Surf Cat

MANISTEE — Sometimes when things are tough in life, you just need to get out and do something a little crazy to pick up your spirits.

Over the past several weeks the news coming out of all corners of America has been quite sobering. The number of people infected and who have lost their lives to coronavirus has grabbed everyone’s attention. Common phrases such as “social distancing,” “sheltering at home,” “stay safe” and “stay healthy” have dominated the vernacular of most people.

However, on Sunday afternoon five kiteboarders hailing from the Traverse City area lifted the spirits of some local residents who had the opportunity to watch them perform some acrobatics on their boards off the shoreline by Fifth Avenue and First Street beaches in Manistee.

“We originally planned on going to Frankfort today and doing this, buy we heard the wind was better in Manistee,” said Steve Schwarz, who was part of the group of kiteboarders.

According to SurferToday, Kiteboarding, also known as kitesurfing, is a water sport that combines some of the features of wakeboarding, surfing, windsurfing, snowboarding, paragliding and skateboarding all into one. Those participating are harnessed to a board similar in length to a snowboard, wakeboard or skateboard. They also are harnessed to a large kite that they control with their hands and when the wind is just right it not only pulls them, but lifts them high into the air.

The sport of kiteboarding has its roots in the south of France. Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, brothers Dominique and Bruno Legaignoux started testing the use of a dual line kite in water skiing. It became popular in America in the 1990s and has been growing as a sport ever since.

On Sunday afternoon, the conditions were perfect for all of the kiteboarders to get airborne for at least five seconds on some occasions — much to the delight of the local residents taking it all in from a safe social distancing location of their vehicles in the parking lots at both beaches.

As for the riders, they also were practicing social distancing, not only from each other as they raced across the water, but from the water itself as they lifted off it to some great heights.

“We have altimeters attached to the boards so we see how high everyone goes,” said Schwarz.

He said the competition between them is always good-natured and besides bragging rights to see who went the highest, they also compete for some big prizes.

“They might get a free cheeseburger from the rest of us,” he said with a laugh.

Sunday’s weather at the beach was a bit brisk with the stiff wind and periodic rain making if feel even colder at times. However, that not only didn’t deter the kiteboarders, they relished the idea of the potent winds bringing a new level to the heights they soared in the air.

“We are not part of a group or anything, just a group of friends who enjoy getting together doing this,” said Schwarz. “We watch the weather and follow where the conditions are the best to do it.”