Winter Windsurfing...time to scope out your spots....

[Quetzalcoatl]

Winter Windsurfing is one of my Winter Activities.....

Yeah....this is possible and "kinda fun." One New Year's Eve (Dec. 31st, 2005)
I windsurfed off of Wacouta Beach, (the upperest end of Lake Pepin) near Red Wing.
I was hydroplaning in the dark around 5:30 pm (with a light on my helmet) using a Bic 148 liter board and 10 meter sail.
The air temp was around 45 degrees. Oh,,,I did hit a submerged tree trunk,,but my stock fin has two Deep tuttle screws (strong fin box) and there was no damage. I was warm as could be with drysuit, hood, mitts and 5 mm boots.
There are locations in Minnesota where you can windsurf in the winter. But the air temp needs to be above 35 degrees,
a good breeze (20 mph please) and open water! I out on the water looking up the the homes where people were inside eating and drinking and oblivious to what was going on outside in the dark out on the lake. In a sense I saw more then they could all closed up in their lit up houses.
You'll find open water on areas of the Mississippi or The St. Croix rivers when air temp goes up to thirties in our rather frequent January or February thaws. NO,, I can not wait until Spring,,,I must windsurf
whenever it's possible!
Yes I DO have other winter activites that I can do. I ski, and I DO have a DN iceboat (but that's no good if there's more than four inches of snow covering the frozen lake).
You can also windsurf on a warm winter day if there's just a light breeze, if you just (for the novelty of it)want to say that you've windsurfed in the winter. But,,,it's more fun with a good wind.

Sail safe and
Safe Journeys.
Quetzalcoatl out.