Test Pilot

Chapin- Nice day! Sunny, crisp, windy. I use my twin tip, my surfboard, and my fantastic new experimental piece-a-junk board. It's a long narrow antique kiteboard that has been carefully re-engineered to look and perform just like a modern, hi tech ride. I hacked off all the excess board on either side of the footstraps. New size is 83 x 40. No fins. I can't believe this pie plate works! It's fun. Like kiting with nothing on my feet except straps. It's especially fun when I let my weight get a tiny bit forward on the board. I take an invigorating ride over the handlebars. Maybe I should change the name of this blog to Stupid Shit with Kites. Kerri's idea- Thanks for that. Chapin/Mayflower, Kitesurfed, NW, 12-25, 10M Rally/ Mako,Surfboard,Pie Plate, with Frank, Andrey, Chriz, Sandie, Kerri, George, Brian, Brad, Ed, others.

Dancing with Skunks

W Dennis. Doing the light wind dance. Lots of good kiting discussion. Not much kiting. Except for Chriz. He's having a solid session on his 19M Flysufer with Franks door. I take it out for a spin. So nice! Chriz riding his magic carpet Then the wind totally dies. I go for a SUP paddle in the marsh before calling it quits. Not an adrenaline day but it'll keep me alive for another week, hopefully.

Kiting for Pie

I heard rumors of pie at Horseneck Beach. Apple pie. But that's not why I came. I came for the waves. I came to be part of the spectacle of kiters bobbing over the mounds of whipped cream foam. I came for the lions roar of the charging water. The wisps of spin-drift, salt, sand, seaweed. And apple pie. It's a sign of the season. Rake leaves, ride Horseneck waves, eat apple pie. Dylan and Ellen hosted the apres kite. Jean provided the pie. It was a perfect punctuation to a satisfying day of kites, friends, laughs and crashing into the lips of waves that I misjudged. Thanks for fattening me up. Oh yeah, the sky was pretty nice for taking photos too. Horseneck, Kitesurfed, SW, 13-23, 10M Rally/Mako 150 & 6' surfboard, with Jean, Johnny H, Dylan, Kitermike, Skyrocket, Alex, Flo, Philip, Tim, ChLemaire, Nick, JayTheJoker, Other Jay, John, Chucky, Others. Click on pics for full size. Pic 1- unknown rider Pic 2- Jean Pic 3- Skyrocket Pic 4- John Pic 5- unknown rider

Graveyard Shift

Call me the clean up crew. When I arrive at P Bay, most people are getting off the water. Frank, Jamie, Kristoff, and some other slackers are hanging out and talking about the day. A velvet sunset is starting to creep out from behind the city skyline. I don't have time to dawdle. It's time for the night shift to go to work. Darkness settles in and the crowd thins down to me and 1 other kiter, Andrew, combing the glassy slicks, making sure that everything is in order, tucking the bay in for sleep. The city lights are on. The white spray thrown up by our boards marks where each kiter is in the dark.   It's quiet time on the water. We stretch out across the blackened bay. Andrew does speed runs behind the wall, clocking 35 MPH top speed. I practice jumps near the launch area. Faint ripples trail out from our boards across the oily black surface of the water. We are focused, efficient in our work. We don't stop until we are satisfied that the water has been thoroughly swept. Everything is clean, neat and in order. Pleasure Bay is groomed and ready for the next day. Life is as it should be.  I land my kite. My job here is done. Working the night shift in this city is grimy, tiring work, but I take pride in what I do. I glance at the deserted beach as I pull out of the parking lot. This bay is sleeping like a lamb. Pleasure Bay, Kitesurfed, SSW, 18-32, 12M Rally/Flx138, with Andrew. Picture- Chris L working the sunset shift.