8/17 DC Speed 2 15M & Waroo 17M

[Kenny]

Wind was sweet, dialed in the whole time. Billy and Jake showed up and we had some good rides. Traded kites with Jake and had some nice reaches on the Waroo 17M. Switched back with Jake rode to the other side of the lake and the wind switched OFF. Billy was close to shore and paddled in.

I kept trying to relaunch my kite to no avail. Swam into shore and that is when the Epic Mud Adventure (EMA) began. You can start walking about 200 yards from shore on the north end of the lake. I did this and without realizing it my foil kite started filling with water so by the time I reached shore it had turned into a water anchor. The mud at that end is also knee to thigh deep and makes a satisfying sucking sound every time you lift up your foot. Had to take off my booties as the muck kept pulling them off. My kite full of water probably weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 LBS. I spent 2 hours slowly dragging it 100 feet up onto the mud and draining it out. It was not a pretty sight. Picture a grown man on his hands and knees dragging a mud slathered, water-filled kite across the muck. I was so glad that I stopped at Taco Time to refuel before hitting the lake or I would have bonked and spent the night in the muck. The EMA ended on a good note, Billy and Jake had taken my boards back to my truck. I staggered to the truck, rinsed off with my handy gas can full of water and left about 3 hours after the wind shut down.

Thanks to Billy and Jake for waiting until I reached shore before leaving and not sticking around to take pictures of me rolling in the mud.

So what did I learn - whatever you do don't go to the north end of the lake. Don't drag a foil across the water unless you need a water anchor. EMA's are better if you have fueled up on Taco Time before hand.