The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Wing Foil Clinics by ABK

Andy Brandt will be teaching wing foiling at Napeague Thursday May 26th and Friday May 27th.  1-6pm, $300.   Sign up at ABK Boardsports.

 

A New ABK Van? We think not.

Driving south on 95 through blowing snow (state of Delaware, en route to South Carolina, 25 mph gusts) the wife and I spotted this ABK van.  Or van tagged ABK at any rate.  We were in Delaware, state that hosted many clinics by Andy Brandt and company, but we thought "Andy usually likes a nice big sticker."   

I know I know this is silly.  But any time it's blowin', snowin' and a windsurfing reference is available, the Peconic Puffin is interested.

Far better use of your time would be to sign up for one of Andy's clinics...he's teaching windsurfing as well as all manner of foiling these days.  Check out the offerings at ABKBoardsports.com.

(Photo by the editor's wife.)

Andy Brandt One Day Foiling and Windsurfing Clinics

Three one-day clinics:

October 10th Foiling only
October 11th Windsurfing
October 12th Windsurfing

Each clinic will be limited to six students. Andy Brandt teaching. Get good while the getting's good!

Register at the ABK web site.

Andy Brandt/ABK Clinic Update

Andy Brandt/ABK mini clinic schedule for the NY/NJ area:   Andy is doing a series of one day clinics, limited to six people per clinic.   Some are windsurfing clinics, the others are foiling only clinics.   Here’s the plan:

June 27 foil clinic, Atlantic City,

June 28 foil clinic, Atlantic City,

July 5 foil clinic, Long Island

July 6 windsurfing clinic, Long Island

July 11 foil clinic, Atlantic City

July 12 foil clinic, Atlantic City

July 25 foil clinic, Long Island

July 26 windsurfing clinic, Long Island

All clinics are limited to six people maximum.   Sign up on ABK’s web site

 

My Worst Jibe Attempt of All Time

It was a windsurfing party at Meschutt.   A dozen or more windsurfers on 4.2's or thereabouts (Hulse Scott the Wolf Frank Sky King another Frank Jan Fisherman Joe Nat Jon Ford Bruce etc) tearing it up on a warm day, the Peconic ramp and chop machine in full effect.  Fantastic!   But on one outbound run I found myself wanting ready to jibe, looking for a spot, and looking...looking...looking.  After a solid minute of nothing suitable I had the following thought:

"I don't need a flattish patch...if I bend my knees enough I can jibe anywhere."

This was not true.  I didn't know it yet though.

Unhooked, hung from the boom, got down low and stepped on the downwind rail to initiate a solid aggressive carve.   As I hit the first big bump I got thrown off the board backwards and UP...then landed with my back on the top of a steep piece of chop so my head snapped back.

I felt an electric jolt.  Then my left arm went numb.  Then I felt burning.

"I'm f***ed" I thought.  With one arm I slowly swam to my board and hung on.   After 20 seconds feeling came back to the arm (also pain in quantity to my neck).   Floated there for a couple minutes, then managed a waterstart, managing to sail back to the beach.   I told Scott my story.

"You have a stinger" he said.  And he proceeded to describe my symptoms perfectly, and told me stories about his own stingers.   Well if he lived to tell the tale then so will I.  "When can I sail again" I asked.  "Take a day off."   Sounds good.  Back to the water Sunday!

Light Wind Wave Sailing At Ponquogue

"I like to work on my light wind skills" said John.

There had to be an explanation.  This was John Natalie talking, John "he only goes out when it's perfect" Natalie.   Conditions were marginal 5.4, waves 2-3 feet.   I stood on the beach, modeling Indecision and Lack of Commitment.

"I can't wait until it's blowing 30 and the waves are eight feet before I go out in the ocean" he continued.   He hadn't wave sailed in many months.  For me it had been a year!  

So after hemming and hawing and driving to Tiana to see if it was better (it wasn't) I joined him.   And had a very good time!   Put a 5.4 on my 109, planed some of the time, caught a few waves.   Best was tacking onto a wave (never done that before)...thought I didn't have enough time but tacked anyway, put my front foot in front of the mast and pushed down (Fisherman's tip* thank you) and away I went!

With the water so warm and friendly now, I don't want to pass up such conditions again.   Good times!

*Fisherman is no longer a commercial fisherman.   I don't know what I'm supposed to call him now.   I know his name but I never hear anyone call him by it.   And he always calls me Puffin so there's that.

ABK Returns to Tiana

Andy Brandt and company will be working their magic at Tiana Bay September 27-29.   Teaching windsurfing at every level and YES FOILING.  Last year the low tides at Tiana interfered with foiling instruction, but this year they are adding shallower foils so they can teach us to fly!    Go to https://www.abkboardsports.com/camps   to register.

(photo courtesy Markus Marschall, borrowed from Andy's Facebook page.)

Reason to Hate Mike Burns #512: The Shuv-it Spock

I hate Mike Burns.  The number of things he can do on a windsurfing board that I can't is greater than the number of things I can do with one, period.   These days he's living down in Hatteras (reason to hate him #483) with Chrissy and the kids, and he's recently posted a video of him throwing a Shuv-it Spock, which he describes on Facebook as "one of my favorites. Very technical and difficult to pull off."   Yeah no kidding.   Apparently his new board (a Psycho) is facilitating this.  For me (who still can't hit a duck tack) it's worse than when he learned how to leopard loop. 

One more reason to hate Mike Burns.   He's so good.

(Video:  There he is, doing his thing at a recent session at Canadian Hole.   Catch up with Mike on the water and he'll give you tips on just about anything Windsurfing!)

 

 

 

My First Foiling Experience

Last Friday I headed out to Napeague for an ABK windsurfing clinic. The forecast was light…6 gusting to 12…but I was fired up and eager because ABK had just added foiling to their instruction program.   This was super exciting because

-I’d only seen foiling on Youtube videos, where it looked exotic and cool, and

-It’s said you can foil with small sails in light wind.   That it makes light wind exciting, more fun, and shreddable with small rigs.

On the water I joined Sari, Samantha, Wilson, Neil and Jake, windsurfers of differing skill levels, who were being tutored by Andy Brandt with Radar Tom assisting on a variety of foil board types and foils.   It was indeed 6 gusting to 12.  There wasn't a whitecap in sight.  “Pump the board up and down and keep the rig forward and to windward”. Okay.

OH MY GOD I’M THREE FEET UP IN THE AIR!

Then

BOOM BACK TO EARTH! (water earth).

If you let the foil come up so steeply that it leaves the water (“breaching”) you come down like an express elevator.   I aimed for the moon, and paid for it. But who cared…I’d had a taste of altitude, and I wanted more.

My next few attempts I got the board about a foot off the water, with the nose swinging upwind and downwind, but I was up for several seconds and it was cool.  "Be sensitive with foot steering" Andy advised.   This led to my first good run.   Up a little, down a little less, up a little more, down a little less, up a little and all of a sudden I’m sailing in a straight line three feet above the water.  It feels high!  I’m going at planing speed. There is complete silence as the foil makes no sound.   For seven glorious seconds I feel like I’m flying something, and then I lost it…splash.  

“Stand up straight” Andy said. “Don’t hike out.   You barely need to sheet in”.   It worked!   I was on a 6.2, but Andy said once you get good you can use much smaller sails. He was on a 5 dot something and he weighs more than me.   And he was carving tricks.

The experience was amazing.     Every student managed to get the board up and foiling for different lengths of time.   Intuitively I thought “ten sessions and I’d be ready to carve foil jibes." This may be true or it may be fantasy, but every run seemed better than the last, particularly with Andy shouting advice.

It’s low-altitude aviation, over, on, and in the water.   I’ve got to do it again ASAP.   Did I mention that a 5.5 is said to be plenty of sail in 14 knots?   It's a light wind gamechanger.

ABK has a clinic this coming Friday-Sunday at Tiana.   If you want to learn to foil…hell if you just want to try it and know that they’ll coach you into getting up and foiling to get a taste, be there!

ABK Windsurfing Clinic at Tiana Sept 21-13

It's that time of the year ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.  ABK time!  Andy Brandt's flying circus, with technique, tips, tricks, and a raft of instructors to teach it all come to Tiana Bay 9/21-23/18.   If you've never sailed Tiana Bay it's just about perfect for learning at all levels...shallow, flat, and wind direction friendly.  Whether you're a never before windsurfed, a beginner, or are anywhere on the scale betwixt intermediate and Ripping God/Goddess of Wind and Water, you want to be here to Get Better.   So come on and sign up with ABK Boardsports.

(Could we be any more enthusiastic? )

 

Blowing the dust off of my jibes

I basically hadn't had planing conditions in two months.   Either I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or t'was work that stopped me.   But over the Labor Day weekend I had two 90 minute shots at 5-6 meter sailing. Yipee!   Except that I felt like my windsurfing had regressed badly.    Sesh 1 on the Little Peconic (Towd Point Beach) a kiter and I had the friendly swell to ourselves.  Come time to jibe though and I was Mr. Late Flip.  Again and again and again.  No planing exits.  Finally started gurgling out of a few before the wind died.

Sesh 2 at Mecox (Yacht Club launch) I came with my memories of mediocrity and started flipping earlier and earlier until I found the slot.  Found it.   Even got in a few duck jibes before the wind died.   

So a happy ending.  I'd have been swearing up a blue streak at my regression had I not a head full of jibe instruction from both Andy Brandt and his ABK Boardsports crew, and Dasher...who got me through my first planing jibes.   ABK ALONG WITH Dasher will be teaching jibing and a whole lot more at their Tiana Bay clinic September 22-24.  Highly recommended!

ABK's Secret Clinic

At an undisclosed location on a special body of water to be named never (though its attributes…warmth, friendliness to beginners, shallowliness..may be reported) the mighty ABK traveling windsurfing clinic engaged with a group of windsurfing students for a clinique extraordinaire.   Extraordinaire because the students ranged from never-before-windsurfed types to advanced sailors.   Extraordinaire because instructors Andy Brandt, Tom and Brendan brought their most excellent games. Extraordinaire for the six count ‘em six women in the clinic (and two others had to cancel at the last minute…the return of women to windsurfing!) Extraordinaire for the entirely new concept in ABK shirts (transformational I’m telling you. Must have!) Lastly extraordinaire because I haven’t been in a clinic for a few years (you may not care, but I do.)

We had two days of light wind, and one of on/off/on planning (I planed plenty, because years ago ABK taught me to be efficient.)   My better half Sally was in the Wide World of Jibes group (plus waterstarting etc) whilst I was in the duck tack/backwinded jibe/anklebiter/back to back/general freestyle group.   My duck tack attempts went from coming apart at the seams two seconds after I start to “holy cow I’m planing in control switch-stance and am actually beginning the sail throw!”  Also hit a planing backwinded jibe or two, and some obligatory duck jibes.  Quack quack.

I got to ride in the boat during 15 minutes of Brendan Insanity.   Starting with the notion that towing two windsurfers, one instructor, and their gear piled up on a giant SUP to the best sailing spot (what could possibly go wrong?) would be faster than sailing there, Brendan arranged gear and students in a manner that even I thought was hare-brained. “Have you ever actually done this, or is this all theoretical” I asked Brendan. He laughed.   “I don’t even have a theory!”   Outstanding.   Everything went flying only three times (during the second reassembly we noted people passing us on their boards).   All three chose to sail back rather than take the ride.

It was an outstanding event socially as well…saw old friends, made new friends, re-met people whom I failed to recognize (sorry Sam.)   A classic great ABK time.   I will be back to ABK, for clinics secret or declassified.

Note that this coming Friday, ABK Boardsports returns to Tiana Bay September 23-25 (sharing the secret spot’s attributes of warmth, friendliness and shallowliness) for what will surely be another outstanding opportunity to have fun learning to be a better windsurfer.   There are, we are told, a few spots left in that clinic. If you are thinking that you’d like to spend a fun weekend with fun people learning to windsurf better, sign up now.   ABK turns away people once they are full (though when enough people sign up early they will add instructors, to maintain a proper student/instructor ratio.) There’s also a New Jersey clinic in Atlantic City September 30-Oct 2. 

(Photo:  Sails ready to rock at the clinic. Beautiful, well-composed photo courtesy editor’s wife.)

ABK Windsurfing Clinics...They Are Coming

He is coming.  They are coming.   And so we all should be going!   Two ABK windsurfing clinics on Long Island, and one in New Jersey, courtesy Andy Brandt and his ace team of instructors.   The Napeague clinic is sold out, but spots still remain for the Tiana clinic (Tiana with its shallow friendly waters, lots of parking, bathrooms and proximity to the ocean beaches.)     If you're an ABK veteran you know the deal.  If you're not but always wanted to try one, take advantage of September's warm waters!   If you don't know about ABK, it's outstanding instruction tailored to your skill level (with groups for everybody from First Time Windsurfers to Accomplished Freestylers and everyone in between.)  The wife and I are taking a clinic...you should too!  As ABK says:  Get Better Here!  (Also it's loads of fun and you make new friends.)   The dates:

Tiana Bay:  September 23-25

Atlantic City:  September 30-Oct 2. 

 (Photo from Andy's Facebook page, courtesy John Stuart)

Jibe By Dasher. Gratitude.

A couple months ago my jibe guru Dasher came through town, accompanied by his lovely girlfriend Maggie.   I got to spend some time with them, but unfortunately wind and waves did not present an opportunity to windsurf or SUPsurf (I would LOVE to get SUP coaching tips from Dasher).   To this day any time I hit a good jibe I experience a quick moment of gratitude, having once been The Worst Jiber In The World.   I still muck them up on occasion, but those are on me.  The good ones are credited to the reindeer.*

*with some fine tuning by Andy Brandt.

Be a better windsurfer! Sign up for the ABK clinic Sept 25-27…

At Tiana Bay on Long Island!  Outstanding shallow-water learning location (better than Napeague IMHO) will be taken over by the great Andy Brandt and his merry crew of top-notch windsurfing instructors.   Nobody teaches windsurfing like ABK, whether you’ve never clambered onto a board before, through planning, tacking, jibing, footstraps, harness sailing, speed sailing, jumping, racing, freestyle, funstyle, and mad good times on the water with other nice people!  September 25-27th at Tiana Bay (in Hampton Bays).

I have done (ahem) 17 ABK clinics over the years (maybe more) and the wife has done quite a few herself, so in the Peconic Puffin household we are big fans.  You should be too!     After a weak summer for windsurfing the fall breezes (water is still warm) are coming…get ready for them now.  Register for ABK’s Long Island windsurfing clinic here.

(Photo:  Andy Brandt fixes windsurfers who look at their feet to much by telling them to look at the sky.  He demonstrates here.  Doesn't that look like fun?)