Speed Sunday at White Bear - Ramsey

[DavidKnight]

Anybody know the ice conditions at Ramsey? If it's safe (and rideable) it would be a great day to add Minnesota kiters to the top of the speed ranking list at Stormboarding.com. So far, Jeff Newman holds the only MN posting on the snow kiting speed site (31.6 mph) http://stormboarding.com/speedranking0809.html
In previous years, MN kiters have dominated the competition (Joe Levins/Coach). Charge up those gps batteries... I might don a lifejacket just in case.

[Mike B]

I'm at Ramsey now. It is fast!!! The surface is just starting to soften up and the wind is comeing up. Should be a fun afternoon. Right now it's just me and 4 iceboats ripping it up.

[Mike B]

53.3 mph so far and the wind is still ramping up.

[Bryce]

I'm beating you mike I got 54! But i'm all done for the day.

The texture is really good up here..pretty corny... not too wet.. but I was lacking a little wind... Most I had was gusts to 25-30.

But it looks you guys are getting the better wind... Can't wait to see some speeds!

[Josh J]

Nice work Bryce!

[DavidKnight]

Sorry Guys. After not hearing back on the lake conditions right away, I got roped into doing family stuff. Look forward to seeing if Mike outdid Bryce...

[Mike W]

I just squeaked past you guys with 55mph and change. Ice conditions were close to ideal for speed runs. Maybe tomorrow will deliver some stronger wind. I think the wind came up a bit after I left at about 3pm. Anybody break 60mph?

[Mike B]

My top speed for the day was 54.3. I was in the low 50s all afternoon but could not get a gust that lasted long enough to break 60. If the wind was a little stronger and the gusts more sustained, 60s would have been no problem on the super fast hard surface. I spent most of the day out there and logged 128 miles on my GPS. The miles rack up quick when your just cruising along at 25-40 between speed runs.

[Bryce]

Darn you beat me! Made me run out to my car in the rain to check my gps. I was out like 2.5h and made about 40miles. Good distance mike!

[Mike W]

You are an iron man, Mike! That may be a record for a daily total.

[Randy]

Very inspiring. So great that GPS quantifies the "push the window" event. Just curious if any of you could tell when you had your fastest run, whether or not it was distinctive. Again, hats off for taking up Dave's challenge.

[Mike B]

I found a mistake in my total miles for the day. My GPS remained on after installing new batteries at home and the trip to the lake. After downloading the data tracks it was obvious that some of the miles were on the road. My real on ice total should be 109 miles. That seems to fit my average speeds and the time I spent on the ice. Super fast and super fun!

I have a Garmin wrist mount GPS so I could see the real time speeds on all the runs. It was pretty easy to get in the high 40s, but you needed a gust to bare off in to get in the 50s. The speed would climb and then start to go down when you felt the gust pass. Seeing the real time speed helps you determin when to dig in and try to get a little more.

I'm sure someone will be able to post some BIG speeds this spring if the conditions hold and we get the right wind. The ice is still solid and over 2 feet thick. Getting on and off at the shore is another issue.