VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Nitinaht Wind Fest 2008 - August 13 - 17, 2008
Subject: REQUEST FOR 2008 NITINAHT WINDFEST PARTICIPANTS/SPONSORS
Thankyou everyone for your continuing replies......
If you are able to support (or know someone who would like to) this year please contact us at your convenience.......or forward this e-mail. If you just want to attend and have fun that would be great too! Participants stated that last year the best part of the event was the friendly atmosphere, outdoor beach fires, the 10,000 watt d-jay/light show cranking tunes all day/night, outdoor kite videos, the beach sauna, camping on the beach, the food, the GEAR DEMOS and the TONNE OF SWAG WE WERE ABLE TO GAVE AWAY. Oh yes, and the kiteboarding was good too! We will once again include 'DEMO DAYS' into our event and we invite any and all kiteboarding companies/reps. to come show their gear.
Please forward this e-mail if you know someone that may wish to be a part of this great event. Last year we had participants from Australia, Europe (UK, Germany,France), USA (Michigan,Florida, Washington, Oregon,California) Mexico (Baja), and from all over Canada.

If you would like to attend but require more info please contact me.
If you would like to be a new sponsor and we do not have your logo...we will require an e-mailed logo that we can download, so that we can screen it to our event clothing, website and posters.
If you are unable to attend but would like to provide us with some prizes/gear please send to....

NITINAHT WINDFEST 2008 c/o
Mark Sprungmann
963 Falmouth Rd.
Victoria BC
V8X 3A4
Canada


PH# 250-361-6834



Thank you once again from everyone at NITINAHT WINDFEST 2008!
Link to Nitinaht Lake and Windfest information website:
http://www.nitinaht.ca/


Hello everyone from NITINAHT WINDFEST 2008 - CANADA!
We have put together a compilation of weblinks along with photos and write ups re. last years event. This was our 2nd year running the event. From our feedback we have received nothing but positive comments..... even though the wind was not perfect for us everyday. One of the most exciting things about our event was seeing all the BIG COMPANIES and SPONSORS supporting our event and working together to keep the STOKE all weekend. All of us agreed that seeing 400+ amature/weekend warriors ripping it up was what this event is all about. The opportunity for everyone to demo many different kiteboarding brands was awesome (DAKINE, NORTH, SLINGSHOT, BEST, OCEAN RODEO). These.....(including myself) are the people who support your companies and buy your merchandise. WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS/PRIZES! We could not have asked for a better group of people to have joined us for this wonderful event! We had visitors/participants from all over the world...including Europe, USA, Canada and Australia! WOW!

LIST OF 2007 FANTASTIC SPONSORS

Sanuk Sandals
Dakine
Best Kiteboarding
Slingshot Kiteboarding
Ocean Rodeo Kiteboarding
North Kiteboarding
Rockstar Energy Drink
Ryders Eyewear
Trident Sports
Strong Kiteboarding
Leading Edge Productions
Elevation Kiteboarding
Girls4Sport
AirTime Kiteboarding
Skypilot Kiteboarding
MusicMaxx
Vancouver Island Brewery
Airush Kiteboarding

If I missed anyone please accept my apologies in advance!



THANK YOU EVERYONE ONCE AGAIN! CHEERS FROM JUDI, DALE AND ME (MARK)!

Pics of the Champs!

http://www.nitinaht.ca/NWF%202007%20Champs.htm

Tony B and his Weekend Review!

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-5821.html

The Ladies Rippin it up!

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-5820.html

The Men Rippin it up!

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-5823.html

The Weekend Smiles and Party Scene!

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-5834.html

More Photos!

http://kiteboardbc.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=94



Here are the official results of the competitions at Nitinat
(taken from NW kite)


Hey everybody, we're just back in the states from our visit to the Nitinaht Wind Fest in Vancouver, BC. Sounds like everybody had a great time with the blowout! Sorry we missed it but we flipped a coin a few weeks back and Wind Fest won the toss. Hopefully next year we can coordinate BOG, The Blowout and Wind Fest to all be on different weekends. I'll make the effort to get all of the planners in touch with each other to see if these events can be staggered.

A quick recap for the folks who hadn't heard of the event. This was the 2nd Annual Wind Fest kiting / windsurfing event that was held at Nitinaht Lake on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Go here for the official scoop on the place: http://www.nitinaht.ca/index.htm Nitinaht is about 3 hours from Victoria or Nanaimo with the last 2 being on a dirt road that seems like it will never end!

First off, the event was great and the organizers did a fantastic job with the sponsors, the schhhwaggg, the prizes and the atmosphere. The location is just incredible with monster trees, rocky beaches, driftwood, and beautiful northwest scenery. The local kite crew up there is awesome and very welcoming - and the parties and hanging out weren't half bad either!!!

You'll all be happy to know the Gorge Gang went international and did a pretty fair job at representin' our neck of the woods! Pics below but here's the recap (still somewhat un-official but I think it's correct):

Upwinder:
Long, long, upwind race course with 2 marks to go around. (~ 4miles? ): Steadiness, endurance and a big board were the keys to this race!
- Women: in 1st Place... Carol B! - She was 7th overall and the first and only girl to finish out of about 20 that started.

- Men:
1st Place: Sam Medysky
I got 6th overall (passed Carol on the downwind leg!), Grom got 9th, Bucky (honorary NW crew) got 11th, Josh came in 12th, all out of about 20+ guys that started.

Boarder X:
Triangle race course with 2 small obstacles to jump over before the final downwind leg. Men's comp had 7 heats, women had 2 heats, 2 semi-finals, one final each. 4 to 5 kiters per heat, top 2 going on to the next round.

Mens:
1st Place: Sam Medysky
2nd place: Paul Porter (NW crew - Seattle!)
3rd place: Tony B (I was in the lead but choked on the last obstacle and had to go around and re-jump!!! ) But still had a blast doing it!

Womens:
1st place: Shannon! - smoked everybody on the course - and would have beaten all of the guys - she had the best run of the day in the finals!
2nd place: Chris the Canadian girl -
3rd place: Chris off the Best Bus - Connecticut, USA rider.

Freestyle / Big Air:
Men's and Women's each had 2 heats and a final, 5 from each heat advancing to the finals.

Women:
1st Place: Meri Leclerc -Canada (always smiling on the water and super smooth to watch!) And she ran the beach faster than the other girls!
2nd Place: Shannon! - She threw down some sick moves, went huge and hung in there for the foot race up the beach as the wind was dying off.
3rd place: Chris off the Best Bus - Connecticut rider with some smooooth moves on the water.

Men:
1st Place: (this after they segragated the Pro from the Amateurs).... Grom! Grom killed it in the first heat then hung on through the dying wind in the final to pull it out. Plus his board shorts were lookin' pretty stylish! Grom also received the BEST WIPEOUT of the day award!
2nd place: Sam Madowski - Sam had some nice moves and he sealed it in the end by going to the skim board as the wind died and pulled of some 720 handle passes and some shov-its!
3rd place: Paul Porter! - Paul went out in the first heat and threw down the first and maybe best pass of the day - goin' HUGE in front of the rest of the crowd. But he suffered a cut foot at the end of his heat that slowed him down for the finals. But he went out a crowd favorite and also won the MOST STOKED award!

And finally the big trophy and award for Best Overall, based on combined score from the upwinder, boader X, and Freestyle:

For the Girls - - ->Shannon!!!

Mens: Sam Medysky

That's all for now... I'll post some pictures of the lake, the campground, and the faces tomorrow. and I'll say thanks again to our friends from the north who put on a fantastic event! Hope to do it again next year!

Tony




WINDFEST 2007 LINK

http://www.nitinaht.ca/NWF2007.htm



VIDEO FROM WINDFEST 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrT9fLEvb8U



NITINAHT LAKE INFORMATION SITE

http://www.nitinaht.ca/



NITINAHT LAKE ADVENTURES/CAMPSITE INFORMATION

http://www.nitinaht.ca/services.htm



HOW TO GET TO NITINAHT LAKE

http://www.islandnet.com/~rkashino/Nitinat.htm



NITINAHT LAKE WEB CAM

http://www.nitinaht.ca/Webcam.htm



NITINAHT LAKE WEB FORUMS AND ADVERTISING LINKS

http://www.bigwavedave.ca/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=3

http://www.skypilotkiteboarding.com/

Mark: Sent you and also Jude emails

KA sails &
Windsurfdeal.com (windsurfdealcanada)

Will be holding demos and contributing swag, gimmies and smiles. Look for me at the day-use area point again if all goes as planned Any volunteers to help me out will be rewarded with beers, unwrapping goodies (almost like Christmas experience) and their first pick of the demo gear

Thanx Kus....we will be combining both windsurfing and kiteboarding at the same event site this year......cheers Mark!

Can't wait to check this out!!
Never had a chance to go in years past & I heard that this by far has been the best organized and best attended event in our area.....

Hey everyone......the events will be held on Saturday and Sunday.....demos friday......cheers Mark!

A few quick questions.

1) Can we register for the races at the lake on Saturday or do we need to do so in advance?

2) What are the fees for the events?

3) Course racing - is it a similar course to last year (upwind/downwind) or will there be a reaching mark?

Rules - I'm assuming you are following standard sailing rules (I've posted the basics below). For the US Nationals and Cabrinha race series in SF we abide by these but make a couple of exceptions.

1) You can hit marks, and 2) for purposes of starting/finishing only it is the kiter/board that is considered to be the " boat " and NOT the kite. It's too hard for the race committee to watch kites as they come across the line.

Stoked, can't wait to get up there. Eight of us on the way up from California!

Cheers,

Evan

RIGHT-OF-WAY RULES

PORT-STARBOARD. Port-tack boats must keep clear of starboard-tack boats. (Rule 10) Note: You are "keeping clear" of another boat when she doesn't have to avoid you.

WINDWARD-LEEWARD. When boats are overlapped on the same tack, the windward boat must keep clear. (Rule 11)

ON SAME TACK, ASTERN-AHEAD. When boats are on the same tack and not overlapped, the boat clear astern must keep clear. (Rule 12) Note: One boat is "clear astern" if she's entirely behind a line through the other boat's aft-most point, perpendicular to the other boat. The other boat is "clear ahead." Two boats are "overlapped" if neither is clear ahead of the other.

TACKING TOO CLOSE. Before you tack, make sure your tack will keep you clear of all other boats. (Rule 13)

LIMITATIONS ON RIGHT OF WAY

If the other boat must keep clear, you have "right of way". Even if you have right of way, there are limitations on what you can do:

AVOID CONTACT. You must avoid contact with other boats, but a right-of-way boat will not be penalized under this rule unless the contact causes damage. (Rule 14)

ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY. When you do something to become the right-of-way boat, you must give the other boat a chance to get away from you. (Rule 15)

CHANGING COURSE. When you change course, you must give the other boat a chance to keep clear. (Rule 16)

ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE. If you are overlapped to leeward of a boat on the same tack, and if just before the overlap began you were clear astern of her, you cannot sail above your proper course (i.e., the course that will take you to the next mark the fastest) while you remain overlapped. (Rule 17.1)
PASSING MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS

There is a set of special rules for boats that are about to pass a mark or obstruction. However, these special rules don't apply between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward. (Rule 18.1)

Except at a starting mark, you must give boats overlapped inside you room to pass a mark or obstruction, and boats clear astern must keep clear of you.

There's a two-length zone around marks and obstructions, and a boat's rights and obligations with respect to another boat are "frozen" when the first of them enters that zone. If you are clear astern of another boat when she enters the zone, you must keep clear of her until both boats are past the mark or obstruction, even if you later become overlapped inside her. (Rule 18.2)

TACKING NEAR A MARK. Don't tack within the two-length zone at a windward mark if you will cause a boat that is fetching the mark to sail above close-hauled to avoid you, or if you will prevent her from passing the mark. (Rule 18.3)

ROOM TO TACK AT AN OBSTRUCTION. When boats are on the same tack on a beat and come to an obstruction, the leeward boat gets to decide which way they are going to pass it. If the leeward boat hails for room to tack, the other boat must give it to her; but the leeward boat must give the other boat time to respond before she tacks. (Rule 19)

hello Evan,

Registration is on Friday, so if you cannot make it Friday for registration, please make arrangements for another to do so for you. We need to arrange all the heats friday night for the event. Before you partake in the event you must personally sign the waiver.

The events are posted at nitinaht.ca, and for the most part are the same as last year.

fees are per event, and are $25 per event.

EvanOR wrote: AVOID CONTACT. You must avoid contact with other boats, but a right-of-way boat will not be penalized under this rule unless the contact causes damage. (Rule 14)

define damage does hurt pride count and also what if you damage the sailor instead, that ok it's boarder-cross rules at the Nat and Bobson will have a distinct advantage