Easter Skiing in MN

[robmollysilverlake]

Just wish my lake wasn't still frozen so I could be skiing too!! Hopefully Silver Lake will be open in another week or so!

 

Snowy Easter Waterskiing

 

Minnesotans Playing Outside

[skibrain]

We skied in twin cities a year ago April 14. Similar weather. Likely on the water this Saturday, but the crew is a little slower getting boats out of storage this spring.

 

 

[thager]

Had my first ski on 04/07/2020

[ESPNSkier]

You guys really, really make me appreciate the fact that I live and ski in Florida!!! I just can't handle that cold water....dry suit or not!

[thager]

Cold but no gators, pythons, poisonous snakes, sharks etc. here. :)

[The_MS]

Bring on the snakes

[TomH]

We went ice out on the 2nd, and got the first run in on the 5th, and have had 3 or 4 quick sets since. I'm just running wetsuit(s) and a stocking cap, so it's just a quick barefoot up the lake, then slalom until my hands are too numb to hold-on. The boat's back in the garage for a few nights though with the overnights getting into the teens, and me not feeling like draining the engine.

[thager]

I decided to drain mine Sunday. Have had some electric power outages lately. Usually I just put a magnetic block heater on for short term cold but didn't want to chance it.

[markn]

You northerners are a tough breed of skier. It was 80 degrees this morning in Clermont and my wife thought it was cold. You guys put cold into an entirely different perspective!

[PacMan]

@thager @TomH @robmollysilverlake @skibrain

 

What's your earliest ski after ice out? Mine was 3/30 about 10 ish years ago (didn't even use a wetsuit in those days! ?) Just chomping at the bit this year!! Now it's teens for the next week overnight!!! ? Lol

[robmollysilverlake]

@PacMan

 

In 2017 I skied on Blanche Lake with @MNshortliner on April 1st (definitely wore a wetsuit) but the ice didn't come off of Silver Lake until April 4th that year. Would love to ski 3/30, my birthday! Yeah the weather this year must be wanting to take the place of MN sports teams, gets nice a few days so you get excited, then turns bitter cold and windy and makes you want to cry!

[The_MS]

I skied on March 12 in SE Mn about 5 years back

[thager]

March 15, 1972 or so, no wetsuit. Dad managed to run the Thunderhawk out of gas in a strong NW wind. I sank ever so slowly into cold dark water and dropped handle. Dad just barely got the handle to me on fourth try as the boat was floating away. That did convince him to let me buy a wetsuit though I damn near died of hypothermia!

[skibrain]

@PacMan March 23 earliest. Dec 1 latest.

 

On either end of the season, a sunny day with air temps mid-60s + is way easier than air temps in high 30s. Dry suits of course. Even with nitrile glove liners and hot water in the boat, w/34 mph windchill the hands go away very quickly.

[epnault]

We had ice out on our lake cabin this year on April 3. I put my docks in during a snow storm that evening and me and we skied on April 5th. We took our second set on April 11 and that evening we drained our engines and prepared for the storm before we headed back to the twin cities for Easter. We only use skilled drivers and 3/2 neoprene wet suits. We don’t spend much time in the water.

 

I have a live camera at the lake and watch the wet snow build on the lifts and then made an unplanned trip back to the lake to brush them off. Canopies are not designed for this kind of loading. I know it doesn’t look like much but there was 2” of heavy we snow and ice on the canopies. I had to clear them a couple more time before dark.

[epnault]

 

 

[PacMan]

Yeah a couple years ago I got wise and bought a 5mm Camaro wetsuit. I haven't been in water where anything but my feet and hands get cold. The wind-chill on my head after I'm up is the worst of it most of the time though. Especially late season.

[UWSkier]

March 12th in WI a few years ago was earliest post ice-out skiing. I've skied on half frozen lakes and hit chunks of ice on the ski before but that was in April.

 

Moved to AZ a few years ago and this COVID-induced break is the longest skiing layoff I've had since.

[skibrain]

Ice cream headache is brutal when temps are much below 50. Beanies look stupid but work.

 

Here also sitting with feet in a cooler full of hot water....

 

 

[teammalibu]

Can’t think of anyone who moved up North to ski!

[cougfan]

@skibrain when the Wednesday night crew skis in the winter fashion goes out the window! Dry suits beanies and neoprene gloves for all and plenty of hot water from the shower. As @Rednucleus says “I can’t stand to be cold when I ski” ?

[vtmecheng]

We skied when it was 46 degrees this March in Pittsburgh, didn't check the water temp. Used a 4/3 wetsuit and neo socks and hat. It was about as cold as I am willing to go without a dry suit.

[Kevin89MC]

I skied on the river a number of years ago in Minneapolis on Feb 28, that was pretty cold. Was with a group that skies every New Year's day, and they try for once a month through the winter. They're pretty serious, they have a dedicated "winter boat". My dry suit and beanie worked well, but they forgot to tell me to be sure and keep my hands out of the water (regular gloves). Almost couldn't hold the rope for the run back to the boat launch. 32 deg water and 35 deg air at 34 MPH gets you cold real quick! These days I try to stick with the 100 degree rule, air + water needs to be over 100.

[TomH]

I've skied in March before, but it's all based on ice out, as I have no desire to go ski in the river. One of these years, I'll finally pony up for a dry-suit, but I always prioritize other ski gear over that with the limited budget.

[B_S]

That could get you arrested in Michigan.

[Lars]

I too had my boat in before the snow this weekend, first time I've drained my block and blown out my heater with the boat in the water.

 

It's on the bucket list to go waterskiing in a blizzard, Easter would have been a great opportunity!