The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

The Wolf Has Moved South

Jan van der Wolf…the Wolf…commodore of the Eastern Long Island Wind Chimp Association and a proud Peconic Puffin…has decamped for Florida digs.

“It’s too cold here in the winter” he told me.

I agreed. It used to not be.

“It’s the end of an era,” Scott says.

More than that, says we.   Ten years ago for Jan’s 70th birthday I wrote “The Wolf is the goal. The Wolf is a beacon.  Every time Jan vanderWolf catches a wave or launches off a ramp, we're hopeful for ourselves, that we can be out there decades from now.   Also we're having a good time, because let's face it:  The Wolf is fun to sail and paddle with.   "The Stoke of the Wolf" Jeff calls it.”

 

 

Have seen it all with the Wolf.  Supping a "party wave".  Snow sailing at South Jamesport.   Sebonac Inlet going off.  A mid ocean collision.  "You'll have that" Jan says.

Now at the age of 80 the Wolf is exercising some judgment. Good for him, sad for us. We all love the man.   But now we don’t get to sail or paddle with him.   He sold his beloved landscaping business.  And the vanderDome is closed. Our loss.

If he comes to visit everyone will lend him gear, of that I’m sure.   I hope he does.

Elvis has left the building.

(Air Wolf photo courtesy Jeff Schultz.)

Swap Meet!

August 24th me droogs!  Hampton Watersports of course!   If you're like me you wished there's been one in the Spring, but the waiting will make this one sweeter!

Ya think?

Who knows!  The details from Jonathan Ford:

"Wings, foils, EFoils, surfboards, SUP's, kites and windsurf gear - all at super inexpensive pricing. Stop by early for the best deals.

Buy or sell New, used and closeout Foil, Wingfoil, Kite, surf and Windsurf gear.

Sellers - please drop your used gear now thru 10 am 8/24

Buyers - Come by and check it out 10am . Note: Anyone looking for anything specific, please let us know before hand. We can shop for you if needed."

 

 

A Return to Windsurfing

 

It had been nine and a half months since I windsurfed.   Why?   Lack of conditions, conflicting family schedule, bad luck.   I’d stood at South Jamesport with Pav a couple of times watching the wind fail to come up.  

I HAVE spent a few weekends in the introductory-to-wingfoiling waters. And intend to pursue it.   But I hadn’t planed (except for a few three second runs on the foil) in ages.

Finally it came, last Friday.   At Hart’s Cove with Chimply Lord Scotworth (the Earl of Kielt) we caught the summer classic: 4.7 winds, 80 degree air temps!   Was I rusty? Had trouble getting into the back footstrap smoothly, and the jibes were rusty, but shred I did!

I’m back.

More Wingfoil Clinics coming

Scott calls it wingdinging, and I think that's great!   I'm gathering equipment so I can get out there without borrowing.  Meanwhile at Andy Brandt's ABK clinics gear is provided along with instruction...check it out at some new local dates:

August 3,September 2,3,16,24,October 5

Hosted by Hampton Watersports 

Winging It with Andy Brandt

The blame primarily belongs with Christian.

 

Watching people wingfoil never hooked me.  Conversations with the great instructors Dasher and Andy Brandt didn't move me past trying it once a couple years ago.   That friends were picking it up was fine with me, but I wasn't drawn in.

 

Then Christian called last week and layed it on thick.   He said something like "You really need to do this".  He's British, so there's the automatic understatement boost.   And while he's saying this I am aware that Sally will be out of town the following weekend, and who will be in town instead is the aforementioned guru Andy B.  Why was he coming to town?  To give a winging clinic.

 

What was I to do?  I signed up.

 

Christian had told me that one of the thrills of Learning to Wing was going through the beginner stages like we all did in windsurfing ages ago.    That's poetic, but on Day One of the clinic I felt less like a beginner and more like someone who would not get the hang of it.  Best I did was shlog without falling for 15 seconds, on Port.  Starboard don't ask.

 

But by the end of the day I was being told by guru and attendant winging friends that I was doing well.  I remembered telling newbie windsurfers who were down on themselves that they were doing well...they were!...but still suspected everyone was lying to me.   I felt all wrong on the water.   But I was interested.

 

Spoke with Missus that night.  Was I hooked, she asked?  I said "no but I'm intrigued."

 

Then I slept on it, and woke up believing guru and friends.

 

On Day 2 I felt worse.  But then I found myself flying on the foil for three or four seconds.  And then crashed.  I came up from underwater with a clenched fist in the air.  I had Wingfoiled for a few seconds!

 

As my reward I got tangled in the leashes, drifted downwind a hundred yards, and did a short Walk through the water to receive coaching from Andy.    And rest (I don't know if it looks like a workout, but it is.  My accomplished winging friends...Lili and Wilson and Dana and Andy...make it look easy.)

 

I would get up again for a second or two (this time on starboard...kiss my ***) before a leg cramp knocked me off the water for the day.

 

Christian texted me to ask how it was going.   I told him he had created a real problem.

 

I'm still intrigued.  Now with barbs.

 

(Andy Brandt brings his ABK foiling clinics to Atlantic City next week, and returns to Long Island shortly after.  Check it out!)