Kiting at White Bear

White bear earned its name today, as the afternoon was blanketed in mist and fog. That didn't stop Caleb, Jackie, Nick, Jeni, Tim S and I from getting out and having some fun. We took the kites out and spent some time skidding around between the drifts and ice patches. Nick and Jeni were trying out Nick's new 3.6m trainer, Caleb and Jackie were taking on turns flying the 15 (while the other was chasing them around to help relaunch when the wind died), and I was having fun shuttling people back upwind with the truck, pulling minivans out of snowdrifts, and trying to get some pictures. Unfortunately I only got pics of Caleb before it started to mist/rain and didn't really want to take my camera out after that. Despite the crazy weather, I think that everybody had a good day and I had a blast just being out there with everybody. As an added bonus, Jackie got to show off both her driving skills and the off-road capabilities of a Passat. We did a few miles out on the lake caravan-style dodging (and sometimes just smashing through) the drifts. I was amazed to see some of the things that little car went through.

Off the hook!

The really good kiters spend a fair bit of time riding "unhooked" (using only arms to hold on, not their harness) so that they can do some awesome spins and cool tricks. I found out yesterday that this style of riding is no longer just for the ultra-good riders - it's also for those dumb enough to forget their harness at home. Yes, I headed out for a quick session on White Bear Lake yesterday sans harness. I drove up, drove out to a good spot on the lake, set up the big kite, and only when I was about to launch did I realize I was going to be having some really tired arms. I have a 15m kite (really big) and the winds were 8-12mph (moderate) and those combined to show me that my arms that are really out of shape. I did get in about 40 minutes of riding, with frequent rest stops, but I eventually had to put the kite down because I was afraid a gust would come, yank the bar out of my hands, and send me running after it down the lake like the fool that I was. On the upside, the riding I did was fantastic. There wasn't alot of snow, but enough that my skiis could hook up. It was a beautiful day and it was really cool just being on the lake. The lake was full of people doing everything from ice skating and snowmobiling to snowshoeing and fishing. Cool day, sore arms.

Amazing kite day

I headed out to White Bear Lake for a couple hours on New Years Eve and was treated to one of my best kite sessions yet! Steady 15mph (or so) winds, untracked powder snow, and a bunch of other kiters out buzzing around. For a while the wind was actually fast enough that my lines were whistling when I was standing still. Pretty cool. I didn't do any huge boosts, but I took my time getting comfortable with some 3-4 footers. I also got some practice in with high-speed, one-handed runs as I zipped across the lake. In a switch from my normal wind luck, I managed to get there right as it picked up and rode until I was exhausted. I got in about 2 hours of continuous riding on my 15m and finally quit when my legs were burning and my feet were frozen. For the first time ever, the wind died as I was putting my kite away instead of when I was setting it up. It was great.

Unfortunately, I got very few pictures. By the time that I was done kiting and had my camera out the wind was dying fast and there weren't many kites left. It's a shame because there were some great riders out there (like Kurt) who were really hitting some sweet tricks. That aside, it was an awesome day.

Have Slush, will kite

Yesterday I was out on White Bear Lake with Nate, Steve, and Ben. The winds were light, but I was able to get some good riding done on my 15, including a few fun 5' (or so) boosts. Nate was teaching Steve on his 11m and it looked like Steve was picking it up quickly. Ben seemed to have some problems keeping his kite in the air, but he was sticking it out and working with it. The best part of the day, though, was that it was in the upper 40's and we were kiting in sweatshirts.

I didn't get any kiting pics, but I did get a couple shots of Nate and Steve hitting a picnic table at the beach.

Spring is definitely coming in, stay tuned for boating season!