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I sure like that Subject Line and hope it keeps circulating. :-)
JD is right too, but he had better be ready for a Chris rebuke. It will go something like "deflating everyone's kite". <grin> (see below)
I am (for a 2nd time) copying in a previous post started by Kyle and replied to by Chris and me. We should vote on who was right on this one, Chris or Rich. <double grin>.
Old thread below:
Rich wrote:
The conditions for kiting suck for St. Louis kiters. Plenty of gusty wind once a week on average that may last 2 or 3 hours. Very risky launch sites with close proximity to trees, concrete boat launch slabs, and 3' diameter limestone rip rap. An 11.0 kite will work half of that time. Rarely more than two kiters at a time in the company of two or three windsurfers. Camping is available at Lake Carlyle.
Then Chris wrote:
Kyle,
Wow I guess Rich really deflated your kite, so to speak. No St. Louis isn't the Gorge, Padre, Caribbean, Outer banks, etc, but Carlyle can be kited successfully. Yes SOME of the launches are very questionable, however Harbor Lights is rock free, large and probably the best place to launch. I have a friend moving back to St. Louis who is also a kiter, and with the two previously reported Creve Couer kiters, plus Juan, Rich, & Elias, it's realistic we could have 7 kiters launching at Carlyle.
So things aren't that bad! :)
Chris
Then Rich wrote:
Chris must have an agenda. Perhaps he is a lobbiest for the Lake Carlyle area. Chris' selling point was Harbor Light Bay. (Did Chris mention he does not kite?) <grin>.
Granted, Harbor Light is the best kite and windsurf launch site on Lake Carlyle. Let me describe our best launch site:
1. Last year, Ed and I swam our windsurf equipment out from the parking lot through 30' and 50' trees.
2. During the best wind months, it is rainy and the beach is often submerged, and muddy if not submerged.
3. If the beach is not submerged, those trees I mentioned are less than the length of the 30 meter kitelines from the water.
4. The wind must be from NE to S for the wind to reach the beach, and if it is ENE to ESE it is due on shore. If it is on shore, we must pinch very hard to get out of the concave bay/cove, turn around near trees that grow to the waters edge, and pinch the other direction. Then
do the same on the other side of the beach. Plus the close proximity to the trees decreases the wind speed as the wind is directed up and over the trees.
5. No facilities. You do it on the opposite side of a tree from the nearby homes or drive to Keyesport. :-)
Perhaps kiters Ed, Juan, Tim, Paul, and Elias can provide less discouraging opinions.
Rich |
From: J.D. Herdlick <jdher...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Rich was right!
To: "Wind Fun St. Louis" <windf...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 9:36 AM
I'm definitely not that skilled of a kiteboarder yet. I haven't even
tried any rolls yet, or even a transition. I just started in October
of last year, but outside of US summer, I live 5 blocks from a real
nice lake (Chascomus, Argentina) for kiteboarding. It's pretty much 5
miles by 3 miles in size, and with the drought that's going on down
there, you can walk across it. Normally it's max is 9 feet in the
middle. It's pretty ugly because there are basically no trees around
it, just flat cow and farm land. Bad for the view, but good for the
wind. It gets about 3 days per week of wind, so I was able to get a
fair amount of hours out there. One week I got out 5 days in a row! I
don't see how anyone would be able to learn here. It's like any of
these technical sports, you need to put in the time and take your
lumps.
Sunday looks like the fan might be turned on. We'll
see...
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