The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

ABK’s First Racing Clinic…A Special Report

Students at ABK windsurfing clinics are broken up into small groups of sailors at similar skill levels…groups like “first time windsurfers,” “sailed a half dozen times,” “working on harness/footstraps,” “working on jibing” etc.  For ten years now they've also offered a special group for advanced students at select clinics:  the freestyle group.   It's been the only “special” group ABK has offered, until now.   After repeated hectoring by certain Long Island sailors, the ABK curriculum committee introduced a new series of lectures on racing and longboards within ABK's 9/18-20 clinic at Napeague, and by all accounts it was a hit.   The following is a special report by Peconic Puffin Special Correspondent Wilson “Red Line” Ervin, who presents us with an exclusive inside look:

It turns out Andy Brandt races a pretty mean longboard (having scored national titles in the 80's, 90's and 00s) and is willing to share at least a few of these secrets.  Initially the focus was on the basics:  types of races, the rules etc, as well as basic strategy:  upwind vs downwind tactics,  the “Hit the line with speed or park and don't move from the best spot at the starting line” debate and so on.  Then we took it to the water.

Day one was high winds, so it was figure 8 planing races between a pair of buoys.   Simple, fast and fun.  Interesting that the course has an intersection (like demolition derby).   Also, it's a lot more pressure to nail your jibe when it's not just about finding clear water with good speed, but doing all that at a precise spot, regardless of conditions, in a crowd.  And then there's the interesting decision on whether your friend in the water is a "recovering sailor" or an "obstacle" (different treatment under the rules, and possibly if you want to stay friends).

But day 2 - despite moderate winds -was our favorite day:  The secret surprise to many of us was the longboards - those huge plastic things with centerboards that live deep in the better sort of garage.  Turns out they aren't primitive ancestors of today's shortboards, but their own, highly capable species.  The centerboard gives you weird lift effects.  They ride on their lee rail and turn when you weight the "wrong" side.  They go really tight upwind once Andy unlearns you of the old shortboard assumptions.  They slice through chop and accelerate with different gears than shortboards - maybe even with more top speed.

The weekend climax was the Hick's Island race - a geographic rather than a buoy race.  A tight reach over low tide sandbars, which gave a few of the heavy-footed, less sophisticated competitors a chance for a nice jog. . . . then tack up into the main channel.  When you hit the tidal ebb, forget about sailing for a minute -  just stay in the middle and avoid getting dragged into eddies.  . .then back to sailing - a nice cruise by the old fish furnace relic on Hick's Island. 

Then back into Napeague Harbor via the small cut through the sandbar they have to dredge open every few years.  This part of the race seemed to be designed by some frustrated mini-golf architect:  first some tricky standing waves caused by a running tide hitting the prevailing swell. . . maintain balance, and try to get some speed going into the cut. . .  then into the cut, and all momentum is killed by a fast current that hits you at exactly the same speed as your forward wind power. . . .how to deal with this?   sometimes edging forward, sometimes back.  . .  keep your balance, and try to find the line with least current and most wind. . . . keep your head because if you fall the current will toss you past your next 4 (laughing) competitors. . . . . maintain focus in spite of the mutant deer that has just jumped off the island in front of you and swimming across your line . .   and, if you have the brains, pull up your centerboard to reduce drag and shoot ahead of the others to win (this part refers to my wife Lili, who then cruised back to Lazy point for a crushing victory).

So if you have any racing relics buried in your garage, be nice to them and give them a chance to run again.  And maybe they'll help you win a mooted 4th of July race in Napeague Harbor in 2010?  Hell, why wait?   How about the East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta during Columbus day weekend?!

Thank you, Wilson!   Andy Brandt tells us the clinic was such a success that ABK will bring it back to Napeague in September 2010.   Meanwhile, the latest word on the Fall Regatta is that it will be a single day event (either Saturday or Sunday). The location will depend on the wind direction...if Heckscher works we'll be there, but if a North Shore site is preferable given the forecast, there will be announcements on precisely where the day before. Event organizers tell the Peconic Puffin that an updated announcement is coming in the next few days. Word of the event will be published in the Yahoo Long Island Windsurfing group, rec.windsurfing, iWindsurf's forums, and on this (and possibly other) Long Island windsurfing blogs.

The Kite Chump

For all the talk about friction between windsurfers and kiters, it’s always seemed to me more like a good-natured rivalry than anything else.  Yeah Trip Forman rocked some boats with “windsurfing has been cancelled” (to which Dana Miller responded with “If it were easy they’d call it kiteboarding” and “cancel this, kiteboy" stickers) but they both did that in fun.  In person I’ve never seen anything but good relations between kiters and windsurfers on Long Island.  

Then I encountered the Kite Chump.

It was Saturday afternoon at Napeague.  About 35 windsurfers in the ABK clinic…students and instructors…were sitting in beach chairs by the side of the road.  35 happy, enthusiastic, supremely stoked windsurfers in the middle of a lecture about some aspect of our favorite sport.  A car pulled up along side of us, stopped, and a big face popped out of the window, bellowing:

“Right bar!  Left bar!   Right bar!  Left bar!  Haven’t you heard?  Windsurfing has been cancelled!”

Then the face cackled and drove off.

About a third of the ABKers started laughing at the guy.   A second third explored various conjugations of “asshole” whilst the third third expressed pity.

“What a chump,” said one student.
“A kite chump!” proclaimed a second.
“I didn’t think they actually existed,” said a third.

There was no doubt now, though…at least one existed.  Or perhaps he was just a regular Napeague kiter possessed by an evil spirit for a minute.  He’d wake up the next day with no memory of his madness, and ask one of us to help launch his kite.  I’m always happy to help with that.  Anyhow we got right back to our windsurfing and forgot all about the Kite Chump.   Until he came back the next day.

I didn’t see it myself, but this time after doing his Kite Chump routine he gave Buddha Mike a business card.  Mike showed us the card during lunch.  “Get this,” Mike said, “he gives kiting lessons, surfing lessons...”

Mike paused…

“and ‘life lessons’.  He’s a Life Coach!”

Laughter erupts.  “I’ll tell you how to live your life’” someone said, imagining themselves as Kite Chump the Life Coach, “run up to large groups of happy people and insult them!”

I don’t know if Deepak Chopra would approve.   For myself I say: Dude, teach kiting, teach surfing, maybe not so much with the Life lessons.  In fact you may want to approach any of the thousands of friendly Long Island kiters and get some coaching on inter-boarder civility.

(Photo:  Dana Miller and pal with a few words for any haters out there.   If you're interested in his stickers, check out the email link on his site.)

Industrial Strength Windsurfing at ABK Day Three

Yes it was raining, but it was a sweet warm summery rain from the Southeast, and whitecaps were abundant, so Andy Brandt decreed that we should start the day on the water, picking up where we’d left off Saturday evening.

And we did.    In the warm wet wind, ABK’s students hit the water.  And hit the water again.  And again and again and again.  Whether they were working on tacking or duck jibing or looping or vulcans, everyone was relentlessly plugging away in a nonstop aquatic parade of falls, crashes, and being thrown like a ragdoll (that was me.)  

And it was great fun.   It was so much fun that nobody ever stopped to take a break, catch their breath, or get off the water for a moment.   With instructors both near the beach and out on the sand bar in the middle of the bay, you could try your moves on both tacks, so the morning session was:

1.    Sail 90 seconds on port.
2.    Crash
3.    Sail 90 seconds on starboard.
4.    Crash.

And continue this cycle all morning. 

After two hours Brendon (the instructor working the sand bar) sailed in to Andy Brandt and said “These people are crazy!”

Crazy, sure.  Like I said, it was great fun, with Wilson, Jason and Voytek going all out for duck jibes, Peconic Jeff, Buddha Mike, Vulcan George, Air Rich, The Mighty Larry Hoff, Starfish Marr and Pete Roesch chasing Vulcans…

(“Don’t call me Starfish” I hear Mr. Marr saying!   Okay, Air George…)

…and me in the “try not to break your neck” school of looping.

“Truly excellent carnage,” Andy observed.

After the morning session on the water we stopped for lunch, followed by a quick lecture, followed by a return to the water to work on Geckos and such lighter wind fare (the wind had dropped a bit.)   I joined the fray even thought I was exhausted and stiffening up.   Then I heard The Windsurfer Formerly Known as Starfish proclaim himself done, finished, toast, and as I watched him walk his gear into the beach, I thought “I’ve learned enough in this clinic to keep me busy for months, and seeing as how I have barely enough energy to walk, wouldn’t it be great to call it a day?”

It was and I did.

(Later this week:  A followup to the Pete/George feud report, and a bit about the Kite Chump.)

(Top:  Air Rich takes a spin.  Middle:  The Mighty Larry Hoff wants you to live long and prosper.  Bottom:  The editor as loop carnage, while George Marr watches approvingly.  These and many more of Peconic Jeff's photos from the clinic can be found on Jeff's Flickr site.)

Bitter Acrimony at ABK Napeague Clinic (not really)

The accusations flew.

“You ruined me!”  George accused Pete.
“You Vulcan like a starfish!” Pete hurled back.

It got ugly fast at Friday’s ABK clinic.

Okay not really, as Pete and George are good friends and were having a great time during the introductions at the windsurfing clinic on Friday.    Still, the talk did fly.

Pete:  "And he does his starfish Vulcan on both tacks!"
George:  "You gotta…if you don’t practice on both tacks you end up like Mike Burns!"

If you don't know who Mike Burns is, he's the 2008 King of the East festival champion, the best freestyle windsurfer on Long Island.   He may only throw certain moves on certain tacks, but “Ending up like Mike Burns” was kinda the reason most of us were at the clinic (us being Jason, Wilson, George Pav, Peconic Jeff, Buddha Mike, The Mighty Larry Hoff, Rich Simons, Voytek and your editor.)  So George's comment had us all crosseyed.  George knows how to be funny.

Anyhow this was just the freestyle mob, a small part of the clinic who were enjoying the sunny, windy, and warm conditions, of which ABK’s Ed, Tom, Brendon and Andy Brandt were exclaiming how they’d never seen Long Island be windy AND warm at the same time…where was the howling misery?  

But soon we were punished, as the forecast of windy building to windier did a 180 (hey there’s a freestyle group at the clinic) so the afternoon ended up as strictly light wind nonplaning…except for Mike Burns (the cautionary tale) who was planing and throwing roto-spocks and whatever, but only on one tack.

I’m excited about tomorrow.

(Photo:  ABK-meister Andy Brandt with Long Island's finest, Mike Burns, who may not be able to perform miracles on both port and starboard.)

Wavesailing 101 (by people who know what they’re talking about)

I’m only a few steps above clueless (Fisherman says I “doodle around”) but there are some excellent primers out there for the aspiring or novice wave sailor.   How do I know they’re excellent?   When I do my best to do what they say I’m more successful on the waves and I don’t get yelled at as much.

OBX Bill (The brains behind the Hatteras Wave Jam) has a series of blog posts on how to handle the ocean, including:

Beginner Wavesailing on the OBX
Wavesailing 101 “Let’s Dance”
Light Air and Whitewater (video)
Wave Etiquette
and Surviving Shorepound.

All are well worth your time (and should you be in the Outer Banks this coming weekend, hit Sailworld for Andy McKinney's in-store "wavesailing 101" as part of the Wave Jam.) Now if only he had something on his blog...

Former Hatteras legend Dana Miller (also a frequenter of Maui, and now a fixture at Pistol River) launched his own web site (Boardhead International) a few months ago, which includes his feature "The Rules of Wavesailing."  Dana starts with the rules, but his is more of a live-and-let-live, blend with what's going on philosophy.

There's one thing I'll offer from my own experience, which is this:  If you wear a white helmet, it's easier for the other sailors to spot you bobbing around if you get separated from your gear!

(Photo by Lane Dupont, borrowed from Dana Miller's "Rules..."  Who's right?  Who's wrong? Who's left?  There's a lot to know.)

Twofer: Long Island Webcams are (mostly) back; WindSport Love

Mayhaps you've noticed the paucity of functioning webcams...
(editor's note:  we slapped him.  Take two:)

Long Island webcams have been on the fritz lately...the Gilgo Cam was off, with a note of "bandwidth exceeded" for explanation, the Cooper Beach cam was stuck with an image from a week ago, and the Meschutt cam on the Great Peconic went into lockdown two weeks ago.

Gilgo and Cooper are back, but the bay cam is still down as of post time.   I'd mention the Shinnecock Inlet station (for both wind and its cam) but it's down so often that its not news. How great would it be if it:

A. Worked, and

B. Shifted its gaze from the Inlet and looked 45 degrees to the right, at our beloved Bowl?

Pretty darn great. Good, surely!

On a seperate note, we're stoked to find not one but two mentions in the current issue of WindSport magazine.    In the article "World Windsurfing Web" editor Pete DeKay writes "It's a big deal to see oneself on the Peconic Puffin, Bill's OBX Beachlife, Maui Surf Report, James' Blog or G-42 to name just a few sites."   We can't speak for the other blogs, but for our part we say "we know, we apologize, we didn't mean it, we were just trying to be funny."  Later in the magazine in the "getting real" column, a profile of wind Buddha maker Michael Jamieson (who is golden with the Puffin as we bask under the serene gaze of our wind Buddha we get a nod as an early fan of Michael's work.   So we're stoked x2.   Actually x3, as time spent on WindSport.com found lots of great new video and instructional articles...check out "Phil and Matt's Baja Adventure" for starters.

My Own Personal Buddha

‘Tis the month of the Buddha maker.   Take a look at page 10 of Windsurfing Magazine, or page 96 of WindSport, and behold the wind buddhas of Michael Jamieson.  Yes, THAT Michael Jamieson, the stonemason windsurfer known to show up at windsurfing clinics with a half ton of divine presence, just to give him an edge on cracking new moves.

But Windsurfing and Windsport weren’t enough for MJ, apparently.  Mike called the editorial offices of The Peconic Puffin and asked for (demanded, really) coverage in da Puff as well:

MJ:  “Dude, put me in the Puffin again!”
PP:  “Dude, I’ve already put you in the Puffin like half a dozen times!”
MJ:  “Dude, what have you done for me lately?   I am He Who Brings the Buddha!”
PP:  “Yeah and I am He Who Brings the Whatever on the Blog!”
MJ:  “Dude, I am He Who Brings the Buddha!”

And he did.

Check out my Buddha.  It’s carved from Palisades Sandstone, “approximately 400 to 500 million years old. Started out reddish brown, then at approx. 300 mil. yrs. a lava flow melted into it and changed it in a lot of different ways, most notably lightening the color.     That stone was quarried about 1859 and used in a house in Englewood N.J. until it was demolished about 15 years ago. This is the fifth Buddha I carved from that stone and each one has a unique feature. This one is very porous and wouldn't allow too much detail so I went early Indian, 3rd to 5th century BC.”

So that kind of knocked me flat on my ass.  The Buddha now surveys the living room at Peconic Puffin World Headquarters, beaming thoughts of looping and vulcans and sweet bottom turns into my head.

(Photo:  The Buddha contemplates the quantity of duct tape on my harness.  Meanwhile, check out the spectacular stone carvings of Michael Jamieson amidst this blogs Windsurfing Art posts, as well as on his web site.)

Forwards March at Napeague

Dateline:  Napeague.   Andy Brandt was about to demonstrate to me how to hit the back of a piece of chop to initiate a forward loop.  

I watched as he beared off and prepared to pop off of…off of what?  There was nothing there!   I kept watching as Andy proceeded to put four feet of air between his rotating self and the water below. 

“Oh man…I’m so not going to get this,” I thought.

I’ve taken a loop lesson before (on the beach due to lack of wind) and I’ve tried looping before (with nobody there to guide me) but this was my first time attempting loops with guidance.   Sharing the water with Andy, Jill Marr and Mike Jamieson, and sailing a 5.3 and my JP Freestyle I proceeded to pummel myself* in pursuit of la forward.   They say that looping is mostly about overcoming fear…I don’t know about that but I'll vouch for the need to overcome fear just to seriously attempting a loop.   And there’s also the stuff about rig position, jumping off your toes, and timing the lifting of the back foot.  

Even though I didn’t get close, I have a much more solid idea of what I’m supposed to do, and Andy seemed to think I was on the path towards rotation.  

So I’m going to be looking for the back of ramps this weekend.   And I’m signed up for next weekend’s ABK windsurfing clinic at Napeague for more aerial coaching.

* I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I had perhaps broken my neck.   Then I remembered the loop attempts.  In the morning I was able to lift my head without assistance.

(Photo:  Andy also does tricks at sea level.)

A Windsurfing Photo to Love

Windsurfing, Italian style!   Gotta love the cigarette...just a puff before catching some waves.
As seen on the Maui windsurfing blog windorwithout.

From The Bowl: More Waves, More Wind

 
Saturday was the day of rest for those lucky few who managed to sail the tremendous conditions Wednesday through Friday.   I never even managed a blog post about Wednesday at Gardiners Bay (but Mike Burns was right next door at Napeague…check out his story) and Friday’s session at the Bowl was nearly as good as the truly epic conditions we had on Thursday (Peconic Jeff notes with caution the overuse of the word “epic” when it comes to windsurfing tales, but for anyone who was there, that session was 24 karat epic.)

What can I say about Friday?   It was a little windier than Thursday (3.7-4.2 was the call…I was on a 4.0) and the waves were a little smaller (see the photo at the top…that’s what I’m calling smaller).  Fisherman and Jon Ford were looking their usual outstanding selves, snaking down the line on the very long waves.    So was Jimi Sobeck, except for the moment when he nearly wiped out a surfer (it was a spectacular miss, and Jimi and the surfer are friends).  In a move I’ve never seen before, Bruce was jibing out the back of the wave, had the clew ripped out of his hands by a gust, was balanced on the crest of the wave with both board and clew pointing dead downwind and down the line…so Bruce leaned right, cut the board back onto the wave, and the clew came back to him as he shot down the face.   Jeff and Eric were going for it big time, and I pushed myself onto waves I’d been shying away from the day before.   I was patting myself on the back for this when I suddenly lost the ability to waterstart…first getting spun in an eddy by the jetty, and after my escape from that I managed a fall in the impact zone where I floundered like a drowning cat for five solid minutes before calling it a day.

Note to self:  Don’t admire your session until after its over, or wind and water will slap you silly.

Still it was a great day!   For a beautiful photo display as well as video from Epic Thursday, check out Jeff's post on his blog Windsurfing the East End.  In particular check out Graham Ezzy's tacks...that might sound like nothing, but they're sick!

(From the top:  Scott missed Thursday, so you know he wasn't going to miss Friday, the editor contemplates the wisdom of charging a logo high wave, Jimi Sobeck Flight School.  #1 and #3 by the mighty Bill Doutney, #2 by Peconic Jeff.)

Lost: My Beloved Downhaul Cleat

Did I leave it at Napeague last week?   I don't know, but as much as one can be distraught about the loss of a $6, 18 year old tool, I am.   If you've seen/found my old clam cleat (notable for the orange line tied to it, to make it easier to spot and NOT LOSE) please let me know, thanks!

Land of the Giants at The Bowl

The entire session was fantastic, but for about ninety minutes on Thursday, conditions at the Bowl were bigger and better than anyone had ever seen there.     The sets of clean 10-12 foot waves rolling in to the deepest part of the Bowl had Fisherman calling it “the all-time best Bowl session,” and Jonathan Ford talking about “the best wave I’ve ever seen on Long Island.”   Pro windsurfer Graham Ezzy chose the perfect day to come up from Princeton to check out Eastern Long Island conditions while the rest of us went for the wave rides of our lives in the land of the giants.

Sail sizes were generally 4.1-4.7 (I was manageably overpowered on a 4.5) and it was a straight shot out along the jetty to get to the outside where the big swell was.    George Pav was first in the water (George had a great day) and was soon joined by Fisherman, the Wolf, Peconic Jeff, John Hulse, John “I only come out when conditions are perfect”  Natalie and myself.   Early on with the waves at 6-8 feet some highlights included a monster jump by Jeff (“I got about ten feet of air off a ten foot face…I looked down from the top and WHOA!”) the Wolf walking around with a bloody face after kissing his board in the beach break (he’d split both his lips, and was back on the water soon after) and relentless chasing and riding of the waves by all (I’m one of the ten worst wavesailors in the world and even I got some good rides.)

More people launched, and not long after Jan, Bruce, Jimi Sobeck, Jon Ford, and special guest star Graham Ezzy hit the water, what was big became huge, as the sets were regularly logo high and higher, while the water stayed clean and manageable (as long as you could dodge the surfers.)   Natalie, Jon Ford and the Fisherman were standouts on the big waves…during breaks they’d huddle on the shore chanting variations of “unf***ingbelievably great” as they gathered energy for the next round.   George told me about sailing towards shore behind a wave so big it blocked out not only the beach, but the restaurant on top of the hill.   For myself, I’ve never sailed in waves this big in my life.   I’ve never come down the face of a wave remotely close in size or power to the 12-footer that gave me one of the rides of my life (followed by one of the wash cycles of my life.)    But Graham Ezzy provided some perspective.

It was a treat to see what monster local conditions looked like as sailed by a pro.    On a quad fin Quatro, Graham would casually shoot out, throwing the occasional push loop, execute the quickest tacks you’ve ever seen in front of an incoming wave, work the wave as we’ve seen the pros do in a thousand magazine photos and videos, then as often as not tack again (sometimes while still on the wave) and head out for more.   There were also some backside shove-its to set up the occasional aerial drop in.   It was, you know…amazing.

Around mid-afternoon the perfection of the Great Waves departed, the wind lightened, and soon folks were packing up.   Total carnage for this monster day?   Jimi broke a six-year old extension,  Pav broke a batten, and then there were the Wolf’s lips.   Essentially nothing.

It was a session to remember for a lifetime.

(From Peconic Jeff:  John Natalie had a great day, Fisherman contemplates logo-high whitewater, George Pav lines up his next cutback.  From Leanne Luce:  Jimi exits just in time, Graham Ezzy doing his thing, Graham watches the rest of us do our thing from a special vantage point.     Jeff has more photos here.)

SUP Surfing Real Waves at the Clark Bar

Frank Messina warned me that this would be addictive.



A week after Peconic Jeff got me up, on, and through my first wave stand-up paddle surfing, I was eager for more.  Last Saturday morning the wave forecast (of which I know absolutely nothing) was apparently weak, but the Wolf and Scott wanted to get wet, and Jeff is always game, so I borrowed some gear and the four of us checked out the Clark Bar just east of Flying Point beach (Scott paddling a surf ski, the rest of us on SUP's.)

Immediately beautiful four footers began to roll through.  I caught one, and could hardly breathe.  From my first session tutoring by Jeff I knew I had to get back on the board so I didn't pearl coming down, and Jon Ford had counseled me to "fit the board on the wave" so I tried to do these things.   After what seemed like a very long ride I was absolutely giddy...a full blown grinning idiot.  Scott declared the ride "a nice long Right" and that sounded good to me.   The only problem was I had become so excited that I could no longer stand on the board, and had to paddle on my knees for awhile.

As the morning wore on the waves grew to five feet, with the occasional six footer coming through.   I caught seven in total, thanks to a lot of suggestions from Jeff, the Wolf, and "that maniac" (as the Wolf dubbed Scott) who would pop up next to my knee as I was on the wave, and tell me where to move my feet as I worked the ride.   Their advice never failed me.   

In a million years I never expected to find myself surfing a wave without a sail, footstraps, etc.   I'm one of those windsurfers who reluctantly says "no I don't surf" when asked.    I know there's a difference between SUP surfing and surfing without a paddle, but it seems to me that the best part of both is surfing the wave with nothing but the power of the wave...what a feeling that is!

So yeah, Frank...I'm hooked.

(Here's a link to Jeff's post on the session.   The photos above are his, too, though I believe I snapped the one of Jeff.)

"There's Still Sand On My Boom"

 

“There’s still sand on my boom,” proclaimed the Wolf, as he came up the beach after several runs in, out, through and on the waves.    The guys on the beach laughed, but it was that kind of day at Ponquogue…everything working perfectly and everyone having a great session.   After an hour I’d hit every jibe inside and out, and was trying not to think about it and jinx my own excellent time (which I did shortly afterwards, thinking about it.  Duh!)

Anyhow it was an exquisitely beautiful sailing day at Ponquogue…warm aquamarine  water, clear skies (ENE wind without rain is rare for us) playful waves, and to top it off a gallery of onlookers as the packed beach of Labor Day Sunday sun worshippers were regularly stopping by to tell us how entertaining we were.   Key moments of entertainment included:

<a href="http://www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2009/09/sup-surfing-real-waves-at-the-clark-bar.html"target="blank">Peconic Jeff’s</a> back loop attempts, and a high-speed slashing off of a wave face that would have been the stuff of PWA highlight reels, had it not ended in Le Grande Wipeout.  I admired it hugely and tried a few myself, managing to crash, but sans Jeff’s style.

Scott’s space shot jumps.  Straight up he went, again and again.  “All I saw was sky,” Scott told me after one of them.

CD snaking through the break.  Both inbound and out I tried to follow his path, as he floored the gas pedal while weaving through waves coming from different directions.

Jonathan on the waves.   Mr. Ford always looks good on the waves, but this Sunday in particular the Puffin notes the long, leisurely “S” rides he’d manage to surf, seemingly all the way to the beach.

The Wolf.  He of the sandy boom was enjoying his own wave play, riding the swell well to the left, towards the lifeguard chair and throngs of beachgoers, inspiring CD’s daughter to say “there’s like a 300 year old guy out there who’s tearing it up!”

(Top image:  The view inbound.  Bottom: Scott goes for some sky.  These and other fine photos and video of the day by Peconic Jeff)

New Guy On The Block

My friend Greg (a regular at Napeague) called me one day in June.

Greg:  “Dude, a windsurfing friend of mine just bought a house right up the road from you!”

Me:  Outstanding!

Bill and I have spoken a few times about sailing together, but the last months have mostly been a bust for weekend wind.   His emails to me suggested a mad stoke, but an introductory session eluded us, until yesterday.  

My phone rang at 7AM.    Bill was rigged up at Towd Point and heading out on a 6.3.   I dragged my late night butt to the beach around 9 and rigged likewise while Bill was taking a break, but we were soon both on the water.   

Bill shoots straight out about a mile towards Nassau Point.  The tide vs. wind situation near Nassau Point sets up a crazed mogul field of chop.    I’m thinking Bill will jibe and head back to the more accommodating water a half mile behind us.   I'm still thinking that two minutes later.  Finally he jibes, but heading back towards Towd Point he jibes again as soon as we leave the mad chop zone.

“The wind is stronger here,” Bill explains.   “Yeah,” I’m thinking, “but my teeth are falling out of my jaws.”     I keep that thought to myself, as it was an otherwise spectacular morning, the Little Peconic was joyous to tear ass through, and Bill was just So Stoked.

I will be turning Bill on to some sweet spots in the area.   But it’s great to have someone who’s excited to windsurf just down the road!

(The wind died around noon.   I derigged, got into the van, and found a voicemail from Jeff, who said that I needed to be at Ponquogue on a 5.3.   So without even taking off my harness I drove to the ocean.   That story tomorrow…)