Windsurfing the East End

Freestyle Fanatics

2011-07-14T15:19:00.002-04:00

Lovers of wind suffering through the Summer doldrums found major relief Monday, with windsurfers trekking from the NY Hudson Valley, CT and beyond to the place where the thermals blow: Heckscher State Park in East Islip, NY. Following a weekend of waves (12 hours on the water over 3 SUP sessions) I could only last an hour or two on my 5.9, attempting a couple vulcans here and there. At this point, I threw my rig on the beach and grabbed the waterproof camera to capture these action shots in the late day sun.

Mike's Shuvit by Peconic Windsurfer, on Flickr

Frontside Flacka by Peconic Windsurfer, on Flickr

Ponch Popper by Peconic Windsurfer, on Flickr

Petestyle by Peconic Windsurfer, on Flickr

Mike's Flaka by Peconic Windsurfer, on Flickr

Thanks to Mike Burns for the heads up on the wind, for entertaining my photographer's sweet tooth, plus for keeping my Dakine T3 harness safe and sound in his trailer since the EC Windfest last month. Here's his account of Monday's sesh: Windsurfing IS a drug!, where he's got photos of these moments as shot from the beach by Newsday photographer John Dunn.

SUP Memories

2011-02-22T13:43:00.002-05:00

A couple action shots from last November. Thanks to Bill Barber for finding these lefts, and to Scott Kielt for busting out the zoom lens and capturing these moments.

Hoping for more waves this Saturday, the forecast is promising!

Ohhhh Tiana! - The Video

2010-11-23T09:57:00.003-05:00

WSW side/side-on wave sailing at Tiana Beach, November 20, 2010. Blasting 4.7 to 5.4 on fun 3-5'+ waves, which Scott considered the best he's ridden in a long time. I generously spoiled my regular foot with some DTL rights, and worked on safely landing jumps tail-first. Wave sailors include: George Pav, Frank Bellucci, Chris Daniels, Scott Kielt, Bill Barber, Bruce Milne, Jan, Michael Alex, Steve Pinksy, & Jeff Schultz.

The video plays in 720p HD in fullscreen

Also see the report from the Peconic Puffin: Oh, Tiana!

Tiana SUP and windsurfing wave sailing

2010-09-28T22:59:00.001-04:00

Glorious days like these pop up when you least expect them. Side-shore 5.8 and a south swell, first on the SUP and then on Scott's 98L JP. I mounted the GoPro HD Hero as a helmetcam, and here are the results:

Napeague Nor'easter - late August, 2010

2010-09-14T16:03:00.000-04:00

With winds a tad too offshore at the Bowl, we trekked eastward for a classic Napeague session, outside the harbor at Goffs Point. Overpowered 4.7 and then 4.2, the outgoing tide against the NE wind made for smooth, tiny waves on the inside, and smooth, head high swells near the red can and lobster traps outside.

See the full photoset (9 photos, 1 video) here: Napeague Nor'easter - late August, 2010 - a set on Flickr

SUP-Surfing Hurricane Danielle Groundswell

2010-08-31T12:23:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday, the stars aligned. An offshore hurricane, full moon, and high pressure bringing warm, off-shore winds and sunny skies. Hurricane Danielle sent us shoulder to well overhead groundswell as it passed 1000 miles to our southeast. My cameras were charged and ready as I grabbed ride after glorious ride with Peter, Jon, Michael, and Steve in the biggest waves on Sunday. You'll find photos in this Hurricane Danielle Groundswell photoset, as well as shots from previous weeks in the Summer of SUP - 2010 photoset; handheld & paddlecam video from the weekend is compiled in this youtube clip:

Long Lefts at Tiana

2010-08-13T09:50:00.001-04:00

GoPro HD Hero Paddlecam and Olympus 8010 handheld footage of myself and the crew catching waist to head-high waves on the outer bar at Tiana Beach last Sunday, which included many looong lefts:

and a few fun rights as well:

I left one wave out of the footage, which was probably the most beautiful, and most threatening, of the day. On one outbound paddle back through the channel, a giant set reared its head. Excited, I pulled out the handheld Olympus and started shooting. Joe Natalie scored a big ride, while an outbound Wolf dove for cover under 6' of whitewater. I was not spared as the shoulder reached right into the channel, knocking me off my SUP-photographer's perch. As I scrambled to my board, hoots and shouts of glee pulled my camera's lens to the next wave. There, in all its powerful glory, loomed a head-high, glassy-clean wave with a SUP surfer having the time of their life. All I could think about was how great would this footage be, and steadied the camera to capture the moment.

It's best in life to not make assumptions, especially if you're a surf photographer. Even though a rider may seem to be looking right at you, and even though this rider has surfed past you on several waves already, when you're down in the water and they're on a big wave, it's best to expect the worst -- that they can't see at all, and might run you over. We were lucky to get this lesson for free - both boards and bodies were unharmed. But life is also about learning from mistakes, making adjustments and trying it all over again. May we all return to the waves, be more aware and respectful of other riders, and when in doubt, shout it out!

Emerald Green Waves in Hampton Bays

2010-08-09T09:31:00.002-04:00

The magic arrived August 7th.

Check out these and other SUP photos from the growing Summer of SUP - 2010 Flickr photoset.

Also, check out the Peconic Puffin's report, which adds even more color to the day: Stand Up Surfing Extravaganza

Speed Runs at North Race

2010-08-07T23:06:00.001-04:00

Scott, the Wolf and I caught some perfectly aligned speed runs off the northern sandbar of Robins Island the other day.

Check out the full photoset here: New Suffolk Flatwater (5 photos, 1 video)

If you have trouble with that video, try the YouTube version, though I wish youtube would default to 480p.

Jon, we had a terrible time after you left

2010-07-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

After taking a look at stiff offshore winds and a small knee-high wave yesterday at L Rd., Jon Ford made a wise choice and left all small-scale action to the Wolf and I. And we had a horrible time with it. Just the worst.

Frontside, Down The Line, SUP-sailing Nirvana

2010-07-23T20:35:00.000-04:00

I (finally!) scored my first full-on side-off SUP-sailing session in waist-to-shoulder waves yesterday at L Rd. I rode the incoming tide, and... and... OMG I SCORED BIG TIME!!! :D :D :D WHOOHOOO!! :) No pics or videos this time (being hooked in on a board with no straps in gusty winds was too risky for the handheld camera), just sweet visions of bottom & top turns on windswept but building, sweet, sweet, sun-glistening waves, as seen from under the boom and through my fully-powered maroon 5.8 Maui Sails global. By the end the wind was cranking right off the beach, which was enough to clear out the remaining surfers and leave me with all the waves to myself! (I couldn't even get any Puffins or Windchimps to join me.) Sailed for 3 hours and caught dozens and dozens of waves. All-in-all I am fully stoked. Hopefully I don't have to wait another 2 years for these conditions.

Here are two SUP wave sailing videos that shows the basic rig setup I was on: Starboard Demo and RRD Demo. My waves weren't quite as big, but you'll get the idea.

By the way, has anyone seen my ABK hat?

Dark and Sunny Waves at K Road and Tiana

2010-03-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

GoPro HD Paddlecam footage of long overhead lefts at K Rd on March 4, 2010, and cloudy-to-sunny rights at Tiana on the 5th & 6th. Also SUP'ing were Michael Alex, Jon Ford, John van der Wolf, and C.D., with crazy Scott Kielt in the surf kayak.

Please offer your opinions on music vs. natural sounds in these paddlecam videos so far. Personally, I like the natural sounds of waves and chimp hoots, but find the grip squeaks pretty annoying. The requisite-for-SUP reggea is my first garageband experiment (my pursuit for royalty-free music suitable for youtube).

GoPro HD Clewcam - trial run at Sebonac

2010-02-23T19:09:00.000-05:00

Bright sun, low tide, and small but smooth waves at Sebonac - February 19, 2010. Gusty winds into the 20's, using 5.2 (blue Ezzy) and then 4.7 (lime Maui Sail). The 4.7 jumps were too jarring for the trial mounting attempt, but hey, at least I know the safety line works! Originally shot in 1280x960 (960p).

Also see the Peconic Puffin's report for this day: The Ice is Gone but the Wind Remains at Sebonac

SUP Paddlecam!

2010-01-28T13:19:00.001-05:00

In my last blog entry (a way-too-long 4 months ago!), I introduced the Clewcam to East End waters. Along with stints as a boom cam, ice cam and free-hand cam, the Olympus 790 & 8000 took decent stills, but only marginal video. The field of vision also missed a lot of close-range detail, and the cameras often took in sand and water, which is why I soon found myself drooling over GoPro's new HD Hero. With up to 1080p, 5 Megapixels, a 170° wide-angle view, and a tiny, indestructible waterproof housing, I was in business for capturing surf action from a new perspective... introducing the Paddlecam!

Perhaps most surprising was how well the battery performed in 38° air / 40° water temperatures. I bought 3 batteries in anticipation of them succumbing to the cold, but just 1 (a rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion) held its own over the multi-hour sessions. For those looking to make their own GoPro Paddlecam, follow these excellent instructions from PaddleSurf.net. Here's a photo of my camera and mount prior to some early testing at Tiana Beach:

Epic Bowl Wave Sailing

2009-09-13T16:25:00.007-04:00

EPIC conditions at the Bowl, down-the-line frontside wave sailing, jumping off of 12' waves fully juiced on 4.2, riding logo to mast high waves with the crew and even getting treated to a Graham Ezzy backloop just 50 feet away! It all came together on September 10th & 11th, 2009 when a weak low off of Hatteras ran up against a Maine/Nova Scotia high and sent us several days of side-off Northeasterlies. For a complete rundown, check out the Peconic Puffin's excellent reporting: Land of the Giants at the Bowl and From The Bowl: More Waves, More Wind.

I know the word "epic" can get overused after an inspirational session. This session blew away all previous contenders by far, and was definitely epic for me, but I've only been wave sailing for 3 years. When I heard the 10-20 year veterans, however, raving in disbelief with looks of euphoria on their face, I knew it was indeed a rare, special event.

Video footage shot from the beach, Days 1 & 2:

Photos from Day 1:

Photos from Day 2:

I got the idea for the following video from Andy McKinney's Lost in Hatteras: Lighthouse Video. He found the best spot to mount a boom cam - the clew! I gave it a go on the second day about 20 minutes before the thunderstorms hit (missing the big stuff), and caught a couple interesting moments. One thing is for sure - wide-angle is the way to go - I may get one of those GoPro's after all....

Ponquogue Summer Waves

2009-09-08T12:45:00.001-04:00

Picture perfect side-shore, warm day, nice waves, big air, but most incredibly, an East wind and sunshine? Score!

Video via Youtube in case the Flickr video doesn't work. I'm trying to figure which looks/works better.

For more in-depth reporting, check out the Peconic Puffin's recap of this spectacular day: "There's Still Sand On My Boom"

Plus, it looks like more potential wave-sailing action later this week, but bigger, meaner and wetter: NOAA Marine Forecast - stay tuned!

LI Summer SUP Part 3 - Clark Bar Bonanza

2009-09-07T20:46:00.006-04:00

Shoulder to head-high+ came out of nowhere to make for a delicious day of standup paddle surfing and kayaking at the Clark Bar. Joining the Wolf and myself on SUP and Scott on his 'yak was Michael riding a demo Naish SUP from Windsurfing Hamptons. This was Michael's second time standup paddling in the surf, and first time in surf greater than knee-high, and wouldn't you know he was catching long and big waves right from the start!

LI Summer SUP Part 2 - Danny's Waves

2009-09-06T09:05:00.006-04:00

Our next round came one weekend later from another offshore storm- Tropical Storm Danny. Danny petered out and threw its energy into a frontal storm off of Hatteras, though he still managed to send meaty 6' to 9'+ waves into the Bowl. I somehow grabbed a couple of these giant waves amidst a crowd of 25 surfers on my 11'2" Starboard SUP, an utterly thrilling and exhausting experience (I think I experienced endorphin fatigue!).

The next morning we took refuge and long rides on the bay side of the inlet. This session was a total blast and excellent workout. A mix of surfers, kayakers and SUP'ers shared in the wave bounty, often in "party waves".

The next day, winds went off-shore and cleaned up long-period left-overs. I joined Jon Ford and John van der Wolf at the Cut for some beautiful glassy waves in the chest to shoulder-high range.

Check out the full photoset (with 2 videos) in this slideshow (can be made to fit full-screen):

LI Summer SUP Part 1 - Hurricane Bill

2009-09-04T11:48:00.005-04:00

Hurricane Bill passed 275 miles off our coast August 22/23, sending big waves to our southern shores. Erosion was bad in spots, but in some cases sandbars improved for surf and SUP. The first couple days we hid from Bill's fury on the inside of Moriches Inlet, catching mellow 1-3 ft waves that would run for 100-200 yards. Here's one of those rides:

Later in the week we were scoring shoulder to overhead-plus at Dune Road ocean beaches in Southampton. I shared one of my favorite sessions at K Road with the Wolf and C.D., where we found waist to head-high waves, a warm, peaceful sunset, frosty beers and good company:

This post also marks the introduction of my new waterproof camera, the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000. The photo quality is sadly subpar (see above), but it should make up for that in durability -- I'll post a full review later this fall. For now, enjoy these pics from LI Summer SUP Part 1:

Ponquogue Best

2009-07-24T13:10:00.010-04:00

Amazing day yesterday, easily one of the top 5 Ponquogue best for me, perhaps even the best. First, a round of applause to the meteorologists at iWindsurf.com:

Noon Update Forecast is on track so far, but the low looks to be strengthening further today. The late day winds could push much stronger then originally forecasted, with gusts pushing into the 30s. Watch trends.

And the result?

When I arrived after 3pm and found the Wolf & C.D. heading out on 5.8/6.2, I knew they'd be back soon. I went straight to 5.2 / 93L, and with the recent low tide, shorebreak was gentle and wind aplenty. Waves were 3' and building, and I went at them full-steam, jumping high, crashing backloops and devouring big air after such a long drought. This led to gluttonous over-consumption and eventual intoxication as I hung on to the 5.2 for far too long. Re-rigged to 4.7 and spent some time playing on the clean 3-6'+ waves, but was already too spent to really enjoy it. The waves were more on-shore than usual, coming in SSE to the E-ENE wind, and they served up a playground (more like amusement park, or even NASA training facility) for jumping and riding.

Jimi Sobeck rocked it both from the wave and air. His high-altitude bailouts thrilled the crowd, and his surfing skills showed on the wave. Also putting the surf in windsurf were John Natalie and Jon Ford, who slashed and carved the lips on some niiice waves (too bad no one manned a camera!), along with the Fisherman and C.D. The rest of us were happy to gain experience and make progress in the ocean, and occasionally pull off a sweet move.

As the tide came up, the ocean showed us who was in charge. Many of us spent time getting schooled by the shorebreak and sweeping side current. Even John Natalie took a trip in the ripping rapids, easing the pain felt by us lower wave mortals. Besides Jimi's high air bailouts, we had another Maui moment when Michael Alex almost made it over a 5' shorebreaker. He had barely gotten over the first wave, but was at least moving forward in the light near-shore winds. As the next wave started building, I knew it was going to be close -- I started yelling "Go! Go! Go!", but the light wind had failed him. The wave reared its mightiness, the onlookers braced to take Michael's pain and let forth a groaning "OOOHHH!!" as the wave consumed both him (having bailed left) and his gear in one crunching bite. You could see his gear inside the wave as it went over the falls, but fortunately it escaped destruction (Michael too).

I'm getting my waterproof camera fixed ASAP- we can't miss out on moments like these.

More details on the session from the Peconic Puffin: Whipped at Ponquogue, But We Lap It Up

Wave sailing at Democrat Point

2009-07-12T14:48:00.013-04:00

My "full report from a Demo newbie" as posted to the LongIslandWindsurfer Yahoo Group, describing my first wave sailing session at Democrat Point:

Well it wasn't classic Demo as per the regulars, nor did world-class wave described by Graham Ezzy show, but I'm more than glad I finally showed up to scope out the scene and see what all the fuss is all about. It took me just under an hour to make the drive from Hampton Bays, where the trees and wind chimes were going off next to Peconic Bay, but very little action on the ocean. I tried convincing the Peconic crew to join me in the pilgrimage: Scott Kielt was at Cupsogue beach with his family, on the other side of Moriches Inlet from Fire Island, and he reported "12mph at best". Michael Alex opting for time with his wife at Mecox bay was stuck searching for a plane on his 7.0. The Wolf also hung with his family, and when I spoke to him this morning, he said "so you got to Demo and the wind died, right?"

Not at all. Driving along the Robert Moses Causeway across the Great South Bay, I could see the wind was cranking 6.0 or better. I almost felt blinded by all the water as I sped across the long bridge, even though the sun wasn't out - or maybe it was just my wind-starved senses getting overloaded. I got to Cedar Beach just after 5pm, and within 10 minutes the crew had assembled, choosing sails from 5.6(?) to 5.9. It was good to see Brook, Joe, Steve, Pete and George, all of whom I either knew or met once previously. Brook and Pete started schooling me on the Demo do's and don'ts ("stay upwind of the channel" was the tip that sunk in), when jolly George Marr came over to say "bah, don't listen to those guys, just go have fun!"

The fun began shortly after catching my breath from the "Bataan Death March" across the beach - fortunately most of the sand was hard enough for solid footing during the long journey. I approached the water last, and was glad to see the other sailors nicely powered and planing toward the point in a hurry - I'd have no problem with my 5.9 / 109L kit. The shorebreak was non-existent at low tide, and with an easy beach start I was underway. I immediately felt a surge of joy to be back on the ocean after weeks of flatwater. I found the swell and waves from the beach to the channel to be bumpy and disorganized, but hey at least they were waves! Closer to the channel, the swirling currents occasionally produced some psycho-swell, but once into the channel and toward the point, the real fun began.

While this day was not classic Demo due to South wind (not the preferred SW or NE), it was still possible to grab wave rides and the occasional jump. The outgoing current against the incoming waves made for 2-4 ft ramps, and when the waves broke, the whitewater was gentle - nothing like the punishing waves at Ponquogue, the bowl and Cupsogue. A couple waves jumped up to the 4-6 ft range, one which I caught for my memorable ride of the day. I also had fun riding down waves just inches ahead of the whitewater, trying to not get taken down. Near the point the wind lightened up, and when some whitewater knocked me off balance, I was surprised to find myself standing in waist-deep water. The water was warm and clear, though the current spewed out a couple weeds and occasional chunks of floating plastic. Later on I followed George past the rock jetty, and rode several waves on the return. Now I feel prepped for the next sesh when "the wave" actually shows up.

After two solid hours, dark clouds appeared from the west, and the other sailors headed back to Cedar. The walk back across the beach wasn't too bad at first, with my muscles pumped and warmed from the sesh, though the last 50 yards of soft sand was punishing. After a refreshing shower I joined the BS sesh in the parking lot, topped off with an organic Goose Island beer (thanks Joe!). All in all, a good day, good exercise, and a good low-level intro to Demo. Can't wait to return for a taste of Demo Classic.

[This and many other LI spots can be found on the Peconic Puffin's Long Island Windsurfing Map.]

North Boom Goes Bust

2009-05-11T14:34:00.002-04:00

On rolling up to Sebonac Inlet early Sunday morning and hearing the 4.2 sail call, I knew I'd be entering risky waters. My small sail boom, an aluminum North Sails Red Series, was oozing a salty pus from the pins near the head. The next catapult could take it out - a feat I managed within only 5 minutes of sailing:

It was the first run out, where I usually make sure everything is balanced. While struggling with harness line positioning on the return tack, I hit a classically sweet Sebonac ramp and landed too far downwind and off-balance. Scott caught a good view of my slow-motion catapult seconds later. As he swung around to shout something at me (probably "Hahahhaha -- are you okay? -- Hahahaaa!"), I began to waterstart in the waist-deep water and suddenly heard the boom pop apart in its final corrosive gasp. Ugh! I wasn't too far from shore, but definitely a long way from the launch. Scott yelled something like "[blah blah whoosh blah] walk to the beach", which without the wind whistling through my helmet apparently translated to "flip the boom and sail back or you'll have to walk to the beach". Not hearing him, and forgetting this useful tip taught by ABK Boardsports and highlighted in the Puffin's account of my previous aluminum cracking catapult, I ended up walking the whole way back. I payed my dues, complete with self-created suffering and sacrifice (though the later reward was well worth it!).

As for my North Sails boom? Well, I had purchased it brand new at the Fall '07 swap meet at Windsurfing Hamptons, and one year later at the Fall '08 swap, Jon Ford noticed the oozing pus. I asked about the warranty, since the boom had malfunctioned barely after a year. Jon said he'd ask North Sails, but the answer came back negative. Jon suggested I might get one more season out of it, which I did. Sunday's boom busting session marked the end of the cold, high-wind season, and also the end for my use of aluminum booms. From now on, it's Maui Sails carbon (just gotta start saving)!

Sebonac Joy

2009-05-11T10:07:00.005-04:00

Nothing like a sunny and warm, full-blast Sebonac session to spark the blog back to life! I've had a busy period the past month or so, which included a fun and blustery trip to Hatteras, a breakdown and untimely death of my aging windsurfing van in Delaware, a trip to Vegas for a surprise birthday party, and a presentation to 150 Miller Place HS students. Fortunately, the wind arrived on a weekend (Mother's Day no less!), and I was able to grab 4 fully lit hours on 4.7 / 77L, often reaching moments of nirvana after getting dialed in.

9 more photos from the day: Sebonac - May 10, 2009

Also see the Peconic Puffin's report: Who WASN’T Tearing It Up at Sebonac?

Windsurfing at it's Finest, and Funniest

2009-03-29T15:09:00.006-04:00

I aspire to make windsurfing videos with this kind of spirit and talent

click HQ for high-quality and enjoy the ride (my favorite moment comes at 3:27).

Gliding, Sliding and Crashing across Bellport Ice

2009-02-07T12:26:00.006-05:00

Woohoo! Had my first icesurfing session since February 2007 this past weekend in Bellport, NY. On Saturday, Jan 31st, windsurfers rigged 3.7 sq. m sails and sped around on Freeskates, Icesurfers (aka the "Shopping Cart"), and various custom made boards. NW winds were gusty and well into the 20's. The next day saw warmer and lighter SW winds, which allowed for some freestyle and lessons for beginners.

I had the most fun trying out one of Jeff Schlecter's beautifully engineered custom boards, pictured above with Kevin. Leaning into high speed jibes, enjoying the zen moment when the sail goes light and quiet, and exiting backwinded still at high speed -- total rush! Unfortunately, on one speed run I got blindsided by a single-person iceboat! I was just cranking along in a gust when an explosion happened, just off the port bow. His front blade struck the front upwind blade of my board with such force that it bent the front half of the blade a good 45 degrees. The crash sent me head over heels onto the ice, but fortunately I walked away (actually ran away, chasing my helmet that had popped off and caught wind). Jeff was graciously understandable, and said it should be an easy repair. But I learned an important lesson: always look all the way around while on the ice, esp. upwind and behind you!

Before the cold killed the battery on Saturday, I grabbed a couple minutes of video made from boardcam, boomcam, and free hand shots:

Direct link to high-quality youtube
Photos from both days are posted in this Flickr photoset: Bellport Ice Sailing, which can also be viewed in full-screen via the slideshow link. Other photos include historic wooden iceboats and more custom iceboards.

More boom cam fun!

2009-01-11T18:21:00.007-05:00

After the first successful run using the Gorrillapod as a boom mount, I've since hit up four other East End windsurfing spots, draining the battery each time!

First up, Honkadelica: The Last Session of the Year at Sebonac Inlet in Southampton, Dec 30, 2008 (see also accompying Flickr photoset). This day was off the hook, with 30-40+ mph winds (some gusts over 50-60!), sunny & 37 deg, survival sailing 3.2 to 3.7 sq m with liquid smoke on the water!!:

Our first session of the New Year was underpowered winter wave sailing at Ponquogue, Jan 2, 2009, which I subtitled "How far would you schlog and walk for a wave? ...in the middle of winter?" Unfortunately, the camera was pointed a bit high, and missed most of the wave ride:

After 4.7 in the morning the next day at Iron Pier Beach in Northville, Riverhead, NY, the wind back off at noon, which led some to stray: Some Days Somebody Has To Be The Wind Sacrifice...

Finally, some Northfork Windsurfing, starting 4.7 off the jetty rocks at Mattituck Inlet, and ending with some high-powered 4.2 blasting back at Iron Pier Beach, Jan 8, 2009. I got a couple half-backloop crashes out of it too!

What a blast! Battery is recharged, and ready for the next session (let it be waves!)....

Windsurfing Session Seen From Space?

2008-12-29T15:44:00.001-05:00

How wild is this? Zoom into Meschutt Beach in Hampton Bays on Google Maps, and you'll see a windsurfing session in progress. Boards and sails in the parking lot (is that the Puffin Mobile?), two rigs at the shoreline, and breaking waves, whitecaps and swell all captured in Google Maps Satellite mode (it is likely aerial photography).

Foggy day at Cupsogue, aka Cupfog*

2008-12-28T20:26:00.005-05:00

Big time fog at the Cup today, it was crazy, but fun and safe for the most part. Scott, the Wolf, Fisherman, Bill Barber and I found 3-5' glassy clean waves on the inside, and 6'+ waves jacking up on the outer sandbar on the outside. I was on 5.2 and 93L the whole time, but often painfully underpowered -- twice in front of monster crumblers. One took me for a 10-15 second ride in raging whitewater while I held both breath and boom. (This led to one of two walks of shame through the fog). The visibility in the fog was a couple hundred feet most of the day, so you could make out the waves and other sailors no problem, but not seeing the beach most of the time was a bit eerie. There were some heavy construction machines (there for dredging Moriches Inlet) with lights on that helped with finding the launch spot, though the diesel fumes were not appreciated. I did have a few moments of glee, including jumping off the front of small, tightly packed waves and landing their backs, launching off a couple 6-footers, and best of all, riding a couple of those big ones, esp. early on when they were glassy and clean.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find my camera this morning, so no boom cam footage -- frustrating since today was so rare and eerie. On the fortunate side, we've got a windy week ahead!

* Cupfog title credit goes to the Wolf!

Merry Meschutt Session on Christmas Day

2008-12-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

A sunny & windy day is just what I wanted for Christmas! Thanks to my girlfriend Chiaying for the photos and to my family for holding off Christmas activities until the afternoon!

Gorillapod Boom Mount / trial run

2008-12-23T13:43:00.004-05:00

I was able to make the most of the less than stellar conditions this past Sunday thanks to an early Christmas present from a good friend who supports my windsurfing addiction: a Joby Gorillapod. The Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM (heavy-duty tripod) easily wrapped around the narrow 30mm diameter Maui Sails carbon boom, and supported my light-weight waterproof point-n-shoot Olympus Stylus 790 SW camera. Conditions during these runs were mostly underpowered 4.7, but the mount held surprisingly well through gusts, jibes and small jumps. Next will be to test this setup in the waves - stay tuned!

also available: high-quality Quicktime format

Ponquogue Wave Sailing - Nov. 30th, 2008

2008-12-03T17:29:00.005-05:00

What a day - those few peak moments carving a bottom turn into a cutback, or anticipating a massive port jump off of head-high waves, made all the suffering (ie, fluky up/down winds, constricting drysuit, cold east wind, pelting rain, sweeping current and mid-tide shore break) totally WORTH IT!!

Nice to see a dozen sailors getting in the action, including (I had to stop and rub my eyes): Mike Burns! The flatwater freestyler "King of the East" was hungry for waves. Juiced after a recent Hatteras Cove session, he wanted MORE! Ponquogue was less than ideal, but Mike managed to several top/bottom turns on several wave rides, and one MASSIVE forward loop that he almost over-rotated. We need more stoke like this at our eastern beaches!

Full photoset (8 photos, 1 video): Ponquogue - Nov. 30th, 2008 - a set on Flickr (or see it as a slideshow)

2008-11-22T14:24:00.004-05:00

The Thrill of Victory : Wave Sailing at the Bowl, October 25, 2008
Picture 1/13 of Bill Doutney's Album

The Agony of Defeat : Denied by the Iron Pier Shorebreak, November 16, 2008
Picture 3/15 of Bill Doutney's Album

2008-11-02T23:09:00.004-05:00

High-quality youtube (direct link) [note: you can add &fmt=18 to any youtube link to see high quality]

Low-quality youtube:

Slow-loading, high-quality Quicktime format:

2008-10-10T15:32:00.005-04:00

Usually, windsurfing at the Bowl in Hampton Bays means clouds, rain and generally subpar video and photo opportunities due to the cold, easterly winds. On September 25th, however, our bowl session actually started with some sun, thanks to getting stuck between a Carolina coastal low / Canadian high pressure combo that delivered NE side-off wind in the 20's. Before racing off to the water myself, I filmed a few minutes of the early action:

also available: youtube version

After donning the wetsuit, the waterproof Olympus 970 got a workout:

I also attempted some more on-the-water shooting, including this hand-held footage (back hand on camera, front hand on boom) while on starboard tack, heading back to shore (you can see beach and jetty in the background):

2008-09-26T16:32:00.005-04:00

In an attempt to slow the descent into windsanity due to this summer's lack of winds, I bit the bullet and bought a Standup Paddle board (SUP). My first surfboard, a custom Hatteras 8-footer, provided some relief, but still strained neck and shoulder muscles, and was more work than fun for this beginner surfer. Surfing while standing provides all sorts of advantages: you stay out of the water, dry and warm; you can see the sets and best waves coming from afar; the power generated while paddling is much greater than paddling with your arms in the prone position, which makes catching waves much easier; SUP works your core muscles (abs, butt, hips, thighs), making my physical therapist very happy; SUP can be done on flat water, in the waves with a paddle, or best yet, in the waves with a windsurf sail!!

For my goodbye to the Windless Summer of 2008, I'm posting a photoset in Flickr, and a short movie, which capture time on the water in early September in waves generated by Tropical Storm Hanna from far off-shore:

also available: youtube version

2008-09-22T20:41:00.001-04:00

Andy Brandt and the ABK Boardsports crew blew into town for their fall visit to the East End (see also the colorful report by The Peconic Puffin). Because of the unreliable wind this summer, and even less trustworthy forecasts, I swung by for extra water time on the beautiful Napeague Harbor. On Thursday afternoon, I ran into fellow ABK freestyle campers George Marr and Pete Roesch, and we snuck in some extra water time as easterlies hit mid to upper teens. I was impressed with Pete's progress with the Vulcan - he was getting good rhythm on the pop and getting the board around. My Vulcan pops are an explosion of body, board and sail that result in spectacular crashes, but I made some progress getting the nose planted thanks to tips from Andy, ie. less board, more sail, slower pops.

When I first came to an ABK clinic last year, I was mostly self-taught, studying Peter Hart videos and Dasher's 12-point jibe (I'm also a bigbig fan of Guy Cribb's Intuition). But nothing can replace on the water instruction and video analysis that comes with each ABK clinic. Besides the group of freestylers going for aerials and gecko tricks, a number of beginners ranging from young to finely aged, big to small, and male to (thankfully) female made excellent progress as well. ABK is not only an instructional clinic, but also a welcoming, supportive social club of sorts, with members from all walks of life (architects, students, engineers, retirees, cabinetmakers, media types and so on).

On Sunday we were rewarded with light warm winds and abundant sunshine, which was perfect for light wind freestyle tricks (anklebiters galore) and a workout for my waterproof camera. Check out the results in this Flickr photoset: ABK freestyle clinic at Napeague - Sept 2008

2008-09-06T22:30:00.004-04:00

Finally back on the water after a long, long wind drought, thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna. About 10 of us snagged a long overdue wave sailing session as Hanna finally arrived with only 2 hours of daylight remaining. Check out the photos here:

.Mac Gallery (I refuse to call it "Mobile Me")

or

Flickr Photoset

Added: Peconic Puffin's Hannah recap

2008-05-08T00:51:00.001-04:00

Side-shore wave sailing at Ponquogue Beach and the Bowl at Shinnecock Inlet in Hampton Bays, Long Island, NY. Conditions started with low tide and small, sloppy waves on 5.8 - 6.2 and big boards, and grew 6 hours later to 4.7 on small boards, dodging (or not) the shore break at high tide. Personally I've been attacking the waves more aggressively, and saw several others out there pushing themselves as well (George Pav). Special thanks to my girlfriend Chiaying, who bundled up against 20-30+ mph easterly (read "cold") wind and blowing sand, for shooting the video. For a much more colorful and complete description of the day, check out the post on the Peconic Puffin.

Watch on Youtube or downloadable Quicktime file (better resolution and larger size).

[Tags: Windsurfing, Ponquogue, wave sailing, Long Island, windsurfing video]

2008-03-22T20:51:00.007-04:00

It's the Windy Season on Long Island! A departing storm and approaching high pressure formed a tight gradient and powered W to NW winds in the 25-35 mph range, with the requisite gusts and lulls. Long Island Windsurfer group members were talking West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook on the Long Island Sound, and so were the Wolf and much of the East End crew. I'd heard much about this place, and was finally about to get a taste for myself.

A blow-out tide meant lower water levels, with loads of flatwater (for Mike Burns & other freestylers to play in) between sandbars and 2-4' waves on the outside. Big rollers up to 5-6' were found in the Northeast corner for big backside port tack riding and giant starboard air.

On Thursday I was handling huge power on my 4.7, riding all three of my boards (77, 93, 109) at various points. I hit one cresting ramp on port and caught huge air when I found myself hooked in to the harness! To me it seemed like 10+ ft. I felt the twinge of imminent doom with that much power, that high up, but luckily a soft wave face broke my landing, and somehow I planed away. I rode til sunset, and got home at 8:30 (long days are back)! Friday was 6 hours of more of the same, though this time on 4.2! The above Youtube video should give a sense of the scene. Quicktime versions with better resolution and size are also available.

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, West Meadow, bump and jump, wave sailing, Long Island, Long Island Sound, Mike Burns, freestyle, vulcan, flaka, windsurfing video]

2008-03-07T23:11:00.001-05:00

The Wolf and I scored a side-on wave sailing session at Ponquogue today ahead of this weekend's big coastal storm. The East wind built into the 20's, and by the end of it we were both launching off big ramps and riding shoulder-high waves on the way in. Scott swung by and caught some it on camera, but for now, I've got some on-the-water video I managed to take with the hand held Olympus 790sw:

also available: youtube version

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Ponquogue, Wave Sailing, Long Island, ocean, surf]

2008-02-03T15:18:00.000-05:00

Winter windsurfing isn't so bad on days like these:

also available: youtube version

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Sebonac, Meschutt, bump and jump, Long Island, Peconic Bay]

2008-01-17T21:45:00.000-05:00

This post is one for the "dogs of the wind", or Wind Dogs. The dogs I've grown up with and owned all loved car rides, and especially sticking their heads out the window. For me, thanks to my Grandma Sattler, the breed of choice was always the long-haired miniature dachshund, whose long, floppy ears would always get caught by the wind and spread out like little wings. My current dog Spanky got the nickname "Die Fledermaus" during the hey day of The Tick back in the 1990's. See if you can guess which character he is:

The lucky dogs of windsurfers, though, not only enjoy car rides to and from the beach. They also get steady winds, with all sorts of salts and smells in the air, right at the beach. This situation provides great moments for the roving windsurfing photographer, full of funny arrangements of ears and fur. You can find some of these photos in this Flickr photoset of Wind Dogs, which I will add to as I find and meet more "dogs of the wind".

This post is dedicated to Diane's sweet and gentle Tio, who recently passed away, and will be fondly missed.

[Tags: Windsurfing, Wind Dogs, dachshund, Die Fledermaus, The Tick]

2007-12-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

I've taken some downtime this week to edit some video of the Pros doing their thing at Sebonac back in October. Jace Panebianco, Fabrice Beaux, and Jon Ford put on a great show at Sebonac Inlet in Southampton, NY, grabbing big air, shredding water and throwing loops on October 12, 2007. Check it out in my .Mac Gallery, or follow the link here:

Update: YouTube version available too.

Also, you can find still shots in this Flickr set: Pro Session at Sebonac.

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Sebonac, bump and jump, Long Island, Peconic Bay, Jace Panebianco, Fabrice Beaux, Jon Ford, Windsurfing Hamptons]

2007-09-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

The ABK clinic this past weekend was a success, despite the mostly light winds. We all pulled off one new move (the sloppy but useful Gecko Loop), and got tons of instruction on many other freestyle moves. I'm on a hunt for a small fin to shave down, so I can start skipping into Vulcans and Flakas. I greatly enjoyed meeting and learning alongside such a cool and enthusiastic group.

I'm starting to upload pictures to Flickr: ABK freestyle clinic at Napeague - Sept 2007

On a side tangent, some fellow campers saw me trying out the orange waterproof Olympus 790SW. The camera is very sturdy and easy to use. Some of the pictures came out great (see the Flickr set), and some came out unfocused. But I was mostly disappointed with the video mode as it had terrible sound, and a 10-second limitation for the high quality mode (640x480 30fps). Read my more detailed rant if you are considering this camera.

[Tags: Windsurfing, ABK, Boardsports, Napeague, Olympus, 790SW]

2007-09-18T08:49:00.000-04:00

Don't bother watching the Sebonac video on YouTube... it looks much better on the .Mac Web Gallery:

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Sebonac, bump and jump, Long Island, Peconic Bay]

2007-09-16T23:52:00.000-04:00

Sebonac Bump n Jump, Saturday, September 15th, 2007 (direct youtube link)

For some reason, the video stops playing 40 seconds before the end, right where the credits roll over some great still photos. You can joggle the slider a bit to see most of the end, but here are the credits. Apologies to those who I didn't list (need more names!):

Sebonac Bump n Jump - Winds NNW 15 to 30 mph, Sails: 4.7 - 5.2, Sailors: Scott, John "The Wolf" V, Jeff, Bruce, John H, Joe, John, Bill B, Jan, Video: Chiaying.

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Sebonac, bump and jump, Long Island, Peconic Bay]

2007-09-09T21:15:00.000-04:00

Red Cedar Point Flatwater - Labor Day '07 Session (direct youtube link)

Labor Day 2007 - SW wind in the upper teens at the Red Cedar Point sandbar on Peconic Bay. Jeff, Guillermo & Carlos work on jibes, planing jibes, duck jibes, and backwind jibes, while Flying Felipe gets mega air with his kite. The video stops 15 seconds before the end just as the credits come up (this seems to be a iMovie '08 / Youtube bug), but they simply list the Windsurfers & Kiter, and Videographer (Chiaying).

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Red Cedar Point, flatwater, Long Island, Peconic Bay]

2007-08-20T00:18:00.000-04:00

Video from the August 10th, 2007 Ponquogue session (direct link):

[Tags: Windsurfing, video, Ponquogue, Wave Sailing, Long Island, ocean, surf]

2007-08-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

After a jam-packed week of visiting cousins, aunts, nephew and various dogs, birthday parties, windsurfing lessons at Tiana Bay for the kids, forecasting Hurricane Dean (my day job), scoring a killer evening sesh at RCP and Jamesport (pulled off 6 planing jibes thanks to an anonymous tip), and a short and sweet 4.7 early, early fall session at Sebonac today, I finally have a chance to upload some stills from video shot by my girlfriend Chiaying. She taped some wild and crazy wave sailing with a cool new widescreen camcorder. I hope to plunge in with iMovie tomorrow and eventually upload something to youtube. If I can keep it under 20mb, I might be able to e-mail out a better quality copy.

For now, however, I have video stills in this Flickr photoset: Ponquogue August 10th, 2007

[Tags: Windsurfing, pictures, videos, Ponquogue, Wave Sailing, Long Island, ocean, surf]

2007-07-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

I had a great time at Red Cedar Point July 5th, working on steps 9-11 of Dasher's jibe in waist-high flatwater. SW winds reaching upper teens and low 20s drew out two other windsurfers, Glenn and Daniel, who sailed 7.0 and 6.6. I was solidly powered on my 6.2, and often overpowered in meaty, sustained gusts, which were perfect for carving full-force jibes. I blew all duck jibe attempts - the sail kept blowing away from me! I also goofed around with bodydrags, but mostly concentrated on jibes:

Later I sailed across Flanders Bay (good chop for jumps, which would have been sweet with the Naish) to the beach bar just west of the Jamesport Landing. There I saw 70-something Ironman Lou Anderson, who was riding his old-school gear. His sail had at least 2 dozen strips of stickers and tape, but when we sailed back across Flanders Bay, he impressively ripped right along. After 3 hours I came in for lunch, and then entertained guests through evening. It blew pretty hard all day. Around 6pm I went down to the bay with my friend Jon, and we found Guillermo coming back from a sesh. He had to run to the train station to get his girlfriend ("Dude, call a taxi!"), but said it was still great and that I should be out there. Unfortunately, social activities called and I never got back out (probably too tired for it too!).

[Tags: Windsurfing, pictures, videos, Peconic Bay, Red Cedar Point, Long Island, jibe, bodydrag]

2007-07-04T20:49:00.000-04:00

The end of Shinnecock Road on the west side of Shinnecock Bay in Hampton Bays offers convenient access for catching South wind. Similar to East and West Landing Roads on Peconic Bay, the water is just 20 yards across a short beach from the parking area. I had sailed here previously when Ponquogue was too onshore for my taste, and when south winds blew again on July 4th, I headed over for another session. The summer brings boat traffic and a couple weeds, but I managed these obstacles and had a good time for about an hour on the 7.2. My friend Chiaying, out visiting for the holiday, shot some video as I worked on jibes, tacks and bodydrags.

[Tags: Windsurfing, pictures, Shinnecock Bay, Bodydrag, Long Island, Hamptons]

2007-06-22T19:47:00.000-04:00

A low pressure (basically a weak nor'easter) spun over the Canadian Maritimes and gave us our bonus high wind session for the month of June. Last year's June Surprise blew WNW, but today we got NNW, which gave us more roaming space to the west toward Shinnecock Canal. Winds started fluky 12-20 (ie, too much schlogging), then later pushed well into the 20's. I rode my 89L Naish and 5.2 Ezzy, while other East End sailors rigged 4.7 to 5.8. I had some monster jumps, including a new personal highest. For the first time I noticed the sudden silence of hang time. Very sweet.

Sailors in attendance included John V, Jon Ford, Jimi Sobek, Michael, Bill B., Diane, Curtis & Robert, while Scott, temporarily off the water from injury, watched the action from shore. More pictures from the day: June Bonus: Sebonac

[Tags: Windsurfing, pictures, Peconic Bay, Sebonac, Long Island, Hamptons]

Learning to Jibe with Dasher

2007-06-13T22:54:00.000-04:00

While perusing youtube's latest windsurfing offerings, I came across a 1.5 minute summary of Dasher's 12 Step Jibe. Dasher breaks down that frustrating move to simple, mechanical steps that can be worked on one at a time. I credit Dasher's DVD for helping me hit my first planing jibe last September. Over a week in Hatteras that Spring I watched it a handful of times, and over the Summer, the 12 steps slowly took root. Unfortunately, I think my brain and physical memory can juggle only 9 or 10 of those steps at once (even fewer on a smaller board in chop). As a result, my jibes still need work. In my last session with the heavy 7.2, the sail (and myself) kept falling in the water on the inside of the turn during the sail flip. The video revealed the missing link:

Step 9: "The hips roll to the inside as the mast crosses the centerline to the outside". The alarm went off in my head, and I now have something to work on next time in the water (thanks Dasher!). The sooner I can nail down 80% jibing, the sooner I can concentrate on wave sailing in the Fall, and keeping warm in the Winter. Jibe Ho!

[Tags: Windsurfing, jibe, Dasher, The 12 Step Jibe by Dasher]

2007-06-03T00:16:00.000-04:00

I'm just about to turn in for the night, and the wind comes up. Chimes are swinging, branches are swaying, and flagpole lanyards flapping. When the house starts whistling, I have to step outside to take a reading. It's hitting 15 mph from the SW, which after the recent windless weekends, is enough to draw me out into the 65° hazy yellow moonlit night. I really can't complain about the lack of wind, though. I caught the last 45 minutes before sunset today up at the Point. I could hear the hoots coming from Carlos, Guillermo and a third kiter as they ripped around, so I rigged the 7.2 and headed west towards the setting sun. It was 50/50 planing (as Michael also reported from Mecox), but the gusts were fun for a couple near-planing jibes. I completed my first duck jibe (on first attempt, unoit). But better than that, the Peconic waters have become wetsuit-optional. After the bite of cold water sailing earlier this year, the bay today was practically caressing when falling in. OK, I'm waxing poetic - it must be Summer.

2007-05-29T19:14:00.000-04:00

Windsurfing the East End has been great this Spring, with plenty of high wind days at Sebonac, Jamesport, the Bowl and Mecox (April Nor'easter Flickr Photoset), and Cupsogue (Wave Sailing at Cupsogue Flickr Photoset). I've given my 89L Naish 8'7" and 5.2 Ezzy a real workout, and have gained valuable shortboard experience on chop and waves. I have been making 30-50% of my jibes, and having fun with jumps. The Naish is sooo light and maneuverable; I love digging the inside rail into a steep ramp and popping the board up. I had one jump at Jamesport where I got the board completely above me. Unfortunately, I can only do this reliably on a starboard tack (probably because I'm right-handed) - I hesitate on port, and don't always feel confident and in control.

But the calendar is about to tip into June, and high wind days will be more rare (except for the occasional Tropical Storm; last year, Beryl and Ernesto brought strong easterlies to Long Island). My attention will turn more to flat water fun behind Red Cedar Point. The plan is to work on planing duck jibes and other freestyle moves. Best of all, I have two windsurfing neighbors renting a house next door! Carlos and Guillermo would sometimes make the long trip to the Point in previous summers, but now I know where to hunt them down when the SW wind gets crankin!

[Tags: Windsurfing, high wind, wave sailing, Long Island]

2007-03-29T18:15:00.000-04:00

It's a good thing that I hit the water Sunday March 18th, because it looks like my boom-breaking session at Sebonac will be my one and only windblog entry for the month. While I was able to extend my Consecutive Monthly Windsurfing Streak to 13, one good day in 31 is clearly not enough. Sure, I've got my copies of Windsurfing Magazine and Windsport for bathroom reading, and several windsurfing blogs on the computer to get me by. And monitoring forecasts and weather systems, and swinging by the local shop to pick up a new boom and chatting with whoever walks in on a windless day can be fun too. But when I read about all the Peconic Puffins having fun on the water today from my office computer (with flags flapping outside!), and viewed an uneven wind forecast for this coming weekend, well... that can drive a weekend windsurfer crazy.

Windsurfing at Sebonac the other Sunday was a lot of fun. NW winds blowing 20-25 meant rigging my 89L Naish 8'7" and 5.2 Ezzy. I've only sailed in these conditions 5 or 6 times before, and only once at Sebonac. In that Christmas Eve session, I struggled with harness line positions on my boom, and ended up in the water more than on the board. This time I managed greater than 50% board time, and felt dialed in on my fast and slashy Naish - at least on a port tack. Returning to shore on a starboard tack was a different story. Harness lines were wrong, and arms got somewhat tired, esp. as they wrestled the 5.2 against 30 mph gusts. And you know what comes next: catapult! I did the head-over-heels body slam twice on the second run, but the third run provided the final blow as I flipped hard, and broke my 4 year-old aluminum Chinook boom on each side. Luckily, nothing else broke (rig and bone included), and I was able to wade in from neck high water. The Puffin reported on the spectacle as viewed from shore, including my swim across the channel. It wasn't so bad of a haul, as the sail was still manageable despite the boom, but I still had to turn on the afterburners halfway across - that tidal current was pretty swift!

The Peconic Puffin pointed out the many reasons to love Sebonac. One is the vantage for taking windsurfing action shots (as seen in this Flickr set: Sebonac - March 18, '07). The other part I'm lovin so far is the challenge to quickly improve shortboarding skills, so that I can join in the fun ASAP. Jon suggested positioning lines closer to the mast (lines back to far could explain the tendency for catapulting), and to waterstart in the straps. I've also got to work on bending the knees when jibing through chop. Now hopefully I won't have to wait too long for the wind to cooperate!

[Tags: Windsurfing, broken boom, Sebonac, Long Island]

2007-02-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend I was lucky to try ice sailing, aka ice windsurfing, aka.. icesurfing for the first time. Jon Ford e-mailed Michael and I to meet up on Saturday at Cold Spring Pond in Southampton, NY, promising some of the best ice he'd ever seen. I wasn't sure what to expect, picturing large sit-down ice boats like you'd find at the Lake Ronkonkoma Ice Boat and Yacht Club or the South Bay Scooter Club (some of those boats look beautiful). While I'm sure that would have been fun, I was stoked to see that we'd basically be windsurfing on ice.

The first difference between icesurfing and windsurfing is that ice is stable. Gliding along slick ice requires much less balance and concentration when compared to the rocking and rolling swells of the ocean or Napeague Bay on NE winds. Most of my attention was able to go to the rig -- a light and easy 5.2. With only a 10 mph breeze, we were able to coast through tacks and scream though jibes.

Too much speed on hard ice was, of course, a concern. Generally, I could sense when a fall was coming, and simply placed a foot on the ice and lowered my center of gravity to regain balance, and sometimes even hopped back on. I had a couple slips and none-too-pretty crashes, but no bruises or anything afterwards (helmut always on, regardless). The trick for controlling speed and slowing down, I learned, was to backwind the sail. Following Michael's lead, I was soon backwinding through tacks, and doing helitacks. With the stable ice and small sail, it was inviting to freestyle and experiment.

Unfortunately I managed to break the bolt on the rear truck of Jon's Icesurfing board on my very first run, which put his board out for repairs for at least an hour (sorry Jon!!). I probably should have started with the Go board of the fleet, John's Icesurfer. This broad and stable beauty had no moving parts for me to break, and provided a good platform to build up confidence... and speed. I probably hit at least 30 mph on a couple downwinders.

My favorite of the three was John's custom iceboard, pictured right with C.D. on it (notice his big icesurfing grin). It's basically a skateboard on steel blades, and as long as the blades were sharp, you could carve some pretty good turns. I'm going to try and make one of these for myself even though the next chance for good ice may not be till next winter (unless we get real cold again for a stretch in March). I may have to get a skateboard from Flying Point Surf and Sport (who were cool to offer a spare truck for Jon's board), to hold me over till then.

Sunday was also a beautiful day, and when the breeze picked up in the early afternoon, instead of updating the blog I threw my sailing gear and old ice skates in the van and headed back to Cold Spring Pond. I thought I'd try to some wind skating at the very least. My brother Keith joined me, and in no time the breezes also brought John, Scott and C.D. for another round. Keith and I practiced with John's training kite, which on gusts would pull me along on my skates. I snapped some more action photos and video over the two days, which you'll find on this Flickr Icesurfing Set and YouTube channel. You'll find big icesurfing grins in many of those shots. Many thanks to Jon and John for making those grins possible!

Videos:
* Icesurfing in Maine
* Icesurfing lunchbreak on Winnecunnet Pond in MA - helmutcam
* Icesurfing Superbowl Sunday on Snipatuit Pond in MA - helmutcam
* Lake Ronkonkoma Icesurfer - mastcam (listen to why it's called the 'shopping cart')

Pictures:
* Flickr Snow and Ice Sailing Group
* An Icesurfer at Lake Ronkonkoma
* Another at Lake Ronkonkoma
* Klicker's modern Icesurfer

Snow and Ice Sailing Resources:
* World Ice and Snow Sailing Association :: Winter Sailing is Cool!
* Windsurfing Magazine Snow/Ice Sailing Links
* Ice Awls

[Tags: Windsurfing, Icesurfing, Ice Sailing, Long Island, Hamptons]

2006-12-24T17:22:00.000-05:00

The last time it was blowin' NW 20-35 mph at Sebonic Inlet, I was stuck on shore with too much board and sail, wistfully snapping photos of jumps and jibes. This time, however, I was able to do both, riding the 89L Naish with a 5.2m to join in the fun, while taking some action shots during breaks. About 10-15 windsurfers took advantage of the Christmas Eve windfest, jumping, carving and having a great time. The photos are the real highlight of this post, so please check them out (preferably in full size) in this Flickr set: Sebonic Inlet - Christmas Eve '06. My two favorites include the one above (anyone know who that is?) and this one of Jon Ford shredding chop:

I, on the other hand, had a tough time struggling with poorly positioned harness lines and occasionally fluky winds. My arms quickly became tired, and after my first jump, I ended up catapulting, twice. This was my 3rd or 4th time on this shorter board, and after my previous successes, I realize I'm back at the bottom of the learning curve.

[Tags: Windsurfing, Peconic Bay, Sebonic Inlet, Long Island, Hamptons]

2006-12-17T23:13:00.000-05:00

What a day over at Mecox Bay today! Gusty 15-25 mph SW winds and air temps in the low 50's (water temps manageable in the upr 40's). Originally I was hoping to meet up and surf with Michael, but unfortunately he was side-lined with a cold. I then checked in with Jon Ford, who was headed to Cupsogue to do some ocean sailing (apparently great on a SW). Unfortunately that launch needs a 4wd for access, the only major drawback of a van. Next time I'll plan better and see if I can borrow my brother's new monster pickup truck.

Arriving at Mecox around noon, I found a wide open bay with some decent chop building. I rigged the 6.2m to start, and managed the gusts until about hour later when they picked up full blast to 20-25. It was tough getting back, and a bit tiring, but the shallow bay made things easier.

For the rest of the day, I was in a range from "nicely balanced" to "nicely over-powered" on the 5.2m. I had fun hopping chop, as I'm still in the early stages of jumping waves and swells. I'm also still in the early stages of gybing through chop, which I'm finding much tougher than flat water.

My bro was cool enough to stop by in his monster truck and snap a couple pics and videos (thanks Keith!). I'll update this entry later with some highlights and spills; I welcome all comments and pointers!

[Tags: Windsurfing, Mecox Bay, Long Island]

2006-12-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

I had no idea what an Atlantic Puffin sounded like until the recently resurrected Peconic Puffin flapped onto the windsurfing blog scene. Check this out (I'd never guess):

A big hello and thanks to Michael and the PP for sparking me back into action. I have been sailing over the last few months, but haven't made the time for a blog update. I'll be back-dating a couple "new" entries to try and get back up to speed. I also want to thank the PP for this highly needed and useful Long Island Windsurfing Map. You can add spots to it that aren't already there (or perhaps supply additional details for ones that are). One neat detail would be photos, which flickr does with their maps. For example, this is a map of photos I took across the East End while this is a map of the roughly 1500 windsurfing photos across the world!

Finally, the puffin picture and sound comes from the National Audubon Society's Project Puffin, which I actually lived 3 miles down the road from when I lived in Ithaca. I'm taking this as a sign from the universe and will be adopting a puffin for the year.

[Tags: Windsurfing, Napeague, Atlantic Puffin, The Peconic Puffin, Long Island]

2006-11-22T20:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my Aunt Cindy for shooting this video of me on Peconic Bay. A Thanksgiving Nor'Easter brought winds from the Northeast at 20kts, gusting to 30kts. I was on my 5.2m and 90L Naish, having trouble with my harness lines, but making the best of it.

[Tags: Windsurfing, Peconic Bay, Nor'easter, Long Island]

2006-10-07T20:42:00.000-04:00

20-30 mph NE winds meant shoulder high swells and big jumps on Napeague Bay, back on October 6th & 7th, 2006. I was a bit overpowered at times on my 5.2, and the 116 was too much board, so I retreated to the Harbor and practiced my planing gybes.

A dozen more pics here: NE winds at Napeague - Oct 6/7, 2006

[Tags: Windsurfing, Napeague, gybe, jibe, Long Island]

2006-09-25T01:10:00.000-04:00

I finally began hitting my gybes consistently on flat water behind the Red Cedar Point on Sunday. You know you've hit a new level when you don't need to water-start or uphaul for 20+ minutes, and your wetsuit and hair dries out from just rippin back and forth and carvin gybes. Even dry, non-planing gybes like this one shot by my brother Keith made my day:

Now on to jumps, vulcans, and maybe that forward. There could be some good ocean sailing on Sunday, but I'd feel much better doing it with a nose guard attached (will it ever arrive from Europe?)....

[Tags: Windsurfing, jibe, gybe, carve, Peconic Bay, Long Island]

2006-09-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

Another tropical storm visits Long Island, this time as the remnants of Ernesto, which double-teamed with high pressure to the north to whip up some incredible east winds. The Shinnecock Inlet tower recorded 34 hours of 30-40 mph wind from Friday night through Sunday morning, with a peak gust of 55 mph late Saturday afternoon.

Peconic Bay, Saturday morning:

I got out Friday afternoon on Peconic Bay, and progressed from my 6.2 to the 5.2 as wind built from 15 mph to 25. It was such pleasure to be perfectly balanced with the small sail, fully powered by reliable wind, and jump off of cresting white caps and 2-4 foot swells. On one jump, however, my feet came out of the straps and I neglected to unhook and sheet out, and I catapulted around the front. My friend Steve says I would have done a forward if I had kept my feet in the straps - ha, that's one way to think of it. Fortunately, the Deviator kept me from smashing the board's nose, but the impact on the weak side still opened the crack created in TS Beryl. What a bummer, after an awesome day.

Around Noon on Saturday I swung over to the Shinnecock Inlet. The winds were really cranking at this point, and waves were crashing into the rocks, sending sea spray well downwind. A couple of surfers were braving the rough surf, but windsurfers stowed their 3.5 sails and gear as winds started hitting 40 to 55 mph. I've got 19 photos from that day here: Ernesto at Shinnecock Inlet - Sep 2, 06. Here are two that I like:

The constant east wind funneled a lot of water into the inner bays, and by the final high tide of the storm there was some minor coastal flooding, but nothing too serious:

[Tags: Windsurfing, Ernesto, Shinnecock Inlet, Peconic Bay, Surf, Long Island]

2006-08-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

Awesome day on the Ocean for me, though I didn't deserve it. I spent the lazy Sunday morning making eggs and oat bran, watching "Meet The Press", and expecting the winds to build 15-20 in the afternoon. The SE winds meant side-onshore conditions, the first wave sailing since April. Unfortunately, I had missed the best by the time I got there at Noon. My brother and I came across a kite surfer at Ponquogue, who said windsurfers were blasting away on their 5.3's over at the bowl. When we rolled up, however, the guys were packing it in. The winds were getting fluky, and most had just had enough.

Contemplation:

I came back an hour later and the winds had picked up enough to get me to rig. For about 20 minutes I was underpowered on my 6.2, but I was able to schlog upwind and get out to the breakers at the sand bar. The swells were pretty deep, and I was happy to just keep my balance and finally enjoy being on the ocean after 4 long months.

Luckily, the winds picked up and delivered 40 minutes of moderate to slightly overpowered planing. I loved jibing near the shore, in the smooth water between waves. Smooth water made for smooth carving, though not for smooth sail flips.

It was fun avoiding the breakers, and I got some pretty decent air a bunch of times, with only two crashes (one involving surging white water). I also saw some fish fins protruding from the water - they seemed to be feasting on something, but I couldn't tell if I was looking at small sharks or striped bass or dogfish.

5 more pics from the day are here: The Bowl - Aug 27th 06.

[Tags: Windsurfing, The Bowl, Shinnecock Inlet, Wave Sailing,Surf, Long Island]

2006-07-22T22:36:00.000-04:00

Another awesome session with the kids, this time with much better pictures! Full sized versions are available here: Windsurfing with kids!. Here are smaller versions:

[Tags: Windsurfing, Peconic Bay, Long Island, kids]

2006-07-21T20:00:00.000-04:00

A new milestone today: my first planing jibe! After what was probably 100 attempts, I was quite surprised to find the sail right in front of me after the flip, and my feet balanced in the right spot. I just grabbed on and planed right out of the turn -- sweet victory! The trick that did it for me was keeping pressure on the inside rail, and sliding the outside foot across the centerline.

And now the bad news: while getting ready to beach-start, I noticed a crack in the board's nose (Mistral Synchro 116). It must have come from surfing in Beryl the previous day, likely a catapult or crash of some sort, but I was having too much fun to even realize it. Anyway, I quickly got back to shore, pulled out the screw and let the water drain out overnight. The next morning I swung by Windsurfing Hamptons, and left my baby in the hands of Jon Ford for repair. Now comes a week's wait - at least I've still got my Go board...

[Tags: Windsurfing, Peconic Bay, Long Island, planing jibe, Mistral Synchro]

2006-07-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

Tropical Storm Beryl brushed by Long Island, passing about 100 miles offshore. For most of the day a 20+ mph east wind built up some good 2-4 foot rollers. I got out there around 6pm on my 5.2, and had an incredible session full of jumps off the swells. Cousins Kerri and Nicholas did some taping as they watched from the shore. A couple stills from the cam-corder:

Plenty of wind for the 5.2:

Getting a little air:

In a trough:

WOO-HOO!

[Tags: Tropical Storm, Peconic Bay, Long Island, Windsurfing]

2006-07-16T22:13:00.000-04:00

Mid-Summer sun setting over Aquebogue and the North Fork of Long Island.

[Tags: sunset, Aquebogue, Long Island, North Fork]

2006-07-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

On July 10th, before the winds ramped up too much, I took my young cousins for rides on my old Go board. "Fearless Kassidy" (Age 7) and "Big Guy Nicholas" (Age 6) each took turns sitting on the front. The winds were strong enough to get us up on a plane for a few runs, and I was very impressed that they both held on, despite the sometimes wet and bumpy ride (plus the ever-scary threat of jellyfish!). Kassidy even stood up a couple times! I've only got a few blurry cam-corder stills, but perhaps we'll have better photo luck later in the month.

Big Guy Waving:

Kassidy Standing!

[Tags: windsurfing, kids]

2006-07-03T22:57:00.000-04:00

I've been spending a lot of windless days at the ocean this month, soaking up sun and salt water with my cousins, who are in town from Chicago on summer vacation. On July 3rd, Ponquogue was full of families and surfers, quite the contrast from our visit in April. One of these days I'm going to have to trade in my boogie board for a real surfboard. Some pics from the day:

[Tags: surfing, ocean, waves, beach]

2006-06-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

Strong 20-30+ kt winds from the WNW brought East End windsurfers to Sebonic Inlet in Southampton on Saturday. Shortboards and 4.2 to 4.7 sails were the rule as the long fetch across Peconic Bay provided ample wind and swells for jumps and jibes. I snapped about 15 pics of the action, uploaded to this Flickr set. (Large size (1024 x 768) and extra-large (2272 x 1704) sizes are available there - don't just view the tiny thumbnail-sized pics.) Here are a couple from the set:

I, unfortunately, was relegated to Cold Spring Pond with my larger equipment, and made a good time of it, as long as I wasn't beach-starting from the mucky bottom.

[Tags: windsurfing, jibe]

2006-05-22T01:28:00.000-04:00

The sun was out, winds were gusting well into the 20's out of the SW, and I thought it'd be the perfect day for some pictures at Red Cedar Point. Luckily my brother was available to man the camera, but the photo shoot came to an abrupt end when I hit bottom and ripped off the stock 35cm fin. Despite lots of searching since, I've been unable to find it. Some crab probably dragged it to deeper waters - it is horseshoe crab mating season after all.

After some credit card abuse over at Windsurfing Hamptons, I returned with 28cm and 35cm G-Sport replacements, but by then I had lost my cameraman. I only have this picture from a week later showing a little carve action. This time I'm well away from shore!

[Tags: windsurfing, fin]

2006-04-30T16:10:00.000-04:00

Big waves this week!

Returning from Ithaca, NY this afternoon, I see that The NWS at OKX has issued a Small Craft Advisory (also see the marine weather statement). Here's Monday's forecast:

NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 KT. SEAS 9 TO 12 FT...MAINLY IN AN ESE SWELL.

I can't partake (nor could I in that much surf), so I'll have to wait until this weekend to work on either my jibes in flat water or my balance on ocean waves. I'm hoping for some 15-20 SW wind and flat water on the lee side of Red Cedar Point, as I'd like to try out some ideas in this Ottowa Windsurfing Tips Page.

2006-04-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

An East wind this weekend brought much desired side-onshore conditions at Ponquogue Beach. On Saturday, 5.7-6.2 conditions gave way to 4.7-5.2 as the pressure gradient tightened through the day. About 15-20 windsurfers hit the waves, which were a bit sloppy and disorganized, but a manageable 1-3 feet for newbies like myself. This was my second time on the ocean in winds greater than 20mph, and I'm glad to say that this time I survived with my sail intact. Air and sea temps were in the 40's, so dry suits, hoods and gloves were necessary.

More photos to be found in this flickr set, including this one of Jon Ford getting some major air:

I ended up the day with a late afternoon session on Peconic Bay. The winds were still cranking, perhaps even more than before, and I really flew across the chop. Time to get a GPS, I think.

[Tags: windsurfing, ocean, waves, beach]

2006-04-18T01:02:00.000-04:00

I spent a portion of Easter Sunday in the chilly waters of Great Peconic Bay. The NW winds were pretty variable, averaging 10-15 mph, gusting to 20. This variability made jibing tricky, not to mention just staying on the board. I completed 4 sloppy jibes out of about 15 attempts. This pic displays a common beginner's error: waiting too late in the turn to switch the feet and flip the sail.

I've set up a Flickr account with 6 more pics from Sunday's session. Check'emout!

2006-04-17T00:05:00.000-04:00

After finding a surprising lack of blog sites dedicated to Windsurfing (Giampaolo Cammarota's Maui Windsurf Report is a notable exception), I've decided to start one of my own to share my passion (borderline addiction) with other wind-crazed surfers.

Most of my surfing is done on the East End of Long Island, NY, on Peconic Bay between the North and South Forks (Google Map), and on the Atlantic Ocean near the Shinnecock Inlet. Two weeks ago I scoped out Napeague Harbor and Bay, which are supposed to be great spots (Google Map). Elsewhere in the world, I've surfed the Outer Banks of NC (March 06), Tarifa, Spain (July 03) and Canada's Crystal Beach/Thunder Bay on Lake Erie (Sept 02 & 04).