Good Times At The Bowl

It was my favorite session of the year.  

 Sunny and warm southeast winds and well-mannered waves combined for as sweet a day at the Bowl as I've ever had, and it being a Saturday we had quite the crowd, with the Wolf counting at least twenty windsurfers on the water.  Not only was the eastern Long Island windsurfing community out in force (Bill CD Fisherman Frank Jan Bruce Jeff Jimi Sobeck Jon Ford John Hulse Scott etc) but a contingent of mid-Island windsurfers (Pete Roesch, Rich Simon, Kurt Veith) as well as the Long Island windsurfing photodocumentarian Bill Doutney (how does that sound, Bill?) were on the scene as well.   I think all in attendance would agree that the day was worth the drive.

Conditions were 4.7-5.8 for most of the day depending on your bulk (I was happy on a 5.5 until the last few hours) with ramps setting up in both directions, big swell for exciting outside jibing and a very clean inside with little or no break to worry about, and plenty of waves to play with.

A selection of highlights would include:

-Pete breaking his board (after getting appreciable altitude for most of the day),
-Rich Simon pogoing his mast in the impact zone and getting away with nothing more than a broken extension.
-Rich Simon (media hog) returning to his van to find that a bird had moved in.   He finally got the thing to leave, but "there was poopage!"
-Peconic Jeff's back loop!  "I was just charging an overhead wave on the small board/sail, fully juiced. I carved into the wave, and by the launch I was already turning into the wind. The world rotated and I crash-landed, somehow without breaking anything, with the sail in the water downwind."  Jeff says it was accidental.  Mad props anyway...any accident that winds up as a high-performance aerial...those are the kind of accidents to have!

Personal highlights included doing my best imitation (which is poor) of Jon Ford and Jimi Sobeck's aggressive wave work.   I payed some dues, but I also pulled off my least bad wavesailing yet.  Also managed a few starboard jumps (I am starboard challenged.)

In any event, it was without a doubt my favorite session of 2008.  And I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I said everyone there had a great time.  Let's try it:

Everyone had a great time.

I'm pretty sure that's no exaggeration.

(Photos from the top:  Jeff on a wave, Air Pete, Fisherman, me.  All photos courtesy Bill Doutney.)

Comments

[Bunty]

The conditions look great. Lucky you. Still no wind this end though we are in for some southerlies this week which is an absolutely sh** direction. You can sail the other side of the bay but it is sooo gusty that you end up coming up saying its just not worth it. The kind of gusts that you are bombing along overpowered and in a split second you are in the water cos absolutely no wind at all and struggling to water start. So you wait for the next gust which pulls you up onto the board and unless you are strapped in already will catapult you.
So....basically nothing coming this end for now.

[george markopoulos]

nice-sounds fantastic! good for you Michael. sounds like it was a great weekend all up and down the east coast! fall is here.

[Andy]

suh-weet!! I would venture a guess: all non-windsurfing Eastcoasters had a crappy weekend. All windsurfing Eastcoasters had an EPIC Weekend!! Cheers, to being on the happy side!

[Frank M]

Boy oh boy, that bowl looks sweet.