November Snowkiting - Thoughts by Billy Bordy

For years Strawberry has been the locals secret spot for kiting, Located in the north east part of Utah Strawbs is only a hour and fifteen minutes from Salt Lake and 40 minutes from the Resort town of Park City. The drive up kiting here is un real so through out most of the winter having to go up high to kite is not necessary but the winter has just started and the snow line is around 8500 feet so up we must go, Most of us are chomping at the bit to go snow kite, and living in the Salt Lake area means that while chatting on the beach last weekend, after 3 days of water kiting in 60 + degree temps we decided to make plans to go snow kiting this weekend all we need to do is get up high and hopefully mother nature helps out and dumps some snow, we all leave the beach with high hopes of a week long fall and ditching our thick wet suits for alpine attire.

 

That evening I am stoked to see my kite friends from around the planets sick "first day" photos all over facebook. The crew from Jackson have great snow already and the face shot photos are gorgeous, The kids next store in Colorado have been out after it also, the euros are out and getting it, some of the facebook pics look like they shold be cover shots, the new colors on the ozone kites look so sick, they just brighten up each shot, I can’t wait to see them in person. 

 

I am just a kite junky like all my friends. I have spent the week since water kiting "geekin out" online.. I have stared at the ozone site for way to long over the past few months. This year the release of the 2011 snow kites has been followed be the release of 2011 water kites, man I am in kite overload, the new gear just looks so sweet, I really want one of everything and find myself in a daze in front of the computer dreaming of the "perfect quiver"! Ohh I want them all. I am going to get a big Manta 3 for the light wind days, and then since the new Frenzys are amazing I think I will use them for my mid and small size kites, Then on race days I hope to keep Ozone and the new edges on top of the podium, so I will need some of them, as my daydream continues I think the new 15 edge is going to be unstoppable on lighter days giving me a edge over the competition and heck with the new high flow easy to use valve pumping up a C4 or a Catalyst on the days I want to loop and unhook on snow should be simple, wow what an amazing year for Ozone product I only hope to try it all, with a click of my mouse I hear Rob Whital our kite designer tell me about each kite. I know Rob and love being in the same room with the guy, so to have him on my screen when I know he is on the other side of the globe is truly a treat, it is clear he has been working hard on all the new kites for snow and water I can’t wait to hook into them all! But dreaming away at the ozone site comes to a end, I feel just like a small child looking at the toys R us Christmas catalog I click the close box and shut down the ozone toy store for the night.

The rest of my week long fall is filled with trips back to facebook to see how winter is in other parts of the world. A quick stop over at ikitesurf to see if any one has looked into my water kites I have for sale, perhaps a cruise over to a kite forum to see what is the haps on the snow and race threads, and well, perhaps a quick peak at the ozone toy store before I sign out, so I can go prep some real gear.

The weather has for sure turned to winter and while it is cold and un kiteable out side, I start the seasonal change inside, Away with the water gear, my wife and I have a old VW bus that I use to store kite gear in, truth be told it is hers and years ago we trade a snowboard for it so it karma is swell, it sits inside out garage hoping to get out and stretch its wheels for a cruise to the local beach but lately it has had to settle for storage duty protecting my precious gear, I move the water boards out of reach and bring the snow gear up close, skis and boards get a fresh coat of wax and the wet suit hangers now find puffy coats and one-piece suits hanging upon them.

The VW kite locker is now in winter mode and my week long fall has come to a close, it is now Friday night, and I am staring at a text from my friend Jake, It is a invite for all of the local kiters to drive up to Lake Creek the spot he and his buddies have been snowmobiling to, but since it is early in the year the road may be drivable and he is hoping to get as many kiters and their cars up there to help pack the road to keep the access easy until the real snow fall comes, it is a great plan and we all meet at my house the following morning to start out attack to the high ground in our kite caravan, Just as we are leaving my phone rings it is Jackson ripper Will Taggert, I had noticed on facebook Will may be heading our way so I told him to give me a call if he came through, sure enough he was and he did, he would be a bit behind us, but after a quick goolgle earth email to him I new he would get close and I planed on giving him a road up date once I learned he was only rocking a 2 wheel drive car in what would hopefully be a four wheel drive trip on account of all the snow, snow that was getting deeper as we climbed up Lake Creek road to the summit enough snow that a call to Will was in order, through bad cell service and a dyeing battery I think Will understands the snow is to deep but send him a message that we can come get him at the snow line just as my battery dies. We keep charging to the top in our kite carvan and just as we crest to the summit a single purple kite comes into view, this is my favorite site in the world, nothing beats the feeling of joy as you pull into any kite spot see kites flying and people kiting and know you will be one of them in just a few minutes.