Not a PC headline, but what can you expect from a sport dominated by old white dudes with hair growing out of their ears. Long past time to change our demographics.
Meet Erin Bury. She’s the size of a gymnast with a personality as big as the Deuce. Still in her twenties, she calls the Twin Cities home. She showed up on the catamaran racing circuit last summer with another Gopher and thought ice sailing sounded rad, when she heard us talking about it.
Last weekend, she stepped off a plane from Hawaii jet-lagged, took a quick cat nap, and headed to Lake Christina where she knew we were going to be. After checking out the boats big and small, she was convinced this sport was her kind of thing. Erin also brought her boyfriend, Dave. He’s cool. He brought his dirt bike with studded tires. He even let a couple of old dudes ride it, chiding us to lay it down like we mean it. He’s young and invincible. We know better. Sort of.
Also joining us from the Twin Cities for some tiller time was another cat sailor, Gretchen Wilbrandt. Gretchen’s first DN experience was the World Championships two years ago when she casually mentioned that ice sailing sounded like fun. Another first-timer, Renee Fields, also flew in from Arizona for the Worlds. First time…world championships…no big deal. Chicks rock!
Anyway, back to Erin. This weekend, she and Dave met us at Lake Altoona. Erin was itching to give it a go. Wind was light, but so is Erin, so with a little boost from a powered kick sled, she was up and going. (Side note: We discovered that the sleds are great coaching tools, too. My brother Brian sat on the seat, while I drove. He could easily get Erin started with his foot on the stern, and we both were right there for instructions). Next weekend, Erin will be meeting us on Lake Puckaway, if the weather cooperates for that regatta. Who knows…maybe she’ll be an iceboat owner by then.
Thanks to our friends Tim Mower and Bill Ecklund for inviting us to come and sail with them. And it was great to meet other locals, Dan, Dan and Rolf. Hope to sail with you again sometime.
Photographer Sean Heavey captures Brian Hearn’s fly-by on Lake Christina in Minnesota on Sunday, December 13, 2020.
The ice sailing season is heating up worldwide from Montana to Vladivostok. 4LIYC members Daniel Hearn, Brian Hearn, and I traveled for the second weekend in a row to Lake Christina in northwestern Minnesota for some more recreational sailing. The lake was buzzing with Pat Heppert and Daniel’s C Skeeters, 4 Renegades (including the newest Renegader Andy Gratton), and of course, DNs. The ice was harder than the previous weekend, which helped to keep everyone moving in Friday and Saturday’s light air. On Sunday, snow squalls brought more breeze and more fun. Photographer Sean Heavey, creator of the incredible DN drone footage last season, made the long drive from Montana and should have some photos and video to share this week.
Here’s a list of ice sailing locations seen on Facebook:
Montana: John Eisenlohr and friends have been sailing their mini-Skeeters on Enis Lake, McAllister, Montana.
Minnesota: The state is teeming with ice. Lake Christina, Bald Eagle Lake, and Whalestail were sailed.
Canada: DNer Mike Madge is finding ice on the smaller lakes around Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Sweden
Finland
St. Petersburg, Russia
Vladivostok, Russia
Andy Gratton with his Renegade on Lake Christina. Plank of Daniel Hearn’s C Skeeter in foreground.
These are a game-changer for iceboat regatta management. Need to quickly pick up the starting blocks, drag a starting line, head up to weather to change a mark, check out a seam? Jump on one of these and GO! However, they need a cool name.
Via the Corporate Office of RASSS:
Check Out the Ice Checkers
The much hyped collaboration between the Spaight Street Syndicate and Russell Aviation has finally resulted in some product output. After completion of just three powered kick sleds, a company spokesperson announced that the entity was selling out to a private equity firm intending to take the company public. When asked what drove the decision, Russell’s attorney suggested that his client brought all of the intellectual property to the relationship, while the other brought, well, nothing. When asked to comment about the statement Hearn said, “Oh, that Jeff, he’s such a kidder.
One time I even brought snacks to our work session. And picking out pretty paint colors is a remarkably difficult job.”
Ritz the puppy is intrigued by the MARY B being assembled.
In addition to the autumn colors, apples, and pumpkins, fall in Four Lakes means setting up your iceboat to make sure everything fits. The MARY B group set her up in a Westport field on Saturday.. Daniel Hearn also took advantage of the beautiful day and the large area to set up his C Skeeter. If you’d like to see the MARY B, she’ll be up all week. Don Sanford sends the following:
Mary B is waiting for you! Have you ever wanted to get an up-close and personal look at the Mary B but just haven’t felt up to braving the cold and hiking out onto the ice?
Well, here’s your chance. Our volunteers set her up today and now you can even visit from the comfort of your car.
She’s waiting for you in a wide-open field near the intersection of Hwy 113 and County Hwy M.
