When life throws you kudus on the freeway, make biltong.

I want to rip my hair out when the weather man calls the tornado outside a ‘moderate to fresh breeze’. But I’m also sick of moaning about wind in the Eastern Cape. There’s nothing to be done about it. You just have to accept that on certain days, anything not nailed to the floor is going to end up at sea or near Graaf Rienet. Walking my mom’s poodle, George, can be a bit like flying a kite during a heavy South Westerly.

As far as surfing goes, the wind can be a friend or foe at the same time. Yes, it brings in swell and helps make the waves hollow when it’s offshore, but who feels like dodging flying poodles and deck chairs in the water, or paddling through 6ft white horses?

I was having a good rant about it the other day, when my friend, Jono Exley, told me I’ve got it all wrong. ‘Start Kiteboarding,’ he said. He likes the wind. True story. ‘The stronger the better for kiteboarding,’ he explained.

I’ve always been a bit skeptical about Kiteboarding as an alternative to surfing. It’s mostly because of how much the equipment costs and my fear of involuntarily riding to Australia on the wings of a gale force westerly.
Equipment is outrageously expensive, but such is the nature of any new commercial product (the sport itself is only a decade or so old). Otherwise he assures me it’s a safe and mellow sport, and that people are mostly friendly, helpful and mindful of one another. I like the sound of that and I’ve seen a few photos of him doing some crazy bolamakisies on a kite board, so maybe I will give it a go. I’ll put it on my list of things to do after winning the lottery.

Conditions in the bay look very similar to yesterday. Fence might have a peak or two on offer when the tide pulls in. I’m completely biased when it comes to spot selection, though. Pipe will also more than likely have waves (or ripples than qualify as waves by default), but I’d rather down a glass of sand than surf there. Contrary to my absurd hyperboles, the wind does look moderate to fresh. Probably not strong enough to kiteboard, but just right for Goergie to go flying round the beachfront later.