NAME: Nick Chapman

DATE OF BIRTH (MEANING OLD BUGGER OR NOT!) 01.05.65 Old bugger definately not I'm still 21 inside my head....

TIME KITING? About 5 years..
Love land boarding,snow kiting & kitesurfing.

FAVOURITE SPOT? Difficult one this but it has to be The Ho!

MOST MEMORABLE SESSION? I suppose the first day you are able to get planing on the water and manage to kitesurf in both directions will always stay with you.

The last day of my holiday in April 08 Snow Kiting in Norway was fantastic. The wind was howling, we were able to fly all the way up the face of the mountain till we reached the plateau at the top, where we would turn round and rocket all the way down, just hoping that you didnt wipe out on the way down.

The 54mph session at the Ho! with Pete & Gary was definatly high on the list for memorable sessions. But maybe for all the wrong reasons. We ended up talking each other into going out that day, I cant speak for the other two but in my head I was waiting for some one to call off the madness, I could just about make it up the pebble ridge let alone get to the water with a board and inflated kite.
We got to the waters edge and ran out our lines, I still couldnt believe i was doing this. Gary and I looked at each other and decided to launch Pete first. After Pete had been battling the wind for about 10 mins and had only succeded in being blown down the the beach by 50 yards and had got nowhere near the water I took pity on him and hauled him in.
I launched Gary next in an attempt to put off the inevitable...... Unfortunatly this left me to self launch with a howling wind, mmm not the best of plans. Getting to the waters edge was another mission. I felt a lot safer when I got to the water. The kite felt like an angry wasp attached to the lines. I hardly had to dip the kite to get planing on the water, the power was awesome. One false move though and you would get punished and then battered. I eventually had enough and made my way to the beach, I was about to land when a squall came through. The 6mm cord that goes from the trim strap, through the bar, to my harness decided to give way under the pressure. I was left chasing my kite bar and lines down the beach....

WORST KITEMARE? There have been plenty of these. I suppose the worse was at the Kite Festival at Middle Wallop 07. The wind hadn't been that great and I was making my way back to our camp. The wind had dropped off but suddenly my kite caught a thermal and lofted me. I went flying up and just as quickly I came down. As I landed I tripped and fell forward planting one end of my bar in the ground. The other end went straight into my neck. I knew things werent looking that good when people started to run over and the ambulance was called.
The hospital staff must have been worried. They wouldnt stich me up before they had called in a consultant from the hospital 60 miles away. Apparently I was fortunate enough to miss all the vital nerves and arteries lying alongside the carotid artery in my neck.

WHAT KEEPS YOU KITING? I just love the sport. There's nothing quite like hurtling accross the snow, sand or surf.
Pulling down on that bar and feeling the power come on, edging back, flicking the kite from left to right launching yourself skyward, feeling yourself floating down to ride off again. Finding new tricks to learn and perfect.
The look on your mates faces when you are blessed with a good wind and wave day. The big smiles as we come in from a long session. Looking forward to seeing if you have made it onto one of Bev and Gary's kite videos....