Beginner's Bliss

Some say that learning kiting in New England in Winter is bad because you spend so much time being dragged under, over, and thru the frigid water. Igor and I know that's just a myth perpetuated by tropical resort owners. The trick is to pick a day when the air temp is colder than the 38 F water. Then getting dragged all over the bay warms you up. Igor practiced water starts for 2 hours in the shallows, getting about 1000 of them, including some nice ones. His determination is unnatural. I found a sand bar out in the bay with 9" of water over it. This was sweet! I could try any stupid move I wanted and have just enough water to soften my crash. Then all I had to do was stand up in shin deep water, straighten out my brain, and go again. Plymouth/ Nelson St., Kitesurfed, NE 8-18?, 12 M Kite/ 152 Ply board, With Igor, 34 F Temp. Picture- cruising over the sandbar, thanks for sending the picture Igor. Note- tide was 1 hour behind IWindsurf chart.

Dad, 1925-2010

My father loved adventure. I'm sure his greatest adventure was getting married and raising 3 troublemaker boys but it's the outdoor adventures that I'm thinking of. How he loved nature. How he loved facing challenges, and how he got us all outdoors doing something exciting whenever he could. He taught us all how to do some unique activities. Like crabbing from the canoe in the back cove. He would get so excited when he saw a crab hiding in the seaweed, it seemed like catching that crab was the most important thing in the world. And his excitement was contagious. It took me years to learn how to slow myself down enough to catch a crab without turning the whole canoe over. But I became an expert at it, just like dad, and the excitement stayed with me long after I stopped going to the crabbing cove. He had the same excitement, the same tone of voice, when catching a bluefish, skiing on a beautiful snowy morning, clamming, skating on a frozen pond, catching a storm wave bodysurfing, skinny dipping in the frigid water at East Beach in the Fall. It was his joy in conquering a challenge that made these things so special. It's the same joy that I feel now when I'm faced with my own adventures- raising my 2 boys with my loving wife, windsurfing on a stormy day, kitesurfing. I know I get my own love of adventure and challenge straight from dad. It's a part of him that is with me every day, and it gives my life an extra spark, a special joy. He is with me every time I lift my sail to the wind and step onto a board to skim across the ocean that he loved so much.

Beautiful Day to be Skunked

Tiverton; Farms and Ocean Remind me of Prince Edward Island It was a beautiful day to be outside, no matter where or what. Fogland was skunky but it didn't depress me as much as usual. I soaked up some rays, hung out with Igor, and tried my 15M closed cell foil kite. I've been a little afraid to try this kite because it's supposed to be pretty powerful and it just looks too big. Not today. The only problem I had with it was keeping it in the sky. It felt great in that one big gust to 12 MPH. Fogland/Cove Side, Kitesurfed, WSW 2-12, 15m Flysurfer Speed2/152 Ply Board, Temp 48 F, with Igor.

Landboarding- Icicles and Brakes

Mini icicles were forming on my landboard It was just me and the seagulls but I didn't mind. I didn't have to worry about anyone laughing at my old barge of a landboard. It's an ancient windsurfing landboard, no footstraps, but it has a primitive brake that I added for kiteboarding. I used my 3.6 trainer kite, unhooked, very safe. The brake worked great, keeping the board from turning into an unmanned missile when I fell off and giving me some speed reduction in the gusts. It was pretty challenging and a lot more fun than it deserved to be. Nahant/ Dog Beach, Kite Landboarded, NW, 8-16, 3.6 Foil Kite, Temp 26 F, Solo

Snow Kiting on Pavement

Video from earlier in the day, Johnny Riding, Jean & Peter filming. The lake was super gusty but fun, in a crazy kinda way. The strong winds had swept the snow away in spots revealing small patches of pocked black ice which looked exactly like pavement. It motived me to be conservative and stay upright. Although there were no crashes for me there were plenty of crashes for my kite. I was glad that I was a little underpowered on my 7M. Ron was looking smooth on his home turf with his 9m. Tip to remember- try not to fly the kite to the extreme front edge of the wind window. If I hit a lull in that position my kite will just drop out of the sky like a rock. Let the kite drift back in the window as much as possible, keeping it not too low, not too high. Indian Lake, Snowkited, NW 10-30?, 7M Bularoo/ Skiis, With Ron. Picture- Ice Picks, for self rescue, that I hope I never have to use.

It's All Down Hill From Here

It's all over. I'm done. I turn 50 on Tuesday. Too old for these crazy sports. Body parts are going to start falling off if I keep at it. At least that's what one side of my brain says. The smart side. But I never listen to that side. Crash & Burn- O.K. I was back to crash and burn today. It felt familiar. At first it was mostly from my slide turns. Yesterday they were working really well. Today, not so much. I think I was being too aggressive. Then the wind came up and I switched to my smaller board and it was more than just slide turns throwing me into the drink. I felt like a crash test Dummy. Small Board- This board works! My previous problem with spin out is completely gone now that I know something about edging. That doesn't mean it's easy. It's so touchy compared to my big board! It just submarines if I don't power the kite enough and I can forget about completing my slide turns with this baby. Still, it did handle the chop better than my big board... I think this board is going to teach me a lot, or I'm going to decide it's junk and throw it out. West Dennis- was a party. There must have been at least 8 to 10 guys on the water. The weather threw everything at us, rain-drizzle-fog-sun, strong-light-moderate wind, chop-flat water. I got there when it was blowing to 30 but waited until the tide and wind were lower. Everyone seemed pretty excited to be sneaking in a session this time of year. West Dennis, Kitesurfed, S, SSW, 11-21, 12M Royal Era/ 152 & 132 Ply Boards, Air Temp 46, with Frank, Tom, Greg, Eric, Patrick, Robert, Kristof, others.

Kiting- Learning Curve Illusions

My faithful steeds await in the parking lot snow pile I didn't do my usual crash and burns today. I don't know what's going on. Could it be that after 6 months of face plants I'm starting to figure this kiting stuff out a tiny bit? Nah, it was probably just because the wind was light, (no whitecaps at all). Learning Curve Illusions- I had to sine the kite pretty hard to stay on plane but it was still fun because I felt like I was learning a lot. This is the best time in my learning curve. I have the illusion that I improve every time I go. Nelson St- Nice spot for kiting in shallow water for 2 or 3 hours on each side of high tide, very safe! Strapless Surfboard Riding (Realwind 85)- Crazy, crazy, crazy. I tried a few runs, got up once for a few seconds. How does anyone waterstart without footstraps?! Nelson St/ Plymouth, Kitesurfed, E, 10-15?, 12 M Royal Era/ 152 Ply Board, Temp 41, Solo.

Seasons Greetings from the Chapin Beach Tree Stump

I stopped to say hi to the Chapin tree stump. She seemed to be in good cheer, probably from drinking all those Bud Lights. Yeah, they were empty. I checked. This was one of those days when the temp dropped dramatically as I drove S to the Cape. It was 28 when I left the house and 36 when I arrived at the beach. I think the cold temps back home kept the Boston crew away. I had the beach to myself. I kited during the mid tide, waist deep water and lots of beach, very nice. It was good to know that if I lost my board or the conditions changed I could just walk it back in. 10-20 MPH was enough to have fun with my 12M kite, plenty of power in the gusts, had to pump the kite in the lulls. ENE wind was dead sideshore and pretty gusty. Chapin, Kitesurfed, ENE, 10-20, 12M Royal Kite/ 152 Ply Board, Air 36 F, Solo.

Kiting- Edge Control Makes a Difference!

This was probably my best kiting day yet! I still crashed my kite all over the place and did my signature long swims to retrieve my board but I think I had a breakthrough with edging and handling more power, and my slide transitions started to click a little too. Edging and handling power- The secret ingredient was revealed by Frank's well timed tip- keep the kite low in the gusts. That's the opposite of what I've been doing, stupid me. What a difference! I could feel the board's angle of attack shift dramatically and in a few runs I was upwind by our usual Summer launch spot wondering how I got there. The best thing was that I felt much more comfortable and in control when powered up. It was a pay off day for all my crashes and gallons of saltwater that I've been drinking, great fun! Skim Board- I tried getting up on an old skim board that we had hanging around the house. This was nuts! How can anyone get started on these things? My booties gripped the board like a banana peel on ice. It didn't float at all so I had to throw it across the water and jump on as I powered up the kite. Of course I slipped right off the other side. What was I thinking? I may glue some grip on and try again some time when I feel like crashing a lot. Waquiot Bay, Kitesurfed, SSW, 14-26? 12M Royal Era, 152 ply board, Frank, Igor, Paul, Robert.

Kiting- Equipment Test

It was a pretty wild day. Light start, got to try Frank's 15M Flexifoil with his Door 64. The kite turned like it was in molasses but that board is incredible. It just planes right thru all the lulls. It felt like magic. Then the wind picked up and I got out on the Era 12 with my little ply board (132 x 41) and really gave that board a good try. It felt messed up. At slow speeds, barely powered, it was good but when I got a gust and picked up some speed it just kept sliding out like crazy. Frank thought that it was a technique problem but I think there is something wrong with my board design, fin placement or something like that. Finally it really picked up and I got out with a 7M Bularoo that I bought online. It just arrived on Thursday so I was excited to try it. I just got a few runs before it got too dark to kite but it was fun. It was a little scary being out on a kite in that much wind, sand blowing down the beach etc. The kite felt great, very controllable. I was pleasantly surprised that the 7M felt less "lifty" than the Era12 even though the wind was much stronger. It still might have been the low end of the wind range for a 7? Frank was on his 9M Waroo fully depowered. Otherwise, it was drizzly, grey, cool & stormy, very small but friendly crowd. I felt a little stupid driving home from my day at the beach thru a blizzard of snow but I know that there is more of that to come. Kiteboarded, chapin, 8-15, 10-20, 20-30, ENE,NE, 15M Flexi kite/ Door64, 12M Era kite & 7M Bularoo kite/ 132 & 152 ply boards, Frank, Igor, Kristof, 2 windsurfers. Picture- Igor in the kiddie pool, Frank assisting.

My Feet are Too Big

I never really hit my stride with the kite today but I felt like I was learning a lot and it was great to be out there on such a beautiful day. I could feel myself taking a good deep recharge. My feet are too big- One thing I learned is that I should get a screwdriver and adjust my straps to fit brand new Winter booties before I put my kite up. And I learned what it's like to kite with my toes jammed into the unadjusted straps and my heels hanging on the edge of the board. It's really hard to edge that way, especially on my smaller board, not to mention how sore my toes are now. Windsurfing really has kiting beat on the footstrap adjusting score. Learning by not trying- I also learned that the best way to self land without crashing the kite is to do it by mistake. Every time I try this move I crash the kite and make a mess of everything. Today I snuck up on it. I had the kite low on the edge of the wind window as I walked it in. When a healthy lull hit, my kite fell out of the sky, landing on its leading edge. To my amazement, all I had to do was pull on my outer line to spin the kite into a perfect parked position, no crashes, no birds nest of lines. Of course, I acted like I had meant to drop the kite on that exact spot. I felt like a pro. Windsurfing when you least expect it- The wind died, shifted and came back stronger than before. So I had a bonus session of windsurfing at West Dennis on my way home. This wasn't in the forecast, which made it even sweeter. I was really powered up, so fun. Kiteboarded, First Encounter, 8-22, WSW, W, 12M kite/ 132 & 152 ply boards, Des, Dave, Cathleen, Lisa. Windsurfed, West Dennis, 15-29, WSW, 5.2/ RealWind 85, Hardy from New York, Dave, others. Picture- Dave at First Encounter.

Side-lined by Swine Flu

Barbara has it not me. Still, it doesn't look like fun, very high fever that is hard to bring down. For anyone thinking about getting it this season, I recommend against it. I heard from the usual crowd that it was a pretty good weekend on the water, sunny, warm, some wind both days. Igor got his first moves with a kite, thanks to Frank's help. Go Igor! I was there in spirit. Here's a picture of Soccer Ben. He finished his season with a bang. He scored 7 goals in his last 2 games. That gives him bragging rights! If he ever brings that energy to kiting or windsurfing he'd have the potential to be a lot better than me. I'm not sure that would be a good thing...

Wakeboarding- Fun with Face Plants

Paul with boat, looks like a spy or action movie hero First time wake boarding- Masskiters Paul & Holly needed a spotter and I needed some planing time after my skunky yesterday. What a blast! I got up on my first try with my right leg forward, (ego up), but I couldn't get up at all with left leg forward (ego down). This seems like a great way to experiment with board control and balance and have some excitement on a glassy day. I especially liked the feeling of putting more weight on my front leg to rest my rear leg. After this I should have no problem landing arial transitions and loops on a kiteboard. Fun with Face plants- I have a special talent for dramatic kiteboarding face plants or so I'm told. But I didn't really know what a face plant could be until I caught an edge wakeboarding. I don't know if it was because my feet were glued to the board with bindings or because of the low angle of pull from the boat but these falls packed a punch. It was great fun though. I'd go back out in a heartbeat if the chance came up. Thanks Paul & Holly!

Windsurfing- 3 Strikes and You're Out

Scott- underpowered at Nahant The forecast was for winds up to 40 MPH, widespread, blowing all day & thru the night, dropping off on Sunday morning. Too much wind for me to kite! This was going to be a windsurfing day. Strike 1, Nahant-Scott and I got there around 8:30 AM. I did 2 runs. It was side-on, NE, head high waves, very dirty wind on the inside, underpowered on my 5.2, waves breaking way out made it hard to get past the whitewater, much stronger wind near the outside break but exhausting to get there. I had no strength left to get over those last few waves. Neither Scott nor I made it all the way out. Strike 2, Revere- Straight side shore wind, small but fun waves, nice. I did 3 runs. My first 2 were good. I was just getting settled into the conditions when the wind switched off. I landed way down wind and walked back (thanks for the help carrying my board, Frank). Strike 3, Duxbury- The IWindsurf meter said Dux was still blowing 20-30. So I gave up on those nice little waves at Revere and drove south. No wind. There were still 2 kiters flying their kites when I got there but the wind was disappearing fast. My total runs for the day? 5. Don't shoot the messenger? It's too bad that the IWindsurf site crashed in the AM. I waited until 7:00 before leaving the house so I could check the morning update but the whole site crashed at that time so I had to rely on the previous nights forecast. Later I found out that the morning update accurately predicted the wind to drop off during the morning, especially in Boston. What good is it if no one can see it? Busted Drysuit- I sent it back for new knees. Barbara suggested I try her full baggy drysuit for a temporary replacement. It fit! Bottom Picture- unknown kiter playing in the waves at Revere.

Drysuit Blowout

I blew the knee out of my drysuit today at Hardings Beach. I just bent my leg and it split. Man that water was cold! My knee went numb almost instantly. It felt like someone hit it with something hard and cold but it was just the water. The bottom half of my suit is neoprene, tight fitting, so water didn't migrate in very far, allowing me to keep kiting, frozen knee and all. First time Self launching- I used a sign post at Hardings, put a rope and caribiner around it, hooked my chicken loop in and it worked great! Then I did it again at West Dennis pond after launching Scott. I used a metal pole and flew the kite out over the water, still worked great. First time landing a buddy while flying my kite-Scott's kite was leading edge down in the water at the shoreline. I just grabbed the LE and twisted it into the wind and held it until he ran down to it. After he had his kite secure, he landed me. Hardings Notes- in SW at low tide had lots of little breaking chop waves even though it was mostly waist deep or less where I was kiting- out near the inlet to Stage Harbor. Pretty challenging for my kiting level but I felt like I was learning a lot. There were more waves than in W. West Dennis Pond Side Notes- Mid tide in WSW winds worked great for Scott and me. It was mostly waist deep everywhere. Only room for a couple of kiters though. Hardings Beach, Kited, SW 14-21, 12M/ 152 ply board, Des, Jerry E, others. West Dennis, Kited, WSW, 11-18, 12M/ 152 ply board, Scott.