Sailing on Sunapee

Rainer Salo in Lapland NOW!

Got to LOVE sailing on land. "here comes a tree- do I go above or below this tree?"

Will

Sunapee Squeeze

It is a squeeze when ice access is across a pool of slop and open water is all around. Normally this is the best time of the year on Sunapee, but last Saturday was +20°C [or near the accepted "room temperature" of 70 degrees F] air temperature, and of course - the water was.......COLD!

Poor Rick Hobbs of Lunnenberg, MA got his boots soaked early on. He made up for it by staying out on the ice and logging some good distance before coming in to eat and rest. Just the same, he had to dump water out of his boots!

Those are Volkl powder skis- the better to skim OPEN WATER with! Thankfully there wasn't too much of that.

Looks harmless enough - is is NOT! That is a swimming hole. There were a lot of them. At the speeds we were going, it took an eagle eye to miss them.

Annie Tuthill [age 15] carried a 5.5m wing ALL day without a harness. This may sound simple, but it was not. The wind was hot, dry and gusty. I was hanging from my lines most of the day. The gray stuff was super soft. If not prepared it could knock you down. Twice I had a ski get ripped off my foot by it.

Steve Barrs of Andover, NH is on "solid" ice here. You could really build up speed on these spots. Steve stayed out while many went in to eat and /or drain their boots. He was well over 100 km distance traveled at the end of the day. Also- knowing that the end was near-he was out all day the day before.

That is Rick making some serious speed.

The rider's view. I was riding the 7.5 meter Wave Warrior wing by Kitewing. It has modified battens made by Richard Saltonstall of Rockland, Maine. Richard replaced the stock tips with custom carbon foil sections that he made himself. At WISSA 2010, Rainer and Juho Salo [ Rauma, Finland] together with engineer Klaus Faisst [Toronto ON] made further adjustments. The wing was a heavy handful in this wind. But still easily managed. As hot dry gusts scoured the ice plate the ground effect bounces called for signifigant counter balancing weight- I HAVE IT! I laid my full [ 2 meter tall /100 kilo weight] into this wing and got lifted. [ it was GREAT!] Once while bending off a big air bounce, I skimmed an open hole that would easily swallow a person. Thank goodness [and Kitewing] for lift :-)))

George Baskette of Barre VT was sailing in short sleeves. It was an eire combination of hot weather and dying ice.

George has a big one - Get it? George has been ice/snow kiting from the beginning.

Concept Air Team Rider and host Charlie Meding of Wilmot NH always charges hard. He logs the biggest speeds, longest distances and best jumps.

Charlie was hammering ALL day! He topped 100 kph earlier in the season and has logged over 1,600 km distance in previous years. LOOK at the bend in his skis! He is lit!

The other regular kiter, Chris Porter of Hanover NH has been working in NYC for the past several weeks. He could challenge anyone for best jumps on Sunapee, but this weekend, Chris & Katie spoiled the troops by deep frying turkey and duck on site. They spent hours preparing and the feast was devoured under automobile head lamps. It was delicious. Huge props to Chris and Katie for their generosity and culinary prowess.

Special thanks to Allison Baskette, Kimberly Tuthill, and Lori Meding for holding down the shorefront on this last of days. It was a long haul and you guys were steadfast." Kikea hyvaa sinyle" as they say in Finland "all the best on you"
Kiitos

Will

2010: Aftermath: 2

The first in a series of images from WISSA 2010:

This is next year's organizer Feodor Gurvits with friend Anna Arosilta sailing at sunset on the very beautiful Lac Saint Jean.
photo by Charles Meding [USA]

William Tuthill

US Team Will Train on Lake Sunapee for WISSA Championships

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Sunapee News

Sailing Lake Sunapee at a speed of 50 mph.

Photo and Post by William Tuthill

The rain on Monday has resurfaced the big NH lakes, and fast ice will be the rule of the day this weekend on Sunapee. As we train for the Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships this year- the 30th-we will have our minds on what it will be like in Saguenay, Quebec, site of this year’s event. The conditions on the lake this weekend will be similar to those encountered at last year’s WC in Riga, Latvia. Fast, and unforgiving for those who do not wax carefully. I may use blades from the Nordic Skater, a great local resource in nearby Norwich, VT, just across the bridge from Dartmouth. With blades [assuming that they are high enough to escape the drag on new snow] wax is not a factor. Thursday’s predicted snow will tell the tale. In any case, as the WC draws closer the U.S. Team will assemble on Sunapee and continue training.

Wing posse sailing at Veranger, Norway last week

by William Tuthill



The whole place is like a terrain park. Low sun angles & kilometers of sailing.

WISSA 2002: pictures

By Alexei Nozdrin

01 - Ancient Interlock near Coliseum



02 - Coliseum



03 - Pigeons



04 - Bridge across Tiber



05 - St. Peter's Basilica



06 - Main Alttar of St. Peter's Basilica



07 - Saint Peter's Square



08 - Village on the Resia Lake



09 - Resia Lake Ice



10 - Drowned Bell Tower



11 - USSR Team



12 - Uhan Gross Sailing



13 - Monoski: about 30km/h



14 - Andrei Maslov is boosting to the finish



15 - Finish



16 - Juha Mannermaa



17 - Skimbats



18 - Hotel "At Deceased Windsurfer"



19 - Kite



20 - Sunset



21 - Ice Hummocks



22 - Winner



23 - Winner



24 - Rajev on the third mark



25 - Kite



26 - Kites Racing



27 - Kites Starting