Happy New Year 2012
Happy New Year from Team Genetrix.
Slider, island style
Kakula with Vic & Nick
Genetrix Team Vanuatu
Here is a slide show of the activities one might expect coming to Vanuatu with the team Genetrix.
Marco in Vanuatu
Video by Marc Antoine Martin
Another Great Kiteboarding Session at Kakula Island — Featuring GoProHD & KiteHero Mount
Check out Team Genetrix on another great day of kiteboarding at Kakula Island, Vanuatu. Unfortunately, you can’t quite see the friendly dugong (aka manatee) who showed up to say hello to Marco. For information on our kites, check out www.genetrixkitesurf.com.
The Magic Tree
A personal tour of the tree house with Julien to paradise.
Kakula island during the 7.8 quake today
Marco, Thierry, Tom and Pablo were all on the water when a 7.8 earthquake hit Vanuatu today. As the ground was still shaking and Marco was kiting by, he though we were joking. They couldn’t feel anything being on the water. The island was laterally bending and warping under our eyes with burst of sand being lifted off of the beach and blowing away with the wind. It was surreal. The Island of Kakula is about 20k closer to the epicenter.
You can read more details here: By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer – Tue Aug 10, 3:32 am ET
Kakula Island Session (now in HD!)
Watch Marco, Julien and Victor rip some huge airs in this video we shot over the weekend at Kakula Island resort, a private island kiteboarding paradise in Vanuatu. We took over all of the island’s 5 rooms and even had a few folks sleeping in tents and couches, but no one complained because the conditions were great and everyone was cool.
Celebrating 30 Years of Vanuatu’s Independence
The 31st July is the Independence celebration here in Vanuatu. On the outer islands, the kids never get to see fireworks so we decided to blow up some of our own fireworks for all to enjoy. It was crazy — but no one lost any fingers.
Eat My Wake!
A late wake board session. This place is magical. I can’t imagine how flat this place must be when there is no wind. 25knots again today but the lagoon is somewhat sheltered.
Be the boss of time!
Took Julein, Marco and Paul to learn a bit about the custom of Vanuatu. Be the boss of time, not the other way around is the Vanuatu way.
Arrival of the froggies
Picking up Marco @ 9:00 this morning after his 40 hrs flight to get here from France. He will not have time to rest. Direction, Kakula as soon as we pick him up. Julien gets in this afternoon from Tahiti. Lazeini will pick him up and join us.
Paul Lang Samples the Goods at Kakula Island
The team’s first trip to Kakula Island introduced Paul Lang of The Kiteboarder magazine to the wonders of kiting in Vanuatu. The wind was cranking, and Paul selected an 11M Genetrix Origin as his kite of choice.
Kiteboarders & Paragliders Unite to Help Kinsley!
Kinsley ThomasWong was seriously injured just a few days before he was to join Team Genetrix and Paul Lang of The Kiteboarder in Vanuatu. Marina Chang and a group of Kinsley’s friends put together a terrific website to track his progress and to donate, or checks can be made out to Kinsley ThomasWong Donation and sent to:
Melinda Thomas
26 El Viento
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Packing list for Vanuatu
If you are lucky enough to get invited to Vanuatu with Thierry & Gerard Bourgeois, this is the minimum gear you should definitely take with you:
1 Genetrix Origin 9M
1 Genetrix Origin 7M
1 Genetrix Hydra 9M
Motocross boots, gloves & body armor for some crazy trail riding through the bush
GoProHD
Dive computer and regulator
Tons of snorkel gear
Anything else you can fit into a “golf” bag: hint — nothing.
Where in the world is Vanuatu?
Port Vila is Vanuatu‘s capital. Anyone who took Geography in the 1970s or earlier will remember it as the New Hebrides, which it was until it attained independence in 1980.
Vanuatu Bus Ride
As you can see, much of Vanuatu could use a dose of pavement. Of course, that’s part of the charm:
Photo used under creative commons license courtesy of PhillipC.
Yu save toktok long English?
Bislama is the lingua franca of Vanuatu, a source of national pride, and a practical way for the islands’ 150,000 inhabitants to communicate despite having over 100 languages. It is a pidgin language mostly derived from English and most English speakers will have little difficulty reading it — and with some effort, understanding simple phrases. Here are some phrases from Santotoday.com with a helpful explanation of the phonetics:
| the best | nambawan (number one) |
| please / thank you / sorry (very sorry) | plis / tankiu / sori (sori tumas) – sorry too much |
| One/ two / three | wan / tu / tri |
| plenty or many | plenti |
| filled to capacity / overfilled | fulap / fulap tumas (too much) |
| me / you | mi / yu |
| him / her / it (neither masculine nor femenin)/// this here | hem /// hemia |
| us /we / all of us | mifala / mifala evriwan |
| you / you (plural) | yu / yufala |
| Day / evening / night | dei / sava (literally supper) / naet |
| hot / cold | hot / kol |
| We have a short wait | Weit smol (wait small) |
| I am ill/ my stomach (belly) is sore | mi harem no gud/bel blong mi i soa |
| What / what is that | wanem / wanem ia (literally wanem here?) |
| Why / why did you | frowanem (for why?) |
| Water / Drinking water / cold water / ocean | wota / freswoto / kolwota / solwota (also dipsea or seep sea, depending on the context in which it is used) |
| How much (is that) | hamas (long hem) |
| Do you know | yu save (pronounced savee) |
| I do not know/understand | mi no save |
| this is broken down/ not working | samting ia hemi bugarap (literally something here is buggered up) |
| Can you take me to Luganville | yu save sakem mi long Luganville (where sakem literally means chuck. |
| I am very happy | mi glad tumas (me glad too much) |
| See you later / ta ta | Lukim yu/ tata |
| I am going now | ale (French derivation of allez) mi go |
Genetrix Vanuatu Tour 2010
This blog was inspired by our friend Kinsley ThomasWong who had planned to join Team Genetrix on our 2010 Vanuatu trip and had even started a blog to commemorate the experience. Unfortunately, as many of you know, Kinsley was seriously injured in a kiteboarding accident just days before his planned departure. Kinsley is widely known around the world as an ambassador of our sport and a wonderful human being. Our thoughts are with him and his family — we are confident that his amazing spirit will carry him through the challenges that lie ahead. Please help support Kinsley while he heals by ordering some gear from his shop. [UPDATE 7/26 -- the best way to help Kinsley is through this website or by check made out to Kinsley ThomasWong Donation and sent to:
Melinda Thomas
26 El Viento
Pismo Beach, CA 93449.]
