kite island?

[barnabus]

how do you get out to the island? walk out? from where? where to park?

[McKite]

Kite Island is winter-only access.

[scottchapman]

or if you have one of those car/boats from the 50's

or one of these..

Top Gear - Car-Boat Challenge - BBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzxuEOxYSLE

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9729924-1.html

[barnabus]

are there other spots on minnetonka or is it too busy for summer kiting? could I borrow someones carboat?

[McKite]

Minnetonka is way too busy for soft-water kiting, even from a car-boat. There is very little public access, and those spots tend to be crowded boat ramps and swim beaches with lots of kids. A 2008 LMCD study determined there were more than 10,000 boats stored on Lake Minnetonka in the summer, and that an additional 100K-200K boats launch from the public launches each year! Weekdays in the fall could be fun if you launch from a car-boat...

[Tom L]

It can be done. You have to be very comfortable, agile, and intuitive kiting around boaters. I see kiters on the main lake occasionally. You can drift launch from a boat. Anchor near some shallows and launch. Or launch from private property. I had 28 sessions on the water on Tonka last season. The Kite Island area is a very poor area for kiting in summer due to the summer traffic patterns. I kite on weekends but I get off the water by 1 or 2 pm. If it is 20mph or above then there are way less boats also.

[McKite]

Tom I would agree it can be done..but I certainly would not recommend it.

[Michael F]

There may be remote areas of Minnetonka where kiting is feasible, extended shallows and/or areas protected by reefs from major traffic. And there are a few kiters living on the lake that have exercised the proper caution gained from their experience on the lake. Bottom line, kiting on Minnetonka should be heavily discouraged for several reasons, all protecting the future of our sport. My personal experience was gained last summer when I was watching the Wayzata Yacht Club Thursday night race with 60+ boats on the course. I thought I saw a boat on its side, but when I headed to assist, I realized it was a kite in the water with an assist boat nearby. They were trying to launch in the middle of this hectic race course.

We have just addressed problems with the launch site at the Waconia DNR ramp. The boaters on Waconia are mostly fisherman, more alert and conscientious than many boaters on Tonka. And Tonka can easily be as congested on the main lake as Waconia is just at the ramp. If experienced kiters find a way to safely access Tonka, it will encourage anyone, especially those who purchased a kite for pennies and never thought of taking a lesson, where they would have learned safer lakes to go to.

We have the largest kiting community in the country, but have decided to continue to try flying under the radar. We have rejected organizational efforts that would allow us to proactively communicate with authorities. As we learned several years ago in the winter, the Hennepin County Sheriff is much more proactive than Carver or Crow Wing where there have been incidents apparently not reported to the DNR. I doubt Hennepin will be hesitant if cause arises.

Thankfully, Lakawa has provided a strong communication base that has helped avert many problems. But it should be considered that Lakawa reaches only a portion of those interested in kiting.