Day 40 0f the 2015 season: Great Kiting with the 11M an 9M - a rare 3rd Michigan day in a row

Arrived at 10, rigged the 11M and on the water by 10:30. A 2 hour non-stop fabulous session, boost practicing so much that my ribs are hurting. Huge air ollies off some of the larger chop and pure legal fun for the entire sesh. Finally by 12:30 I needed a break due to 30 plus gusty conditions.
At 2:00 the wind was steadier and from the south with numerous storms in the area. So the 9M was the call. Rigged it and got a good hour of steadier south winds with more boosting schooling. Came in before the wind died and derigged in time to stay dry from a rainstorm that hit.
The WS Original Metro Beach, (OMBs) crowd was there with a decent afternoon sesh.
A small crowd of kite boarders on this workday, but everyone left smiling. Keith was crazy boosting and enjoying every second of it. Devon and I were working on our boosts and Mark was on the foil board looking good.

TOW:   Kited from 10:30-12:30 and 2:30-3:30
Gear:   11M, 9M and 140 Mako 
Water Conditions:   Typical MB conditions minus 50 other kite boarders
Weather:    Mid-70s Storm warnings
Wind: Up to 32 MPH from WSW to S
Highlight: Boosts are getting better
Schooled:  Air ollies and boosting practice

Day 39 0f the 2015 season: Metro Beach kiteboarding with good winds aloft - nice sesh - chased off the water by some serious storms

Hung around as the wind was building and watched the few kiters that were out on large kites. Eventually the hot sun got some thermals flowing, Cheryl was out on her 12 and that enticed me. So I rigged the 11M and headed out. By then severe storm warnings were issued. Skies were looking stormy so I stayed closed to the launch and played it safe. Kited with somewhat rare, untrusting southeast winds and decent water conditions for over an hour. Practicing air ollies and some tiny boosts. Finally chased off by menacing looking storm clouds. Derigged and got everything put away in time.
After I left Craig and WA reported high winds kicked in and lifted 2 kiters that were still on the water. Both kiters ditched their kites in the rocks/shrubs and survived what could of been a disaster.


TOW:  5:45 -7:15  kited
Gear:   11M and 140 Mako 
Water Conditions:  Fairly calm with lite winds down low
Weather:    Mid-70s mostly sun
Wind:  Lite wind down low with lofty winds up top 12-22 MPH SE
Highlight:  Lofty kite conditions
Schooled:  Air ollies and some tiny boosts

Day 38 of the 2015 season: Kiteboard craziness and Windsurfing bliss

Happy Memorial Day 2015

Great waterman day, started out with an hours worth of roller kiting in lite winds. Then chilled until 1:30 when the winds picked up enough to think about rigging. Craig, Keith and I rigged at the beach due to the craziness at the official launch site. We all had an excellent session until 4:15ish when winds up to 35MPH were just to much for me to handle on the 11M kite. Craig rigged down to 9, Keith had to go and I took a break. By 5:00 we were done and heading back to official launch site.
I decided to rig my 5.7 and do some windsurfing. Ended up with a near effortless WS session from 5:30-6:30 and no regrets today....love Windsurfing glad I got out with the MB originals.

50 kites in the air at peak rush hour reported by a bystander

Warm up for on the water action

TOW:  9:00-10:00 roller kited, 1:30-4:30 kited, 5:30-6:30 Windsurf
Gear:   11M and 140 Mako and 101 liter board with 5.7 Ezzy
Water Conditions:   Some voodoo vessel chop to nicely formed swells
Weather:    Mid-70s mostly sun
Wind:  Heavy warm air SW to 35
Highlight:  Lofty kite conditions and nearly perfect dial in WS conditions
Schooled:  Kite jumps with a nearly mid air transitions...

MB data

Day 37 of the 2015 season: Kiteboarding Harsens - good start bad finish

Water Conditions looked good when I arrived  - so I rigged the 11M and blasted out in full powered conditions. With north winds I tried for the channel slick but as I headed there the wind steadily got lighter. Decided I better head back and stay in the safe zone near the launch. I got back just in time. The wind rapidly died off and the kite eventually lost air and down it came. Luckily I was 100 yards out from the launch - after several attempts to relaunch all unsuccessful.  I just hauled the kite in and derigged it and walked the final 50 yards or so.
It was a spotty forecast but it looked like it had potential. With the bright sun and possibly thermals adding to it I thought it would work. Needless to say not a very exciting outcome.
Later in the day the big kites came out and they were stuck down wind with the lite winds. Even though it was white capping now from the NE. Finally I left around 3 with 1 19M foil downwind and a 17M LE barely mowing the lawn.








I see Caps but not enough even for the big foils.

TOW:   11:30 - 12:30 ( barely an hour)
Gear:   11M and 140 Mako
Water Conditions:   white capping
Weather:    Mid-50s bright sun
Wind:  Moderate NW-NNE to 20 peak at 11:45
Highlight:  Lucky I got within walking distance
Schooled:   Nothing

 

 

 

 

 

Day 36 of the 2015 season: Another Tuesday at Harsens - The Channel Slicks were awsome!

This season is dedicated to John Z. R.I.P. May 18, 2015
 

Awesome day at the channel slicks, made one trip up to the slick and spent an hour playing.
Nice flat butter smooth conditions, all to myself until Craig finally joined in.

Wind showed up late but we didn't give up we waited and it paid off. The wind finally arriving by 2:30. 11M was ready to go and by 3:00 it was finally kitable with some holiness conditions.
Worked my way upwind to the slick in variable winds - almost gave up due to the wind dropping thus losing ground. Finally made it to the shallower flat water and then I was able to edge harder and gain back ground lost ground. Such good conditions at the slick that I was able to keep my position carving with out losing ground, actually doing figure eights with longer tacks.
The ride back to the launch was one of the most pleasurable downwinders I've ever had.

TOW:   2:30 - 5:30 (3 hours)
Gear:   11M and 140 Mako
Water Conditions:   lighter then normal chop with flat channel slicks
Weather:    Mid-50s mostly cloudy
Wind:  Moderate NW to 25
Highlight:  The channel slicks water ski conditions!
Schooled:  The channel slick carves




Mitchell's Bay wind data

Day 35 of the 2015 season: Harsens Kiteboarding Rocks - An amazing 52 miles of tracks

TOW:   4.5. hours Kiteboarding between 10:00-4:15 

Gear:  11M kite with140 Mako board
Water Conditions:   Mainly WSW winds made conditions unusually choppy but good chop for jumping
Weather:   50s, cloudy
Wind:  12-32 from the WSW, mostly solid conditions
Highlight:   Severely overpowered made the conditions very lofty. Numerous chop hops that turned into lofty jumps. Also got some good stand alone lofty boost jumps.  An amazing total of 52 miles of tracks - that's got to be a personal record for me.
Schooled:  Jumps galore 

Overall a great day with the exception of the channel slicks were choppy. Nice downwind runs in waves fully powered the kite stayed still as I carved through the 2-3 foot swells. Only regret was missing a great windsurf session.
Almost the whole local click/crew was out. Keith, Larry, Harry, Chuck, Millard, Chris, Craig, Scott, Trish and more.



 

Session 1: Harsens
Maximum Speed 22.5 MPH
Distance 28.9 mi.
Moving average 13.48 mph
Duration 02:28:05

Session 2: Harsens
Maximum Speed 19.2 MPH
Distance 23.6 mi.
Moving average 12.87 mph
Duration 02:00:23

 

 

 

 

Keith and Tom crossing paths

Day 34 of the 2015 season: Lofty winds up high made it work for kiteboarding



 

 

Wind data from Metro Beach

After 8 days off the water it was time for a home session.

Didn't expect much when I arrived at the beach. Kites were on the water with sizes ranging from 9-21 Meters. Quite the contrast, some were going good others were struggling. I didn't think it was worthwhile to rig especially with the amount of kites rigged and sitting idle.

Finally Craig and I decided to go to beach and rig - just to much of a zoo at the official launch site.

We rigged at the crowded beach and we kited for 2 plus hours in lite conditions down low and heavier winds aloft - easy jumps with the kite up high - some of my best to date.

Mostly stay away from the crowd of kites near launch site due to the fact I don't like to kite in crowds of kites.

The expert kiters were getting big air with these conditions

Tried some smaller fins to help unstick the board when ollieing from toe to heelside. Didn't notice a difference with the chop and toeside riding was a struggle anyhow.

Overall a decent day.

 

TOW:   2.0 hours Kiteboarding 3:30-5:30

Gear:  11M kite with140 Mako board
Water Conditions:   Typical SE wind/choppy conditions
Weather:   70s, sunny
Wind:  12-20 from the S-SE - good winds above the cold marine layer
Highlight:   Lofty conditions - more wind up at the kite level
Schooled:  Easy chop hop conditions a little hop with the kite up high provided some big boosts