Event Site to Stevenson - Foil Upwinder and Downwinder

Pepi · Last edited by Pepi on Wed Jul 15, 15 3:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

About two weeks ago, Aaron Hyatt and myself took a run up to Viento and back on our foils one evening and it occurred to us that it might be totally do-able to make a kitefoil run up to Stevenson and back as well.

Today Mark Barnes and I took off from the Event Site around 1:30 and made a run for it up to Stevenson. As added motivation support and as a possible additional wingman, Matt Wheeler made a downwind run to us from Viento and ran with us up through Viento until just short of the narrows.
It took Mark about 2 1/2 hours and myself about 3 hours to make it up to Stevenson as our upwind travel time. Mark raged up wind on his 9m kite, while although powered when foiling, I struggled a bit on my 6,5m kite in the narrows and getting up through Homevalley with lulls giving me some earned punishment, but overall, I was finding the 6.5 to be a good choice.
At Stevenson we considered our run as good to go and probably enough for the day, as we were both a bit shakey and cold, and Dangler was offering us a ride back to HR. But, after a bit of water, warm sun, a cleaning off of our energy bar rations, plus and a bit of ' go for it' support from Grom and Dangler, we popped the kites back up in the air and headed off downwind to Hood River.
The downwind run was fairly clean for both of us, except for a bit of a double inverted mess I caused myself at the narrows, but with about 15 min of resetting lines and tearing through millfoil, I was back up and chasing down Mark again.
We made it down in under 2 hours. I ran it in about 1 hr 30 min and Mark finished in 1 hr 45min. Not bad for a 7pm finish .

I would say that this was a hella good prep run for us to become ready for the Blowout on our foils. Can't say we are blowing any doors off, but we now know we can do it and at a fair speed and time, with not too many carnage crashes.

So what's next on the long distance suggestions?

Nak · Wed Jul 15, 15 5:11 am

You guys rocked it! That's pretty damn impressive. History has been made...

hilton · Since 15 Aug 2008 789 Posts Opinionated

Impressive indeed!!! I have always thought a race from HR to Viento and back would be a good challenge, but never imagined it was even possible to make it upwind through the funky winds between Viento and Home Valley. I guess the foil boards make the upwind leg almost as fast and fun as the downwind.

Maybe you'll have to try it again this fall in the Easterlies, Stevenson to Viento and back?

kss · Since 24 Apr 2006 613 Posts pdx Addicted

jerp · Since 22 Feb 2013 450 Posts Obsessed

Very cool... Must be some kind of record no

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1473 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Awesome guys!
I've been avoiding foils but I love to tour upriver/downriver so maybe there's one in my future.
Here's a few for you that I've done as downwinders only. They can have clean wind all the way.
Rufus up to Celilo and back (gates of hell around Dechutes river, under Maryhill bridge).
Go upwind from Roosevelt. There's clean air for at least 10 miles to Blaylock Canyon.
Mosier to Hood River bridge and back.
Upwind from 3 mile to Arlington and back (~15 miles each way).

pauls · Since 20 Jun 2005 562 Posts white salmon Addicted

Impressive! Can anything else point as high as kite/foil combo? Second wind Americas cup team........

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1726 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

awesome effort guys!
I'll join ya for the next one once I'm fully healed. would have tried with the sit down, but it doesn't point as high and has less hold down when overpowered.
really cool you guys planned contingencies, prepared and made it round trip.
GPS would have been great to show us where and what sides of the river you used
can't wait!

voy-tech · Wed Jul 15, 15 7:51 am

Yardsale · Since 29 Mar 2005 387 Posts Portlanastan Obsessed

Glad you guys made it without issues, climbing out with a foil would SUCK! lol ... AWESOME job! I guess the only longer trek in the corridor would be from secret spot. I've done the Stevenson to Doug's downwinder on a surfboard - I think the corner west of Lyle (narrow and shallow) and then section east of HR bridge (no wind often) would be the hardest part upwind on a foil. Very Happy

4Stringer/KipWinger · Since 27 Apr 2005 541 Posts Hood River Addicted

I rarely post for a simple thumbs-up, but that's seriously impressive. That said, I've decided to retain my rigid nwkite.com personal policy and not post a reply, so disregard.

Mark · Wed Jul 15, 15 3:17 pm

Thanks for all the support! The narrows was challenging for sure. One minute being over powered the next kite falling from the sky. Sometimes at the sametime! Oh yeah, avoid the channel marker west of Viento as several very angry Ospreys are living there. They repeatedly divebombed me.
~Mark

Pepi · Wed Jul 15, 15 3:42 pm