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KITE SURFING CAMP
Day 1
The final approach on Lanzarote is a little bumpy.
I can see the wake on top of the wave and it seems
quite windy. That’s good!
This is my first trip to the Canaries. Right
outside the airport, I jump in a cab to Ozola
on the other side of the island. All the houses
look alike, like white cubes put together with
an occasional slightly pitched roof. It looks
good though. There is almost no vegetation
on the entire island, and the overall color
is brown. Close to Lanzarote the landscape
is very dry and the soil is mainly made of
what looks like black ash from an old volcano.
The taxi than speeds through areas covered
for miles with cactus gardens. We now reach
the other side of the island, the road follows
the coast and the scenery changes one more
time. There are no more cactus but rocks everywhere.
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Finally, 35 minutes later, the taxi reaches Ozola
(35.00 €). The next ferry is at 5:00 PM and I
have two and a half hours to kill before its departure.
Ozola is a tiny harbor. Facing the docks are five restaurants
I do not pick the nicest one, but the one where I see
the most locals (bar-restaurant Bahia de Ozola). Tappas
and a beer. Still one hour until the ferry arrives.
I call the waiter: “Una cerveza mas por favor”…4:55
PM right before boarding the ferry, I meet Stella who
is the hostess of the La Graciosa Kite Surfing School.
She did not even hesitate and recognized me right away,
without even knowing me (round-trip with the ferry
13 €).
Thirty minutes later the ferry arrives in La Graciosa,
a tiny island (27 square kilometers). The harbor
is surrounded by four rows of square white houses;
there are no paved roads, only sand. It seems very
quiet. During the evening I meet Gabrielle, Carlos
and Jean-Marie at the club. The club is the first
floor of Gabri and Stella’s private house.
It is the place where we will meet in the morning
to go to the beach, and in the evening to enjoy wonderful
dinners and videos.
Day 2
We meet at 11:00 AM in front of the club and jump in
one of Gabri’s four-wheel drives to cross the
island (3 miles), direction Playa del Conchas. It is
a half a mile stretch of powder white sand, with a
steady 8-knot wind. Safety, safety, safety is the first
and main lesson today. I also get a chance to control
a small 2m2 kite, and later a two-line 5m2 kite.
Day 3, 4, 5, 6
The direction of the wind has changed. In order
to enjoy the best wind angle, we now have to
cross the Rio towards the Playa del Risco located
on the Island of Lanzarote. To cross the Rio
by Zodiac takes only 15 minutes. The place is
a splendid 2-mile long sandy beach is a pristine
location. It is not accessible by car and no
road leads to it. As a result it is almost completely
empty which is very amazing considering it is
the beginning of August. |
  
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The wind blows between 8-12 knots, which is not
very strong for expert kite-surfer, but plenty for
a beginner like me. During these four days, I will
successively try to master the control of a 4-line
kite, body drag in the water, the water start. Finally,
on the fifth day, I am standing on the board. Ok, it’s
only for a few seconds, but what a rush!
During all these days, Carlos is constantly behind
me to give me advice and support. He endlessly jumps
into the Zodiac to pick me up in the water, before
I drift all the way to the Americas. Not one minute
during this week have I felt unsafe. Both Gabriele
and Carlos put a lot of emphasis on security, and
provide the trainees with a wide selection of helmets,
safety jackets, kites of different sizes, direction
and twin-tip boards.
Day 7
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It is already time to leave. I have
not become an expert yet, but I am proud for having
received my IKO card (rating 3K). During this week,
I have met great people: Gabrielle (Gabri), Carlos
(El Professional), Stella (a wonderful cook and perfect
hostess), Jean-Marie (the expert fisherman). I have
enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of a quiet island,
great dinners at the club with extraordinary local
and Italian food (fish and seafood, no meat). This
week was a real break from the crazy world. The ferry
back to reality leaves at 11:00 AM. I leave the island
my head full of wonderful memories. Thanks to everybody
who made this stay a great experience.
Eric Edouard Bron - 1st August 2003
This trip was made possible by Zoco Boardriding
Adventures. Tap the source....
If you would like to write a travelogue for us or
would like to contibute to this site please email: info@surflanzarote.com
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