Wind Power will have a booth at the 2012 Strictly Sail Show in Chicago. The Show will be held Jan. 26 – 29 at the Navy Pier. Strictly Sail is the largest yearly event for Sailing craft and related equipment held in the Mid-west. This is the first time Wind Power has been to this show. Plans are made to display the O’Pen Bic youth sailboat, Windsurfing gear summer and winter, Kiting equipment, Kayaks and the latest rage in water sports, the SUP or Stand Up Paddle. Wind Power has donated a lesson package for Windsurfing or Winter Kiting and a SUP to give-away at the show. To sign-up for the drawings or to get more information on the show got to: http://www.strictlysailchicago.com/attendees/features/promotions.aspx
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The Wind Power web site has a New Weather Center! On Monday June 20 the New Weather Center was added to the Wind Power Web site. The Site has it’s own URL at WindPowerWeather.com . A Weather Center link is available on Wind Power home page and under Information pull-down menu. As you can see in the picture above the Wind Sensor is mounted much higher than in the past. It will give a more realistic reading in more directions due to the added height. My brother Andy donated an A-Scow mast which we put on top of the shop. The Wind Sensor is on top of it which should put it at 60 plus feet. This is around the height of the neighboring trees. But that is not all that the Weather Center is about. It has a very detailed graphs of the wind speed with gusts, direction and speed, temperature and wind chill. There is also a tabular data. Forecast are available from several popular weather links. Water Temperature is also available. There are graphs with a detailed history of the past weather. Personally I like to see the peak gusts. A local advisory tells you what launches are good for the current conditions as well as the type of equipment to use. Don’t forget to add the Wind Power Weather Gadget to your desktop. It will keep you up-to-date with the wind conditions on Lake Winnebago’s south end. WindPowerWeather.com/gadget The Weather Center is dedicated to Stellablue, a longtime companion of the developer of this site. Stellablue was a yellow Labrador retriever and learned to windsurf as a puppy and loved cruising on the long-board. As you can see in the photo, she was ready to go, but was not much help up-hauling the sail. The Weather Center is dedicated to her memory. The Weather Center was many hours in development and deciphering data find what would work best for Wind Power. Some of the unique features are the recommended Launch Sites and desktop gadget (for Windows). The Weather Center not only provides weather data, but provides a lot of explanations and educational information. Check out the Information and Sensor pages for example. We are excited to bring this new service and it’s features to you. Feel free to blog back or contact us with any comments and suggestions. Enjoy the weather Center and make the most of it to increase you fun in the WIND on Lake Winnebago. Kevin USA 8 Have you blown the dust off you soft water sailing equipment? Well it’s time. Lake Winnebago opened on April 7th, as far as we could see to the north from Wind Power . The water temps are in the upper 50’s already. A few more warm days and you can put the drysuits away. Spring is a great time for those with experience to get out and enjoy some high wind action. Be sure to check all you cold weather gear so it’s going to protect you as designed. Don’t forget to also check over your equipment; u-joint, lines, all screws. Breakdowns can quickly become a much bigger problem with colder water temps. Wind Power enjoyed it’s annual spring trip to Hatteras. A great group of 14 enjoyed warm temps in the 70’s and lots of wind. I windsurfed overpowered on my 4.2 and kited with an 8m. Christy, Pat and Greg, new kiters, worked on getting rides on soft water and Debbie learned how to Windsurf. Wind Power’s Online Store has been busy this spring and new items are being added daily. Check it out at http://www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/shop/ The Mid-West largest used inventory and replacement parts will soon be showcased in the online store! The road construction on Winnebago Drive (in front of the shop) is completed and it’s a big improvement to the area. Come and enjoy a sail out of Roosevelt County Park. School will be out Soon! Wind Power is currently taking registration for the Kid’s Classes on wed. Starting Wednesday June 15th there will be a morning kids class from 10:00 to noon and an afternoon class from 1:00 to 3:00. Last year the classes were full. We will add a Thursday program if there is enough demand. Call Kevin at Wind Power or see the web site for more information: http://www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/lessons/windsurf#kids  Are we having FUN yet? Wednesday night will be the Advanced Windsurf classes. This program covers all levels, from those who have just learned to the aspiring racer. If you are nervous and not real comfortable out in the water, this is the class for you. Kevin will get you relaxed and having fun while learning how to windsurf better. Class curriculum is adjusted to the students level and the wind conditions of the day. Beginner Windsurf Lessons are available anytime just call ahead to set a lesson time. Wind Power prides itself on having the best lesson equipment available. We want you learning experience to be easy , fun and fast! Roosevelt County Park has a nice shallow sandy area where the beginner lessons take place, it’s an ideal location. See our web site for more information: http://www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/lessons Kiting Lessons are available, Wind Power supplies the equipment if you don’t have it. A large Pontoon boat is the launch site and a Jet-ski is the chase vehicle. Contact Wind Power for more information and to setup a time. Stand Up Paddling (SUP) Lessons and equipment are also available. If the wind dies stop over to the shop and pick up a paddle. Paddling along the shore checking out the houses is interesting, you can paddle back in the channel behind Wind Power or cruise up to the Light House and even go in Supply’s marsh.  Jay and Dr. D Increase your Summer Fun with Wind Power! Sign me up for next Year! Bob and I had a blast and we are making plans for next years event.
We had 3 days of freeriding with the best snowkiters in the US. I saw gliding for the first time and it is really awesome to watch. On the way down the mountain the kiter lifts off and then just glides in the air at times reaching heights twice as high as the trees. The kiter must work his kite properly to maintain the glide or they will drop like a rock. I only saw a handful of kiters attempting this maneuver. Bob is fortunately hanging out with the best kiters in his area and he is starting to glide. Maybe by next year he will be gliding across the road like his friends.
Chasta, the Snowkiter from France, that put Snowkiting on the map was in attendance. He used his smooth kite skills and understanding of the mountain winds to place 1st in the Snowboard division. Brad Gordon from Utah won the men’s Ski division. The Winduro race was a grueling 4 mile course with the first leg upwind, up the lee side of the mountain. Then a blazing fast reach followed by a downwind, down hill broad reach to the finish. Bob got 6th in the Ski division, I was happy to just finish the course. Heather and Brian Shenck from Windzup put on a great event with Ozone as the major sponsor. The emphasis was on fun and not as much on competition. The fun vibe was definitely there with a snowkite type of Easter egg hunt. Instead of looking for eggs you were looking for bags with coins in them. 2011 Masters intro with video from 2009 On Monday following the Competition the winds were light so Bob and I decided to meet some longtime friends and ski with them. Dick and Arleen Ward from Chicago were some of my best students. I meet them in 1985 when they drove their motorhome past Roosevelt County Park with their windsurfers on top. I saw the windsurfers and waved to them. They turned around and within a half an hour I was giving them advanced lessons. They continued to come to Fond du Lac for lessons, even meeting me in the Gorge one year to do a clinic I was helping Mistral run. They retired in the late 90’s and moved to Corpus Christie to Windsurf. In the winter they move to their mountain home to ski. It is very inspiring to see a couple in their 80’s who still ski and windsurf. I was very happy to catch-up with them.
Kevin & Bob at Snowmass On Tuesday the winds were back so we traveled to Strawberry Reservoir, Bob’s favorite place and we put some major miles on. The terrain was beautiful with rolling hills a flat lake and several different sized half pipes, remains from an old railroad. All in all I had a great trip, many thanks for Bob putting me up and putting up with a rookie. I will be back next year! Stay Tuned for our next travels or event. Please leave comments and check out our new YouTube channel. Wow! A dream finally come true! I finally made it to Salt Lake City for some SnowKiting in the Mountains and to participated in the SnowKite Masters Event! Something on my bucket list since I heard of it a number of years ago. I had been out to Salt Lake skiing in 1983 with my brother Andy and Friend Jerry Kiesow form work. We had an awesome time, skied 9 different mountains with the last being Jackson Hole. I always wanted to go back there but with my new addiction to windsurfing I was spending all my vacation time on the beaches. We satisfied our addiction in the winter by sailing of some form on the lakes. Voila! Along comes Kiting! With the advent of kiting we were soon satisfying our new addiction in the winter again kiting on the lakes and sometimes on land given the right conditions. Soon the magazines were featuring articles on SnowKiting. As soon as I saw that I my desire to return to Utah started to re-flame. 4 years ago Bob LeGault, one of my friends a windsurfing/Kiting student of mine was relocated to Salt Lake City for his job. We have stayed in touch and he would tell me stories of him kiting in the mountains with some of the best SnowKiters in the USA. Of course he invited me and friends to come out and join him. Last year Mark Grienert one of my better traveling buddies were trying to make the trip happen. Sad to say, too many things got in the way. I told myself next year it would be my most important trip. I made it happen this year but sad to say none of my other kiting friends could make it. Bob picked me up at the airport Tuesday and we stopped at his house and quickly loaded up and headed to Strawberry Reservoir, where he was in a competition, placing 2nd in the amateurs 2 weeks ago. After sending an e-mail to Bob to find out what kite sizes to bring, I was surprised with his reply that his most used kite was a 17m. So I packed my 16, 12 and 9 all in a Naish Golf bag. Arriving at Strawberry Tues. afternoon there was absolutely no wind. I took some pictures and was amazed to see snow over my head. Awesome terrain for both Kiting and snowmobiling. Upon returning to Bob”s house I needed rest after getting up @ 3:30 and picking up a bug at the Milwaukee airport and suffering a little altitude sickness. Dehydration in the higher altitudes gives me bad headaches. Coffee and alcohol don’t help at all. Once I drink enough water (about a gallon a day) I’m fine. I need to start at home for my next trip. Wednesday morning I woke-up feeling much better and we packed up and headed to the Event Site for the SnowKite Masters. Check the Event out at www.snowkitemasters.com On the way up the mountain we checked out many of the sailing and summer kiting spots on Utah Lake which is just south of Salt Lake. We also stopped at the Skyline Motel we’ll be staying in tonight after attending the pre-registration Party! Up the mountain pass we continued, the wind was pretty much non-existent. At about 90% to the top we finally saw a little wind. Wow when we got to the top it was blowing snow. I got my trusty wind meter out and it peaked at 30mph, average of 25 mph. Bob gets his wind report from Kenny at www.forum@utahwindriders.org I must say Kenny was dead on with his report, but it didn’t look good on the way up. We pulled in the parking lot to find a two other vehicles and they were just starting to setup. You wouldn’t believe but the little mini-camper next to us were from Chicago. Amanda and Steven, with a friend from Germany. We pumped up our 9′s and headed out on the mountain terrain. It didn’t take me long to appreciate Bob’s local knowledge. Before I went far he warned me I was headed for a cliff. Visibility was not the best with angle of the light and blowing snow. I told Bob I would follow him and we went downwind and up a large hill. Something I had never done before with a kite. After getting to the top Bob told me to de-power the kite and we’d go down the hill. Well being cautious I de-powered my kite to the max and it would hardly fly. After finally putting it back to full power I could fly the kite and go down the hill. Did I say really haul ASS down the hill. The more we did it the more comfortable it was. Bob had his GPS on and topped at about 38mph. We then decided to go upwind to the top of another cornice. I followed Bob and watched him adeptly maneuver through a ravine. I was checking it out and positioning myself when he hollered that there was a wind hole there. I decided to pass on ride, not wanting to get stuck in the ravine with no wind. Did I say getting around in all that snow was exhausting at that altitude. After riding till we were beat, we took a break before a second session. Summary: Coming from the lakes to the mountains is like going from the lakes to Maui waves windsurfing. My former student Bob became my instructor in the mountains. I was very fortunate to have him in Salt Lake City. Checkout www.kitesites.com for awesome video of kiting in Utah. The annual Sturgeon Stampede Winter Kiteboarding Classic will be held Feb. 11-13, 2011 on the ice off Fisherman’s Road Landing on lake Winnebago, Fond du Lac, WI. The event is organized by WAK (Winnebago Association of Kiteboarding) with support from Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center. Click here for the Notice of Event flyer. | Click here for the WAK web site.  2011 WAK Sturgeon Stampede Event flyer
Race Results: 2010 Winnebago Super Crossing Results (.pdf) Friday Sept.24th was a day to remember with near perfect conditions for a Winnebago Lake Crossing from the south end to the north end, a distance of 26 miles. The wind direction was WSW so getting to High Cliff State Park meant sailing on a broad reach. With winds in the upper 30’s gusting into the 40’s it would be challenging to say the least. 4 kiters: Don Altmeyer, Ed Schneider, Jeff Ross and Matt Schmitz left around 10:30 all on 8m kites except for Ed on an 11m. At around 11:00 Jeff Knutson who sponsored the race had the 14 Windsurfers line up on the 1st sand bar off Roosevelt County Park and take off after the 3rd horn in the high winds for High Cliff.
With the kiters gone from the horizon I beach started my Naish Super Cross 114 with Naish Force 5.0. I immediately accelerated to a high speed. Getting comfortable in the footstraps I started to bear off to the ledge by Stockbridge that looked like a far away island from the beach. I noticed most of the fleet was down wind of me making for Deadwood Point. I could clearly see Andy’s 6.2 sail screaming for the point along with Zack and Jacob. I wondered how Andy could hold down that 6.2 so well, for I had my hands full with the 5.0 and I wasn’t even bearing off enough to make High Cliff. I noticed Magnus just downwind of me and both of us needed to bear off a lot. I reached back on the boom and over-sheet at the same time bearing off towards the island of land in the far distance. Immediately accelerating to an uncomfortable speed charging down the face of the wave trying not to plow into the back of the wave I was about to overtake. I’m working and breathing hard, going way faster than I’m comfortable and I need to go 25 more miles like that! I also know from experience that the north end of the lake has bigger waves and often the wind is stronger. After crashing twice, I admit defeat. I know I can not make it with the equipment I choose. Rather than beat my beaten body some more I’d jibe and come back to the stairs. On the way back I see Magnus trying to bear off, Andy and Jacob sailing past Deadwood Point. The rest of the group seemed to be between the Point and the south end of the lake, all struggling. I could see Mark Schmitz struggling on my 4.2 after I pressured him into giving the Crossing a try with the 4.2 because his smallest sail is a 6.5. I wanted to go and trade sails with Mark so I could continue on the Crossing but decided it would only make getting back worse for Mark. Click to Image Start Slideshow tip: watch the slideshow full-screen for best quality image (click the ‘square’ at right end of slideshow controls) Once back on the Beach I saw Arden finish rigging his 5.3. He was leaving the water when we started the race because he was overpowered on his 6.2 and went home to get a smaller sail. I watched him sail north with the 5.3 and could see he was still too over powered to make 26 miles. Racers were returning to the beach and I decided the best thing I could do was go up the east side of the lake and try to find racers who abandoned the race. While I was leaving Neils Zaunmueller was dropped off by a Sandy Beach resident who saw he needed assistance and brought him and his gear back. I called Jeff Knutson and he was already at High Cliff getting ready to cook brats and serve beer to the finishers. I found Magnus just coming at Club Altmeyer, he was wore out. We loaded his equipment and headed north to Fisherman’s Road. We saw a lone sailor sitting on his board drifting in. Low and behold it was my brother Andy. He has broken his mast with his face after his 3rd wipeout. (He got a black eye) Tom Stokes called me and gave me an update of the sailors back at the shop. All sailors were accounted for except Jacob. I called Jeff and he could see 4 kiters in the horizon. After loading Andy’s gear we headed north again to Columbia County Park in Pipe. There we found Jacob’s gear on the lawn in tack but no Jacob anywhere. We let Jeff know and by then the kiters were in, enjoying the great picnic Jeff brought for them. We headed back to Wind Power not happy about Lake Winnebago kicking our butts. It was still blowing hard when we got back. Most everyone rigged smaller sails (4.2 – 3.8) and sailed till dark. Jeff Knutson and the kiters returned from High Cliff and we all shared our experiences. Matt and Trip joined me for a sunset kiting session on our 8m kites. I think I could have been on a 5m. Again thanks to Jeff Knutson of A-A Exteriors.com for another great job running the Winnebago Super Crossing. Lesson learned, get out on the water and tune, and don’t rig too big when your heading north to the other end of our great Lake. Either way it was a very fun and windy day. I am already looking forward to next years crossing! Hoping to get conditions like we had to give it another try. Problem is we get conditions like that about once in 8 – 10 years. We’ll see what next year brings. Kevin Gratton – USA 8 |
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