The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Andy Brandt Reveals Spring Windsurfing Clinic Dates for Napeague

"Reveals"...sounds like we took a course in marketeering.  Okay how about Andy Brandt just "told" the editors when he was planning to stop by with his merry crew of ABK windsurfing instructors, whip out the fairy dust and make us all better windsurfers?   'Cause that's what he's gonna do May 21-23 at the beautiful Lazy Point launch at Napeague.   What better way is there to prepare for the summer 2010 windsurfing season?   And for the advanced windsurfers out there, how else should you get ready for June's 2010 East Coast Windsurfing Festival?   

Mark your calendars.

(Make new windsurfing friends and see your old ones at ABK.  Photo by Peconic Jeff.)

Industrial Strength Windsurfing at ABK Day Three

Yes it was raining, but it was a sweet warm summery rain from the Southeast, and whitecaps were abundant, so Andy Brandt decreed that we should start the day on the water, picking up where we’d left off Saturday evening.

And we did.    In the warm wet wind, ABK’s students hit the water.  And hit the water again.  And again and again and again.  Whether they were working on tacking or duck jibing or looping or vulcans, everyone was relentlessly plugging away in a nonstop aquatic parade of falls, crashes, and being thrown like a ragdoll (that was me.)  

And it was great fun.   It was so much fun that nobody ever stopped to take a break, catch their breath, or get off the water for a moment.   With instructors both near the beach and out on the sand bar in the middle of the bay, you could try your moves on both tacks, so the morning session was:

1.    Sail 90 seconds on port.
2.    Crash
3.    Sail 90 seconds on starboard.
4.    Crash.

And continue this cycle all morning. 

After two hours Brendon (the instructor working the sand bar) sailed in to Andy Brandt and said “These people are crazy!”

Crazy, sure.  Like I said, it was great fun, with Wilson, Jason and Voytek going all out for duck jibes, Peconic Jeff, Buddha Mike, Vulcan George, Air Rich, The Mighty Larry Hoff, Starfish Marr and Pete Roesch chasing Vulcans…

(“Don’t call me Starfish” I hear Mr. Marr saying!   Okay, Air George…)

…and me in the “try not to break your neck” school of looping.

“Truly excellent carnage,” Andy observed.

After the morning session on the water we stopped for lunch, followed by a quick lecture, followed by a return to the water to work on Geckos and such lighter wind fare (the wind had dropped a bit.)   I joined the fray even thought I was exhausted and stiffening up.   Then I heard The Windsurfer Formerly Known as Starfish proclaim himself done, finished, toast, and as I watched him walk his gear into the beach, I thought “I’ve learned enough in this clinic to keep me busy for months, and seeing as how I have barely enough energy to walk, wouldn’t it be great to call it a day?”

It was and I did.

(Later this week:  A followup to the Pete/George feud report, and a bit about the Kite Chump.)

(Top:  Air Rich takes a spin.  Middle:  The Mighty Larry Hoff wants you to live long and prosper.  Bottom:  The editor as loop carnage, while George Marr watches approvingly.  These and many more of Peconic Jeff's photos from the clinic can be found on Jeff's Flickr site.)

Be A Better Windsurfer. ABK Clinics Come to Napeague in September…

If you don’t windsurf but would like to learn how, this is the place to be.

If you used to windsurf, stopped, and would like to join the resurgence of windsurfing on Long Island, this is the place to do it.

If you currently windsurf but would like to sail better, this is the fastest way to get there.

If you like how you windsurf just fine, but would like to work on racing skills or some of the newfangled freestyle thingamabobs, you’d best get your ass (in harness) to Napeague!

Andy Brandt and his merry band of ABK Boardsports all-stars return for two clinics.  Both will feature extensive comprehensive and inoffensive instruction for every level of windsurfer from never-before-windsurfed to advanced.   Additionally there will be two special programs available for windsurfing gods (or those people with a solid jibe):

In the Friday Sept 25-Sunday Sept 27th clinic, ABK brings its legendary freestyle windsurfing clinic.  

And in the Friday Sept. 18-Sunday Sept 20th clinic, Andy's offering a brand new ABK special: a racing clinic.  Come learn everything you need to know to beat George Marr, Pete Roesch, and most of the rest of Long Island's racers (ya ain't gonna beat Jimi Sobeck, sorry) at the East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta October 10th -11th.

What else can we say?   One thing:  If you've never been to an ABK windsurfing clinic, they are a lot of fun, and you'll make new friends.  So be there!  Sign up for the 9/18-20 clinic and/or the 9/25-27 clinic by clicking on the links.

(Photo:  Andy Brandt demonstrates a shove it thingamabob.)

Freestyle Tango with Caesar (video)

An inventive new video of Caesar Finies' freestyle "flowstyle" windsurfing brilliance, courtesy Eduardo Loedel. Enjoy, then go out and try yourself!

The Incredible Untold, Unseen Story of the Expression Session

(Long Island transplant-to-the-Gorge freestyler Jon "Chachi" Sassone wrote the following description of last Friday's pre-East Coast Windsurfing Festival freestyle expression session.   Like a fool I let it sit in my In-box for days without reading it.  Now I wish I'd read it right away.  Hell...now I wish I'd been there to see it myself!  Without further ado, here's Chachi's story: 

“Ezri kicked it into high gear right off the bat, sliding some super smooth flakas and floating a few huge shaka attempts, of which he landed many. The fifteen year old Bonairean Boy Wonder was playing with the big boys without hesitation. He launched a huge end-over-end forward loop in the boat channel and came back in to conduct a switch stance clinic from which everyone took notes. Ezri did enough Funnels to wipe out an entire college frat. However, the most impressive part of his performance was that at about only 90 lbs, Ezri was on a 4.7 in steady 25 mph winds. Caesar, Mike and I were all very much powered on our 4.7's as it was, and we each easily have double the body weight. This clearly had little effect on his performance, and left my mind with little doubt that he is the best Junior freestyler in the world.

Personally I felt at home. Maybe because I literally was home (which makes sense)but also because I love to be Lit. Powered.. Nuked. Freestyle is way more fun when you're burning across the water. For a while, this lone Long Island local had his work cut out for him. I was able to keep pace with our guests for a bit, answering with my own end-over-end forwards, flakas, grubby's, shuv its, and a few double spock attempts. The shaka, which is relative new to me, just wasn't happening. I managed to hit a switch stance clue first vuclan, however being reversed in the straps is not my forte and I was easily over taken.

Lucky for me, Long Island reinforcement Mike Burns showed up and let everyone know why he is #1 on the east coast. Funnels, switch chachos and clue first spocks, mere child's play. I even saw Mike do a perfect planning Ponch. His effortless one handed variations and technical sail ducking  techniques made him fierce competition for all. When asked, Mike claimed to be having a bad day, yet he still raised the level of competition considerably. (Mike, the rest of us wish we could sail as good as you do on a terrible day.)

 This was the most heated match I'd ever seen. Everyone had an answer to the tricks being thrown. For a while there was no clear winner:  But then there was Caesar.

 Casually he played with our hearts for a bit, making it seem as though we had a chance, then gradually raised the level of intensity. Mike threw a clue first spock, Caesar did a Toad. I hit a one handed spock, Caesar did a Shuv-it vulcan, shuv-it spock, shuv-it spock 540, going through every page of the Tricktionary. Just when it seemed like Caesar might be the winner, he decided to really turn it on. Carefully he plotted his course through the fleet, making sure everyone could see what he was about to unleash. It was this next move that won the day:

The Bonaire local accelerated off the wind, raking the sail back slightly before whipping it forward. With both hands he let go, and as his fin cleared the water Caesar began to rotate. The sail swung out on its own, parallel to surface of the water. The nose of his F2 Chilli touched slightly, aiding the spin. As the tail came down in a backwards slide his purple and green sail returned to his hands, as though there were strings between his fingers and the boom. He finished the 360 and planed out. A flawless No Handed Flaka. My jaw dropped.. The winner.

We continued sailing for a few more minutes, but at that point is was irrelevant. Eventually Mike flagged me down to make sure we had seen the same things, and we did.

Caesar had taken the Windsport Expression Session.
It was a shame that so few witnessed this event.

Hail Caesar!"  

(Mike Burns, Ezri and Chachi competing the next day. Oh to have seen the X-session! Photo courtesy Steve Domjan.)

The 2010 East Coast Windsurfing Festival Wants You!

If you missed it and wished you were there,

If you were there and wished you competed,

If you competed and wished you’d done better,

You will have your chance!   The 2009 East Coast Windsurfing Festival was such a success that the organizers are already announcing that the third annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival is on for June 2010.  And while most of the “even bigger/even better” details have yet to be put together, one new feature for 2010 has already been announced:  Due to the popularity of the racing events, there will be both Open and Sport fleet classes (Sport will have a 7.5 sail size limit, so that those of us who don’t own racing rigs can still throw down!)  And of course there will be plenty of freestyle, leading up to the crowning of the 2010 King of the East (Caesar, prepare to defend your crown!)

We’ve got eleven months to get ready.  Me, I’m going to put Redek on my old Superlight and learn some new freestyle moves.

(The Peconic Puffin wants you there too!   The editor approaches the finish line on a 7.0 held together with stickers, duct tape and packing tape.  Photo by Bill Doutney.)

 

An Eight-Spin Matrix: Caesar’s Flowstyle (video)

The second day of the East Coast Windsurfing Festival began with no wind. To pass the time until the breeze arrived, soon to be 2009 King of the East Caesar Finies gave an on-shore 101 instructional clinic on a few of his incredible moves. I believe he said his record for Matrix spins is 13…he put up a nine spot during his demonstration to festival competitors and spectators.

Windsport’s Pete Dekay caught the action on camera (thanks Pete!) (Editor's note: the original headline for this clip said "Nine-Spin", which is how many we counted. Apparently we can't count, so the headline has been amended. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this may have caused.)

He also discussed the basics of some of his other dazzling sail moves.  After a few words on sail size ( 4.0-4.5 recommended) and a bit about giving the mast a little push and then the clew, the sail left his hands, described a circle in front of him over the ground, then paused before jumping back into his hands like an obedient dog. It was simple. It was jaw-droppingly awesome. People applauded, laughed, grinned. “More windsurfers should go out on the water and have fun in light wind," Caesar said.

Flowstyle!

(If you've never seen Caesar put on a show, here's a link for you to catch the action.)

Hail Caesar Finies, King of the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

The second annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival was another smash success.   Caesar Finies, the “flowstyle” freestyle magician of Bonaire defeated defending King of the East Mike Burns for the freestyle crown.  Local young gun (and future Olympic hopeful) Jimi Sobeck took both the men’s racing and freestyle amateur titles, as 63 windsurfers from half a dozen states (as well as a contingent from Bonaire) converged on Heckscher State Park on Long Island for two days of windsurfing, sun and fun.

Tomorrow the Peconic Puffin will bring you in depth reporting (well, more than a sentence) on the many dramas and intrigues that played out during the festival, including:

-The Battle of Pete Roesch vs. George Marr,
-The Ascendency of Peconic Jeff,
-Jill Marr in competition,
-Slugs, worms, or ants (and other raceboard tuning secrets!)
-and can Jimi Sobeck please let someone else win?

...as well as photos by Bill Doutney.   But for now, here are the topline results of the 2009 East Coast Windsurfing Festival:

Pro Freestyle:
1.    Caesar Finies (King of the East)
2.    Mike Burns
3.    Jon Chachi Sassone
4.    Ezri Heymans
5.    Chris Eldridge

Men’s Amateur Freestyle:
1.     Jimi Sobeck
2.    Pete Dekay
3.    Jeff Schultz
4.    Larry Hoff
5.    Kurt Veith

Women’s Amateur Freestyle:
1.    Jill Marr
2.    Jean Bauman

Men’s Open Racing:
1.    Jimi Sobeck
2.    Tom Lepak
3.    Kurt Veith
4.    George Marr
5.    Pete Roesch
6.    Bart Kornas
7.    Michael Alex
8.    Joe Giordano
9.    Pete Dekay
10.    Peter Bogucki

Women’s Open Racing:
1.    Jean Bauman
2.    Jill Marr
3.    Alison Dunston

Mike Burns Freestyle Video

Starring/Produced/Directed by the defending King of the East, here is a taste of what Mike Burns will be bringing to the East Coast Windsurfing Festival next Saturday. I'm heading out to practice with Peconic Jeff right now!

Getting’ Trekkie at Napeague

Spocks.  Vulcans   Clew-first switchstance assaults on the Romulan empire.   That’s what the ABK crew (in town a day early in preparation for their clinic) were throwing.   I was just going to fool around with carving freestyle and leave the extraterrestrial stuff be, until George Marr said “C’MAAAAAAAHN!”

What was I gonna do?   So I got a quick refresher lecture from Radar Tom, mounted a 4 inch fin, and then joined George, ABK’s Tom, Andy Brandt, and Brandon (and later Jon Ford an another Tom) as well as Special Guest Star Pete Dekay (editor of Windsport) out on the water to twist and jump and spin…or tried to.  The 20+ knot blow at Napeague, and all the freestyle talent (plus Megastoke Marr) finally got me to make more than a few token Vulcan attempts.  I went for it about 30 times, and felt like a rag doll from the better attempts (which ended in undignified crashes.)   The poorer attempts were so pathetic that nothing happened at all.

They say it can take 500 attempts to land one…I doubt I’ll be that lucky   Hopefully I’ll live long (and prosper) enough to land one.

Unbelievably Great Freestyle Bicycle Video

Danny MacAskill absolutely blows my mind with this performance,  which is in turns mind-bogglingly insane and yet graceful and restrained.   There's great economy of motion as he does the frickin' impossible on his bike.  It's set to The Funeral by Band of Horses.

I found this on Culture Catch.    Is it off-topic?   I don't know, but it doesn't feel like it to me.  If these things can be done (and done with such style) on a bicycle, just think of what madness has yet to be invented for windsurfing.

Hail Caesar...He Is Coming

The master of jawdropping lightwind freestyle magic, Bonaire's Caesar Finies, will be competing at the second annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival at Hecksher State Park, June 6-7.   The bar has just been raised Big Time!  Of course Long Island counters with the reigning King of the East Mike Burns, along with LI expat Chachi Sassone.   Come check out the action (and compete yourself...there will be casual competition classes in both freestyle and racing for the fun-inclined)...sign up now at the East Coast Windsurfing Festival website.  

If you've never seen Caesar do his thing, check out the video below and find out what all the fuss is about.  

Cold Water Freestyle

To work on freestyle windsurfing is to fall a lot.  “It’s a water sport,” instructor Jason Voss said in my first ABK clinic, “your goal is not to stay dry.”      But as the water gets colder, falling is less and less entertaining, and the shallow, flat water that’s best for freestyling is usually the coldest.   So when drysuit season begins, many of us hang up our freestyle slippers until the spring. 

But what were we to do at South Jamesport last Friday?   The wind was light, the bay was at very low tide and tres flat, and we were on our big freestyle boards.   Peconic Jeff worked on his Vulcans, I played with 360’s and push tacks, and in the lulls we messed with all the usual spins while the Wolf headed to shore to munch Entenmanns.

Fortunately the bay was so shallow that most falls did not result in a head dunking.   But Jeff reported an ice cream headache, and I had a few very, um…refreshing experiences myself.   Anyhow it was good fun to start dusting off the freestyle cobwebs…unfortunately the wind died after two hours, leaving us all wanting more.

2009 East Coast Windsurfing Festival Returns to Long Island

It’s back!   Following up on the success of the 2008 festival, the organizers are thrilled to announce the second annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival, taking place June 6-7, 2009 at New York’s Heckscher State Park in East Islip, Long Island.   

Presented by last year’s master of ceremonies Thom Hering and “King of the East” Mike Burns, the 2009 event will once again feature racing, freestyle, and speed trial events, with sport, competitive, and junior classes.     And once again, the focus will be on having a good time and getting everybody on the water.   “Any time the rules preclude fun, we change the rules,” says MC Tom.

The Peconic Puffin will have updates in early 2009 as they are announced.   To review all the fun of the 2008 event, click here.  

Photos by Bill Doutney

Freestyle Video "Stacked "...They Keep Getting Better

A windsurfer sails along.  Smooth as silk, he ducks the sail into the wind and brings it back up, so he's now planing backwinded, calm, cool and collected.   Then he throws a loop.

Whatever the name of this move is, whatever the rest of the mad transition is, whatever details I'm not describing...I don't care.   The grace...the style with which this move is performed is simply glorious.

So begins the excellent freestyle windsurfing video "Stacked" featuring Estredo Gollito, Victor Fernandez, and the video maker Andre Paskowski.

If you like this clip you should also check out Golitto in Two for Ten" which was featured here awhile back.