It's defintely starting to feel like summer down here! We've had two days straight of perfect SW winds, warm air, and the water's warming up, too! Lots of people have been sailing in trunks in the sound, and I bet the ocean isn't too far behind!
I've spent the last two afternoons freestyling back behind island creek. There are lots of sailors in town, including a HUGE group from BABA, a bunch of Torontoians, Josh Sampiero from Windsurfing Mag, Catapulting Aaron, and many many more! It's been really fun sailing with some new people, and everyone's been super happy out on the water. Both days have been perfect freestyle weather, with comfortable 5.7 conditions. I'm feeling super dialed in on my starboard Vulcans, Spocks, and 540s, but I can't seem to pull the trigger on port... it's getting kind of personally frustrating... Luckily, Stuart's been pushing me, as he's been landing vulcans on both tacks recently! Good man! Nothing like a young whippersnapper hot on your heels to keep you motivated!
Looks like a crazy wind event is in store for tomorrow, so I'm off to bed to rest up. Stay tuned for a report, hopefully chock full of pictures of everyone sailing giant waves on 4.2s! My fingers are crossed for some waves, it's been just about as flat as it gets for the last few days here...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Classic May Conditions, ABK Party!!!, April Wrap Up
We have had some serious fun here over the last few days! Last week ended with a string of solid SW days, mid 20s every afternoon! And warm temperatures to boot! Classic May conditions! I snagged a bunch of great sessions, all sound side since the ocean was flat. Good freestylin', and a slalom sesh to boot! (But I couldn't come anywhere close to keeping up with Billy D! Man that guy is fast!) Sunday night, I had the pleasure of sailing with Tom and Andy Brandt, of ABK Boardsports fame! Somehow, everything was going well, and I was able to show off my new moves and not feel like a total kook out there! (But Andy B still humbled me)!
Monday blew north in the afternoon, but I missed it... because I was prepping the shop for the Clinic/Party with Andy Brandt and Matthew Case (the 2008 sidekick)! Turnout was a bit lower than in years past, in part attributable to the evening wind and the early weekday (Monday versus Wednesday), but we still had a great time and the attendees nabbed some seriously personal instruction! Topics ranged from clew first jibe exits to fin first sailing to a heated discussion of the slalom versus freestyle fun factor! Good Stuff! Major thanks to Andy and Matthew for their time and expertise!
Informal Clinic/Happy Hour (L-R: Andy B, Instructee, Eavesdropper, Tom, Josh Sampiero)
Lost In Hatteras meets Catapulting Aaron meets OBX Beach Life!
Things got a little rowdy after the bulk of people left... Break dancing, among other things, seemed to be the entertainment of choice! Enjoy the short video clip!
Tuesday the wind finally died, so Anne, Drew, Miranda, Stuart and I surfed the shorebreak, dead high tide, with an onshore breeze after work. Those in the know about surfing conditions can attest to the usual effect of those conditions on the waves: Crapified! But, every now and then a fun one would line up and we all caught a few decent rides, so there were smiles all around!
And the April Wrap Up:
16 sessions windsurfing (5.7 x6, 5.0 x8, 4.2 x2)
11 Surfing (5 SUP, 6 shortboard)
Just 1 Skate Sail Sesh
9 days in a 6/5/4 suit
14 days in a 3/2 suit
2 in trunks!
1 major "missed it" day
And I was off Hatteras for 6 days when I went to Jamaica! I know I missed at least 2 or 3 good days then. This place has just been FIRING! Non stop action, just the way I like it!
Looks like more surf in the AM, then the SW wind will probably kick in for the next few days! Should be a great end to the week!
Monday blew north in the afternoon, but I missed it... because I was prepping the shop for the Clinic/Party with Andy Brandt and Matthew Case (the 2008 sidekick)! Turnout was a bit lower than in years past, in part attributable to the evening wind and the early weekday (Monday versus Wednesday), but we still had a great time and the attendees nabbed some seriously personal instruction! Topics ranged from clew first jibe exits to fin first sailing to a heated discussion of the slalom versus freestyle fun factor! Good Stuff! Major thanks to Andy and Matthew for their time and expertise!
Informal Clinic/Happy Hour (L-R: Andy B, Instructee, Eavesdropper, Tom, Josh Sampiero)
Lost In Hatteras meets Catapulting Aaron meets OBX Beach Life!
Things got a little rowdy after the bulk of people left... Break dancing, among other things, seemed to be the entertainment of choice! Enjoy the short video clip!
Tuesday the wind finally died, so Anne, Drew, Miranda, Stuart and I surfed the shorebreak, dead high tide, with an onshore breeze after work. Those in the know about surfing conditions can attest to the usual effect of those conditions on the waves: Crapified! But, every now and then a fun one would line up and we all caught a few decent rides, so there were smiles all around!
And the April Wrap Up:
16 sessions windsurfing (5.7 x6, 5.0 x8, 4.2 x2)
11 Surfing (5 SUP, 6 shortboard)
Just 1 Skate Sail Sesh
9 days in a 6/5/4 suit
14 days in a 3/2 suit
2 in trunks!
1 major "missed it" day
And I was off Hatteras for 6 days when I went to Jamaica! I know I missed at least 2 or 3 good days then. This place has just been FIRING! Non stop action, just the way I like it!
Looks like more surf in the AM, then the SW wind will probably kick in for the next few days! Should be a great end to the week!
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly!
Good things first: ABK Boardsports is in town for a 3 day weekend clinic, and they're scoring great weather! Sunny, warm, and perfect SW wind in the upper teens, low 20s for all the clinic goers to improve their skills! I'm sure they're having a great time out there!
Join Us Here on Monday Night!!
For those of you who didn't get a spot in the sold out 3 day clinic, Sailworld Hatteras and ABK are sponsoring a free evening clinic Monday night, May 5th, 7 pm at Sailworld Hatteras! Andy Brandt and Matthew Case will be doing an informal question and answer session, generally regarding the windsurf technique of your choice. You can ask them how to uphaul, or how to double spock 540, and they'll give you an easy to understand, step by step, entertaining answer! Sailworld will be supplying free snacks and drink for your euphoric caloric gain after a long day on the water! Come on by and hang out!
Brett rocking the lightwind freestyle!
Also, we snagged a lightwind sunset cruise last night at the Hole. Brett was lit up on a 7.0 and 130 liter freeride board, then swapped with Anne and I cruising the SUP and 5.0 combo, practicing helitacks, etc. Great sunset, fun, warm vibes on the water!
Bad things second: While walking Banana this morning, we came across this smoldering bonfire on the beach.
The cell phone pic doesn't do the scene justice. There was trash everywhere. There were a handful of charred empty beer cans and a wine bottle mixed in with the ashes. I can only hope that whoever left this mess will come back and clean it up when it cools off. If not, I guess I'll have to, or maybe some other third party will. I'm assuming the SUV parked right there by the pit is owned by a fire attendee. Thanks for not driving home drunk! But I have to ask: Why not just throw your empties in the back of the truck? I don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that tossing aluminum cans in a fire releases a number of toxins into the air. Not to mention that your cans will NOT melt and disappear, if that was your goal. I don't care how hot your fire is, it just isn't going to happen... Hopefully your girlfriend wasn't downwind when you tossed that can in the fire, because she'll probably get lung cancer in a few years.
Now for the Ugly: The concrete walls on the superstore are going up, further emphasizing the dwarfage of the shops next door. Pleeease don't be shrouded in bright 24 hour lights and ugly paint jobs......
I can't end it on a down note, so lets talk forecast! Right now, the SW is already ramping up, and there's barely a cloud in the sky! Looks the same for the next few days, and good wind all the way through Monday! Sweeeet! See ya out there!
Join Us Here on Monday Night!!
For those of you who didn't get a spot in the sold out 3 day clinic, Sailworld Hatteras and ABK are sponsoring a free evening clinic Monday night, May 5th, 7 pm at Sailworld Hatteras! Andy Brandt and Matthew Case will be doing an informal question and answer session, generally regarding the windsurf technique of your choice. You can ask them how to uphaul, or how to double spock 540, and they'll give you an easy to understand, step by step, entertaining answer! Sailworld will be supplying free snacks and drink for your euphoric caloric gain after a long day on the water! Come on by and hang out!
Brett rocking the lightwind freestyle!
Also, we snagged a lightwind sunset cruise last night at the Hole. Brett was lit up on a 7.0 and 130 liter freeride board, then swapped with Anne and I cruising the SUP and 5.0 combo, practicing helitacks, etc. Great sunset, fun, warm vibes on the water!
Bad things second: While walking Banana this morning, we came across this smoldering bonfire on the beach.
The cell phone pic doesn't do the scene justice. There was trash everywhere. There were a handful of charred empty beer cans and a wine bottle mixed in with the ashes. I can only hope that whoever left this mess will come back and clean it up when it cools off. If not, I guess I'll have to, or maybe some other third party will. I'm assuming the SUV parked right there by the pit is owned by a fire attendee. Thanks for not driving home drunk! But I have to ask: Why not just throw your empties in the back of the truck? I don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that tossing aluminum cans in a fire releases a number of toxins into the air. Not to mention that your cans will NOT melt and disappear, if that was your goal. I don't care how hot your fire is, it just isn't going to happen... Hopefully your girlfriend wasn't downwind when you tossed that can in the fire, because she'll probably get lung cancer in a few years.Now for the Ugly: The concrete walls on the superstore are going up, further emphasizing the dwarfage of the shops next door. Pleeease don't be shrouded in bright 24 hour lights and ugly paint jobs......
I can't end it on a down note, so lets talk forecast! Right now, the SW is already ramping up, and there's barely a cloud in the sky! Looks the same for the next few days, and good wind all the way through Monday! Sweeeet! See ya out there!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Perfect Hatteras!
The last few days have just been plane old wicked, regardless of what game you play! Monday saw a building swell, and some pretty up and down SW wind. By the time I got off work, the buoy was reading something ridiculous like 9 feet at 14 seconds (don't quote me on that, but the waves were macking)! I walked over the dunes at Ego beach to find a bunch of people and rigs on the beach, and only one guy out. The wind looked Super light, so I hemmed and hawed over what to do. Moderate wind freestyle in the sound, or light wind schlog in mast high Ego beach?
The lure of huge, clean wave faces won out, so I rigged my 5.7 on a 85 liter RRD. This is usually a very schloggable combo for me, but the water was so aerated that I was sunk up to my calves while trying to punch over head high walls of white water! Not the best combo... Somehow, I got super lucky with a few puffs of breeze at VERY crucial moments. Not enough wind to plane, but enough to pop over some major piles of water and squeak out past a looming set on the horizon.
Once out, I realized how lucky I got. The sets were rolling by, at least mast high, if not bigger. I felt pretty small bobbing around out there all by myself, not even a soul on the beach. I decided to catch just one wave, the biggest wave I could find, and ride it all the way to the beach. After testing the waters on a few medium sized waves and kicking out really early to make it back outside, I finally saw The Wave.
This thing was a wall, at least a hundred yards long and mast high out in deep water. The main peak was about 30 yards downwind of me, so it was easy to pump into it and I new it was going to be a loooong ride! 8 (+) bottom turns and 45 seconds later I was kicking out right before it dumped up onto the beach. Unreal. Soooo smoooooth, and the most wide open wave face I've ever been on. So much room to build speed, pick a line, drive the rail through a bottom turn. No sail power, just apparent wind. Wow.
Stuart walked over the dune just as I finished walking back up the beach. This was the best 200 yard walk of shame I've ever taken. I will never forget this wave (probably). We both tried to get back out again, but got denied no more than 20 yards from the beach.
To finish the evening, we joined the rest of the crew over at the Hole, including Anne, Brett, Jim M and a few other visiting sailors. The 5.7 was perfect for about 30 minutes, and I pulled the nastiest spock 540 I've ever thrown! Before long, the wind picked up to solid 5.0, and it turned into a loopfest. Stuart chucked a sweet port loop right in my face, so I had to follow suit! Usually I only throw 'em on starboard on flat water, so it was good to have some motivation! Thanks for pushing me, Stu!
And man, the next morning, Tuesday morning, the waves were just FIRING! The wind went west, and was very sailable, probably 5.0 again, but the waves were just too perfect to pass up! Drew and I surfed down in Buxton, the sets were a bit overhead, and just reeling down the beach! I got trounced a few times, and had a really tough paddle out, but the experience was well worth it. We also saw a few guys just tearing it up a few hundred yards up the beach. I'm talking full on stand up barrels, then getting spat out, and chucking a bit of air or thwacking the lip vertically. Nasty, nasty surfing. Very rad, and humbling at the same time!
On the drive back to Avon, Drew and I noticed that everyone was out having a great time! There were kites in the air, windsurfers ripping around the sound, fishermen with lines in the water, and of course the surfers we had just seen. We saw people biking, and even practicing Tai Chi on the beach. The whole island seemed alive with people enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Good Stuff!
We planned to surf again last night, but within the five minutes it took run into the house and grab a wetsuit, the wind switched around 180 degrees and immediately ruined the surf. It's amazing how much of a difference wind direction makes. So, I decided to go skate sailing for a few minutes, and stay dry for the evening. Drew showed up halfway through the sesh, and he had a go on the skateboard as well. He did great for his first time out, but next time I'll make him wear a helmet! Check out the video!
The lure of huge, clean wave faces won out, so I rigged my 5.7 on a 85 liter RRD. This is usually a very schloggable combo for me, but the water was so aerated that I was sunk up to my calves while trying to punch over head high walls of white water! Not the best combo... Somehow, I got super lucky with a few puffs of breeze at VERY crucial moments. Not enough wind to plane, but enough to pop over some major piles of water and squeak out past a looming set on the horizon.
Once out, I realized how lucky I got. The sets were rolling by, at least mast high, if not bigger. I felt pretty small bobbing around out there all by myself, not even a soul on the beach. I decided to catch just one wave, the biggest wave I could find, and ride it all the way to the beach. After testing the waters on a few medium sized waves and kicking out really early to make it back outside, I finally saw The Wave.
This thing was a wall, at least a hundred yards long and mast high out in deep water. The main peak was about 30 yards downwind of me, so it was easy to pump into it and I new it was going to be a loooong ride! 8 (+) bottom turns and 45 seconds later I was kicking out right before it dumped up onto the beach. Unreal. Soooo smoooooth, and the most wide open wave face I've ever been on. So much room to build speed, pick a line, drive the rail through a bottom turn. No sail power, just apparent wind. Wow.
Stuart walked over the dune just as I finished walking back up the beach. This was the best 200 yard walk of shame I've ever taken. I will never forget this wave (probably). We both tried to get back out again, but got denied no more than 20 yards from the beach.
To finish the evening, we joined the rest of the crew over at the Hole, including Anne, Brett, Jim M and a few other visiting sailors. The 5.7 was perfect for about 30 minutes, and I pulled the nastiest spock 540 I've ever thrown! Before long, the wind picked up to solid 5.0, and it turned into a loopfest. Stuart chucked a sweet port loop right in my face, so I had to follow suit! Usually I only throw 'em on starboard on flat water, so it was good to have some motivation! Thanks for pushing me, Stu!
And man, the next morning, Tuesday morning, the waves were just FIRING! The wind went west, and was very sailable, probably 5.0 again, but the waves were just too perfect to pass up! Drew and I surfed down in Buxton, the sets were a bit overhead, and just reeling down the beach! I got trounced a few times, and had a really tough paddle out, but the experience was well worth it. We also saw a few guys just tearing it up a few hundred yards up the beach. I'm talking full on stand up barrels, then getting spat out, and chucking a bit of air or thwacking the lip vertically. Nasty, nasty surfing. Very rad, and humbling at the same time!
On the drive back to Avon, Drew and I noticed that everyone was out having a great time! There were kites in the air, windsurfers ripping around the sound, fishermen with lines in the water, and of course the surfers we had just seen. We saw people biking, and even practicing Tai Chi on the beach. The whole island seemed alive with people enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Good Stuff!
We planned to surf again last night, but within the five minutes it took run into the house and grab a wetsuit, the wind switched around 180 degrees and immediately ruined the surf. It's amazing how much of a difference wind direction makes. So, I decided to go skate sailing for a few minutes, and stay dry for the evening. Drew showed up halfway through the sesh, and he had a go on the skateboard as well. He did great for his first time out, but next time I'll make him wear a helmet! Check out the video!
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