My Blog

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

A rumor has it that the annual Green festival has become the Parry Sound Kite Festival .... Well We will be there for sure with a wide aray of new kites and demos for folks to try out ... hope to see you there @ the Parry Sound Beach. Anyone wanting to learn how to fly a traction kite, this is your chance .... Please email us in advance if you are interested ...

Speedkiter would kite to thank the following for their help with media coverage, financial sponsoring and product sponsoring. Without you we would not have been able to travel and kite this much and attempt fast velocities this winter...

Charlene Peck ... North Star, Denis Porter...Discovery Channel, Jim Little...Laurentian University, Sudbury Star, North Bay Nugget, The Weather Network, The New VR, Esprit Ropes, Concept Air, KIteloft., kitezone.ca ... 

If i have missed you I am Sorry about this ....

Thank you Again for helping us out ..... Peace and kite fast   

Next years idea(winter 2008) is to go to a cold wintery place, like Baffin Islands, Greenland or perhaps Nunavut.. for about a month to attempt great speeds using traction kite with skis ... We are looking for interested sponsors.