On Sunday we cruised over the Crosstown Expressway through Corpus Christi, and out over the bridge onto Padre Island, the longest uninterrupted barrier island in the continental U.S. We turned off the main road towards the beach as soon as we could, and promptly got stuck in the sand. Just a few yards away from where we were spinning our wheels, the kindest woman offered to help with her three older sons, calling them out of the water in Spanish. With five sets of hands on the hood, Brant put it in reverse and we all pushed. The truck went backwards, all right, but proceeded to jacknife with the trailer, so we had to quit. A fellow Ford came over with a tow strap and four-wheel drive and pulled us promptly out. We had completely buried the leveling blocks we had tried to use for traction, so we spent a few minutes digging around in the sand until we found them.
We got our $5 parking pass, the deal of the century. A sticker that's good for a month, it allows you to drive, park, camp, whatever on the beach anywhere in Neuces County. Since you can drive right on the beaches, that gives you plenty of opportunity to find your own little private patch of sand. With an RV, that's instant beachfront property for about 16 cents a day.
BP getting the kite ready.
Shy of the sand for a while, we headed to Bob Hall pier, where the parking is paved. Trying out both windsurfing and then kiteboarding when the winds slowed down a bit, the spot proved to be a bit crowded and therefore definitely challenging with the kite. But as we were inflating the kite on the beach, a trio of enthusiasts came over, all smiles. Because kiteboarding is such a new sport, many people have never heard of it and it is common for folks to come over and ask all about it. But these three were of a different ilk. They were kiteboarders themselves! Olaf had just finished two runs down the beach (10 miles each run), his friend Emily had been playing shuttle bus to bring him upwind again. Teresa was a veteran windsurfer just learning to kiteboard, but her husband, Jeremy (at work) was one of the best kiters in Corpus. Their enthusiasm for the sport and for meeting some new recruits was infectious, and in no time at all Olaf was going a mile a minute helping rig the kite. Apparently he is always an energy ball, a result, he says, of the liquid porkchops he was drinking out of an Amstel Light 20-ounce can. They shared where the good spots on the island for kites were, we exchanged numbers and agreed to get together with Teresa and Jeremy the next evening at The Flats, then we headed out there to camp for the night.
The Flats...not too crowded.
With only empty sand as far as we could see on both sides, our campground was isolated from the world, though only a few miles away from the main street on the island. The sound of the wind and the waves played through the night, and the next morning we surveyed the huge expanse with the side-onshore wind and agreed with our new friends that this was indeed a great place for kites.
We headed to Cline Street Sailboards to pick up some stuff to fill the equipment holes and patch up some missing links in the kites. The owner, Oliver, was incredibly helpful, basically allowing us to take over his workshop while we swapped kite bladders and got everything in order. We also tripped to West Marine to pick up a wind meter, then finally made it back out The Flats for our evening rendevous with our new friends.
Takeover at Cline Street Sailboards.
Brant got kiting and took on a few miles of beach getting used to the waves and the wind. Around 6:30pm we hooked up with Teresa and Jeremy, and the two guys took an awesome run for about an hour and a half as the sun set. When the kites were put away, the four of us headed to Snoopie's by the bridge for awesome fish and chips and tales of windsurfing sagas and kiteboarding quandries. Many laughs later, we parted ways and decided to hook up again as soon as possible.
First thing in the morning, I strapped on my new harness at The Flats for my third ever try at kiteboarding. Count 'em: once in Maui last June, once at Arroya Laguna in August, and now nearly a year later in Corpus. Beginners be warned: kiteboarding is not a pick up and go sport. There's definitely some trial and error and a lot of frustration built in to the equation for the beginner. It's the end result that has to keep you going, cause the interim is quite possibly one of the most challenging. That said, I worked the kite from the water first, drug along without a board through four-foot waves with about a half-second period. In other words, no break between breaks. After swallowing enough saltwater to satisfy, I said what the heck, let's give the board a try. It was a short try, granted. I decided that the challenge of a kite 30 meters in the air and a board semi-strapped to my feet was enough of a challenge without being in the midst of relenting waves. We headed off in search of flat water.
