A Magic trick in the Newburyport Breakwater

It's a snotty, rainy, gusty day. We're kiting inside the Newburyport Breakwater, offshore wind, fierce outgoing tide. I've never kitehammered my kite hard enough to pop a valve. I decided this was a good time to start. It's a few runs after the kitehammer when my kite starts to flutter like a wounded bird and it occurs to me that something might be wrong with it. My wounded bird hits the water belly up. Before I have time to swear more than 10 or 20 times, Jay materializes out of thin air and pulls me to shore. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Jay the Joker. Thanks Jay! I didn't feel like visiting China today. Nor did I feel like releasing my kite and watching it float out to sea although I would have. You pulled a rabbit out of your hat by getting to me before the outgoing tide could flush me out into the great gray yonder. After the excitement, I take a few cautious runs on Brad's 6M kite, then finish off the day on my 8m in Hampton Harbor. Some days you tame the wind. Some days the wind tames you. I'll be back though. Note- Hampton Inlet is best in NW, W, too gusty in SW, S, N. East winds are best on oceanside. Salisbury State Park/Newburyport breakwater, N, 15-35, 6M RPM/Mako 150, with Jay, Brad, Christophe, Jim. Hampton Harbor/Harborside Park, 10-25, 8M Rally/Flx 138, Solo. Top Pic- Boostin' Brad  Bottom Pics- Jay the Joker

Going Downhill Fast

Sunday River- It's 29 F., snowing. The skiing is great. The hot tub is bubbling. Life is good. I hear it was 60 F., sunny in Boston today, 30 degrees warmer than here. I'll bet one or two kiters I know got out on the water. After this snowy weekend, I'm feeling acclimated to Winter. It's going to be sad to see it coming to an end. I guess I'll just have to adapt. Sunday River, Ski Weekend, With Al, Josh, Mom. Photo- Al, Josh

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Lose

The minute I step into the water to kite I know there's something wrong. My right foot gets cold immediately. Uh oh! I know that feeling. That's the feeling of water leaking into a drysuit bootie. But it must be a slow leak cause I start kiting and I don't get hypothermia and die. In fact I have a fine session. It's a solo session cause I got here late and everybody packed up when they saw me starting. When I peel off my drysuit at the end of the day I have a surprise. There's no leak. My left foot has 2 wool socks like always. My right foot has 2 cotton socks. It's tough growing old and losing your mind. Apparently, I can't even dress my self anymore. No wonder nobody wants to kite with me. A kiter without a mind is a hazard to everybody. I'm relieved and happy though. It's much better to lose your mind than to have a hole in your drysuit bootie. West Dennis, Kitesurfed, 10-20, SW, 12M Rally/Flx138 & 6' Surfboard, Solo.

The Winter of My Discontent

The problem with this Winter hasn't been the cold. Kiters know know how to deal with cold, mostly. It hasn't been the storms. It's been light winds. We've had way too many light wind weekends! If this is the wind we're getting during our windy season I don't want to see what we get in the light wind season. The wind forecasts will have negative numbers. In spite of another dismal wind forecast a few of us desperadoes got a windy morning in the Chapin pools. The sun was shining, wind was on, sky was blue, water was turquoise, smiles were big! Chapin, Kitesurfed, NNW, 12-22, 14M Rally/Flx138, with Frank, Andrey, Colleen, Chriz, Sam, Brad, Shane, Kitermike.  Photos:     Top- Colleen     2nd- Frank     3rd- Andrey     4th- Chriz

The Iceman Cometh

West Dennis- The pond is gone! Somebody stole the pond. In its place is a skating rink. Ice, where we were going to kite. I've had just about enough of this Winter's little tricks. O.K., high tide breaks the ice into bite size pieces, wind blows it to the far side, we kite. When I get near the edge of the pond, where there is still some ice, I slice through it with my board cutting hard into the flow and making channels. That's what I think of ice on West Dennis Pond. Photo- A playful seal pup on West Dennis Beach looks like a kindred spirit. West Dennis, Kitesurfed, SSW, 10-17, 14M Rally/ Mako150 & Surfboard, with Frank, Andrey, Colleen, Sam, Barak, Noel.