What a day at the lake. I arrived at 10 to only one car in the parking lot, my student, and the lake was going off...full on white caps. Soon David showed up for the first of his everready bunny sessions. By noon the lot was full, by 2 people were parking in the other lot and on the street. It's been awhile since I've seen it that busy. Dozen and half kites and as many windsurfers, beautiful blue skys, brilliant white, white caps, vultures hovering overhead. Great smiles everywhere. Some unexpected faces, Avery and Jordan, Jerome, Travis and Leah, and the whole crew, Scott, Dave, David, Tom G, Denis, Matt, Larry and Larry, Randy, Jeff, Jason, John, Rob, Heather, Terry, Mark and so many others I know only by their smiles.
I have to appologize. I had a negative moment and was grumbling around on shore for a bit. Sorry if you caught wind of any of that.
Hopefully Ben was able to capture the scene.
wow, my body is still energized.
Wow
Moderator: MK
Yes a great day indeedy...
Kiting the Wack is barely above going to the dentist on my list, but even I had to admit this was a very good day.
Amazing how many wind junkies were present yet it seemed relatively uncrowded for the most part. This will certainly change as the water warms and more civilians come out, but today was a gift!
My only "negative moment" was seeing just a few kiters insist on riding near the boat launch and throwing tricks near the launch. Please ride and trick well away from the launch, it's too congested for this type of nonsense!
I also apologize for this negative moment cuz it was a really kick a$$ day at the Wack!
Mark F
-
ice_kmauve
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 7:18 pm
- Location: St. Paul, MN
I concur.. a great day.
As I was tacking back and forth maybe 1/4 mile south of the launch, it occurred to me to wonder how far out the boaters consider the boat launch to go. It could, theoretically, stretch from the launch well into the middle of the lake, and if we cross over it they could get upset. I think maybe 500 feet out is a reasonable area to avoid. Also, nervous boaters with kids and grammas in the boats might be leery of all the parasailers on the lake zipping back and forth (and throwing down sick moves while they're stuck in a boat) and just be annoyed at having to worry about where kiters might be as they cruise out into the lake.
Anyway, I would think just keeping an imaginary 100-200m perimeter around the boat launch that you don't go inside of, combined with just staying away from boats (at least 2-3 kite line lengths I would think) and being aware of their line of travel (try not to cross in front) would. I think attitude goes a long way, and if kiters take steps to show that we care about boaters and them having a good time, we will be okay.
One another note. I had a positive experience with a pontoon. Later in the day I became curious about the huge waves Randy had prophesied on the north end of the lake, and made a downwind trek to that area. When I got there I found he was right, tons of nice big rollers, some even cresting into 2-3 foot waves. I threw an ill-timed jump and crashed, and started getting dragged through the water forcefully by the powered up kite. Well, somehow my surefire spreader bar released and I had to wrestle with the kite in the weeds for some time, hoping to relaunch and save myself the walk back. This was too good of a session to have to walk back from. Anyway, as I struggled, swimming after the bar, wrestling with the kite, some older folks on a pontoon watched from 200 feet away. they did not come closer, or otherwise put themselves in danger or intervene. However, I felt that if I had needed help or developed appendicitis at that point or started to drown that they would have come to my aid. Also, if I hadn't been able to relaunch, they probably would have taken me back to the launch (with my neatly folded kite). It was kind of cool knowing someone witnessed my dramatic recovery..
One good thing yesterday is I did see people going back to the launch from the north end. Taking the time to go downwind a ways, then doing a tack upwind to the launch is highly preferred as then you never even cross that imaginary line from the boat launch to the middle of the lake which I think is somehow sacred.
Two kiters came back with broken kites.. Tom's used but not abused Xbow tore in half (Tom I don't think you want to replace all the panels, but if you do, I recommend a rainbow color scheme), Rob came in with his kite in a pile.
At one point there were so many kites on the lake it looked like Padre.
Well, it's all just to say that it was a great day at Waconia and I am grateful for that lake and its relatively low dock count and smooth winds, and I believe kiters and boaters are a family enjoying the lake, who _can_ get along.
As I was tacking back and forth maybe 1/4 mile south of the launch, it occurred to me to wonder how far out the boaters consider the boat launch to go. It could, theoretically, stretch from the launch well into the middle of the lake, and if we cross over it they could get upset. I think maybe 500 feet out is a reasonable area to avoid. Also, nervous boaters with kids and grammas in the boats might be leery of all the parasailers on the lake zipping back and forth (and throwing down sick moves while they're stuck in a boat) and just be annoyed at having to worry about where kiters might be as they cruise out into the lake.
Anyway, I would think just keeping an imaginary 100-200m perimeter around the boat launch that you don't go inside of, combined with just staying away from boats (at least 2-3 kite line lengths I would think) and being aware of their line of travel (try not to cross in front) would. I think attitude goes a long way, and if kiters take steps to show that we care about boaters and them having a good time, we will be okay.
One another note. I had a positive experience with a pontoon. Later in the day I became curious about the huge waves Randy had prophesied on the north end of the lake, and made a downwind trek to that area. When I got there I found he was right, tons of nice big rollers, some even cresting into 2-3 foot waves. I threw an ill-timed jump and crashed, and started getting dragged through the water forcefully by the powered up kite. Well, somehow my surefire spreader bar released and I had to wrestle with the kite in the weeds for some time, hoping to relaunch and save myself the walk back. This was too good of a session to have to walk back from. Anyway, as I struggled, swimming after the bar, wrestling with the kite, some older folks on a pontoon watched from 200 feet away. they did not come closer, or otherwise put themselves in danger or intervene. However, I felt that if I had needed help or developed appendicitis at that point or started to drown that they would have come to my aid. Also, if I hadn't been able to relaunch, they probably would have taken me back to the launch (with my neatly folded kite). It was kind of cool knowing someone witnessed my dramatic recovery..
One good thing yesterday is I did see people going back to the launch from the north end. Taking the time to go downwind a ways, then doing a tack upwind to the launch is highly preferred as then you never even cross that imaginary line from the boat launch to the middle of the lake which I think is somehow sacred.
Two kiters came back with broken kites.. Tom's used but not abused Xbow tore in half (Tom I don't think you want to replace all the panels, but if you do, I recommend a rainbow color scheme), Rob came in with his kite in a pile.
At one point there were so many kites on the lake it looked like Padre.
Well, it's all just to say that it was a great day at Waconia and I am grateful for that lake and its relatively low dock count and smooth winds, and I believe kiters and boaters are a family enjoying the lake, who _can_ get along.
"They call me Doctor Love.. Doctor love!!" - an obscure rock band.
such a long day and fatique setting in. So many others I forgot to mention, sorry.
So many out there that were looking so dialed when they've just recently taken up the sport. I started off the day with Randy L, who after just a short time was looking perfectly dialed...in those monster swells on the North side no less. Way to go Randy.
Jordan,
I thought you were a goner. That launch scared the crap out of me. No idea what happened but glad you were able to recover. I would have cut free immediately instead of trying to get it back under control.
Tip of the day. If you're launching in onshore conditions, before you launch remind yourself if anything starts to go wrong, hit the kill switch. There is no time to hesitate.
So many out there that were looking so dialed when they've just recently taken up the sport. I started off the day with Randy L, who after just a short time was looking perfectly dialed...in those monster swells on the North side no less. Way to go Randy.
Jordan,
I thought you were a goner. That launch scared the crap out of me. No idea what happened but glad you were able to recover. I would have cut free immediately instead of trying to get it back under control.
Tip of the day. If you're launching in onshore conditions, before you launch remind yourself if anything starts to go wrong, hit the kill switch. There is no time to hesitate.
Tighe