Thursday, December 30, 2010

Ahhhhh!!! Winter sailing!

After everyone raving about the wind during the storm on Sunday and Monday I was really itching for a session. It looked like Tuesday would be mid 20s and perfect tide and wind direction for West Meadow. So that was the call.

At 10AM I packed up the truck with all the winter neoprene and headed for the Meadow. As I approached the gate I saw a HUGE pile of snow about even with the roof of my expedition. The problem was that it was sitting smack in the middle of the entrance. As I pulled up to the pile I could see the exit way was plowed in, but surely doable in 4 wheel drive. It was about even with the top of the front bumper. I contemplated turning around for a split second as I took another look at the 4.2 conditions and perfect flat water. Then I glanced back at my trailer. Yes I was about to make a 90 degree right turn into a 3 foot pile of plowed snow towing a trailer. As I hit the gas I was definitely not going the "right" direction. So I backed up. then went forward, then backed up, then went forward, then went back, then went forward. You get the point. There was already 1 set of tracks going through, so I figured all I had to do was flatten it out a bit. After 5 or 6 minutes of going forward and backward and getting a few looks from people walking past (the same looks you get when you come back out after sailing in below freezing temps) I finally got some directional control with the front wheels and made my right. Piece of cake. There was only one other car in the parking lot. A couple of kiters that I see sailing there all the time jumped out of their 4x4 truck and came running over. "How the F@(k did you get in here with a trailer!!!?????," one said. "And more importantly, are you going out?"

Well, both answers seemed pretty obvious, but I answered anyway. "I just drove right in, and hell yes I'm going out!"

I rigged the 4.2 and hit the water. Full power right away. Then as I started moving got overpowered right before schlogging, right before being overpowered again. Lets just say it looked way better from the beach. I still sailed for 2 1/2 hours on a 4.2 but here's my impression of me sailing that day. Underpowered, underpowered, powered, overpowered, overpowered, OVERPOWERED, OVERPOWERED, overpowered, try trick, blow up. Scholg scholg, OVERPOWERED, OVERPOWERED, overpowered, try trick, blow up! Repeat for 2 hours with the occasional clean trick, realize that I'm crashing so much probably because I can't feel my feet, sail for another 1/2 hour then pack it in. So I walked back up the beach with the ice cubes attached to the bottom of my legs. Cue strange looks from bystanders and we've got another winter session on LI in the bag. It was kinda weird trying to move out of the way of tractor moving snow as I was de-rigging. And after all that, YES I'D LIKE ANOTHER!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Marcilio Brown's favorite sail? It was my favorite first!

North Ice of course. See it in action as Marcilio explains why it's soooo nice.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Race to Hatteras

Cape Hatteras is a fall pilgrimage for many New Englanders. This year I had some weddings booked on the dates that the larger group of guys from LI decided to go. Their week in Hatteras was one to speak about for years to come. Warmish, wind every day and lots of great folks. They even had topless women, but that's another (private) story all together. So my hopes were high for our trip to Hatteras 2 weeks later. We had a smaller group of about 7 planning on going. One had to cancel due to personal reasons.

The forecast was VERY good for our week while we were heading down. We awakened in our Holliday in Express room in Exmore VA to the sound of a steady 20 knot breeze singing at our windows. Only 3 hours more driving until we were in Hatteras sailing the beautiful warm winds. As we drove, I realized this wind that we woke up to was very, very isolated. We were directly behind the cold front. Every time we would pull ahead of it, the wind would go calm, and every time it would pass us, the wind would crank. The race was on!!!! As we drove on, we pulled slightly ahead of the front. 3 hours later we pulled up to our Hatteras house in Avon to see Rob already planing in a SW breeze right in the back yard. He came in and and we asked him what he was on. "5.9 and this 126 ltr I borrowed from Ocean Air." He replied.

I told him, "I think it's going to get windy really soon."

"That's not what the forecast says, and it's not really good right now. Why do you think there's wind coming."

I pointed past his head to the very obvious front defined by a low level line of clouds stretching as far as the eye could see. Then I whipped the 4.7 and 89 ltr out of the trailer and rigged it up. I threw on my 3/2 wetsuit and got right in the water. I schlogged out a bit, but there wasn't nearly enough wind to plane on a 4.7. I jibed and schlogged back in. As I approached the houses the first gust hit the sail. "Here we go!" I thought to myself. I did a quick tack and and headed back out. this time fully planing. The clouds were now directly over head and as I sailed straight past them the wind did a 180. Without jibing, I sailed right back to shore down the beach. The wind was now NW and full power 4.7. It lasted about an hour and every second I was sailing I could taste the sweet, sweet victory of our race against the front to Hatteras.

The rest of the week was kind of a let down. The temps fell from 70 degrees to mid 40s. The coldest temps I have ever experienced at that time of year in Hatteras. EVERYONE in the house was also sick and many went to the doctor. But that one 1 hour session we got when we beat the front to Hatteras made the entire trip worth while. Now we're home in below freezing temps and I'm wishing we were back in Hatteras in the balmy 45 degree weather.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Fanatic!

After the demise of Mistral in the US I went searching for the next perfect board. It was hard to find to say the least. Along the way I've sailed boards that were lots of fun and others that only a mother could love. (you know who you are) For 2010 I couldn't find a brand that had it all, so I ended up with both JP and F2. I recently was able to try a few of the 2010 Fanatics. Not just the skate but also a sampling of the wave range. The skate was very nice with good pop, nice sliding and decent carving abilities. The wind cranked up a notch and I was able to give the 85 ltr New Wave Twin a shot. That thing has more traction than anything I'v ever sailed, and I could actually picture myself starting to wave sail again with one of these. So with a great all around range I've decided to go with Fanatic for 2011. Not to mention they look sexier than any board I can remember in recent history. I'll be sure and post up my findings of the new boards when they come in. For now I have on order a 2011 skate 90 and 100.


Thursday, October 7, 2010

2011 North Sails Ice review

I know, I know. Everyone says the new sails just keep getting better and better. Well, everyone is right. The 2011s are very similar in feel to the 2010s. I've had the 2011s for about a month of testing now. I finally managed to get out on the 4.2 and 3.7 recently and I've been out on the 4.7 and 5.3 a ton.

As always, North is a very high quality sail with the 5 year warranty to back it up. There is an attention to detail in the norths not found in most other manufacturers. It's still the easiest sail to rig on the market. Just set the downhaul to the sail markings and outhaul to the numbers on the luff sleeve by the boom cutout that are dead on. The Ice HD is back again this year in a full X-ply construction. I opted again for the monofilm versions for ultimate handling and easy viewing of the next wave I'm about to slash, or boat about to run me over.

The handling of the 2011 sails is a bit lighter feeling in the hands than last year, and that's saying a lot, because one of the online mags stated after testing a boatload of sails that the 2010 Ice was the lightest handling sail in the group. Now the 2011 is even lighter feeling! The low end of the Ice increased for 2010 and but couldn't tell a difference this year. Still lots of smooth power and I'm still always the first one planing. What I did notice however was the ability of the 2011s to stay even more locked in when overpowered. The center of effort just stays right where the harness line markings on the sail are. Another noticeable improvement for those that are up for some freestyle trickery is that the 2011 is much more controlled in all the duck moves. It goes neutral really easy and just lays into the perfect position for a duck tack, funnel, kono or culo. The improvement of handling was most notable in the 5.3 size. It's very close in feel to the 4.7 now.

All in all, the 2011 ice is as good as or better at everything than the 2010. Little improvements here and there are really adding up. Although you might not notice too much of a difference going from a 2010 to a 2011 if you haven't been sailing the 2010 all year, I recently sailed a 2008 5.3 Ice and the difference compared to a 2011 very noticeable.

For more info on the Northsails Ice go to the NORTHSAILS WEBSITE

Here are a few pics of the 3.7 in action in winds gusting over 40!




And one of the 4.7 in action at Heckscher along side it's older brother (2009).

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

SEPTEMBER: a month in 800 words or less

So this summer didn't deal up the usual epic conditions we're used to at Heckscher. Don't get me wrong, we had plenty of wind with a bunch of 5.3 and 5.9 days. It even was pretty good in August which along with September are the two least windy months of the year. This September has been very different. Very, VERY different. today was day 13 that I sailed this month and it looks like we're going out with a bang. I've also been swamped with work, so I've missed a good bit of wind too. we've got to be on day 17 or 18 of sailable days for Sept. The first week in Sept. we had a streak of 7 windy days of which I grabbed 6. Right now we're into day 4 of which I've nailed 3 and it looks to stay windy right through the weekend.

Not only have we had lots of wind, but we're still getting some summertime temperatures. I managed to get not 1 but 2 of the best low tide, full power freestyle West Meadow sessions this month. Not only were they incredible, but they were also in board shorts. I don't think board shorts and West Meadow have ever been mentioned in the same sentence before. We've also grabbed a few perfect sessions at the training grounds, a little freestyle spot we found this past winter. So far so good for the "fall" season.

GEAR:

New gear has also been arriving. The 2011 North Ices and Dukes are even better than ever. I've had them for a few weeks now. North has just keeps making little tweaks the past few years. This year they're more locked down when they get really powered than last year and so the upper range has increased even more. They're also even lighter while tossing them around and maybe ever so slightly more springy in feel. Anyway, I've been making moves easier than ever. I'll be posting up a full review when I finally manage to grab some pictures. For now we'll just say that they rock!

NoLimits shipped out my 2011 masts today. They've got few tricks up their sleeves with the 2011 design. Rumors are that they redesigned the bend curve ever so slightly for the new generation of sails. So if you want to try a mast that just might work better than your sail manufacturer's mast at 1/2 the price, give the new NoLimitz a shot. I'll post up a review on the new masts after I've had a few sessions on different sails with them.

Chinook is also redesigning their carbon wave booms. no word on exactly when they will be ready, but I've heard rumors of some 1-offs already floating around some shops to see what they think, so it should be shortly.

Maybe some BIG news in the board dept. for me. We'll see if things come through.

That's it for now. I feel like I'm on Chachi's schedule. Work, sail, eat, sleep, repeat.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Earl Schmearl

September has come and the wind is back in a big way! We've had more sailing days than not in the past couple weeks. Actually today was officially day 7 in a row of sailable conditions on LI. Hurricane Earl promised us some 50 knot + winds. The only problem is that Earl took a more Easterly path than originally thought and the only people that got to sail were all the way out on the tip of Long Island at Napeague. I eagerly awaited another session at the Training Grounds in all of Earl's glory but ended up getting skunked with gusts up to 12 knots along with everyone else on the North Shore.

But I should be the last to complain. I've sailed more days than not so far in the month of September and it looks like we'll get yet another good day tomorrow. The day following the windless Hurricane was my best day of the season. It was probably the first time I sailed West Meadow without a wetsuit. We arrived at high tide with some great ramps for the perfect loopfest and stayed until the tide went out where I was hitting trick after trick in the perfect flat water behind the sand bars. I had to cut that day short to go shoot a wedding, which turned out to be a great party! Win, win!

Then it was back to summer-like conditions at Heckscher for the next few days. Tuesday was incredible. Fully, fully powered on a 4.7 with gusts over 30 towards the end. There were a bunch of people out and Ryan, Rob and Joe were also on the scene going for loops, flakas, shuvit's and landing vulcans. Chris Goodwin, who is definitely someone to keep your eyes on, was overpowered on his 5.8 (his smallest sail) so he decided to stop and take some pics. here are a few of my favorites.








Friday, August 20, 2010

Coast to Coast

2 years ago, a boy had a dream. His dream was the same as every windsurfers dream, that is to sail everyday! So 2 years ago a boy decided to pack up and head out west. First to the Gorge, then to the Delta. Fast forward 2 years and that boy has become a man. A man that is know by one name......... Chachi. A freestyle machine! Sorry Chris I don't have such a glorious introductory for you. Chris is f'ing good too but he's just got the same old story as the rest of us, a 9 to 5 job, living on the East Coast. Come to think of it, how the hell did Chris get this good this fast living on the East side!!! Here's a video from these two freestyle pros during a windy week at the delta.

Full Power Delta Freestyle from Chris Eldridge on Vimeo.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Back to the Usual

The wind has been back up here on Long island. Last week we had what was probably the best day of the summer. It was a full power 4.2 south westerly. Heckscher was definitely the call as the guys on the ocean only had a marginal 5.7 day. Then this week lined up again. Tuesday was a nice 4.7 day. I sailed until I couldn't sail anymore. I got about 6 hours straight in on Tuesday. Here are a few shots from Tuesday thanks to Chris Goodwin, one of our newest freestylers and heckscher Park lifeguard.




Wednesday also had some major potential but things never really came together like they were supposed to. I ended up getting to the beach around 1:00 and sailed on and off 5.3 for a while. Chris ended up rigging up to his 7.5 and was just blasting along. Then suddenly he it a boat wake and snapped his mast all the way out by the red channel marker about 1/2 mile off shore. He ended up getting back in about 45 minutes later. Later on when the wind completely crapped out we worked on some lightwind freestyle. He ended up getting an upwind 360 on the first try and is really getting dialed in sailing backwinded. Thanks Elena for these shots.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Oh Come On!

It's been 3 weeks straight here on LI of teaser 5.9 conditions. Sure we can get out the big stuff (5.9 is my big stuff) a couple days a week and go blast around on warm sunny days. But it's been a while since we've had any real wind. A week ago I would have done anything to get a session on a 4.7. And I would have, the only problem was that I had weddings booked. Friday's forecast was for close to 30 mph winds, and it came true! I know this because the wedding I was shooting was on the water and the wind was blowing the bride's veil right off her head. Luckily it was also supposed to be windy for the next 4 days in a row. Unlucky for me, I had another wedding booked for the following day.

After shoting the 2 weddings and missing the first 2 days, Sunday morning I woke to a voicemail box full of "Where are you, it's blowing 4.2?" and "Mike, I'm at Heckscher, rigging 4.7, gotta go!" I had missed the first 2 days of wind but Sunday would be my day. I eagerly turned on my computer to see the latest forecast. "WHAT THE F@#K!" 5- 10 knots?!!!!!!! Another 5.9 day at Heckscher!!!!! It was nice being out on the 5.9 but my thoughts were still with those 2 great days I missed. When I got home from the beach after yet another good 5.9 session I checked the forecast for Monday, my last hope as the rest of the week looked pretty pathetic for wind. As the windfinder page loaded a huge smile grew on my face. It looked like I would finally get my 4.7 day. I would be able to work on those new moves I want oh so bad. Yes Monday would be the day.

Monday was right on track in the morning. SW wind was already in place and the thermals would only make it stronger. And it did. Monday was a great day! By 4:00 perfect 5.3 wind was in place and I was loving life. Sure it wasn't 4.7, but it sure as hell wasn't 5.9. I was able to work on a move called the bob and I'm able to get the sail duck part almost every time, but the chop was making it tough to pop and slide without digging in the tail. But progress was being made and I was a happy camper. Then around 6:00 a police car turned it's lights on and was driving around the parking lot. I went to check it out and it turns out the board of Health was closing the park 2 hours early because of freaking mosquitoes!!! What the hell mosquito can fly in 20 knots anyway? The cop was nice though and said he'd clear out the rest of the park fist, then come back to get us off the water around 7:00 so we could be out by 7:30. Not too bad considering the options.

So I went home Monday night glad that I finally got to sail something smaller than a 5.9 and was as content as could be. That is until Wed. Oh Wednesday. There wasn't any wind in the forecast for Wed. so the plan was to edit all day while Chrissy (my wife) took the kids to a pool party. She asked, "Do you mind if I take the kids to the party with the truck?" In my mind this could cause multiple problems, the foremost of which is the fact that I needed the Expedition to tow the windsurf trailer to the beach. But since the kids car seats were already in the truck and the forecast was crap, I told her she might as well take it.

Not 2 hours after she leaves for the party, the wind starts to build. I'm watch the wind climb for another hour as I start burning some Blu-Ray copies of one of the weddings I shot. Then at 3:00 I check again and the wind is already into the 20s. "Oh come on!!!," I shout out in the studio. Finally this is going to be the 4.7 day I need and she's got the f'ing truck! But wait, my wife's edge has a hitch! It's not the same size hitch though. It's got a smaller receiver for the hitch to plug into so I can't use the hitch from the Expedition. then I remembered that my old explorer had the smaller sized hitch and I would just have to find that one. I dug through the garage and after about 15 minutes of searching, I found it. I plugged it in and as good to go! This was one of the longest drives to Heckscher I've ever had. Along the way I kept checking the wind to look for signs of it dying, but it was just hovering right at 20. I couldn't wait to be fully powered on the 5.3 and maybe even get a few runs on the 4.7.

I pulled into heckscher at the same time as Ryan. We both jumped out of our cars with big smiles on. We both agreed 5.3 was the call for full power sailing and ran to the back of our vehicles to start rigging. Ryan with a big smile pulled his 5.4 out of its bag. I eagerly stuck the key into the lock on the trailer and, "Oh come on!!!!!"

Ryan looks over at me.

"It's the wrong F'ing Key!" I had changed the locks on the trailer during the spring trip to Hatteras and never put the new set of keys on the key ring to my wife's car. Ryan suggested finding a hardware store and cutting the locks. My first thought was "that's crazy" I turned towards the water, saw all the whitecaps and changed my mind. I knew of a hardware store about 10 minutes away. So I drove right over. I explained my situation to the guy behind the counter. He told me I should just drive home and wait for my wife with the keys. He obviously isn't a windsurfer or he had made it to the beach all of those windy days I missed. I bought a bolt cutter and new set of locks. About 25 minutes and $50.00 later I was back at the beach. I grabbed the bolt cutters and they cut that lock like butter. I was in! Ryan was lit up on his 5.4, and I on my 4.7. I was busting out huge shakas, ponches, air flakas, and Ryan even claims he saw a full rotation of an air Bob even though I didn't land it. Sure enough the only thing that could be the buzz kill happened. Phil the wind Killer showed up and like clockwork, just as I'm ready to break out the 4.2, the wind backs off to 18 to 20. I went and grabbed the 5.3 and sailed for another hour before the weeds started rolling in making it almost impossible to plane at full speed even with full power and a cut down 17 cm G-sport fin.

All in all, Wed. was the day I was waiting for. I had gotten my perfect 4.7 day and it was everything I hoped it would be. Next time I'll remember the new set of keys, or at least my new bolt cutter.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Looks like they have a Heckscher in Europe too.

This is a pretty funny video. Just replace the word "Worthing" with "Heckscher".

Monday, July 19, 2010

Looks Windy




Well, since we hit July, there hasn't been much real wind here on LI. I personally have missed the 2 good days of the month, but I've been managing to slip in some days on the 5.9 and 98 ltr Rodeo. This combo planes up so early that it tricks everyone else into rigging and getting out. I had a fun day yesterday and at 170 lbs, not only was I the only one planing that was on a sail smaller than 7.5, but it gets so powered so quickly that I had plenty of power for loops, flakas, shakas, etc. Go get yourself a Rodeo and 2010 Northsails 5.9 Duke. 12 knots and you're off! In the shots in the pictures the wind was about 13 or 14 knots.

Monday, July 12, 2010

I Found the Wind

Well, we've been getting some wind here on Long Island, but not the nice 20 to 25 knot stuff we've gotten used to this spring. Sure we get to break out the 5.9s a couple times a week, but where's the real wind? I personally haven't sailed anything smaller than the 5.9 in about 2 1/2 weeks and the online forums are filled with people complaining about a windless summer, and it's not even half over. So why is the wind on such a light side this year? I surely couldn't be the fact that the waters have warmed up cutting down the thermal effect that gives us our beloved 4.7 days, or that the fronts seem to just keep coming through right around 2PM when the thermals would normally start kicking in. Nope, it's not even Phil the wind killers fault that there's no wind. He hasn't event been to the beach since May when it WAS windy. No, no. The real reason the wind has disappeared is because F'ing Chachi has it! That's right Chachi is 5 days in of solid 4.2 sailing! And he's making it look pretty nice too on his new 75 ltr F2 and Northsails Ice 4.2. Maybe if we ask him nicely he'll share and let some of that wind float over to the East Coast.

I Shouldn't complain, I've been getting at least 1 or 2 days a week on the 5.9 or smaller at Heckscher since April, but here's a shot of Chachi being greedy at the Delta.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Nice day at Shirley




It's been a while since the last update. Organizing a rather large windsurfing event, running my business, and the combined mischief of a two and a three year old have been keeping me busy to say the least. I managed to catch a break in the busy schedule and get on the water last week at Shirley. The forecast wasn't super, but the NW breezes turned out to be a gusty but fun 4.2 /4.7. It was great to sail the really flat water out the back of Kurt's house. The wind was really fickle near shore so throwing tricks for the camera was nearly impossible. The wind further out by the island was great though. I was working on the behind the back duck tack to set up for Culos and Konos for the first time. I had tried the sail throw a few times before, and in flat water it wasn't too hard, but when things got choppy, it was really difficult. My first attempt was the best of the day. I was wound up on my 4.2 but coming into a lull, which seemed to me to be the perfect time to duck the sail. So Duck I did! Now I'm planing full speed in the straps holding onto the sail in a weird twisted position behind my back. Well, that went better than planned, so I figured just go for it. I ended up popping the board out of the water, and actually made it half way around. Not bad for attempt #1. It's too bad that attempts # 2 through 20 weren't nearly as nice. Tomorrow is now promising to have some good wind, so I'm eager to try some more. The last move I've craved this bad was the shaka and it's still my favorite.

Here's how my beloved F2 Rodeo does a Culo with Steven Van Broekhoven riding it. So my board knows how to do it, so it's only a matter of time.

Steven van Broeckhoven Culo Planing from Windsurfmoves on Vimeo.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

New Video online!

We had some good sessions this year! Here is a nice freestyle clip from our trip to Cape Hatteras in April and a nice 4.7 day at home at Heckscher State Park on Long Island, NY. Don't forget about the East Coast Windsurfing Festival at Heckscher on June 12th and 13th!

Mike Burns Windsurfing Spring 2010 from Mike Burns on Vimeo.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A Day full of Good Intentions

We had our first dry spell of the spring in the wind department on Long Island. This past weekend was packed full of beautiful weather and a forecast for some possible wind on Sunday. My friends from ABK were on Long Island for a clinic out east on the island and I really wanted to get out there to see them. It would be a 2 hour drive to see them, but it's always a great time hanging out and shooting the freestyle sh!t with them. So it was my intention to go say hi to those guys and hopefully sail with them. Then I saw the forecast for Sunday. It had a possibility of blowing ok from the East. Nothing epic, but a sailing day none the less.

I had intentionally gotten up early Sunday morning in time to make the 2 hour drive East. I started packing the cooler for the trip out to Napeague where the ABK clinic was while I watched the leaves on the trees start to blow in a fickle breeze in my backyard. I figured, I could head out there, sail with those guys for a few hours and still make it home in time for a BBQ with the family. Christina, my wife woke up as I was ready to leave and I told her my intentions.

"You sure you'll make it back for dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's not going to be so great out there. I'll sail for a couple hours and say hi to the gang and come home."

As I walked past my laptop, I figured I'd check and see what the wind was doing. Much to my surprise, there was absolutely no wind at Napeague. Then I saw the meter for the Great South bay. A steady 20! This was an incedibly complex dilemma that lasted about 3 seconds. I didn't take long for my deprived windsurfing brain to calculate the planing probability for this situation. I could drive 2 hours for 3 knots, or drive 25 minutes for 20 knots at a place I'd rather sail anyway. Due to the fact that my intentions were to be home for dinner, I would also be able to get a few more hours of sailing time in by going to Heckscher. With the extra time I had now, I hung out at the house and fed the kids breakfast and gave the wind a bit of a chance to come up before officially canceling the trip eastward.

The whole drive to Heckscher I felt bad about blowing off the trip out East. That ended quickly when I pulled into the parking lot and saw whitecaps. I wasn't as strong as I had thought, but having not sailed in a while, I was excited to rig the 5.9 for the first time in months. This spring has been so windy, that I haven't sailed anything over the 4.7 very often. I was on the water by 11 AM and man that 5.9 felt HUGE!!!! after an hour or so of sailing by myself some other guys finally hit the water. Then Ryan showed up and rigged his 6.2. We had plenty of wind, but it just wasn't enough for my 5.3. One run Ryan was heading away from the beach and was on the hunt for a flat spot to try a spock. I was on his tail to witness this incredible event, but he just kept going and going. I caught up to him and yelled, "why don't we just go to the flats, we're already half way there!" He gave the nod and we were on our way. For those who don't know, an East wind like we had on Sunday is a sideshore wind at Heckscher. It lets you sail the 3 1/2 miles across the Great South Bay to a super flat, 3/4 mile section of the bay that's knee to waist deep. It's one of the best spots on LI for freestyle.

We hung out over in the flats for a long time. Billy T. showed up a few minutes later blasting around, hooting and hollering. It was a great time and we stayed there for a good while. I even let Ryan try the precious F2 Rodeo. He instantly loved it. When we started getting tired, we figured we'd head back. After making the 3 1/2 mile trek back across the bay, it was already late in the afternoon and I had to head in and check the time. It was just about time for dinner so I figured I'd call Christina and let her know I was packing up and on my way. As the phone was ringing, I saw Ryan get totally lit up on his 6.2. Then Chrissy picked up and said, "so are you leaving yet?"

"Ummmm, you mind if I go sail my 5.3 for a little while?"

"Sure, but just make sure you make it home for dinner." She said.

"Sure thing."

Now, letting a freestyler who had been struggling all day with moves on a big ass 5.9 go out on a 5.3 was her first mistake. Not giving me a specific time for dinner sealed the deal. I'm perfectly fine eating dinner at midnight. So, my little while on the 5.3 turned into another hour and 1/2 session. It was so nice being back on the 5.3 funneling, shakaing and looping up a storm. For the record, I did pack it in earlier than I had wanted to so I could make it home for dinner. The only problem is that everyone else was packing it in too. Seth and Big Rich had seen us over in the flats while they were kiting and Seth had stopped by the beach to say hi. So we chatted for a bit, and started talking about Bonaire. As his wife pulled up with their new baby girl, he told me I had to sell her on the Bonaire trip so he could go this time too. So that turned into another 1/2 hour sales pitch, which I'm pretty sure was worth while. You're welcome Seth!

I ended up getting home a bit after 8 o'clock, which was still well within my dinner time range, but apparently not the the dinner time everyone else was expecting. So my intentions for getting home for a nice BBQ dinner were scraped too. So every good intention I had for the day was ruined from this darn windsurfing thing and I can't wait to do it again.

Today I will work, play with the kids, and have dinner with the family......or will I.

See you at the beach while you're too sick to go to work!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Need Wind? Come to Long Island!

Here on Long Island the wind has been cranking on a near daily basis. We've been getting at least 4 days a week of sailable conditions on the Great South Bay for the past few weeks. Last week, if you wanted, you could have sailed 6 days in a row. One day I would have needed a 6.9, so I passed and took the 5 days of 5.3 or less. This week we've already had 3 days in a row of 5.3 or better conditions and it looks like today and tomorrow I'll be breaking out the 4.2 and 3.7 yet again.

This spring really has been incredible, and not only for wind. With all the wind we've been having the local freestyle crew has really been stepping it up a notch. John Marwalter is in the air spinning the board around on almost every single run, not to mention I think he's got more carving type maneuvers under his belt than I do. George Pav is no spockable! He made his first spock a few sessions ago on an Easterly at heckscher and he's really coming close on almost every one he tries. Joe Natalie made a breakthrough yesterday in the perfect SW 5.3/4.7 breeze at Heckscher. His rotations are now looking like a loop rather than a cartwheel. I saw him make the closest attempt to date and he said the next one was even closer. I'm sure this is Joe's season for getting it. On Wed. I sailed at Tanner with Kevin O'shea. He proclaimed as he rigged his 6.0 while I was rigging my 4.7 that he was taking a big sail becasue he doesn't do any flippy-dippy stuff. Then I see him sailing backwinded, thn with both hands behind his head fully planing, the duck jibe then do an arm drag through a jibe. No flippy-dippy my ass! Kev, your most basic of animal instincts are telling you to start spinning and flipping! Just let yourself go and follow your true path.

I'm finally getting some good days on the Rodeo. I've been using the JP simply because it's been blowing 3.7 almost every time I go sail and the 98 ltr Rodeo gets a little big for a 3.7. The 89 ltr JP however stays in control nicely in those conditions. But on the Rodeo is where I want to be and the last few days sailing it has been like a drug. It's getting me closer to new moves faster than anything I've ever sailed. I need to sail it again, and if you're in the market for a freestyle board, grab one while you can! You can only get them at Ocean Air Sports. Brian was smart enough to grab every single one that was available in the country to sell at the shop, and I know that most of them are already gone, so grab yours before it's too late.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tati Frans Wins 1st PWA Freestyle Event


After winning the final E vent of 2009 at Sylt, Tati Just won the first PWA freestyle event of the year in Podersdorf, Austria. Second Place went to Steven Van Broekhoven and in third place on a Judges 3:2 decision was Gollito just beating out Kiri. Things should be interesting on the tour this year as there is a new rule in effect. All the freestyle pros must compete on stock boards. Gollito, who has won the title and almost every event the past few years has been pretty much the only guy on the tour using a custom instead of his stock board, the Fanatic Skate. All the other top guys have been on stock gear. So with Gollito off of his magic stick and onto a stock board, it should be interesting to see how this years standings will play out. Good luck to the Bonaire guys!!! On another note, Steven Van Broekhoven who placed second is using my beloved F2 Rodeo, so we'll see what that board really do!!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

And the competitors are rolling in



We announced only 2 days ago that the East Coast windsurfing Festival was a go and we already have 24 competitors signed up and ready for action. If you want in, now is the time to sign up. Go to www.ECwindfest.com to get your name in. This just could be the year for a windy event! The water is getting warm really early which means good things for the wind in June.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

East Coast Windsurfing Festival is a go!

The 3rd Annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival is officially on! The long awaited permits have finally been approved and the event is slated for June 12th and 13th, 2010. With the water already warming up and SW winds already starting, this just might be the year for an epic event. There will be a freestyle competition, racing, raffles, and a board toss. For more information and to sign up go to www.ECwindfest.com



Friday, April 23, 2010

It's All Relative

So you keep psyching yourself out when it comes time to try to rotate on a forward loop. Before your next attempt, think of these guys and it will be a walk in the park.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Hatteras: April 2010

For the past 2 weeks we've been in Cape Hatteras. It was easily one of the best trips I've ever taken. Not only was I picking up a new board or 2, but the weather and wind were incredible. The first week I sailed 6 days in a row and 5 of the days were 4.2 or 3.7. All while only wearing board shorts in the mid to upper 70 degree weather. I was also using 2 new boards. I got the 89 ltr Jp Freestyle Pro and the F2 Rodeo 98. Each board has it's own set of features that is better than the other but that's for another post. We'll just leave it as the 2010 boards rock!!!

We had a huge freestyle crew this year. Chris and Sergey were down. Both of those guys have gotten so good landing super clean shakas along with a bunch of other tricks. Mike Jaimeson brought his wind buddha down proving it to work. Literally within minutes of Mike and his Buddha arriving the wind kicked in and didn't stop blowing until the Buddha left town. Of course there were the usual suspects like Nancy & Doug, my parents, and Ted. But there were also a few Hatteras virgins that had incredible trips. It was a great bunch of people that I hope return next year.

Stuart of Ocean Air had been a tester for the 2010 gear for Windsurfing Magazine a week or 2 before we got there and one day, a photographer and Real Kitboarding employee showed up. He was taking some great shots from the water while we were sailing 3.7s. After the shoot I found it slightly comical that after shooting us doing freestyle on a windsurfer, that a Real Kiteboarding (the "windsurfing has been canceled" company) employee was asking for windsurfing lessons.

I also got myself a paddle for that Mistral Pacifico I've had laying around. I had never bought a paddle in the past becasue of the price. Ocean Air Sports has carbon paddles for only $150.00! I was stoked on the price so I picked one up. The first few days of the second week were windless, so I decided to try some SUP action with joe Natali. The first SUP day was a piece of cake. I was a little worried about trying it in the ocean since I had never Paddled or surfed in my life. The waves were about knee to waist high but after an hour or so I was catching waves right down the line. I was now ready to go on the world tour. That is until the second day when we had some chest high waves. When a 11'4" board pearls, IT PEARLS! It's like standing on one end of a seesaw while someone drops a piano on the other end. Perhaps the most memorable part of the trip for me was paddling around outside the break with a pod of dolphins. I was the only one out there at that point and they were just swimming around and under me. The water was like glass and I could could see all of them playing around and slapping their tails next to my board. Then all of a sudden 2 of them popped up side by side about a foot from my board and just looked at me with one eye each for a few seconds. Then they took off and took the rest of the pod with them. Guess I was too boring for them.

After a few days of no wind, the wind kicked in again and it was back on the oh so familiar 4.2 and JP 89 setup. Our last day there, on Friday, the wind turned back from the southwest and I got to ride the 98 ltr Rodeo for only the second time the whole trip.

That is just a kick ass freestyle board. Even though the board was new to me, it was like an old friend coming back to serve me some air funnels and konos.

I can't wait to get back there in the fall, but for now I really want to build on the skills I've learned in Hatteras and just get back on that Rodeo again.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

A day with a new addiction

The forecast was for yet another strong NE day. The Training Grounds would again be the call. This place is getting to be not only my favorite place on LI, but maybe my favorite place to sail anywhere. What made it better today was that I had a sweet, sweet new 2010, 98 ltr. F2 Rodeo Air with me, and it wasn't even mine. You have to ask yourself how many of the guys you sail with would not only let you borrow their brand spanking new board for a few runs, but how many of them would let you take it for a 2 week trip to Hatteras with you. Well my buddy Kurt is that generous. Some might say that I'm even more greedy than he is generous to take the offer. But you haven't sailed the Rodeo. I tried it a couple weeks ago only for a short time, and this thing is like crack and I was definitely a junkie looking to get another score. If you're reading this, KURT, YOU"RE THE MAN!!!! The board is just a gift from god. I was sailing with 2 other guys on 4.2s most of the day. Towards the end the wind started dying off, and that's where this board really began to shine above the others. Not only was I the only one planing, I still had plenty of speed and power to do some shakas, ponches and funnels. The F2 Rodeo only needs the slightest puff to get up and going and when it does, it's instantly up to speed for anything you want to throw. I was hitting moves bigger and faster than I ever have before and it's due to this amazing board. I would recommend this to any freestyle pro as much as I would recommend it to anyone just making their first vulcan attempts. Now who's got some wind so I can get another hit of Rodeo?!

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Secret Spot's Secret Spot


Many of you guys have heard about "The Training Grounds", a flatwater freestyle paradise on the north shore of Long Island. The only problem was that it had to remain a secret spot because of the parking situation. The only parking at the launch site was illegal for anyone living outside the Village of Port Jefferson. Thanks to George Pav's inner need to continue sailing this spot he ended up finding a new secret spot that's better than the old one. And this one doesn't need to be a secret. It's a Brookhaven Town Park, and there's no booth at the entrance so all of you freestylers need to give this place a shot. There's plenty of parking, a nice grassy rigging area with some benches and more buttery smooth flat water than any place on Long Island.

As I was down hauling my 5.3 while I was sitting on a bench and the sail was laying on a nice soft lawn, I looked out at the little baby whitecaps blowing over the waist deep water. All I could think was,"this is the perfect spot." I stepped into the water and off I went. Perfect 5.3 conditions for freestyle. As I cruised in behind the first Island I headed off the wind the board rode so quiet in the glass flat water. I went switch stance at full speed for a perfect funnel. On the way back there were tiny little pieces of chop to hit some shakas off of. This place is by far my new favorite spot to sail. Shortly Eric pulled in. He's more of a wave guy so I could tell he was kinda bored just cruising back and forth, so he ended up packing up and heading to the outside to ride some decent swell. Right after Eric packed up, George Pav showed up. The only problem was the tide was VERY, VERY low. Much lower than I had ever seen it before, and the water was getting shallow even for our tiny little freestyle fins. After George's first run, he had the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face and he also proclaimed the spot to be "perfect." As the tide hit dead low, the water was about 3 inches too shallow to sail, so George had the grand idea to walk our gear over the now exposed mucky bottom to one of the channels that the boats moor in. Maybe 200 feet. Half way across we both started laughing thinking the same thing," That little channel better have some water in it." It took a bit of effort to make the walk straight upwind as we sank into the muck with every step. When we got to the channel, it reminded us of how we pictured the speed canal. And it turned into a perfect speed canal. It was plenty deep enough and plenty long enough. We sailed in and out of that channel to the other shore for a while. George was so close to landing some spocks and duck tacks. I was banging out all the flat water slidey stuff and came the closest I've ever came to making a double spock. Sailing one day here is like sailing 10 days anywhere else. It's incredible what a difference conditions can make.
So if you want to make a vulcan a few hundred attempts earlier, come on and sail "The Training Grounds."

Want to go, here are directions. Just turn left into the park where the marker is on the map:



I didn't bring the camera today, but here are some shots form the archive. That's George totally lit up on the 4.2. These pics are from the old launch. the new public launch has about 3 times the distance before you need to jibe.


Monday, March 15, 2010

2010 F2 Rodeo 98 review




First off, the board looks MUCH better in person. Well, as everyone that knows me will tell you, my current board of the 2009 Mistral Joker 99 has been my favorite board of all time. It impressed me more than any board in any category the first day I took it for a spin. That is, until today. The winds were extremely gusty, side offshore and choppy as hell. 4.2 was the call, and thanks to my buddy Kurt, a brand spankin new 2010 F2 Rodeo Air in the 98 ltr flavor was there for our enjoyment. Just to "test the waters" I took out the 4.2 with my Joker 99 first. I knew this board well and wanted to get a real idea of the conditions for a fair comparison. And conditions were crappy to say the least. about 40 knots in the gusts and 15 knots in the lulls. So on to my first impressions already.

As I schlogged off the beach in the wind shadow, I noticed it was very stable off a plane. As the first little puff came through, I popped right up onto a plane. It planed up just as early as the Joker, which is saying a lot. As I got up to speed the chop coming straight at me and the Rodeo was bouncing around a bit but considering what mother nature was throwing my way, it behaved very nicely. It definitely rode a little bigger than the Joker, and was very similar in feel to the Fanatic Skate. As I set up for a funnel, I noticed the board was a bit more stable than the Joker I was used to. After I was switch stance it also held it's speed up easier also. This thing is a really great board for the switch stance moves. It's got a nice flat deck, so you can really change up your stance easy. When it came time to pop, it was like the rodeo was pre-programmed to pop around all the moves. In this funnel, which was the first trick of the day on the board, it just popped right up. If I wanted the air funnel, I would have had it easy. You can just pop it and throw it around wherever you want it. It's so compact and well balanced in the air, rotating it is a no-brainer. just look where you want it to go and it's already there. On the way back in I was now heading straight off the backs of the chop. I really wanted to see how the Rodeo would handle a shaka, so I lined up the back of a 6 inch peice of chop and let loose. It popped higher than my Joker would with similar wind and chop. In the air, again, it just went where I wanted it. As he nose touched down there wasn't even a hint of stickiness that there used to be with the previous model, the Chilli. The Rodeo instead just spun around to complete the shaka just like I was used to with the Joker. I continued in and went for a flaka, which became an air flaka. the Rodeo handled it without a hitch. As I got closer to shore the wind was lightening up and I began to fall off a plane so I went for a spock 540 to head back out. Again the board popped with minimal effort and as the tail touched down it planed backwards sooooo easily and then slid into the spock needing very little input from me. Just pop and spin seemed to be what this board wants to do.

So all in all I spent about 1/2 hour on the board landing all sorts of tricks very easily in the very gusty conditions. This board would be great not only for the most advanced of freestylers out there, but also guys just getting into it. It's got everything you'd want in one board. Stability and a flat deck for the old school moves. Easy pop and sliding for when you want to learn your vulcans and spocks. Then when you're ready for Ponches, Shakas, Air Funnels and all the other New School radical tricks, the Rodeo will deliver on everything. If you're looking for a new freestyle board, the Rodeo should definitely be at the top of the list. Right now, it's on the top of mine.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

New Boards

While we were in Bonaire my Joker bit the bullet. I've been eagerly anticipating the release of the 2010 Mistrals. But when I got home from Bonaire I got an e-mail that the Mistral boards have been delayed yet again. So without a board, I needed to look around. Luckily while My Joker was being repaired in Bonaire, it gave me the chance to try a bunch of different boards. For this year, I ordered up a pair of JP freestyle boards. the JP freestyle Pro 89, and Jp Freestyle Pro 98 should be arriving shortly. I'll be sure to post up my first impressions of each. They've got some mighty big shoes to fill as in my 20 years of windsurfing I've never been impressed as much by any other board than the 2009 Mistral Joker that these beauties will be replacing.

Another Great Trip to Bonaire

Well, we just got back from another trip to Bonaire. Those of you that have been there need not read any further. My trip was the same exact trip you had. 85 degrees, wind everyday and a beach full of friends. Actually 34 friends from Long Island to be exact, and that's not counting all the locals and other friends from all over the world. I'm not going to make too lengthy a post about Bonaire because I could literally give you the day by day run down that is still imprinted in my now frostbitten brain. Can being home make you homesick?

I'll just list the highlights and lowlight of the trip. First off, we were lucky just to leave JFK. This year there was a record setting snowstorm baring down on the Mid-Atlatic. As the rather large group of LI windsurfers sat with our eyes glued to the conditions out the window of the terminal we watched as blizzard conditions got worse. We'd cheer for the fleets of plows clearing our runway. After waiting and hoping our plane finally pulled in and we watched 7 gear bags load into the undercarriage. Soon enough we were taxiing around the airport watching the whitecaps from the 50 mph winds on the bay. There was a huge sigh of relief from every passenger on the plane when we finally took off.

I arrived at the beach early our first day in Bonaire. Andy Brandt and the Marrs were the only other people at Jibe City. I quickly rigged my 5.3 and started strapping up the Joker. When I put the vent plug in, I noticed some air bubbles coming out of the footstrap plug. Crap! I pushed on the deck and it was like pushing on a plastic plate sitting on top of a foot of snow. Very soft! What was I going to do. There was obviously already water in there so I might as well grab a much needed session. Plus the damage was under the footpad. I took 2 or 3 runs and could really feel the damaged spot in between the footstraps. I couldn't let my baby suffer any more so I came back in. By now Jibe city was open and I asked around to see if someone would be able to make the repair. Luckily Zeno was the best board repairer in Bonaire and hes was willing to give it a go. Long story short, I was without my beloved Joker for the first 4 days of the trip. Luckily I've got a great group of friends and they let me borrow their boards while they weren't using them so I was able to get some time on the water. My board was finally back to me on Thursday for me to use for the rest of the trip.

All in all I sailed every day on a 5.3 except for a few 4.7 days. The only problem was that I hadn't sailed in so long before the trip that I was up all night in sooting pains from every one of my limbs while at the same time itching like crazy from whatever it is over by the Mangroves that seems to prefer New Yorkers over the locals to snack on. During the day while I was off the water the temperatures were perfect to sit in the breeze on the beach and sip on the beverage of one's choice. While eating a delicious fresh sandwich or salad from the beach bar.

We all had a great time this year and I'm pretty sure our numbers will grow yet again for next year. Now the rest of the year is spent counting down the days until our next trip to Bonaire.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Feel Bonaire

I just love this clip. I doesn't have much action, and there's not much excitement, but what it does have is that vision that's been implanted in your brain since your last session in Bonaire. You can just feel yourself sailing across Lac Bay. Thanks again to Brian S for the clip.

Kickin' Back in Bonaire from Brian S on Vimeo.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Near Victory at Sea

It's been forever since we've got a good session on Long Island. The windsurfing gods must have had one hell of a hangover New Years Morning cause they haven't had enough energy for a single puff this whole month. Until today that is. The wind gods must have chugged a few gatorades and took a few Advil because all the wind that was missing all month happened all at once. I woke up in the middle of the night to the unfamiliar sound of the wind chimes hanging next to the back door. Then there it was. The tell tale creaking and cracking of a 30 knot gust hitting the house. Thanks to my parents newly found retirement I'm once again able to get out in the mornings while they babysit the kids. The only problem I laid in bed at 4am pondering was where to sail. The wind was supposed to die early afternoon and I couldn't show up at 7am to drop the kiddies off at Nana and Grandpa's. Heckscher is also closed this time of year so the spots along the south shore for a SE wind is few and far between. I finally decided Tanner should do it and fell back to sleep.

When I woke up the wind was still cranking. I immediately signed onto the LI windsurfer yahoo groups to see where everyone was going and what everyone was sailing on. Much to my surprise no-one even made a mention of sailing today. So I posted up that I was heading to Tanner and looking for company. Then I shoved some food into the kids mouths as fast as I could and it was off to Grandpa's house. On the way there I called George Pav to tell him where I was going. It turned out he was working way out east and couldn't make it all the way to tanner. He suggested Matituck. The problem was for me to drop the kids off then get to matituck it would have been 2 hours of driving before I could get there. So we picked Hart's Cove in Center Moriches. I apologize to the LI Windsurfing group for posting up the wrong spot, but since no-one else made a mention of it before I left, I figured any day of sailing is always nicer with a bud.

I Got there before George and figured the 4.2 should do it. I wanted to work on some freestyle so I went with the 99 ltr Joker. A great setup for what looked like a nice flat water freestyle sesh. As soon as I hit the water I was way overpowered. It was waaaayyyyy windier than it looked. It turned out that 3.7 flattened out and the small board would be the right call or really the only call since I don't own a 3.2. I did a few runs having a ball getting my butt kicked in the gusts before I ecided to give George a buzz and see what was going on. He picked up the phone and said he was right up the street. When he pulled in he rolled down the window of his truck and said, "looks good."

"Yeah it looks good, but I'm getting killed on the 3.7."

"Really?" he said. "Well Jeff Usher and Marty are on the way."

We chatted a bit more and I headed back out. It was even windier than before. Soon enough George was on the water with his small board and 3.7. He did one run and headed back to the beach for more outhaul. As I tried to do my best to spock in 40 knots George yelled from the beach, "It's freakin' windy!" After George pulled some more outhaul it was a little more manageable. We sailed for another hour or so getting huge jumps off the little 2 or 3 foot ramps that would just stand straight up. Personally I was more impressed if either one of us actually made a jibe. I think today was the first time I cheered for myself or George from making a "simple" jibe in about 10 years. A little while later Jeff and Marty showed up. They were ready to hit the water and we urged them to rig a bit smaller than the conditions looked. We told Jeff 3.2 would work just fine.

Then it was back to the water. George and I continued to sail while the other guys were getting dressed and rigging. Right before my last run George decided to take another break and as I made the last jibe on the inside I saw Jeff all ready to go. As I came through the jibe I thought to myself, "well that was fairly normal." Then I hit a nice jump that I didn't blow sideways on. "What a nice 3.7 day this is going to turn out to be." Then an ooooh so easy jibe on the outside. "Yeah, now this is what I'm talking about." And as I begin to sheet in the sail on my new tack back to shore I see a flash of lighting south of the launch and the sky over the launch was as black as night. As I got up onto a plane I could feel the wind shifting slightly off shore and dropping fast. I managed to stay on the board about 3/4 of the way back to the beach before the wind dropped to nothing and the black sky was overhead. This was no longer a victory at sea, but it was a great time anyway. The 5 knot wind was now side-off and I went in the drink. It only took me about 15 minutes or so to swim in and it was actually quite relaxing as the sound of the heaviest rain storm of the year was splashing all around me.

When I got back to shore we all looked out at the water and couldn't believe how fast the wind went from 50 to 5 mph. I felt bad for Jeff and Marty who had finally gotten to the beach, rigged and gotten their drysuits on. I tried to make Jeff feel better by telling him it was too windy anyway and they probably were having more fun watching us sail than we were having sailing. Then Jeff just said it how it was, "Mike, I just put on my drysuit, pissed in it, and now I have to take it off. Trust me, you had a better time." And I'm sure I did.

Thanks to the Iwindsurf graph I can see the exact time I went in the water (Keep in mind the windmeter wasn't blocked by the land like where we were sailing when the wind shifted south) Look closely, it had to be at 2:30 on the nose. The wind dropped dramatically and shifted sw before it came back south again:

Friday, January 15, 2010

Viewing for a Windless Winter

It's been weeks now since I've last sailed, and I've only had 3 days since November! Needles to say I really need a session. Luckily myself and about 25 or so other Long Islanders are heading to Bonaire in about 3 weeks. Every day I'm watching the webcam at Jibe City and picturing myself sliding across the crystal clear 85 degree water that's teasing me on a daily basis in front of the camera. When I'm not watching the webcam, I'm on the hunt for new Bonaire videos. This is a couple of my favorites from last year.



Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Hatteras: November 2009

My buddy got some pictures back to me from the day at the Cove when I sprained my ankle about 20 minutes into it. He still managed to get some good shots of a lot of the guys ripping it up and me sailing with my sprained ankle.