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Stormchasers reunion tour to Powder Mountain for the 2009 Superfly Open

// March 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Liquid Force, Liquid Force Travel, REAL Travel, REAL Watersports

Don’t call it a come back, we’ve been here for years . . . Many of the  original crew from the REAL Storm Chasers 2003 snowkite tour is going to be reunited today in the small town of Eden, Ut. Eden is the home of POWDER Mountain. Powder is not only the resort holding the title of the most skiable acreage in North America @ 5,500 acres, it also hosts a heli operation, very reasonable snowcat service, AND is the FIRST ski resort in North America to provide an area, pass, and lift access for snowkiting. What more could you as for as far as a venue to host a progressive snowkite contest? Maybe a bikini contest??? Well they have that too!! The opening night party bikini contest has become legendary and I personally hope that this years proves to be no different.

The Storm Chasers original crew of Gregg “Tekko” Gnecco, Llew Simmonds, Kristy Moller, and myself. Will be joined by one of the newest members of the Liquid Force Family Norwegian snowkite sensation Petter Johnsen, East coast kite wakestyle guru Ted Bautista, photographer Bryan Elkus, LF kite designer and team rider Julien Fillion, and a revolving cast of characters including the rumored appearance of wake and kite icon SHANNON BEST!

Check back here daily for contest updates and freeride photos, and surf over to REALWATERSPORTS.COM Bryans offical REAL posts, contest results, photos, and videos!! 

First production 2009 Liquid Force Influences have landed!

// March 11th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Hatteras, Liquid Force, REAL Watersports

2009 Liquid Force Influence 138

Pulling the first production Influences out of the box

Can’t seem to wipe the smile off of my face today! I just opened the box that was aired in from the LF factory in Dubai, UEA to unveil the first two 2009 production Influences that I have had the pleasure of laying my hands on. I have been working on this board with legendary LF wakeboard shaper JIMMY REDMON on a conceptual level for over two years, and full on in the prototyping process for almost a year. It is such an amazing feeling to see a project like that go from brainstorming ideas over dinner, to the design files, to protos, to the finished product. And if I must say so myself, the finished product looks damn good!

Well I am looking out the window and I see white caps and kites in the air. I am frantically organizing and packing to leave for Salt Lake City, Ut for this weekends snowkite contest the 2009 Superfly Open, at Powder Mountain with photographer Bryan Elkus Hoping to snag a quick session on the new boards before we hit the road. For more info on the Influence or to add one to your quiver click here!

Warm weather SW, early March in Hatteras

// March 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Hatteras, REAL Watersports

Sunny day winter surf Photo: bryanelkus.com

Spring has sprung in Hatteras! Even though things looked bleak on March 2^nd when ten of us from the REAL Team surfed the jetties at the Lighthouse for two hours in 32 degree actual temp, 22 degree wind chill, and heavy snow. March has turned around quickly. Many of the coaches and other seasonal REAL employees are arriving back on the island and we just had coaches tryouts that ended today with a group session in the slick with the likes of REAL Head Coach STAN RADEV, Naish and REAL International Team Rider SAM BELL, REAL lesson center director & REAL/Maven team rider LULU VROMAN, returning REAL employee and (new for 2009) REAL coach CLAIRE LUTZ, rising Hatteras kite superstar REAL and Liquid Force team rider BRANDON SHIED, myself and all of the new REAL kite coaches. It was so warm out that you could almost feel the vast shallow expanse of the Pamlico sound warming up throughout the day as we were riding! It is always a great feeling to see the smiling faces on all of the coaches that flock to work at the REAL Lesson center each season.

Cruising the slick with Bryan Elkus

Bryan Elkus and I shared an amazing sunset session in the Slick this evening! It was only made better by having Lulu and Bryan’s girlfriend Mel on the dock cheering us on and taking pictures. It is days like these that remind me how good life is and why I love Hatteras Island so much! Check out BRYAN ELKUS FLICKR for some photos from today.