The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

My First Wave Without A Rig To Hold On To

Loving wavesailing as I do, being not very good at it as I am, and not getting lots of conditions in which to improve which is my lot, SUPing in the waves has been on my mind.  When it comes to sailing in the waves I'm much better at the wind part than the surf part, so if there's a way to practice the wave bit when there's no appropriate wind, I should be doing it!  

I'd been talking the talk but not walking the walk.  Big thanks to Peconic Jeff for dragging me to The Cut at Flying Point, lending me his board and paddle, and giving me enough tips that I did in fact catch a wave and ride it all the way in.

This was not that wave:

In the following video, I get a little closer:

After some extra tips from Jeff I eventually caught and rode this wave without falling:

This is how excited I was afterwards...I ran in to rave to Jeff:

(Photos, video, inspiration and equipment by Peconic Jeff.  Thanks again!)

It's a Poop: Danny Does Not Bring the Wind

My inbox is flooded with messages of panic and outrage.   Many are asking "where are you going to sail?" or "what are your plans" because SURELY, someone has got to have figured out how to sail in the long-promised hurricane!  Others are venting their anger and disappointment.   I take the title of this post  from an email by John Hulse: "never count on tropicals or hurricanes............it's a poop!"

Dios mios, donde esta sus mucho viento?

Hurricane Danny, Won't You Share a Little Wind?

Somewhere at this moment the wind chimps are huddled, and Scott sits waiting to utter his war cry:  "it'spickinUP!"

Danny, bring the wind.

Track Danny on NOAA's website.

The Swap Meet, She's A Comin'

September 12th at Jon's shop (Windsurfing Hamptons to the uninitiated) is Long Island's fall swap meet.
Windy season is coming, so you know you need smaller gear.
Fall racing is coming, so you know you need bigger gear.
Aw, the heck with it, just go because you like swap meets!

That's why I go, anyway.  Here are the details from the shop:

  Calling all boardsports enthusiasts!!  Our swap meet will be held on Saturday September 12th at the shop in Southampton.  If you are looking to buy or sell used windsurfing, kiteboarding, surfing, or stand-up paddleboarding gear, this is the event for you.  We have already begun accepting used gear on consignment.  Also, sales will be available on 2009 closeout gear.  Best prices of the year!

Come on down to meet some local watersports riders, exchange stories, and buy or sell some new and used gear.  For any further questions please contact us at (631)283-9463.

Selling Gear: Drop off anytime up until 9am on 9/12.

Buyer: Swap opens at 9am on 9/12

Be A Better Windsurfer. ABK Clinics Come to Napeague in September…

If you don’t windsurf but would like to learn how, this is the place to be.

If you used to windsurf, stopped, and would like to join the resurgence of windsurfing on Long Island, this is the place to do it.

If you currently windsurf but would like to sail better, this is the fastest way to get there.

If you like how you windsurf just fine, but would like to work on racing skills or some of the newfangled freestyle thingamabobs, you’d best get your ass (in harness) to Napeague!

Andy Brandt and his merry band of ABK Boardsports all-stars return for two clinics.  Both will feature extensive comprehensive and inoffensive instruction for every level of windsurfer from never-before-windsurfed to advanced.   Additionally there will be two special programs available for windsurfing gods (or those people with a solid jibe):

In the Friday Sept 25-Sunday Sept 27th clinic, ABK brings its legendary freestyle windsurfing clinic.  

And in the Friday Sept. 18-Sunday Sept 20th clinic, Andy's offering a brand new ABK special: a racing clinic.  Come learn everything you need to know to beat George Marr, Pete Roesch, and most of the rest of Long Island's racers (ya ain't gonna beat Jimi Sobeck, sorry) at the East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta October 10th -11th.

What else can we say?   One thing:  If you've never been to an ABK windsurfing clinic, they are a lot of fun, and you'll make new friends.  So be there!  Sign up for the 9/18-20 clinic and/or the 9/25-27 clinic by clicking on the links.

(Photo:  Andy Brandt demonstrates a shove it thingamabob.)

To Heck with Bill, Here's Looking Forward to Hurricane Danny

We go no windsurfing, much less wavesailing, on eastern LI out of Hurricane Bill.   Bill was "le big disappointmente" as people who fake their French (like me) might say.    On Sunday I went to the beach at Flying Point with friends to watch some spectacular sets come in, whilst a half dozen lifeguards stood on the beach, ready to drag out the remains of anyone who wanted to take a swim.  The beach break was nuts...when the suck and sets lined up perfectly for excavation we had five foot waves breaking in six inches of water.

Now returned to the windless hell of August, I'm awaiting news of the next tropical storm or big H that might liven things up.  His name will be Danny (originally this post said Claudette, but I got straightened out by Clyde...thanks Clyde!) followed by Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri (Henri, you breeing thee beeg winds, yes?) and so on.  Get the names for the Atlantic Storms of 2009 right here, folks:

Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda.

(Thank you NOAA for naming the storms!)

Not Exactly Storm Sailing: Hot Times at South Jamesport

With all the anticipation of Hurricane Bill and getting some epic wavesailing in, we started Friday with messy swell on the beach due to the onshore blow.   So the call was the very tame location of South Jamesport.  “I’m not inspired,” Peconic Jeff said on the phone when let him know where people were headed.  “I hear you, but I haven’t been in the footstraps since July,” was my response.

5.2 was the sail call for Scott, the Wolf, Jeff and myself (Billy Lerner was there but chose to kite…”4.7 is when I start windsurfing!”)   Also there for her maiden SJ session was my bride Sally, sailing a 4.0.   I’d promised her Mecox-like conditions (shallow and flat), but the tides weren’t with us so she was catching Peconic chop in deep water (she’ll be back for a low-tide sesh ASAP).

Anyhow we spent the afternoon zooming around in the heat…the weather station said it was 85 but it felt hotter, thus encouraging trickery and low-percentage moves.   Peconic Jeff was hammering away at Vulcans…I tried half a dozen myself, but you’d never guess by watching me.

What's it gonna be, Bill?

It's Friday morning and the wind is starting to rustle in the trees.  OBX Bill reports head high swell down Hatteras way, but the beaches here aren't seeing much yet. How much wind will we get? And where are we sailing today...Ponquogue? Demo? (!) Mecox? Mattituck?  The storm appears to be veering eastward...less wind for us.

Here's a phrase I hate: Time will tell. That's right up there with "it is what it is." Really frickin' useful.

Bill's Blow Building

Lookey here at the latest (as of post time) NOAA forecast for Bill's winds.  Long Island is now solidly in the 10-20% likelyhood of rock 'n roll, with Napeague getting close to the 20-30% zone.  Hot diggity dog I am getting excited!

My Wish List for Hurricane Bill

NOAA just increased the likelyhood of Eastern Long Island receiving tropical storm-strength winds (that's 39+ mph, 34+ knots, Beaufort level seven, a "near gale") from 5% to 10%.  In hopes of Bill being beneficent for boardsailors, here's my wish list for Hurricane Bill:

1.    May Hurricane Bill’s approach keep windsurfers entertained all week.
2.    Let Hurricane Bill brush by the Outer Banks, providing outstanding wind and waves so that OBX Bill can write several posts taking advantage of the mutual Bill-ness.
3.    If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, it would be pleasing if H-Bill then started a graceful turn towards Portugal, passing just close enough to Long Island for me to catch a few days of 4.5 action in bodacious waves,
4.    May it all happen without property damage or harm to mariners.

The above graphic is the view from NOAA as of 10:50AM Tuesday. Check in with NOAA for updates.

The Windless Hell of August

What is it that makes August so horrifying?   Is it that everyone else finds Long Island waters to be primo about now?    So many people enjoying swimming, waterskiing, jetskiing, boating etc without the slightest idea of how terrible the conditions really are!   Don’t they realize that we windsurfers are marooned and miserable?

I certainly am.   It’s one of the first things I learned when I began windsurfing:  What used to be “a beautiful summer day” is now a bleak, unplanable dead zone in which cobwebs form over my footstraps.

I foresee the near future of the Peconic Puffin as one filled with a mix of:

A.    Distracting posts linking to other people’s thoughts and videos, and
B.    More whining on my part.

About now I expect CD to appear and comment along the lines of "Mike, enjoy the beautiful beaches and warm sun, and take in how wonderful it is to be alive!"  To which I reply in advance "I'd prefer to complain and whine and feel my bone-dry gear and moan about it!"  

A single planing jibe would feel spectacular about now.   Slide the back hand back, unhook, hang from the boom, bear off, and describe a smooth and speedy arc, throwing up plenty of chick-pleasing spray.   Catch the boom, hook back in, and inhale the wind.

Zero Wind on Friday

Look at all the zeros on the iWindsurf observation map.   That sucketh.  I haven't been in the footstraps for two weeks (since South Jamesport's storm-abbreviated session) and I really could use a session! 

This might call for drastic measures.  I may have to drive to Heckscher next week.

The Buddha Wants You (and me) to Shred

It's been over a week since I've sailed.   I've lost my center.   But Michael Jamieson, windsurfing sculptor of transcendental beings and gods, offers us this rendition of balance, of jibe chi, of board trim through the jibe:

I'm always my best on the water when I relax and accept what is (and do my best to navigate my ass through it!

(The sculptor shares the following with the Peconic Puffin: "I began to carve a 5th century Gupta period female Buddha using a photo from the British museum in London. About halfway through it's starting to look more like the President, there was no turning back. So here it is, Buddha with a little attitude, "Ok I'm a buddha but don't dare drop in on me".)

Longboards? Yeah We Need Stiiinking Longboards, NEWJ!

The Peconic Puffin is packing its umbrage and taking it somewhere!  We take great umbrage at the New England Windsurfing Journal’s  August 2009 issue, which characterizes the East Coast Windsurfing Festival’s longboard fleet as having been pulled out of  various junkpiles.

We don’t care that it’s true.  We’re offended.  There are politically correct ways to describe such boards.   How about “maintenance and cleanliness-challenged boards that time forgot”?

We’d also like to point out that five of the top ten finishers in the ECWF racing competition were sailing these boards (as were a few thousand insects that accompanied some of the boards from their storage-challenged homes.)

So NEWJ:  We’re all umbraged up!  Damn straight…

Actually we’re delighted to have coverage from the mighty NEWJ!  And we hope to see NEWJ cover Long Island’s upcoming East Coast Fall Regatta, taking place October 10-11th during Columbus Day weekend.   Read the event announcement for details, and in the meantime, think about hosing down your junkpile longboard (or go get one if you aren’t yet a proud owner.)   Because NEWJ may be conducting white glove tests at the event!

Freestyle Tango with Caesar (video)

An inventive new video of Caesar Finies' freestyle "flowstyle" windsurfing brilliance, courtesy Eduardo Loedel. Enjoy, then go out and try yourself!