Kitesurfers welcome strong Hermosa Beach winds
Damian Nunez approaches the Manhattan Beach pier. Photos
Most local surfers were disappointed by Saturday morning’s 25 knot winds, which forced cancellation of the Spyder/South Bay Boardriders surf contest in El Porto. But for surfers Damien Nunez and Wolfgang Schuster, the wind provided a rare opportunity to kitesurf locally. The two generally must travel north to County Line to find sufficient wind.
Nunez and Schuster crisscrossed paths between the Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach piers for nearly three hours Saturday morning, matching the wind speed and jumping the head high chop.
Wolfgang Schulster hops an incoming set.
Nunez said the winds out front of his Hermosa Avenue home are strong enough for kite surfing only two to three days a month. The Buenos Aires native learned to kitesurf two years ago, while living in Miami.
Damian Nunaz gets air in the shorepound.
Schuster, a native of Austria who now lives in El Segundo, began kitesurfing 15 years ago. His wife Dalita Vernier is the number one ranked volleyball player on the CBVA Tour.
Schuster insisted that managing the nine- to 12-meter square kites at the end of four 23 meter long lines is not as difficult as it appears. He said all a person needs to learn the sport is a good instructor. ER