I am the Last Windsurfer On Long Island to sail West Meadow. What was I waiting for? Perhaps less of a thrashing!
Got there around 12:30, saw George Marr and Pete Roesch on the water, and George Pav and Jean in the parking lot. Half an hour later I had a rigged 4.5, my 77 liter board, and advice to "watch out for the sand bars." I think I'm pretty good at spotting shallow water, so after walking out about 50 yards I jumped on my board and headed out.
Kapow.
Then another kapow a minute later. I spend the next 45 minutes imagining shallow spots everywhere...I'm sailing in a perpetual state of "I'm about to get launched". Finally I get settled in, and sail to the far corner where there are some excellent rolling ramps. I see George Marr pull into shore so I go over to say Hi...I figure I'll sail behind him and get a guided tour of the tastiest spots. But George isn't sailing anywhere because he snapped his board in half.
"The last couple runs it was REALLY feeling soft," he explains, theorizing how the board was broke before it broke, "and then it broke in two in the middle of a jump!" George is stoked. Me, I'd be a little bummed if I broke a good board in half, but George is stoked about his board, about the jump, about the day, about the football game he's going to go home and watch. He picks up his gear and starts walking back to the launch, stoked.
I head back out. The gusts are mighty and I should probably rig down, but I don't. I'm grooving on the ramps (though still imagining sand bars wherever the water flattens.) The place is going off, and I'm having a fine time lit alongside Pete, Pav, Jean, Steve (thanks for the photos!) Mustang, Marty, Rich Simons (thanks for the directions) and Frank, with whom I have a near collision. That seems as good a reason as any to head in and rig the 4.0, but when I see Pete heading out on his 4.0 (Pete takes a lot more sail then me) I worry that I'm not rigging down enough.
And that's pretty much how it was. Even though I'd have been much happier on a 3.4, it was still good to get back out there and get pounded. I look forward to a return to West Meadow!
(Top: George Pav negotiates some serious white water. Bottom: George Marr describes his mid-air board break. Heard on the beach: "George breaks a board or two every year!" Photos courtesy Steve Domjans.)
Wow, that water looks pretty chompy!
Posted by: Aaron, the catapult | December 08, 2008 at 09:34 AM
glad you scored. I was pretty bummed to not beable to get out to the coast to hit it. It was cold, but sunnny which would have made all the difference. any ice on the sails during the unrigging process?!
Posted by: george markopoulos | December 08, 2008 at 11:52 AM
It was great to have you out with us Western LI guys. I am SOOOO Sorry for the near collision. It was totally my fault! I had to rig down to the 4.2 after the "incident" as well. My body is so trashed today.
Posted by: Frank M | December 08, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Frank, given how it all worked out, the moment was hilarious! And had I misplayed one of the gusts it could have been me t-boning you. Meanwhile I too am feeling yesterday big time.
George, I didn't have any icing...I don't think we got below 32 degrees.
Hey Aaron the catapult...I gave you a run for your money yesterday plowing into a sand bar. I received at least one thumbs up...I'd like to think you would have approved as well.
Posted by: Michael | December 08, 2008 at 02:18 PM
It's amazing how happy people are about breaking their boards in two! A couple of guys out here have done that and they come off the water with the biggest smiles you have ever seen on their faces! So it must have been the way out jumps that finally did the job that made it all worthwhile.
Posted by: Bunty | December 08, 2008 at 02:33 PM
Glad you made it out Michael, great to see you! Firstly, please come next time at dead low tide and you will see all the sand bars. It's not so bad even at dead low to find your way out without a "Kapow". Secondly, don't land on the beach where GM broke down. When you are underpowered you will never get off the beach - huge wind hole. Lastly and most important, that's me with the orange sail in those class 5 rapids. See Ya soon Bro!!
Posted by: George Pav | December 08, 2008 at 06:55 PM
It is an odd thing to be stoked about breaking a board, but so true. Maybe cuz it was probably a big move in some rad conditions that did it. In fact i thought i'd broken my board last month back in Assateague, and was stoked about it. Maybe its the prospect of the now having to replace it?! however, now i'm rather despondent over the fact that the board is fixable, and a new board wont be coming on santa's sleigh. Oh well, try -try again. Maybe i can break her in two tomorrow, gonna be windyyyyyyyyyyyy.......
Posted by: george markopoulos | December 09, 2008 at 07:40 AM