Things that strike me

I have, for the first time in a while, complete liberty in deciding what to do for my holidays. This hasn’t happened in about 4 years because I’ve done group/family holidays for the last while.

I know these holidays will be in September. If I thought I could hang in there until November, I would, and then bankrupt myself by going to Hawaii for big wave season. However, I’m already jaded and hunted and permanently tired which means it’s September or bust.

I have options. They are as follows:

1. Lacanau, south of France and the ASP World Tour. This is especially attractive because Kelly Slater is leading the world championship. He’s wone 9 previous championships and is probably the greatest surfer of all time. He is 38 years old. I would like to see him surf at least once.
2. Vlieland, Holland, and the PKRA world tour stop in Holland. This is especially attractive because the current world kite freestyle champion is Dutch; his name is Kevin Langaree and I have photographed him before. As a photography subject he rocks.
3. San Francisco, southern California. One of the few places in the US I really want to go. The other is Yosemite National Park.

Realistically, Lacanau is topping the poll at the moment. I don’t want to spend my entire holiday on the beach gazing adoringly at Kelly Slater however; I’d like to take some photographs, maybe do some surfing myself, and maybe go kitesurfing. In part, I want to do things but not feel under any pressure.

I have 3 or 4 days booked off in August to go kitesurfing in Achill Island. I’m looking forward to that and if it goes according to plan I’ll be doing a bit more kitesurfing in Dublin before the summer dies out.