Why Saucisseman?

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Before

Saucisseman, sausageman in French, is the nickname kids of Oleron Island gave me when they saw my old dinghy life jacket. I practiced everything that goes on the water with a sail: dinghy, sailing cruise, windsurf, funboard and now kitesurf. As I find kitesurf life jacket way too expensive, I use a (very) old dinghy life jacket. It has a pathetic look, but it is very flexible and comfortable. The "saucisseman"life jacket becoming older and older, I finally bought a Neil Pryde life jacket, looking now like any kitesurfer.

After

My progression in kitesurf

I started in August 2002 with the excellent school Fil d'air in Mèze. Teachers are very good and their boat formula on the Thau lake allows learning even in august when the beaches are saturated. Then I bought a Cabrinha CO2 9m2, ie 12m2 real and a second hand TT178 F-ONE.

I started practicing in Saint-Aygulf (near St Raphael in France) then I went for 10 days in Martinique.

There Cap Chevalier lagoon is ideal to progress. The water is shallow on a long distance. The space is natuarally shared between windurfers and kitesurfers, depending on the depth of the laggoon.

I spring 2003 I bought a second hand F-ONE Mach 1 18m2 and I build my own plywood board, which goes quite well upwind.

First trial of the board in Figari, Corsica.

This summer I went to Oleron Island, Les Huttes beach the place of the  Naish wave party.

It's a good spot for Kitesurf and even in August the people on the beach accept kitesurfers. Actually we were very few because with this summer heat, there was very few wind.
One or two days the wind went in the evening and it was great riding at the sunset with all the crowd gone.

November 2003, the plywood board brakes. February 2004 I build a new one April 2004, Mondial du vent à Leucate, a big event in France in one of the most windy place of the world. The wind was never under 40 knots during the week. I met Michel Bousquet the inventor of the 5th line. Coming back from this event I use for the first time my new Takoon Skoop 2 9m2, one of the best kites for high wind.

May 2004, Vacation in Corsica one wekk at the North, in Lozari, Algajola and Calvi and one week at the South, Figari and Balistra. trila of the board number 3 the PDP50, but I broke it after a jump.

July 2004, L'Almanarre. I broke the line of the slidding leash, the kite goes in a uncrollable loop. I cut the rear line of the same side with the embedded cutter from my harness.

August 2004, a new PDP50 with plywood, airex and glass fiber is ready. One week in Beauduc.

January 2005, the CO2 is replaced by a Takoon Skoop2 11.5m2. first ttrail in Italy, Albenga, the secret spot of the Riviera di Fiori

May 2005, Djerba, great spot of the North Laguna with Globalkite . Shallow water everywhere.

July 2005, Cabarete. 2005 is not a good year, with rain and weaker wind than usual, but I manage to ride 10 days over 14 with my 11.5. First backloop!

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