I had meant to post this a long time ago…and it is close to the time of my migration North again but I thought I would contribute this now anyway

(Written mid-November 2007)

As the kiting season here on Lake Michigan soon draws to a close for me I look back on this 2007 season with some great memories and lasting impressions. The 2nd of November marked the 100th day of legitimate kiting here for me, since May 18th when I returned to MI from my winter migration, and that day was another session to remember among so many others. We had solid 9m-10m conditions all day and did a sweet down wind ride from Muskegon to our secret spot to the North. The waves were 6’-8’ and they were pitching nicely for the entire 14 mile run. The waves got bigger, better, and cleaner as we got closer to our destination, many of these faces offering 10+ bottom turns going down the line. Feeling totally satiated (but exhausted) I still wanted to keep on going for another 14 miles!

What never ceases to amaze me is the wide range of conditions that make kiting here so much fun. Just in the past week we’ve ridden in S, SW, W, NW, N winds...butter flat water behind the piers to 8’+ waves breaking on endless sand bars, several down wind rides, and even some great riding on Muskegon Lake in an East wind. Other than the down wind rides and a handful of road trips South to St. Joseph to chase rhinos on the big North and West days, I have been able to ride 90% of days right here in Muskegon, 3 blocks from home…simply the BEST kite beach for 1000 miles or more. I would not want to spend the summer/fall season anywhere else, except for possibly another future August-September trip to les Iles de la Madelaine (which I wrote about in an earlier blog).

Aside from the fantastic winds and beaches here I am always in awe of the scenery of this place. I am constantly running for my camera to catch the drama of a passing storm or sunset, and the dune environment here has its own special beauty.

While the warm water and big kite days of summer were still so enjoyable, there have been no shortage of small kite days in Sept, Oct, Nov…there were actually many days when local riders were wishing they had a 7m or 5m kite….The addition of a Spleene ZONE http://spleene.com/00-2007-spleene.swf to my board quiver has opened up a whole new source of joy on the water for me.

More on the subject of equipment: the Spleene boards have really made a big difference for me and a lot of other people, making it possible to ride in a lot more conditions, ride comfortably, and have lots of fun. Most people who try a Spleene board immediately start ripping upwind just after shlogging around on their old boards…and then they usually say…"I HAVE TO GET ONE OF THESE!” The new Royal kites http://www.royalkiteboarding.com/ are proving to be awesome as well…light bar pressure, good turning speed, smoooooth predictable power, very stable and turnable in depowered state, stupid-easy relaunch, a great wave kite because it just hangs there for you unpowered, and has super “lifty” boosting!

Just today a local core rider (185#) rode the 2007 Spleene 34 Rip and the Royal Era 10m in 18-22 kts + 6’-8’ waves and he could not believe the feeling of this combination...his words were roughly “that kite and board seem to really compliment each other - great power and speed, super lift, and super soft landings – I’ve never quite felt that sensation before – it made everything seem so easy and forgiving”.

Another fantastic area of improvement and development has been in the Flysurfer foils - sheetable and water-relaunchable. The Flysurfer kites http://www.flysurfer-usa.com/psycho3.php are really proving to be fantastic and are now a serious alternative to consider to inflatables. The Silver Arrow light wind kites are without question THE ANSWER for heavier riders in super light winds, probably best coupled with a Spleene 54 or 64 Door. The Psycho 3 is also an incredible kite. And the Pulse 2 is apparently the shizzle for wave riding conditions. I am really impressed with the quality, engineering, safety systems, and user-friendliness of these kites – I look forward to riding with them more soon.

Lake Michigan Kiting! For anyone looking for a great kiting destination take a look at the stats that I kept this past summer: 4-5 days per week of kiting from April thru December… Up until the time I departed for Florida on the 24th of November I logged a total of 110 legitimate riding days; kite sizes: bring them all 5m-17m, boards: twin tips, mutants, wave shapes will all be fun here; wetsuits: shorty, 3/2, 4/3, and drysuits. On the few days that it’s not kiteable here each week there is great sailing on Lake Michigan or Muskegon Lake, on big boats or small. And I don’t’ want to neglect to mention that in the winter there is great snow kiting here…. or if you want to go really fast…go iceboating!

The cost of renting a house in the area is minimal by comparison, and most things in MI are less expensive than other vacation spots. You can even buy a small house here for under $100K. If you want to hang out at some really cool beaches, and experience a really mellow place that’s clean and safe…come try it out…you will be amazed. There is a local airport 5 miles from the beach, a regional airport 40 minutes away, and international airports (Chicago and Detroit) 3-4 hours away. You can also arrive here via Milwaukee on the high speed ferry which will get you across the lake in 2 hours.

Feel free to contact me for information or assistance with a visit. I can also help you with gear orders for BEST, Royal, Ozone, RRD, Spleene, Flysurfer, Dakine, and almost anything else worthwhile.