Oh CD Where Art Thou? You Missed a Fine Day at the Bowl!

 

We missed you, CD.   More importantly, you missed “it”…a classic Bowl session, and without rain!  What happened to this, bro:

"Sick puppies you have lost the true meaning of ChrisMasT thats Chris rigging up his mast with a 4.2 SAT CD"

        -CD's comment on "Visions of a Saturday Morning Sesh".

I shot out from the city at 6AM with it all timed perfectly to get me on the water at 8:30 (low tide was going to be 9:12).   But I’d forgotten that my van had twenty feet of unshoveled snowy driveway to cross, so by the time I arrived George Pav was tearing it up, the Wolf was reporting being overpowered on a 4.2, and Scott was rigging down (whilst somewhere in ‘Rico, Bill and Hulse were getting it too, sans drysuits.)

 The waves were peeling off nicely just at the end of the jetty…lots of four-footers with the occasional five and six to keep you focused.  A few hundred yards further out there was beautiful swell to jibe off of, and jibe there we did, as just past that a large, gnarly-looking barge was pitching and rolling.  It looked like trouble to me.

“Have you gone and checked out that barge?” Peconic Jeff asked?
“I have not, and I have no interest in doing so.  I don’t like the looks of it,” I replied.  

I of course then went closer than I had on previous runs, but that sucker was rolling and bouncing and no good could come from it, so I kept a 100 yard rule in place for my sesh.

The gang was on quite an assortment of gear…the Wolf and Scott were conventionally rigged and boarded (on 4.2’s) but then you had Pav on a big Joker, Jeff carrying a 4.7 (he had to be nuked) on a 77 liter board, me sailing a 4.0 on my 93 liter (I left my 4.5 home) and Frank was showing off his new RRD twin fin, which is my current choice for Coolest Looking Windsurfing Board In The World.  A seal popped up occasionally to express confusion and wonderment at our choices.   Seals don’t know much about windsurfing gear…they know about fish…so when Fisherman showed up later, rigged appropriately AND knew about fish, there was nothing left for the seal to do but leave to go eat, which he did.

We continued to have fun with the waves, which all but disappeared at one point before returning with gusto (I had to leave early, but Jeff reports seeing Fisherman jibe off some huge outside swell.)  Speaking of which I should report that Jeff had one of the tastiest cutbacks I’ve ever seen, right off the top of a pitching lip maybe 50 yards from shore.  T’was nice!

So that was my first official winter session.  Most of us hadn’t been on the water for a few weeks, and we were griping about tired arms.  We need more sessions to stay in shape!     At one point Scott was sitting on shore, telling me how run down he was from a cold, on top of the sore arms from the lack of sailing, painting a picture of how beat he was.  Then he picked up his gear, walked to the water like an exhausted laborer, got on his board...and boosted a six foot jump off the first bit of chop he encountered.

It was a fine day.  Lord Chimpleton...you missed it!

(Top: The dredging barge helped define where our "outside" ended. Middle: George Pav rides one in. These and other photos by Peconic Jeff are on his Flickr site. And there's a rumour that Jeff might even update his blog with his version of the day, which will be more complete than mine as he arrived earlier and stayed later!)

Comments

[Jeff, aka PeconicJeff]

At a later point, Scott was found nursing a fat bloody lip (having kissed the boom during a whitewater tumble), and yet still he picked up his gear, and like a wounded warrior heading back into battle, proceeded to the water's edge for "one more run".

What a fun day! More please.

[George Markopoulos]

great recap, but more pics please

[Michael]

George I'd love to have more photos but we don't have a nonsailing photographer like you do! I work hard stealing Peconic Jeff's photos, but the guy has to sail sometime, and my iPhone is NG for closeups.

[scott kielt]

i got word that c.d.is up north at his chalet riding that big white wave that never ends.what did he mean @ 4.2 sat morn is anybodys guess! shralp on chimpleton.

[Sebastian]

Hi Surfers!
It was just awesome - I was at the other side of the sound (Connecticut)
Would like to meet you guys at the bowl next time
See my new camera :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O-ztHjqYQw

AxeRay

[george]

Yup Mike, I'm the first to admit I'm blessed. Big wind on tap for the weekend!
Live2sail

[CD]

Mike,
Sorry I missed the great bowl session, I was at Stony Brook medical center visiting my father who had under gone open heart surgery! I was with you guys in spirit, I truly love sailing the Bowl but I love my Dad more. I was glad you all had a epic session,Merry Christmas eh! I am up at my place in New Hampshire with family and friends shralping powder, I will be thinking of you as I navigate Two feet of Pow Pow that is expected for the next three days! I just hope I can keep up with my son and daughter as we shralp the endless white powder wave!!!! Peace and health this new year to all who read this and Mike , thanks for having this forum, when I can not be on it, I can find out what I missed. CD

[Michael]

CD...all the best to your dad. My father had open heart surgery ten years ago...a triple bypass...and it all worked out well.

All the best to your dad and to you. Enjoy the snow.