Day 57 of the 2014 season: Iffy forecast becomes a good solid marathon day

Even though the forecast looked sketchy Keith convinced me to head out to the Island. And I'm glad I did. Thank You Keith...
Rigged the 11M and rode like there was no tomorrow. On the water having a blast from 1:00 - 5:15, with a half hour break for some fluids. Covered 41.5 miles and every mile was well spent. Chop hopping, toe siding, ollie ups and carve city.
Last run was up to the channel slick until some duck hunters announce their location by firing a few shots over my head. Cut that short and carved my way back downwind.
7 hardcore kiters appeared by days end. Keith, Craig, Mark, Trish, Scott, Tom and 1 more.

Dressed for 48 degrees

 







Highlight of the day: Marathon session - enjoyed every second of it
TOW:   3:45
Gear:  11M, Mako Board until fin fell of then went to 150 ignition board
Water Conditions: Choppy, flat and everything in between
Weather: cloudy,  48-50 degrees air temp
Wind:   W to WNW to NW 12-30 MPH
Schooled:  180 Ollies, load and pops

Day 56 of the 2014 season: MetroBeach - Comquered the skunk

Forecasted winds for MetroBeach were supposed to be decent. All local wind data reported current winds as decent. Got to MetroBeach while rain was falling with zero wind, rain stopped and still zero wind. Left and ran some errands, came back and still not much wind.
Finally a lite breeze was stirring. Then after 15 minutes it started gradually increasing and in 5 more minutes I was rigging my 9 meter. What a quick change, winds aloft were even heavier, lucky I rigged the 9M.
Launched at 12:30 and kited until 3:00 when the switched was turned of. Limped my way downwind to the beach and landed the kite. Started to de-rig when the wind suddenly came back up. What to do now?
Re-rig or continue to de-rig completely and walk back to launch site. I decided to re-rig and kite back up wind to the launch. Perfect - kited back up wind and made it just as the wind slacked off again.
Turned out to be decent day with over 3 hours of kite time from 12:30 - 4:30.

LSC Buoy Data

Highlight of the day: Solid day with a 45 minute break at the beach
TOW:   About 3.0 hours from 12:30-4:30
Gear: 9M/140 board
Water Conditions: Typical LSC chop, water at 51 degrees
Weather: 60s, Mostly cloudy, some rain
Wind:  SW to W 10-25
Schooled: Load and pops are getting etched into the memory banks

Day 55 of the 2014 season: Surf Palace Rocks - AKA Caseville

The Surf Palace delivers - wind, waves, sun, October warmth, windsurfing, kite boarding, happy hour and dinner. It doesn't get any better then this.
Jeannie's "Surf Palace" with easy rigging on the grass and easy launching from the back yard sandy beach.
Jeannie and Brian were excellent hosts inviting me to "The Surf Palace" and showing me what it has to offer. Mucho Thanks!




Jeannie catching the wind on the way in



Saginaw Bay Wind Data

Highlight of the day: Hanging with J & B, muti-water sports day. Up wind ride to Larry R's Sandcastle
TOW:   About 3.5 hours from 12:00-4:30
Gear: 5.7/100 liter and 11M/140 board
Water Conditions:  Best at the surf palace. Organized swell with some spotty but easily sailable winds on the water. Steadier wind higher up for kite action.
Weather: 60s, 100% sunny
Wind:  WSW to W 10-25
Schooled: WS getting the feel for the new Ezzy Elite 5.7, and load and pop jumps Kiteboarding.



MAX SPEED 20.14 mph: AVERAGE SPEED 13.87 mph: DISTANCE 30 miles

Day 54 of the 2014 season: Another lite up session at Harsens Island

Met up with Keith and Craig - all of us on 9M kites and our Mako boards.
My first and only session from 11:30-1:30 was fun. although not the ideal wind direction but still plenty of fun for all. Worked my way up to the channel. Once there I had perfect rippled flat water on the leeward side of the weeds feet from the shore line. I tried a few speed runs, it was so smooth with the flat water and howling winds, I took several runs and created a new speed record for myself for on the water Kiteboarding. Even did some waterskiing slalom course runs.
After that I carved my way back in some tiny waves and called it a day
Several others arrived by 1:30 all rigged they headed to the channel and beyond.
Keith and Craig took on another session as I derigged and dragged my tired body home.
Excellent day, I was toasty warm with dry suit, gloves, hood and helmet.

LSC Buoy Data 10-21-14

Highlight of the day:  Speed runs on rippled water at middle channel - All time water kiteboard record set 27.15 MPH.
TOW:  2.00 hours
Gear:  9M 140 board
Water Conditions:  Small waves to flat water ripple
Weather:  Cloudy, upper 40s air and lower 50s water
Wind:  Generally NNE to 30 - some gustiness near the leeward side
Schooled:  Load and pop feast, High speed runs and plenty of carving




Harsens 10/22/14
MAX SPEED 27.15 mph
AVERAGE SPEED 14.30 mph
DISTANCE 20.41 miles

 

Day 53 of the 2014 season: "Da Island" lites up

Cold, cloudy, gray, some rain but most importantly winds.
Full drysuit with hood and gloves made me feel toasty warm.
Keith, John, Harry, Jeff, Tom and a few others made the trip and were well rewarded.
First ride out I started an upwinder to the middle channel half way there for some reason the  kite crashed, tangled and rolled. Eventually got it to fly back wounded with twisted outside lines. Once back on land re-rigged and set back out for the channel.




MAX SPEED 20.27 mph
AVERAGE SPEED 14.01 mph
DISTANCE 27.86 miles

Highlight of the day:  The butter smooth middle channel carving bliss
TOW:  3.0 hours kiting, almost 30 miles
Gear:   9M 140 Mako
Water Conditions:  Voodoo chop to flat water bliss, mid 50s temp wise
Weather:   Mostly cloudy, 50
Wind:   On shore NNW 20-30 MPH
Schooled:    Still Loading and popping practice, definitely had the chop for it today.

Mitchells Bay Data

Day 52 of the 2014 season: A well spent day at the Metro Beach funpark

Tom and Keith on the water

A decent Friday, 10 plus kiters and 8 plus windsurfers.
A good turnout, Kite sizes from 9-15 and sail sizes from 5.5, 6.5.
Good steady 10-20 kiting winds from 11:30-1:30.
And at 3:30 did a light windsurf session on the 101/5.7 .



Highlight of the day:  Just typical Metro Beach riding
TOW:  2.0 hours kiting and 1 hour lite wind WS
Gear:   11 M 140 Mako and 5.7 Ezzy with 101 board
Water Conditions:  Typical SW LSC chop
Weather:   Mostly cloudy, low 60s
Wind:   On shore SW 10-25 MPH
Schooled:    Still working on loading and popping



LCS buoy data 10/17/14

Day 51 of the 2014 season: Quickie session at Maple Bay Lagoon

Gnarly, unlaunchable at my favorite Empire Beach launch due to high on-shore winds and waves. With no margin for errors it wasn't a good option. So decided Maple Bay would be a good choice.
Drove over to east bay and did the hike fully dressed down to Maple Bay. Rigged and made a bee line to the lagoon ASAP. Found the lagoon half over washed, but there was still some butter to be found.  That's where I enjoyed some deep edging and hard carving. Rode in and out over the sandbar out to the swell and back into the rippled lagoon.
A quickie fun session on the 9M kite sometimes way overpowered but most of the time it was perfect 9M.
This is the best for me this year as far as riding the lagoon.  Two other attempts had the lagoon completely overwashed or wind direction wasn't just right.

Tracks for the day



Inside the protected Lagoon

 

Highlight of the day:  Flat water butter
TOW:  1.0 hour quickie session
Gear:   9 M 140 Mako
Water Conditions:  From gnarly to speed ripples
Weather:   Mostly cloudy, 40's
Wind:   On shore WNW 10-30 MPH
Schooled:    Deep carving turns in the lagoon


Day 50 of the 2014 season: Metro Beach Marathon Sessions

Not a bad day weather-wise, usually this time of year wind comes at a price.
Partly sunny and windy for the 3rd day in a row at Metro Beach.
At one o'clock started out with the 5.0 on the 100 liter board with shifty winds from 0-30 MPH from the southwest.
That lasted about an hour, the gusty winds made it way to much of an effort to enjoy.
Came in and joined Keith and Dave at the beach to kite  - rigged the 11 M with the 140 Mako board.
Rode from 3:00 until 5:15 in gusty conditions some times over powered with the 11 M. Chris eventually came out on his 12 M, Craig with his 9 M, John on his 12 M.
Came in derigged the kite and then decided to rig my new 5.7 Ezzy Elite sail. Didn't think I would get many rides in the fluky and now lite south winds, but wow I was surprised, either the sail is that good or I caught the tail end of some heavier wind. It worked excellent matched with my 100 liter board.
Played with this from 6 - 7 and enjoyed the new sail with the light winds.
It was good to see all the WS'fers back in full force.

 

Metro Beach Vista

 

Highlight of the day:  Fun sessions on both kite and WS with new 5.7 sail
TOW:  4.5 hours
Gear:   5.0, 5.7, 100 liter and 11 M kit with 140 Mako board
Water Conditions:  upper 50s with typical LSC chop
Weather:    Partly sunny mid 50s
Wind:  SW to 30 with wind clocking to south by end of the day
Schooled:   KS: A little bit of load and pop and 180 ollies.
WS threw out every move I know on the new Ezzy Elite 5.7.

 

 

 

Day 49 of the 2014 season: Quickie kite session at Metro Beach - should I go or should I stay

Debating, should I go or should I stay. Once I saw the hail and grapple warning I decided to wait the radar out. Once the storms passed I headed to the beach.
Light winds had most people grounded by my arrival time at 2:30.
The sun then came out it and it looked like the day was done for wind. Hung out for awhile and the wind spiked up and people started to scramble to head back out. I decided to rig the 9M kite since my windsurfing muscles were sore.
Once on the water the wind spiked up more to 30 MPH plus. So I just held on and waited for the punchy winds to lighten up. Eventually winds were to punchy, gusty and  fluky and it wasn't worth the effort.. Came in and called it a day.
It was good to see a lot of windsurfers on the water - perhaps I should have gone 4.5 windsurfing instead...

 

 

 

Highlight of the day:  Not much, mowed the lawn in way overpowered conditions
TOW:   1 plus hour (3:30 - 4:45)
Gear:   9M 140 Mako
Water Conditions:  Typical LCS chop
Weather:     50 degrees, partly sunny
Wind:  10-30 mph from WSW
Schooled:   Overpowered on the 9 meter

Day 48 of the 2014 season: Metro Beach - Rocking steady




Second Session south winds



It was a rare 2014 Windsurf session at the local watering hole. So windy that I didn't back in my van for fear of loosing my hatch door if opened into the wind. 
It was a warm early October day with a low pressure system and its associated front barreling down the great state of Michigan.
During the morning in the warm sector of the front it was one of the best windsurfing days I have had locally this year. SSE winds to 35 MPH and never a lull for the first 2 sessions.   


Third session SW winds



 

Third Session with the wind slacking off

Keith and I had 2 good sessions both before noon. Started out with a cool looking  reddish/orange tropical looking sky as the sun rose up. Eventually a heavy overcast with some heavy rain took over. But the wind remained rock steady 4.0-4.5 conditions. The 3rd session had the wind switch to southwest and become fluky.
My hands are worn out, I'm so use to kiting that I have the sissy hands of a kiter. Also the next day brought on some pain in the seldom used windsurfing muscles.Windsurfers 6, kiteboards 0, retroed back to the early 2000s with all windsurfers and no kiters.





 

Wind Data 10-3-14

Highlight of the day: Steady winds from 8:30
12:00. Also some of the fastest tracks I ever recorded with an average speed of 17.5 MPH.
TOW:   3 hours
Gear:   4.5 Ezzy with 84 liter JP FSW
Water Conditions: From voodoo chop to some nice rollers for slashing
Weather:     65 degrees, partly sunny, rain to mostly cloudy
Wind:  25-35 mph from SSE-S-SW-WSW
Schooled:   Some fantastic jumping