Minnesota's best rides

LAKAWA Knowledge Base - What are your secrets to wind and water success? Share what you've learned that may assist others.

Moderator: MK

Post Reply
Tighe
Posts: 5274
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 10:06 pm
Location: Here, Now

Minnesota's best rides

Post by Tighe »

We've got some amazing riding in Minnesota. A lot of the supreme conditions are a bit of a secret knowledge of older clan. As more and more new riders are joining us, thought it might be nice to share some of that knowledge. How about we all list our top five rides (location, wind direction, why)

I'll start (BTW I favor Port riding)
Kiting
1. Mille lacs/Reddy Creek, SSW winds, incredible ramps all along sandbar
2. Waconia/DNR launch, West Winds, Incredible swell along sandbar
3 Lake Superior/Park Point, NE winds, WAVES, Waves and more waves
4 Mille Lacs/ Father Hennepin, NW winds, big rollers
5. Waconia, South winds, shimmering waters

Windsurfing
1. Pepin/Lake City point, ESE, nice rollers/swell
2. Lake Byllesby, West, nice rollers/Swell
3. Mille Lacs/ Father Hennepin, NW, big rollers
4. Cannon lake, SW, clean cordoroy chop, Slalom blasting
5. Lake Washington, S, slalom blasting

What's your favorite ride?
Tighe
Eric P
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:17 pm
Location: St. Louis Park, MN

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Eric P »

5. SE on White Bear Lake. Love those shallows in the middle of the lake, and the texture is great for unhooked trickin.

4. W on Waconia. The wind just seams to really crank up, and the consequences of dropping the bar is low if you just keep close to shore.

3. W at Malmo on Mille Laks. The waves can just get huge, and the wind can be just ridiculously consistent and powerful. Love riding the 7 meter in 30+ at Malmo.

2. S at Ready on Mille Laks. On a hot spring or Fall day when the water has started to cool, and that warm wind causes the updraft effect on your kite, making it possible to ride a big kite in super overpowered conditions, and yet still feel in complete control. This wind is the second best I have ever felt, next to #1.

1. NE in Duluth on Park Point. That is some crazy fun. When you have 10 foot waves racing down trying to crush you, but also 30+ mph consistent wind getting you away. You just laugh when one of those waves gets you, because you know your kite will keep you out of the really bad wash. The way those waves come in and explode on the sand bar, I don't think that anywhere in the world can compare. And the wind can be so clean, and yet overpowered on a 7 Meter. Crazy fun stuff.
Eric
steveb
Posts: 2146
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:31 pm
Location: sblain@frontiernet.net

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by steveb »

West at Malmo. Malmo buzz, it always seems to be a happy place.
Superior on A Northerly.
Cedar Lake on a South or South West. Steady wind down the chute and a super commute.
Padre in spring.
Lake Winnebago ( Fond du lac wi ) on a Northerly, I've only windsurfed there but it had nice waves.
Regional Ozone Team rider
BBAddict
Posts: 213
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:16 pm

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by BBAddict »

1. W or NW at Rocky Point. Big roller at the point, flatter water around the point.
2. W at Upper Red Lake. Huge fetch, silky smooth wind, good shallows and all alone. Nice rollers at the drop off 200 yds out.
3. S or SE at Buffalo Point. Beautiful scenery, great beach and shallows, super smooth wind.
4. S at Reddy. We all know this place.
5. W or NW at Winni.

Seth
Dave G
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:58 pm
Location: LaCrosse WI

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Dave G »

SSE on the Wisconsin side of pepin at the breakwater in stockholm.....flat water on lee side can be butter in 20 mph winds.....can be really good!

Dave G
Dave G
Dave Z
Posts: 1130
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2002 12:13 pm
Location: White Bear Lake, MN, USA
Contact:

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Dave Z »

Pepin, WI in a BIG Westerly. Huge rollers.

Last time I got to enjoy it was the day after Thanksgiving a few years back. Most lakes were ice covered but Pepin was open and firing.
Tighe
Posts: 5274
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 10:06 pm
Location: Here, Now

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Tighe »

Nice there is some great knowledge there.

Hey Seth. What lakes are Rocky Point and Buffalo Point on?
Tighe
JRN
Posts: 2001
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:38 pm

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by JRN »

Wish I had some new & exciting "secret spots" to add, but you guys have covered it all.
No one has mentioned Rutherford & Wildwood on WBL, not the best or the easiest launches, but great when you want a quick session in a hurry, but don't want a long drive.
I've also had some great sessions on Milly @ Wahkon Bay & Vineland. Last winter we spent alot of time riding off Mahtomedi on a west, or Tally's ramp when east on d'Bear.
What is really special to me is not so much the location, but knowing that you can show up to almost any launch in the state, & know you'll be welcome to ride with some of the greatest people you'll find anywhere, and who also happen to be kiters, too!!
WARNING:
I AM AN UNREFORMED SERIAL FLIRT!!
(please respond accordingly ;^{})
kiteboymn
Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2004 10:19 am
Location: Merrifield Mn

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by kiteboymn »

Pelican, behind Gooseberry island on an 80 degree+day=glass and huge air (biggest I've ever seen) on a regular basis.
Live Hard!
Lakawa Shop Rider
http://mnkiteboy.com/
BBAddict
Posts: 213
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:16 pm

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by BBAddict »

Tighe,

Sorry..that wasn't very helpful. Those are both on Lake of the Woods. Huge lake = smooth winds. Never had so many impromptu non-forecasted sessions! I think I'm gonna do a short road trip long weekend up there this fall when the forecast looks good. There's a lot more hidden treasures up north!
Pete
Posts: 688
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 12:17 am
Location: Rochester

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Pete »

1. The best for WEST~~Pepin, WI. Like Dave said Massive Rollers = Huge Air potential!
2. NW ~ Lake Pepin, The Point in Lake City serves up nice rollers!
3. ESE/SE ~ Lake Pepin, The Point in Lake City serves up nice rollers!
4. SW/S ~ Cannon Lake serves up nice rollers. (fall & spring)
5. N ~ Lake Pepin, Public boat launch north of Lake City, shallow so waves jack up closer to shore.
(Scenery on Lake Pepin is sweet!)

NE ~ Superior (only gotten through the shore break once and the terrain was insane!)

W/WNW/NW ~ Rocky Point, Lake of the Woods. Large sand bar running the shorline, waves
jacking up everywhere. Definitey an excellent place to ride sailboards and kites.
Just a bit too far for a day trip.

Finally, after 10 years, I believe I have stepped my windsurfing up a notch. No longer affraid to
just "pull the trigger" and go for as much air as possible. Prefer to ride WAY overpowered as that
seems to be the voucher for Big Air.


Pete
Kevinousdigian
Posts: 646
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 10:37 pm

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Kevinousdigian »

#1 Duluth/Superior - it doesn't get any bigger or more exhilarting in MN. The challenge is getting the right days with not too much or too little and work, family... all line up so this is #1 when it happens but getting everything to lineup is much more challenging than all the other rankings.
#2 Father Hennepin. I usually get there 2-5 times a year and have a 95% hit rate of coming home so happy with my session. Only 1hr and 35 min. away from home/work and such an easy drive. I have vivid memories of so many days up there - those cold fall Oct days with the brilliant colors and also those really cold November days when it's blown 30-50 mph. I've learned swell is nice in 15-20 but best in the 20-35 mph. Once it gets windier than than it gets choppy and moving too fast to have as much fun playing on.
#3 Any other spot on ML (Malmo, reddy,..).
#4 Mahtomedi on W-NW, W, or NW. I've never figured out why folks go to Bellaire when you can enjoy sweet swell out from Mahtomedi beach. Ok the rigging and launch is better but I don't judge my sessions on that aspect. It may be a good thing that not many people come to enjoy this spot ...

Pete - now that you've mastered windsurfing and those jumps, now it's time to join the dark side and start kiting... Caution: once you start you won't go back... (whoops I better not go there in this post - just having fun! - they are both great and each have advantages and challenges)
Kevin Ousdigian
Pete
Posts: 688
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 12:17 am
Location: Rochester

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by Pete »

By no means have I mastered windsurfing...just getting going. Losing that jumping fear just turned the page for me. The only thing I have really mastered is...bating. :mrgreen: Sunday morning the Experimental/Operational showed a brief 1-2 hour window of decent west wind hitting Lake Pepin. I went to Pepin, WI and got to ride and leap from some of those huge rollers!!! Definitly logged my biggest jumps to date! Yesterday, the Experimental/Operational showed a 1-2 hour window of decent SSE wind hitting Lake Pepin. I went to The Point in Lake City and had a blast in the large rolling swell in some of the heaviest rain I have ever sailed in. Waves were not setting up for port jumping so I was forced to work on the starboard jumps. Great sailing but when the time finally came the wind shut down in a matter of 5 minutes and I had to work to get back down wind to where I started from. Both days, at peak wind, I was riding way overpowered on 6.0 and 130 liter Mistral Explosion. That big board is a jumping machine! Really looking forward to what lies ahead on Friday.
JimPat
Posts: 298
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:09 am
Location: Deephaven /S.Padre / Hood River

Re: Minnesota's best rides

Post by JimPat »

My favorite spot Kiting- in the hot tub with a ice cold brew.
Then with the press of a button the waves are everywhere! This activity can be very dangerous. We do advise that you wear a safety leash connected to the drain incase you loose your kite and can't jump your sorry but out of the tub. We also advise that you drink responsibly when kniting in the hot tub and don't fly your kite near power lines. ouch! You will need a freind to help launch your kite as I haven't seen a hot tub large enough for a proper drift launch. I hope this gives you something new to try.
Jim & Patty
RV Team Riders
Waconia, SPI, Hood River
952-457-8939
Post Reply