Looking at 40/40 this week.....12/11-12/18

[West]

Hoping for a brief heat-up starting Sunday....will try for Holland on Sunday afternoon and maybe sometime later in the week as well....I find that Holland this time of year offers the best chance for SSW winds with managable temps.....looking at bout noon on Sunday, shaking the rocks for a cool 41 with a H20 temp of bout 43.....rattle, rattle................ then I believe it will be close to done for the season, leave the rest of the days for the penguins; although I've got a feelin' that one more Westerly will come in hot bout the 20th.....just a feelin', oh yeah, allright!!!!!!!!!!

[Pier]

I've been looking to this Sunday's forecast in the past days and it seems unreal..."warm" windy and sunny in mid December!!!

I'll hit Holland as well by mid day, anyone else?

[rmmalis]

nice riding at Waukegan 25 miles S

[Northerner]

Scored big in TR today, best session I had up there this year, Pena thought it was his best session on the year. Temps in the 50 and a great vibe with three of us out. Waves were a very smooth waist to head high with perfect flat water in between and wind around 25. Not the longest or strongest waves today by any means but outstanding fun in such calm conditions. I was on an 8 all day with pena and monty on 9's. It was a real blast to get it like we did this late in the season. Only reminder that is was mid December was a ice covered river and a few chair size chunks floating in the lake, one of which took me out while i was going into a turn. Hoping to repeat on Wednesday.

[West]

AWESOME Sheriff.........that's what I like to hear!! Glad you boyz got it good, nice to hear that Pena was with you too!!! We hit the North side of Grand Haven....Ferrysburg. What a great time we had, went with John Lynch. Pulled into the parking lot bout 11 Michigan time, to 41 degrees and the water bout 44, sand a blowin' and a handful of surfers suiting up. Waves were head high at the pier and a bit bigger down the beach about half a mile. Met my buddy Mark Hoeksma, who was there with a couple of his buddies from the area. Rigged a 7m and John a 10m, with ice chunks on the beach and the pierside in ice, we and began ripping it up........

Kited bout a half hour, the waves were a bit jumbled with a leftover West swell still running with the building SW, but still a few nuggets here and there...my hands started to numb up pretty fast after getting washed a few times in the cycle, and I couldn't shake it off, finally they just went too far and I had to come in to warm 'em and get back circulation, WHOA NELLIE, no tears, but damn sure let you know you were alive....a few more kiters showed up, Roberto, Brad and Chris who I knew, and I met Steve, Stephan, and Evan....John kited bout another half hour then came in to hydrate....we hung out for a bit, then went back out, John let me know to "windmill" my arms to help keep them from starting the numbing process, and I knew the second time around usually my fingers would last a bit longer....

2nd sesh was simply outstanding!!!! Kited for about 3 hours, the wind which temporarily was a bit gusty and had backed off a little, filled back in and steadied off; the waves began to get some organization to 'em and on down the beach the sets got into a good rhythm and picked up to head and a half with a few sets on the outside a bit bigger, smooth as silk on the inside by the red cottage and the smokestack!!!! I just followed Hoeksma who had predicted such a change and knew "where for be"!!! I got into a nice circle with Brad and Hoeksma, and just started laying down turn after screaming turn, nice stuff that just got better and better.....went back up to the pier when the surfers had left, it was cleaning up some, and kited with Roberto and John for a while, saw Chris throwing some insane "megaloops" and began to catch some nice sets next to the pier; made the section that would connect on down the beach, and the next thing I knew was getting rides with 7...8...9 botttom turns, would kick out to find I was in riding with Hoeksma and Brad again down low, really smoooooth down there.....would tack out and make my way back upwind and look for the set I wanted and take off down the line again..........Ferrysberg was deliverin'!!!!

A few more kiters showed up on thru the afternoon, it warmed to prob 43, but not a cloud in the sky, and smiles everywhere, hands numbing was bout the only factor; due to the "chill factor" with the wind 25 to 30......kiters would come to shore, warm the hands and go back out. John came in after his 2nd sesh and said he wasn't to tears but they were astingin'....I would just use the "windmill" technique bout every other ride, and when riding the waves my hands were constantly moving so my hands managed so well that the only time I came in, was to arrange an end of the day sunset shoreline zipper......Roberto said he would pick John, Hoeksma, and myself up at a beach bout 8 miles down......so we took off, just hootin' and a hollerin'; the first mile or so the waves were great, with nice size and order, and smooooooooth in between. Caught some nice sized ones on the outside; and with the sun getting low in the west, when you dropped into a bottom turn and started back up the face you were in the SHADOW, and every once in a while towards the end of the waveride as the lip was throwing, the sun would illluminate the wave with a greenish orange glow.....WOW!!!! The color of the dunes and the shoreline sand formations were glowing an orangey yellow with the dune grass just swaying in the breeze, sand screaming down the beach, cottages flying by.......what can I say but PURE MICHIGAN BABY!!!!! Rode a good mile on the inside with Lynch, we never got more than 50 ft off the beach just S-turning our way down the coast.....saw Mark tag a few backside rides just throwing a shaka and a smile my way.....waves got a bit jumbled and weren't long, but there were a few peaks here and there to tag, but the sunset downwinder was the way to end a mid December day on the BIG LAKE....Roberto had put up a reflective board bag at the beach where he was picking us up, and John immersed in the moment just flew on by....Hoeksma and I came in landed the kites and packed it up......I walked down the beach to meet John who was coming back up with kite and board in hand, grabbed his kite and we strolled up the sand as the sun was dipping, turning a deep orange, and we just laughed about how warm it felt and just how amazing the day had been; special stuff kiting with your buddies on the BIG LAKE...

Met Roberto and Mark at Kirby's in Grand Haven, bought a round of wood fired pizzas to show our appreciation for the day, and hung out in the warm restaurant and witnessed the spetacular colors of the sunset still lingering from the upper deck.....lights from the pier looming in the distance!! Chalk up another one for 2011, just hope it wasn't the last one, but if it was.......what a one to end it on!!!!

[Pier]

I'm glad you guys got it good!!!

I missed out yesterday and this week is terrible at work so I'm going to miss Wed/Thur as well...grrr

[WaWaZat]

Once again, felt like I was there West! And to top it off with Kirby's?! My small crew & I stumbled across that gem after a Tawas trip and an impromptu Muskegon sun-setter. Lemme tell you what... I have never been to another wood-fired joint that does as much as Kirby's does... and I make it a point to visit wood oven establishments at every opp! Believe me, I was right back near the kitchen chattin' with & watchin' the young pizzaiolos techniques. Definitely took some cues outta there for the next time I fire my backyard oven for a kiter party after a day on the South end!

[4w7s]

for December on Lake MI, it doesn't get much better - will it ever snow?
...Marc & I got it good on Monday too!

[Rorke]

They say a pic is worth a 1000 words.
How nice when you get both!
West, Killer write up per usual. Roberto, the lighting in the first shot is just beautiful.

[JDL]

Thank you for the pick up and cool pics, Roberto. High quality pizza fosho...

Kuau...IF you get out, you WILL swim in.

[West]

You got that right HIWAYMAN........ nice travels....here's to IVO......cool runnings!!!!!!!!! can you say MC WEDS PM ON A W c uthere...long live the spiritof COOMBS, never leave your bro behind!!!!!!

Wood fired at your place Ice Cream Man..........guaranteed to satisfy

Rorke, been jammin' to Paul Butterfield Blues Band from 1967.........CLASSIC

[FSP]

shooooots cowboy...hows bout sunday tooo and sunny!!! i may have to dust off the 110cm TT wave stick and a 3/2 suti for these catfish ...wow!