To fit in with our busy schedule of lamingtons for breakfast and BBQ for tea, we’ll only be open from 10am until 2pm, and lessons will be available to whoever gets in first.

Obviously, we’ll do our best to drum up some wind so that you can have the perfect Australia Day, staring at the sky and smiling. Because that’s what this country is all about.

Australia, do us proud, fly a kite this Ozzie Day.

Here’s what some of our customers have had to say about Fiik electric skateboards:

“This is the best fun ever! I’ll never walk again.”

“After suffering a repetitive strain injury in my calf from riding a conventional board, I thought my skateboarding days were over. But now I can cruise up to 22 kilometres on a single charge!”

“It’s like playing with a remote-control car, only you’re literally in the driver’s seat!”

“Am I too old to be having this much fun?”

We currently have the Shorty, Big Daddy and Street Surfer in store, come in a see which one’s for you! Prices start at $699.

Once again, the clinic will be held at Safari Lodge, an all-inclusive resort on the tiny island of Nananu-I-Ra. This is a dedicated kitesurfing and windsurfing resort with predictable winter tradewinds, idyllic beaches and damned good food.

The package starts from $1395, depending on your choice of accommodation, and includes all meals, seven nights accommodation, transfers to and from Nadi, expert kitesurfing instruction tailored to your level and goals, and non-wind activities such as fishing and snorkeling. Flights to Fiji are not included, but there are some great deals out there for those who book early.

The clinic takes place from July 28 to August 4 and places are strictly limited.

Click here to learn more about this trip and to watch a video from last year’s KP Fiji Clinic.

This is the perfect opportunity to meet fellow kiteboarders in the area and renew your membership to the Brisbane Kite Club, which will also provide you with that all-essential AKSA insurance.

And of course, it’s the ideal excuse to have a cheeky fly of a 2012 release Cabrinha, Ozone, Core or Slingshot kitesurfing kite. How about a sneaky run on a new Cardboard or something different from our massive Underground range? If there’s something specific you want to try out, be sure to let us know in the shop and we’ll bring it along.

Deets are below, we really hope to see as many of you there as possible. We strongly encourage newbies to come along and get to know the kiting community and our team riders, who are always happy to offer tips and advice on your riding.

What: KPQ Demo and Brisbane Kite Club info/sign-up

When: Saturday, January 21

From: 10am

Where: Brighton Beach, between 18th and 19th Avenues

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Everyone keeps asking me why I ride a kite that’s exclusively designed for waves when I live in Redcliffe, which has no waves to speak of.

While it’s true I dream of peeling reef breaks and four-foot glassy sections, I have to accept that I get those conditions once or twice a year, so the kite I ride must have certain ‘do it all’ qualities for everyday riding around my local area in Brisbane. This year, I chose the 2012 Cabrinha Drifter and here’s why…

The best things about the Drifter are its light, nimble flying characteristics, and its very fast relaunch. Not that I need the relaunch qualities of course! I also like the fact that I can still jump to a respectable height or unhook and attempt some freestyle moves, or hand it to one of my students and feel comfortable that they won’t break it and will be able to fly it easily.

Speaking of beginners, all the kite companies out there at the moment are faced with a dilemma, and that is that they have two different markets that actually need the exact same kite. First you have the beginners, who need a really stable, easy relaunching kite that turns fast and is built really tough; and on the other hand we have the surf kiters, who need a really stable, easy relaunching kite that turns fast and is built really tough. See the problem? Surf kiters don’t want to buy a beginner’s kite because, well, it’s a beginner’s kite…. So Cabrinha made the Drifter! They market it towards surf riders, but a beginner feels completely at home when flying it. In fact, they’ll probably learn faster on one of these than they will on a Switchblade, for example, because it teaches you to ride properly right from the start.

The Cabrinha Drifter is an incredibly stable kite. If there’s enough wind it will sit overhead for as long as you like without any bar input, and when sitting off to the side, it gently floats along on its own accord. The very wide wingtips are what cause this stability, and despite being a new design element for (usually pointy winged) Cabrinha products, they’ve nailed it. These new, wider wingtips also help the kite turn at an incredibly quick rate. In fact, it has C-kite turning characteristics, which are fantastic for both wave riding and general freeriding. To compare, the 11m Drifter feels similar to the 9m Switchblade in terms of turning speed.

For actual surf riding it’s incredible, especially in the 5.5m and 7m sizes – but the 9m and 11m both perform very well too. On a wave face the kite just drifts a long nicely and lets you do your thing. If the conditions are onshore it turns fast enough to keep up with your turns, and has plenty of grunt to get you out the back quickly. Plus that relaunch comes in handy too – I’ve had my fair share of close calls, but the good ol’ Drifter never fails to pop up just before the white water munches it.

What’s the downside? Well, there are a couple, the first is that there’s no 13m. This unfortunately limits the Cabrinha Drifter to people under around 80kg as an all-round kite. The second problem, which isn’t exactly helped by not having a large size, is that it’s not as powerful as a Switchblade of equal size. Again, not a problem if you’re under 80kg. But if you weight in around 85kg, best buy a 9m Cabrinha Drifter as your small kite, and a 12m Switchblade as your all-rounder.

For lighter riders, this is nothing but good news because not only does the kite fly well in light winds (its only got three struts so it doesn’t weigh anything), it doesn’t have that crazy raw power of a Switchblade, which is so confronting to many (including me). It’s just a great, light feeling little kite that does what you want, when you want – without ripping your arms out of their sockets every time you pull the bar in. And I think that’s a good thing.

Go for a Cabrinha Drifter if any the following apply to you:

• You’re under 80kg and want to learn fast, ride easily or surf waves
• You’re over 80kg but want a small kite with a light and fast feel
• You don’t like the really powerful feel of a Switchblade
• You need a kite that flies in very light winds, but handles gale-force winds as well

You probably won’t like the Drifter if:

• You never want to ride a wave in your life
• You’re over 80kg and want one kite that does it all
• You’d prefer a kite with lots of bar pressure
• You’re into competitive freestyle riding

Issue 12, which is now in store, also features a 2012 board guide, plus a get-to-know-you with Patrick Rebstock, king of wave riding. Plus you’ll find all the usual stuff – awesome photography, detailed how-tos and round-ups of the whats, whys and wheres of the kiteboarding world.

Click here to buy this issue online

Kitepower’s team riders will be out in force, just waiting for someone to talk to about their favourite gear. Any competent kiteboarder is welcome to try a new kite or board. In fact, we want you to try them all!

Newbies are also encouraged to come along and chat with the team riders and regular kiters. We’re a great bunch of people, if we do say so ourselves, and always like to see more people taking up the sport. So come along and have all your questions answered!

Families and friends are welcome, as always. There’s even a jumping castle for the littlies!

What: KPQ Demo and Brisbane Kite Club info/sign-up

When: Saturday, January 21

From: 10am

Where: Brighton Beach, between 18th and 19th Avenues

View Larger Map

The GoPro Hero2 series is twice as powerful in every way, meaning you can capture and broadcast your life’s most exciting moments in professional-quality 1080p HD video and 11 megapixel photos.

The GoPro HD Hero2 ?s new processor delivers twice the processing power, taking full advantage of a new high-performance 11 megapixel sensor that delivers more than twice the image detail along with professional low light performance. A totally redesigned wide-angle lens was required to take full advantage of the Hero2?s increased image-processing, resulting in a lens that’s twice as sharp as the original Hero cameras.

The guys from California didn’t stop there – the Hero2 has had a complete rethink. Everything from the operating system to the microphone input has been tweaked and improved.

What does this upgrade mean to us? A tiny, go-anywhere, do-anything camera that’s twice as fast, gives even better pictures and is easy enough for any kite monkey to use without instructions.

The new GoPro Hero2 is compatible with all previous mounts and accessories, and is available in three specialty editions: Outdoor, Motorsports and Surf. All retail for $399.

Check out this awesome video shot entirely on the new GoPro HD Hero2 camera.

Click here to see the GoPro HD Hero2 Surf

Click here to see the GoPro HD Hero2 Motorsports edition

Click here to see the GoPro HD Hero2 Outdoor edition