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Tonga V'avau 2007

Fiji 2006

CINDY MOSEY ISLAND ODYSSEY Vava'u 2007 Diary

DAY ONE - We Have Arrived!

With the Moorings Yachts anchored in front of Mounu Island's white sand shores, the girls of this year's Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava'u swam ashore to receive a colourful lei of flowers from Mounu staff.

It was the perfect introduction to what promises to be an amazing week of friendship, learning, kitesurfing and hopefully some close-up acquaintances with whales.

There are 28 women kitesurfers joining this year's odyssey. The professional riders - including Professional Kite Rider's Association (PKRA) World Champion Kristin Boese (pictured left with event founder Cindy Mosey and Mounu Island's Pepa Nesi) - will compete for a share of US$20,000 in prizes which is the biggest prize purse ever offered to women in the sport.

When not competing in the three divisions of Boardercross, Freestyle and Racing, the world's leading kitesurfers will also be on hand to coach other participants who have gathered in Vava'u from all over the world.

Winds are forecast to pick up to 15knot to 18 knots on Monday which is ideal conditions for kitesurfing. The contest is therefore being held off until the start of the week, and time will instead be spent discovering the reefs and whale watching.

DAY TWO - Whale Watch Vava'u

For Australia's CJ Jones, it was  "the biggest adrenaline rush" while for the Netherlands' Katja Roose, it "completely made" her trip.

What did the girls of the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava'u get up to today that could possibly result in such massive smiles? We swam with whales...

In the expert hands of licensed operators Whale Watch Vava'u, the 28 participants were divided into two groups and taken out on boats either in the morning or the afternoon. Once a mammal had been spotted, only 5 people were allowed in the water at any time to ensure that the creatures did not become stressed.

Several groups of girls were rewarded with a mind-blowing experience snorkelling above a huge mother southern humpback whale and her playful calf. On my trip, the playful calf spent time cuddling under his mum before plucking up the courage to show off some of his surface moves (belly rolls, tale splashes) to our quiet and respecting small group.

The encounter was so special that we all struggled to put it into words as we clambered back onto the boat, but by the time we returned to Mounu Island there was plenty of excitement comparing our stories - and photos - to those from others back on the beach.

There are 28 women kitesurfers at this year's Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava'u. The 10 professional riders on the island will compete for a share of US$20,000 in prizes which is the biggest prize purse ever offered to women kitesurfers.

Winds are forecast to pick up to between 15knot and 18 knots tomorrow, so we will try for the Boardercross competition as well as coaching clinics.

We have all just done wind dances here at Mounu...will they work? Stay tuned!

DAY THREE - Kingdom of Tonga, 15 October 2007

NZPA - New Zealand’s Su Kay took third place today in the Boardercross division of the US$20,000 international kitesurfing competition, the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava’u.

Competitors from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and the Dominican Republic raced around a course off Mounu Island in the Vava’u group of Tonga for a share of the biggest prize purse ever offered to women in the sport.

In boardercross, groups of four kitesurfers cross the starting buoys together and jostle for position in an all-out race around a course of buoys and floating obstacles. They must complete compulsory manoeuvres in each leg between buoys as they race to cross the finish line first.

In an extremely close final,  2006 PKRA World Champion Kristin Boese of Germany flew in first followed by Poland’s Ania Grzelinska in second and Northland’s Kay in third.

The action continues until Saturday October 20 and will involve two more divisions – a course race and freestyle heats.

DAY FIVE - Matamaka Village

The girls at the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava'u are going to bed extremely happy tonight after a huge feast of coconut-soaked papaya, fresh-caught crayfish, taro, raw fish and other Tongan delicacies all served in plates made from the bark of banana palms.

Organised by Mounu Island Resort's worker Ma'ata Fifita, the people of Matamaka Village have been preparing for weeks for the arrival of our international group of kitesurfers by fishing for seafood and making outfits for the children who sang and danced beautifully for their audience.

With our tummies full of delicious Tongan food, we stood and danced to the beat of a drum and laughed along with our audience as they howled at the crazy tourists and their chicken dance style...yeow!

Matamaka Village is a 15 minute speed boat ride from Mounu Island but life goes on in a very traditional way. The show put on by the children gave us an opportunity to raise funds towards a much-needed generator that will be used to run essential school equipment.

Malo aupito (thankyou) everyone at Matamaka!

DAY SIX - Downwind Race

The sight of a glowing white sandbar linking two tropical islands and sky dotted with the crescent shapes of brightly coloured kites was an unforgettable experience today.

This was the view from the back of the Moorings catamaran Tonga Moon, as it led kitesurfers on the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey back to the small island of Mounu in Vava'u on a downwind race for all participants of the event.

The amateur girls linked up with a professional rider to inspire them and make the race even more memorable.

First to make it back to the island was UK-born Lara ... followed by Australia's Lisa Hickman and Mounu Resort resident Kirsty Bowe, who hails from New Zealand.

The week-long adventure of the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Vava'u wraps up with a surprise show and prizegiving ceremony.

Stories will be released in international magazines and posted onto the cindy mosey island odyssey website so keep your eyes peeled for updates!   

Thank you to our sponsors;

Balance Vector, Mounu Island Vava’u, North Kiteboarding, Hive Swimwear, The Moorings Yachts and the Vava’u Tourism Association.

CINDY MOSEY ISLAND ODYSSEY Fiji 2006

Download movie (You will need Quicktime to view)

What the Riders have said from Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey Fiji 2006...

CJ Jones, Australia.The highlights were hanging out with so many high energy friends in a tropical paradise, endless wind, clear blue water I can go on… Kirsty, Vavau , Tonga . On the first night of the event: “I’ve never seen another female kite before and have only been riding for 3 months. Just to be able to watch and learn from the girls and to make some new friends are my goals for this week”. Denise, Perth , Australia . At age 49, cosmetic surgeon Denise was an inspiration to everyone. Her biggest fear was no hot water, but she survived with a smile on her face! “I bless the day I met Cindy on the beach a couple of years ago. Its been a wonderful week, thank you so much.” Su Kay, Ruakaka NZ. “I've been following all you girls over the years checking out what you're doing and it's been frustrating not being able to find footage. My husband said ‘you've got to go'. It's so inspirational being out with other girls kiting.” Cheena , Australia (on winning a brand new North kite). “This trip has been great, meeting everybody here…I've learnt so much from every body and had so much fun. Thank you so much to North, I'm going to have a ball on this kite!” Sue Greatrex, Nelson NZ (after the first day of kiting): “I'm a bit bruised and broken but I'm ridiculously happy. I wanted to leave having stepped it up a level but coming here I didn't know how good the coaching would be. If we don't get to kiteboard again for a whole week, Cindy's already massively exceeded my expectations of what I wanted to achieve.” Melissa McCay , Australia . “I've won a brand new board autographed by everyone, it's awesome, and I managed to jump the sausage three times – yeah!” Karen , Florida US , on winning a brand new North 9 kite that she'd rode all week. “I'd like to thank every single person that's made this trip. It's been an absolute journey. From the bottom of my heart, thankyou.” Cindy Mosey, on sponsor Steve Luczo of Balance Vector. “He has inspired me over the years to follow my dreams. He has been a huge support. This event would not be possible without his support”. Cindy Mosey, Nelson NZ “What's made this event so good is the enthusiasm of the women. The week was one big adventure, everyone pushed their limits a little bit and learnt something. The group has become like a big family.” Laura Kearsley, USA , on winning a brand new North Rebel 12m. “You girls get me really excited to kite some more. Thank you so much for the North kite - it is perfect for San Diego .” Laurel Eastman, self-confessed kite-aholic from Dominican Republic , on seeing the thatched bures among the swaying palm trees at Kenia for the first time. “Oh – my – God.” Thank you to our sponsors, without them this event would not have been possible. Balance Vector, North Kiteboarding, Air Pacific, Sunair, Fiji Visitors Bureau. www.keniafijiresort.com | www.tamarillo.co.nz | www.bulafiji.com

PDF links to a couple of the magazine stories...

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