spirit lake iowa

[toyletbowl]

anyone ride spirit lake much and know the best riding spots? passing through the area tomorrow (Wednesday) and it looks like an awesome lake. 15-25 WNW and trying to see if via google maps if there's a launch spot off of 270th near the sandbar slough.

any help is appreciated. i'm session starved and heading to nebraska.

please email me at bob@kiteridersllc.com or call my cell at 608-358-0514.

thanks,

bob

[Perry Pearson]

Billy and I helped Bob launch at the South Swim Beach. He pulled into town about 2 and we scoped out a couple different launches on Pikes Point on West Okoboji and the Big Spirit sandbar area (a lot of docks and swimmers itch there) He was riding very well on a 10 RPM
and an 135 Underground board. Bill and I decided to go west to Templar Park and drift launch.Wind was
300 degrees at 17-23. We ended up at the South Swim beach.Billy was on his 10 Bularoo
and I was on a 14 t2. Stretch tagged along in his Kayak and he is close to getting fired up on the water
after the session stoke.
It was great to welcome Bob from Madtown and he shared a lot of scoop on techniques and equipment.
Thanks for the visit.Mahalo
Perry Pearson

[Eric P]

Sounds like a great time. Spirit is a great lake, you guys have it pretty good down there in the wind tunnel. keep it up and send us pics.

[toyletbowl]

Perry,

Thanks again for the launch and it was great meeting you, Bill and Stretch. Super fun riding and a much needed session.

Ever near Madison...please look me up.

Bob

[RobH]

Hey Bob,

Glad you got your fix in, its been a great year for wind. Have you had a chance to fly the new Cabs yet ? The Nomad or new Xbow ?

[toyletbowl]

rob...not yet, but the nomad sounds more my style these days compared to the crossbows. coming soon though and will post info as we get some sessions.

[toyletbowl]

here's an update on my trip to Iowa this week.

On a fairly regular basis, I'll travel to Iowa and Nebraska for my Precision Plastics job and typically would not bring gear. Seems this would be a mistake even if there seemed to be no winds predicted and I'd get to Nebraska and it would be windy. Duhhh.

I had a 3 day trip planned from Wed - Friday and looked at the forecast and it looked quite breezy and windy towards Iowa and Minnesota on Wed. I usually go south through Des Moines, but packed a board and a few kites and hit the northern route to LaCrosse and then over towards Spirit Lake in NE iowa. This was my destination for late Wed. and hoping I'd get lucky and hit some wind.

Man did I hit it right. Spirit lake is very big and round, but tough launches due to the beaches getting deep about 20 - 30 feet from shore. I met up with Bill and Perry and then Stretch came by later on his kayak and I ended up having one of the better sessions all year. Didn't miss any jumps until towards the end.

Rode the 10m RPM for about 2 hours+ and got to talk with the guys for quite a while afterward. Super nice guys.

Thursday we had a vendor golf outing with one of my larger customers in Nebraska...Great Dane Trailers. Yea...it was windy then also

I had no plans at all to ride Friday due to a customer meeting in Des Moines, IA. and then planning to drive home. Got into my hotel super late on Thursday and for kicks and grins checked the forecast and it looked like a breezy day in Des Moines. Hmmmm. I have my gear...breezy day, better check out Cherry Glen on Saylorville reservoir. NW winds come down the chute from about 8-10 miles and it's side shore.

Side shore is always windier than it looks compared to onshore winds because you don't see the white caps as much. Knowing this info I rigged my 10m RPM again but wanted to put up the 12m. Man...was that a wise choice. On my first run the 10m was perfect. Could ride super fast and boost off of any ramp.

The launches are somewhat rocky and not the easiest if riding solo, but did some drift launches safely.

This lake is huge and I took about 1 hour session with the fricking smoothest waves anywhere in the midwest except when it blows NE winds in Sheboygan behind the jetty. It was heaven on water for the first hour and rode hard...ALL BY MYSELF. There used to be a big windsurfing crew and there are some kiters, but no-one. Man...it's blowing 10m weather, warm, sunny and no-one.

You know the chop is big and moving fast when you can transition with speed and stay in the same wave and not cross over the next one. That's how good it was on Saylorville when it blows.

I came in to get some food and had to depower the kite for session 2. here's where the fun happened. NOT.

First run out and I'm ready to transition and BAMM. No bar in my hands. I double triple checked everything before launching and somehow my RPM bar/chicken loop exploded out of my hands. I was about 1/3 the way out and it was a long long swim in. That sucked big time, but the hour session before made up for it. By the time I left, it was easily 8m or 7m winds, but had commitments to get back to madison by early evening, so had to book.

If you ever find yourself traveling to or through Iowa...bring the gear. Both these lakes are good on NW and if it's ever blowing hard NW in Des Moines and not in WI...I'm gone and you're all welcome to join me. My best friend lives there and Des Moines is a fun city with great riding that no-one knows about.

I'm still speechless that there was no-one else on the water but a few boats.

Hope everyone was able to get out recently and cross our fingers the winds keep coming.

peace out.
_________________

[seamonkey]

sounds abit like the early Mavericks sessions! Madison has great lakes with access from all the right wind direction; just not enough steady wind. Bob, how about the Dominican Rebublic in January? My kite launcher/catcher/wife is up for it. It is affordable and reliable, as far as wind is the factor. Let's organize a group!

Michael. 612 868 0393

[toyletbowl]

hmmm...that could be a possibility. how are the winds then? crowded?

bob