Blog Profile / G-42 Blog
| URL : | http://g-42.blogspot.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Aquatic Sports / Windsurfing | |
| Posts on Regator: | 39 | |
| Posts / Week: | 0.2 | |
| Archived Since: | June 27, 2009 | |
Blog Post Archive
Olympic-Grade Folly (or the Cluster$@#& that is ISAF...)
So this funny thing happened on the way to Rio...A couple years ago, kiteracing became organized to the point where it was starting to look like a real contender for a berth in the Olympics. And boy did those kiteracers lobby. In fact,...Show More Summary
Full on
Day 2 of the Costa Brava PWA slalom event. When you hear people like Dunkerbeck and Albeau mention that it was crazy, you can pretty much figure it was. Crazy, in fact, might be a charitable description. And yet these guys are charging. Show More Summary
Slalom object lessons
Go ahead, watch that video - it's good stuff. What you're seeing there is a fairly ho-hum PWA slalom race, right? Relatively big gear, and the camera being way up and away from the action, together with the distortion that and the long...Show More Summary
There's just no substitute
There's that rush you get when you're planing along, flying the board on the fin. It's the purest form of sailing - your body an integral part of the system that converts wind power into velocity. The efficiency of modern windsurfing...Show More Summary
Gotta love these guys...
As if a fully powered slalom session for lunch wasn't enough to put a big smile on my face, I was treated to a spectacular visit by a very playful pod of Harbor Porpoises (see image for what these little guys look like; photo by Erik Christensen via Wikimedia Commons). Show More Summary
Rites of spring
The first flowers are poking their heads up; some trees are starting to bloom, and slowly but surely, temperatures are creeping upward here in Bellingham. The skiing on Baker is still great (the base on Pan Dome is 273 inches - which...Show More Summary
On life-affirming stupidity
I don't have any small b&j gear. I just don't get to sail it enough to make the investment. There's only one day or so every winter where I'll be out there on my small slalom board and 6.1, picking my way through the somewhat chaotic terrain on Bellingham Bay, and wishing I had a 4.2 Hucker and a jump board. Show More Summary
On deflating kites and the relative strengths of FW and slalom gear
The Lord of the Wind Showdown in Los Barrilles (Baja) got some pretty intense coverage. Lots going on, tons of good racing and freestyle/big air for both boards and kites. And, of course, a bit of friendly rivalry. David Wells of Waterhound...Show More Summary
US Nationals - Day 3
What a day - a bit of everything, which is just why racing is a lot like life in general. The RC announced that we'd do a noon start for long distance, then run slalom at 3. That was met with a healthy sense of skepticism on the beach, as the fog was deeply entrenched and the breeze was light. Show More Summary
US Nationals - Day 2
Wow, I'm tuckered out. Tough day at the office, but also some really fun and challenging racing. We started a bit late as there seemed to be trouble with the windward mark; that kind of thing is pretty commonplace in racing, but at the St. Show More Summary
US Nationals - Day 1
Nationals got off to a good start yesterday. Conditions were cold, foggy, and a bit gusty. Nice big fleet, including a great group of juniors. David Wells has excellent coverage at Waterhound (if you haven't checked out that site, you...Show More Summary
Wonder what the guy at the rental counter would have said...
You know it's regatta time when heavily overloaded rental cars start showing up at Crissy Field. Roof racks? We don't need no steeenkin' roof racks!
Got to SF yesterday, met up with the rest of the Gorge Cup fleet today. Good showing - five juniors (Fiona, Alyson, Ben, Jay, Alex), MacRae, Tavis. Show More Summary
Gorge Cup - DaKine Downwind Slalom
Excellent day of racing at the Event Site. We ran round robins (let's see, heat one is A-B, heat two is C-D, heat three is ADHD...), so everyone got to race a ton. The course was set really well with no super tight or broad leg. Conditions...Show More Summary
2010 Sailworks Junior Clinic
What a great bunch of kids - Bruce put on his annual junior clinic today, shortened to one day due to this year's compressed racing schedule with Nationals in SF next week. It was cranking windy this morning, making for epic slalom conditions - and the kids just ate it up. Show More Summary
Just a little bit further...
Go ahead, click on that picture. That's BP, slogging out on his smallest slalom board (my guess is about 75 liters) and 5.4. And it's not an optical illusion - he really is in the water up to his butt. At this point, he's been at it for about 7 or 8 minutes, displaying good balance, a fair bit of determination, and good slogging technique. Show More Summary
Family picture
Good day of sailing in Hood River. Got a chance to use every piece of
slalom gear I own as conditions built during the day. Warm enough to
sail in boardshorts, too - gotta love the Gorge.
2010 Blowout
An interesting one. Good breeze at Stevenson, so I rigged my Exo 71 and 8.2 NXsl. Bruce was going slalom as well, as were MacRae and Jay Salzman. Jay Watermeyer was going slalom with an 8.5 Retro, and Sean Williams and Aaron Cardwell went formula. Show More Summary
Object lesson on barging - Any questions?
Check out this screenshot from a video taken by Jean Rathle. Then scroll down to the video. Watch from about 2 minutes in and witness Steve B. taking out Al M. Steve was definitely barging here (pretty common thing in formula fleets). Show More Summary
Gorge Cup - 2010 Season Opener
Victoria Day weekend in the Gorge - and just to make all those visiting Canadians (plus your humble narrator from Bellingham, which is nearly up there as well) feel right at home, the Gorge was dishing out frontal conditions - gusty winds, clouds (we kept waiting for rain, but were spared), and chilly temps (I doubt it broke 50 while we were racing). Show More Summary
Tuning up
It's May, and the first Gorge Cup of the season is only three weeks away; good thing conditions have been pretty good lately, with remarkably good southerlies. And yes, that really is a 9.1 - after five seasons with a 9.9/10.8 formula quiver, I've relented and added a smaller size. Show More Summary