February 22, 2006
Kite Derby sails away
30 kite boarders gather for new annual event
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Arctic temps and bracing winds?
No problem for 30 kite boarders who last weekend participated in the First Annual T.C. Kite Derby, held at the southern end of Lake Leelanau.
Hosted by the Grand Bay Kite Company, the derby drew enthusiasts from around the state and as far away as Toledo. As 20 kites sailed through the air Saturday afternoon -- the busiest and coldest day of the three-day event -- participants raced behind on snowboards or skis.
Exceeding speeds of 30 miles per hour, the kite boarders relished both the personal challenge and the group camaraderie.
"The Kite Derby was a blast because you had so many people with a passion, an equal passion for it," said Don Pitcher of Grand Rapids, who has been kite boarding two years. "You don't get to see than many kites together that often and what makes it fun is when you have other people out with you."
The purpose of the free derby was to both promote the sport and give boarders a chance to kite together. The weekend also featured demonstrations plus time for novices to practice on a trainer kite. Kite boarders usually spend some stationary hours mastering these smaller kites before letting a larger one pull them along.
"It's really something you have to put time into learning," said Brian Buchler, owner of Grand Bay Kite Company.
The ideal weather conditions -- brisk winds kept the kites going while deep snow softened wipe outs – prompted Buchler and event co-organizer Dave Clark to scratch planned races.
"Saturday the wind was so consistent, nobody really cared about racing; the conditions were so sweet they just wanted to keep going," Buchler noted.
Kite boarding is a year round sport with aficionados skimming waves in summer and racing over snow-covered ice in the winter. Each season has its charms and downsides, noted Clark, a kite boarder for three years.
"The water is definitely more fun because you can do whatever you want and the landings don't hurt," said Clark, who also teaches the sport. "But you have to swim back if something breaks on your kite while in the winter you just walk back."
A harness worn around the waist links the rider to the kite, which vary in size depending on a person's weight, experience and the season. Water kites used in warmer months are larger to provide the lift a rider needs to skim the water's surface. They average about 14 square meters for an adult male. Snow kites run smaller, about eight square meters for an adult male, Pitcher noted.
The harness relieves the rider of much of the strain and, even in high winds, the kites can be steered with minimal force. But racing behind the kite gives the rider a thorough workout.
"It's kind of like hanging onto the back of a Mack truck sometimes," said Buchler, a 1998 West High School graduate who has been kite boarding six years. "The kites generate so much power, your whole body gets worked out and you find muscles you didn't even know you had."
Clark and Buchler are part of a loosely affiliated group of kite boarders in the region who post destinations on an Internet forum that Clark hosts. Before the lakes froze up so late this season, they gathered at area fields or the Keystone Road soccer complex.
Kite boarders appreciate the sport's easy access and low cost after the initial equipment purchase of around $1,500 for a high-end set up.
"You can be out and boarding, ten minutes from your car you're set up and gone," said Clark. "There's no lift lines and the lake is much closer to my house than the ski hills. I can also get fresh powder that nobody's going to track up."