Fresh from losing my OBX wave virginity I was hot to get back on the water, but there were no wind/wave combos to be found Wednesday morning. “Why don’t you sail at Canadian Hole?” suggested Andy.
Canadian Hole. Probably the best known windsuring spot in Hatteras, in fifteen trips to the Outer Banks I had never actually sailed there (well, once did some nonplaning freestyle for thirty minutes, but no footstraps were involved. There was no kicking up of spray.)
So I went, and wrapped up my minivacation to Hatteras with a few hours of 7.0 sailing amidst the amiable crowd of windsurfers and kiters. Jibes, 360’s, push tacks, duck 360’s, backwind jibes etc…all the carving big-sail freestyle I could muster kept me happily busy skimming across those famous shallows. I started to get cocky, and so of course stuck the fin in the shallows for a not-too-bad face plant. Or two.
Then the wind backed down and I spent an hour talking with Rochester windsurfers Gary and Michael. Gary hooked me up with a new yoga program that I want to try, and Michael told me stories about meeting Aaron the Human Catapult. The perfect stuff to dry off to before heading back to New York.
This was my sixteenth trip to Cape Hatteras, and I pulled off four firsts: First OBX wave experience (which means I've completed a New Year's Resolution,) first session sharing the water with dolphins, first Canadian Hole session, and first time camping out of the van (that should get its own post...)
Canadian Hole. Probably the best known windsuring spot in Hatteras, in fifteen trips to the Outer Banks I had never actually sailed there (well, once did some nonplaning freestyle for thirty minutes, but no footstraps were involved. There was no kicking up of spray.)
So I went, and wrapped up my minivacation to Hatteras with a few hours of 7.0 sailing amidst the amiable crowd of windsurfers and kiters. Jibes, 360’s, push tacks, duck 360’s, backwind jibes etc…all the carving big-sail freestyle I could muster kept me happily busy skimming across those famous shallows. I started to get cocky, and so of course stuck the fin in the shallows for a not-too-bad face plant. Or two.
Then the wind backed down and I spent an hour talking with Rochester windsurfers Gary and Michael. Gary hooked me up with a new yoga program that I want to try, and Michael told me stories about meeting Aaron the Human Catapult. The perfect stuff to dry off to before heading back to New York.
This was my sixteenth trip to Cape Hatteras, and I pulled off four firsts: First OBX wave experience (which means I've completed a New Year's Resolution,) first session sharing the water with dolphins, first Canadian Hole session, and first time camping out of the van (that should get its own post...)
I'm confused (may be the adult beverage in my hand), did you go BACK to hatteras, or is this the same trip?
Posted by: George | May 01, 2009 at 09:16 PM
This was the same trip, George...my first post was Monday's session, the waves were Tuesday, and Canadian Hole was Wednesday. I'm back in New York now, thinking about how I can get me some more OBX water time!
Posted by: the editor | May 02, 2009 at 08:46 AM
Sure makes me miss that place.
Posted by: f messina | May 03, 2009 at 09:45 AM
Frank, like you, I know that missing Hatteras is worse than missing Bonaire or Aruba or Maui or whereever. I don't know why that's true, but it is. The only cure I've come up with is to go more than once a year. I'm already scheming to get back there in a month or so.
Posted by: Michael | May 03, 2009 at 10:15 AM