Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Day 48 0f th4 2016 season: Spooky Session at Port Oneida, Lane Rd Beach

After walking and searching I found a good sandy wide beach area to launch from.
A spooky session at this Port Oneida Good Harbor Bay very secluded beach. Ominous looking dark clouds and not a person in sight.  A nice well powered session with downwind carving runs in the outside swell.
Quickie session ending abruptly at 6:00 with a slight shift in wind direction.












TOW:  4:30-6:00
Gear:   11M Z1
Water Conditions:   SW swell
Weather: cloudy near 70 degrees
Wind: 10-30 SW
Highlight: spooky session with ominous looking clouds, very wilderness looking.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Day 47 of the 2016 season: Day 2 of classic southwest conditions at Empire Beach



Tuesday's first session at Empire beach was a classic. Upwind runs to the dune and downwind wave
riding along the shoreline. Several of these and it was time for a break.
Second session at 3:30, I joined Scott with his 12M park on the water and both of us agreed it was very, unusually gusty and severely overpowered for me and at other times had to work the kite to stay afloat. Called it quits after an hour just to much work and the rewards were not there.



TOW:  11:30-1:30 and 3:30-4:30
Gear:   11M Z1
Water Conditions:  First session excellent conditions, second session gusty and the waves were inconsistent
Weather: Another bluebird day - not a cloud in the sky
Wind: Another classic SW to 30mph
Highlight: Several downwinders from the Empire bluff dune





Northern L. Michigan Buoy wind data



Monday, August 22, 2016

Day 46 of the 2016 season: A Classic Empire Beach Southwester

Have to search for a decent Rigging area

Lucky day - got to empire at 2:30 rigged and kiting by 3:30. Fantasy land here...did 2 hours of circuits upwind to the dune and wave carving back to launch site. This is by far my favorite type of riding. Finally by 5:30 I was way overpowered on my 13, and could of used the 9M. Way to tired to rig the 9.
By far the best wave day this season.


TOW: 3:30 - 6:00
Gear:  13M Z overpowered
Water Conditions: started out as a mishmash of wave directions. It got more organized as the wind speed increased and the inside waves cleaned up
Weather: Bluebird day - not a cloud in the sky
Wind: Classic SW to 30mph
Highlight: The 13Z is a great kite in the upper limits of its range.



Northern L Michigan Buoy - a good representation of Empire Beach winds


      

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Day 45 of the 2016 season: A rare 2016 trip to Harsens Island



TOW:  9:00 - 10:00 and 10:30 - 1:00 11M Z1 kite
Gear:  11M Z1 kite
Water Conditions:  Fairly smooth conditions with a good angle of swell travel
Weather:  Lower 70s and mostly sunny 
Wind:   To 30 mph generally from the WSW - holey conditions
Highlight: A few good powered up, hard driving. carving downwinders.
During lulls I practiced kite looping. Love the new kite!!


HI wind data for Sunday 8/21/16




Saturday, August 20, 2016

Day 44 of the 2016 season: Metro Beach lites up and First rides on my new 11M Z1 kite



TOW:  2:00 - 4:00 13M Z kite and 5:00 - 6:30 11M Z1 kite
Gear:  13M Z kite/11M Z1 kite
Water Conditions:  LSC typical chop
Weather:  80s and mostly sunny 
Wind:   Up to 30 mph generally from the south 
Highlight: New 11M Z1 kite flown for the first time - feels quick to respond

Metrobeach wind data 8/20/16

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Day 43 of the 2016 season: First 2016 Empire beach session

I was sitting on the beach with what appeared to be marginal winds when an older lady walked by with a kite bag and board. I talked with her for a minute and got the scoop. Since I was at the beach with the wife and kids I wasn't in a hurry to rig but if she got planning on her 15 Contra well then I would rig my 13 Z.
She rigged, I launched her and she kited, when she looked powered up and got upwind with ease I decided to rig.
So I rigged and launched. Not much of a session, although I got an hour and a half of better than mowing, some nice boosts on the 13M Z. Toeside was hardly possible. Some nice 180 ollies from heelside to toeside, heading in - from the crest of an inside wave I could ollie up landing in the trough of the same wave. Then I was able to toeside carve through the wave face... good feelings....
First time Joyce and the kids have ever seen me kite...they were impressed.


TOW:  3:00 - 4:30, 1.5 hour
Gear:  13M Z kite and TT
Water Conditions:   Mellow - small swell
Weather:   80s and pure sun
Wind:    SW to 20 mph
Highlight: I joined a 60 year old women on a 15M Contra kite. She was the wind dummy and enticed me to rig up.

Northern Lake Michigan buoy data - a tad lighter at Empire Beach

Friday, August 5, 2016

Day 42 of the 2016 season: Crazy forecast ignored - just showed up and rode

After my early morning bicycle training I went for breakfast and then to the beach.
Lite winds from 10-20 mph greeted me. So I rigged the 13M Z kite and just mowed the lawn until it lightened up just before a rain squall hit. The rain squall hit the area and killed the wind. So I waited around got lunch, ate lunch and by then it was up to 11M conditions. A solid 11M session with 20-25 MPH winds from 2:00 - 6:00 when the wind died off after another rain squall hit.
Fun day at least 20 kiters at the peak.

TOW:  10:30 - 12:00 and 2:00 - 6:00
Gear:  First session 13M Z. Second session used the recently repaired 11M Z with TT board
Water Conditions:    Typical LSC chop
Weather:   Sunny near 90 degrees
Wind:    First session steady but lite 13 M southerlies and second session nearly perfect steady 11M
Highlight: No wetsuit for the first time this year