By the time she got home to Ruakaka yesterday New Zealand kite-surfing queen Sue Kay was back in lawn mowing mode.
But while she was away at the Cindy Mosey Island Odyssey kite-surfing championships in Fiji last week, Kay was living the life of a kite-surfing professional and gaining her share
of recognition, maybe even more.
Kay won both the speed and freestyle sections of the Social Riders division at the week-long competition, a grade restricted to the amateur riders but loaded with highly competent kite surfers.
Now she is eyeing a possible leap into the professional division with plans to test her competitiveness at the final Kite Surfing World Tour event of the season in Noumea next month.
"I would love that, it is just a matter of seeing if it is something that is viable, financially that is," Kay said.
"But the feedback I got from some of the pro-tour girls who were there was pretty good - they all think I could make a go of it. The world tour event in New Caledonia is the closest one I can get to so I will see how I will go there," she said.
The two-times defending national women's title-holder, Kay turned a few heads in Fiji with an impressive freestyle performance that included one of kite surfing's blue riband moves; a kite loop that requires a mix of bravado, skill and power to complete.
"The loop involves sideways pull and downwind speed that means you come in for landing with real speed," she said.
"It takes a bit of power to pull off but I managed to land it nicely."
It was that sort of form that helped her decide to head to Noumea next month. But her summer campaign won't be restricted to overseas jaunts. Kay is also planning an attempt at the world speed record in Queenstown in December.
"The world record has just been broken at 37.12 knots average over 500 metres," she said.
"I'll have a go at that."
