Blouberg & King Of The Air

Every kiter knows that the biggest big air competition in the kiting world takes place in Cape Town. What we didn’t know was that it takes place just two kilometres away from our new accommodation at Blouberg Kite Beach – on the very day we are moving.

The waves at Blouberg beach are still quite comfortable on our arrival day at just over one metre. The wind is rattling side-on at a good 20 to 25 knots on the wide white beach with a dream panorama of Table Mountain and Cape Town. We count over 200 kiters on the water. The beach is ten kilometres long – but in these conditions, even the 15 kiters on “my” 200 metres are too much for me. After just under an hour of scaredy-cat kiting on the nine, I’ve had enough.

We take the bus to Big Bay to the Red Bull King Of The Air. The wind has been crazy worldwide for years. One El Niño chases the next, the weather is going crazy and Trump denies that humans are to blame for climate change. We kiters see it. Worldwide. Schools everywhere are complaining about wind loss. Cape Town is no exception. The days with typical Cape Doctor conditions of 20 to 35 knots were rare this year – in the middle of the main wind season. The King Of The Air competition has also been waiting for suitable conditions for over a week. Today they gave it a go – and cancelled after two heats without scoring due to lack of wind.

Blouberg is once again a stark contrast to all our previous destinations. The houses are fine and expensive. Many belong to Germans and all have electric fences. Our friendly host Barry thinks that’s nothing compared to Johannesburg. We are unsettled by all the security. The streets are wide. There are hardly any pavements – everyone drives a car here. We don’t have one this week. The nearest decent supermarket is a good two kilometres away. In the only well-frequented bar, the young people are already having a great time very early on at the pole dancing bar. Blouberg is beautiful, but also a little lonely and a pure white luxury ghetto. Our luxury: the view of the sea from the balcony and falling asleep to the sound of wind and waves.

We spend a windless day at the Jump Around trampoline park. After an hour, effectively 20 minutes of jumping, we no longer consider kitesurfing to be an extreme sport. Trampolining in basins full of foam is much more strenuous. My back complains about failed three-quarter somersaults. Soaking wet, we drag ourselves to the nearest shopping centre. The wind picks up in the evening – but we’re far too flat to kite. Around the corner is Cape Town’s biggest flea market, the Milnerton Flea Market. There really is everything for next to nothing.

The red bull roars on our third day in Blouberg. Only on the tenth day of the two-week time slot does the wind finally blow for the Red Bull King Of The Air. We arrive in Big Bay right at the start at three o’clock and stay until the final after sunset at eight o’clock. The crowd is roaring. The jumps are simply breathtaking. With a maximum wind of 25 knots, the world’s best kiters this year “only” reach a height of just under 20 metres and easily reach 50 metres with mega loops. Unfortunately, our favourites were eliminated. The Dane Nick Jacobsen wins. As always, Red Bull cuts some bad crashes out of the coverage. Red Bull messes up wings. Our long video will also include the crashes.

Two days later, Windfinder announces 28 to 36 knots of wind with waves of up to 3.6 metres. Fortunately, it was only 16 to 22 knots with a good two metre wave – exactly my sweet spot for 9m², some good jumps in the flat water behind the waves, catching with the mighty breakers and a few heavy washes including a spin cycle. The level of the kiters here is very high. They ride tight and regularly hit mega loops of over eight metres. I’m the kitesurfing sissy here. The kite spot in Blouberg is definitely heaven for wave freaks. It was almost always too crowded for me – and unfortunately it’s completely unsuitable for schooling.