LAKAWA

Rather than splash water onto the canopy a quick one-handed submersion of the leading edge between the center and middle struts puts adequate water on the canopy to stabilize the kite just before letting go

I'll be there by 1:00

Mille Lacs still looks like it has a good ice sheet once you get away from the shore but I haven't been out kiting for 10 days. Ice fishermen are out with 4 wheelers in Wahkon and Isle bays. Around the edges there is open water or soft ice that's unpredictable. I broke through in a couple places wal...

Wahkon bay on Mille Lacs had good snow cover on Tuesday. Fishermen are still driving trucks out for crappie and perch.

A perch fishing contest in Isle bay yesterday looked like fishing in a swamp. Eric was really soaked after sledding yesterday.

Judd did this on my windsurfer 2-3 years ago at WBL. Scared the crap out of me initially but turned out to be fun. I guess we should have had a camera

Hope the party was good Jeff -- Mille Lacs was. I launched at Carlsona and kited east half way to Malmo, then west a couple miles past Reddy and found
great powder covering the entire north shore. A magic carpet. Totally different from the south end. Hope it stays this good for the crossing.

Hi Nancy --- "The World's Fastest Indian" -- my kind of great movie. Full nice people with positive attitudes willing to help out in a pinch. Like the kiting community.

Steve -- short courses for old farts with bad knees would also be nice.

It's been snowing off and on this morning with accumulation of roughly 1/2 inch. That combined with the snow earlier this week should make for great conditions on Mille Lacs. It's blowing at Staples but not at Brainerd so looks like the wind should pick up around noon.

Hi Barry ----bumpy hard packed snow with occasional bare ice patches. Overall good edging for skis but a rough ride here on the south side. Malmo was holding snow a little better with a 1/2 inch crust of soft snow before the melt but I haven't been out there since.

Jackson Medical in St Paul carried used equipment in addition to new. It might be worth a call to them. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Anna, Eric and I will kite Sunday on Mille Lacs if it's windy --- but predictions don't look promising. I'll post if we go. You're welcome to join us.

Wahkon bay is totally white --- you have to dig to find a layer of wet snow just above the ice surface. I'll give it a try this afternoon.

Mille Lacs has good snow cover with very few exposed areas of glare ice. I walked down the hill from Carlsona today. Snowmobiles have tracked the snow close to shore but it's pristine out farther. Snow is compacted so you don't sink with skis but still soft for edging. The parking pull-off at Reddy ...

He's also welcome to join Eric , Anna and me at Mille Lacs. I've got a trainer he can use if he hasn't flown a kite before.

Anybody missing a slingshot pump? I've somehow picked up an extra.

Terry

I can do that for you.

What wind???? ---just kidding. Kevin and I sailed Mille Lacs at Father Hennepin from mid-morning til 4:00. You know it's a good day when you don't want to quit but have to because you're so totally whipped. Larry L got his Father initiation on the edge with an 11M kite. Kurt looked great lofting hug...

thanks Gary --- try tmdunklee@frontiernet.net

A couple years ago I posted a picture of a board that Luke converted from double back footstraps to a single Da Kine Contour foot strap utilizing the existing holes in the board. He knew a metal fabricator who made a piece that bridged the gap and anchored the strap down. I still sail the board in h...