Utah Windriders Association

Hi, My name is Jake Kelly and I am a newbs to kiteboarding. I am really excited about the sport and can't wait to be self suffecient in it. The other day I went to Rush and I passed the Great Salt Lake on the way. I drove from Ogden to go check it out. And as I drove my miles and miles of the Great Salt Lake just to get to a mud hole, I want to know why nobody kites or windsurfs in the lake? I know it is nasty and salty, but I can deal with that. Driving by the Salt Aire it seems that the wind was in the right direction and there is plenty of beach to launch off. Any input would be interesting. All I'm looking for is to not drive as far and get more time on the water. Plus I think it would be fun to kite out there!
Thanks

Hi Jake,

Welcome to Utah, and thanks for the props by the way. People do occasionally Kite (and Sail)
the GSL (or worse, the Salt ponds), just ask our Winter Forecaster Kenny ;*) . But you really
need to try it a couple of times to appreciate it. The salt is really strong (like burn your eyes
strong) and it's amazing how much crustiness develops on your unwashed gear (or body) after one outing. Windsurfers usually have to walk out a long way to clear their skegs as well. This probably
won't be an issue for you unless you've got a formula Kiteboard. The smell is pretty bad, but
no worse than the resident evil in a wetsuit unlaundered for a season. So talk somebody you
know into trying it with you sometime and tell us what you think.

With regard to Rush, I quote Yoda " Mudhole, slimy, my home this is!" ;*)
plus the wind is almost always better out there than on the GSL.

If you're coming down all the way from Ogden, you might want to check out Willard bay (the
fresh water part of the GSL) on a strong prefrontal South wind. From what I understand , the
Kite launch is reasonably safe there. Or, Pineview Reservoir. One of our Kite Kings (Marty)
put me onto the fact that it often blows up there the day after a frontal
passage with high pressure back building. From my perspective those days always looked pretty
windless, but it does blow under those conditions surprisingly often. You'll definitely want to ask
about how those guys get launched up there though, because I understand the launch is not for
beginners (or even the timid expert).

You should also know, that while the guys have been threatening to get me out on a kite for years,
my Kiteboard has only done water time with other people on it. I'm pretty much a Windsurfer,
so factor that into any thing you "hear" me say.

-Craig

Jakekelly wrote:Hi, My name is Jake Kelly and I am a newbs to kiteboarding. I am really excited about the sport and can't wait to be self suffecient in it. The other day I went to Rush and I passed the Great Salt Lake on the way. I drove from Ogden to go check it out. And as I drove my miles and miles of the Great Salt Lake just to get to a mud hole, I want to know why nobody kites or windsurfs in the lake? I know it is nasty and salty, but I can deal with that. Driving by the Salt Aire it seems that the wind was in the right direction and there is plenty of beach to launch off. Any input would be interesting. All I'm looking for is to not drive as far and get more time on the water. Plus I think it would be fun to kite out there!
Thanks

I appreciate the info. I am from Florida and I would always go mudding in the swamps and stuff and it smelt bad just like to GSL. So really not a bid deal. I am going to give it a try. My brother-in-law just bought a set of wind surfers and he too is from Florida. We both don't see any problem thus far getting into the lake. I got some old ski goggles I'm gonna use to help keep the stank water out of my eyes. hahaha.Why let a big body of water go to waste! I work up in Ogden but live in SLC. So the Salt Air is just right there.

Hi Jake,

In my opinion, GSL is a huge mystake. We have some really nice lakes to ride here in Ut
and I think it would be very dangerous to ride the GSL for one fact.... No one I know being of sound mind and body
would ride there except for one guy, but he is so experienced that only his feet would get wet his entire session. Tell you what, kiteboarding is not a hillbilly sport and never has to be so go ride some of Utah's best fresh. Just dont kite alone unless you have exuasted
any and all possibilities expecially beeing new. If you live in Ogden, go to Willard....great fresh lake close to you.
There are only a couple of riders here in Ut that live very close to a kiteable lake, me beeing one. Everyone else has to travel quite far to get
thier jollies. Thats just the sacrifice we all have to make to ride UT.
PLZ dont ride GSL, thats just wrong in so many ways I can't even begin to count.

David Kyle wrote:Hi Jake,

In my opinion, GSL is a huge mystake. We have some really nice lakes to ride here in Ut
and I think it would be very dangerous to ride the GSL for one fact.... No one I know being of sound mind and body
would ride there except for one guy, but he is so experienced that only his feet would get wet his entire session. Tell you what, kiteboarding is not a hillbilly sport and never has to be so go ride some of Utah's best fresh. Just dont kite alone unless you have exuasted
any and all possibilities expecially beeing new. If you live in Ogden, go to Willard....great fresh lake close to you.
There are only a couple of riders here in Ut that live very close to a kiteable lake, me beeing one. Everyone else has to travel quite far to get
thier jollies. Thats just the sacrifice we all have to make to ride UT.
PLZ dont ride GSL, thats just wrong in so many ways I can't even begin to count.

Why is it wrong in so many ways? I went out there last Saturday with some friends and it isn't nasty. Its like the ocean to me. There is plenty of area to kite and I can always wash my stuff off. If there is another reason please let me know. Yea driving seems to be inevitalbe with the sport here in Utah it seems. But Going to Rush and passing by the Salt Lake on the way, makes me questions why I would drive so much futher when I could just stop there and get more riding time.
Thanks

I'm just blown away that someone would actually, not just want to but really want to
ride GSL. One day when the lake goes "SOUR" you might change your mind. On occasion,
there can be a mass die off of brine shrimp. That kinda funk cannnot be washed off.
I just threw up in my mouth thinking about it.
Hey screw it, go for it. Just dont say AHHHHHHHH

I looked in to going for ride on Farmington bay recently and found out it is a real bad idea there. Although there is a huge amount of freshwater pouring into both bays, Farmington and Ogden. Farmington bay gets so much to-some-degree-treated sewage that the amount of bacteria growing in the water is off the charts. A few people have gotten some pretty bad rashes from the bay and there are several accounts of dogs dying after spending time in Farmington bay. One type of bacteria that really blooms there is called Cyanobacteria and if I remember right it can give you all kinds of trouble including liver failure. This was from a 2007 study by I think Utah State university that showed that at different times the plumes of this bacteria flow out the pass in the causeway into the main bay. The study did not say that Ogden bay had this issue, but why not just ride Willard bay if you are up there.

Ok good info thanks!

Back in the days (98-99), I got some amazing sessions at the GSL marina but eventually gave up as the water level went down and the salinity went up (my last sesh there was a disaster with strongly burning eyes and throat from the mist alone!).
I have had my best waves anywhere in Utah there with real, breaking, chest high surfable waves on a 4.7 day.
It the water was ever back to the point Saltair was fully wet I'd go again. Right now it's too dirty/salty. The wind is also always fickle but can get solid on a big front backside. Don't get blown over I-80.

PS: the marina used to have a hose to rinse gear off.

I kite the GSL on occasion. One of the problems with the GSL is access. Sure there are hundreds of miles of shoreline, but some of the better launches are not accessible. I have kited at the GSL Marina. It is completely blocked on a south wind day by the Oquirrh Mountains and the wind has to be very strong on a north day to be rideable. The proximity of the Oquirrh Mountains ruins the flow on light wind days. Plus, it can create some treacherous wind on strong NW days. The wind will often accelerate wildly due to pressure build-up on the mountains downwind. Antelope Island is a much better choice for wind. I have kited there on some north wind days. The wind fills in much earlier and does not last, so you need to get there shortly after a front passes by.

The primary reason we ride Rush and UL so much is that both of those lakes benefit from the thermal created by the GSL. We get a lot of good north days due to that effect. I am sure that there is plenty of wind at the GSL on any given day and at the right location, I am sure it is rideable. The trick is to figure out where and when it is going to blow. If I lived close to the lake, I would try to figure out the pattern. However, Rush is a closer drive for me than Antelope Island. I can't tell you how many times I have driven by Salt Air or the Marina and stopped to find the wind blowing 8 - 10, and then continuing on to Rush to find it blowing 15 - 20. Plus, the water at Rush is sweet compared to the GSL.

I have had some spectacular days on the GSL because it is a beautiful lake. I will kite there again, but for me it has to be the right set-up. Don't be tempted to kite in crazy conditions there. The wind can absolutly nuke, but the brine is blinding and caustic. Your best bet is a moderate wind day at Antelope Island. I would be happy to meet you out there sometime.

Kenny

I would be happy to meet you out there sometime.

Kenny[/quote]


That would be way cool....Lets plan it out!

Last week, when driving home from a windy Grantsville Res I saw a person windsurfing on the GSL. Right off the big rock south of the harbor. Interesting.

regarding Farmington Bay and toxic cyanobacteria that I mentioned above, If anyone is interested, you can get to the article by google-ing "Eutrophication issues in Farmington Bay and the Great Salt Lake"

and

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewc ... n%20bay%22