Happy New Year!!!!!
Happy New year everyone!!!
Well, I'm happy to say that our kite season here in Northern New England kicked off before the new year did. It's still a little "touch and go" with the wide temperature swings but it is ON! Monday of last week was the first day on Umbagog and the first on ice for me this season. It's never a good feeling to be out on the ice for the first time, wearing a PFD and hoping to hell you don't go swimming. Especially in light winds. But it was a good feeling ot be out.
A few days later we got some rain followed by a cold front. Cleared out most of the snow and set up the ice for some great high speed cruising. We got a day where the winds were nukin' so I decided to take a spin down and see if Chocorua was and good yet. The wind must have been a lot more North than NW because when I got to Chocorua it was dead calm. Wind was blowing everywhere BUT Chocorua. I jumped back in the car and headed north to Umby. An hour and 45minutes later I rolled into the parking lot and find Jim Cline out on the lake with his 3m Apex just haulin.
I was going to test ride some new Phantom 2's that I just got in from Peter Lynn but the smallest one that came in was a 12m. It's too early for me to try flying the 12m in the same wind Jim is flying his 3m. Fortunately I grabbed my 10m Charger on the way up.
The wind was way beyond the forcast. I measured 17mph at the launch with gusts of 35mph + out in the cut. I launched the Charger and pinned it for the other side of lower Umbagog. The wind was punchy as hell and I was glad to be on the Charger. I cruised out at about 56mph and then cruised back and forth before I ventured into the cut where things usually get a bit sketchy on days like this.
I came back across the lake in a tuck, I slowly sped up as I entered the cut but no real heavy increase in acceleration like I was looking for more of slow kind of "awwww man, this isn't going anywhere." accleration. But then i started speeding up.
What started as a mellow 25-40mph cruise was now devoloping into something quite different. Before I know it I'm in the mid 50's, 60's and now I see 70mph in Transcend GPS goggle. Then I see 72mph for almost 2 seconds! I Tuck a little more to get rid of some drag and the screen flashes 74mph!
At this point I have have to stop the run because I'm already too close to shore and if I crash I'm going to hit the rocks at probably about 50-60mph. So I put on the brakes hard, harder than normal and redirect my skis and the kite to depower the wing and gain some control.
It was a hell of a good speed day. Spent the whole day just cruising around ripping. I put in 30miles in just under 2hrs. Jim Cline put in 80miles and maxed out at 47mph on the 3m. A great day for both of us.
So does this mean that 74mph is my best speed ever? I'm not counting as such and here's why. First I only had the Transcends measuring my speed. I like to have more than one data source to draw from to call something like this official. Second, we're talking .5 MPH. On a GPS that's a pretty narrow margin in regards to accuracy. They can be off by +/- .5mph easily. For all I know I could have matched my personal best or increased it. Without another data source I can't really say for sure.
Unless I get an increase of a 1mph+ I'm not going to be toooooo excited. Just a little excited! I know it felt as fast as 70mph which for my second day on ice this season is enough to make my day.
New Years day Molly and I went down to Chocorua to do some light wind kite testing. There's not a lot of ice on Chocorua but enough to kite on if you know which parts of the lake to avoid.
Of course in my haste to get down there I forgot my boots so Molly got to be the first to fly the new big kite we just got in. There wasn't even enough wind to feel on you face and this thing would launch. We flew it side by side with the Flysurfer P4 19m SA and the results were very good. The Flysurfer seems to have more raw "Grunt" but the Arc is faster across the window and just absolutely rock steady.
I don't thin this kite is a light wind kite in terms of a 21m Speed 3 SA. But I bet it's a close second. And what it lacks in super low end it will make up with wind range. I'm looking forward to finding out what the wind range on this big rig is. It might just replace my 19m Charger.
It is a big kite, I think I'm going to name it "Reus".
It was awesome watching Molly lay it out and just rail an edge out on Chocorua. There's something very cool about seeing someone lit on a day when the wind barely makes our anchor flags twitch. Molly had a great day of riding and though I went back home and got my boots, what wind there was on Chocorua died out by the time I got back.
Damn.
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| Molly and the 24m Phantom 2. New Years Chocorua |
Well, I'm happy to say that our kite season here in Northern New England kicked off before the new year did. It's still a little "touch and go" with the wide temperature swings but it is ON! Monday of last week was the first day on Umbagog and the first on ice for me this season. It's never a good feeling to be out on the ice for the first time, wearing a PFD and hoping to hell you don't go swimming. Especially in light winds. But it was a good feeling ot be out.
A few days later we got some rain followed by a cold front. Cleared out most of the snow and set up the ice for some great high speed cruising. We got a day where the winds were nukin' so I decided to take a spin down and see if Chocorua was and good yet. The wind must have been a lot more North than NW because when I got to Chocorua it was dead calm. Wind was blowing everywhere BUT Chocorua. I jumped back in the car and headed north to Umby. An hour and 45minutes later I rolled into the parking lot and find Jim Cline out on the lake with his 3m Apex just haulin.
I was going to test ride some new Phantom 2's that I just got in from Peter Lynn but the smallest one that came in was a 12m. It's too early for me to try flying the 12m in the same wind Jim is flying his 3m. Fortunately I grabbed my 10m Charger on the way up.
The wind was way beyond the forcast. I measured 17mph at the launch with gusts of 35mph + out in the cut. I launched the Charger and pinned it for the other side of lower Umbagog. The wind was punchy as hell and I was glad to be on the Charger. I cruised out at about 56mph and then cruised back and forth before I ventured into the cut where things usually get a bit sketchy on days like this.
I came back across the lake in a tuck, I slowly sped up as I entered the cut but no real heavy increase in acceleration like I was looking for more of slow kind of "awwww man, this isn't going anywhere." accleration. But then i started speeding up.
What started as a mellow 25-40mph cruise was now devoloping into something quite different. Before I know it I'm in the mid 50's, 60's and now I see 70mph in Transcend GPS goggle. Then I see 72mph for almost 2 seconds! I Tuck a little more to get rid of some drag and the screen flashes 74mph!
At this point I have have to stop the run because I'm already too close to shore and if I crash I'm going to hit the rocks at probably about 50-60mph. So I put on the brakes hard, harder than normal and redirect my skis and the kite to depower the wing and gain some control.
So does this mean that 74mph is my best speed ever? I'm not counting as such and here's why. First I only had the Transcends measuring my speed. I like to have more than one data source to draw from to call something like this official. Second, we're talking .5 MPH. On a GPS that's a pretty narrow margin in regards to accuracy. They can be off by +/- .5mph easily. For all I know I could have matched my personal best or increased it. Without another data source I can't really say for sure.
Unless I get an increase of a 1mph+ I'm not going to be toooooo excited. Just a little excited! I know it felt as fast as 70mph which for my second day on ice this season is enough to make my day.
New Years day Molly and I went down to Chocorua to do some light wind kite testing. There's not a lot of ice on Chocorua but enough to kite on if you know which parts of the lake to avoid.
Of course in my haste to get down there I forgot my boots so Molly got to be the first to fly the new big kite we just got in. There wasn't even enough wind to feel on you face and this thing would launch. We flew it side by side with the Flysurfer P4 19m SA and the results were very good. The Flysurfer seems to have more raw "Grunt" but the Arc is faster across the window and just absolutely rock steady.
I don't thin this kite is a light wind kite in terms of a 21m Speed 3 SA. But I bet it's a close second. And what it lacks in super low end it will make up with wind range. I'm looking forward to finding out what the wind range on this big rig is. It might just replace my 19m Charger.
It is a big kite, I think I'm going to name it "Reus".
It was awesome watching Molly lay it out and just rail an edge out on Chocorua. There's something very cool about seeing someone lit on a day when the wind barely makes our anchor flags twitch. Molly had a great day of riding and though I went back home and got my boots, what wind there was on Chocorua died out by the time I got back.
Damn.
Molly's kite looks impressive! I like to think that somebody's watching over us & forgetting crucial kit or losing out on session happens for a reason.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the next installment.
Took my charger2 15m to the water last weekend for the first time, other kiters using 17m LEI's and I was obviously underpowered. Got some good practice flying in though, going to try again as soon as the wind picks up here.
ReplyDeleteWow Preston, if the 17m LEI's are out I bet you were underpow'd on the 15m Ch2. Still, I'm psyched you flew anyway. Light wind, it's the best way to get a feel for those kites, and how to get the most out of them. Arcs aren't light wind kites, even the 24m size, but in an good flier's hands they can get the job done. And you'll be a better flier for it.
ReplyDelete