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Minnesota snowkiting

 
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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostTue Nov 11, 14 2:20 pm    Minnesota snowkiting Reply with quote

Heading to MN for the last week of December and I wanted to know if anyone has any advice around snowkiting there, is it worth bringing the gear etc. I will be staying in the burbs north of the city by 30mins with lots of open space on footballs fields etc. I have never snowkited before and thought this may be a good opportunity to give it a shot. On the other hand its cold as sh!t there normally so i could easily be convinced to dedicate the week to indoor pursuits.

Thank you in advance

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JK

Since 27 Jul 2011
9 Posts

Kook



PostTue Nov 11, 14 4:45 pm     Reply with quote

Hey jerp I have been snow kiting for two seasons after moving to MN from OR....terrible mistake...

If you are coming in December the frozen lakes will be the best place to go. Pick the larger lakes as the wind shadows on the smaller lakes can affect your session. There should be snow on top of the ice by then so you can use a snowboard or skis...if no snow on the ice some guys around here use their hockey skates. I have mainly used my 12-14M kites and rarely my 10M.

I kite mainly at Lake Waconia but guys and gals kite on Lake Minnetonka and other larger lakes by Minneapolis. So if you can spare the expense for the baggage fees then go for it!

Drop me a line if when you come out I have an extra board you could possibly use?
Maybe go out for a session as well!

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
697 Posts
white salmon
Addicted

CGKA Member


PostWed Nov 12, 14 7:09 am     Reply with quote

I learned to kite in Mn. on surfboards, skis and ice skates. Skates were the most fun on virgin ice. Great edge control, no drag and huge speeds in 5mph winds. Always wore a helmet and knee/elbow pads. The chances of no snow on the lakes in late december are 5%, so bring skis. Waconia is the best wind and less traffic, lake minnetonka more pressure ridges which promotes thinner ice and hazards. It takes a bigger kite for snow over water because of all the drag. We clocked a friend at 55 mph one day on skis.
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moondog

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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostWed Nov 12, 14 7:26 am     Reply with quote

Thank you for the info guys. I think Lake Waconia may be a little out of my reach given I am staying in Mounds View. There are a couple of fairly open soccer fields in Blaine apparently that can be ridden.

Is the wind pretty consistent across the region or do you get localized differences? Ikite has a couple of sensors but no modeling info. Is NOAA any good at forecasting wind there?

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registered

Since 12 Jul 2005
1319 Posts
tsunami
Sandbagger



PostThu Nov 13, 14 3:08 pm     Reply with quote

Find a snow pile and you can pretend your going up and down hills Twisted Evil

Sorry couldn't help it I grew up there.

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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostThu Nov 13, 14 5:12 pm     Reply with quote

registered wrote:
Find a snow pile and you can pretend your going up and down hills Twisted Evil

Sorry couldn't help it I grew up there.


pretty funny...I could go snowboarding on one "mountains".

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johnz

Since 13 Jan 2011
5 Posts

Kook



PostSat Nov 15, 14 7:25 am     Reply with quote

Moondoggy!
How are ya, buddy? How's the third eye? Smile

We all miss you and Portland Pete up here in the great white north!!!

It's been below freezing for over a week up here (maybe longer), so the ice is starting to set up.

It is pretty flat - terrain can be hard to find due to snow depth, location, and getting permission from the land owners.

Great groups of kiters up here, so just google 'kiteboarding mn' and you'll find a couple forums. My fav is endofsession.com.

Just throw a post up on one of the sites and you'll have tons of advice and instant friends.

A great place to learn, there are lakes everywhere (even in Mounds view).

Hopefully, we'll see you in December!
- John Z

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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostSat Nov 15, 14 8:39 pm     Reply with quote

johnz wrote:
Moondoggy!
How are ya, buddy? How's the third eye? Smile

We all miss you and Portland Pete up here in the great white north!!!

It's been below freezing for over a week up here (maybe longer), so the ice is starting to set up.

It is pretty flat - terrain can be hard to find due to snow depth, location, and getting permission from the land owners.

Great groups of kiters up here, so just google 'kiteboarding mn' and you'll find a couple forums. My fav is endofsession.com.

Just throw a post up on one of the sites and you'll have tons of advice and instant friends.

A great place to learn, there are lakes everywhere (even in Mounds view).

Hopefully, we'll see you in December!
- John Z


thank you for the info John. I will for sure fire up a post on endofsession.com.

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Matt V

Since 26 Oct 2014
462 Posts
Summer- OR Coast, Winter - My van near good snow
Explosive Diarrhea



PostSun Nov 16, 14 7:44 pm     Reply with quote

Wubalubadubdubs from the west siiiiiieeeddd! Seriously, if there is snowpack (ok anything over 24inches we call snowpack), you have gotta check out the glacial escarpments of the SW part of Minnesota.

From
Spirit Lake, Ia
to
Windom, MN
to
Lake Benton, MN
to
Clear Lake, SD
to
Watertown, SD
runs the "Buffalo Ridge"

Consistent winds with too much sometimes for snowkiting, reasonable chance of good snow, and TERRAIN! Nothing over 100ft elevation change, with good being 60-80ft and typical being 30-40ft - but steep, gnarly, and winding valleys that you can shred the powder bottoms with your kite still up in good plains winds. Or hit the cornices that form from the constant winds. The mountains may have huge single elevation changes, but the Glacial escarpments have better "wave counts" for the cornices. You just take more trips up and down. I am seriously trying to like the mountains better than SW Minnesota for terrain kiting, but it is hard to like crap winds and shifty mountain flow.

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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostSun Nov 16, 14 8:56 pm     Reply with quote

thanks for the info Matt... I'm convinced I think, planning on bringing gear. Already asked the mother in law if I could borrow the SUV Very Happy

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