James Is Crazier Than I Am

My wife has long held that I am "obsessed" with windsurfing. ABK master instructor Andy Brandt once told me (while distinguishing between different types of windsurfers) that I was "crazy". I want to be perceived as enthusastic, not mad, so I periodically have need of crazier/more obsessed windsurfers than me, so I can point at them and say "See! See?!!"

In 2007 I needed the all-season hardcore Long Island crew (who will sail the ocean while it's snowing in January if the wind and waves are good) so I could explain to family and friends that it was perfectly fine for me to windsurf in winter.

Just one week into 2008 I've found my next windsurfer to point at: James. Some people know that I keep detailed logs of my windsurfing...I can tell you how many days I've sailed on what boards with what sails and where I did it and who with. I like knowing this stuff. But James has taken it several levels further. James is my windsurfing log hero. Behold James' blog post on his 2007 statistics.

With charts and graphs James tells us things like:

9.74 percent of his sessions were sailed on his Pro-Tech (one of fifteen board choices.)
His average sail size sailed by month.
Air temps, locations, averages, means, highs/lows etc.

You haven't lived until you've seen his 16 point compass rose that counts sessions by wind direction (fewest: East Northeast...just one day.)

Go check out James' good work.

(graphic: James' plot of sessions by wind direction.)

Comments

[Bunty]

Err....does he have anything else to do in life? Windsurfing is and should be ones priority.............but statistics to that extent! The man is obsessed! Quite interesting though I have to admit.

[Michael]

James is quite the scientist. One of my favorite of his posts was about about eel grass. He has quite the touch with graphics, too.

[James]

Ha ha! I'm honored. And guilty as charged.

Although I still think that you guys are crazier than me with the cold weather stuff. I don't rig if it's below 42.

Contrary to appearances, I'm actually really busy writing my grad school dissertation, and I spend long hours in the office. But I don't have anything to do when I come back to my lonely bachelor pad, and I can't shut down the compulsion to write and analyze. So that's where the blogging is produced. :)