Windfinder was right. The wind is coming today. As soon as the course is over, I grab my board and kite and jump on the next underground train to the beach. The Barcelonians all look at me a bit stupidly. What’s going on? It’s 17 degrees, that’s warm, you can take off your polar coats!
On the beach, I don’t doubt it for a second. The wind is fully offshore, swirling all over Barcelona and changes from 0 to 50 km/h in 5-second intervals. You can see it dancing on the surface of the water, left, right, forwards, backwards. Then sand blasting into your face again and a vertical gust from above. Kiting is the most beautiful thing in the world. Especially when you can be happy about it afterwards. I stay on land.
The wind picks up in the afternoon. From the city centre, it carries the wailing of sirens to Barceloneta. The wind is already causing chaos today. Lots of accidents, toppled scaffolding, stacks of chairs blown away, bent signs, overturned gas heaters. Flags are creasing loudly, palm trees are waving wildly and the people of Barcelona are moaning about the strongest winds in months. Oh you poor things… if only you knew the wind forecast for tomorrow…
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.