Making a Deep Snow Windski

First off, let us begin with a little bit of history ...

So far, I have built a windski that works VERY well on ice since it runs on the metal rails:

My first windski is actually the model I am still using when there is not too much snow on the ice. The ice model above bogs down when there is more than about one inch or so of snow. This model works up to three(3) or four(4) inches of snow (or crusty snow). The front portion is not always used, but the middle ski stays ...

I also have other "windski" models that either did not work for me or have not been tried YET.

I have the blue "windskate" that has not been tried yet - need some good ice !!

This one is the windski based on gtj's model which i hoped worked in deep snow, but Guy informed me that was not the case and i found it difficult to get out of the boots...

And then there was the ArcticSail which was fabricated in Quebec. This model had metal edges and I had high hopes. It was just too heavy and I abandoned trying it again. Someone stated somewhere it works in water too. With my weight it sank to my thighs and I did not try it any deeper. So for me, that one was a FLOP !!

So, the BIGGER issue so far is the deeper snow ... Once there is more than about four(4) inches of snow, NONE of my models work !! Since starting this blog in 2011 and even before, I have been working on snow models. The most evasive is the deeper snow model.

I have come to the conclusion that a windski in deep snow acts as a plow and a kite lifts skis or snowboards in the deep snow; NOT snow plowing in any case.

So... My idea is to build a windski where the platform is above the snow. In order to be able to envision this and check measurements, feel, etc; I came up with this "prototype".

The idea is based on what I found here: Fastest-Sled-On-a-Hill/

And so ... The questions about materials and measurements begin ... The skis and snowboard platform are givens ...

Part of the reason this is important now - winter in 2017 started early and stayed. There is ice and lotsa snow in December. Temperatures are hitting -30 degrees C at night. So, I am up at the in-law chalet in the cold, lotsa snow , almost no wind and no sleigh. I can't just stay inside and watch netflix all day :-)

I had come to the conclusion that I would need a strong support that was not too heavy. This may seem obvious, but all details are important. As such, I decided upon PVC piping, like from the "fastest sled" link earlier. As mentioned there, the PVC end caps were NOT so easy to find. Ideally would have liked something like this, but the ends may be flimsy...

So ... luckily my bro-in-law, Chas, found something else in the States. Like the ones from the fastest sled, but without the holes ...

As I want some height, I cannot just put the elbows with the 45 degree joints...

Also, since I will be standing, the support is not just higher, but MUST be sturdy... Do I need cross-bars ?? Not under the sled, but along the sides ...

Stay tuned ... yeah right :-(

mid-Jan 2018 - am stalled since the ice conditions are SO BAD... On the weekend checked three(3) sites and Lac St-Louis was actually the BEST and then today/Monday we are getting a snow storm with freezing rain = yuck - truly disappointing ...

It is now early FEB 2018 and we ARE getting snow - time to wake up the project !!

Went and got some raw materials:

Had made some adjustments to the plan:

and is started to look like this:

and the simulation proof of concept:

Still not sure if more legs are required - like a water insect....
Or support between legs on the same ski ...

The problem now is the snow is still deep and very WET. We are expecting rain and 10 degree C weather. That's like 50 degrees Fahrenheit !! This winter - too much snow - or too cold - or no wind. We now have ice surface that looks ok to go in the mornings when it is colder ...  Last Sunday was the wife's birthday in FEB and obviously i did NOT get to go #$%^&*(

Also asked my engineer uncle on his thoughts on this setup. Says he has no structural data on PVC tubing, which is logical. It is NOT made nor used as a structural material :-)
He says why not use metal ?? For me that is mostly a weight issue ...

Started looking at black metal plumbing - they have 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch piping with 6 inch pieces, 45 degree elbows, etc. Can do exactly what i did with the PVC ... Because they would be 6 inch pieces and not the customized 8.5 inch piece at the 45 degree piece, this makes the platform 10 inches high rather than 12 - which was my original design anyway...

This is what a 3/4" setup looks like so far ...

BEST windsurf event in Canada EVER ??

Okay, buddy Brian out of Kingston, Ontario, Canada got me started on this subject ...

He claims the BEST one in Canada EVER was the 1983 World Championships, you guessed it, in Kingston. Quick search turned up this picture ...

Obviously looks like they/we were still in the original WindSurfer stage

Based on some further readings ... it may have been one of the last tobacco sponsored events:
It seems the Export "A" girl showed up in kilt and all and handed out prizes !!

In Wikipedia under the Windsurf World Champioships we see the following:

In the men's we obviously recognize all the names and in 1983 a woman was the first Canadian to win a World's event. What Brian of Kingston was actually looking for , was more pics. He said there was an official photographer, who was most probably from Ottawa ... I am wondering if it is Geoff Webster and asked Brian about it ... https://photoone.smugmug.com/

As I look about at images and stories, I see that in that year there were other windsurf events in Brittany and Holland too ...

For now I will leave this post as it is, but wish to remind people there were other GREAT windsurf events in Canada - both winter and summer. KONA has been here , as has WISSA (World Ice n Snow Association) ...

Once we have located the Ottawa photographer for Brian, perhaps I will delve into the other GREAT windsurf events in Canada 😊

"Yes, let the photos flow and the debate begin!  I'm armed with a lot good memories and impressive statistics that defeat all proposed challengers to this title lol.  Swedish girls in skimpy white bikinis doing splits on the rail to music in front of 5000 spectators is an example.  400+ boards on the start line to the long distance race is another.  Google map Kingston KYC and Garden Island and 400 boards means that the starting line had to stretched from in front of the yacht club almost all the way to Garden island!  SW wind around 10 knots and the winner was the inventor's (Hoyle) son (Matt).  
The photographer from Ottawa (pretty sure) had a last name I think started with a M,ie McAlpine or something like that??
Hopefully, the blog topic will be well received :), thanks, Brian"

Was the event also sponsored by Bacardi ? well known for their rum ...

By 1985 the stock WindSurfer was being replaced by the MOD aka Mistral One Design/SuperLight  and then the Comp SST.  Here's a video from those times ... still with the original WindSurfer ...
oops gone already = WTF $%^&*()_
....
Am surprised there were NO comments and NO challenges...
There have been other GREAT windsurf events in Canada.
I myself witnessed a KONA event in Trois Rivières ...

How are we supposed to get better ??

We all want to get better at water starts, foot straps, pumping onto a plane, gybes, bigger winds, waves, you name it ... Jim from Kingston wrote in and says he shares my frustration ...

Some of us are older, some coming back to windsurfing and most of us have to work for a living ...

One example that always makes me laugh is when we get back to the beach and people are complaining that it was gusty. My typical response is,"Bienvenue à  Montréal." Even Environment Canada announces the winds as 20-40 kph, 30-50, 40-60, etc ... That is a ten(10) knot range !! Yesterday at Pointe-Claire a fellow windsurfer summed it up,"Mieux d'être over." We were watching two dudes schlogging about. One had rigged down from an 8.5 to a 6.5 and looked like he was drifting along i.e. worse than schlogging.

Okay, we cannot do much with the environment; nor with the fact that we are weekend warriors ...

Jim and I have both been to Hatteras, North Carolina and both feel that the Sound is THE PLACE to try new stuff and learn. Water never seems to go over shoulder depth, there is usually good wind (less gusty) and is a large expanse of water that never gets crowded.

What about back home? Jim now has a Kona One with an 8.2 and I have a Mistral Equipe 2 XR with various sails in the 8.x range. These are our GO TO setups... MANY times I have gone to Oka, La Crête and I was either alone or there were only some  kiters and I on the water ... up to the point where Sylvain was out on his kite foil and I was out on the MEQ2 - with the rest sitting on the beach.

It was so calm and quiet this day, that I put on the TR-4 10 m² sail:



Jim and I have other boards and sails: Fanatic Shark 165 or 145, SB Kode 137 or AHD SL2 132. The issue is: how often we really get to use them. The conditions need to be right and we need to be sure our skills (or lack thereof) do NOT put us in danger.

This summer I had a magical moment on my Shark 145 and old North Sails Duke 6.9. I was absolutely flying on the water. All the stars had lined up - wind, sail, board, fin and me. Too bad I was not in my straps. Young fellow who was parked beside remarked on how fast I was going - which confirmed it was not just a feeling.

Jim says he had a magical moment at Hatteras on the Carve 137 and found himself in BOTH footstraps ...

Unfortunately for some of us, these magical moments are few and far between. We speak about needing TOW to improve, but with what kind of conditions ?? We are not all these thin, athletic people living right beside the ideal conditions and can go at a drop of a hat. On the local quebecwind forum I often comment that I need to go to work, have a family, etc and cannot go over the border to Lake Champlain at the drop of a hat !!

Some locals like Georgie have gone over to the dark side completely - kiting. Some like Yvente have learned that kiting works in light wind, when winds are up high AND in the winter. Although both Yvente and I do winter windsurfing near Montreal , as in on ice n snow ...



So, remember words of encouragement or suggestions are always welcome to folks like Jim and I 😊

and YES, we should go to Hatteras more often !!!

Tropical storm Anna just missed us when I was there ...



"Unknown" makes some important suggestions in his/her comment... Firstly the suggestion is - how do we get better more quickly ?? Secondly, TOW/time on water is only useful if certain skills are practiced. If one goes out in the same conditions , at the same place and does the same things without trying or practicing those skills lacking, then TOW is just that - only more TOW with no improvements. No pain - no gain.

Helmut, my windsurf buddy, has improved his water start skills more than I. Bruno of 2-rad suggested to him that it was a key skill to improve shortboarding and Helmut practiced it every chance he got. Kudos to him, but I also know Helmut will not go unless it is shortboard weather ie 15+ knots and he has windsurfed at the islands in the Caribbean, Spain, etc. I only started more of this "practicing" this year and things are improving. For me, the most elusive skill is the footstraps. Perhaps I should use them in the winter on the ice ??

Thanks again to all who write in !!!

Jim from Toronto confirms that TOW and consistent conditions are vital to improvement. Here is an excerpt from his e-mail:

"I was fortunate enough to get to Bonaire for a week, a week ago.  I’m sure you know about Bonaire but I must say it exceeded expectations.  There was planing wind all day, every day for the week I was there and I gather that’s the norm for most months (Sep, Oct and Nov having fewer good wind days).  The water was generally between knee and waist deep.  In essence, I got in as much windsurfing in a week as I managed all of last summer and in far better conditions.

Bonaire offered a great learning environment and I was able to get comfortable enough planing to try getting into the foot straps.  (Others further up the learning curve spent their time practicing their carve gybes.)  I had some success and some failure but I did improve considerably and know with more opportunity and some coaching I’ll end up being able to properly use the foot straps (and can then start working on carve gybes).

I understand that the dynamics change while planing and you need to change your body position from what was previously normal starting with adjusting to having your feet further back in those foot straps.  I plan to go back to Bonaire next year to get more time in the right conditions but will windsurf here this summer and hope the stars will align on occasion and provide me with opportunities to get into those foot straps."

Cheers,

Jim

WindSUP wazzup

Unfortunately it feels like the foils have taken the wind out of the WindSUP sails, pardon the pun. Just when WindSUPs and inflatables were starting to be a subject of discussion, the foils fired up.

Locally Franco Ittiandro has tried a number of boards, long and short, and has decided that his recent purchase of a BIC WindSUP 11'6" was the best fit ever ... He did have issues with the EVA skin, but it was covered under warranty ...

No, that is NOT Franco in the next images 😄
Franco is like me - older gentleman , heavyweight , still loving the wind and the water ...

The thing is, the WindSUP is NOT just for light winds, beginners, etc. The implication is obviously that you can stand up paddle as well, but most reading I have done on the subject (on windsurf forums), the majority of the people are windsurfing and quite often in the waves (not mast high though).

The most popular one on iwindsurf seems to be the Exocet WindSUP 11'8" (especially for the heavyweights like myself).

John Ingebritsen speaks favourably about ALL the Exocets on the North American iwindsurf forum.

People have even compared the Kona One with the Exocet WindSUP with some surprising results !!

but before we go any further, just check out what this windsurfer is saying about the Exocet WindSUP !!

http://windcsky.blogspot.ca/2012/07/exocet-wind-sup-board-review.html

it is from this discussion:

http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/

"Hello, 

Owning both the Kona One and the Exocet Wind-SUP 11'8" I have had extensive experience sailing and paddling both over the last several years here in Eastern North Carolina. For sound side (flatter water) windsurfing I prefer the Kona One as the daggerboard system works better and I think it is a little faster board. However, for ocean and light wind wave sailing the 11'8" is the winner hands down. The Kona One also works quite well as an SUP but is a little narrower. Also due to its thicker hull you end up standing a litttle higher off the water. This contributes to a slightly higher center of gravity too which makes it a little more tipsy until you get used to it compared to the 11'8" when paddling. 

The 11'8" remains a super fun board for light wind ocean/wave sailing and especially fun for doing downwinders! This is because thanks to the daggerboard you can really cut high upwind and easily sail a couple miles up the beach. Then kick the dagger back up and blast back on deep planing broad reaches riding swells and waves as you go. Fun - Fun -Fun. Once back at your starting point, just repeat the process. I use an Aerotech Phantom 7.5 sail almost exclusively for this purpose. 

As an SUP it is very stable, easy to paddle, and paddles faster than you would think a big board like it would. I have also taught several rank beginners to windsurf on it as well as SUP paddle and it worked very well with more than ample stablity for that. 

I wrote a review on this board over a year ago which talks about how it performs as an SUP in paddling mode as well as under sail. You can check it out at: 

"http://windcsky.blogspot.com/2012/07/exocet-wind-sup-board-review.html" 

I have several other reports on the 11'8" posted on my blog there as well. 

My only big complaint is that it is a heavy board when carrying and or taking off your vehicle. However, once on the water its light wind performance and paddling ease more than make up for it. Also, I and others have had problems with the daggerboard gaskets coming out. However, since putting tape over the front edge of the gaskets and adjacent bottom surface, I have had no more problems with this. 

I think that if you want both a windsurfing and SUP all in one board that you can sail ocean, waves, flat water; teach beginners to windsurf on, teach beginners to SUP on, as well as have a fun SUP for both ocean and flat water paddling; then you can't go wrong with the 11'8". 

Good winds 

Chuck"

and also ...

"Beagle- 

I used to own the Kona and now own the 11'8. Here are my thoughts on the different aspects of their performance: 

Early Planing: I felt like the Kona needed 1-2 knots more wind to plane than a light-wind shortboard would need. For the 11'8 the planing threshold is more the same as what you'd expect for a big shortboard. 

Speed: I'm sure I haven't seen the true "top speed" of either board. They both go fast and stay pretty controlled when powered up. The Kona is a little more comfortable to sail overpowered, though, especially when having to bash over/through rough water. 

Jibing and Carving: The 11'8 carves and jibes better. 

Glide: Both boards seem to glide about the same to me in flat water, although the wider 11'8 may get slowed down a little more by head-on chop. 

Daggerboard: Kona daggerboard is more powerful for upwind sailing, and the gasket makes a better seal. The 11'8 daggerboard works adequately for getting you upwind, but it doesn't give enough power to let you "rail" the board. The 11'8 daggerboard also has a flimsier gasket more prone to catch water and break. 

Waves: The 11'8 is better for catching and riding waves and swells, both because of its shape and because of the centered footstrap options, which the Kona does not have. 

Beginners: Beginners like the 11'8 better because its more stable and the daggerboard isn't as sticky to operate. 


-James"

So, this makes deciding between a K1 and a WindSUP that much more difficult. If one is into the K1 races, there is no question what ti purchase, but otherwise ??