I have always been impressed with the sayings, "Go big or go home", and "I always fly over powered".

Well I have to say, you all have bigger ones than I do, or you are one of the biggest lairs I know, hopefully the first one.

A few of us were at the beach the other day and with the wind blowing about 7 to 10mph we were all out with big kites and enjoying the day.
Fletch and I both had out 12.5 Centuries(with the 6.6 material) and Fletcht took off for the next town up the beach, 10 miles away. With about a mile head start I took off after him. His kite wasn't to low in the window and I figured I could catch him in a short time, which I did. We had to work a bit to move as the lulls and the beach obstacles were more numerous than sand at times so the going was slow to stopped. From our wife's reports it was about 2 hours to get 10 miles. Along with the lite wind the soft sand fingers poking out to the surf, the tide pools, the kids digging holes on their way to China, big dogs and little dogs that can actually get to your pant legs to bite, and all the traffic, we made it.

After a short buggy check and a quick rest, we were off. Now the wind was blowing NW as we headed North up the beach. So on the way back it was not so much work. HAHAHA Thats what we thought when we started our return trip. The wind had picked up and we were having to work at keeping out of trouble as we let the kites take over. The wind had came around to a bit more Westerly than earlier so the conditions were even better for the return trip. HAHAHA I wasn't having to much trouble with my kite as my lines were a bit shorter than Fletcht's. HAHA He was having a hard time keeping to the hard pack and just into the soft stuff to help slow down. I was trying my hardest to slide from side to side to scrub off any speed I could. We would pass each other a couple of dozen times before things got worse. All of the holes in the beach were nothing more than a launching platform as I bounced from the top of one to the other. The tide pools are like glue at high speeds. Passing the traffic was a bit scary, it was like they were going backwards. The wind was picking up a bit more as Fletch was being dragged sideways into the soft stuff with the dunes not far way. I was able to come to a sliding soft sand stop as I was pulling as hard as I could on the end of the handles to drop the kite. Fletcht was having a hard time with his kite after it landed and got the bridle caught on something, I piled sand on my kite and ran to give Fletcht a hand before him and the kite disappeared over the dunes into the tall grass. I grabbed the handles as they came past me and then saw Fletcht come out of the tall grass with an arm full of nylon. After we got the kite straitened out he decided to put it away and get out the 8m. Crazyherb stopped by and asked if we were OK, and told us that he has never boarded so fast as he did in this wind.
"Dude, we need to get going. I don't have a smaller kite and I think the wind is picking up". HA
Fletcht took off and I don't know what happened to him for the rest of the trip, I had only one thing on my mind and it wasn't him. I have lost a bit of weight lately and the MG doesn't fit like it did, I was trying anything to stay in the bug and get back to the truck. As I passed people and kids on the beach I had to bring the kite up high to miss them but that started to lift me out of the bug. Drop the kite low and it was like turning on the turbos. Slide sideways till the bug caught up to the kite speed and as my teeth were working loose with all the holes and stuff to navigate through, I thought I saw the truck up ahead and headed into the soft stuff to slow down. Bad move, the sand was flying everywhere and was not easy to see. Oh *%@#$, I'm not slowing down at all. Time to end this, pulled the QR and hung on till I could see.
I was sitting just behind my truck and our wife's were yelling at us and asking "Where have you guys been? You have been gone for hours". I love my wife, she cares a lot about my safety and her sanity.:saint:

We figured we were up around 50mph plus at times on the way back. I got out the wind meter and found the wind was up to 14 to 17mph. Not the most fun I have had but one of the most memorable for sure.

From now on, I will take a few items with me in my bag for those times I hope never come again. Oh, by the way a few of those things, is a bunch of kites of all sizes.

And to top it off, I lost my pants after we got back, but that's another story.:o

Thats a big kite to be caught far from home with when the winds are picking up! So I lost track of the wind direction vs direction of travel. Were you working downwind mostly going home? 50 mph is very fast with a 12.5m kite.

Well that is what can happen on long distance trips.
I ALWAYS have one size larger and one size smaller on the buggy when I do long distance runs. I also look at the weather report to see what the wind is supposed to do on that day, if it looks like it will get stronger over the day I will sometimes also take two sizes smaller with. I also have an extra set of lines with. Switching lines from one size to the other is a pain, and lines usually snap in high wind so that makes it even harder. Water and a cellphone are also a must. If I still have room I take somthing to eat and a couple cold beers with, you never no when you might have one of those "need a beer" moments.

Wish I had a nickel for every time I told myself I'm going to start taking at least one other kite with me. Makes for memorable moments anyway
:Ange09:

Bobby,
We were heading South with a WNW wind, Fletcht said the 8m was just about right until he went out again.

I was just glad ya'll were OK when I rode back upwind to see what happened!!

I was cruising back to "base camp" saw your kites UP behind me one minute....made it back to camp and looked back and didn't see them anymore...thought..."uh oh"...

Adventures galore!!

ROCK ON!!
Steve

Clarification, these are Washington Beaches, we never went above 25 mph. Things are sure a blur at that speed.

I'll admit...I hit 26mph....just for a second....I swear!!

Shhhh....

That's a lot of wind for that large of a kite Jeff! Scary stuff when you're not expecting it!

Great story Jeff!

Be careful bud!

Glad you had an exciting trip. One for the ol' memory books. It's days like that, that keep you coming back for more.

Yeah yeah yeah, I want to hear about the pants.

Grant used to travel with a spotter GPS device. His wife could see where he was anytime she wanted. + it has an emergency function.
Quality 2 way radios?
Might give your wife some peace of mind ? Of all your stories , it is that your wife still supports you in this sport that I find most amazing!
She is a Saint !

Sounds like an exciting day!

We were watching the weather report for the day, all of us were, nothing to be worried about.
I normally do carry extra stuff with me, but the newer bugs have an X brace on the back which does not work well with a bag, besides we were not going far.
I do have a set of fancy walkie talkies with voice activated ear buds, that was in the truck. My wife said I should have brought them and I slipped up and said I did. ops My wife is the best, she requires to be with me every time I go out. I just need to be more receptive to her needs, hard to do when you are a guy. But I am working on it.

Quote:

Originally posted by RedSky Yeah yeah yeah, I want to hear about the pants.

There is a funny guy in every group, aren't you.:moon:
Well it goes like this. I have lost a bit of weight and I still wear the same cloths. When I put on my jeans for that day they just came out of the dryer and were a bit smaller for the moment. Long enough for me to get out the door and then remember I forgot my belt.
After our trip back to the truck I was wet from sweating and as I was standing at the back of the truck with our wife's behind me, I was undoing my harness and pulling it down to take it off, my jeans came down with it. Then I felt the cold wind blowing and heard the wife's roaring with laughter, I realized my jeans fell down with my harness and they were still buttoned and zipped, so they were not going to come back up. So I pulled my seated harness up and turned and bowed and made a graceful exit to the back seat of the truck to pull my pants back up after I got my harness off. OK, Happy now?

It was a good weekend though.:wee: