Archive: Sports

Last Friday was a particularly windy day on Myers Point.  As the northern wind picked up cars pulled onto the point and people in wet suits and body harnesses began inflating what looked like giant wings.  Pretty soon there were several kite surfers in the water along with sail boats and windsurfers.  While the sailors and windsurfers were challenged that afternoon, the kite surfers dominated Cayuga Lake, speeding across the lake and jumping -- or being pulled -- into the air.

"It's a hard sport to learn," Karl Gesslein says.  "It's nearly impossible to get your fix here.  You have to go some place windy like Hatteras."


Christian Shaw got his kite into the air, then struggled to the shore as the wind lifted him off the ground.  He picked up his board, and took it into the water, the kite straining against his harness all the while.  One kiter made it across the lake in just a minute, while others tried some jumps in the wind.  Shaw, a kiter for about three years, says you can jump pretty high when it's windy, sometimes as much as 20 or 30 feet.  Both men are from Lansing.  Shaw graduated from Lansing High School last year.

Gesslein, who has been kiting since around 2000 says that the higher you jump, the harder it is to land.  Jumping is certainly the main attraction of the sport, and probably the most dangerous part.  The kiter not only has to land safely, but has to plan the jump so he can land in a cleared area, watching out for boaters and having plenty of water to land on.

Web sites offer hot lists where the best winds can be found on a daily basis as well as advice, instruction, and equipment.


There are competitions all over the world like the The Professional Kiteboard Riders Association (PKRA) World Cup, but Gesslein says that he and Shaw are amateurs.  He says they may get to go kiting 30 times a year in this area, but only ten or so of those days are actually good for the sport.  Steady winds from 10 to 35 knots are best for kiting.

"It's a hard sport to learn," Gesslein says.  "It's nearly impossible to get your fix here.  You have to go some place windy like Hatteras."

But Friday was decent and about a half dozen kiters showed up to try their skill on the lake.  Kiters typically keep their equipment in their cars so they can take advantage of the wind when it comes unexpectedly.  Especially in areas like Lansing where there are few really windy days, a devoted kiter has to be ready to drop everything to rush to the lake.  Kiters helped each other get their equipment inflated and into the air.


"It's an adrenaline sport," said Gesslein as he prepared his equipment.  "It's good exercise.  I do a lot of different stuff, and it's the best thing I've ever done."

"It's a great sport," Shaw added.  "It's fun."

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