Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 3rd 2007, 12:20pm By queenseyes

Kite surfing has been around in Buffalo for about ten years. Ward Pinkel (photo) was one of the frontrunners in the sport. “Back then the technology was very rudimentary,” Ward told me. “We were flying kites called ‘Wipikas’ and they were basically what they call a two-line kite with the lines attached to the steering bar. Now the kites are four-line kites and there’s a deep-power mechanism that helps to prevent the sailor from becoming overpowered by the wind”.

What does all that mean? It means that although the learning curve is still steep, and a lesson/instruction is crucial, the sport is attracting a lot of eager thrill-seekers. And where does one get a lesson here? Bill Myers from Myers Kite Surfing, found on Ward’s Kite Surfing Buffalo blog is the guy to go to. He, along with Ward and a few others, has made headway as far as local exposure to this fairly new sport goes.

Some BRO readers might remember when we covered Ward and his 78-year old dad kite snowboarding this past winter in Delaware Park. Now the two are ripping it up out on the water. “My dad is still in the beginning stages, but he’s making headway,” Ward said smiling. “He’s a pretty good windsurfer… and he’s totally determined. I’m trying to increase the sports exposure on the blog. Wind conditions, where to launch, tricks of the trade… all geared on getting more people excited about being out on Lake Erie. It’s not a cheap hobby to get into, but once you’re up and going… you don’t want to buy the expensive stuff up front… you can get used equipment until you graduate to a more advanced sailor. Then when you’re full-boar into it the equipment might get more expensive. Around $500 gets you out on the lake.”

In the photo, Ward popped off a small wave, even though he says that you can catch air even if the lake is flat. “A steady twelve mile an hour wind gets me out on the lake… eighteen miles is a lot more fun, and twenty-five is awesome. We do go out in gale-force winds (32-knots)… the waves become ocean-like. Eight foot waves breaking all around the shore. Twelve to thirteen foot swells out on the middle of the lake can be lots of fun too. There is a bit of danger involved. The safety features these days make it easier – it’s all about not panicking if you’re put in a bad situation. You don’t want to wash up on the rocks… make sure that you have an exit strategy… preferably a beach.”

Water-sports are coming back on Lake Erie. There are a lot more kayaks and boogie boards. There is a healthy windsurfing community. A lot of the younger guys have graduated to kite surfing because you don’t need as much equipment, or wind, or money. Believe it or not, there are even surfers on Lake Erie. There’s even a website dedicated to the long-boarders… and a small short-board community. Ward’s surfed on Lake Erie and he says, “Because of the wind-swells the waves are more constant and you don’t have to wait for a breaking wave. A typical ride for surfing is fifteen seconds… there are places that you can ride thirty seconds, which is pretty damn good. Most people go to the beach on the calm, serene days… they aren’t seeing Lake Erie whipped up. I grew up on the water… it’s in my blood. I travel the world looking for different waters to play in. Lake Erie is cool because the kite surfing is awesome. There are a lot of different beaches to go to. The wind conditions are favorable… it’s not what people think of when they think of Buffalo.”