Weird session

Such a weird day yesterday. Got to Doug's at about 10 and it was already honking. The wind had a lot of North in it so launching on 3.4/72 was tricky. Once you got to the mid section you could feel the power. When you got to the Oregon side you got blown off the water. By noon I retreated to the Hatch, where it was 3.7 but gusty as hell. Ended up at 4 or so on 4.7, but never I felt dialed in. 

On a sad note, a SUPer is missing, he was last seen at the Hatch, his board was recovered. Hope he's well. 

Jones Beach

Nice sesh at Jones Beach/Nuke Alley today. The wind finally picked up in the afternoon, I had rigged to 6.5/105 combo and was too lazy to re rig, so I finished the session super powered up. Wind sensor was in the upper 30s when I left. The launch at Jones is weird: you launch from the Oregon side, and have to go through marginal wind til you get to Nuke Alley past the island (to the left in the picture). People launch on the WA side right on Nuke Alley, but the launch is just off the road, kinda shady...

Oceanside

First time out in the Oregon coast!! Wind was 20 +/- 5 NNW, rigged 5.3/105. Waves were 3-5 feet, gentle sets. Trudy and others were there. Great crowd, great place, I'm definitely coming back!

R2AK

Mark Dix, one of Seattle's legends in long distance windsurfing, is attempting to sail the first leg of the Race to Alaska event. Forty miles of open water through the Straights of Juan de Fuca: massive rollers, strong currents, killer whales, and two international freighter lines. After the crossing he will have to paddle upwind (no sailing in the Victoria Harbor) in order to reach the finish line. Go Mark!!!

Summer kickoff

It's been windy for the past 4 days in the Gorge. I keep getting emails of sesh reports, pictures (like the one below Of Tuson Poor by Trudy Lary), etc, etc. The guys in Chicago probably got some too because I know they were going out and I haven't heard from them. Everybody got some TOW this weekend! I had an awesome sesh on Friday at the Hatch, switching from 4.2/87 to 3.7/72 and back for the end of the day.

Back at Doug's

So I started right where I left more than two months ago, at Doug's beach on the Washington side. Wow, it's been more than two months, I felt a little rusty. Started with 3.7/86, but was slogging a bit so moved to 4.2, which worked perfect until 1:30. Wind kept coming up so went back to 3.7 until i left. Apparently the wind kept getting better and better, check out these pics taken by Trudy Lary in the late afternoon! Need to work on starboard jumps, back and forward loops. Those are the goals for the season!

Doug's notes: 4.2 worked well with 20 mph average. It was gusty so I went with a bigger 86 L board, but 72 would have been smoother.

Doug's Beach

Dear Wind Gods: don't ever let me turn into a wind snob, for becoming one of "those who wait" is the first sign of vanishing stoke. Big rigs are fun, and once in a while I should be reminded of this.
Like today: 6.5/105 at Doug's... Had the river for myself, and that was a good thing because I was slogging a lot ;)

Doug's from above

First time at Stevenson

I retreated from Rooster today. That's OK, I didn't feel like dying on a Friday. I don't know what made me call it, maybe it was the rainbows created by spray being blown off the top of the swells, maybe it was the blue skies, or maybe it was the rattling sound that the 3.7 made, like it was made out of Saran Wrap. Everything was beautiful in a "my last minute on earth" kind of way. Almost like God was telling me "look at all this beauty son, for the last time... Cuz you're an idiot and rigged to big..." So I packed my stuff and went to Stevenson where is was blowing only 30, rigged my 4.7/85/21 combo, and had myself a session. There were two other windsurfers, and two or three kiters. Beautiful.

Unknown riders

Stevenson Marina

Check this movie out!

Remember my buddy Andrew (aka Waveseeker)? Yeah the guy behind those goofy windsurfing movies that I posted over the years... Well he's taking it to 11 with his new creation, a hilarious take on the 2014 Hatteras wave Jam. If you're a little tired of the typical "dude ripping to a song" movie, you have to check this thing out.

Windsurfing Movie 14 - A Brief History of the Wave Jam from Andrew on Vimeo.

First session of 2015!

We are back in business! December was insane with the holidays and everything. Turns out I ended up not riding for the whole month. So this was a very anticipated session after a long hiatus.

Rooster notes: wind was at E at 40 mph, water was at 40 F, air was at 45 F. I rigged 85L/4.2 m2 at the beginning, which was way too much. Rigged 3.7 and that was just perfect. The cold was not a problem at all. I was actually toasty in the 5.5/4/3 and a rash guard underneath. The main issue was  (as expected), the hands. The Glacier gloves were warm but wearing them just killed my forearms. I think I could have done with open palm gloves. The Gorge winter crowd was there in full today (Trudy, Larry and others), it was great to ride with them!

Oh, and the icing on the cake was a snowboarding session in the afternoon! Good times ;)

Rooster firing up. Picture by Trudy

More Rooster. Thanks Trudy!

Mt. Hood in the afternoon

Above the clouds