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kwk
Since 10 May 2010
11 Posts
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Mon May 10, 10 3:00 pm 100 Miles of Butter |
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The BroKite team, in their usual renegade style departed this morning from the south flats of South Padre Island, TX (SPI) for a 100 mile downwinder to Corpus Christi on the Intercoastal Waterway. At 10:30 this morning and with 20 mph southeast winds Jerry & Maggie Hartung, West Hansen, Bucky Ashcraft, and Oliver Shorethose disappeared over the horizon towards there first stop in Port Mansfield approximately 34 miles north of SPI. The team's support boats captained by David & Michelle Hasti and Jim Walker will be chasing the team and providing water, PB&Js and Tecate to keep the team properly fueled.
Inspired by David Mansfield who windsurfed solo from Port Mansfield to Corpus approximately 20 years ago, West and Jerry have been dreaming and planning for this trip for years and the timing was finally right for an attempt following the SPI Kite Round Up. The plan in not to just to get to the end as fast as possible but to explore all of the amazing spots that have not been kited along the Intercoastal. The plan calls for completing the trip over the next three days.
Some people are equating the expedition as equal to Lewis & Clark's search for the Northwest Passage or the first lunar landing. The team, with their assortment of BroKite boards, hopes to push the envelope of butter carving to its very limit.
Here is the GPS track from the first day. They rode approx. 80 miles on this leg of the trip.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=203502855421969643802.000486445a7806f7327ec _________________ Keith Last edited by kwk on Wed May 12, 10 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Sasquatch
Since 09 Mar 2005
2084 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot
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Mon May 10, 10 3:13 pm Re: 100 Miles of Butter |
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Impressive! Thanks for the update and very jealous. Find any oil slicks yet? Just wondering how far reaching the oil spill damage is.
Not quite the level of landing on the moon or finding the NW passage, but up there for sure.
Keep the updates flowing and good winds you all. |
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timo
Since 15 Jun 2006
40 Posts
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Mon May 10, 10 3:13 pm |
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Kick ass! Hope you get some photos along the way. Strong wind forecasted for the next three days. Good luck guys!!! |
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surfboy1968
Since 17 Jun 2008
217 Posts
south padre island
Stoked
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Mon May 10, 10 3:16 pm |
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Nice |
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Joshiebaby
Since 14 Oct 2007
569 Posts
Vancouver, WA
Addicted
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Mon May 10, 10 3:45 pm Re: 100 Miles of Butter |
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Sasquatch wrote: |
Impressive! Thanks for the update and very jealous. Find any oil slicks yet? Just wondering how far reaching the oil spill damage is.
Not quite the level of landing on the moon or finding the NW passage, but up there for sure.
Keep the updates flowing and good winds you all. |
Yeah I know right? I was kinda going pretty bold statement. Perhaps it could be a bit more grandiose |
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Wind Slither
Since 04 Mar 2005
2587 Posts
The 503
METAL
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Mon May 10, 10 4:28 pm |
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So bro-mavricky. |
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kwk
Since 10 May 2010
11 Posts
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Mon May 10, 10 5:16 pm |
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Your right. I overstated. It is more like Powell's trip down the Colorado.
I just talked to the riders and they all got to Port Mansfield safe. Only injury was to West who was lit up riding toe side and ran into a school of fish and got barbed in his shin by a dorsal fin. They were all super powered up on 8s and 10s and reported that the riding conditions were fantastic.
They are trying to send some pics and I will post them when received. _________________ Keith |
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forrest
Since 21 Jun 2005
4329 Posts
Hood River
Hick
CGKA Member
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Mon May 10, 10 7:11 pm |
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Sick! I bet there are some amazing spots! GeneK and I did a short downwinder there in SPI and the potential to just keep going forever is awesome! |
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Joshiebaby
Since 14 Oct 2007
569 Posts
Vancouver, WA
Addicted
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Mon May 10, 10 10:39 pm |
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all good i love over the top--looks like a blast. we r just jealous |
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eric
Since 13 Jan 2006
1831 Posts
XTreme Poster
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Mon May 10, 10 11:43 pm |
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Over-the-top is the ONLY way to go!
Looks like a really cool adventure. Moon-worthy in my book.
Eric |
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pdxmonkeyboy
Since 16 May 2006
6081 Posts
forever labled as the
retired kiter & motorhead Unicorn Master
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Tue May 11, 10 1:25 pm |
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Sounds like allot of fun. Just like lewis and Clark? Ummmm I don't think so. Then again i think lewis and Clark did have power bars and gps units. Have the riders been attacked by Indians or suffered from scurvy yet?
I hope they make it alive! |
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kwk
Since 10 May 2010
11 Posts
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Tue May 11, 10 1:33 pm |
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Some on the forums are questioning the degree of difficulty our riders are enduring. They question the comparison to Lewis & Clark's expedition and the lunar landing
Let me assure you, this is an epicular adventure that should only be attempted by those who can withstand the most extreme combination of sun, flatwater, and constant wind ever seen by man. The mental pressure the team is under as they pass lagoon after lagoon of perfectly flat water and must decide...should I enter or wait 5 minutes for the next one?
Hopefully you now all understand the level suffering this team of hardened riders is enduring for the betterment of the sport we all love.
No pics today. They did not have a laptop this morning to send them out. Pics will be posted on the Brokite site after the trip. www.brokite.com
Keith _________________ Keith |
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Wind Slither
Since 04 Mar 2005
2587 Posts
The 503
METAL
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Tue May 11, 10 2:06 pm |
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kwk wrote: | Some on the forums are questioning the degree of difficulty our riders are enduring. They question the comparison to Lewis & Clark's expedition and the lunar landing
Let me assure you, this is an epicular adventure that should only be attempted by those who can withstand the most extreme combination of... |
And don't forget the sheer skull-boredom...I know how I felt after just one session at the North Flats. Extending that would be similar to being stuck in the lunar capsule for months on end. |
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Gman
Since 11 Feb 2006
4908 Posts
Portland
Unstrapped
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Tue May 11, 10 2:40 pm |
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didn't pkh ride 160 miles while dragging his moms to win the KB4C a few years ago...
No we are just a bunch of haters - mega downwinder with boat support sounds glorious
though lewis would have ditched clark and done it solo for bragging rights... _________________ Go Deep!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eu2pBpQolKE |
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kwk
Since 10 May 2010
11 Posts
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Tue May 11, 10 4:20 pm |
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Actually, having posted this information on about 6 different forums I would have to say that your forum has had some of the best comments of any of the forums. The Chicago forum is the other one where the members seem to be stoked to learn about the most epic downwinder in the history of man.
Sorry, I am now addicted to overstating.
Keith _________________ Keith |
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JMatic
Since 12 Aug 2008
252 Posts
Boise, In Dat Ho
Obsessed
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Wed May 12, 10 7:54 am |
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How's about over-posting, without pics!
Post 'em already, the hype is all too much for us enthralled by the idea of such an epic downwind journey! |
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west
Since 09 Oct 2008
136 Posts
Lake Michigan
Stoked
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Thu May 13, 10 10:41 am |
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The BRO team arrived in Corpus yesterday afternoon. Thanks to Keith for posting and updating our adventures. It is something that has been in the works for years. We did not approach this in a willy-nilly fashion. The thing about it, is that it was 100 plus miles as the crow flies, but as the BRO flies it was closer to 300..................it was not a race but an exploration of the Intracoastal waterway and the connecting Upper and Lower Laguna Madre. The diversity in the waters along the 3 day trek was unbelievable. To have the idea that it was all like the North Flats in SPI is simply incorrect....thankfully!!
The remoteness of the area is mindboggling. We rode for over 80 miles on day 2 and never saw another boat!!!! Boredom? After about 8 miles of running in 4 to 6 inches of water throwing down about 746 linked toeside turns in whipped Texas butter; we would cross over the Laguna to the other side (be it 2 to 5 miles), and find some canals that were surrounded with small aqua bushes and sandbars...we would cruise through them like a maze, jumping from pond to pond, crisscrossing each other, screaming like madmen (and madderwomen), basically acting like a bunch of crazed Texans hopped up on a bunch of Shiner Bock and PBJ's!!!!!!!! Then we would chase schools of redfish and drum through the flats, watching their fins ripple the surface and their tails stirring up the silt, as pods of dolphins cruised through the Intracoastal looking for snacks. The abundance of birds in their migratory flights was just something else!!
All in all, my mind is still a blur...from the screaming turns, to the endless back rolls, to the sun, the intensity of the situation, the hundreds of square miles of seemingly endless waters...we are all AWESTRUCK....we knew it would be extremely special and very challenging, but it is starting to sink in as to how very incredible the EPIC journey has been.
A toast was given when we arrived to a transplanted TEXAN that has been living amongst the NWesterners in the happy little village of Hood River for roughly 25 years. Dave McKinney was the impetus for the EPIC journey. In the mid 1980's twice he made the trip from Port Mansfield to Corpus along the Intracoastal, both in a day, on a sailboard....no support on the first of the two trips. I heard the tales of his two trips while sitting in the Lone Pine Motel in Hood River many moons ago. It has been a dream of mine to duplicate his trip on a kite.
Instead of trekking thru at a breakneck pace, straight up the Canal like McKinney did, we were able to branch out and explore areas that no other watercraft can access. We zig zagged our way along and across the canal the entire way with the exception of the Land-cut. A local fishing guide from Port Mansfield, Mike, who publishes Texas Saltwater Fishing was amazed at the areas we were tapping!
It was as if the Laguna Madres was created for, and long has been waiting on the arrival of the first kites. We did not disappoint...we explored all we could in the time we designated. 3 days of SSE winds blowing 25 to 40.....some call it "dumb luck"...I know it as DESTINY....a destiny that was set in motion on a bluff high above the Columbia River Gorge!! Here's to you Big Mac...wherever you may be (rumor has it, that he is out surfing the swells on the river somewhere...hope you catch one for me, cause I sure as hell laid down some turns for you!!) ADIOS
PICS and VIDS will follow....in the process of trying to make that happen...we Texans ain't too smart but we sure as hell are hard-headed!! So I imagine eventually I will figure out how to get 'em on here. |
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