/*
Plugin Name: Ultimate Plugins Smart Update Pinger
Plugin URI: http://ultimateplugins.com/wordpress/smart-update-pinger/
Description: Replaces the built-in ping/notify functionality. Pings only when publishing new or future posts, not when editing. The new post's url is pinged, not the main url. Also includes reverse order logfile.
Author: Ultimate Plugins
Version: 3.1
Author URI: http://ultimateplugins.com/
License: GNU General Public License: This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see
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URIs to Ping
The following services will automatically be pinged/notified when you publish normal or future timestamped posts. Not when you edit previously published posts, as WordPress does by default.
This plugin also fixes an issue with the default extended ping programming in Wordpress and pre-2.1 versions of Smart Update Pinger (it now includes the url of the new post).
NB: this list is synchronized with the original update services list.
These are the last 100 actions performed by the plugin. In reverse chronological order for easier reading (latest ping first).
';
SUP_get_last_log_entries(500);
echo '
Flexibility
The Foucan is a stiff board. Not super stiff, but stiff enough to make it easy to achieve good pop, great for unhooked tricks and all kind of tricks, such as the backroll, where you need to set yourself in a rotation. Foucan is designed with Navis Boards new unique “spring technology” which further improves the pop force. This technology can be seen as the black arcs on the board. These arcs are working both as reinforcement for the board while providing the board with extra spring effect.
The size of the Foucan is 132×41 (136×42 is also available). Shorter boards are not known to make it easier to go upwind, but the width of the board weigh up its shorter length and it can be compared to a 135×40 board if you just look at the area of the board. In other words, the upwind abilities are actually pretty good, especially in strong wind where you really can carve the board deep in the water and achieve a good amount of resistance.
Chop/Waves
The Foucan is designed to be used in flat and choppy water. The rocker of the board is slightly curved which comes handy once you hit choppy water. The Foucan also performs well in waves with fine comfort compared to some other boards. Ride in high speed and the board tends to spray some water in small waves. This is however not a major problem, just approach the waves in a sharper angle with more pressure on the back foot and you’ll more or less solve this little issue.
To jump with the Foucan is a pleasure. The light weight (2.55kg for the 132×41 board) and short length of the board makes it easy to stay balanced in the air, so you can say goodbye to unwanted rotations in the air. The stiffness of the board also helps you to explode up from the water during the takeoff.
Stability & Grip
The width of the board improve the stability when you´re landing a trick or when you´re going downwind. The tips of the board are thinner than the center of the board which also makes them a bit more flexible which is nice when you land tricks and jumps since the tips act as shock absorbers. The “liquid super strong rails” are a bit rounded (this can be customized upon request), but sharp enough to deliver good grip during turns. The new dual concave rocker further increase the stability and board control.
Conclusion
“Foucan” is a board designed primarily for the intermediate to advanced freestyle rider. At the same time, the board characteristics such as the light weight, the small size and the flex make it an excellent board for old school tricks. Ride the “Foucan” in medium to strong wind and flat water to fully take advantageous of its high performance characteristics. The price for the board with fins, pads and board handle included is €505.00. This equals approximately $630, about the same price level as the cheapest factory made boards on the market. Considering that “Foucan” is handmade with excellent board properties with a really nice finish make this board very affordable!
Click on this link for another small review about Navis Boards.
]]>We live longer today than we did in the past, which of course might be a result to the high number of people that develop cataracts at a higher age. Diseases such as diabetes and genetic factors are also causes that can lead to cataract. But we also know that a long-term exposure to UV-rays promote the formation of cataract in the human eye.
It is easy to be wise after the event. Wearing sunglasses with straps while you’re kitesurfing may not make you look like the coolest guy in the water, especially if you use those sunglasses that actually are made to be used for watersports, you know those that will make you look like a german freak. So it´s understandable that you don’t bring the sunglasses out in the water. You may think that red and sore eyes after a long day in the water is not a big deal, a good sleep and the eyes are back to normal the day after, but it´s not so cool to develop cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae, pterygia and photokeratitis in an early age or even get blind if things turn out really bad. So it can be a smart thing to wear sunglasses even if you´ll look like a bit retarded.
Protect your eyes!
The message should hopefully already be clear to you by now. The cumulative effects of spending long hours in the sun without adequate eye protection can increase the likelihood of developing eye disorders. Unlike our skin types which are more or less sensitive to sun it doesn’t matter to which ethnic group you belong to when it comes to eye damages caused by UV-rays.
In fact you should wear sunglasses every day, even on cludy days. Snow, water, sand and pavement reflect UV rays, increasing the amount reaching your eyes and skin.
When it comes to choice of sunglasses it doens’t really matter which brand or style you choose as long as they block both UV-A and UV-B radiation. But for obvious reasons it is not appropriate to wear your $200 Ray Ban sunglasses while you´re kitesurfing.
The absolutely best choice is to use googles that have a huge lens to optimize the field of view while they also block UV-rays from all incoming angles. This is maybe a bit overkill, but can be a good choice if you already have developed some kind of eye disorder.
Seaspecs is another expensive option. They are made for watersports and provide a good protection against UV-rays. They all look the same, quite ugly in my opinion, but they come at least in a wide range of different colors so you can pick black pair so you don’t look to goofy. Seaspecs redesigned their old model, which is a pity, I really liked those!
DirtyDog is another company that make sunglasses for all kind of sport activities. They have a collection of sunglasses made especially for water sports which actually don’t look to bad and you can buy them for a decent price! Dirty Dogs so called wet glasses models comes with polarized lenses that are treated for water runoff.
The one on a low budget can always buy a pair super cheap sunglasses made in polycarbonate with full UV protection. Simply make a hole in each of the arms and attach on a piece of elastic chord. You can these for $5.
UV contact lenses is a great innovation for all of us that uses contact lenses. The problem is just that they don’t cover the whole eye, hence parts of your eyes will still be exposed for the harmful UV-rays. However, use them in combination with sunglasses and you have a really good protection!
Conclusion
Exposure to UV radiation has cumulative effects on the eyes. Damage today leads to eye problems tomorrow. So be smart, use protection and enjoy kitesurfing until you get old!
]]>Playa Del Carmen is right in the middle of The Riviera Maya, also known as the Mayan Riviera, a tourism district following the coastal Highway 307 which parallels the Caribbean coastline of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located on the eastern portion of the Yucatan peninsula.
Originally a small fishing town, Playa del Carmen, or just “Playa” as called by the Locals, became a world famous Scuba Diving destination right on top of the second longest barrier reef system in the world and rapidly developped over the past few years with many new luxury residential condominium buildings, restaurants, boutiques and entertainment venues.
This is the place for sailing, Jet skiing, snorkeling,scuba diving , swimming in cenotes, swimming with dolphins, zip lining, horse riding, guided jungle tours and recently KITEBOARDING.
KITESURFING SPOTS in Playa del Carmen area:
SANDOS PLAYACAR RESORT/PDC KITEBOARDING SCHOOL:
The beach of the Sandos Playacar Resort in playacar Hotel Zone is the main Kiteboarding Spot in the Area and also the only Authorized Kite beach and School of Playa del Carmen.
Starting from the Sandos Playacar Resort toward south, you will find a designated mile long white sandy Kiteboarding beach with no rocks, no obstacles and a lot of space to rig and launch/Land your Kites.
Right on spot is PDC KITEBOARDING SCHOOL, the only Authorized kiteboarding School of Playa del Carmen, which offers IKO beginner courses with International certifications, Equipment rental and supervision, Equipment sale and Demos.
The staff is very friendly and speaks up to 6 different languages.
On site you will find toilets, Shower and fresh water tank to rinse your gear off.
The Resort offers 12% discount on your online Resort booking if you come for Kiteboarding. Ask PDC Kiteboarding to get the “Promotional Code”.
WHEN TO COME:
The Wind season is from October till the end of May ( Sometime mid June). You should be able to ride 4/5 days a week during this period.
Windguru forecast: https://www.windguru.cz/es/index.php?sc=133819
Wind is usually from 13 to 22 Knots on the Caribbean coast and works with NE, E, SE and S.
NE wind is usually the best as it is a bit colder, denser and pulls much more.
When the wind turns North (Called here “El Norte”), it blows from 25 to 35+ knots, and then you need to go to Isla Blanca Lagoon north of Cancun(ask PDC Kiteboarding about Lagoon excursion).
ACCOMODATION IN Playa Del Carmen FOR KITEBOARDERS:
Also, as a Kiteboarder, you can get 12 % of your All Inclusive Resort booking with the special promotional code. Get in touch with pdckiteboarding@gmail.com to get the code.
Have a look at “La rana Cansada”, https://www.ranacansada.com/.
KITEBOARDING SCHOOL IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN:
PDC KITEBOARDING, www.pdckiteboarding.com.
Info at pdckiteboarding@gmail.com.
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
From Europe the cheapest is to fly from Brussels Airport, Belgium with www.jetairfly.com , straight to Cancun.
Plenty of flights from USA and CANADA.
In 2004 Aarons son Gabriel, which at the time already mastered the skills needed to create and design amazing boards, partnered up and created “Loyd” surfboards, under their new logo. Gabriel litterally grew up in a surf board factory and hence possessed his fathers knowledge in how to create sick surf boards. Loyd is now producing some of the coolest and best custom boards in the world, both surfboards and kiteboards.
As far as I know Loyd isn’t producing any twintip boards that are common among many kitesurfers around the world, but I can recommend you to check out www.navisboards.com if you´re looking to buy a really nice and durable twintip board.
Here is a small video from Loyd Surfboards.
]]>Navis Boards has a range of different boards in their portfolio. “Lewis” – the full carbon, high-performance kiteboard, “Hulk” – the light wind board and the “Bolt” – the all-round kiteboard. Navis Boards also sell longboards for skating.
I had the opportunity to test the 136×41 “Bolt” for about two weeks under various conditions, from choppy water and strong wind to flat water in light wind. These are my reflections.
At a glance
The board itself has a really nice design. The board has a core of tri-axial glass fiber reinforced Paulownia wood which gives the board a smooth and exclusive wooden look, just like a sailing boat made from hardwood.
The color of the rail can be chosen from 6 different colors which is nice since you also have the possibility to add your logo or some other graphics to the board, hence it´s possible to choose a color that match your logo.
There are also three different colors on the fins to choose from.
The pads are soft and comfortable with straps that allow you to adjust them so much that they even fit my big 11 inch feet when wearing 7mm boots.
Performance
+ Flexibility – The Bolt is without doubt a very flexible board. I’m one of those maniacs that like to jump insanely high and it´s not always that my landings are perfectly smooth. So the flexibility comes in handy since it helps to absorb and soften hard landings.
+ Upwind – the upwind performances are simply amazing! I´m used to ride a 134×39 F-One SK8, not a bad board at all, but I need at least 1-2 m/s more wind to be able to even ride with the F-One compared to the Bolt. I had a session when I barely could stay up on the F-One board, riding upwind was more or less impossible. I swapped to the Bolt and was amazed over the huge difference. The Bolt has of course a little bigger area than my F-One, but it is also lighter, much lighter. The light weight in combination with the rocker make the Bolt outstanding in light wind! Ask anyone who have tried a bolt and they’ll for sure tell you about the ease to ride upwind even in light wind.
+ Choppy water – Here the rocker comes in handy again. The Bolt is forgiving and handles choppy water as good as any other twin tip board.
– Pop – the pop is probably the only “weak” side with the Bolt. It´s not that the pop is bad. It´s fully possible to achieve good pop, but the flexibility of the board makes it slightly harder to pop comparing to stiffer boards. It´s all about compromises. A stiffer board delivers more pop than a more flexible board, but my opinion is that the other performances of the Bolt more than counterbalances the pop. However, if you really demand a board that deliver maximum pop, then you have the possibility to order a board that is a bit stiffer, by using another choice of reinforcement material. The board will not necessarily be thicker. The possibilities to customize your board from Navis Boards actually also includes the shape!
Construction
As already mentioned the board has a core made of tri-axial glass fiber reinforced Paulownia wood. The core is in turn layered with super strong plastic walls and UV- and impact resistant top sheet. This construction makes the Bolt extremely durable and it’s a board that can handle tough conditions, altough its low weight. Yet the flexibility is one of its kind. Navis Board offer a 2 year guarantee on their boards which is another proof of its indestructible construction.
Conclusion
The Bolt is a great all-round kiteboard. Perfect for beginners as well as more advanced riders. I can guarantee that you´ll be the one that still can ride upwind when all the other go back on land when the wind drops. The rocker and the flexibility provides a smooth ride, saving your knees and giving you extra soft landings. It´s easy to carve through the water and it delivers a pop that most riders probably are happy with. This is a board that I really can recommend to any rider out there!
Fore more information about Navis Boards, visit www.navisboards.com
I wish that I could have read these tips right when I started my kitesurfing career, so that I wouldn’t have had to learn them all myself by wasting my own kites. Anyway, I still think it doesn’t hurt to get reminded about how to treat your kites for maximum endurance even though you´re an experienced rider. Feel free to add more tips!
So here are my 10 top tips for anyone who wants to keep his beloved kite happy and in good condition for a looong time!
1. Sand. Sand is every kite’s worst enemy. Before packing together your kite, make sure to remove all or at least as much as possible of the sand from the kite. Sand wears out materials, increases the risk of occurrence of holes and tears up the canopy and other fabric material
2. Do not pack down a wet kite. To wash your kite is not always necessary (but certainly not wrong). But if you wash your after each session, make sure it dries properly before packing it down. To pack down a wet kite is usually not a problem as long as you pack it up again shortly after. Beware though that it doesn’t take many days for a wet kite to get discolored (some kites are more sensible than other to discoloration) and in the long run start mold and smell bad.
3. Rig and pump the kite as close to the water as possible. By walking with an inflated kite over a long distance you increase the risk of scratching your kite on the ground and the lines might get stuck in branches, stones, bushes etc.
4. The Pump. When packing down your pump, get in the habit to remove the hose. By constantly letting the hose stay connected to the pump you´ll quickly end up having bendings and after a while even holes in the hose.
5. The control bar and the lines. Keep your lines free from knots and always wash your bar in fresh water if you´ve been kiting in salt water. A knot on a line decrease its strength by more than 50%, which increases the risk that you snap it when you least want it to happen. The reason to why you should wash the control bar (and the lines) in fresh water is because salt water breakes down the lines over time.
6. Avoid launching the kite yourself. Launching a kite by letting it “walk” along the ground wears it more than necessary. If you do a self-launch, use a “dogbone” or walk out in the water and launch the kite from there.
7. Avoid twisting the bladder. Make sure that the kite is flat and completely rolled out before you start pumping it. To let the kite “roll up” by itself when you pump, you might if you´re unlucky, twist the bladder inside the tube. Also, do not stick the nozzle of the pump to deep in the valve since this can stretch out the valve opening.
8. Use your kitebag. Always pack down your kite in its bag when you´re about to transport it. Do not just throw it into the trunk on your car where board fins and other sharp objects easily can make cuts your kite.
9. Beware for waves. If you’ve dropped your kite in the water where it gets awash with waves, let it go. This is of course nothing you want to do if not absolutely necessary, but be aware that big breaking waves can stretch out the canopy or even rip your kite apart.
10. Sun and wind. Do not leave your kite to flutter in the wind and do not leave it in the sun longer than necessary. Too much sun makes the material brittle and the colors get bleached. Letting the canopy fluttering in the wind will wear the canopy in the long run.
11. If you notice that a line, pigtail, bridle, chicken loop or whatever is getting a bit worn out, replace it! To snap a line or break a bridle out in the sea can lead to much worse damage on your kite as it might start looping and only God knows where deathloops will end.
Some of these points may be difficult to follow to the letter. This is however not the idea, but by keeping these small tips in mind you will hopefully be able to keep your kite in a better condition and prevent it to get exposed to unnecessary wear.
Happy kiting!
Sensi’s collection of swimsuits and bikinis are feminine, strong, supportive and comes in a design that goes well along with the fun and action that kiteboarding can be associated with.
Sensi’s bikins are made to make things stay in place so that you can concentrate on the kiteboarding rather than constantly pulling down your bikini bottom peace over your caudal half or adjusting the bra.
Sensi’s bikinis are actually so nice that you don’t really have to be a kitesurfer to look sexy in them! Here is a small selection of Sensi’s collection.
Sensis full collection of bikins can be found at www.sensibikinis.com
Mike wasn’t fully satisfied with Nobiles collection of board, so together they developed a new board called 50Fifty. The 50Fifty is a wakestyle-inspired, aggressive freestyle board designed for those who desire huge POP, super soft landings and tons of control. For 2012 this board is constructed with Pre-stress technology which means that the board provides “limitless” pop and is an excellent weapon for those who are into crazy tricks and wants to take their kite boarding progression to a new level.
For more info about Mike Blomvall check out his new website www.mikeblomvall.com
Here is Nobiles latest video featuring Mike in Turkey, enjoy!
]]>
Striking is the high bending of the Joke. It quickly becomes clear that the Joke is designed also for fixed bindings and to manage lots of tension. Moreover, on the bottom of board are small channels that allow you to get along entirely without fins, thus Joke should be perfect an ideal toy for the slider and obstacles. Due to the high bending it takes a little more pressure on the board to specify and manage to point out the direction you´re going in. But once the joke is on the plane, that´s when he shows his potential. It has very high returning force, allowing the surfer to take height, especially during unhooked jumps. After landings in hooked jumps only a short adjustment period is needed to find the edge and quickly get the balance in the water. Super tight corners can be taken with the Joke and it is a true friend when it comes to carving. Riding toeside or blind is a pleasure, and the board is easy to rotate back on the surface.
Conclusion: The Joke is clearly aimed to the dedicated riders who want to be able to shoot themself up from the water with power when riding unhooked. For hooked jumps, it also offers good performance. The soft pads come to great use when landing, acting as shock absorbers that save your knees. The Joke is the perfect board for whoever who wants to be on the road even with boots and wants to rock out one or another obstacle. For beginners, the Joke is not recommended, the planing is not optimal and a bit more wind is required for riding upwind.