Saturday and Sunday....Santa Ana winds at Belmont

Kiters and beach goers came to Belmont on Saturday hoping for some relief from the heat. The swimmers splashed in the water and the kiters did their thing too.

Some rigged small and some rigged big. I don't know what report Bobby read, but I think he rigged TOO big. I think it was a 20.

Then the fun began. All of a sudden the wind came out of the West at about 20 mph with gusts much higher.

Just about everyone got off the beach. No one wanted to be left out.

My son Dan didn't seem to have a problem staying up wind. I think this was only his second time kiting side shore winds. He was out on a 12 meter North and a 136 board.

I don't think this was his first jump, but it was the first one I caught on film. Now come on, at least he got a little air. I told him we have to watch some videos on how to pull off better jumps.

Everyone was having a great time....until the wind died. Including Naji. Then he had to swim in.

Please, if you're the least bite squeamish don't look. Or if you haven't seen a stingray hit on the bottom of a foot you can look now. Ouch that hurts.

As the sun set in the West, it was time for Dan and I to change our clothes and go to a birthday party. We drove up to Hollywood and met up with a group of party people at the famous Hollywood Billiards. Eight ball in the side pocket.

Val, the birthday girl, is third from the left. What a cute group.....don't we pose well???

We sang "Happy Birthday", she blew out the candles and then cut the cake.

Ok, one more picture and that's it. I turn into a pumpkin at 11 o'clock. Come on Dan, we've got to get our beauty sleep.

Sunday was another hot one in Long Beach. It felt like over 90 degrees. But thank goodness it blew. I was able to get out for quite a while until the wind shifted side shore. Then my kite fell from the sky like a rock. It was a long swim in but I finally made it.

While I was trying to straighten my lines the wind came up side shore again and Dan picked up where he left off yesterday. No jumps but he's staying up wind.

Wow, look at this port reach. I don't believe it. Dan's in total control. But he didn't want to chance it so he didn't do anything crazy because he didn't want to swim in.

As the day was coming to a close, Chad walked up the beach to grab his surfboard because somewhere out in that big stretch of water was his other board. A little earlier, when he was out on his short board, the wind died and he couldn't got to it. So he went back and forth looking for it as the sun was going down.

Dan walked down to the peninsula to give Chad a hand back to the ramp. Chad was one happy camper. He found his board.

As the sun set, Dan and I headed home for dinner. Ruth had gone to the store and prepared a fantastic dinner for the two kite boarders that had been out slaying kite dragons all day. Thanks honey and Happy Birthday. Today is her special day.