Thursday, January 31, 2008

Isabel's, January Wrap-up

Nothing epic, but really fun wavesailing at Isabel's today! Caleb joined Stuart and I for an all-afternoon romp in the knee-waist high lines hitting the beach. Strong, gusty NNE winds made for the usual- no wind on the beach, 5-30 with 20 degree shifts for the first 30 yards, then nuclear power and chop on the outside. It ended up being a great setup for the occasional back flop, and lots of loops once you got out a bit! The wave rides were WAY short of epic, but really fun to mess around with.


We skipped the lighthouse because it was mostly chest high slop, riddled with current, and we wanted a relatively low key sesh after pushing ourselves so hard for the last few days. So we started slow, with a few jumps, and a few turns. But before I knew it, the adrenalin started pumping again and the reserved, cautious approach got thrown out the window. There were just too many opportunities to pass up! Stuart broke free and started hucking his meat through a few really respectable forward loop attempts (some of his first ever), which always gets me charged up to see, so then I started going bigger.... Then I saw Caleb throw a ridiculous chunk of spray off of a top turn, which in turn made me want to hit the lip harder.... It's really hard to take it easy when you're surrounded by people who charge. I can only imagine the energy level at a place like Ho'okipa when it's firing! So in the end, I nailed one of the best port loops I've ever thrown, attempted a few back loops, and went for a few (terrible) aerials! So much fun, and not in the least bit scary! That's a recipe for a great day, right there!

Above: Stuart rips in to one!

On to the January wrap up:
14 sessions windsurfing, 15 surfing, 6 days of random activities (flat water SUP, tennis, skate sailing, yoga), and a total of 4 rest days (2 of which were spent driving from VT to NC in a snowstorm). 10 sessions in a 3/2 wetsuit, 19 sessions in a 6/5/4 (it was cold in January). No sessions in trunks. 1 experience with a finger on the trigger, concerning a last minute trip to Puerto Rico for a huge North Swell. Considering the conditions here, I didn't miss anything but a sunburn! Overall, a awesome, but chilly month here on Hatteras!

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