Sunday at Highland oh my!

2:20 in a long endless ride but flowing fast fun. Mostly dry and hard other than a single mud puddle at the entrance was a nice suprise after the big rain storms on Friday. This place is always a challenge but cool temps, dry trails and sun of fall will bring me back to try and kill this dragon.

Empire of MI Kiting. Sailing the dune swell.

Best day 2014 kiting I've had so far with all weather conditions firing. SW 20+ 80 degrees and sun solid all day, good 4/5 hours ripping the Sleeping Bear Dune coastline with Tom who showed me a great day at his home beach. We got started with 2 mile tack upwind to the south Empire beach point and then down the line playing on the swells all the back. Venturi from dune wall all down the line +5/10 knots stronger. Powered up. Great carving and ramps everywhere, with plenty to drive straight into rip turns/toeside/blasting back, right on shore. At the halfway point Tom moved to the 9m and I gave a couple runs to the strapless but the swells and chop were just too much I guess for me and staying overpowered on a 12. I got launched jibing and doing the foot switching after some initial success and overconfidence so back to the carbon 140 Mako. But it was all open - no one else out and right in front of the beach - just a really smooth consistent rolling swell here. Lots to rave about. Good times. Return mandatory...maybe tomorrow.

Poto still has the length and the speed

Think of Highland all stretched out with longer up hills and longer downhills. Poto is it. 19 miles for 2:30 long (Strava missed ending due to phone dying) but fast and lots of speedy stair drops. Good fun. You feel like you're going somewhere here besides back to your car. Watch out for the hikers and the campers though and the beginning and the end. Your reward: hit the lake for the post ride celebration. Like to ride here more than once a season but it's 1:10 drive. Good ride on hot Saturday!

Some SW 17 action amid the doldrums of August

15-20 SW forecast turned into 8-18 which thankfully was just enough for the Turbine. Sunny and 78 degrees worked too for day at MB with the whole crew. Even a show with a 5 year old flying on dad's kiteboard holding on between his legs with his North Juice 18 providing the power. Good Day for some rides - we take it with no wind in next weeks forecast.

B High rides scores huge ride up and blazing down.

2 solid rides at Boyne High. Both cranking straight up the south sand slopes for 1.5 miles. Double that for Thursdays ride. Dry great Blue to Orange spline run on Tuesday for a quick 7 miles and then 14+ (2:08 hrs) on Blue to Green to Blue and then Blue to Orange for Thursday. Scary fast Spline drop for Thursday good enough for 22/78 on Strava and I could easy better that with more runs. Really fun ride here - what a great week all around just needed more wind.

Lite Kite LTC edition

Whole week UpNorth and 17m. Barely anything to speak of for winds. Got short AM and PM sessions here Monday in with a lot of SW. If winds at HS Airport got over 10 it was kite-able but if not good bye. Did later downwinder to Menoquoua as the winds dropped and there was no starboard wind back.

KP delivers big waves and winds in July!!

Ok Lex had a little too much offshore in it so KP was the call on Monday. 5.4 then 4.7 then 4.2 very quickly as the norwest kicked in 25k-30++. Nice outside monster waves to 10+' were all good even with choppy faces and lots of bump and jump. Windsurfers outnumbering kiters easy until 2pm then it was surrender to lots of traffic. All in all a great day not quite a classic but standout so far this season.

Millard's great highlights:

http://youtu.be/8esK-opuSzw

Adda and Bald Mtn. Easy and Fast

10.4 combined in a quick hour. Dry and fast personal records for both. More speed equals fun courtesy of the 29. Love it.

Harsens rocking the cool west jet stream.

Great day yesterday at Harsens Island riding some west winds that were 15 to 30+. About 25 people out enjoying a great day of sun and 70° temperatures. Got about two hours in on the strapless surfboard in five finger shoes with the 12 perfectly powered up most of the time. The shoes worked almost too well sticking to the deck so well it's hard to slide your feet to change positions. Only downer was 3pm nuclear blast of west wind (squall to 30++) after lulling when only Rick and I were out.... I got in in time but Rick (on new 14) didn't and got ride to hospital instead for his ankle and leg. I then got tricked following MB out during squall on 4.7 but the wind dropped off after my first run out. Last 2 hours on the Mako and the 12 carving and playing. Great day and hoping for quick recovery for Rick!

Addy Twice Around on the Gas.

No helmet or glasses but that didn't stop the 2 very fast 6.5 mile loops. KOM here is doing it in 25 minutes, my best 34... I know where that time is lost... Great dry 80 degree sun ride with no one on trail. Love this ride.