The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

K Road Wave Playground

There was a crowd on the water.   Frank, Joe, Christian, Jeff, Jonathan, Nicholas, the Wolf, Scott (yaking) and many more, chasing the copious lefts.  Thigh-to-waist high, sunny warm and beautiful, every Sunday should be this way.

A highlight for me was being "perfectly slotted" according to Jon (on one wave).  I am still such a kook on the waves that when I occasionally have a great ride (ie when someone else tells me I looked good) I usually don't know what I was doing differently.  Argh.  Still have fun though!

(I googled "slotted" and found pictures of people like this.  That is not me (note the lack of paddle, also I have a different face.)  From Surfbanyak.com.   The other fine photos are by Jeff Schultz.) 

They're back! (Stumps at the Bowl)

Chimply Lord Scotworth just filed this.  You know he's got the Bowl on the brain!   Will it be windly there tomorrow?  Some think so...stay tuned...

Meditations on What is Learned at ABK Clinics

I wasn't able to attend the ABK clinic at Tiana last weekend (various personal obligations) but I stopped by Friday morning to say Hi and to sail the eastern breeze.   Just being near the clinic pushed me to think about my technique, and as I sailed I thought about all the things I was doing in that 90 minute session that I'd either learned or improved in ABK clinics (I've done at least 17 of them over the years, and I ain't done yet.)  On this fine morning the list included:

Carrying the gear to, into and out of the water.

Uphauling, beach starts, waterstarts, clew first waterstarts.

Hooking in, getting into the footstraps, and sailing fast.

Planing through lulls, planing upwind underpowered.

Fast tacks, helitacks, push tacks, nose spin hoss tack (good for clearing weeds from the fin!)

Pivot jibe, step jibe, duck jibe, backwinded jibe.

Carve 360, upwind 360.

Nose spin to fin-first sailing.

The improvised save.

(My morning on a 6.2 and the 109.)

It was great to see OG Puffin Steve, Radar Tom, Buddha Mike, Brendan, Jill, Pete, George, Eric, my new madman friend John from White Plains et set ah rah.  ABK Camraderie...what could be better?

(Hanging on Saturday when the wind died...thanks Buddha Mike for the beer!)

 

Hail Caesar (at the coming ABK clinic...)

Attention freestylee sailors and admirers:   Word is that Caesar mighty Caesar will be on the water (and at the simulator) at next week's ABK clinic at Tiana.   For anyone aspiring to learn flowstyle (or mad freestyle):  FYI!   And regardless...if you're not signed up time is running out.   As ABK's website says, "less than 6 spots remain.)

Carnage At The Bowl

(filed by our special correspondent Chimply Lord Scotworth:)   Got the call early to go to Ditch,supposedly it was epic so jamming out there some guy in a box truck in front of me turns his left blinker on so I start to pass him on the right..right? wrong ! he makes a right! I cant explain how close (doing 60) I came to getting smashed into the guard rail.  Got to Ditch with blood pressure at 200x200 and after half an hour finally calmed down.  Waves were pretty good, but you had to pay some dues to get out.  Too much offshore, but Jimi Jam, Fisherman and Jonathan got out and shredded (Jonathan underpowered on a 6.2!   The Wolf and I decided to go back west to the Bowl.  Got to the Bowl and it was honkin 5.3!  After many jumps I was way outside and landed one flat...SNAP!!   The only thing holding the two halves together was a footstrap...took me a long time to get back body dragging with two halves acting like anchors!  Hope I never go through that again.    had my GoPro on but when I got back to the beach it said "card full", didn't get any video.   The Wolf broke his mast in the shorebreak before he even got out!   Thanks to Jonathan for replacing his mast right away and replacing my board!   Oh almost forgot..C.D. showed up and sailed!!!

(Photo from Marty's Facebook page.)

More Mecoxing

I caught the best part...an hour powered 6.2 on my 99 liter Skate.   Jibes, upwind 360's and even a couple backwinded jibes.  Woo Ha!  (ABK is coming soon...I am preparing.)  
Then it began to die as Sally arrived, followed by Xantos 7.5 guy (must learn his name...)   Sally planed a teeny bit on the 5.5 but soon enough was out on my big 109 with the 6.2 again, followed by the 93 FSW.   I love that she's able to manage the 6.2 in light conditions!  (Top:  Sally on the big stuff.  Bottom:  She likes her 93 better.)

Swap Meet Coming Saturday 9/13

It is dat time mon (and womon).  The water is still warm, the winds are picking up, and you want/need/deserve new gear!  (Also you may want to pass on some stuff you want to upgrade or no longer use.)   Windsurfing swap meet, kiteboarding swap meet, stand up paddle swap meet, surfing swap meet...it's all of that!   Saturday 9/13 at Hampton Watersports.  Starts at 9AM, ends at 3.  The good stuff goes fast!   Also this word in from the store:  2014 boards on sale.

If you've never been (or need reminding):

1.  People will be there to help you (if you want help) with evaluating used gear (and its suitability for your needs.)

2.  Swaps are fun places to meet other water people!

3.  If you're selling gear, you get 100% store credit or 70% cash.  I always ask "what windsurfer (etc) isn't going to be spending money at the store in the next year?"   I never understand why anyone would want cash.

Hampton Watersports is at 1688 County Road 39 Southampton, NY 11968.  631-283-9463 (WIND)

See you there!

Throwback Thursday...Not!

Photo from the 80's?  90's?  Oughts (terrible word...have no idea how to spell it nor do I want to)?   No No No!   It's the great Pierre Coupal keeping it real in a time machine, as seen on his Facebook page today.  Go Pierre

Freshly Minted Windsurfer

Our Labor Day guest Catherine wanted to try windsurfing.   Usually we try to put people on a board for the first time in Davis Creek, which is flat as a pool table.   But the southerlies dictated Mecox (Yacht Club) so Ms C toughed out the bumps and managed a first reach of 20 yards (17 more than mine back in 1990.)   As per the usual experience, she thinks she did badly because she found uphauling a challenge, and fell a few times.  I think if we can get her on the creek for her next sesh we'll have her tacking!

(photos by Sally, taken off of Instagram.   Sally was out again with a 6.2...huge for her...and the 109 Freestyle.)