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Inventors of kiteboarding inducted into Plaza of Champs BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
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or Kirkland resident Billy Roeseler and Lake Washington High School alumni Cory Roeseler, it all started out with a dream of using a kite to break the speed sailing record. In the process, they created a new sport, kiteboarding. Now, roughly 30 years after experiment with prototypes
on Lake Washington, the father and son have been inducted into the city of Kirkland’s Plaza of Champions. The initiative was created in 1988 to “honor and recognize those groups and individuals in the greater Kirkland area who have not only reached the pinnacle of achievement in their chosen field, but have also, through that achievement, contributed
in a significant way to our community.” Individuals are nominated by the Park Board and then approved by a City Council vote. The ceremony was held Marina Park on May 24, not far from Cory Roeseler’s childhood home, and overlooking the water where countless times their experiments met with success and failure.
Billy Roeseler, who has lived in Kirkland since the 1960s, said he first got his love for water sports while growing up in Wisconsin. There he water skied and even built ice boats as a kid. “I spent a lot of time in water,” he said. This interest was also reflected in aspects of his 47 year career in aerospace. Between 1975-76, he worked
on a hydrofoil for Boeing. In 1979, he published a paper on the possibility of using hydrofoil and a kite to go 40 knots in only 10 knots of wind. Building a home at Yarrow Bay, he then purchased a Dynafoil, a watercraft that allows the user to experience hydrofoil. By the late 1970s, Billy Roeseler was making early kite experiments on Lake Washington.
Not all of the contraptions worked, however, including one was made from a Hobie Cat hull and a modified hang-glider, but the experiments continued nonetheless. A few years later when Cory Roeseler was 14, he joined his father, piloting the kites on the water. Ironically, this was in spite of his distaste for sailing, describing himself [ more KITE page 3 ]
Tour of Kirkland graveyard yields stories of the past ing.’” “She was definitely the moving force behind this Dead men may tell thing,” McCauley said. no tales at the Kirkland The Kirkland Cemetery, Cemetery. Thankfully for which McCauley said is Kirklanders, local historian the oldest park in the city, Matthew McCauley is more seems an appropriate place than eager to regale them to help educate residents with incredible stories from about their local history as their city’s past. many are unaware of its exDuring a recent tour of istence. This includes Lake the Kirkland Cemetery, Washington High School McCauley, a long-time students and alumni, Kirkland resident and despite the school author, gave Kirkbeing located across landers the chance the street. to hear of the good, “To walk through the bad, the ugly the Kirkland and the baffling Cemetery is to take times in a city first a stroll through occupied by homeKirkland’s history,” steaders and later Matt McCauley he said. flooded by financial The location investors. of the cemetery, “It went really well,” he now in the center of the said. “The energy was just city, indicates how much awesome.” Kirkland’s face has changed The tour is part of the since Peter Kirk first Kirkland Historical Founcreated the town plat in dation’s desire for greater 1890. When the cempublic outreach, accordetery was first built, it was ing to McCauley, who also deliberately placed away hopes to continue offering from where they intended them on an annual basis. for the town to be loThe idea was first suggested cated. Originally part of a by Parks Board member homestead, the family who Sue Contreras, McCauley owned it eventually sold it said, until he “finally ran to the Kirkland Land and out of excuses and said Improvement Company ‘We’ve got to get this go[ more HISTORY page 9 ] BY TJ MARTINELL
tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
Cyclists in the 7 Hills of Kirkland event reach the top of Winery Hill to find Neil Hubbard playing the bagpipes. This is the 10th consecutive year that Hubbard has participated in the event. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter
7 Hills of Kirkland celebrates 15th year Organizers bring in more community events, honor veterans BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
The 7 Hills of Kirkland celebrated its 15th year on Monday with the playing of bagpipes, bubbles, honoring veterans and, of course, the grueling bike ride that winds through Kirkland, Redmond, Kenmore and Woodinivlle. “Originally it was the 11 hills of Kirkland and we had [185] riders that first year,”
said Chris Fox, who is an original 7 Hills of Kirkland organizer and still attends the event. “At one point we tried to make the entire weekend bike-centered to bring in more tourists.” The ride began in 1996 but did not take place from 1998 to 2001. The 7 Hills of Kirkland began so small that organizers would make 200 homemade scones for the event. Now organizers
need to have 1,500 on hand. “It’s a lot of fun,” Fox said. “You see a lot of people who have participated every year.” The event, which is now sponsored by EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, benefits Attain Housing, formerly KITH. Attain helps families and individuals to find transitional housing when they have lost a job and/or a place to live.
“This year we preregistered 755 riders,” said Attain Housing Executive Director Jennifer Barron. “Last year we had a little more than 800 [for the entire event].” This year the event raised $111,000 for Attain Housing and hosted 1,016 cyclists during the event. “This is a major fundraiser for Attain,” Barron said. “The money goes towards helping our families to transition and gives our case [ more 7 HILLS page 2 ]