Initial equipment
At first I took whatever I could to get started. The first pieces of equipment were really cheap and exactly what I needed to get started on my own.
In return of filling 10€ worth of gas in a friends VW bus, I received:
- wet suit with a hole at an unpleasant position
- worn out harness
- old safety leash
- a Mystic kite pump
From a colleague at work for 350€ I bought:
- a 5 year old JN Mr. Fantastic 12m² kite
- a JN bar
At an Austrian online second hand app I acquired the last missing piece for 265€:
- North Gonzales 1,59m
- North Flex Pads
In total my beginners equipment cost 625€, which is relatively cheap and just right at that time.
Strong dedication
In June 2020 after acquiring my own equipment I made use of the first promising wind forecast and rode back to Breitenbrunn at Lake Neusiedl to continue where we’ve left. This time I slept in the car.
The conditions were on-shore so I had to use my upwind body drag skills to gain enough space to practice the first start maneuvers. While trying to get on the board I lost a lot of height and had to body drag upwind again. It’s pretty relatable that this session required a lot of core muscles and I swallowed a lot of that dirty water.
However in the end it was a success and I managed to ride my first meters down wind. What a nice feeling!