8/12 Forecast

If you want to learn to kite, you want to learn from the best, and around here, that’s Cascade Kiteboarding. Why? On-the-water lessons take place at the west end of Well’s Island, away from the chaos of the sandbar. Your lesson will be one-on-one, with radio helmet instruction, this year’s gear from Da Kine and Liquid Force, and dedicated jetski assistance. And let me point out that Cascade Kiteboarding is the ONLY school with those radio helmets, so it’s the one school where you won’t have an instructor yelling at you while you’re learning. One of the lucky people on the email version of this forecast will win a two hour kiteboarding lesson later this week.

Some of you may remember the story about Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair in Sandpoint, Idaho stealing the business model, prices, chalkboard design, and shop layout, along with the logo and everything else from Dirty Fingers Bike Repair right here in Hood River. If you don’t remember, you can read Mitchell’s blog post here. In disappointing followup news, Greasy Fingers was just named the favorite new business in Bonner County, Idaho. If you’d like to tell the owner of Greasy Fingers what you think about this, his email is brian@greasyfingers.com.

The west wind has pretty much disappeared this morning as high pressure built over the Cascades last night. We’ll still see enough to ruffle the Columbia, with this morning’s light wind building to 14-17 this afternoon from Stevenson to Hood River.

Tomorrow looks like the biggest day of the next three as a strong marine push cools Portland and the western Gorge. We’ll start off with 22-24 from Mosier to Maryhill, picking up to 27-31 from the Hatchery out to Maryhill in the afternoon, with a little less wind further east.

The Clymb: free membership.
Access to super cheap gear including Trew, Zeal, Sierra Designs, and many more.

We’ll have even more low clouds on Sunday, with the strongest wind shifting a bit east. With an upper low off the coast, we’re relying on thermal support for the wind. We’ll see 18-22 early from Mosier to Maryhill, picking up to 23-26 from Mosier to Arlington in the afternoon as a fifteen degree temperatue gradient between Hood River and Arlington fuels the wind.

The Disco Divas ride Hospital Hill this morning, and tonight’s the Kayak Shed’s movie premiere and music party down by the old Nichols Boat Works bay. In celebration, kayak rentals are half off all day today.

The big event this weekend takes place tomorrow at the Hook in Hood River. It’s CGWA’s annual King of the Hook contest, a family-friendly and dog-friendly old-school windsurfing event where costumes and humorous content are encouraged. The fun gets going around 5pm, whether there’s wind or not, so head to the Hook tomorrow evening to watch the show.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the link below. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til August 2012, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.