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.

Something New, Something Old

Stage Harbor- 10M kite, nice session in the slicks, blah, blah, blah. Fun but nothing new. Monomoy Island Rounding-  Second session. Something new. 6M kite, Hardings beach has become a sand blaster. Very gusty on the water. Waist high rolling chop. Hardings Sand Blaster I'm tired from my first session, head over to the flats to get a rest from waves but it's pretty choppy over here too. I could head back to Hardings and call it quits or... I could follow Peter for an impromptu circumnavigation of Monomoy Island, about 3 miles round trip. I'm trying to catch up to him to say boo, the whole way, but he stays 1 or 2 tacks ahead of me. Before I know it we've gone all the way around. It's nice sightseeing. I love exploring deserted spots like this! Poking my board into all the nooks and crannies. No slicks to be found though. It's too windy. Even the chop has chop. Now I'm tired. Before I was tired but now I'm tired. Rounding Monomoy Island was something new. Feeling wiped from kiting? That's something I'm pretty familiar with. Hardings Beach, Kitesurfed, SW, 15-30, 20-40, 10M Rally, 6M Rally/ Mako150, with Frank, Andrey, Colleen, Sam, Chriz, Jorge, Mike, Peter, Des, others.

No Honor among Kiters

I have a nice kite session at Mayflower before the wind dies. Now I'm in the Chapin parking lot sleazing some of Johnny's teriyaki steak tips, grilled in the Magic Bus, that smell better than anything can possibly smell. I'm not going to say how good they taste. You'll have to use your imagination. They add a few years to my life though. I eat, socialize, recharge. I'm ready for more action. The wind is light. A few of us rig big. The smarter kiters just watch. Jean says he'll be the sacrificial lamb. He'll leave so the wind picks up. It works! Not long after he leaves, I have to depower my 17M kite. Sandie has to depower her 12M kite. Yee Hah! I kite until my legs start to cramp. Of course, you might think that I would say the wind picked up whether it did or not. And you would be right. There is no honor among kiters. But it really did pick up. I could have switched to my 6M. Really. Mayflower, Kitesurfed, WNW, 15-23, 10M Rally/Mako 150. Chapin, Kitesurfed, W, 10-20, 17M Fat Lady/6' Surfboard/Flx138.  Picture- Riders on the Magic Bus.

Closing Time

Chapin, Throw Down 10- Yeah, I came to this party a little late. Rumor has it that there were quite a few kites out here earlier. I was on the water for a little while and everyone cleared out. I have that affect on people sometimes. E wind- at Chapin is a dirty, sneaky, low down wind. Gusty, side off, no wind near shore, high tide. Why is everyone leaving? Guess I picked the wrong spot for a late day session. It was good to see some of the crew, even if just in passing. Chapin, Kitesurfed, ENE, E, 5-25, 10 M Rally/Mako150. Pic- Chapin, where did all the kiters go?

A Horse with no Waves

Who said Horseneck is good in SE? Somebody said Horseneck is good in SE. Not so good today. Sure, the wind is there, but no waves. This spot is all about the waves.The waves are AWOL. So I go exploring. I start at the state beach, go upwind to Gooseberry Island, get as far as the trailer park before Gooseberry blocks the wind too much. I downwind it, riding the imaginary waves all the way to the other end of Horseneck, and cross the channel to the beaches on the other side. I've always wanted to check these beaches out! Lots of rocks. Some really big rocks. It's picturesque. I stop to take a picture then do a few runs among the rocks. In the fading golden sunset light, I can't see below the surface at all. Is this smart? I go slow. I work my way back upwind to the state beach, and bring it in as twilight pulls it's thin veiled curtain across the sky. It was good. Horseneck is good in SE. Didn't somebody say that? It's just not good for waves. Horseneck, Kitesurfed, SSE, 17-25, 10M Rally/Mako150, Solo.

Don't Mess with the BBB, (or with Brad)

I get some Buzzards Bay boosting. The BBB. With Brad. It's better than Boston Baked Beans. But now I have B's on my brain. No one should read this. I mean it. It's embarrassing. Just look at the pictures. Brad does the BBB Buzzards Bay, Kitesurfed, SSW, 15-21, 14M Rally/ Mako150, with Brad.

Bright Lights, Big City

Boston- We aren't going to get many more days like this in 2013, hot, humid, windy! There's a big collection of kites and riders at P Bay. Josh and I are taking turns on the 14M kite, really powered up, as the sun goes down. We aren't going to let a little inconvenience like nightfall ruin our fun. Kiting  in near darkness can be beautiful, a hazy half moon hanging in the sky, City lights casting shimmering trails on the water's black mirror surface. Glowing jellyfish weave dots of greenish light in my boards wake. So nice. We go until some lightening in the distance rudely interrupts the reverie. Josh's first time- at P Bay, kiting in such tight crowds, kiting so powered up on the 14M, kiting in dimness. It takes him awhile to get comfortable with the P Bay dance, but he gets it. Then he doesn't want to stop. Sounds familiar. Pleasure Bay, Kitesurfed, SSW, S, 18-28, 14M Rally/Flx 138, with Josh and lotsa friends. Top Pic- P Bay scene. Bottom Pic- Josh in twilight.

Wellfleet- Unwind Me

It's one of those weeks that winds you up, tighter and tighter, like a tether ball twisting on a pole. What do you do to unwind? I drive to Wellfleet, throw some kiting gear and my lunch in the dinghy and motor out to the tip of Great Island, where there's nothing but sand, seagulls, and seals. No tether ball poles. I explore. I kite. I get lost in the moment. Here's what I find. 1- Breakwater. This spot looks like fun at low tide but is disappearing quickly just 2 hours past low. Wind is light SW. I take a few runs then scramble to derig before it all goes under. 2- Nice slick on W wind, where the plover fence ends, probably has some shallows on any tide if wind is straight W. But wind is light NW. Riding in offshore wind in these conditions isn't smart. I take some runs. 3- I walk upwind nearly 1 mile, do a downwinder on oceanside back to boat, still light NW wind, deep water, pretty choppy. Might have some tidal pools at dead low. Lots of curious seals. 4- A little slick at mid tide, nothing fantastic, very strong N wind now, I need a smaller kite. There's a lot of chop in the harbor, bouncing me around in my tiny boat, as I motor back to the truck. 5- Boat is packed up. I drive to end of Griffin's Island road, park where it says Permit Parking Only. I'm told it's O.K. off season. I walk over high bluffs and dunes, kite with 8M kite. Very gusty from the bluffs upwind in straight N wind, mostly deep water and chop 2 hours before low. Overall impression of Wellfleet- Lots of seals. Kiting is probably most fun on- SW and low to mid tide, W any tide, NW low tide. Need boat. High dunes and bluffs on all of Great Island to #3 on map limits kiting in spots such as The Gut. Very quiet and deserted out on the sandbars. I didn't see any other kiters anywhere. A good adventure.

It was a Dark and Stormy Night

Walters boat in Stage Harbor 2 days kiting on the Monomoy flats, 1 night sleeping on Walter's 42' cottage on the water. Me, Josh, Paige, and Walter. I love it! The adventure, the beauty, the salt crust in my hair. This is not a relaxing-on-a-sailboat kind of 2 days. We dinghy out from the Barn Hill boat launch, 15 minutes to the sailboat, 2 trips to move our gear and 3 people. Then we dinghy out to the flats for kiting. My tiny dinghy becomes our trusted steed. More like a miniature pony. Walter's handsome steed of a sailboat is highly civilized. Very roomy, clean, and comfy, hot showers even. I can't whack my head on anything if I try. It's a good night for sleeping on a sailboat, stormy, windy. My favorite moment- I'm in my sleeping bag listening to the beat of lines against the mast. The boat rocks gently. Faint evening light outlines the open hatches and portholes. A fresh breeze blows in. Water gurgles and whispers around the hull. The only thing missing is a little snoring. Ah, there it is! I sleep like a burnt out light bulb, right through an incredible thunderstorm apparently.  Mayhem and Madness Great time. Thanks for sharing your Madness Walter! Learners Report Josh- gets solid on both carving and pivoting into and out of toeside, can ride toeside both directions but better in his favored direction. He says he feels all twisted up like a pretzel riding toeside. Welcome to the club. Paige- finally gets perfect learning conditions. Yay! She does great. She's flying the kite 1 handed, bodydragging downwind, starting to drag to each side. I've never seen anyone go from totally crashing the kite 1 session to flying it easily 1 handed the next. Her water skiing upbringing is starting to shine through. It was fun to see Brad teaching Kristen out on the flats too. Also fun to see lots of other friends kiting by out there. Click on pics for full size.

The Best of Times, and the not so Best of Times

Sandy Neck- 3 miles from Chapin, nothing but slicks and waves as far as the eye can see, perfect wind for a 10M kite, sun throwing silver diamonds across the glistening water, my board taps out a rhythm as I skip across the washboard ripples. Chriz is out here exploring with me. This is good. This is very good. I'm in my happy place. $50 Parking ticket- There's a very nice officer in the parking lot when I get back. Apparently, if you park at 8:00, before the parking lot attendants arrive, kite out to Sandy Neck, come back at 12:00, you've committed a parking violation. $50 worth of violation. I try to explain about the slicks and waves as far as the eye can see, the silver diamonds and my happy place. Violation. You need to be here between 9:00 and 10:00 to pay the attendants or you're in violation. I'm a scofflaw, a dangerous violater. But the officer is interested in kiting. It looks like so much fun! Yeah it is. Just don't do it in Dennis. You'll be in violation. Chriz's GPS Tracks Chapin, Kitesurfed, NNE, 15-25, 10M Rally/Mako 150, Chapin with 60 - 70 kiters, Sandy Neck with Chriz. Learners Report Josh- didn't get a session this week but he did last week. Chapin, high tide, choppy. He struggled with riding toeside in the bumps but was getting some good chop hops. Paige- finally got her body drag session. She got dragged. She got bounced. I forgot that she is so much smaller and lighter than me, probably should have had her on a smaller kite. She was still smiling though.

All is Fair in Kiting

This Week- Josh and I got 2 weekday sessions after work, Deer Island, Revere, now we're driving all over the Cape with Paige chasing wind. We finally find it, West Dennis, WSW to W, sideshore coming across land, gusty as stink, dead high tide. This is not an easy launch. Josh is in the water trying to launch the kite, looking for a shallow spot to stand. I have to hold the kite in the dunes. It's not pretty. The kite rolls once and I chase it. No harm done. The second time it goes up. I see the same thing happen to 2 other people. Some kiters decide to wait for the tide to go out. The meter reads 13-30. Josh is riding 14M fully depowered, way out deep, when the depower rope pops out of the cleat in a gust, slams him. No fun. He makes it back on his own though. We put up a 9m and it's perfect for awhile, especially out past the breakwater where the wind is stronger and cleaner. Josh and I take turns on it. It's great. Learners Report Josh- I can't believe Josh got his first full rides just last weekend. Really?! This week he learned to carve to toeside, stay upwind toeside, pop little jumps, and manage these stupid conditions. It's not fair. Paige- is a trooper with our craziness today. 3 beaches and we never find the right conditions for her body drag lesson. You can't learn to kite if you never get on the water. Next time. I hope.

Chappaquiddick Escape

Chappaquiddick. Beautiful Chappy. So quiet and peaceful. Where else on the Cape can you find deserted beaches on a hot Summer weekend day? Only in your dreams. I think the second ferry usually keeps the Rif Raf, like us, out. We snuck onto the island for 4 days. Thurs night-Monday night. The kids were with us for 2 1/2 days. What we did- Kitesurfed 2 full days, windsurfed, boated, SUP'd, snorkeled, biked, fished, puzzled. What we didn't do- Unicycled. Not enough time to do everything. Katama Bay- We boated out to Norton Point Beach, launched kites and I pretended I knew how to teach this sport. The big shallow flats at that end of the bay made a good bodydrag/waterstart/crashing ground. Our inflatable was the chase boat. 2 full days spent kiting here, nice. Cape Poge/The Gut- We drove to the end of North Neck Rd, walked the narrow path to the Gut, (the mouth of Cape Poge). We could have paddled across with kiting gear on SUP but wind was light at the time. We SUP'd, snorkeled, fished. Later I came back and windsurfed. The 4x4 driving pass to Cape Poge costs $180. No day passes, (like Norton Beach $30/day), are available for Chappy. It would be worth the $180, if we were here for  a week, so we could drive out easily and kite. Cape Poge looks like it has the best kiting slicks on the island, supposed to have better wind too. Wasque Reservation- Solo session at the mouth of Katama Bay. Nice spot in SE wind! Sandbars, slicks and waves. Mean current though. Learners report Josh- A quick learner, had his first fully powered sessions, got his first long rides, first slide transitions, good upwind bodydrags, easily kited upwind on outgoing and incoming tides. It must be nice to be 22. Ben- The wind lulled every time he looked at a kite. He only had 1 session due to wind dropping on first day. Did many water starts on 2nd day but never really had enough power to get riding. I should have given him a bigger kite. It was an exercise in frustration tolerance, not Ben's favorite kind of exercise. Paige- Trainer kite session during a gusty spell. She remained in 1 piece, a major success. Barbara- First time flying the trainer. She didn't crash it once! Maybe this is where the kids get their kiting genes.