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Hey All you kiters, I have moved South to Gormley on a 100acre property that is a perfect spot for kititng before the big freezes ..... if anyone wants to come over and play call me @ 705-795-5982.... I am by woodbine and Stoufville road .....kite fast    

Trip log, Stardate March 24^th 2008

 

Saturday March 22^nd morning,  Andrew, Terry and I start out for a kite trek From Dillon to Parry Sound… about 26km as the crow flies …

We have done this trip many times and it’s a great little journey with wonderful scenery and mostly large ice covered expanse.

 

We started our journey by launching our kites right in our little Bay near Dillon , Ontario . Andrew, Terry and I got our kites set up and going ,

Terry having some difficulties at first with his kite …the winds were shifty and weird to start off …

 broken wind provided us with the momentum to escape the little bay …

 I flew a Smart 10.5m kite to start off with...Way too big of a kite …

but having a few other kite choices on my back …

Andrew was flying his 6m Leader and Terry was putting up a 7m + Flexifoil …

 

We got out to Oak and did some tacks waiting for Terry to solve his kite ……

 

The going was great once we were on our downwind cross tacks . Terry pumping hard Andrew cruising like a rocket and by this time I had my 4.5 M Smart up to replace the overpowered  10.5m … whew …

what a large canvas it is … was a little big for a long kite trek ..

so I decided that a little underpowered would be better …

 

We get in between Red Rock Light house and Snug Harbour Light house

when we hit a huge expanse of pack ice … frozen tombstones and daggers sticking up, ready to mess you up… We go as far around this untamed ice to avoid incident …but have to at some point enter the unfriendly ice zone ……

 a few minutes into our pack ice corridor, Terry hits a ski snag and loses a ski and wipes out hard …he spins a couple of times and comes to a stop in the graveyard of ice tombstones.  

 We have a kite code that if you are OK after a fall or tumble, to put up one

arm to state to kite friends ALL IS WELL … Terry’s arm didn’t come up,

so I headed towards him to check on the situation …            

As I Got close to him I asked Are you OK .. and he replied..

”I ‘m All F**ked up …

Oh Shit was the first words to my brain   …

 I was thinking OK Andrew and I are going to have to get him out .. …

Make a slide splint out of our skis , lash them together … ..

 I thought Terry had broken his leg or something ..Flashback to a few years back when Terry and I attempted a trip where I twisted my ankle very bad .. 20km into a 110km trip .. I was remembering this event and having

 Empathy for him …. A little times passes and Terry gets to his knees and

stands up .. I was so relieved .. He is a resilient machine as I know of him from

ice and rock climbing together . I have seen him hold onto the smallest little rocks to gain a hard boulder climb .but ice is still hard …

 

He voices for Andrew and I to keep going and finish the journey and he would head into Snug Harbor to get home …. I was ready to pack it in and call it a day .. but Terry insisted that he was OK and to go on and kite the trek …

Andrew and I continued on our way kiting slowly towards the pancake Islands circumnavigating the push ice as much as possible ... Once closer to Snug Harbor , the ice flattened out and we were able to gain some speed once

again …

 

Past the pancakes towards the little light house we were on a great passage,

the winds were perfect and the legs holding out .. yet another pressure crack

to get thru by the light house. An easy one it was this time. The ice was well locked in …

 Time stands still for me when I am on a journey such as this… just me and

the kite and the ice … I love the big frozen expanse ….

 

We get into the narrows by Davies Island near the Northern Killbear Park ,

when the winds starts to twist on us … my kite, Andrews .. We had to skirt along the far shore to get our needed winds …

On one kite twist … I took my skis off to fix lines and sort kite .. and began

to realize the ice below was whining from the waves below it .. you would hear and see the ice crack beneath your feet … for hundreds of feet …cracking between your legs , just like in a cartoon, but the ice was thick enough, not to become float ice and break up, and me the coyote with a wet umbrella …

 it was very nerve wracking and made me hurry to get my kite back up

and me on skis ..

 

We eventually get out of this narrow .. and can see the light house @ Killbear point .. as well as the open water on either side of our channel …

This is a very bad spot of currents between two big bodies of water .. Andrew kites in for a closer look .and I can see him suddenly crash his kite slightly and back step … he never crashes a kite .. he built up speed and motioned to get away from there …

As he was approaching the middle point between the open waters .. he discovered a crack that he can see was only about 2 inches thick  …

his weight standing there on skis was already starting to push water thru …

 very very scary moment for him ..

 

We escaped to the northern side of the point and tore down our kites .. and walked over the landmass for about 300m to the other side , where we were greeted by a nice, no wind, exposed sandy beach …and a view of our last stretch of kite skiing for our journey ..

Wow what a nice calm spot to sit and hydrate and rest basking in the March

sun … it was gratifying to get passed the point and see ice to kite and not

more open water totest our mind and skills  …

We rested well and get our gear together for the last leg …

I put up the 4m Leader for my last run … it was on the edge of

overpowered for me .. but fun even with mushy weak legs …

Andrew flying his trusty 6m Leader took off like a rocket again ..

hard to keep up with him most days now … He seemed to have refined his

 kite skills perfect and qwick this winter.     We kite like mad to the salt docks realizing that once there , we have no ride to get home … and by chance

a new kite friend was at our landing to see if any crazy kiters were out …

We were very relieved and thankful that Larry was there to cart our tired

bodies home ..

 

Andrew logged over 100km from 900am to 400pm on Saturday March 22^nd 2008,

and hit 70km p/h 

And I, about 75km logged and much slower than he  … but good fast runs ..

Another great kite trip to remember ….

 

 

    

               

                

Feb 20th 2008 Andrew Manwaring and I decided to go kite skiing during the full lunar eclipse. The moon was a blood red and dark ...and the stars seemed to jump out of the sky. We launched our kites at the point where the moon was dark and kited around with our headlamps .. the wind was about 30km and gusts up to 40-45km ... with a surface condition that a Zamboni couldnt provide .. 

You can see the shadows of land , the dark , tall , frozen conifers on the islands,  giving slight visual guidance as we whipped around hitting 50km without really seeing the ice surface in time if ever there was a problem with what was coming   ... at that speed you have no clue what you are going to ski accross , frozen shark fins , tombstones, debris from the local ice huts .. a little nerve wracking ...

But i must say this was one of the most glorious times kiting , during an planetary event one doesnt seem to see very often ...

I wil remeber this lunar eclipse kite session for a long time as it was a perfect zen kite  moment ... Life is too short NOT to do these kinds of things ...   

Peace and kite fast , during eclipses

Christopher Hess ... Speedkiter

 

    

Well Hello Folks, Kiters , 

Andrew M, John M and Myself spent a week of wind chasing , having some of the best kiting seesions we have ever had.

Lake Wanapetei near Sudbury proved to be a perfect spot to kite on Saturday Feb9th Wind conditions were perfect with a vast aren to kite on .... If you go to Capreol, Ontario and follow signs to a bar called ROCKYS on the native reservation, you will find the perfect kite spot with very nice folks, Rockys is a bar in the middle of nowhere basically a place for the skidooers to congregate and race their gas gusling machines ... i think some were suprized as to how fast we were going as Andrew took a few passes on their groomed drag race track ...the wind was perfect for it ...

Next day @ same place was also good kiting , but winds were off shore so had to go out to get a ride ..

 

Then Manitoulin Islands , Kagawong , Mudge Bay was a perfect snow condition for fast runs ..none of us hit over 100kms , but had great long tacks and logged many hours , so , it was a perfect time ..poker at night , exploring ice caves on the no wind day , only one ..

 

more to come Peace

 

  

 

Hey Folks for 5 days a group of us are going up to Manitoulin Island to find the perfect spot to reach fast speeds ... no wind we Ice Climb,

If you kite, and good person, and happen to have some time off between Feb 11th and the 15th , please call us @ 705-774-BIKE(cell)  or 705-342-9017 to join in on the fun ..  

 

Peace & kite fast   

Hello Canada and beyond....  We have a very fast enrty into the Canadian Speedkiter Rank ... Mark Henry from Quebec has hit 61miles per hour or as we and NASA like to call it 102km p/h .. Mark was using a paraski flex 4m in about 50- 70 km of wind .. wow ... 70% ice 30% crusty snow ... perfect conditions ...

Congrats to Mark for a high speed and to rank # 1 right now on the Canadian Kite Speed Rank Page

  

 Bravo Mark Henry ... see you @ WISSA

 

Hello Kiters, winter is here and the kiting time is now ......

We have a very warm cottage to rent out to kiters that want to kite in a very serene location on Georgian Bay , near Killbear Park, Parry Sound, Ontario , Canada ... wow ....this location offers the finest kiting conditions ... and a very open view to the complete bay,

we have available one cottage, that sleeps 8 Boot camp style or rent it out as two/3 couples, options are available ... rates are very affordable... We provide you with a place to rest your head and drink a cold beer, by the wood stove after a day of kiting . Cottage is 200ft from where you launch ...   interested ... ? email us for rates and availability ...

 

Hey kiters, well the winter season in Canada is almost upon us. Dont forget to send in your top speeds (JPEG ) of your GPS. Concept Air is going to offer a fast kite once again this year (a $700.00CDN /1000.00USD value)   

Patrick Anderson is the first person to send in his top speed ... thank you Patrick ... play safe ...

iMark Peer up in NWT is most likeley already kiting and having fun while us southern kiters wait by the waters edge wanting it to freeze . Lucky Mark ... we envy you ... do you have room for about 2 dozen kiters ... ?

World ice competition (WISSA 2008) is in Quebec this year. Feb 10th to Feb 18th  2008 ...

Speedkiter and team OTKA will be there to represent Ontario ... If you are a serious kiter and kite fast... and live in Ontario.. please call ......

We will have a Parry Sound kite festival and perhaps a North Bay festival as well.. 

OTKA and Speedkiter will be talking to Grant Fitz to see if we can add races to his exisiting Keswick winter festival ... details to follow ...

Peace and kite fast ... Speedkiter ...

  

 

 

  

Above is Fred with his new kite , Fred hit a top speed of 87.4 KM/H on Lac Kenogami on April 8th 2007 ...Bravo Fred .. And a Big Thank You to Concept Air for their contribution to the Canadian Speed Rank Page. For the Best kites on the market...go to www.conceptair.com  Ask for Michel or Ben ... They will set you up with the best kites around  ...

 

Hello Kiters, Well the speeds are in and the Big winner for a new Leader 2.2m kite from Concept Air is Fred Chouinard of Quebec..... Fred hit a top speed of 87.4km per hour on Lac Kenogami around april 8th 2007. Right on Fred ...  and Merci a Concept Air for sponsoring the Canadian Kite Speed Page ....

next year will be biggger with more kiters ... so sharpen and wax your skis and get ready

 

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