Not much wind today at all, except at... Ho'okipa! The place of legendary acts of heroism by mythical giants - as my new t-shirt says, "we were kings"!
After a suitably legendary breakfast of eggs benedict at Charleys, just as a change from porridge, Jurgen and I headed over there with Steve in the 3rd seat, hitching a ride because Cribby had gone off on some errand or other. Absolutely nobody out except for a good-looking lady who went out as we arrived - it was windy on the outside but clearly nothing much on the inside. She grabbed a few waves - looked easy with nobody else there, but who knows... We were happy to sit in the van watching and chilling!
Then of course the Cribster arrives... he reckons this is a good time to go out, so he and a couple of others rig up and go out. Still doesn't look too hard, but it does seem to involve a bit of swimming around if you fall off on the way out. The current is interesting, crossing from left to right into the lagoon, and thus dragging you into the least windy area if you get caught. Unless you fall off slightly further out and more to the left, in which case you get sucked into the channel and past the rocks, and stand a much better chance of getting out.
So, eventually, I'm convinced. Rig up the 4.7, the biggest board, lose the cap today because I don't want to be distracted by having it fall off in the waves, and it's down to the postage stamp sized launch spot. The shoredump is ok, not really worse than Hayling on a biggish day really, Guy's tip is to keep on walking until you start windsurfing... I do this, get up, start wobbling out. It's pretty light, and I have to say the fearsome rep of Ho'okipa is on my mind, but I'm doing ok... get over 3 or 4 waves, and then there's a big one, and I've lost all momentum, and fall off. Bugger. I then spend the next 20 minutes swimming around, get sucked into the lagoon, tarting around with the sail in all sorts of stupid positions, waterstart, fall off, nearly waterstart, really fall off, consider my options, wonder if anyone's watching (of course they are, all lined up on the beach), start to reconsider this whole windsurfing thing, which is utterly exhausting, feel the energy utterly drain from my legs, and the whole time every 10 seconds or so I'm getting sluiced, with salt water up my nose, down my throat, and my lungs sucking in air in total panic mode. Fortunately this is a benign easy day, so I can hang onto the board like grim death to catch my breath before re-entering the waterstart attempt fray! Dammit, the wind is just not there, I'm hanging around holding the frigging rigging up, which is killing me... the wind only seems to come up when I've tired and dropped it again. Even the slight draught caused by incoming waves doesn't seem to do it...
Eventually, the board is pointing to the beach, and the wind comes up at the right moment - oh did I mention that the beach is a postage stamp, surrounded by sharp rocks and gear-smashing waves? However, amazingly, it all comes together and I ram the board into the beach, where Max leaps down and helps me lift the kit out, because it's still dumping, all the way up to the overhanging bit of beach. Bugger. I'm whacked...
And the wind doesn't really come up much either, so I'm not inspired to try again. Others manage it, Guy reckons I was a bit unlucky with a large set wave coming in as I made it out, but it feels a bit unencouraging. I hang around in my wetsuit like a bad smell, even running over to the Lanes beach to see if big Alex the Norwegian is ok - he's been drifted completely downwind unable to waterstart at all, but gone the other side of the rocks. Old Sean the Auzzie manages to get out and back three times - what's wrong with me?
Riccardo, Kauli and Levi show up, with some new stuff being tested, hey. At least I get to eat my sandwich! Which is welcome. But apparently it's windy at Sprecks, so we all head over there.
And for me, the day really takes off. Powered up on a 5.0, after the Ho'okipa experience this is a total doddle. I'm on fire! Even invented a new Intuition (Guy's training brand) core skill - Ring Skimming, a vital ability for ensuring high speed, top control and ease of travel over chop, along with extended colonic irrigation! Guy gets us to do some completely kamikaze gybe entries using the "oooh, ahhh, Cantona" technique, and finally I get the extended arm thing happening. The day's sailing is completed with some upwind sailing and lots of light wind waterstarts.
Guy has a plan to go and see Riccardo doing a night sail with lights on his sail, from Baby Beach. We pile round there with wet asses, and although the sun is setting, and the cameraman is there, there's no sign of Riccardo. It's a beautiful evening, so who cares?
After a suitably legendary breakfast of eggs benedict at Charleys, just as a change from porridge, Jurgen and I headed over there with Steve in the 3rd seat, hitching a ride because Cribby had gone off on some errand or other. Absolutely nobody out except for a good-looking lady who went out as we arrived - it was windy on the outside but clearly nothing much on the inside. She grabbed a few waves - looked easy with nobody else there, but who knows... We were happy to sit in the van watching and chilling!
Then of course the Cribster arrives... he reckons this is a good time to go out, so he and a couple of others rig up and go out. Still doesn't look too hard, but it does seem to involve a bit of swimming around if you fall off on the way out. The current is interesting, crossing from left to right into the lagoon, and thus dragging you into the least windy area if you get caught. Unless you fall off slightly further out and more to the left, in which case you get sucked into the channel and past the rocks, and stand a much better chance of getting out.
So, eventually, I'm convinced. Rig up the 4.7, the biggest board, lose the cap today because I don't want to be distracted by having it fall off in the waves, and it's down to the postage stamp sized launch spot. The shoredump is ok, not really worse than Hayling on a biggish day really, Guy's tip is to keep on walking until you start windsurfing... I do this, get up, start wobbling out. It's pretty light, and I have to say the fearsome rep of Ho'okipa is on my mind, but I'm doing ok... get over 3 or 4 waves, and then there's a big one, and I've lost all momentum, and fall off. Bugger. I then spend the next 20 minutes swimming around, get sucked into the lagoon, tarting around with the sail in all sorts of stupid positions, waterstart, fall off, nearly waterstart, really fall off, consider my options, wonder if anyone's watching (of course they are, all lined up on the beach), start to reconsider this whole windsurfing thing, which is utterly exhausting, feel the energy utterly drain from my legs, and the whole time every 10 seconds or so I'm getting sluiced, with salt water up my nose, down my throat, and my lungs sucking in air in total panic mode. Fortunately this is a benign easy day, so I can hang onto the board like grim death to catch my breath before re-entering the waterstart attempt fray! Dammit, the wind is just not there, I'm hanging around holding the frigging rigging up, which is killing me... the wind only seems to come up when I've tired and dropped it again. Even the slight draught caused by incoming waves doesn't seem to do it...
Eventually, the board is pointing to the beach, and the wind comes up at the right moment - oh did I mention that the beach is a postage stamp, surrounded by sharp rocks and gear-smashing waves? However, amazingly, it all comes together and I ram the board into the beach, where Max leaps down and helps me lift the kit out, because it's still dumping, all the way up to the overhanging bit of beach. Bugger. I'm whacked...
And the wind doesn't really come up much either, so I'm not inspired to try again. Others manage it, Guy reckons I was a bit unlucky with a large set wave coming in as I made it out, but it feels a bit unencouraging. I hang around in my wetsuit like a bad smell, even running over to the Lanes beach to see if big Alex the Norwegian is ok - he's been drifted completely downwind unable to waterstart at all, but gone the other side of the rocks. Old Sean the Auzzie manages to get out and back three times - what's wrong with me?
Riccardo, Kauli and Levi show up, with some new stuff being tested, hey. At least I get to eat my sandwich! Which is welcome. But apparently it's windy at Sprecks, so we all head over there.
And for me, the day really takes off. Powered up on a 5.0, after the Ho'okipa experience this is a total doddle. I'm on fire! Even invented a new Intuition (Guy's training brand) core skill - Ring Skimming, a vital ability for ensuring high speed, top control and ease of travel over chop, along with extended colonic irrigation! Guy gets us to do some completely kamikaze gybe entries using the "oooh, ahhh, Cantona" technique, and finally I get the extended arm thing happening. The day's sailing is completed with some upwind sailing and lots of light wind waterstarts.
Guy has a plan to go and see Riccardo doing a night sail with lights on his sail, from Baby Beach. We pile round there with wet asses, and although the sun is setting, and the cameraman is there, there's no sign of Riccardo. It's a beautiful evening, so who cares?
We head back, shower, collect beer and the F1.8 lens, and go back, only to find that Riccardo has gone to Sprecks - we can just see the glow of his sail in the distance. Shucks. Drink the beer, eats crisps, and then it's back to Nalu Kai for pizza and more beer. A good day.
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