Winter Windchasing

[Windydoug]

Has anybody gotten out yet? Anybody want to leave field/snow or ice conditions on the forum? It would be much appreciated. I made a windski last spring (two ski's connected together with a freemoving 12 inch piece of steel, wear ski boots to "sail") that I would like to experiment with so knowing where the conditions are decent would be good.
When and if the ice get good on Long Pond or IBay at "Ice Beach", I will be getting out there on my freeskate. If you have any interest in tagging along and trying it out, drop me a line at [e-mail]. I have an extra loaner board.

Doug

[windkid]

I don't know squid about ice sailing but this much wind when it's 27 degrees is a lot like going to a strip joint. A lot of tease without the squeeze.

[waterauthorityrick]

Way to go with the analogy Wkid now we all know what's on your mind once there is no water sailing.

Yesterday I checked Ibay but no ice at the northeast end. I believe I did see a surfer bobbing on Lake O when I drove over the outlet bridge "yikes" better introduce him to Wkid they can both go to the club for a little warm up.

H2O Rick

[waterauthorityrick]

Today there was NO ice on IBay
Today there was a SUP on Lake Ont

H2O Rick

[Windydoug]

Thanks for taking the time and checking and posting an update H2ORick. Keep em coming. I guess it is probably good no ice had formed. Lets get the coming snow over with, grow some ice, shut down the lake effect machine and have some fun. Have you heard where any of our kite bro's are getting out?

[waterauthorityrick]

Was working today on Island Cottage rd from 70ft up it looks like Buck pond is frozen to the eye. I spoke to a woman who lives on Long Pond and as of this morning there was still open water on the Pond. I would guess with tonight's 10 degree low temp perhaps there will be strong enough ice on Friday.

H2O Rick

[rider1200]

Doug did you recreate the windski out of the 80s movie Ski School (taste death, live life!)?!

Sorry about the snow guys, see I sent the shocks to my snowmobile out the be rebuilt rendering it unusable...they're due back next weekend so the snow is sure to stop then.

I have noticed every flag I pass lately seems to be sticking straight out. I also drove through the rolling hills of Mendon the other day and thought that'd be the perfect place to go till the ice forms! Not sure how to approach that one though.

Years ago I went out near the corn maze in Macedon to a high hill with a barn on top. I literally parked in the driveway, knocked on the door & a wife told me to go ask the guy in the barn. The guy in the barn was drinking a beer and seemed more than willing to let me ride on his land and happy to have the company. He talked about other people kiting there and later told me its actually an ultralight airfield but they don't fly in the winter or the wind. If you can find it I'm sure you'll have a place to ride and he'll prob get a kick out of your contraption!

I am a single father this weekend so I will at home...probably making an igloo. Have fun if you go!

[Windydoug]

Nice reference Rider......Loved that movie! (not on this side, not on this side, right down zee middle).
Their is a post on this forum somewhere that shows the windski (has a link to youtube). Search Windski. Guy Trudeau up in Quebec created it. I spent less than $20 thanks to Buoy donating his awesome old white ski boots and long downhill sticks decorated with some nice teal and pink graphics. They remind me of teh old Seatrend windbreaker I had. Pink on top, Lime green on the bottom, and a nice patch of teal in the middle.
It would be awesome if we could keep this thread going for a couple months.....get us back to liquid months...

[rider1200]

I think my favorite part of the movie was the growing pills!

All 3 windski videos have been removed by the user. I see he's from Montreal, I'm guessing he found out Americans were enjoying it so he removed it to spite them. I get the idea though and would love to see it in action!

The place in Macedon is a rounded hilltop; prob not the best place to learn but I bet there will be enough ice outside of the Bayside this weekend. If not this weekend surely next.

On a different note I'm taking a cruise with my wife & some friends in February (all nonwind people). It leaves Ft. Lauderdale and goes to Key West, Grand Cayman & Jamaica. I'm dying to bring my gear but figuring its a waste, specially if the airline will charge for it. I called southfloridakiteboarding.com who said in Jamaica I'd have to take a cab to other side of the island and that the shore time for the cruise might not be long enough. He wasn't sure about the other two places and said for the time in Lauderdale they can rent me gear but I'd have to drive a half hour to Miami, get certified (watched for 15 min to judge skills) and its $150 for the day. You also have to make a reservation and right now it looks like they get 3-4 days of wind a week, so I have a 65% chance?

If anyone has any experience with trying to throw a session in on a cruise excursion I'd love to hear it, prolly should have started a new post for that question. Around here if there was room (and wind) I'd go but I'm know some places only allow in designated areas, can they arrest me for kiting? Are there even laws in Jamaica?!

[Windydoug]

Did some searching and found the windski video's back on the web. They were re-added to youtube about a month ago.

Here is a link to Guy Trudeau's website.
pages.infinit.net/gtj101/av.htm


The link is for his video page that contains video of the windski (about half way down page, I like the Montreal Windski 2008 vid.) and a cool and easy parking lot windskate board. Instruction as well as action vid of both creations.

[waterauthorityrick]

Ontario is a great Lake, but it's knot (pun intended) Superior.

Strong north winds (40 to 50 mph) on the backside of the latest storm create huge waves on Lake Superior

Attachments:

[waterauthorityrick]

Oops almost forgot Lake Michigan

H2O Rick

Attachments:

[chris]

The Macedon field is pretty nice. I snowkite there several times a winter. The people there are very cool about it and have come out and watched. It is one of the better places for wind as the hill/ridge is above all the trees. It does get a lot of snowmobile traffic so there is usually a big hardpack strip down the middle but once you are off that it can get nice. One downside was that last year they had pumpkins planted in a part of the field. Kinda sux to hit a frozen pumpkin

[Windydoug]

Okay, so where more exactly is the "round hill top near the corn maze above the treeline that has some pumpkins in it" located? North or south of rt. 31f? The hard pack might be good for figuring out the windski.

Thanks for the post Chris.
WD

BTW..the add banner at the top of the forum when I was typing this......a pencil and maze.....add bot must have read about the corn maze and figured that was our bag.

[chris]

Do a google map for Long Acre Farms, 1342 Eddy Rd Macedon NY

[Windydoug]

So what is the standard protocol for using this land? It looks great on on Google Maps. Does the snow remain fairly powdery, or does it get crunchy from the sun and wind. Has anybody been up there lately? Where do you park? Should I give a head up to the homeowners? I would love to try out the windski (but not get in the way of the kite crew) if the snow and wind conditions present themselves.
Thanks Chris and Brent and anybody else who knows the location. Drop a post the next time you are planning to head up there. It is a bout 10 minutes from my house.
Doug

[waterauthorityrick]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_GO7cj0jk&feature=player_embedded

Check out this You tube video

Update on IBay ice
North East corner has had ice fishermen on it for the first day on Friday and some setting up this morning when I drove by. I walked out from ice beach yesterday the ice held near shore but there was also some slush spots to the west of the docks. The ice held under the slush but I was a wimp and didn't walk out any further than 25 yards. Maybe an inch to two inches of snow covering the ice.

H2O Rick

[Greg Nesbitt]

Just checked out mendon ponds. It is too snow covered for skate sailing. Ice fisherman in the middle so it should be safe. Maybe this friday with some surface melting. windy. something with skis instead of blades might work.

[rider1200]

Saw Pollo and 2 of his friends on the ice on Sunday! I think he was on an 11m Cabrinha while the other 2 flew a 9m Nemisis and a 10m Montana. The Montana is a foil kite designed specifically for land (snow) use. I watched one of the sides collapse a few times but never enough to drop the kite. He was on skiis and whipping right along! I've been debating one for fear of popping my LEI's but they're not exactly cheap.

They were riding west of the sandbar restaurant & east of Mayers Marina. They stayed west of the ice fishermen outside of Bayside and on the South half of the cove...I'm assuming the wind was better out there. There was some snow on the ice but lots of bare spots. Probably too much for the skate and not really enough for the boards though they proved it was totally doable.

[Windydoug]

Update to Brents update....

I got out for an hour and a half on Tuesday at Ice Beach. The launch os pretty much right were Brent describes Paolo kiting. A little turn around in front of some docks witha big no trespassing/fishing sign. I park there or right next to the little RG+E house. Anyhow, the ice was better than expected, I was actually figuring on snow so I brought the Windski for some more test runs, but was surprised when the ice was pretty exposed. Luck I pack my Freeskate at the last minute. I found the best and clearest ice to be up near the marina and closer to the open water (still far enough away though). THe rough spots were easily rideable as well. The wind was strong W/WSW. I am going to try to be there this afternoon (Wed.) around 2 p.m. or so if anybody wants to head out.
Thanks to Brent and Greg for the ice/snow condition updates from MEndon Ponds and IBay.
WD