Utah Windriders Association

" This is as Windy as it gets " a local kiter said to me as I got blown off the water on a 7M at the wave spot, Roads End on the coast. I have never not been able to kite because, (It was to good and to heavy) Big waves... most guys out were on 4.0,4.5 or 5M. Awesome!

Billy, Trevor and I had a super fun trip. Riding 7,8 and 9M at the Event Site. Billy had one jump at the Hatchery that was so big it was like a seven stroke snowkite Glide on a surf board. The windsurfers went nuts. Trevor was out there rocking it in Heavy surf....killed it and he has only been kiting for a year. Genius.

We stayed with Bob Allen. What a great guy and what a cool happy home he has there at the Gorge, so nice and relaxing. We burned an old kite of mine on our camp fire at the coast. We sacrificed it to the wind gods for strong steady winds for years to come. It looks good.

I am going to buy a 5.5M.
Cheers,
Don

Five day trip, five days of wind. We had a steller time with the winter utah crew that "summers" in the gorge for sure! so many friendly faces. I flew 7 one day then 7 another day, then one day I flew 7, then we went to the coast and rode big surf, I threw up a 7 then. lesson learned the only kite i needed was a 7... oh yea and a thicker wet suit for the coast! Long live the Gorge and the amazing people who kill it there daily!

Mad props to Bob Allen and the gang at the Allen compond! We ate, kited, and partied like Kings thanks to Bob and the peeps at the Allen casa!!!

Big living in big town, hood river!

Glad you guys had a rockin trip and epic wind. I think I'm adding a 5m to my Gorge quiver.

The Utah-Gorge windsurfers were enjoying the wind, too!

Monday 7/19, I got off the 11 hour drive at 6:45 pm, rigged a 4.2m2 and sailed into the sunset -- pure bliss!

Tuesday was a wild day with everyone reporting that it was windier than it looked as they came off the water. I joined Utah sailors and expats Tim, Sarah, Linda, Sharon, Bob and Rex starting on my 4.2, soon switched to my 3.5 and never really felt comfortable on that. Quite a windy day.

Wednesday I was motivated to catch the earlier session which was promised by the Gorge regulars to be smoother wind and swells and it did not disappoint. Sailed both early (well, early for me starting at 11 am ) and late sessions on 3.5 well powered with nice swells (although the Gorge regulars said the swell wasn't so good, it was better after they all went home and quit chopping it up!). All at the Hatchery.

Thursday was predicted to be a gusty windy day and it delivered that for sure. I opted to go to Stevenson where winds were predicted to be good, but not so much where I'd have to go buy a smaller sail and mast. Most of the other sites had forecasted averages up to 30 mph. Stevenson did not charm me this day as it had a wind shadow to 70 yards out from the launch, a mess of barge and party boat traffic that left me hanging out on the Oregon side for twenty minutes, and gusty winds that made me wish I could transform my 4.5 to a 5.8. Sarah and Linda had much better luck (although OP'd at times) at the Wall.

Drove home Friday feeling satisfied with a short but successful trip!

A few shots
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6 ... bf8fd6b231