http://vimeo.com/groups/229181/videos/86767953
Snowboard slush kiting is back! Or rather was here in Omaha on Zorinski Lake. Got the perfect conditions with just a bit of snow on top to melt into huge pools or 1"-4" deep water on top of 12-14" of ice. No SwitchBlade needed. I found 8" of water back where a gully comes into the lake and rode that for a while. An hour later, the water on top disappeared, and I knew it was no longer safe back there. We will have open water on the shallow lakes around here soon. Maybe even a water session before the kite crossing.
Sad to see the snow and ice go. I need to move further north.
Safety Note:
The weather on this day had been in the teens to twenties for at least a week prior. This was the first day that the temps were above 40degrees and the first day of warm air over thick cold ice with just a bit of snow. These conditions produce the large pools of water on the ice surface. The next few warm days saw very little water on top, but still had a grippy surface that you did not need a SwitchBlade on. As this warmth progresses, the ice becomes exceedingly weak, especially around the edges of the lake. In the middle where the pools of water once stood, cracks have formed letting the heavier warm surface water run back down below the lighter ice. This makes the ice unsafe in certain locations where these pools drained in the middle. Even if the ice is thick, there will be dangerously thin spots after just a few days of warmth.
Slushy and planing a snowboard on water
Moderator: MK