The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

I concur with Florian.

"Every summer is the worst summer ever, followed by the best fall!"

-Florian, in the LI Yahoo group

Hurricane Naming 2013. Something Completely Different

Swap Meet is Coming

Who:  You.

What:  Your need for more gear, different gear, other gear.

When:  September 14th.

Where:  Hampton Watersports 688 County Road 39, Southampton NY 11968

How:  Drive there.  If you're selling gear it's best to arrive before 9A or to bring it days before, though you can still show up during if that's your only option.

Why:  Because!  Windsurfing, Stand Up Paddling, Kiteboarding, Surfing!  Find great used stuff, sell your stuff that you don't need anymore, pick amongst the closeout gear for deals.   If you need more info call Jonathan at 631-283-9463.

Original Shred

The mighty Mark Skelton is back on Peconic Puffin radar.   Mark, the auteur of the best windsurfing videos of all time IMHO (The Kooks of Hazard, Parts 1 and 2).  Mark, who has a story about windsurfing at The Reef at midnight, on a 3.5, possibly after several drinks.  Mark, who sent the first box of Barbara's Puffins to the Peconic Puffin back when PP was a three page print rag.  Mark who remains the first local I touch base with upon arrival in Cape Hatteras (and who has told me I'm way past due.)

Mark is making plans.  We at the Peconic Puffin are always interested when Mark is scheming.   For now, go to Facebook and check out Windsurfing Museum.

(Mark on the old stuff...no harness lines?  No harness?  Footstraps?   Photo circa 1977.)

Sally 77

Sally has made the transition.  Her main board is now the 77 liter Freestyle Wave (Fanatic).  The 93 liter JP FSW becomes her "gotta plane at all costs" board.   This is good!  Out on Mecox Bay yesterday (launched at the Yacht Club) I could see that the board bounces around a lot less when she sheets in.  We had a mini sesh before the rain killed it...Sally reaching and carving, me reaching and forgetting how to jibe (leaning my head into the turn) before remembering.  Sally on the 5.3, me on the 99 Skate with a 6.2, powered up.

(I'll never get my feet in those straps now that the Mrs. has resized them!  Photo by Sally.)

Downhaul Knot Trick

This is so cool.  As discussed in a forum thread on iWindsurf, this easy to tie windsurfing downhaul knot allows you to use your mast foot (or whatever else is handy) as a downhaul handle, and when you are done, the knot just disappears...no untieing necessary.   Here are two videos showing different ways to tie it.  I prefer the Ezzy version.  Took me 30 seconds to figure out.  

I like using a cleat (which I have in the van) and even a crank if I'm fine tuning a big sail, but once I'm on the beach at The Bowl I don't want to be walking back to the cars to get the cleat (nor do I want to carry it on the water, or leave it on the beach.)   Check these out (and thanks to noshuzbluz and philodog for posting them in iWindsurf):

 

Long Island Landscapers

Love me some PBS.

The Well-Bitten Ankle

Christian sent an email praising the prospect of ancient tickers at Ponquogue.   Old clocks?  A reference to the Wolf (who just celebrated his last birthday as a sixty-something)?  Ancient tickers?

Blasted auto correct.  Christian had thumbed "Ankle ticklers" (or as we Yanks say: Ankle biters).  Calf to knee-high waves (with the occasional thigh high bomber rollin' through).   On Saturday they were plentiful and fun, standing up and staying up in the offshore breeze, with solid push and well-mannered rights and lefts.   There were calm clear waters (crabs were clearly visible on the bottom, along with a single gigantic stingray)...it was a lovely summer Saturday.

Sunday we returned to bigger (knee-high bombers) but with a bit of mess and not the good push of Saturday.   For entertainment there was a squadron of 9 rays swimming in formation...you never saw one, you always saw a checkerboard cloud moving on an angle.  They looked like they were having a fine time.

Having a fine time both days were the girls of a surf camp, with whom we were sharing the waves.   These kids were supportive and encouraging of each other, hooting and shouting any time any of their friends got up on a wave.   In windsurfing you see this all the time with newbies.  In SUP crowds too.   But in my four years sharing breaks, I haven't seen as much as I'd like from the surfing crowd.  These girls could be role models.

Bag Hot Slampieces! Win at the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

It's on in Cape Cod, y'all.  September 14-15!  The East Coast Windsurfing Festival Cape Cod edition carries on the traditions of Long Island's East Coast Windsurfing Festival, which is to say that it will be a fun factory. Casual racing, casual freestyle, not-so casual freestyle...competition at it's funnest.   Be there.

(The East Coast Windsurfing Festival wants you!  Photo by Bill Doutney.)

East Coast Windsurfing Festival...in Cape Cod!

When Sandy trashed Joe's Beach it shut down the East Coast Windsurfing Festival for a year...we thought. But now rising like a puffin from a pile of sand eels, the ECWF is happening...a Cape Cod version!   We reached out to a longtime King of the East...Mighty Mike Burns...to ask what the word is on the CCECWF.  It went like this:

Peconic Puffin:  What's up with the CCECWF?

Mike Burns:  What?

Peconic Puffin:  CCECWF!

Mike Burns:  I think you're choking on an eel.

Peconic Puffin (spitting out eel):  The Cape Cod East Coast Windsurfing Festival!  Speak, and we shall record...

Mike Burns:   We were all bummed when we heard that for the first time in 6 years there would be no East Coast Windsurfing Festival at Heckscher this year.  It's become an event that sailors up and down the east coast have started to look forward to each year as a place to make new friends, have tons of fun and maybe even win a couple trophies and prizes in the process.  Well, guess what.  There were so many people bummed not only from Long Island, but also from Cape Cod, that some nice folks up in Cape Cod took it upon themselves to organize the first annual "East Coast Windsurfing Festival Cape Cod."  The head organizers of ECWF Cape Cod Peter and Nina contacted me right about the time they found out that the ECWF LI was officially canceled.  We all decided that we just couldn't go an entire year before the next big ECWF!!!!  So slowly but surely, permits and insurance were put into place and yes it's official.  The first annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival Cape Cod is happening at Kalmus Beach in Cape Cod on Sept 14th and 15th!!!!   It's the exact same event as ECWF LI only at a beach with more wind :-)   So if you missed the event this year and want to help support future events, come on up and compete, or rather help cause more pile-ups at the marks with everyone else!! (That's my personal favorite part)  I hope to see you all there!!!

For more info on the event and to see who is officially signed up go to www.ECwindfest.org

Peconic Puffin:  That's great news!

Mike Burns:  Darn right it is!

 

Sinker Board

The windsurfer in the photo is on a sinker board.  It does not have enough volume to float him.   If he was to sheet in in sufficiently strong wind, the forward motion of the board would bring it to the surface, and he could have a lot of fun.  In this case it looks like the wind does not have enough strength for the sailor to use a sinker.  He should have chosen a larger board, with enough volume to keep his calves dry.

(That's Andy Brandt, who knows darn well how much volume and wind he needs to sail.  And how much you need too.   And how to teach you to need less!  ABK Windsurfing Clinics come to Long Island on September 20-22, at Tiana!)

R.I.P. Andre Paskowski

The brilliant freestyler and videographer Andre Paskowski has lost his fight with cancer.   It sucks just to type that.   Over the years the Peconic Puffin has run half a dozen videos of Andre (usually with Gollito) and they've all been happiness and flow and excitement and smile fodder...not a heavy note to be found.

There's an extraordinary good-bye note from Andre on his Facebook page.  Here's a video clip of Andre and Gollito doing there thing...the music seems about right for the moment.  If it's not, I apologize...I simply want to put one more bit of Andre up there. 

Mike Burns Freestyle in the Gorge Video

Long Island's finest takes it to the Gorge. Enjoy!