My new dogwalking service

Yesterday's trip to Tooting Bec was my most successful attempt at kiteboarding yet, and saw me zigzagging down the field to the point of exhaustion. Aside from finally having the perfect conditions to use my kite and board together, yesterday will stick in my memory for another reason.

I was flying my kite, minding my own business, and catching my breath from the last hour or so, when all of a sudden a small white dog dashed out of nowhere and headed straight for the grass beneath my kite. Considering how small he was, he was moving like lightning - clearly the kite had offended him somehow, and he was going to do everything he could to stop it from ever bothering anyone again. He ran around as the kite swung back and forth in the sky, and jumped occasionally, all the time barking. This was ok, if slightly irritating, so I looked around for the owner. No-one was around. Then the wind dropped.

For the next 10 minutes, I staggered backwards, stopping and edging forward when there was enough wind to allow it, and desperately trying to keep the kite above the ground. The small dog stayed where it was, still barking, still overexcited. Then more dogs came. A young woman was walking about 4 dogs of her own, and they thought the little white dog was on to something. So they all gathered in a little group, chasing the kite back and forth, as my shoulders became more and more sore, and as sweat began to form on my forehead (a surprise, considering how dehydrated I was from the night before).

Eventually, the young woman offered to put the dog on a lead, leaving one of her more obedient dogs off the lead, and she went off to find its owner. I got back to the board and, after a 10 minute rest with the kite on the ground (and not under threat), I got on with boarding. Half an hour later, another, similar dog arrived, also barking. The owner wandered over and said 'It's pretty funny, isn't it?'. It was all I could do not to drop the kite and throttle him. Gritting my teeth, I politely remarked that, yes, it was funny the first time.

Photos of kite and board, (and possibly movies - a first for this site) will be available on the photos page some time today.