Demo dazed at Bloomer Friday evening.

2:23 hrs and 21.3 miles to ride to Bloomer and find Specialized Demo going on. Fell in love with 2015 Camber FSR Carbon Expert Evo. $5900 dream ride with 1x11 XT everything and new Pike RS fork. Stiff and solid as or re-rode the trail I just did on my junky old 2012 Stumpy. Want vs. need? Great ride even if my bike is a little loose and heavy. Glad I didn't demo more!

Solid fun kiting last weekend - still living off it. 2 posts in one. While we wait for fall winds....

Late post here for last weekend. Greta weekend. Got out late last Saturday for a solid 3-5pm 12m session at metro with all the regulars - now number 30-40+ kiters. Sun and 15-20 SSW winds that didn't look kiteable but we're good enough for a great long sesh. Good appetizer for tomorrow....

Sunday at Harsens and SW to W to WNW 20-30 with cooler temps and clouds and occasional rain and sprinkles. About a dozen of us out and started right away with the 9m Rebel. Perfect setup for the Carbon Mako and staying way upwind and playing on downwind carving along the shoreline. Wen to the surfboard later and then finally the 4.2m Atlas and the 84 FSW for a great hour in 25+ west winds. Lots of jibes and carving 360's with a few jumps. Really nice sesh I between the kiting and pulling on some different muscle groups. Swell was really fun as well - just about a perfect 2 a sport day. Looking forward to more this with fall here now. We need it after a really poor wind season. Kiting filling in really well for all the missed WS.

Pontiac good and dry for all the rain we had...fast

58 minutes and a cold sweat with chilly 59 degrees and clouds with a little sun. Fast and really a ton of rocks, roots and sand. So intense and quick I was too exhausted for the second loop I promised myself. This trial has everything.

Harsens for the Rebel testing, wish it was longer!

A good one at Harsens but short. Got out late while most of the gang hit it early. But it paid off with NW 15-20 just barely enough to try out the new used 9m 2012 Rebel. Super fast in the air and super light bar pressure. Worked well since everyone else was on their 12's. Got some solid rides and playtime turning and jibing it. This is the go to kite for anything 20+ great range and the 5th line relaunch and control seem to be as great as everyone claims. Nice taste of things to come in the fall I hope.

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.