2008 MI Kiting Fall Climax, 26 October 2008

As bright blazing autumn foliage colors of golds, reds, and purples illuminate the shoreline with that unique glowing afternoon light, the watermen of Lake Michigan watch and wait eagerly for the winds and waves that arrive this time of year. The water is clear and cold, the waves are packing more power, the surfboards and the small kites emerge on the beaches like some primordial annual ritual. Rounding the last bend in the road to the beach hearts start to beat faster as the sand blows like smoke down the road, the snow fences and front-end loaders engaged in a futile battle against nature - one property owner posts a sign inviting people to take some "free sand" and in neighborly competition at few houses down "free-er sand" is advertised... This is my favorite time of the year here in West Michigan, and before heading South for the winter, I love riding here - as long as I can keep my fingers warm!

October 25th marked my 100th session since the 12th of May, 2008.

The kiting since I returned here on May 12 has been spectacular. July 15 marked the 50th session since I got back 75 days earlier. That works out to 68% of days kiteable, or roughly 5 days/week! And total kiteable days 12 May thru 11 August: 63 days!

The big lake water did not warm up much until mid-June, and there were many days when water temps were in the high 40's!! but for some reason it didn't seem to bother me at all – I guess all the good kiting kept me warm...plus an Ocean Rodeo Pyro Pro drysuit with lots of fleece layers, a hood and booties.

Hi All,
It's been a while since I last wrote about southern Spain (Tarifa) and the waves.

Winter and Spring are always a blast down here - and this year has been no exception.

I moved down last year (2007) in Febuary - and already in Feb - I was starting to hit the waves on my new found "wave" legs. I had as yet not bought a surf-board - so I was still surfing the waves on a twinT - which is bollocks.

Anyway - I thought I had the bees knees last year when I got like a full week with sun-shine (20 degrees) and 2 to 3 metre waves.

But last weekend - WHAT THE FU__!!!!!

Winf guru had started promising A SWELL - and they meant     SWELL.

We were all looking at the reports with big wide eyes - 4 to 6 metre waves they were promising.

I had bought my wave board last August - and hadn't surfed my TwinT since I bought it - even in flat water days - as I just had to nail those jibes - and FAST - as a day with 4 metre waves in SotoGrande (North of Tarifa) 2 months ago had taught me that 4 metre waves on a shore break - with a slow clupy jibe style - could quickly ruin your day.

Went there at 1330 wind round 16/18 then raised after 15
Vortex 14, north mutant, just downwind. big fun on long board with and without straps
beach crowded with visitor kiters, kiteschool and usual people, and ONE DAMNED FISHERMAN.
waves raised then flat again, landed after 18.

Since returning here on 5/19 I have logged (out of 56 calendar days) 36 legitimately good kitesurfing days, some of them epic – and this does not include at least 4-5 days that I could have ridden here or at Little Point Sable (45 miles North). Other than driving 7-8 miles South of my usual launch spot for a few short down wind rides I have not traveled away from Muskegon to kite – not even once!
In summary, (best case scenario) you could have ridden almost 40 out of 56 days!!! That’s 71% kiteable days! We have only had 4 or 5 really good wave days so far, but they have been fun! Tomorrow I am considering a 12 mile down-winder in the waves, which are forecast to be 5-6 feet, winds SW 18-28 kts!

A note for the ecology: I only filled my tank up once in the past 6 weeks – which means my average daily driving has been reduced to just over 10 miles/day, or around 12 hrs of driving in 42 days! Compared to previous summers living nearby in Grand Haven I am now spending about 1/5 the time and fuel costs/emissions.

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.