The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Aruba Hi-Winds Flashback

For five years awhile back the wife and I went to Aruba at least once per year (all the way back to when she was "the girlfriend") and had a lot of good times and good friends there.   When I stumbled across this compilation of local TV coverage of Aruba's Hi-Wind races (1987-2006...this is one of several pieces from the collection on Youtube) I started looking for Aruban friends.   I was surprised (just a little) when the first person I spotted was Long Island's mighty Bill DeGeorge, who always does serious damage to competing egos at the East Coast Windsurfing Festival, Fall Regattas etc. (He was top-five in the Masters division in the clip above). I haven't sailed in Aruba in a few years, but this clip reminded me of how much fun it was to rip in the Blue Highway when Fishermans Huts was going off.

If you need an Aruba fix (or would just like to watch some flatwater Carib slalom action from yesteryear) here's a slab for you. Go to Youtube to find at least five more.

Rocktober Racing Results

It was practically November, but Rocktober Racing got raced!  It happened Sunday at West Neck, site of the Fall Race in 2009.   I missed the entire thing, wheezing at home with a wicked cold, arm in a sling with a dinged tendon, I got to read the email about it and piece together this post.  First the results (all editorialization is Pete's):

1.  Brook...nice job Gilligan  :)
2.  Florian...we need to get you some glasses :)
3.  Kurt...you beat me by 2 points...next time!
4.  Pete
5.  Ted
6.  Sasha
7.  Joe

Jeanne came in first for the lady's.

There's a story out there that Florian was "taken out" by a motorboat, hence the need for glasses mentioned by Pete.  Scoring was handled by Devon Roesch, Scott Yanuck and Marianne Rantala if I have it right (what are the odds of that?)

Congratulations to all racers on a fine event, and big props to Pete!

(photo by Scott Yanuck.   More of his imagery and videos can be found here.)

Rocktober Racing On For Sunday

Here's the word from Pete Roesch:

It looks like we will have some NW winds Sunday.

Race is ON!!!!!

Where: West Neck Beach in Huntington on West Neck Rd

When: Sunday 10/30/11 sign in at 9:30am skippers meeting at 10:30 and racing right there after. 

Hope to see all you race heads there.

West Neck is #69 on the Long Island Windsurfing Map in case you need that information.  Have a great day (I'm missing it due to a dinged arm.)

Racing Cancelled For Saturday...Go Out And Rip (we mean practice)

Pete says we lost the safety boat, so competition Saturday is off, despite the outstanding forecast for Saturday  (W 20-25 gusting to 30.)

If it blows true West or WNW, try Sebonac Inlet out east.

If it blows WSW Tiana (ocean) may be the call.

(To find Sebonac Inlet, Tiana, or any of the other great windsurfing launches on Long Island, check out our Long Island Windsurfing Map.)

Here Comes Rocktober Racing on Long Island

(click on the link and start playing Led Zep’s Whole Lotta Love.   Once it starts, begin reading below.)

 

(turn up the volume, too.   Okay, ready?  Start reading!)

It's time for Rocktober Racing!  Pete is ready to pull the trigger, which means three things:

1.    He has a plan to defeat George,

2.    He’s found a safety boat,

3.    It’s time to race already!

So here’s the drill:   Pete (as we all should) will keep an eye on the forecast for the next two coming weekends.  If/when conditions look auspicious, he shall Declare the Race Day and Location (most likely Nassau County north shore.)  Pete says:

“We will have a 7.5 Class, an Open Class, and a Novice Class  (must be able to water start and jibe…not necessary planning.)   The wind minimum will probably be 12-15.  If you want to race you should sign up by emailing me at rocktoberracing@gmail.com.”

Race location and time will be announced by Pete via email…it will also be posted in the Yahoo LI Windsurfing Group, on iWindsurf’s forums, and on The Peconic Puffin.

So be there, and bring your air guitar.

Roctober Racing on Long Island

Notice of a Scheme to Race:   Given the popularity of the races at June’s East Coast Windsurfing Festival, and the great time that was had at the 2009 East Coast Fall Regatta, Pete Roesch (who always does well in these things) is hatching a plan for a Fall racing event this October on the north shore of Long Island.  The name:  Rocktober Racing!

(cue Led Zeppelin.  I'm thinking "Whole Lotta Love"...)

Bringing back the formula that worked in 2009, the plan would be to pick a weekend and pick a few locations (one location that’s optimal for each potential wind direction.)  If the forecast looks good on Thursday for the coming weekend, then on Friday night the day (Saturday or Sunday) and location of the race is announced.    If the forecast stinks on Thursday or Friday, then we pick another weekend.

What kind of races would there be?  And what classes?   A preliminary list of fleets includes:

Unlimited

7.5

Men Who Find Tacking Unmanly

Beginner

These potential fleets and races (course or slalom) are open to discussion, and will hopefully be debated in the Yahoo Long Island Windsurfing Group forum.   Posts here at the Peconic Puffin will also be thrown into the mix.

Rocktober Racing:  It’s a glint in Pete’s eye, a neat idea in mine, and hopefully something you’d like to be a part of (as racer or volunteer).

Whaddaythink?  Send your comments to rocktoberracing@gmail.com

Rock on, Garth!

Cranking A Monster Jibe

That's New England's finest Josh Angulo pulling transorbital G's as he rounds a mark in Fuerteventura last month.   In the ongoing windless hell of 2011, my callouses gone and jibing a distant memory, this image jogged a recollection of jibing in days past (I jibe EXACTLY like Josh.  More or less.  Press "1" for more, "2" for less, "3" for more options.)   Photo courtesy PWA/John Carter...check out more on their mighty web site.  Additional props to James' blog for putting this image under my nose.

Light Wind Battles, Relay Races and SUP Madness: ECWF Day Two

The winds were light and off-shore for day two...yeah boy!  The standings as of Day One were on display, but things were going to get shaken up.

Racemaster Tom set up a modified course.  I thought “I could do well on this course if I had a longboard,” but I’d left my Superlight home like an idiot.  “Bring EVERYTHING to a race!” Pete Roesch had said  (always listen to the guy who wins at these events).   But I got lucky when Bill DeGeorge (who would have won Open Class except for a certain Mr. Angulo) lent me one of his 75 boards...a Mistral Comp (thankyouthankyou thankyou.)   Then I realized I didn’t have a suitable uni.  Peconic Jeff had an extra one (thankyouthank youthankyou).  Special thanks to P-Jeff, who might have finished third in 7.5 instead of me if he hogged his unis and left me marooned on my Techno (Jeff remained highly competitive sailing a SUP board...mad props!)    But now equipped with other people’s stuff plus my mighty 6.2, I joined the racers and managed to eek out a trophy.

Barely.

My best move in the days races was leaning out to catch Peter Richterich mid-fall.  I did it for the karma points, to use against the bad karma I planned to accrue ramming Pete Roesch in the next race.  But tragically I not only never got close enough to Pete to prevent his ultimate victory, but in the final reach of the final race I was ignominiously passed and left in the dust by his son Devon.   I now have two generations of Roesch windsurfers to fear and loathe on the course. 

Then came the relay races.   Four teams of knuckledragging guys stood in the water waiting for the start, whilst the self-selected all-girl team put one sailor on the board, one at the luffed clew to steady the rig, and two at the back to give a push at the start.   When us guys woke up and began to replicate their set-up the girls hooted and hollered, but hey, they should have kept their brilliant plan secret until a few seconds before the start.   I believe the team I was on was the first to steal the idea; as punishment Jill rammed me at the buoy.   Peter has a video of the complete race on his blog.

As the wind lightened a new event was added to the East Coast Windsurfing Festival:  SUP relay races:  A short paddle out to a buoy, go around it, paddle back to the beach and hand off paddle to the next person.     I will confess that this sounded like a yawn to me...then it started.   Josh began with a running jump onto a board and soon everyone was experimenting with ballistic starts.  Some stood, some kneeled, everyone paddled like a demon.    There were four teams...two contests...but also a stopwatch timing the winning team of each heat.  The fastest team would triumph.   In what seemed like a splashy, sloppy, laughy pair of heats, the team with the best time won by all of four seconds!   Pretty darn close.

There was no more freestyle competition on Sunday due to the light winds.  People who know me might wonder why I’ve not written about my freestyle exploits...fact is I did not compete.   On Friday night I started with a sharp knife but a tough lime, and ended up with a deep cut in one finger.  When this finger began bleeding during the first Saturday races I had to make a choice, and I figured racing to be easier on the hands than freestyle.  Next year I’m a’doing no cooking the day before the event!

It all ended with giveaways of goodies donated by event sponsors, the presentation of trophies, and talk of next year.

Huge thanks to Mike Burns for organizing a great festival four years in a row!    And to MC Tom T-Bone Thom Hering for brilliant race orchestration.   To Chrissy, to the jet ski guy, to everyone who helped out.  To Jerry Evans for the stylee trophies.

Who am I forgetting? 

Mr. Angulo.  Thanks to Josh for doing everything and anything to make the festival as enjoyable as possible...bringing a van load of equipment for people to try, putting on a windsurfing display like the champion he is, spending time with anyone and everyone who wanted to chat, and bringing his oversized great attitude, enthusiasm and cheer to every bit of the event.   Dude, you’re an East Coast windsurfer now...come back next year!

(The results of the competition can be found here.  We're seeing about getting a complete breakdown of the racing results.  Peconic Puffin coverage of day one of the East Coast Windsurfing Festival is here. Other bloggers who have posted on the festival include James Douglas and Peter Richterich.

Photos graciously shared by Alphonso, Jeff Schultz, and Jimmy Rivera.)

 

Results and Competitors of the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

(A semi-coherent description of the events of day one of of the festival may be found here.  Tomorrow a second helping of scattered recollections and thoughts, focused on day two may be found on the Peconic Puffin as well.  Here now are the names of all the good people who participated:)

Pro Men's Freestyle (Fully Ranked)

1. Mike Burns (The King of the East, for the third time in four years!  All hail Mike.)

2. Jon Sassone 

3. Chris Eldridge

4. Sergey Andreev

5. Josh Angulo (To quote Thom Hering, "It's a measure of the quality of windsurfing on Long Island that a PWA pro finishes fifth in our competition."   Of course Josh is not a pro freestyler, and he did nearly rip a hole in the sky with his mondo loop!)

 

Amateur Men's Freestyle (Fully Ranked.  It's testimony to ABK Boardsports that well over half of these competitors are ABK graduates, and the winner an ABK instructor.)

1. Ed Dehart

2. Graham Feddersen

3. Tom Dehaan

4. Jeff Schultz

5. Jake Agoos

6. George Marr

7. Rich Simmons

8. Mike Jamieson

9. George Pav

10. Kevin O'Shea

11. John Markwalter

12. John Spanos

12. Igor Manoylovich

12. Mitch Agoos

12. Ned Crossley

Women's Freestyle (Fully Ranked)

1. Deniz Kalaycioglu

2. Jeanne Bauman

3. Nina Richterich

4. Jill Marr

Open Racing 

1. Josh Angulo 

2. Bill DeGeorge

3. James Douglas (mad props to James, who probably doesn't know that in the last Long Island race series of six heats (dropping the lowest finish) Bill's results were 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, and 1st. 

Racing 7.5 Limited

1. Pete Roesch

2. Joe Natali

3. Michael Alex (Thanks to the mighty Bill DeGeorge for lending me a longboard Sunday!)

4. George Marr

5. Ed Dehart

Women Racing  (Fully Ranked)

1 Jeanne Bauman
2 Christina Clement
3 Nina Richterich
4 Jill Marr

Complete list of racers (Open Class)

Matt Allen

Josh Angulo

Myles Borash

Brook Cuddy

Bill DeGeorge

James Dougals

Dan Cresci

Florian Feuser

Frank Messina

Chris Dohan

Edward Rynkowski

Dean Olekasiak

 

Complete list of racers (7.5 Limited)

John Sassone

Mike Jamieson

Michael Alex

George Pav

Joe Natali

Rich Simmons

John Spanos

Pete Roesch

Igor Manoylovich

Jake Agoos

Mitch Agoos

Jeff Schultz

Ian Berger

Ned Crossley

Sasha Kraev

Will Seibert

Arthur Spangel

Joe Giordano

George Kellner

Kode Ediale

Joe Rocco

Philip O'Connell

Michael Ingbar

Ted Bretter

Alfonzo Perez

Ed Dehart

Mike Columbo

Peter Richterich

Chris Goodwin

George Marr

Jim Manta

Dan Perelman

Valdas Savokynas

Jeremy Grovenor

Antanas Meslinas

Ira Holzman

Jay Morgan

Jesse Waters

Roman Pines

Graham Feddersen

Dennis Grunbeck

Devon Roesch

Jeff Feddersen

Complete list of racers (Women)

1. Jeanne Bauman

2. Christina Clement

3. Deniz Kalaycioglu

4. Jill Marr

5. Emily Schweikart

6. Nina Richterich

(Photo:  For aesthetics, nothing can beat the 3rd place 7.5 limited racing trophy.  Trophies crafted by Jerry Evans at Chatham Wind and Time.)

Angulo’s 6.9 Loop? Pete still the Terminator? Mike still the King? Where to begin talking about the East Coast Windsurfing Festival...

Where to begin?  Here’s an early report on Saturday.  (early?   I know...)

70+ competitors turned out (including former PWA champion and new east coast windsurfer Josh Angulo) for 18-24 easterlies at Long Island’s Heckscher State Park, where the racing was fast and furious.   We had two racing classes (open and 7.5 limited) but unless you had full blown racing gear and knew how to use it, 6.2 was as big a sail as most of us wanted, and the racing was fast and furious.   Sailors were on every kind of gear you could imagine (maybe no wave boards)...vintage longboards, modern longboards, formula planks, freeride boards, freestyle boards, even SUP boards!  With all the wind many of us found ourselves boarding down to freeride and even freestyle gear to make the jibing easier (if this isn’t a racing adage it oughta be:  It’s not how fast you sail, it’s whether or not you can tack and jibe dry!)  For myself, in the first heat I sailed my Techno and finished about 30^th, while managing to brain freeze on port and force Joe G (rightfully on starboard) to drop into the water.  Sorry Joe!   Switching to a JP Freestyle board I followed George Marr around the course (for two reasons...he sails like a bat out of hell, and he doesn’t hit anybody) and finished fourth.  Much better!   My favorite race was a heat in which the wind kept oscillating up and down...one minute the longboards had the advantage, the next the racing shortboards, then the wind would come up more and the freeride planks ruled.  I remember being left behind by the longboards at the start only to pass them all halfway through, then watched in horror as Peconic Jeff passed me on his SUP board.  For that race, the answer to the question "what's the gear call" was "doesn't matter!"  Much fun.

At the end of the day the 7.5 class was lead by The Terminator/Eliminator/pick your honorific-ator Pete Roesch.

Then there was the Open class, twelve guys with big sails and race boards.   As the kids say: OMG.  Pro sailors are pro sailors for a reason; champions even more so.   It was great that Josh Angulo was so warm and friendly and outgoing on the beach, because on the race course, he finished the first heat before most of the competitors were half way around the course.  It gets worse:  Judge Mike Burns says Angulo wasn’t really gunning it in that heat.  “C’mon, Josh,” Mike told him, “show these people what you’ve got!”

So in heat #2 Josh blazed...nothing but fin in the water.  He crossed the finish line so early that Judge Burns shouted out “Hey Josh:  go around the course again!”

And so in a single race Josh Angulo finished First and...wait for it...Fourth.  "And he missed 3rd by a board length!" Mike Burns says.  Against 11 other sailors.

There was freestyle, too!    With so many competitors at this year’s festival the judges held a ten minute elimination heat to whittle down the amateur class to a more judgable number, with sailors going for new school and old school tricks in a mad wonderful display of style and moxie.

Then the Pro class threw a combination Expression Session and competition.  The blur of backsliding backwinded aerial madness was dominated by the reigning King of the East Mike Burns, but The Jaw Dropping Moment was when Mr. Angulo threw a loop with a 6.9 sail that seemingly took forever.   I heard a dozen “woah did you see that”s simultaneously alongside the chorus of ooh’s and aahs.

That’s the quickie report on Saturday...we’ll have more (Sunday, for example) tomorrow!  In the meantime, here is a link to the competitive results.

(Photos courtesy Richard Burns)

Saturday Wind Fest: Be there at 9, ready for Rabbit Starts!

Mike Burns thinks it could blow big.   I'm not trying to jinx it!  I'm just sayin' that's what Mike is sayin'. 

MC Thom Hering thinks we may need jet ski rabbit starts.   Say what?   If the wind is from the east then racers will a-gather on the water (as opposed to the rabbit beach starts we've had in festivals past for the southerlies) and get started by a passing jet ski.  

Both Mike and MC Thom say it's important that participants be there by 9AM to register, get numbers (remember to bring duct tape to put numbers on your sails) and kick off the competition.

It's going to be exciting!

The 2011 East Coast Windsurfing Festival is this Saturday-Sunday at Heckscher State Park.   The following is a list of "important stuff to bring" taken from the event web site, as written by reigning King of the East Mike Burns himself:

"- Money -  There is a charge of 8 bucks to get into the park at the toll booth.

-Weed fin - The beginning of June is when those weeds decide to start appearing.  Sometimes you can get by without one, but it could just make the difference.

-Sun Block - I forgot mine last year and got burnt to a crisp. 

-Food and Drink - There is nowhere in the park to buy food or beverages so bring what you’ll need for the day

-Toilet Paper -  There I said it.  The bathrooms at the boat ramp will be open but you never know if they’ll have what you need when you really need it. -Duct tape - it has a million uses so you might as well bring some.  Whether you need to put numbers on your sail, protect your body parts from getting blisters from the tons of sailing you’ll be doing, you might just need some duct tape.

- Your family and friends - everyone else’s will be there, so bring yours along too."

See you there!

(photo of jet ski rabbit start borrowed from Continent Seven, where it was credited to Biancotto.)

 

Josh Angulo Is Ready for the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

He is coming.

Windsurfing legend Josh Angulo (who WON Cabo Verde...that’s more rad than the Bowl, homes!) is bringing his mightiness to Heckscher this weekend for the 2011 East Coast Windsurfing Festival.   We at the Peconic Puffin say “Wow!”  Stoked, we are.  Fools, too, but not so foolish as to pass an opportunity to ask Mr. Angulo, who recently moved to Massachusetts to be closer to Long Island (we imagine) which Festival  competition (racing or freestyle) he was more excited about bringing his PWA Wavesailing Champion awesomeness to?    Thus spake Josh:

“Can I put in a few disclaimers now........ I am a very below average below amateur level freestyle sailor and Mike Burns said he's putting me in the "expert" division, which I don't really qualify for.   The racing I'm fired up for assuming we get 11-12 knots...below that my pumping skills are pretty bad.”

Yeah yeah.  Josh really isn’t that good.  Look for him to finish sandwiched in between Peconic Jeff and myself.  Yeah.   Mr. Angulo went on with the nice talk:

“I'm really thankful for  the open arms  reception I've been getting in the whole east coast watersports scene and I hope I'm able to give back some of my  " Aloha" from Hawaii and "morabeza" from Cabo Verde. From what I've seen and experienced thus far the East Coast already has plenty of both.” 

Just wait until he finds himself between George Marr and Pete Roesch!

(The fourth annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival takes place this weekend at Heckscher Park.   Sign up now,  join the fun, sail with friends and welcome Josh Angulo to Long Island! Angulo photo courtesy PWA/John Carter)

Josh Angulo Signed Up For the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

That's right.  Oh yeah.  PWA wave champion (and your basic windsurfing legend) Josh Angulo will be on the water with you (or at least with me, and everyone else who is coming to the fourth annual ECWF).  I don't know if we can say he'll be competing...maybe it would be more accurate to say he'll just show us the way.

We are stoked.

(There it is, Josh Angulo's name in the participants list.  Is your name there?  If it ain't, waddayuwaitinfor? The East Coast Windsurfing Festival is June 11-12 at Heckscher Park.)

Racing! Freestyle! Fun and Prizes! The East Coast Windsurfing Festival...

...is less than four weeks away!  The fourth annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival takes place June 11-12th at Heckscher State Park.   If you've been to the festival before but haven't yet signed up (by emailing his lordship King of the East Mike Burns at mewindsurf@aol.com) then please do, so your name can appear in lights.

If you haven't been before but think you might enjoy it, just sign up.  You will have a great time (read the copious ravings of this blogger on the last three events.)

If you need convincing, here are the essentials:  The event mixes freestyle events with some racing events.   There is a minimum of rules for either, and any time conditions (or inspiration) suggests changing or scrapping the rules in the name of fun, it happens.   There are no wind minimums (we will race and compete in freestyle in nonplaning conditions, folks!   You can compete in both freestyle and racing.   We have serious competitors, casual participants in it for the fun, and competitors serious about making fools of themselves (like me.)

It is a great time.  There's a reason that the first event begat the second, the second the third, and the third this year's...don't miss it!

For details check out the official website.

(Top:  Racing is fun!   Bottom:  Light wind fun!   Photos by Bill Doutney.)

It's Time To Sign Up for the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

It's time!  His lordship Mike Burns (Festival organizer AND Reigning King of the East) has decreed that the hour to declare our intentions has arrived*.  So get thee to the East Coast Windsurfing Festival's registration page, or just email King Burns directly with the following information:

Thy name (all of it).

Thy mailing address.

Thy email address.

Thy age (I myself lie)

Thy intentions to participate in freestyle, racing, or both.

The fourth annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival takes place June 11-12 at Heckscher State Park on Long Island.

Get it on, bang a gong, get on.

*While the hour has arrived, a sufficiency of other hours are also available to sign up.  However it's more fun if you sign up early, as web pages listing the names of the happy competitors shall soon be displayed to the people.

(Photo: Mike Burns doing something cool at Heckscher. Image stolen from East Coast Windsurfing Festival web site.)