James Brown >> Alaska Kitefest 2010

I recently made a short trip back home to Alaska to spend some time with my family and to attend the 3rd Annual Alaska Kitefest. The event is held in the town of Homer on the “Spit”—a decent sized peninsula that is set up for most any wind direction. You can launch, land and do downwinders from pretty much anywhere on the spit. I had never kited on water in Alaska, but I knew that early in the season we would need some warmth. So I came prepared with my O’Neill dry suit, booties and the new Zephyr and C4 kites.

My brother Jeff picked me up in Anchorage on Thursday and we made our way to Homer by Friday afternoon. The sun was shining but the wind was light that evening. I was a bit tired from traveling anyway and it was a good chance to catch up with friends that I had made at snowkite events in Valdez, Alaska on previous occasions.

The forecast for Saturday started off looking bad, with a gusty northerly wind. The best and most common wind is southeast, which blows side shore toward the mainland. Thankfully a strong northeasterly wind kicked in and was super steady. We simply crossed the road that runs the length of the Spit and launched from the north side. Jeff and I were the first on the water as the wind built slowly up from zero. I was glad to have my Zephyr with me because I was able to ride for a couple hours before switching to my 13-meter C4 in the late afternoon. We rode all day with a devoted crew of 10 to 15 riders at a time on the water. Once in awhile, a seal would pop its head out of the water to see what we were doing, and then slip back under the surface to disappear in the murky water. The water is shallow, so the chop is very minimal and it is a great place for beginners to take lessons because they can stand up to deal with their gear. The overall level of skill among the locals is good and they are very enthusiastic too.

Happy and exhausted, we returned to the Mariner Park camping area on the south side, only to discover more riders getting a nice evening session as the sun slowly made it’s way toward the horizon. The great thing about summertime in Alaska is the long daylight hours. You could easily ride past midnight—which is why they call Alaska “The Land of the Midnight Sun”.

James Brown