Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays, Folks!


If you have some down time this Holiday Season, why not check out the latest edition of Windsurfer International?

The Venus Flytrap

Due West winds are the preferred direction for sailing the Buxton Slick.  Today, we had plenty!  Stuart and I sailed our 3.7s completely maxed out.  With that much wind, the Slick was no longer a slick.  In fact, there was so much extra water piled up (due to the strong winds) that only about 30% of the normal land mass was exposed...  leaving our normal stomping grounds a mess of micro-psycho-chop...

So we foraged further

         to a place

                     Stuart has dubbed

The Venus Flytrap

Where the water is so smooth, and the wind so strong (and gusty) (and shifty) that the most routine endeavor becomes either effortless or impossible.  More often than not, my luck swayed to the impossible side of things!

Regardless, it was a pretty sick way to finish off my 2009 season!  Cheers, to an even windier 2010!!!!

Come along for the ride- here are 2 minutes of GoPro action, straight from this morning's session:

Windsurfing "The Venus Flytrap" from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

Progression!!

Repetition is key...  Stuart and I hit the Slick for the last 2 days, both days on 4.7.  The wind direction stayed basically the same for both days, too, so we had a chance to really dial in a "course" of ridiculously flat water.  And now, we've both got Grubby's pretty confidently in the bag!  Stuart on both tacks, and I'm still stubbornly starboard...  I'm stoked, for sure.  And I owe Stuart a huge thanks for keeping the motivation up!

Here's a few image grabs of yesterday's massively overpowered slick sesh:

Tight quarters...

 

Slickety slick....

 

 Stu (up ahead) halfway through...

Moments before disaster (Flaka attempt)

I know most of you guys only like to come during April and October, but Hatteras absolutely HOWLS the whole rest of the year (except August)....  For example, in the last 2 weeks, I've had 2x3.7 sessions, 2x4.2 sessions, 3x4.7 sessions, and 1x5.2 session.  And when the wind hasn't blown, the surf has been super fun and glassy.  We definitely can't complain!  Come join us for some fun!!

Super Windy Wednesday Video

This video is long, but I think you'll like it.  Gather up your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and pets.  Pour everyone some eggnog (but leave the rum out of Junior's).  Load the video, and turn up the volume.  If you aren't enjoying the action, then close your eyes and absorb Tchaikovsky's soundtrack.  Enjoy!


Super Windy Wednesday from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.


Everyone please say "Thank You" to Ace, because without his generosity this video (or any of the last half dozen videos for that matter) wouldn't exist!

Happy Holidays Everyone!  There's still time to ship stuff out before Christmas, so shoot me a note if you're in need of a windsurf board to put under the tree.

Trumped

I hate to say it, but I think today's 20 minute sunset session completely and utterly trumped yesterday's all day long 3.7 warm sunny blowout.  Let's go through a checklist to try to quantify.

Was It:

1. Windier?  No, not even close.  The winds hovered right around 20 knots this evening.
2. Wavier?  No, it was flat with backwash voodoo chop.
3. Warmer?  No, not even close.  My hands were freezing and I should have worn mitts.
4. Of longer duration?  No no no no no.  20 minutes, tops.
5. With more friends?   No, it was solo.
6. Radder action?  No, all I did was mow the lawn.  I didn't even get my hair wet.
   

So, by what quantifiable measure was tonight's session even remotely better?  Well, none at all.  But sometimes you just can't quantify the surprise of an unexpected sesh, the beauty of a setting sun, or the pure joy of experiencing the natural world while perfectly powered on a 4.7.

I forced myself to come in for 30 seconds to take this picture.  No more, no less.  Then it was right back out there for a few more blissful passes...

Windy Wednesday

***Update:  Dale sent in a few more pics!!  (Thurs, 9:30am) ***

Wow, it has just been howling out here on Hatteras Island!  I was smart enough to grab Anne's 3.7 today, and I'm glad I did because I ended up using it pretty much all day long.  George, Jim K, Dale, Donny, Mark S, Freddy, and I hit the Hole in the warm, summer like SW winds.  It's tough to believe that it's December when the thermometer reads 70F...  We are LUCKY!!  I took a bunch of video footage that I'll work through eventually, but in the meantime, check out these pics that Dale sent in:

Jim K and Mark S, full speed ahead!  Jim gets the biggest sail award with his 4.0!

 

Mark, 3.4 and 66 liters

 

George (3.7)

Me (3.7 and 80 liters)

 

Thanks Dale!!


Mid-afternoon, I snuck down to Old Lifeguard Beach and sailed a 4.2 for about half an hour with Thomas, Charlie, Dan, and Lane.  The waves were super clean and had nice size, probably a touch overhead in the better sets.  Slight equipment malfunction cut the sesh short, but that's alright as it was time to get Anne on the water!

With an hour of daylight left, I ran back to the Hole and re-rigged Anne's 3.7 for her.  She showed up, tossed on her wetsuit, and charged on out into some seriously gusty winds.  After she had had her fill, I decided to let her in on a little secret- All of the other (190 pound) guys out in the water were on 3.7s too!  She just smiled and asked for a 3.2 for Christmas...

No Strap Jibes

There is a forum thread on iWindsurf.com where Spennie recommends jibing with both feet out of the footstraps.  That is certainly an unconventional approach, but I know a few people who jibe this way.  I figured that I'd give it a try, and recorded the sesh for posterity and a few laughs at the inevitable crashes.  Check out the outcome:



No-Strap-Jibes from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

I found it harder to control the rig because I was too close to the mast base to have any leverage over the sail.  It was fun to try, though, and I'll certainly keep it in the ol' bag of tricks.

Any other experiences?  Add your 2 cents to the iWindsurf forum thread!

Cove Video!

It ended up blowing 4.7 all afternoon Thursday, so I spent a lot of time tuning up the 2010 Surge.  This sail is like a chameleon on the water depending on down and out haul combinations!  If anyone is looking for help getting a certain feel out of their World Sail please shoot me an email, but I've been really happy underdownhauling and adding a little extra outhaul for most applications.

Anyway, I tossed together a video from Wednesday's Cove sesh!  Conditions were Super Freaking Windy out of the ESE, with fun waves in the chest to head high range.  Queue it up full screen, turn up the volume, grab a non-windsurfing co-worker, and press play:


Windsurfing 30+mph Winds in The Cove from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.


Everyone please say "Thank You" to Ace for loaning me his video camera!  I'm pretty sure he knows how sandy everything gets out here...

So Windy!!

Something weird happened today.  I was blown off of my 4.2.  I couldn't hang on, I could barely waterstart.  Bottom turns were manageable, but top turns were out of the question, unless you went one handed and flagged the sail.  Very weird, indeed.  My suspicions were confirmed upon checking the meters:  Frisco Pier was reading average 38 with gusts to 47 mph!  Yes, yes, it was FREAKING WINDY out there.

It's all good, though, because we scored a sweet day in The Cove!  It wasn't until the last hour that it went truly ballistic.  The waves were in the chest to head high range, and most people were on 4.2-4.7 or 6-8 meter kites all day long.  One thing is for sure: there are a lot of smiling, tired, sore bodies on this island tonight!

 

Keith bottom turns as Stuart sets up for the next wave

I took a bit of video from the beach, and tied on a GoPro while sailing too.  Here are a few frames from the clew mount camera to tide you over until I get a chance to edit the vid:

 

One handed one footed top turn...  And yes, I sailed away from it!

 

No handed back loop... And no, I did not sail away from it :)

There is a lot more wind in the forecast for tomorrow and this weekend too!!  Come on out and join us!

The Sylt of The Americas: Side-on in Frisco

Thank goodness for iWindsurf.com!!  Today was one of those weird days where it blew 25-35 mph all day in Frisco, but barely touched 20 in the gusts for much of the day in Avon.  As the crow flies, these spots are only about 5 miles apart...  Without iWindsurf's meters, I would have never guessed that Frisco was crankin'!

 

A bunch of us ended up sailing/kiting the Bathhouses in some super fun side onshore conditions.  Good jumping and fun waves in the head+ range made for a pretty sweet afternoon on the water.  Not to mention temps in the high 60s!  It's tough to believe that it's almost December already!  The only thing that kept me honest was the massive sideshore current, taking my power away right when I wanted it the most- right in the impact zone!

Sorry, no pictures, but think of Sylt, minus the freezing temperatures, a foot or two of wave height,  and thousands of cheering fans!

Looks like another massive storm event on Wednesday/Thursday!  Come on Down and JOIN US!!!!!

Gobbling Up Good Waves

GOBBLE GOBBLE!!

The surf has been just gorgeous for the last day or two!  Light offshore winds and overhead sets...  What more can you ask for?! 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Dad!!  I hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving up north!  Miss ya!

Holiday Reading

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  For my international readers: Thanksgiving is all about sharing and being thankful for what you have, and has roots in the US's adolescent history when the first European settlers were getting their feet underneath them.  Basically, everyone just gets together with family and friends, watches some football, drinks some beer, and eats a lot of delicious food.  It's really fun!

In honor of the tradition, let's all take a step back for a minute and think about who and what we truly love, and give thanks for those parts of our lives.

And now that you've got a few days on your hands with nothing to do, check out the latest edition of Windsurfer International: (go ahead and click, even you non-windsurfers, it's free to read and has great stories and photos from some amazing places all around the world)

I'm especially smitten with this Edition (#3), as it has a feature article about the Hatteras windsurfing scene and the Hatteras Wave Jam in particular.  It's pretty cool to get some coverage on the event, as Bill Bell, Keith McCullough, Stuart Proctor and I have put a lot of time and effort into the whole thing (Bill especially).  So, thanks for writing about your experience George, thanks for tirelessly photographing the event Janice, and thanks for publishing the article Brian!!

I know a lot of you Northerners are starting to think winter, but bear in mind, there is LOTS of windsurfing season left down here on Hatteras.  For proof, check it out- the hibiscus plant on my porch is still flowering!  If that doesn't scream "Warm enough to windsurf" I don't know what does!

And check out this picture of the moon from last night:

Coming up:  Looks like a very windy end of the week!!  That's a nice compliment to the  

END OF THE YEAR SALE

at Sailworld Hatteras, which starts Friday November 27th at 10 am!!!  We have some killer deals for you guys on what's left of the 2009 gear, and a few opportunities to get your hands on 2010 stuff, too!  Shoot me an email or give the shop a call (252-995-5441), or better yet come on out to the beach, check out the goods, and get some sailing in to top it all off!!

Lighthouse!!

Well, I think I know where all the sand from S-Turns ended up- It's all at the Lighthouse!  That sandbar is working insanely well right now!  We've been getting hooked up with North to NE winds for the last few days in the 20-30 mph range.  The waves have been really fun, too, ranging from chest high to occasionally a bit overhead if you find a good set.

It's a lot of work to sail at the Lighthouse, especially in a due north, as the jetties and the town of Buxton really block a lot of wind on the inside.  Couple that with a jet stream of current accelerating through the gaps in the jetty, and you can definitely get yourself worked if you're unlucky with the timing.  I spent a lot of time in the drink this afternoon, and got pushed a solid 150 yards down the beach before I made it out, on more than one occasion...  But when it all lines up for that perfect wave, you realize that it was definitely worth all of the effort...

Here's Bill, lining up a hit on a nice peak this afternoon:

And...  showing off the bottom of his new 92 liter twin fin!!

heh heh heh, sorry Bill!!

Looks like more of the same for the next two days, then a mid week lull, and another good front at the end of the week!!  Sweeeeeet!!

RT 12 is open, and the waves are firing!

First item:

Route 12 is open to ALL traffic! 2wd cars, tractor trailers, everything.  NC DOT built a temporary surface on top of one lane of the existing highway. You may have to wait a few minutes until oncoming traffic clears, but that's a heck of a lot faster than taking the Stumpy Point to Rodanthe emergency ferry service... That also means that the supply chain is wide open again, so things like gas, groceries, mail, et cetera are all readily available again. Don't fret, you WILL have Turkey for Thanksgiving!  More updates here.

Next item:

The Lighthouse was Firing today! Well overhead set waves, and pretty light winds kept the faces clean and barreling, and the consequences high. Keith, Caleb, Stuart and I windsurfed, and every one of us took a pretty solid beating at one point or another. Personally, I schlogged/positioned for 27 minutes before I caught my first solid wave. It took me 9 minutes to get to the outside, and 18 minutes to get back up to the peak and find a good set wave that was lined up. It was worth the effort. After that first good wave, I lost all inhibitions and sailed much more carelessly, dropping in on most anything that came my way. 'Twas a very fun sesh!!

Keith gets the only pictures of the day:

 

 

And I caught a rare glimpse of his secret weapon- a 34 cm freeride fin!!  No wonder he never has any trouble staying upwind...

More wind in the forecast!  GET HERE!!

Ida Action (2 Videos)

It's no secret, Ida caused her fair share of destruction across the Eastern Seaboard, including taking a good chunk out of NC12 up in Rodanthe.  NCDOT is working furiously to repair the road, and they even had a lane open at low tide today to let 4wd vehicles on or off the island.  There's lots of info all over the net about the storm damages and repair schedules and what not, so I'm not going to add any more to the confusion.  Check out islandfreepress.org and ncdot.org for the latest info and some crazy slideshows.

I will, however, add to the action report!  Ida kicked up some serious swell, but our winds were slow to catch on as the low hung out pretty much directly over us.  So, the first day or two were a wash (literally).  By Friday afternoon, however, the low slipped off shore just enough to kick up some North winds.  Friday had potential to be an epic wavesailing day on the southside, but North winds are straight offshore down there.  It doesn't sound like much of a difference, but NE is really the money direction, while due North is downright dangerous, especially when it gets big.  With the East beaches an out of control washing machine, we decided to hit up the sound side at Island Creek.  4.2 and freestyle board.  Check da vid:

Ex-Ida Windsurf HQ from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

Major thanks go out to Drew for filming and Ace for the loaner on the camera!!


We had another batch of wind on Saturday morning.  Fluky 4.7 at the same spot, with really very similar conditions to the video.  By late evening, the wind died down, and the swell backed off to 12 feet at 15 seconds or something ludicrous like that.  I caught word that a few guys were thinking about paddling out down at the lighthouse, so I grabbed Anne, Banana (the dog), and the video camera and headed to Buxton.  Joey Crum and Brett Barley made their way off the beach in the fading light and caught a few mackers.  I've got nothing but respect for these guys, as these were exceptionally difficult conditions, and they made it look easy.  Check da vid:

Ex-Ida Surf HQ from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

Yow!!!

Epic!

You guys are not going to believe how sick it was today!  Remember that forecast I showed you the other day?  Well, check out what ended up happening:



Epic!! from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

OBX Marathon, some surf, and looking ahead

So Anne ended up doing really well at the OBX Marathon yesterday!  She ran the 26.2 miles in 4 hours 15 minutes 40 seconds, which is 30 minutes faster than her last marathon time!  It was one heck of a scene up there, with a total of almost 7,000 people running in the 8k, 1/2 marathon, and full marathon.  What an event!  Here is a little video showing the scene:


OBX Marathon 2009 from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

After we made it back to Avon, Drew, Stuart and I paddled out and caught some waves.  It's been a really long time since I've surfed... It's just been so dang windy!  Luckily, my first wave lined up perfectly, so I got a great ride, and built up some confidence for the rest of the sesh.  Laura and Anne stretched out on the beach and snapped a few pictures of the action:

Drewski

Drew posted quite a few more pics and a recap of the Marathon here.

Keep an eye on that forecast!  It looks like it's going to get pretty crazy out here...  of course, you never know what you're going to get until it actually happens, but some of the forecasts have been touching on 50+ knot winds and waves in the 8+ meter swell range...  Yikes!!  I doubt it'll get that crazy, but I won't be surprised if the road gets washed out.  I'd plan on being here by Wednesday afternoon or not at all.  Oh, and make sure you don't have to be anywhere until next Tuesday, because that might be the first time you'll be able to leave!

windguru.com forecast as of Sunday evening.  We don't see that shade of purple all too often...

Loop Face

My, oh my, it has been windy...  Until today.  But that's okay, because we needed a break anyway.  I strapped up Stuart with the GoPro camera yesterday for his Buxton Slick Sesh on a 4.7.  Check out his flat water loop face:

Haha, nice!!  I took a bunch of footage of him from shore, too, with Ace's hand-me-down video camera (THANKS ACE!!!) but it's going to take me a while to get around to editing anything. 

In the meantime, check out this video from the Reunion Wave Classic.  These guys scored some unbelievable conditions, it's pretty insane, really.  Chargin' it, too!!  Bear in mind, the wave breaks over a really shallow, urchin infested reef.  Yikes!!  My vote for best overall rider goes to Alex Mussolini, mostly for his smooth, yet aggressive, style...  For example, his wave that starts at 1:20... unreal!!  Although, it might be Thomas Traversa on Alex's gear, so, uhhh, yeah, maybe Thomas gets my vote.  Don't skip out on the video's ending, either.  Watch it all the way through for the grand finale!


Ravine on Fire from Arnaud on Vimeo.

Wicked, eh??  (For my Canadian readers, haha)


In other news, the shop will be closed on Sunday the 8th, because Drew and I are going up to Manteo to cheer on our ladies as they run in the OBX Marathon!!  Wooohoooo!!  These gals have been training hard.  I think we're going to see some new personal bests!  Wish them luck!

 

Old Road

From the dunes, the setup at Old Road looks very tempting- little itty bitty waves lapping up on the shore, an inner bar that looks fairly heavy but fun, and then an outer bar that gently throws and fizzles for upwards of 50 yards...  Very inviting! 

Until...

...you actually step foot into the ocean.  Immediately, the sideshore current sweeps you off your feet.  And you realize that there's no shorebreak because the inner bar is shin deep and 25 yards wide, eventually opening into a little thigh deep tidal pool at water's edge.  That fun looking inner bar now looks mean, as it sucks out below sea level, hurls a thick lip, and then continues to churn all the way in, coming to rest in the little pool that you're standing in. 

A tiny puff fills your sail, just enough to lure you onto the board.  As you drift with the currents, you inch your way closer to the heaving section.  The water pushing in under the board gives you a sense of speed and power, that really isn't there.  As soon as the tidal push evens out, you sink to the bottom, with zero actual sail power.  Just in time to watch the next wave heave, peel down the line, and then spit it's churned up exhaust as the last section closes out just 5 yards in front of you.  Ain't no gettin' over that one, so you get washed all the way back into the little pool, in a matter of seconds.

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and declare "Old Road" as unsuitable for windsurfing, at least for now.  Maybe with more wind?  Here's the best moment of my windsurfing session this morning:

Other than that little swimming sesh, it's actually been really fun down here for the last few days!  We've had decent wind every day, 4.7 or 5.2, decent temps, and that chilly, overcast, spitting rain that keeps most normal people indoors.  Luckily, we as windsurfers, know how to make the best of a crappy day!

Looks like more wind through the end of the week, with an emphasis on Thursday and Friday, which might provide the first real solid NW blow of the Fall.  Reef Run, anyone?

Telltales

It has been a super windy Fall, here on Hatteras Island.  Wanna know how I can tell?  Check it out:

These are some of the only flags left here in Avon.  All of my shop flags have been completely thrashed by the relentless winds.  Most everyone else already took down their tattered remains, and probably won't put up any fresh flags until Spring time.  How will I ever know what direction the wind is blowing?   : )

Stuart needs a shout out for yesterday's freestyle session at the Canadian Hole.  He was ON FIRE out there, just killin' it on his 4.7.   I'm going to need to chug some Red Bull to keep up with him...  Yeeeehaaa!! 

Wasted Wind

Hi!  Wow, this weekend was ALL over the place.  We saw south winds, north winds, strong winds, light winds, sunshine and 70s, rain and 50s...  Some of those variations were within a span of minutes!  Regardless, lots of people flocked to Hatteras to go windsurfing, and man did we have fun!  Personally, I got some time on the 2010 World Sail Surge, in a 4.7 and 5.2.  They are feeling super light, very pumpable, and they go neutral very easily, making them a great choice for freestyle.  I've got a few available for demo at the shop if you want to give one a try.

For lack of a better story:  Last night we got hit with a major thunderstorm.  It was gnarly.  The iWindsurf.com wind meter at the Avon Pier recorded a gust of 51 mph!  Wow!  That same gust ripped a piece of the sign off of the roof at the shop.  Luckily, the parking lot below was deserted, since it was 2:30 am.  I'm kinda bummed about that chunk of wasted wind, because:

1. It was dark out (doesn't always dissuade me from windsurfing)
2. It was due to a major thunderstorm with tons of lightning (always dissuades me from windsurfing)
3. It woke me up in the middle of the night, so I then proceeded to oversleep, and missed the 5.2 dawn session
4. I have a new 3.7, but obviously, that was not a good time to give it a try

Source: iWindsurf.com

Looks like more wind over the next few days, and this weekend.  Don't forget:  ABK Boardsports clinic this weekend, Fri-Sun.  Sign up here.  Anne is taking the clinic, and I'm insanely jealous.  She's probably going to be throwing flakas by Monday...

The Calm Before The Storm

Serenity...  I was lucky enough to enjoy a 15 minute sunset sail last night.  SSE winds, 8-12 mph.

(Photo: Anne)

Week's Recap

Phew- Alright- Here's the week's recap:

Early in the week, it was windy, and cold.  It felt like winter, but Stuart, Justin, and I snagged the year's first good Buxton Slick sesh!  Booyah!!  There's no photo evidence, but it was sweet.  How about a pic of Anne and Jenny de-rigging after their sunset sesh, instead:

Then the wind died but the swell was macking for a few days!  Check out this video on Surfline to get an idea of the conditions!


Andy Brandt came to the shop for a THIRD FREE CLINIC on Wednesday!  That has got to be some kind of record, we are hooking you guys up!!  It was another good size crowd (50+), with topics ranging from The Sail Flip to The Shuv-It.

Then the swell faded and the wind hasn't come back yet.  Today was as flat and windless as it gets around here, and honestly kind of rare.  All of the beach goers and everyone who owns a Standup Paddleboard is still loving life, though.  Warm and sunny all day today!

I'm loving life, too, because a few 2010 World Sail Surges showed up at the shop this afternoon!!  They are looking sweet, with a cool color scheme and some nice construction details like lots of x-ply, hemmed batten sleeves, and a heavy duty double thickness head cap strap (among lots of other things, of course).  I rigged up the 4.2 and am pretty stoked with how it looks.  Can't wait to get some wind to try these sails out!!

And check out the sweet graphics on the Chinook Carbon Big Wave boom!  Dang, lookin' hot!  Give me a call if you want to get your hands on one!

It looks like we might get some wind this weekend... C'mon out and join us!

Super Fun Morning at The Cove!

***Update 10/18/09*** Check out the re-cut on the vid! (It's not really different, just smoother edits)

I Love Windsurfing At The Cove!  That place is just so much fun.  Soft, easy waves, lots of jumps, and down the line rides...  What a rad place!

It started off pretty small yesterday, so I sailed the freestyle board for awhile.  It actually worked really well on the soft waves, but I don't know if I'd ever take it out on a more critical day.  Once the wind came up a bit and the waves built, I switched over to the Pocket 80 and had an insanely fun time!  There were lots of folks out, I think I counted about 10 windsurfers and another 10 or 12 kites at one point, which got a bit crowded, but no-one was really stepping on any toes or anything so it worked out alright.  Here's the scene:

And a cool shot of Lane:

And here's some GoPro boom cam video:



I just want to shout out a major "Thank You" to Keith, Rick, and an unknown kiter who helped me get my board back after I had a little separation issue...  Much appreciated, folks, thanks for keeping an eye out!!

Cheers, to many more days just like that!!!!

North Winds =

Wetsuits!

It's been windy, every day!  In the last post I made the claim that I hadn't put on a wetsuit yet.  Well, yeah, that's all changed.  I've been suited up every day since!  I had a few Lighthouse sessions, in pretty weak waves but it's all good.  Here's an image grab from some boom video:

See the Lighthouse in the background?

Yesterday was pretty solid, too, NNW in the AM so I went to the Hole and threw down some freestyle.  The crowds were building just as I had to leave, but I took a few little video clips of Andy Brandt, Dave C, and West Coast Meredith on my way out.


Andy Brandt Old School at the Hole from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.

Speaking of Andy Brandt, he threw down a huge windsurfing clinic at the shop last night.  I counted over 60 people before everyone even showed up, at which point it was impossible to even try to count!  I'm stoked that everyone came out, it was a great time and I think everyone picked up a tip or two. Hopefully, they're all out on the water trying some new tricks right now!!

The forecast is looking... interesting... ?  Keep an eye out for soundside flooding Thursday night/Friday morning...

Sorry, but...

...I've gotta rub it in!!  Two things:

1. I haven't put on a wetsuit since May.
2. It's been howling!!

Last night and this morning were just awesome- Well powered 5.5 and 5.0 respectively,  trunks and shirtless, freestylin' it up at the Canadian Hole with lots of people out and about on the water.  If you're here, you're stoked!  If you're not here, well....  Get Here and Join Us!!  It looks like it's going to be a great week to be on Hatteras Island!

Check the forecast here.

And, an announcement:

Earlier, I announced a few free evening clinics at the shop with Andy Brandt.  Surprise! We've got an addition to the list!  Tuesday, October 13th at 7 PM!  Be there, or be not as good at windsurfing as everyone who was there.

Rejuvenating...

So I've been pretty locked up in that shop... Combined with the shorter days, it's been a bit tough to hit the water...  But I did snag 5 minutes of 4.2 weather Wednesday morning after teaching Craig some waterstarting techniques.  I really enjoy sailing, even if it's only for a few minutes.  Sometimes the short sessions are the best- just go out and throw down for five or ten minutes, make it happen as best as you can, and then go ahead with the rest of your day feeling revitalized and ready to rock and roll!

These guys were probably feeling the same way about their SUP sesh tonight:

One of the reasons I've been locked up at the shop is because it's pre-season time of year- as in, now is when we're placing orders for our 2010 shop goodies...  So if you've been eyeing anything up or are in need of a new board or sail, please give me a call so that we can discuss your needs and make sure that your dream board actually exists come springtime!

IBSCC Week Roundup

Not too much action for me the last few days...  But Anne and I grabbed a moonlight sail with the IBSCC guys last night, with 5.5 on the 100 Freestyle board.  Super fun!  Thanks for the hospitality, fellas!  It was great having you around this week!  After the crazy winds earlier in the week, they've been busy SUPing, and have put together some great little movies.  Check them out here and here and here.

If y'all are looking for some more fresh material this weekend, check out:

Windsurfer International Issue 2

And be sure to tune in to the Live Ticker for the PWA contest at Sylt!  It's gusting over 40 knots with 5m waves right now...  Sounds pretty epic!!

**Update** Tabou/Vandal team rider Alex Mussolini won the Sylt Wave Event!  Check out some of the pictures on the PWA website!

And don't forget- Free clinic with Andy Brandt, Wednesday October 7th, 7 PM, at Sailworld Hatteras!!

Wave Jam, Take 2

So Monday ended up being extra windy SW!!  After scouring the whole island, we ended up at Old Lifeguard Beach.  The timing was such that everyone showed up exactly at high tide when everything got weird...  The waves were doubling/tripling up, hard to read, voodoo chop inside, voodoo chop outside, the North swell instantly faded as the new South swell tried to take over...  Tough conditions to make anything happen, to say the least...  But everyone tried their best and did a great job out there!

Luckily, once the tide switched around and started pulling back out, everything reorganized.  Just in time to rig down to a 4.2!!  Even then I got yanked over the front while trying to drive down the line on a few waves...  man that wind was punchy!  Anyway, the sunset sesh was sweet, to say the least!  I don't know that I've ever seen a bigger, redder, sun make contact with the dunes...  It was very distracting...

Bill posted up a bunch of great pictures on OBX Beach Life (Thanks for shooting, Keith and Martine).  Hint- if you click on a picture, a slideshow comes up, with captions.

While rigging, I snapped a few pics too:

Caleb, lining it up...

...And smacking it!  (or getting smacked?)

I also tied on the ol' boom cam.  I've had a bunch of requests for pictures of the GoPro Wide setup that I've been using, so here y'all go:

Put a safety knot in the straps (around the boom), and use the extra outhaul to tie a safety line around the camera itself.

Tie it up as snugly as possible, and angle the camera down towards the mast base for best results.  In the camera menu, set the record mode to "upd" (upside down) since the camera is hanging upside down from the boom.

And here's what I got for video from the early sesh, on a 5.0 with the weird high tide waves.  When am I going to learn to save the batteries for the real deal footage???  Oh well, something's better than nothing, right? :)  Enjoy!


Wave Jam '09 from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.