The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

The Family That Sails Together

Liz Patton posted this photo of Mike Burns and chickadees in Cape Hatteras on Facebook.  Had to repost it!

Wave Sailing Aruba?

Wave sailing Aruba.  Yeah I said it.  Check out this photo of the mighty Jeroen Weststrate tearing up Westpunt, Aruba.   Also check out the photo credit in the lower right corner:  Dasher Films.   Methinks something special is afoot down Aruba way.   Watch this space...

Crazy Perfect Waves for SUP and Surf

 

The thrice-might Dasher (my jibe guru, brother in heartfelt video, and OG Santa reindeer) took this shot recently at Palm Beach.   Don't you want to be there?  I do!

Robbie Gets A Round of Applause...

"Robbie gets a round of applause from nature."  That's what Christian wrote when he shared this photo of 1111, taken by Mr. Carter.  Just beautiful!  Courtesy PWA World Tour.

Barecrow Scarecrow

Leave it to the big bad Wolf to use an old drysuit as a scarecrow at his nursery.  Thanks to Jeff Schultz for the photo and the post suggestion!  #halloweenwindsurfing

Shred

Bill has the greatest windsurfing board bag.  It makes me smile every time I see it.  New gear is a beautiful thing, but sometimes thrashed gear is sublime.  Windsurfing art, y'all.

I Love A Good Snow Sesh...

Too bad I didn't get one this winter (not that there still isn't hope...we can get snow through early April!)  But down Delaware way George Markopoulos has been sailing through the white stuff.  Love the photo above, posted on his Facebook page.  

(Top:  If the snow was much deeper George could sail across the top of it.  Bottom:  Skippers meeting at Ponquogue from a few years ago...I love those sessions!  Photo by Jeff Schultz.)

Great Photos: Ripples

Producer, videographer and jibemaster Dasher posted this exquisite photograph on his Facebook page.  A SUP paddler's-eye view of a board gliding through water smooth as glass.  Those ripples in the reflected sky are incredible.

Peconic Jeff Photography

P-Jeff (Peconic Jeff, Ponquogue Jeff, Photographer Jeff) has long been the principal source of imagery on the pages of the Peconic Puffin.   His stuff looks good here (which is why we use it) but if you REALLY want to appreciate some amazing scenes as captured by Jeff Schultz, hit the galleries:

East End Arts has a reception this Friday for an exhibit "The Muse" that features Jeff.  The show runs until March 7th.

Alex Ferrone Photography Gallery in Cutchogue includes Jeff in an exhibit "Small Works, Big Gifts" that runs through February 9th.

See the work of Jeff Schultz in person, unencumbered by puffinly blather!   Online check out jeff schultz photography, and like him on Facebook.

(Jeff's "Offshore" is one of my current favorites.)

Peconic/Ponquogue Jeff Style

Here he comes

Walkin' down the beach

Gets the funniest looks from

Everyone one on beam reach...

Hey hey it's a wind chimp!   Specifically it's Ponquogue Jeff (nee Peconic Jeff) walking along Ponquogue proper, and flashing his latest style...that scarf.   Word is it was due to the lack of a hood (next time I'm going to lend him a hood).  Looks great!  I wonder what happens if it gets caught in gear, in the wash.   On perhaps my very first day windsurfing I put my downhaul tool (which was attached to a loop of line) around my neck.  I was immediately advised not to do that.  Jeff is much better than a never ever windsurfed type, but waves is waves.  In any event, he sure looks good!

(Photos by Jonathan Ford)

Puffin Poetry

Twenty year ago when the Peconic Puffin was a printed weekly newsletter, one of the regular features was "Puffin Poetry"...essentially a quote of the week (when a Puffin had said something worth quoting.)  The attributes that qualified something could be anything wonderful...an elegant statement, a hilarious quip, the heartfelt threatening of young children...anything.   This just in:

"That svelte dragonfly wing was just not fitting with my visual concept of 4 SqM, that's burned into the visual cortex of all us wind-addled seabirds."

-McPhilly, commenting on The Far Side of Napeague.  

Most eloquent puffinspeak, sir!  (I shall probably steal "svelte dragonfly wing" and use it as my own in a future post.  Too good!)

 

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.)

Recycled Windsurfing Board

I love creative use of unsailable windsurfing gear, largely because I'd like to do something with the pile of crap in my barn.  

The latest bit to cross Peconic Puffin radar comes from one of the tribe (the flock?)...Fast Eddie works most of a longboard into his outdoor shower.   Me I'd add an adjustable height soap dish to the mast track.

(Photo swiped from Eddie's FB page).

King Jibe

Robby Naish shows us how it's done.  As seen on World of Windsurf on Facebook, photo credit Erik Aeder Photography.

Salt Water: The Cure for Anything

“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” 

-Isak Dinesen

as seen posted by a friend on Facebook.