Upon my return to the shores of Lake Michigan I was treated to a nice long streak of riding (8 days out of the first 9 days I was home). To date we have had 17 good riding days out of the past 25…not bad numbers. The conditions here over the past 3 weeks have varied from big kite sessions to fully lit 7m conditions with decent waves. We’ve done some down winders, some big lake wave-riding, and some butter sessions in the lee of the long Muskegon pier heads. During Several NE to SE days we rode on Muskegon Lake…and it’s noteworthy to mention that it is possible to ride here in practically every wind direction!

The lake water levels are even lower than last year and the sand bars are looking great…the third sand bar lying a few hundred yards offshore. The water temperatures have been up and down…high 40 degrees one day, and then upper 60’s the next. If you plan on riding here don’t forget your assortment of cold water suits. I have ridden with drysuit, 4/3 and 3/2 since my return - most people get by with 4/3 neoprene. Booties and hood are suggested if the water temp is below 50 and air temp is below 60.

The Rubicon sand beaches and the fresh water conditions here are truly unique. The waves here last Thursday were big, steep, and clean. For 4 hours we rode one good section after another during our down winder and then at Pere Marquette Beach, coupled with 25-30 knot winds from the South – it was an epic day without a doubt. The riding was so good that it was difficult to stop riding, but our bodies were simply beginning to fatigue. It was the sort of day where you could “charge” super hard and boost huge airs without much effort. But after stopping to eat and rest late in the afternoon we found that we could barely move or speak from exhaustion…and pleasure.

I’ve been riding all the RRD Hypertypes lately – 7m, 9m, 12m, and 15m – and I am absolutely loving the power and lift of these kites. They all have a wonderfully crisp response, fingertip bar pressure, incredible turning speed and superb upwind efficiency. The new Spleene 28 Rip is proving to be a great board, as is the 154 Door. I am expecting to receive a Spleene ZONE next week and hope to test ride it in waves soon…a report will follow as soon as possible.

The forecast for the coming week is not great, but things can change fast here, and Muskegon usually dishes up some nice surprises. A prime example was today – not much wind in the forecast but at 4PM the magic at Muskegon came on in the form of a NW thermal. We rode until 8PM in 12-20 kts and flat water!

If you have not experienced this place you should give it a try. Kiting is good from April thru November, living costs are fairly inexpensive, and the beaches aren’t crowded. There are also lots of other options within an easy 30-60 minute drive from Muskegon. If you want to explore more that Michigan has to offer go North to the Traverse City area, East to Tawas, or hit some legendry spots over in Ontario. For anyone traveling to Chicago or Detroit it would definitely be worth making some time to come check this place out. From Milwaukee you can take a high speed ferry right to Muskegon and get a cheap rental car here. You can also fly right into Muskegon - or Grand Rapids (40 minutes away). Feel free to contact me for information if you plan on visiting.