(Long Island transplant-to-the-Gorge freestyler Jon "Chachi" Sassone wrote the following description of last Friday's pre-East Coast Windsurfing Festival freestyle expression session. Like a fool I let it sit in my In-box for days without reading it. Now I wish I'd read it right away. Hell...now I wish I'd been there to see it myself! Without further ado, here's Chachi's story:
(Mike Burns, Ezri and Chachi competing the next day. Oh to have seen the X-session! Photo courtesy Steve Domjan.)
“Ezri kicked it into high gear right off the bat, sliding some super smooth flakas and floating a few huge shaka attempts, of which he landed many. The fifteen year old Bonairean Boy Wonder was playing with the big boys without hesitation. He launched a huge end-over-end forward loop in the boat channel and came back in to conduct a switch stance clinic from which everyone took notes. Ezri did enough Funnels to wipe out an entire college frat. However, the most impressive part of his performance was that at about only 90 lbs, Ezri was on a 4.7 in steady 25 mph winds. Caesar, Mike and I were all very much powered on our 4.7's as it was, and we each easily have double the body weight. This clearly had little effect on his performance, and left my mind with little doubt that he is the best Junior freestyler in the world.
Personally I felt at home. Maybe because I literally was home (which makes sense)but also because I love to be Lit. Powered.. Nuked. Freestyle is way more fun when you're burning across the water. For a while, this lone Long Island local had his work cut out for him. I was able to keep pace with our guests for a bit, answering with my own end-over-end forwards, flakas, grubby's, shuv its, and a few double spock attempts. The shaka, which is relative new to me, just wasn't happening. I managed to hit a switch stance clue first vuclan, however being reversed in the straps is not my forte and I was easily over taken.
Lucky for me, Long Island reinforcement Mike Burns showed up and let everyone know why he is #1 on the east coast. Funnels, switch chachos and clue first spocks, mere child's play. I even saw Mike do a perfect planning Ponch. His effortless one handed variations and technical sail ducking techniques made him fierce competition for all. When asked, Mike claimed to be having a bad day, yet he still raised the level of competition considerably. (Mike, the rest of us wish we could sail as good as you do on a terrible day.)
This was the most heated match I'd ever seen. Everyone had an answer to the tricks being thrown. For a while there was no clear winner: But then there was Caesar.
Casually he played with our hearts for a bit, making it seem as though we had a chance, then gradually raised the level of intensity. Mike threw a clue first spock, Caesar did a Toad. I hit a one handed spock, Caesar did a Shuv-it vulcan, shuv-it spock, shuv-it spock 540, going through every page of the Tricktionary. Just when it seemed like Caesar might be the winner, he decided to really turn it on. Carefully he plotted his course through the fleet, making sure everyone could see what he was about to unleash. It was this next move that won the day:
The Bonaire local accelerated off the wind, raking the sail back slightly before whipping it forward. With both hands he let go, and as his fin cleared the water Caesar began to rotate. The sail swung out on its own, parallel to surface of the water. The nose of his F2 Chilli touched slightly, aiding the spin. As the tail came down in a backwards slide his purple and green sail returned to his hands, as though there were strings between his fingers and the boom. He finished the 360 and planed out. A flawless No Handed Flaka. My jaw dropped.. The winner.
We continued sailing for a few more minutes, but at that point is was irrelevant. Eventually Mike flagged me down to make sure we had seen the same things, and we did.
Caesar had taken the Windsport Expression Session.
It was a shame that so few witnessed this event.
Hail Caesar!"
Nice reporting Jon! I think the editor has some competition.....Hopefully we'll get you back from the Gorge in the fall.
Posted by: mike burns | June 12, 2009 at 02:14 PM
Nice recap Chachi.
Just to add a little post-session tidbit - when I spoke to Caesar that evening about how the x-session went, he graciously acknowledged and praised the skill level of our locals.
He also, in a modestly honest way mentioned how he "did not want to push the envelope, so he held back and did only his safe moves".
So even though you saw him seemingly defy laws of gravity and physics, he apparently kept the hard stuff in his pocket.
Maybe he'll whip them out next time, something to look forward to.
Posted by: Tommy H | June 12, 2009 at 03:01 PM
Mike,
Great coverage. Kudos to all the competitors! The level of competition was so high. I couldn't even name 90% of the tricks; let alone do them! This "next generation" has breathed new life into a dying sport, that was once only worshiped by a few 40+ year old's left over from the 80's.
Posted by: f messina | June 13, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Awesome, well done Jon! Hopefully next year the wind will bring the action closer to shore, and with twice as many competitors.
Posted by: Peconic Jeff | June 14, 2009 at 01:54 PM
Great narrative John and great to see you at the ECWF.
GP
Posted by: Geo | June 15, 2009 at 05:48 PM
i liked the event there...it was fun and i hope to come back next time...thank you all for showing us a good time...see you next year or sooner...
ps. You haven't heard the last of me
Posted by: Caesar Finies | June 18, 2009 at 11:14 PM