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!!