Hey y'all over there on JI.. give us some update info or pics.

I know its early still (y'all are probably just getting on the beach, but I haven't seen any action on the JIBE forum since Saturday (I think). I hope y'all had a good "soft opening"

Please guys, share with those of us who aren't there (yet) how its going!!!

I saw on the news something about a Tropical Storm... anyone have any words on that?

Had a wonderful Sunday spent seeing some old faces and meeting some new ones. Windless day, but worth the trip. Actually flying kites would have been icing on the cake :-)

Spencer, I suspect the winds are so good today no one is bothering with posting!

Premium conditions today. Flew the 5.5m Reactor and road 58 miles. Rode 5 or 6 hours straight. I should have got out there earlier. Cruise speed started off in the 15mph range. Then 20mph. Top speed at 30 mph and upwards to that much most of the time. It was totally powered up and as much kite as I could hold down. The kite had far more speed in it for a buggy that could hold it down.

It's hard to take pics and ride at the same time. Then it's hard for me to take "good" pics. Then the issue of getting pics uploaded and displayed on the forum From a phone. Not complaining just describing the task at hand.

I've got some general pics and videos that show the scene and conditions. It will take me a minute to get them uploaded.

The run down the beach and even the island itself is much bigger then It appears on maps.

Thank you, thank you Nick and Phillip for paying the dues to Earl yesterday - it paid off today. The winds were more NE so some people found parts of the beach harder heading upwind. If you went racing south to the water tower and don't have a great upwind kite it was a lot of zig zagging back north or you could even find yourself trapped down there - I heard at least one person was picked up and brought back north. Running the arcs was super, great upwind and then unleash the power to do the downwind back....back? back from where you ask?
Well if driftwood was the goal that is now second place. After a couple of trips northward both Errol and I managed to get to what looks like the northern tip of the island on Google. Get to driftwood, have fun zig zagging around some of the fantastic pointy bits and continue onward North...pass a super stretch of perfectly smooth beach that is totally secluded and as the beach starts to curve at the northern tip come to a second small section of driftwood with lots of nice protruding short sharp bits sticking out of the sand. I have a GoPro video of the run up and back. It was a super day today and ran just a hair under 42mph - going down a size in kite probably would have been faster but it was good having the power to get the upwind.
There were about 9 buggies and 4-5 ATB riding today. I think tomorrow's forecast looks similar to today. It also looked good to get out and surf so I think I'll do a little of both tomorrow (buggy/surf)
So far all is good, I think a gang went out for dinner to the Raw Bar tonight but we missed that but enjoyed s nice bbq and cathching up with friends back at the hacienda. I wanted to take a lot of photos this year but so far spending too much time in the buggy .... We'll see what the rest of the week brings.....definitely some ice cream
Mark

OK Spencer. Today was NE steady 12-15. Offshore tropical low pressure developing. Really easy downwinders. Had to work for the gold getting back upwind (for us low A/R guys). Lots of kites in the air. Good to see all the regulars, and new faces as well. I think tomorrow is forecast the same as today, then more easterly the rest of the week. It was great though. New faces I didn't get a chance to meet. Hope to catch up tomorrow.

Random videos of nothing in particular. Just for my own reference of the place and the conditions.

I just stopped at some point. Tide was very low.

View looking South:




View looking North:



For those reading not familiar with the place.

High tide or near or around:




Low tide difference:





Kite for the day(5.5 Reactor):


Other kites:

HOLY KATZ--- gang that is awesome sauce!!!!!! I'm practically peeing my pants I'm so excited...

I figured you guys were out there having WAY too much fun to be dorking around on your computers... especially seeing it was going to be awesome today and tomorrow via the forecast.

@rtz... I didn't know you were coming, looking forward to meeting you!!!
@Mark & Errol... WOW you guys went THAT far!!!
@Jason... YYYYYEEEEAAH buddy, I know that red Ozone Flow! ... you try out your stars yet?

Who's that flying the Peak?

Tell me what y'all are thinking on the forecast for later in the week? looks a little rough!

Spencer. That was Ted on the Peak. That is one amazing kite! He had no problems going anywhere in the NW wind!!

I flew some Stars yesterday too. Still "relearning" them with the zero rolling resistance of the hardpack lol.



Though I didn't get a chance to meet him yet, Randy had his new NPW and "skin" out too. Gearing up for another great day.

l

Terrible wifi but...
Anyone want to trade a kite?
I'd like to put up and Apex III 7.5 in excellent shape for a higher aspect better upwind kite. Something in the 5 or larger size on handles would work or whatever.
Would love to fly and try while I'm here through Wednesday
845-901-1775
Jim

Ps - this place is freekin awesome!

Wow that place looks great!
Keep the pics comin'! (when it's too dark to fly of course :D)

Wind is even higher today but very NE - a touch more N than yesterday. People were getting their JIBE shirts from Davis and having the usual social all morning so just heading onto the beach now as tides dropping for more beach width to see if we can get some runs northward with this wind direction - maybe a group safari to driftwood beach?

Finalizing the car loading tonight... leaving first thing in the morning and hope to get on the Island shortly after lunch.

SO excited to see you guys and ride Kite Beach!!!

Wind was higher and a lot of NNE so many ...many many tacks heading upwind and tougher getting a good long power ride downwind catching up to the kite but the were places that you could get some good riding. new milestone on heading north I took a long trip further north and around the tip and was joined by Errol. If you look at the satellite view of the island and see the pier around the tip on the NW corner we came just around the tip of the island and at least half way down and close to the pier but it was running downwind and a lot of work upwind back to the North point but we did it - should have some good video to post after the event.

Monday was as near to a perfect day as you could ask for, park and cruise at 15-25mph. The surface is extremely smooth at this time. The tide pools and drain channels are gone from the south beach. Most people rode till they dropped, as no one wanted to stop till they could barely hobble away, bent over in buggy pilot fetal positions...

Tuesday was tougher going as there was more N component to the wind, which was much stronger. Think blowing sand. Still, we all got to ride and test our upwind abilities. I wish that I had a pair of coonskin caps for Mark and Errol going where no kiters have gone before. They were out of sight for so long that I was beginning think something had happened. As I was slogging upwind they blasted around the corner and shot by me headed off wind for kite beach.

you guys should have had solid air today, man we got a nice ENE blast! sessioned late afternoon thinking of you guys soaking it up...

tomorrow !! yeah man!!!

tides might be a little taller(lo tide won't be as low, and hi higher) with heavy E/ENE , definitely alot of action riding side shore , with traffic even tougher .

For those of us on the FB train, It was definitely a little kite day!!:o:o:o

Looks like an overcast day with a much more Northerly component in the mid-high teens tomorrow... hope I get there in time to play!!!

Leaving in T-minus 45 minutes... See you guys after lunch!!!

Wow, what a day!!!

The family and I showed up today in time to hit the beach for a super short session before the 20 mph winds became just too much to for the girls to handle.

I had my first ride in the buggy since my accident 6 months ago and as my wife said, it was like riding a bike... super awesome time today in spite of it being so short.

Well done soliver, enjoy the rest of your time and keep the posts going

Sunny partly cloudy today, highs in the low 80's, winds in low teens gusting to 20's straight down the beach. A little awkward but workable on the big beach in the late afternoon. Low tide at 5:30 am and pm

When I hit the beach at 3:30 the wind was blowing in the mid teens almost straight down the beach again, I had the tandem so I gave the girls some rides until it got nuclear!! Angus clocked the wind at 30mph. Ashli took the girls back to the town home and I packed up and waited it out to see it it would calm down. I saw Jason and Mark racing down the back with single line Minion kites in hand...

It tapered off a little and I pulled my gear up the beach to meet Jason and Mark. We all flew kites in the 2m range and I had a pretty good time in spite of my lower extremities getting sandblasted.

WOW - what a week. The first 3 days were epic, I managed to kite about 3 hours or more each day all with my small NPW's, except for a brief stint with my PL Skin. I hadn't posted anything yet, since I forgot my password and only had internet access with my phone anyway.

Day 1 (Monday) - was the lightest day with winds with a pretty good amount of e, making it pretty easy to get upwind. I used my 2.5 NPW-5p (the yellow and red one I finished just last week.) I also used the 3.0 M PL skin for some runs. I will put in more about it in the other thread, but suffice it to say it had a lot more pull - more than I needed so I went back to the 2.5. It was all so easy and fun!

Days 2 and 3 were pretty similar and pretty windy. I rode some on the 2.5 red and yellow, but mainly on my blue tarp 2.0 NPW-5-P-Wide. All on ultra short lines. There was more n in the mix, but i could still make it up wind, all the way to Maxwells, with a bit of effort. So basically, I brought Street kiting to the beach!

Day 4 started out pretty much like 2 and 3, but I tried some longer (20ft) lines with my 2.0 again. It was easier to get upwind with the longer lines and had a nice run before the Sandmaggeddon struck. As I was changing down to a smaller kite, all he%*&L broke loose and most everyone decided to park it, except for a few buggy's and the blo-kart boys. I eventually called it a day since i'd already had such a great week. BTW - I got up early for dawn patrol Thursday, hoping that the tide would still be pretty low at dawn, and there would be enough to go. Wind was weak, and nw, and the beach was wet so I just flew static.

Headed home today. I have a lot of footage, and will put up some youtube vids once I get them sorted all out. To wet your appetite here is the Sandstorm Race below. Even when things weren't going according to plan, it was a really wild and fun time.

Thanks to Angus for his efforts putting this all together and everyone I met and those who helped make this such a great week!!

Gentlemen Start Your Windgines

Today was super light wind day... The actual antithesis of yesterday...

Yesterday was full bore 20+mph wind gusting up to 30 mph with sand practically blasting off any exposed skin on your lower extremities, and flying anything over 2.5m was a death wish.

Today was all sub 10mph wind... lots of BIG kites out today with people working the poo out of them to try to get moving. I had out my 7m NS3 and worked at it like crazy to get it moving. It took a little bit to get accustomed to flying the Nasa in the buggy, but I got used to it and was able to put around at at least a few mph.

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

To wet your appetite here is the Sandstorm Race below. Even when things weren't going according to plan, it was a really wild and fun time.

Sorry I didn't get a chance to say hello Randy, it wasn't until seeing your post that I realized you were there for a few days. Thanks for posting the the sandstorm race video. Even though the winds had eased up a little by the time we got ready to race, the sand was still blowing and Jason and I did hit new personal bests for the race at just over 2 minion miles per hour.
Mark

That was a hoot. Thanks for catching that Randy!
So, as of this morning I have 37 Go Pro vids. Some short. Some long. Still hope to get in one more session this evening. I have to wait till I get back home to start the loooong sorting process of all the footage. Low tide will be close to 8pm this evening. Sunset footage should be epic.
Hope the wind Gods let us ride out in style tonight....

Yes! you guys have dubbed it ... "Sand-Magedon"

Today was a complete bust wind-wise IMHO. The forecast had it looking ok direction and speed-wise, but it really didn't end up delivering... plus I had all my gear on the car and ready to go down to the beach, but when we got to Great Dunes Park and saw all the cars in the parking lot, I remembered that it was Saturday, and it seriously looked like all of Glynn County decided to hit Jekyll Beach... and boy were there some characters! I actually had a great time hanging out with the family on the beach though, which in the end, was much more worth it.

In all, the trip was completely awesome sauce... see y'all next year!

Last few days did seem to be a bust 'wind-wise' IMHO

But the fellowship was best definitely made up for it and brought a lot of interesting conversations and comradery.

Winds blew in the 20's at times during the first few days and OUT came the WIND ANIMALS !! yea you know who I'm talking about lol



It finally came to a crawl Friday on out and, ended with very little fabric in the heavens . . .