Mille Lacs - 2M anyone?

Share stores of your big days, soul rejuvenation experiences; moments that defy time.

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Eric S
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Mille Lacs - 2M anyone?

Post by Eric S »

I'm a little afraid to go back up there. My 4M foil taught me some lessons . Thanks Jerry and Jeff for helping me sort it out after I got it all tangled. It was really good at Reddy Creek yesterday.

We didn't know were we were going to launch but everyone seemed to show up at the pull-put at Reddy. In the summer this is my favorite place to kite solo.

http://www.downhaul.com/kites/030314/im ... 010025.jpg

Today I was not solo.

Jerry S and Jeff G came up. Vojta http://www.downhaul.com/kites/040304/ and crew also showed. Those guys have some balls parking down on the sand road. I say Peter H and I think Rob E and Mike F with him. We all had good sessions! It was really windy Vojta on his old yellow and orage Naish, Peter hill was on a Wipi I have not seen him on before, Mike (I think it was mike) on a Rhino v1 and (I think it was Rob Evans) on a white and orange Wipi. Jerry, Jeff and me were riding foils super powered. Jerry S on his trusty 3M Mosquito, Jeff on is 3.3M Flexi Blade and me on a Blade II 4M.

It was quite a mix.

There were nice little booters near shore but I spent most of the day off shore just trying to deal with the power. I did however have a few nice and fast downwinders after grinding so much upwind (heck, that's the pay off of being too powerd on snow, go way up wind and then mach downwind at almost windspeed)

The snow was about 4 inches of sponge. I never saw ice except when I had to clear some of to drive my ice screw in. oh yeah, there was some exposed ice on some of the heaves but you like that kind of ice for doing transitions on or jumping

http://www.downhaul.com/kites/030314/im ... 010004.jpg

I kited for way to long and didn't realize the time. We started packing up at about 4 or so. There was a little drizzle that started to happen then but it wasn't a big deal.

Jerry S said that the Vojta crew was going to do a "crossing" dang! I was thinking about it for a minute but realized I was so spent that I just started packing gear.

After I cleaned up, I saw the guys getting ready to go. Go out into white nothingness and comeback. I took my snowboard out to a little ice outcroping and sat on it, keeping my fanny drier.

I watched them go back and forth hucking little jumps. I cheered as loud as I could when one of them got off the ground. Suddenly, as if with a call, the four kiters started out in a group into the mist. I watched untill they basically dissapeared. Life was good.

I packed. drove to Garrison and thought by a slim chance that I would see them. I did not. I continued to drive home, had eats, and passed out.

I'm writing this now thinking that we might go up again today but it looks so windy I don't know if I have the kite for it.


eric
Eric S
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Post by Eric S »

OK, fear is gone, wind is up.

We are going to hit Izatys with ETA 10AM. Last chance for kitesnowboarding this year?

eric

update: yikes fear this 06:53 W 25 G 36
Mike B
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Post by Mike B »

On my way. I will stop at Izatys first. Hope to see others.

Mike B
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Professor Robae'
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Nice post Admirial S!

Post by Professor Robae' »

What an incredibly sweet day! We decided the snow condition could be compared to skiing on frozen Cool Whip! Not icy at all but very edgable, smoooooth and fast. The wind was perfect, steady & strong. Temperature: ideal, sailing company: outstanding.

This was my first time sailing out of Voita's secret spot: I will definitely be back. Voita, for that matter, was obviously very excited to be there as he was hucking huge! :roll: We're talking mega, monster, sick Air! Then he gave me a few key pointers and ahh haa! The air time can feel as effortless and clean as he makes it look as long as you veer that kite just right :P

The 3/13/04 Millie Lacs Crossing: It was getting later in the afternoon and the group decided it was time for the long grind across. As we started out I happened to glimpse the spectator gallery cheering us on (consisting of one Admiral S. 8) ) As we started zipping across, our heading was just above the two hills that mark Garrison. Cool, race to the Walleye is on! Then, in an amazingly steady and gradual fashion, the wind started to veer from the south to the west. After 40 minutes of up-wind grinding, Garrison was now 3 miles strait up wind! Ouch! Voita carried his GPS that shows the long heading arch that we made as we crossed the big pond. We named our course the "Big Bender." The race was eerily similar to last summer's Millie Lacs crossing, Deja Vu! We continued on port tack and finally stopped within a mile or so of shore, a few miles North of Garrison, the race to the Walleye will have to wait till next time. Just as we parked for a rest, the sun came out from behind the clouds for the first time of the day and basked us in golden late afternoon sunshine as we sipped on our precious cargo of Moosehead. Ahh, life is good!

I will attempt to post the awesome pictures Peter took throughout the day and Voita's GPS track of the "Big Bender." What a sweet day! :wink:
Last edited by Professor Robae' on Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tighe
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Post by Tighe »

sounds very nice. Regretting bailing on it.

What were Vojta's hints on Jumping? he she gets mega air off the slightest breeze.

Looking forward to the pics.
Tighe
Professor Robae'
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Voita's hints

Post by Professor Robae' »

The old saying, "timing is everything" is very true here. The sequence is to gain as much speed as possible, edge very hard and as hard as possible just before and at the point of lift-off. My problem was that I was not veering the kite back far enough in the wind window. Start the kite at about 10:30 in the wind-window while you attain max speed & edge, then sharply veer the kite up, all the way past strait up (12 O'clock) all the way back to about 1:30. Time it just right with your hardest edge and a little kick off your downwind ski, coupled with good speed and there is no choice but Air! Now that you are flying you must sharply veer the kite forward again to slow the kite down and gain control. Anticipate that you will now be flying almost strait downwind. Voita calls it the pendulum effect: as you are in the air and you veer the kite forward, your body swings from behind (upwind) of the kite to underneath the kite. Your weight acts to break the fast moving kite and if done just right this breaking motion acts to float you very gently back down to earth in a smooth, sweet, controllable manner.

Now the challenge is to ad spins, flips, loops and bigger, higher, monster, sick air like masters Voita & AP!!!! :shock:
Eric S
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Post by Eric S »

Awesome story Professor! I'm glad the crossing was as cool as it looked when you headed out. I especially like the part were the sun came out and shone on your troop.

I know that feeling of being blocked in by clouds all day in spring only to have the sun peak out and slam your face for a few minutes. As you look around under the grey canopy and feel the hot spring rays warm you quickly, I think...

Wow, This is it!

PS was that Mike Fye with you guys on the Rhino? I thought he had only Toros, HEY MIKE!
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