didn't like it when I put my handcuffed hands in front of me in the back of the cop car!! Why cant I sit comfortably? I didn't think I was a criminal! I didn't do anything wrong!! So why not be more comfortable in the back of the cop car. The cop looked at me like I was crazy! He open the door and said, "You can't do that!!" All I said was, " I just did and I didn't think I was a criminal!!"

Man was Officer Torres pissed at me. He then took me out and switched the cuffs back and put them on super tight. Told me we are going to the scene of the crime and see if I was involved! What!! We get there, one cop comes up to the door and just says you are being charged with Public Intoxication! I looked at the fucker and told him," You don't even know if I am intoxicated!" Cop later says, "well were did you come from?" I told him I came from the bar!!! He then said " Well you are going to jail tonight to sleep it off!" I again said, "You have no proof that I am Intoxicated!". Why are cops so stupid and harassing!

The cop that detained me come over opened the door and said you are going to jail. And if I wanted to do a road side sobriety test. I said, "Shit I have nothing to lose, why wouldn't I take the test! You are all ready assuming that I am intoxicated. Might as well do it, right."

So he took me out of the cop car. He then proceeded to do his road side test. I was just thinking in the back of my head that I was wasted and had to much to drink. But I kept my cool and answered all his questions correct. Then it came to the balance tests. Dam fool don't you know that I am a Yogi master, balance is a joke to me!!! So he made me walk the line. Also told me to hold my foot off the ground and balance while counting all the way up to 30 one thousands! Crazy asshole, I took my time and never faltered and he looked at me like I was crazy.

The cop later told me to relax. He then proceeded to his three buddy cops. I hear them talking and Officer Torres went to his pal and says, "I don't think we can charge him with Public intoxication!" Snap yo!! The other cop said, "Yeah I don't think he is drunk at all!" Then the copper came over and handed my ID and said sorry for the inconvenience and the threats. Then he told me to never put my hands that are in hand cuffs in front of me in the cop car!!

All I could say is thank you and have a good night. They told me to go back to the condo. I proceeded to the bar with my buddy Mark and continued to drink until they tossed us out.

What is the moral of the story. Don't have your friend call the cops and almost put other innocent drunk people in jail.

Well off to the snow for some snow kiting!!

Peace

Patrick

Gawking at the C4!

So I have to admit that for the last 5 years I have been missing one thing! My 13m Fuel! But now my dreams totally came true with something more amazing than a old school fuel.

The C4 has totally put smiles on tons of faces!! Everyone that flys it, be it a beginner to advance pilot they all come back and say the same thing, "This C4 is SICK!!!"

With crazy grunt, pull and pop the kite is where you need it. Also it depowers when you don't need it! Not only that I was throwing down so much because the relaunch on the C4 is almost automatic!! With just a easy tug on the steering line the kite relaunchs with easy be it flat water or in the surf.

I also have to say what a boosting mega kite looping fun ride!!!

I guess you have to try it to believe it!!

Cold Cold Cold

Here are some earlyer Northerly wind shots from the trip. Keyphotography.biz

It is super cold here on the Island. With the temps being in the lower 40's!! I got sick after doing to many down winders. And to much wind!! We have had alot of rain, and crazy storms. But it is cool to see this place dip into the mid 40's and people start wearing jackets on the beach!!

Well peace

Mexican Wrestler drops Windsurfing and Picks up KiteSurfing!

Maybe his old friends would make fun of him for flying a kite. And the new friends he is about to meet, might laugh at him for being on the wrong side of the FENCE for so long!!

Thank You Jennifer and Chris from Decosse Customs for the great idea! and the boards! They ride so niiiiccccceeeee!!

Also thank you TheRealBonetti for taking the shots!

Also thank you OZONE for building the C4!! WOW

peace

patrick

Birthday downwinder

Wow I just had my 28th birth day! I never thought as a kid that I would even live to be 28. But I must say that it is just a Number!! I can't complain though. I woke up at 7AM and started my day.

As I got woken up by speeding and honking trucks full of Kiters that wanted to do a early morning down winder before work. I was barley awake and handing out kites out of Clark like it was candy or maybe more like explosives! "C4"!! Man does that make your day when the owner of AIR PADRE is waking you up to ride my kite. It felt good like I accomplished a feat or jumped over a barrel. I had good vibe when I started my day and my down winder!

The waves were moderate size but really fun. Only problem was the Red tide really sucked! I was coughing in the wave breaks. I also had to body drag back to my board a couple of times and had to drag through some of the brown mucky water that makes up the Red Tide. It makes your eyes water like mad and burn like really strong chlorine. The North wind brought us some colder air so I hope it kills off this nasty algae bloom!!!

Anyway coughing and burning eyes it was totally worth it! Thank you Isaiah Downing from KeyPhotography.biz for taking some sick shots of me for my birthday.

Peace
Patrick

Light Wind Blues and Running SHOES

So for the last 5 days or so the wind has been really dismal. With living here for the last month in Padre I see kiters come and go. Some of the days are great and windy with alot of smiles. But lately we all are all a little grumpy!

With little to do when there is no wind. We all have been Jonesing for a good session. Some of us get exercise by riding our bikes. Some go out in the bay and paddle kayaks or even go out and SUP. But those of that are really needing a kite sess. We start to talk smack and challenge others to foot races! The bet was twenty bucks to race about half a mile. You should check out the video out that we made this morning!

You should go and check out TheRealBonetti.com. This is Jon Bonetti's new blog that I helped him setup! So go to it and Follow his crazy Life!!

Peace

Patrick Nedele

SPI and 45 Knots

I have been riding in all conditions here in SPI. Everything from 6knot Zephyr and skim board seasons. To being over powered on the 9m Sport in the waves with 30-40 knot winds. As I sit here there is no wind! Not to bad for how much Kiting I have had in the last three weeks.

I have meet some of the craziest people for the last 3 weeks. So many people from Colorado that I have never met. People that I have taught how to kite over 5 years ago! Also folks from the Arctic, Yellow Knife Canada!!! Even dudes that were just passing trough to go work and kite in Panama and riding a motorcycle with all his kite gear tied to the back. What a adventure that would be on a motorcycle!!

Then there was the Third Ave crew, all down here in SPI for there annual kite gathering. A ton of people got to try out the new best light wind kite out there, THE ZEPHYR!! We had a great time drinking SKA Beer and talking shop too!! What a cool group of fellow kiters. With all of them ripping in there own style and everybody improving there groove.

I have been loving the new skim board from SPI kite. It is a Victoria 49". With the sickest Dakine deck pads on it. It is red, white and blue. Captain America Style!!

Well off to figure out the physics of how to self propel yourself with a Zephyr and Apparent wind!


Peace,
Patrick

Spring Break Capitol

After a long drive from Durango I stopped and visited a new kite shop in New Mexico. Stuart is a great guy that is changing his life style by starting a kite shop and teaching snow kiting to the masses of New Mexico!! Check him out at www.snowkitenewmexico.com. After a quick session of flying foils in Santa Fe with Stuart. I headed out on the journey down south to Corpus Christi.

I made it to Pro Kite Surf and hung out with one of my protege's, PJ Lewis!! He is working and teaching for Jeff Howard. check out www.kiteboarding.com. They are selling some of the best boards on the planet!! Crazy Fly!! They also make some of the best repair jobs on the most damaged kites!!

Anyway after a some really powered sessions at Wild Cat park, I got to go kite skating at the best place I have ever kite skated before!! P.J. showed me this sick spot, near Wild Cat park. Were there is a long bike path/road that squares up to the wind perfectly!! You can ride a skate board for about 3 mi one way with out having to turn around!! Absolutely amazing!!! You just got to keep your trainer high to pass over the bushes but there is clean wind coming off the bay!! I think we skated for ever that night. I never got to experience such a nice Kite skate session!!

After spending time in C town I made it to the beach in Padre. Adult kite camp starts NOW!!! I am looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new ones here I can't wait tell everybody shows up to kite.

The pictures are all at night with a full moon. I was by myself and set up my tripod. A little drunk, I was going crazy running back and forth from the dunes to get the pictures but I think they turned out pretty cool!


Well Peace,

Patrick

Going South stoping at SKA

So I am now traveling to one of the best places to kite, South Padre Island!! But before I get there I have to do a stop at Ska Brewing's new facility!! How cool is it being sponsored by a Brewery and stopping at the factory and getting 10 cases of beer just for stopping to say HI!! The Ska plant is also really cool to go tour. It is located in Durango, Colorado.


Thank You Matt from Ska. Much appreciated, from me and kiters alike. If you haven't tried the beer yet go out and find it!! The cost is a little steeper but it is worth it for the taste of good snow kiter beer!!!

When you see me in Padre ask me for a Ska Beer!! I will have plenty of Cold Beverages for the Kiter Folk!!!


SKaBrewing.com

Peace

Patrick Nedele

Fall back, spring forward!

So it is time to start turning the clocks back for winter already. I have had a great fall with hiking, biking, skating, and kiting. All around Utah this fall. Skyline Drive is beautiful in the fall. But watch out for those crazy hunters! Or at least wear orange when you hike!!

I also had a really fun session at Utah Lake with Billy Bordy and Salvador. Sal and Billy were bustin sweet moves over the tall green islands of reeds. I only had my surf board so the chop at Utah Lake was amazing with big smooth rollers to slash and spray. Thanks to Mark Johnson for bearing the fridged cold air and water to take pictures of us!

It was a great session after working in the office for a couple of weeks. I am so glad this is the start of my trip to South Padre Island, Texas. From cold water to warm water for the next month. As the season changes in the Mountains, I hope there will be 2 feet of snow by the time I get back!!

Peace

Patrick Nedele
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