The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Check Your Inhaul!

Break your outhaul, and you can retie it in a minute.

Break your downhaul, it will take several minutes of fuss but you'll be able to sail back to shore.

Break your inhaul, whaddayagonnadu?  Unhook your uphaul and lash the boom to the mast?  I don't want to have to try it.

Futzing with the gear in my van one recent windless day I spotted the nick in my inhaul.  Closer examination revealed that it was not minor.   So out with the heat gun and a brand spanking new downhaul line and I'm back in business.  If only there was some wind.

When was the last time you checked your inhaul?   I check mine regularly, and have no idea when the line was damaged.    Check yours!

An Inconvenient Truth

SUP surfing in the waves used to be the happy answer to the question “what do we do when the wind isn’t blowing?”   We’d drive to any one of a half dozen breaks (Tiana, Road L, the Cut, Old Town, Flying Point etc.) and paddlesurf to our hearts’ content.

But now, according to the people who know, the best SUP conditions require that you wade through shark-filled waters or jump off a cliff to get to them.  Kind of.   Unless you have 4WD you must launch at the Bowl, paddle across Shinnecock Inlet to get to Flys, Campers, or somebody Mac’s.  Because THAT is where the good conditions are.  The old spots (2WD accessible) aren't serving up the good waves any more

“It’s an inconvenient truth” Peconic Jeff said to me..

I hate that.   But I’ve launched at at Mattituck Inlet, which is it’s own little tale of madness, and after hissing and spitting and whining for several previously avoided sessions, I finally agreed to try it with Jeff on Saturday.

I picked the wrong day.     The paddle across the inlet 2X wasn’t so bad (on the risking your life scale) but when we got to Campers the wind was planable on a six meter sail.  Glass we had not.   I bitched and moaned for an hour or so, and just when I was ready to leave a few big sets came in.  So I stayed, caught my 1.5 decent waves, and the returned to the Bowl.

Will I do it again?   Probably not.  Am I glad I did it?  Yes.

Wavesailing Envy

Feels like I haven't had a proper wavesailing session for years.  Here's Andy McKinney of Wind-NC doing his thing down OBX-way.  I must get back to Hatteras somehow.

Photo by Keith McCulloch, swiped from Wind-NC's Facebook page.

Try Stand Up Paddling (free demos)

...Sunday June 18th at Cold Spring Beach (end of Cold Spring Road on the Great Peconic in Southampton), and Saturday June 23rd as well.   The 18th will feature boards by Starboard, and the 23rd on Naish.   Hampton Watersports is putting on both events, which run from 10:30 until 2.

If you haven't tried SUP, you don't know what you're missing.  And if you haven't taken a SUP board into the waves, you REALLY don't know!  

For more info contact Hampton Watersports at 631-283-9463.  

East Coast Windsurfing Festival V: To the believers went the spoils!

I can’t believe I didn’t go.   The forecast looked nonexistent, the drive was long, so despite my having enjoyed great days at ECWF past when the winds were light, I decided not to go.   

This was the wrong answer.   Plenty of people went, and had a great time!

Results first, then we’ll have some story:

King of the East: Alex Hering

Queen of the East: Jeanne Bauman

Mens Freestyle:

1) Alex Hering

2) George Pav

3) Peter Richterich

4) Jake Agoos

5) Pete Roesch

Women's Freestyle:

1) Nina Schweikardt

2) Jeanne Bauman

3) Deniz Kalaycioglu

Men's Open Racing:

1) Bill Degeorge

2) Dean Oleksiak

3) Dan Cresci

4) Alex Hering

5) Florian Feuser

Men's 7.5 limited racing

1) Pete Roesch

2) Joe Natalie

3) Dennis Grunbeck

4) Peter Richterich

5) Joe Giordano

Women's Racing

1) Jeanne Bauman

2) Thandi Bradix

3) Deniz Kalaycioglu

Day 1 highlights:   Very light wind, yet a race despite all odds.   Nonplaning freestyle.   The NEWJ Board tossing.  SUP racing.  And if you think SUP racing doesn’t sound exciting, check out Phil Rizutto’s call:

“Bill DeGeorge and Joe Natalie came storming into the finish line neck & neck, pumping away, veins popping, paddles digging, absolutely in a nose to nose tie for the last 50 yards of the race.  They both hit the beach at the same exact second, jumped off their boards together, and a slight stumble by Bill De gave Joe N just enough of an edge to eak out the win by a paddle, with Mike Burns in a close 3rd.”

Day 2 highlights:  a steady light northerly. “A perfect day for lightwind freestyle and course racing.  Everything from a pile of Fanatic Megacats to the top of the line 2012 Fanatic Falcon were lined up along the beach ready to race.  And race they did!!  We were able to get off 3 races and 2 more full rounds of freestyle along with the freestyle finals on Sunday.  An action packed day indeed!  In both events, the top spots were changing hands, but Bill Degeorge and Pete Roesch were just dominating every race.  After the competition was over, the raffle was held and everyone was waiting to see if Deniz would win the NoLimitz mast for the 3rd year in a row. This time it was George Kellner to take home the beautiful mast.  Makani also donated some fins, hats and t-shirts that the winners were stoked to have received.   And Triple 8 Helmet company gave us a couple helmets for prizes.  With an overwhelming amount of thanks from both competitors ad bystanders I'm looking forward to planning the event for 2013.”

Can’t believe Deniz didn’t win the mast again.

Can’t believe I missed the ECWF.   I’d like to think I’d have given Dennis a race (I always lose to Pete, and usually to Joe.)  And I love nonplaning freestyle...truth be told, maybe better than planing freestyle.

Can’t believe I missed the festival.  Every day sailing is a great day sailing.

Okay start the countdown for next year.

Special thanks go as always to Mike Burns, Thom Hering, and Chrissy Burns. 

Reporting by King Mike and MC Thom.

Photos by the mighty Bill Doutney.

East Coast Windsurfing Festival: New Heads Shall Wear a Crown

Multi-crowned king Mike Burns (who doubles as the event organizer) asks the following question:

"Wouldn't it be nice to officially be the ultimate windsurf champion on the East Coast?   Since we're not going to run an official freestyle "Pro Division" this year in competition, the title of "King/Queen of The East" will be up for grabs.  It will go to the sailer in men's and women's category that has the best combined scores from racing AND freestyle.  (Pros of all kinds are excluded from winning this title since there will be no Pro Men's freestyle division)  But don't worry if you came for a show.  The pros will be out there jumping, flipping, spinning and going just plain huge!!   In between each set of races there will be a 15 or 20 minute pro "freestyle expression session" so that the guys going all out for those precious titles during the ECWF racing and freestyle events have a chance to take a breather."

Looking good for the well-rounded windsurfers!

(The East Coast Windsurfing Festival is this Saturday and Sunday at Joe's Beach in Heckscher State Park, Field 7.  To register, send Mike Burns an e-mail and say "I'm coming" and "I'm gonna (race, freestyle, or both)." To learn more, check out the East Coast Windsurfing Festival web site.)

Countdown to the East Coast Windsurfing Festival...Race notes

Thus spake racing MC DJ Thommy Thom:

We plan to again have Relay Races!

We would also like to have SUP races, particularly if the wind is not honking.

People: bring down All your boards, for sailing, for paddling, for throwing, for whatever.

We will look to have a competitors meeting at 10am, rigged and ready if the wind is up.

Fear this, and tremblingly obey.

(The fifth annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival takes place this coming weekend at Joe's Beach in Heckscher State Park.  To register, send Mike Burns an e-mail and say "I'm coming" and "I'm gonna (race, freestyle, or both)." To learn more, check out the East Coast Windsurfing Festival web site.)

C'est la windsurfing vie

A classic windsurfing weekend.   Saturday morning Christian and I met at the Bowl despite Scott's IM cackling about "IT'S OVER!!!!"   Waves were four feet, the wind looked about 5.8, so we rigged and chatted. 

Oops.

This is sometimes called CD Syndrome...talking when you should be windsurfing (sorry Lord Chimpleton!)  By the time we got to the water it was looking light...I got a semi-planing run in before even the kiters said Fie.  Derigged, drove over to Christian's Secret Spot (originally Jimi Jam's SS) for informational purposes, and then started a day o'chores.

Sunday morning I was determined to have fun, so I put a 5.3 on my new SUP (Fanatic AllWave) and commenced to do some lightwind freestyle in the creek.  Good times!  Later the wind began to come up so I raced over to Massimo's...rigged the 6.2, and this time got three whole planing runs in before it died otra vez.

C'est la vie.

(photos of Christian and I at the Bowl by Peconic Jeffp>

Will Saturday Be a Bowl Day?

This morning NOAA says :

Small Craft Advisory in effect from 6 PM EDT this evening through Saturday afternoon

Sat

Se winds 15 to 20 kt with gusts up to 30 kt. Seas 2 to 4 ft. Showers...mainly in the morning.

I haven't windsurfed since April.  Please please please let it be.  To quote Chimply Lord Scotworth (the Earl of Kielt):  "I NEEEEEEEEEED it!"