Unidentified Lake and Lake Powell??

[ArcticWindsurf]

No one was able to identify that big lake I saw at the summit of the Canyon, east of Cedar City, and nobody has ever surfed it?? It could be a Mecca like the Gorge and we don't even know about it!!

Well then what about Lake Powell? I also passed through there this summer, but was too busy to stop. It also looked awesome to sail there. Does anyone have any good experiences with big swell and good launching sites at Lake Powell? Is it also an untapped Mecca? Are there certain areas of Lake Powell that are prone to waves and consistent wind? I haven't read any posts here of late, which speak of Lake Powell.

OK, finally, on my travels this summer, I came across an amazing place that reminded me of the Gorge and had great wind (but I wasn't able to sail there either dang it!). It was Chamberlain South Dakota, right along the Missouri River. The area looked huge and very inviting for a windsurfer (or kiter). Maybe its not even sailable being somewhat close to that dam. I don't know enough about it and if you go be sure to check with the locals and be careful. But it looked really cool. Just by chance has anyone here ever sailed there?

I'd love to hear stories about any of the three places I have mentioned here.

Windsurfing is the sport I love most! I think its the greatest sport ever!! And everytime I go past a really cool lake or deep river I think "hmm . . . I wish I had my board/sail with me, I'd love to try out this new spot and get 'fresh tracks' as it were."

I was really excited to see Windsurfing Magazine do that story about windsurfing in Utah. Now, I'd love to see them do more stories about unknown but great places like the ones I have mentioned here. It kind of gets old to see the same stories about Aruba, Gorge, Maui, etc. Event the top 10 places in the last issue were really nothing new, and none of them surprised me and made me think "wow, that's cool I never thought of that place before, I think I'll make the journey". But we never get to hear about perhaps amazing places that nobody ever thought of. I know a few years ago there was an article about someone in Quebec windsurfing in a little known but great sailing spot and that was really cool, but these articles seem to be quite sparse.

So, I'm looking here to see if anyone has any great stories about these rare places.

Sorry to be lengthy in this post, but I have another related item to mention. One of my good friends in the Gorge told me that in the not-too-distant past (quite recently actually) that Hood River used to be a dump and downtown Hood River was basically just a run-down place for gangs etc. Then, he said that Windsurfing literally worked a miracle on the place. Now there are art galleries, fine restaraunts, awesome windsurfing shops, outdoor stores, and a ton of other great family attractions. Personally, I think that Windsurfing taking over a little-known community where there is epic wind/wave/water is a wonderful and beautiful phenomena, and is also a great way to promote the sport! Windsurfers (and kiters) are great people! When they come to a place, people get excited and happy, the local economy booms, and obscure places become havens. Growing up in Utah and loving windsurfing, I often wondered what would happen if it really took over in a big way, down by Utah Lake. All my life, and even now when I go back, I look at that lake and think "man, what a dump and a waste of a beautiful resource". There are not many beautiful beaches, no municipally supported launch sites for boarders and kiters, and the community government at large rarely takes full advantage of such a great resource. I have imagined what would happen if Center Street (just before Utah Lake) were full of windsurfing shops, kitesurfing shops, art galleries, and excited tourists coming to see the windriders mecca. Provo boat harbor would have beautiful sandy and grassy launch areas, awesome spots for tourists to watch the windsurfers and kiters, Windsurfing Associations would come and sponsor formula and wave riding competions there, which would be televised locally and nationally. Yes, I said "wave riding" at Utah Lake. I've been there in my youth when there is HUGE swell, big enough for forward loops, bottom turns, and HUGE air. Big enough to rival the Gorge and even other coastal locations. There would also be really cool rustic and classy hotels right near the boat harbor and launch area, and in the evening cool bands would play great cultural music as people walked along the streets (just like in Hood River in the summer). A great culture would develop and transform the area if Windsurfing (and kiting) took over Utah Lake (and other great launch spots in Utah). To be honest, I'd love to see more Hood Rivers spring up, especially at home.

Don't believe me. Go take a trip to Worthington, Minnesota and see the absolutely wonderful effect that Windsurfing has had on that cool little community. Its just a small lake there, but it has hosted windsurfing events and the local residents and the economy have benefited!

Oh yeah, they would also have prime rigging and launching spots at Utah Lake, and get rid of those ridiculous cement blocks that you have to step down on to get into the water. Also, it would be dredged and environmentalists and citizens would take greater care to keep the waters clean and accessible.

I think this is a REAL possibility. It's important to dream big and to make these dreams a reality.

Looking forward to hearing more.

- Arctic

[RickHeninger]

Great post and enthusiasm Arctic, Thanks...

Anyway, Lake Powell is where I learned to windsurf (well and Deer Crack! he he J/K Jim, I love Deer Creek ) ... But Lake Powell is where my friend's dad would take us on a house boat when I was 9 and he'd throw the Bic Dufor Wings aboard the 60 foot house boat... It was safe cuz' he'd tie a red ribbon on the back of the boards as they would hang over the front and back of the house boat and we needed a "follow boat" showing oversized load on top...

But we'd catch the breezes on Powell here and there and tour around in Bullfrog Bay... When a storm would come through, we'd thing it was the shiz to go out in gale force winds with our triangle bed sheets tied onto our Bic Dufor Wings (Dufor Wing? Does that mean 40lb 14 foot, gigamoungous board) hmmm... But it was fun to sail on... Very fun...

In the past 6 or so years since I had my eyes opened more and more to the "better" gear I have actually had some really fun sessions on Lake Powell.. But it's really hit and miss... If you are on a houseboat and a front happens through, and if you are in Wahweap or Bullfrog Bays, you are in for some of the funnest sailing in the west... But, it's gotta be good... So when it's good it's GOLDEN... It's just a luck thing... You throw your gear out there when everyone else is hunkered down looking out the windows of the houseboat and you're in hog heaven...

The other lake in Southern Utah up top, I am not sure about it...

When Utah Lake is good, like it probably was today... You know it! Great chocolaty big steep swell that give you pop like no where else... Love it...

And the Gorge goes w/out saying... Awesome... And yes, Windsurfing IMHO is the best sport ever!

[DimitriMilovich]

Panguitch Lake (East) or Navajo Lake (SE) maybe? I've sailed neither.

Try Google Earth and you'll be able to figure it out.

[Craig Goudie]

Dude, you have really got it bad! Most of us understand. If you were on
56 East, you were looking at Navajo Lake, or maybe Duck Creek
(which is right next to Duck Creek Viillage). If you were on 143
you were looking at either Panguitch lake or Yankee Medow reservoir.

It could be a Mecca like the Gorge, get down there and sail it for us
and let us know.

Lake Powell? I've seen it blow down there, but I don't have any experience.

Utah lake is developing. The last 5 years have really changed the
landscape there, especially on the West side. Unfortunately,
the development is making it more difficult to get water access.
For it to be "Destination Sailing", it'd need to be windier more often
though. Don't get me wrong here, I love UL, and I've had some
killer Gorge like conditions there(you all should have had pretty good
conditions yesterday), but that might happen a couple
of times a year.

We lost our last windsurf shop here in Utah, back in about 94
I think. I'd love to see another somewhere near Utah lake,
but I just don't think the economics justify it. We do have
several Kite board dealers in the area though, maybe one of them
could develop a Windians Mall somewhere around Utah lake.

Hope to meet you on the water some day, bring some of that
stoke with you.

-Craig

No one was able to identify that big lake I saw at the summit of the Canyon, east of Cedar City, and nobody has ever surfed it?? It could be a Mecca like the Gorge and we don't even know about it!!


- Arctic