Georgetown – Wind junkies have it rough in Colorado. Sure, the state’s ample supply of lakes and reservoirs are more than enough to feed the full-sailed jones of the state’s landlocked sailors in the summer. But come winter, the wind jockeys have nothing to do but sit and dream of misty speed on smooth water.
But there is an option for the wintertime windjammer: ice sailing.
Slap three skates on a sail-mounted buggy, and those frozen wastes of good sailing water become smooth venues for wind-powered speed.
“The ice blades are for people who are full-time crazy, as opposed to just part-timers,” says Dave Kerschen, a 53-year-old sea dog from Westminster who several years ago discovered he could sate his perpetual urge for a sail full of wind with an ice boat. “It is sort of an obscure sport. Our spouses call it a mental defect.”
Kerschen demonstrates his need for speed by reaching nearly 40 mph on 2 feet of frozen water atop ever-windy Georgetown Lake. His buggy – a New Zealand contraption (isn’t it always the Kiwis who create the wildest toys?) that has wheels for land sailing and blades for ice – carves smooth lines, slicing the wind and ice in what is unquestionably the most fun you can have on a frozen lake.
The acceleration when the wind fills an ice-mounted sail rivals that of a high-end motorcycle. Turning is about taming the tempest of wind. Beginners should always turn into the wind – or tack – while the hardened pros turn away from the wind – or jibe. Jibing equates to doubling or tripling the speed of the wind in the blink of an eye.
“Oh, I remember the first time I got in a cart, it felt like God had reached down and flung me across the ice,” says Rick Hypes, a 47-year-old from Greeley who builds ice buggies using old bike frames, discarded metal and older windsurfing gear. “It’s big-time fun and, man, is it addictive.”
At the height of summer, when their favorite lakes are clogged with powerboats, Hypes and Kerschen slap wheels on their buggies and join a crew of land surfers in a remote dry lake bed somewhere in Wyoming. Don’t ask where. They go fast there and they need plenty of elbow room. They named the lake “Wahoo,” as in the sound that rips from your lungs as you reach 40 mph sitting 3 inches off the ground with no brakes.
In the Northeast and the Great Lakes area, ice boating is a big sport. Regatta-type races with 30-foot wind yachts feature speeds of 80 mph or more. Back here in the Rocky Mountains, the sport is much smaller, with maybe 40 avid wind sailors flocking to local reservoirs when the ice gets thick. They wait patiently for conditions to be just right. The ice has to be thick and the wind strong. Snow – a rather common occurrence when it’s cold enough to freeze a lake – makes ice sailing virtually impossible. Elevenmile and Cherry Creek reservoirs are popular ice sailing spots, as is Boyd Lake near Loveland and Georgetown Lake.
When the wind kicks up and blows snow off the ice, the wind junkies jump. In big wind, they “hike” their boats up on two blades, a nerve-rattling occurrence for beginners. There are all sorts of designs for ice boats, with different sized sails in the front and back of the captain. Some designs even mimic a windsurfer, with riders in a standing position.
Speed is controlled by tension on the sail, just like a sailboat. Steering is done with the feet. The buggies can turn on a dime at top speed, another terrifying torque for first-timers.
For summertime sailors, a spin on the ice can stir even the saltiest of souls, say Kerschen and Hypes.
“It’s all five senses,” Hypes says. “You feel the wind, you see and hear the sail, you taste the ice. When you power up out of a turn, it can be overwhelming.”
For Kerschen, the thrill he has found from a lifetime of sailing on water is matched on ice.
“It’s more like flying when you are on the ice,” he says. “Everything just falls into sync and it gets really smooth. You find that sweet spot and it’s a real thrill.”
Learn more — Check out Colorado ice sailing at www.windisfun.com and www.iceflyer.com.
Staff writer Jason Blevins can be reached at 303-820-1374 or jblevins@denverpost.com.
