Remeniscing on my summer in Italy…
I spent from June to September mostly around Rome (except for a trip to Sardinia).
On the whole I was pretty disappointed with the conditions I found. Of course I wasn’t expecting to find huge winds, but I was hoping on average to get 2 days a week with somewhere around 15 knots. This was not to be.
The conditions I consistently came across was 10 to 12 knots (or less)I was very thankful for the Fury Lite sent to me by Peter Lynn kitesports. They definitely gave me the edge in the low wind conditions. I was riding a 15m and a 17m mostly and on the days when the wind blew, it got me back into some old school stuff
My main hang out was Fregene Beach where I bumped into some old friends and a great photographer called Andrea Zaniol. Together we got some pretty amazing shots.
Kiting in Italy is restricted by a huge influx of sunbathers during the summer. The demarcated kite areas are always under pressure. Some of the riders take this into consideration, others don’t. I fear for the well being of our sport in such crowded areas in the long term. There will always be more sun bathers than kiters… (especially in Italy)
If you are heading to Rome over the summer, take big kites and big boards. I also got a chance to try a full size Race board. Amazing low wind and upwind performance. Took me a few attempts to get going!! New respect to those racers.
On a few occasions the wind blew above 15 knots, the beaches empty out and it was time for the real fun to begin:
Kiters in Italy are generally fairly friendly, it helps if you speak the lingo and  come from somewhere with renowned  windy conditions as it seems to earn you immediate respect. I made some great friends and found a few old ones
As usual lots of politics on the beach amongst brands, sadly I’m getting used to this.
A special thank you to Tania Romagnoli for taking pics all through the summer!
I’ve been back in Cannon Rocks for a few weeks testing and photographing the new Peter Lynn Wave kite… and truth be told, I have kited almost everyday!! Gotta love this place!
So watch the next blog for some exciting stuff!
Ced