Greetings one and all - my names Dave - thought I'd write and say Hi, and maybe hopefully bump into some of you on the beach somewhere.
Apologies for the cheesy subject line - i just can't help myself!
I've been a windsurfer for ooooh, probably over 10 years - and have been tring to crack forward loops for the last 2 of those - so if you see some crazy fool repeatedly smackin' themselves face first into the water at high speed, there's a good chance that that fool is me.

2 weeks ago I invested in a 16m North Rhino kite (after 2 lessons) - and got it up (pardon?) for the 1st time last w/e, in next to no wind. Great fun, but didn't get far. I was with a pal, who was a great help, but is seldom available - so am looking for a reliable kite buddy to meet up with whenever conditions are right (am based in Manchester, so someone nearish there would be tiptop).

I also do loads of snow boarding on the dry slope at Sheffield - which is great and I'd recommend it to anyone (although I've had a recent set back due to head first landing - expect to be back there soon).

Well - gotta go, or I'm gonna get fired - I think the bossman just spotted what I'm up to)

Oh - and how do I get a fancy avatar like you all seem to have?

Cheers

Dave T aka Shawn

Greetings from the south coast. Tell me do you have the wrap around sunglasses to go with your 'Kowabunga' greeting?

SeanBo

If you want a pretty piccy next to your name you can pick one of Al's selection from the front page. Go to edit profile or change avatar and select what you fancy from the list. you can have a look on other sites as well. There are dedicated avatar sites that let you use their avatars. Make a note of teh link and put that into yuor profile where it says something about avatars.

Where about do you fly/sail naer Manchester? not that we're that close but occaisionally we head up in that direction, usually on the way to the Isle of Man but we usually stop off ont eh way somewhere so Al can have a play!

Hope that makes sense.

Nah - no wrap arounds, no headband, my ninjitsu is cr@p and green just isn't my colour.

sailing wise - I've been making regular treks up to Rhosneigr every time there's been a half decent forcast, unless I'm feeling lazy, in which case it's west kirby.

Cheers for the avatar info - I'll start searching and see what fits.

Shawn (Dave??)

Your avatar isn't working as you've just put in the location of the picture on your hard drive (P:\Dougals Documents\Fun) In order for it to work the image file must be online somewhere...

Tell you what, e-mail me the image file and I'll sort it out for you.

Al.

Hello there Shawn.
Angry_Apple.

Hi there Angry Apple

Another quick query - why does it say "kook" under my name, whereas everyone else has "hotshot", or something else, significantly cooler than kook?

Anymore sightings of Mr Dunkerbeck over there? - I'm still expecting him to turn up at Kirby next time it blows west, with that ridiculous lookin' rig of his - I can't wait to see the look on his face as I rip past him on my 1999 F2 wave board. NOT.

I'm afraid youll have to do a bit more posting if you're to make it to something 'cooler' than kook! And get lots of gold stars next to your name...the word association game is quite good for this!

Anna

Not that I really mind being 'kook' - but what's the word association game? I can't see anything like that on yer site.
Looks like a good windy w/e coming up this w/e.... fingers crossed.

Have a look under the recent posts and there is a post called 'word association game'. Probably the most responded to post on the site!

There ya go Shawn, your avatar is sorted!!!

Al.

Woooo - Hoooooo

Cheers Al. Feel much more at home now - I'm not sure Wile-e coyote was really me.

Cool avatar !!!

Where in Manchester are you, I'm originally from Sale Moor, but now live in Ynyslas....

They are not in the least bit similar.. but it's nice to hear a Manc accent every now and again (NO I DO NOT WATCH CORRIE!!!!)

Greetings there fellow Manc.
Where the h€ll is Ynyslas? - I've never heard of it before, but I think I ordered a taxi there when I was full of beer last w/e!
I'm in Stockport - Heaton Moor, to be exact. Not so far from Sale at all. - don't you miss the wicked conditions regularly seen at the waterpark there - the nice clean wind and clear blue/green waters with 2/3 ft nicely tubing waves - how could you move away from such a watersports Mecca?

Wooo - Hoooo - I'm no longer a KOOK - now made it into the upper echelons of GROMMITDOM. Top Banana!

Memories of home. I had my first go at windsurfing on Sale Waterpark.

I'm surprised it's not included on the PWA tour.

This is where Ynyslas is, the waterpark here is a little larger than the one at Sale

I expect Bjorn will turn up at Sale Water Park any day now.... Watch this space.

Yer new location, I must admit, despite having been brought up on the crystal waters of Sale, that your new location looks pretty damn good too, with the added benefit that you don't have to pay through the nose to sail there.! I've never sailed in that part of the world but fully expect a camping mission there next summer - the photos look great.

What do you lot down there do for work - I thought it was all sheep n cows?

Unfortunately I have to travel a bit in my job, so having a roost in an out of the way place means I am away from home most of the time..

Al, on the other hand manages to spend all his time on the beach..

Doh! I'm a grommit again!

Al sounds like a very lucky chap indeed.

S'lookin' OK fot this w/e - dust off the bigfat wetsuit, it's gonna be a bit of a chilly one from the look of it.....