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!