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ghswrestlerteel
Since 11 Sep 2010
14 Posts
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 Wed Aug 03, 11 11:54 am Viento (Why so empty) Now a discussion of conditions |
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I went out at Viento last night and my friend and I were the only ones there. I'm not complaining about there only being the two of us but why don't more people fly there? We pretty much stayed out of the main channel because we didn't need to go out there so I don't know if maybe it's really gusty out there or what but where we were it was great.
I'm still new to the sport so maybe this is common knowledge why people don't go there but I had a great ride.
Last edited by ghswrestlerteel on Wed Aug 03, 11 5:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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tstansbury
Since 06 Jun 2006
649 Posts
Rowena and P.C
Addicted
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 11:59 am |
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| lots of people like a crowd. Someone to talk to on the beach someone watching them. If you don't like a crowd you will find spots in the gorge that almost nobody rides.
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Sasquatch
Since 09 Mar 2005
2099 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 12:04 pm |
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| Not the easiest of launches. . .Not a newbie spot with no outs for miles if they can't make it back to where the lauch is. Typically more experienced riders launch and head downwind for the goods. I think it is maybe a 7 or 8 mile downwinder to HR.
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hoodkiter
Since 10 Jul 2010
95 Posts
Hood River, OR
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 12:06 pm |
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Yep. It's really just the launch. too many trees too close to the water. And no flat water...
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live for the next windy day |
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ldhr
Since 21 Jul 2009
1487 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 12:28 pm |
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Lot's of spots have potential but get ignored for 2 reasons:
1. no butter smooth flat water.
2. no swell to surf.
Viento is chop, chop, and more chop.
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Pepi
Since 16 Jun 2006
1831 Posts
Pure Stoke Sports
Shop Owner
CGKA Member
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kt
Since 16 Mar 2005
761 Posts
Portland, Or
Opinionated
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 1:16 pm |
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i have gone there on easterly days when rooster is nuking and it is really nice. the westerly days i have flown there it was super gusty. if it suits you, stay with it. lots of other places are getting crowded.
kt
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ghswrestlerteel
Since 11 Sep 2010
14 Posts
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 4:42 pm |
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| ldhr wrote: |
Viento is chop, chop, and more chop. |
It was very choppy which made going upwind a bit of a pain so after fighting it for a while I'd just walk back upwind a bit, take a little break, head back out. It's really shallow for quite a ways which is very nice.
As for the launch, take a walk west along the shore. The further you go the closer you get to the wind shadow of that island but the launch is better. Plus, you can just walk out so that the kite is near the shore and you're still only at waist or maybe chest deep water.
This amazing diagram that I made is NOT to scale but it should give a general idea of the area. When I went out last night we launched from the West end of the beach and then rode North but barely played in the channel. It was too windy and too choppy for us but more experienced riders could have it all to themselves if they don't mind the chop.
Like I said, I don't mind it not being crowded but I'm sure there are other members of the community who would appreciate another launch. Feel free to ammend the picture to be more accurate.
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| Diagram not to scale |
Viento.jpg |
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 4:58 pm |
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I thought I had already experienced the most intense gusts when I kited Rowena a few months ago... NOT. I was told by a windsurfer and long-term resident of Hood River that in the afternoons in Viento, the sun heats that steep mountain on the Washington side of the river, creating huge up-drafts and gusts. I was comfortably heading out well into your purple zone with light 12M conditions on Monday. Instantly hit with what had to be 6M or stronger winds. Tea bagged and skipping down wind. And when I finally hit the water, kite wants to fall out of the sky no-wind.
If this is an attractive launch, it would only be for early morning before thermals hit, or as a down-winder station.
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CGKA Member
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Kip Wylie
Last edited by wylieflyote on Wed Aug 03, 11 5:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ghswrestlerteel
Since 11 Sep 2010
14 Posts
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 5:15 pm |
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I know that I'm a lot less experienced than you are but seeing as I did have a decent session there last night I would say that it isn't truly ONLY a downwind/morning area. I got there around 5pm and the sensor was saying 20-ish with gusts to 30. We were debating not going out because it looked sketchy out in the channel but we did make the walk to the west side of the shore and that's where we launched. I'm 145lbs and did fine on a 7m but I did have to work the kite a bit during some lulls as it got closer to sunset.
Your experience in the "purple" is unfortunate but it is exactly what I was afraid of and why I didn't go out that far.
If anyone else kites at Viento it'd be great to have some more input on the "safer" areas or just any information/experiences in general.
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Macaframa
Since 06 Jul 2010
81 Posts
California Delta
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 7:11 pm |
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| Saw a guy out of Viento drop his kite across the channel near the WA side, couldn't relaunch, self rescued, lost his board and ended up on the oregon side 1 mile downwind 1 1/2 hrs later. Only time Ive been there.
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Onad
Since 04 Mar 2005
1435 Posts
Coast<<PDX>>Gorge
XTreme Poster
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 7:27 pm |
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Everyone left and is sailing downwind and slashing swell.  It's a DW put in on west wind.
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 9:06 pm |
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| I camped there earlier in the summer when the water was high and I was very tempted to go out and try it. There were some windsurfers having fun there - but too many things looked sketchy - so I decided not to launch and drove 8 miles to HR for some good sessions there. I was wondering why I never saw any kiters kiting there, now I know why. There were some kiters launching from there for downwinders and getting towards HR asap.
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Pepi
Since 16 Jun 2006
1831 Posts
Pure Stoke Sports
Shop Owner
CGKA Member
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 9:24 pm |
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| ghswrestlerteel wrote: |
It was very choppy which made going upwind a bit of a pain so after fighting it for a while I'd just walk back upwind a bit, take a little break, head back out. It's really shallow for quite a ways which is very nice.
As for the launch, take a walk west along the shore. The further you go the closer you get to the wind shadow of that island but the launch is better. Plus, you can just walk out so that the kite is near the shore and you're still only at waist or maybe chest deep water.
This amazing diagram that I made is NOT to scale but it should give a general idea of the area. When I went out last night we launched from the West end of the beach and then rode North but barely played in the channel. It was too windy and too choppy for us but more experienced riders could have it all to themselves if they don't mind the chop.
Like I said, I don't mind it not being crowded but I'm sure there are other members of the community who would appreciate another launch. Feel free to ammend the picture to be more accurate. |
Heading across and upwind at Viento actually runs you straight into the wind shadow of the mountain, as well as the big downdrafts that pass over the mountain on straight westerly conditions. Kiting straight off of the beach and towards the headwall just west of the fishing camp on the Washington side keeps you in a bit cleaner air as well as giving you some ramps to play with either for boosting or carving.
If you are powered enough, you can very easily play downwind at least a half mile or so and still make it easily back to Viento by using the current to get you back to the beach.
Playing around directly upwind of the beach and in the wind shadow of the island can be super fun due to the butter flat water, but be careful of the onshore gusts that can push you towards the beach, and be careful of crashing your kite into the shallow millfoil grass which can snag your lines and make relaunching either a bitch or a wet salad halfway up your lines.
Map could use a solid do over on the shoreline shape and the island location, but any beta is good beta.
When at Viento, always remember to give courtesy to the windsurfers and other recreational users, and to say 'hi' to Andrew the Viento Park Manager. Andrew is a big kite advocate and has been working with the CGKA to clean up the beach access each year. It ain't perfect, but is does receive a lot of maintenance work each Fall and Spring.
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Pure Stoke Sports
Hood River, OR
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ghswrestlerteel
Since 11 Sep 2010
14 Posts
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| Wed Aug 03, 11 11:20 pm |
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Well, it sounds like I partially got lucky, partially made a smart choice. I got lucky that the wind wasn't too crazy and was smart to stay out of the area where the water was really choppy and the wind was most likely blowing a bit crazy.
It sounds like people have had/seen/heard of more negatives than positives about Viento. I'm going to try to get some more sessions in there soon in some different wind conditions and try to scoot out further as I get more comfortable with Viento and kiting in general. As I get more time on the water I could put up more information as a sort of FAQ if anyone is interested. I would even be willing to make a more accurate diagram than the mspaint one I made before. I know that before I even started kiting I was on the forums reading and trying to soak in as much information about anything and everything as I could.
Let me know if you think it'd be useful or not, it won't hurt my feelings either way.
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