Rush Humilation 21m

[Kenny]

I debated whether or not to write this post. However, I figure if you can't laugh at yourself, you are taking life way to seriously.

Arrived at 1:30 to up and down wind out of the north. I realized that I did not have my board shorts in the car, but I had a pair of knee length yoga shorts. They didn't have a waist tie, but I figured they would work. I parked at the end of the fence line. I waited for 30 minutes and decided to go out. The walk out was much shorter than at the traditional launch spot. First you walk through dried mud, then squishy mud, then aquatic weeds and mud, until finally you come to shallow water with moss and weeds. The wind continued up and down with the kite coming to the water a couple times. I got a little moss on my lines, but at that part of the lake the moss is relatively sparse and I was able to clear my lines. The wind began to fill in and I started jumping and riding up wind. Rode nicely powered for over an hour and then made the decision to ride all the way up to the north end of the lake. I made it about half way when the wind began to die off again. I knew that was a problem as there was a lot of moss patches with flies hanging out on top (yeah, it makes you want to lose your lunch just looking at the stuff floating in the water now). My kite slowly started to come down toward the water. The left wing tip touched the water and I could swear that the green fingers of moss literally reached up and grabbed the left lines and bridle of my kite. The right side stayed clear. I tried clearing the lines, but it seemed like the moss only entrenched itself further onto the kite bridles. I was thinking of how awful it was going to be to try to pick the moss off the bridles of a huge foil kite in the middle of a swamp bog. Fortunately, the wind picked up and the kite came off the water, but the bridles would not clear. The kite was flying like a drunken genie, undulating with every gust of wind. I decided not to risk putting the board on, so I started body-dragging downwind with the board in one hand and bar in the other. So, there I was flying through the filth when I started to feel my shorts slip down. I reached down to grab them and the wind responded by picking up even more. So, I ended up dragging into shore with my shorts around my ankles full of 50 LBS of moss and mud. Landed the kite and whipped my shorts back up. It was one of those times when I was very grateful to be kiting alone. Laughed at myself and picked the moss out of the bridles in less than 30 minutes. I was so grateful for the 5 gallon jug of water in my car. Washed off the best that I could and hightailed it home.

[Travis Cook]

That was a great laugh. I knew where this was going as soon as you said yoga shorts with no tie. I've been dragged and had my shorts come down to my knees before. But NOT full of 50lbs of moss! Great story.

[PeterMiller]

Now thats what I call Devotion...

[Ralph Morrison]

You're a brave man Kenny. I don't know what's braver, going out at Rush or sharing that story.

[DimitriMilovich]

Great tale, Kenny! And brilliantly told. Thanks - this will go down as one of the great Rush tales (tails?).

[Jason Klein]

I heard a ranger was there and asked if "that" was your PFD.