Louka Pitot ventures on an exciting journey from Mauritius to Cape Town, where he discovers the beauty of the South African coastline while testing out the latest gear with the Naish crew!

Ah, the renowned Cape Town! Known as one of the windiest spots on the planet and a mecca for windsports, this vibrant city is just a 6-hour flight away from my hometown of Mauritius.

As a dedicated kitesurfer, my last few years have been a whirlwind of travel, jetting off around the globe for competitions and training. The fact that the only time of the year when I could truly call it home was during our summer made it quite difficult for me to leave and fly to Cape Town, where it is typically fully Cape Town season.

As a freestyler, I don't usually chase the blistering 40-knot winds; therefore, I had never felt the urge to leave the comforts of my little home for Cape Town - that is, until this year.

The French crew was in Cape Town for the season and offered me the chance to join them for a kite trip a few times. However, leaving behind the solitude of home, with nobody on the water, perfect wind, and quality family time, initially seemed like a bad idea. But then...winging came to my mind; I thought about giving it a chance.

I got into winging a few years ago, and since then, I have added it to my bags. I go nowhere without a whole set these days. I started on my prone setup a few years ago. I would be prone in the windy chops and saw Titouan Galea winging. I asked him if I could give it a go, and luckily, he was kind enough to let me! Cheers Titou!

Ever since I discovered this new sport, I've fallen in love with it. It doesn't replace my passion for kiting; instead, it adds to the fun! I consider my home as one of the best winging spots, and Naish offers a fantastic range of equipment for any sport you want to do. Everything has fallen into place, and I'm really excited.

Now, back to the escape! While I was still at home, the team from Naish contacted me about their upcoming trip to Cape Town, where they plan to shoot some new gear. They invited me to join them on their coastal adventure, where we'll drive around in search of the best winging spots. I'm thrilled about trying new gear and spending time with a great crew. Plus, the flight to Cape Town is relatively short, so it's all good! 

I flew from Mauritius to Cape Town with Air Mauritius, and the flight lasted 6 hours. During the week, I spent time with the team, riding the new Matador LT 2.0 and exploring hidden treasures such as rolling swells, whale-watching spots, and unforgettable moments with an exceptional crew and friendly locals. The Naish team for this trip was a lot of fun! It was my first Naish Trip with the entire crew, including the R&D, prolimit, media, designers, team managers, camera crew, and riders. You may know some, if not all, of these names, but they include Des, Ewan, Jenne, Stig, Tim, Kim, Jill, Savannha, Andy, Jake, and myself. The trip was enjoyable, and I learned a lot during this trip. It's incredible how everything the team does focuses on tiny details we would never consider. It was inspiring, and we made great memories and experiences that I will always cherish.

I spent one week in Cape Town. While we were staying in Blouberg, where all the kiters tend to stay as it is right on the spot, I found the other side of the CBD to have much nicer views. During the numerous drives, we’d stop on Victoria Road along Hout Bay to sip coffee while watching the whales, which, to be honest, is a pretty lovely way to start the day.

Firstly, if you are a winger, you MUST bring a prone setup. Before the wind picked up, we scored some super fun surf foil prone sessions with Ewan and Val (Garat) in the mornings. It's great since the coastline is so long; you can look for a sandbank while driving and have a session with your friends!

The standout locations of my week there have to start with Noordhoek! Unfortunately, we didn’t ride in Noordhoek, but it is a MUST visit. Its crystal-clear water, a white sand beach surrounded by big rocks, felt like the Seychelles. It was not what I expected in Cape Town as a kiter, and I enjoyed surfing a few waves and resting from the wind here.

Scarborough is a stunning left-hand break located just over an hour's drive from Blouberg. The wind was light during our visit, but the break was amazing for kiteboarding, windsurfing, wing foiling, or surfing. We left Blouberg early and had a great session in Scarborough. There are a few lovely coffee places where you can have brunch, unlike Pringle Bay.

Pringle Bay offers a beautiful drive with fantastic water colors and natural pools along the way. It's not a very common spot, but definitely worth the drive! I had a great time catching rolling swells, meeting friendly locals, and trying out the new Pivot Nvisions. The only downside, similar to Big Bay, is the presence of seaweed. However, unlike Big Bay, the water in Pringle Bay is super clear, making it easy to avoid the seaweed.

I had a great time in Cape Town. The last day had big swells, and we rode around the Blouberg area. Kite Beach was tricky due to the big rolling swells, but Big Bay was super fun. Big Bay, being a bay with rocky islands, had clean waves that looked like reef breaks, but there was a lot of seaweed to dodge. We also had to watch out for big air riders landing on our heads, which was pretty funny.

This was my first proper wind sports trip to Cape Town, and I'm grateful for the fantastic crew I was with. Despite the perfect conditions at home, I think it's worth making the trip here. I hope to make the Cape Town getaway an annual trip and maybe bring some of the local Mauritius crew and my girlfriend along next time!

Here are some tips for first-timers going to Cape Town:

  1. Rent a car.
  2. Explore the coastline.
  3. Watch out for seaweed if you're foiling 😉
  4. Once you've enjoyed Cape Town, remember that you're already halfway to Mauritius. Drop us a line if you're swinging by — let's catch some waves together!

 

By Tonic Mag

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