On March 22nd, Alex Caizergues cross the channel between St Barthelemy and St Marteen Islands, French Caribbean, 30 km in 44minutes and 5 seconds. The Crossing goal was to raise awereness for the Blue Marine Foundation (bluemarinefoundation.com) works and the attempt has been officially timed by Zenith Watches (zenithwatches.com).
We would like to thank our partners, Zenith Watches, le Sereno Hotel (lesereno.com/), F One kiteboarding (f-onekites.com/), Top Loc St Barth (top-loc.com/), and also Enguerrand from St Barths Kite School (saintbarthkite.com/).

With an attractive public price and more volume than our Signature range, this single concave 5’11″ with a bamboo deck, pin tail and thruster fins setup is F-One answer for all riders that are looking for an easy board to start kite surfing or for the more advanced strapless rider.
First limited production will be available at the end of June.

The board will be equipped with pads, inserts, DFS box and will include DFS fins (box is compatible with FCS fins as well) but no straps. MSRP is $769.

Dimensions

5’11

18″

27L

Includes

DFS Fins

DFS Finbox compatible with FCS fins

Full pads (Foot straps sold separately)

Click here to find an F-One dealer near you.

For a spot that has a reputation for being a wind tease, Alameda has delivered every time Boardsports School hosts a demo with BAKS. By the time we had unloaded the car full of SUPS (there’s a total of 5 on there for anyone counting) the wind was already picking up enough for The Source.  Bruce got a brief ride on it before it was time to come in for the Bandit V. It was the typical gentle wind of Alameda.

Demo Day Tip: Get Your Coffee To Go

We were all set up and ready to go for demos, but it seemed everyone was still somewhere sipping their coffee.  I got almost a whole hour of kiting Alameda to myself before people started rolling in for the demo.  Get there early and you could have a great SUP session followed by a solid kiting session before the crowds.  I waited as long as I could to let a customer take the freshly opened 140 Trax out for it’s maiden voyage.  I just couldn’t resist!

Boards of the Day: Trax 140 and Fish Surf

Conditions were steady Alameda winds from 11:00 to about 3:30. It was a great day to try out all the different boards and kites for the conditions typical of Alameda – mid teen winds, little current, some chop.  In kites, intermediate kiters loved the BanditV while newer kiters preferred the Volt2.  In boards the Trax 140 lived up to it’s reputation for being a great twintip board for tracking upwind in lighter wind conditions.  In surf boards the Fish was the favorite for the conditions because of the surfboards it had the strongest upwind capabilities.  People were lining up to try that board.

Special thanks to Boardsports School for hosting the event!

  Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Demos

If you missed this opportunity to check out the F-One line of twintips, surf and SUP boards and the Bandit V and Volt2 kites mark your calendars for upcoming demo events hosted by Boardsports School

Saturday May 19 10am:  Santa Cruz Harbor (SUP only) hosted by Kayak Connection

Saturday June 3: Third Ave Upper Launch (Kiteboarding only) hosted by Boardsports School

Sunday June 4: Coyote Point (Kiteboarding, SUP and BBQ!) hosted by Boardsports School

For more information: info@bayareakitesurf.com  415-573-2619

Decisions. Decisions. Which board to try first?

Pack 2 twin tips + 3 kites + accessories. Perfect way to protect your board/kite quiver for your next trip.

Materials :

- 600D Polyester
- Tarpaulin
- EPE 5 mm

Volume :
- 155 x 48 x 23 cm
- 61 x 19 x 9 in

Features:
- Top and side handle
- Tool pocket
- Fin Pockets
- Removable shoulder strap
- Air travel bag

Contact an F-One Dealer near you to get yours now.

2012 Pismo Kite Expo had great wind and waves

For several years where mother nature seemed to have a sick sense of humor, sending wind to Pismo the days before the expo, leaving it dead calm through the expo weekend and sending wind again as soon as it ended.  This year the Pismo Expo “no wind” curse was broken. The F-One team traveled down Thursday night to beat the land rush at the campground.  We needn’t have worried, as that turned out to be the night thunderstorms hit the California coast.

As the thunder, and wind roared and the rain soaked our tents we huddled in the van watching the lightning split the sky.  It was an excellent test for the Underwave neoprene jacket.  When I put that on I felt as weather proof as the frogs happily chirping in the rising creek beds. In the morning the storm settled into  more familiar California clouds and rains.

Over a hot breakfast we scanned the sky looking for any sign that the weather would break.  Texts and calls were coming in from kiters from the Bay Area to San Diego asking for updates as they decided whether or not to make the drive. Then at noon blue sky.  Within an hour the wind began to brew.  Texts, tweets, status updates spread the word.  The Pismo Expo is on!  Since so many kiters had waited to make the drive Friday afternoon was mostly brand reps and local kiters.  It was a fun afternoon catching up and trying out each other’s gear and blowing out the feeling of huddling in the rain. Saturday the wind came up early and blew all day.  There were great waves.  Great conditions for F-One Team ride Alec Dektor to show of his signature strapless aerials.

F-One Rider Alec Dektor catchess air on the 6'0 Signature quad at the 2012 Pismo Kite Expo

It was a busy day with customers trying out F-One gear.  It was a great day for riders wanting to test all sizes of the Bandit 5.  In the morning and late afternoon they could ride 12 & 14 meters, mid day 7 meters and early afternoon 9 and 10 meter kites.  Staff didn’t even have time to put the kites down between riders.  As soon as one rider unhooked, there was anther waiting take his place.  The F-One booth actually looked rather bare for most of the day as all the inventory was out on the water. All that was left on the beach was the line of Manera travel bags.  This was the first time I really got to use the bags and it was a real test of their claim of kiteboarding bags designed by kiters for kiters.  We had to pack and unpack all the gear each day.  This was one of the most efficient years ever thanks to the bags.  The Playa bags have a pocket perfect for fins. It made set up and break down at the beginning and end of the trip so much easier by keeping fins securely with their board.  Each day boards were zipped back into their Playa bags, well protected as they were stacked in the Airforce.  I was amazed at how much the Golf bag could really hold. If the Manera line could make the process of packing and unpacking the whole F-One line for a demo weekend this efficient and keep the gear so protected, just imagine what it could do for your next kite trip.  Customers were really curious about the line and we probably could have sold them all right there on the beach.

Friends and family of the riders were lining up to demo the Underwave neoprene jacket and hats.  The word on the beach was that it is a better design than most neoprene jackets because it is longer instead of stopping at the waist like a sweatshirt.  Kiters loved how warm it kept them between sessions. Significant others who spend days on windy beaches loved the jacket and the neoprene skull cap.

Sunday the wind repeated the pattern of opportunity to test bigger kites in the morning and the smaller kites throughout the day.  The waves were mellower and once again the whole F-One inventory was out on the water.  The Kiteboarder tester’s favorite twintip was the SK8 and general demo riders seemed to agree.  Feedback was that it was great at handling the choppy conditions.  Other favorites of the day were the Trax for it’s versatility and ability to make tracks up wind.  And finally the Acid (Robinson Hilario and Alex Soto’s preferred board) was popular with riders working on their freestyle moves. Since the waves were so good the surfboards were out all day.

Available for demo were the Signature 5’10 and 6’0 , Fish 5’4 and 5’6, Surf 6’2.  In the conditions of the weekend the Fish 5’4 and the Signature 5’10 and 6’0 were the popular boards. When mother nature cooperates the Pismo Expo is such a great event for kiters and tourists alike.  Since it was such a gorgeous weekend and the multitude of kites on the water put on such a good show from the road many tourists stopped to find out what this was.  I spent as much of the day educating people on kiteboarding in general as I did educating kiters on F-One gear.

And the big news of the weekend was the debut of the Underwave 3.2 wetsuit unofficially dubbed.  The “Orange Crush”  You got enough game to pull off this suit?

Special Thanks to Paul Lang Photography

Story told from Olivier Guincetre alias -OGee-, F-One SUP rider, pro mountain biker based in Santa Cruz

The F-One team participated in the 2012 SUP Paddle Shootout sponsored by Surftech. The Annual Santa Cruz Paddle Festival event held at Steamer Lane and Cowell’s Beach allowed remote and local kayak paddlers and SUP racers/riders a chance to compete in an fantastic environment.

This year Surftech joined in the support of the event and created two new events intended specifically for SUP’s. The Paddle Shootout 2012 is one of the first Elite SUP event hosting top riders from all over including Anthony Vela, Matt Becker, Candice Appleby and others.

The beach break kept things interesting at the 2012 Surftech SUP Shootout in Santa Cruz

The weather turned out to be much better than the forecast with smooth water under cloudy skies for the paddle board race. The day prior to the event was extremely windy and stormy so competitors were treated to a nice break in the rainy forecast. Several video and still camera’s were present throughout the event filming live for SUPconnect.com. The lenses were ready for the show as all the ingredients for a challenging SUP race was on tap; wind, beach break, swell and beach run to keep things interesting.

The F-One Race 12,6 I was using for the short course worked perfect and felt great even in the less than desirable conditions. For my first race of the year I knew that I was not in good enough shape yet for racing the long course with the big boys. I opted to compete in the Gunslinger 12.6 Stock category.  A 2.7 mile race starting at Cowell’s beach, around the wharf, down to the Santa Cruz harbor and back to the beach to conclude with a 1/2 mile run.

The long course added another mile to the paddle portion (3.7 miles total). Both short and long course competitors started together with a quick run to get their boards and then a battle through the shore pound! Many competitors had trouble with the 4-6ft waves that were rolling through loosing valuable time as they made there way through the surf. I was fortunate enough to find a pause in the surf and easily slipped through the surf, the board was cutting the waves without any resistance and I had a very good start.

Matt Becker, Anthony Vela & Candace Appleby at the 2012 Surftech SUP Shootout in Santa Cruz,

I was feeling good on the board even with choppy conditions and turning around buoys. Unfortunately after being in the lead group for a little while my arms and shoulders started feeling really sore and I had to slow down for the rest of the course and I finished 3rd with 40 seconds behind the winner David Meyler (Team Boga) and 20 seconds after Dino Wilson (Team Boga).

On the long course it is Ben Sarrazin from the Team Boga who surprised everyone hitting the beach first until Anthony Vela caught up to him and ultimately passed Ben on the 1.2 mile beach run to steal the 1st place position.

Podium: True Grit Elite
1- Anthony Vela, M&M
2- Ben Sarrazin, Boga
3- Brenan Rose, Surftech

Podium: Women  
1- Candice Appleby, Surftech
2- Alison Riddle, Surftech
3- Jen Fuller, Boga

Podium: Gunslinger
1- David Meyler, Boga
2- Dino Wilson, Boga
3- Olivier Guincetre, F-One

After the Race I went to check out the SUP Surf contest at the Steamer Lane. The surf was looking good and the 14 year old F-One team rider Hunter Griffith from Santa Cruz on his 7’11″ F-One Madeiro was ripping. Unfortunately Hunter didn’t get enough points to advance into the next round and on to the final.

F-One Team Rider Hunter Grifith at the 2012 Surftech SUP shootout in Santa Cruz

However, Hunter’s father John was really surfing well and charging every wave quickly advancing to the finals. The finals had very tight competition between Anthony Vela, and John Griffith but it was Matt Becker who was catching the best waves and with his progressive style helped him to seal the victory just ahead of John Griffith (2nd) who is old enough to be his dad.  SUP surf and paddle competitions are unique and it’s amazing to see a sport where age doesn’t necessarily decide outcome. Congrats to all and especially John Griffith, representing the true Santa Cruz local.

Podium Shootout
1-Matt Becker, Surftech
2-John Griffith, Surftech
3-Anthony Vela, M&M
7-Candice Appleby, Surftech
22-Hunter Griffith, F-ONE

F-One’s Manera Airforce travel bag is an absolute essential for any kiteboarding trip.  It fits surfboards up to 6’0″.  Fits up to 2 surfboards, 3 kites and accessories.  Special pockets make keeping track of fins and surf keys easy.
600D Polyester
Tarpaulin
EPE 5 mm
wheels

side & top handles

188*52*15 + 25cm

Visit Dealer Locator Map to get yours now.

F-One’s riders travel the world to kite and SUP the best breaks.  They’ve spent some time in airports and on out of they way dusty roads.  They know a thing or two about travel for kiting expeditions.  The Manera line is a result of their input.  The Trip Backpack is carefully designed for ease of packing and keeping track of all those other essentials like computer, mp3, headseat, sunglasses etc.

The sturdy materials and well designed compartments keep your gear organized and more secure.  The ergonomic design of the bag make it comfortable even on the longest treks to the next airport gate or beach break.

- 600D Polyester

The ergonomic design ensures comfort now matter how long your hike to your next airport gate or beach break

- 3D Mesh

- Volume & Size :
- 28 L
- 49 x 34 x 26 cm
- 19 x 13 x 10 in

Features:
- Headphone & Sunglasses Pocket
- MP3 Pocket
- Independent Computer Pocket ( 15″)
- Safety organizer pocket
- Cush ergonomic shoulder harness
- Cush ergonomic back panel

Visit Dealer Locator Map to get yours now.

The North American distributor of F-One Kiteboarding & SUP, Manera and Underwave (Bay Area Kitesurf Inc.) is thrilled to announce that we have expanded our partnership with Boardsports School & Shop, our leading dealer in the Bay Area.

The school will now be using the latest F-One gear with F-One trained instructors.  In addition, Boardsports School & Shop will have a complete set of 2012 demo gear for their customers to try out at any time.

You are invited to two full demo days. The F-One crew will be on deck and the entire 2012 collection available to try. Join us at the Alameda location on April 21st and Coyote Point location on June 2nd. BBQ and beverages will be served.

For more information please contact us at:  school@bayareakitesurf.com or 415-763-7460.

Please share the attached flyer with all your friends! We wish you a great windy season!

F-ONE VOLT 2  Freeride kite will be landing in our warehouse at the end of this month.

• Directly inspired from BANDIT V technology: 3 smaller struts, one pump, 2 back line positions, new strut construction, reinforcements…
• Lighter, with higher performances than the previous edition, the VOLT 2 still remains slower than the B5, with more bar pressure, more delta than the B5 for easier relaunch, extended range and an impressive hang time
• Upgraded with fresh graphics, the VOLT 2 is F-One all around kite for all levels.
• VOLT 2 will benefit from F-One international media coverage.
• VOLT 2 bar, cheaper than the Airlite bar, is compatible with the Bandit, and vice versa.
• VOLT 2 will come in two different packs with two new boards this year (Performance package with Unik 136 and Progressive package with Next 140)

Click the catalog here to see bar, bag, color schema and more.

Questions? Ready to order for your shop or school? Email: dealers@bayareakitesurf.com

Check out the color combinations:

And the Control Bar:

And the kite bag: