It has not been a great year around these parts, but Thursday delivered some strong winds finally to get one notch on the Mac's belt for 2015. Nic Chapleau came to do some photo and video and here is the fruit of his labour. Thank you Nic!
Direct Link: https://vimeo.com/144205467
A Windy SBX Windsurf Session from Nicolas Chapleau on Vimeo.
Sunday, November 01, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Can you?
How would you describe the feeling you get from a good top-turn?
A Deep-Thoughts moment, by Jack Handy...
I read a few comments today on Quebecwind.com where there is a bit of a debate between why people would choose to sail at Outlet Beach (yesterday) when they could have been sailing at Mac's (and vice versa). Obviously, the usual logic applies and answers the question, sortof - everyone is different, personal choice etc... - but fundamentally I think the comparison is between the beach (bigger waves = bigger air (debatable), cleaner(?), but generally backside riding or one-hit wonders) and Upper Mac's (smaller waves = less air, cleaner(?), and wrapping waves that produce conditions that approach sideshore DTL). Trying to pin point the differences isn't really the objective here, but there are clearly differences, and I'd sum it up by saying; beach = backside, Mac's = frontside. But, I am biased.
For me, since first sailing Mac's nearly 10 years ago, I don't think I've ever gone back to the beach. It has always been about the frontside. Nothing comes even close in windsurfing to the feeling I get from a good top-turn, except multiple good top-turns on the same wave. Nothing comes even close in any other sport for me. Backside cuts aren't even on the same map. Jumps, not even close. I could care less if the wave is 1/4 the size, a nice full-power aggro frontside hit beats a backside hack any day of the week, and that is why I've never gone back to the beach. I know a lot of you other Mac's regulars feel the same way, maybe not to the same extent, but probably.
So, how would you describe to a friend, sailor or not, that feeling you get from it? I challenge you, because I don't think I can put the right words to it. Maybe I need a thesaurus, or an education involving bigger words & fewer numbers. Can you?
A Deep-Thoughts moment, by Jack Handy...
I read a few comments today on Quebecwind.com where there is a bit of a debate between why people would choose to sail at Outlet Beach (yesterday) when they could have been sailing at Mac's (and vice versa). Obviously, the usual logic applies and answers the question, sortof - everyone is different, personal choice etc... - but fundamentally I think the comparison is between the beach (bigger waves = bigger air (debatable), cleaner(?), but generally backside riding or one-hit wonders) and Upper Mac's (smaller waves = less air, cleaner(?), and wrapping waves that produce conditions that approach sideshore DTL). Trying to pin point the differences isn't really the objective here, but there are clearly differences, and I'd sum it up by saying; beach = backside, Mac's = frontside. But, I am biased.
For me, since first sailing Mac's nearly 10 years ago, I don't think I've ever gone back to the beach. It has always been about the frontside. Nothing comes even close in windsurfing to the feeling I get from a good top-turn, except multiple good top-turns on the same wave. Nothing comes even close in any other sport for me. Backside cuts aren't even on the same map. Jumps, not even close. I could care less if the wave is 1/4 the size, a nice full-power aggro frontside hit beats a backside hack any day of the week, and that is why I've never gone back to the beach. I know a lot of you other Mac's regulars feel the same way, maybe not to the same extent, but probably.
So, how would you describe to a friend, sailor or not, that feeling you get from it? I challenge you, because I don't think I can put the right words to it. Maybe I need a thesaurus, or an education involving bigger words & fewer numbers. Can you?
Monday, September 21, 2015
Monday, August 24, 2015
Experimentation
They were forecasting good wind for today, like, a week ago or so. But for the last few days, not a whole lot. Well, lo and behold, it was one of them good old Kingston thermal days that seem more and more rare all the time! Took a few hours of vacation time and sailed 4.7 with the 105 for about 3 hours.
Experimented quite a bit with shakas today. Numerous attempts, some decent, some terrible, but slowly starting to figure them out. Seems like I am perhaps going back on the word to try pushies, but while there were some fun waves out there, it was not a pushy day. The big ramps were just not there.
On the shakas, I am having trouble with rotation. I'm not exactly having any success turning into the wind at all. I think this could be one of two problems or both. Either I am not committing and throwing my body over the sail enough to get it flat, or, perhaps more importantly, I am not keeping my backhand sheeted in enough. ???
Any shaka-doers out there have any advice to help promote rotation into the wind.
I think its going to be something like this:
Solid 4.7 or 5.3 day - work on shakas
Solid 4.2 or smaller - get some pushloop tries in.
Giddy up!
Experimented quite a bit with shakas today. Numerous attempts, some decent, some terrible, but slowly starting to figure them out. Seems like I am perhaps going back on the word to try pushies, but while there were some fun waves out there, it was not a pushy day. The big ramps were just not there.
On the shakas, I am having trouble with rotation. I'm not exactly having any success turning into the wind at all. I think this could be one of two problems or both. Either I am not committing and throwing my body over the sail enough to get it flat, or, perhaps more importantly, I am not keeping my backhand sheeted in enough. ???
Any shaka-doers out there have any advice to help promote rotation into the wind.
I think its going to be something like this:
Solid 4.7 or 5.3 day - work on shakas
Solid 4.2 or smaller - get some pushloop tries in.
Giddy up!
Saturday, August 22, 2015
OMS Update
Two posts in three days OMG! What has gotten into me? I guess I can attribute that to a great session just a couple days ago which brings the stoke level up!
I notice that my post on Old Man Syndrome from a few years ago probably got the most comments of any of my posts. Thank you for reading and thank you for commenting!
I thought I'd give an update. Anyone who knows me or has faithfully read this highly-intermittent blog will be aware that I have been suffering from chronic shoulder tendonitis in both sides for almost 5 years now. Well, it certainly is not gone, but it has improved quite a bit. How? I'll tell you.
In my 20's, pre-family, pre-maturity, my life was essentially focused on living for two sports - climbing and windsurfing. I think they complimented each other quite well. I was injured from time to time, from one or the other, but while I cannot say I was in great shape on the whole, my shoulders & arms were generally in great shape, for me. I could happily sail 4-5hrs nearly straight before cramping, which I thought was pretty decent at the time as I outlasted most people on the water and was constantly trying tricks the whole time.
In my 30's, life changed. I met a great gal, traveled a bit and came home with a couple additions to the family. Around this time, several things happened. I stopped climbing, as it just didn't fit life very well. I got a desk job that is 99%+ desk work. I was a parent, so time to fulfill my active needs decreased a lot. The only thing I hoarded was time for myself to windsurf. During this time, through bad posture, reduced physical activity and much less arm/shoulder use, combined with windsurf-only shoulder activity, things went off the rails.
Part of me had a wee sneaking suspicion that if I could just get to the gym and start working out (without having the tendonitis flare up), I should see some improvement. But, two things: 1) I don't like gyms (never have, never will) and 2) I could not get the pain to subside. That took a long, long time.
This winter, things got much better. Towards the end of last fall's windsurf season, I was a mess. But through massage, stretching & rubber-band exercises from my physio, plus daily icing, attention to posture, etc... etc.. I made it through into this past winter pain free with most normal unloaded or minimally loaded arm movements. Some good friends of mine were planning to start a weekly guys-night-out to the local climbing gym, so I started to tag along. I took it super easy at first, iced/stretched like crazy afterwards, but soon enough, I was starting to make it through each week without having to endure a week, or a few days of pain. I could climb, and be pain free. I could ice-climb, and be pain free. To this day, I can still climb, and be (almost) pain free. If I take the time to warm up, stretch a bit afterwards, and ice, I am usually good to go, and climbing at a happy-for-me level (just 5.9-5.10 max, for you climbers out there).
I think despite all the advice I got, diagnoses I received, treatments done, I didn't listen to my own brain, which kinda had that suspicion that all that shoulder mess was simply due to a massive muscle imbalance that evolved due to a number of factors. Thankfully, through those treatments, diagnoses, etc... I managed to get pain free long enough to get back to climbing, and the multi-directional strengthening it offers which presumably has regained better muscle balance and support for the joint. Windsurfing, I think, is just too uni-directional when it comes to forces on the shoulders.
So, that is the update. OMS? Well sure, I still feel it, I'm still not sailing 4-5 hours straight any more, but managing 3-4 hours anyway and improving all the time. I think this blissful state of emerging from a long bout with shoulder issues has got me AMPED and has lead me to my Quest for Pushies!
I notice that my post on Old Man Syndrome from a few years ago probably got the most comments of any of my posts. Thank you for reading and thank you for commenting!
I thought I'd give an update. Anyone who knows me or has faithfully read this highly-intermittent blog will be aware that I have been suffering from chronic shoulder tendonitis in both sides for almost 5 years now. Well, it certainly is not gone, but it has improved quite a bit. How? I'll tell you.
In my 20's, pre-family, pre-maturity, my life was essentially focused on living for two sports - climbing and windsurfing. I think they complimented each other quite well. I was injured from time to time, from one or the other, but while I cannot say I was in great shape on the whole, my shoulders & arms were generally in great shape, for me. I could happily sail 4-5hrs nearly straight before cramping, which I thought was pretty decent at the time as I outlasted most people on the water and was constantly trying tricks the whole time.
In my 30's, life changed. I met a great gal, traveled a bit and came home with a couple additions to the family. Around this time, several things happened. I stopped climbing, as it just didn't fit life very well. I got a desk job that is 99%+ desk work. I was a parent, so time to fulfill my active needs decreased a lot. The only thing I hoarded was time for myself to windsurf. During this time, through bad posture, reduced physical activity and much less arm/shoulder use, combined with windsurf-only shoulder activity, things went off the rails.
Part of me had a wee sneaking suspicion that if I could just get to the gym and start working out (without having the tendonitis flare up), I should see some improvement. But, two things: 1) I don't like gyms (never have, never will) and 2) I could not get the pain to subside. That took a long, long time.
This winter, things got much better. Towards the end of last fall's windsurf season, I was a mess. But through massage, stretching & rubber-band exercises from my physio, plus daily icing, attention to posture, etc... etc.. I made it through into this past winter pain free with most normal unloaded or minimally loaded arm movements. Some good friends of mine were planning to start a weekly guys-night-out to the local climbing gym, so I started to tag along. I took it super easy at first, iced/stretched like crazy afterwards, but soon enough, I was starting to make it through each week without having to endure a week, or a few days of pain. I could climb, and be pain free. I could ice-climb, and be pain free. To this day, I can still climb, and be (almost) pain free. If I take the time to warm up, stretch a bit afterwards, and ice, I am usually good to go, and climbing at a happy-for-me level (just 5.9-5.10 max, for you climbers out there).
I think despite all the advice I got, diagnoses I received, treatments done, I didn't listen to my own brain, which kinda had that suspicion that all that shoulder mess was simply due to a massive muscle imbalance that evolved due to a number of factors. Thankfully, through those treatments, diagnoses, etc... I managed to get pain free long enough to get back to climbing, and the multi-directional strengthening it offers which presumably has regained better muscle balance and support for the joint. Windsurfing, I think, is just too uni-directional when it comes to forces on the shoulders.
So, that is the update. OMS? Well sure, I still feel it, I'm still not sailing 4-5 hours straight any more, but managing 3-4 hours anyway and improving all the time. I think this blissful state of emerging from a long bout with shoulder issues has got me AMPED and has lead me to my Quest for Pushies!
Thursday, August 20, 2015
The Quest for Pushies
I haven't written anything on this blog for a long time! I guess I've been getting frustrated with the ever reducing amount of good wind we get here in Kingston, as well as getting a bit bored with it.
I think I have the cure - I need to learn a new trick!
There are a number of tricks I've been pining over for some time, the threesome of flakas, shakas and push loops. We'll, I am hellbent on ticking one of those this year, and its going to be pushloops. I think the flakas and shakas need a lot more time, effort and fine tuning of movements, etc... and I just don't get the time on the water anymore. Pushloops? Well, I know how to do them (or at least I think I do), it's just HOLDING ON part that I need to work on. I've gotten too use to bailing.
So, I will reinvigorate this blog with my quest for pushloops!
Had a great session today by the way. Nice waves at Everitt and solid 4.2 for 4 hours did the trick.
If you read this, then thank you very very much for following my blog and forgiving my 16 month absence.
I have also decided to get myself a 6.0 again. I've stubbornly refused for years after living in NZ to get a 6.0, but I think the time has come. 6.0 Banzai! Spring 2016.
I think I have the cure - I need to learn a new trick!
There are a number of tricks I've been pining over for some time, the threesome of flakas, shakas and push loops. We'll, I am hellbent on ticking one of those this year, and its going to be pushloops. I think the flakas and shakas need a lot more time, effort and fine tuning of movements, etc... and I just don't get the time on the water anymore. Pushloops? Well, I know how to do them (or at least I think I do), it's just HOLDING ON part that I need to work on. I've gotten too use to bailing.
So, I will reinvigorate this blog with my quest for pushloops!
Had a great session today by the way. Nice waves at Everitt and solid 4.2 for 4 hours did the trick.
If you read this, then thank you very very much for following my blog and forgiving my 16 month absence.
I have also decided to get myself a 6.0 again. I've stubbornly refused for years after living in NZ to get a 6.0, but I think the time has come. 6.0 Banzai! Spring 2016.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Hatteras Report - April 2014.
A friend and I booked a last minute trip to Cape Hatteras to score a nice forecast down there. By nice, I mean windy of course - not nice in many other regards. But that's all that matters really right?! The wind forecast was damn near perfect, as you can see, not hard to make the call to go:
A sign on a little store on US-13 through Delaware stuck with us for the trip - "Fireworks and Hams", it said... as did a lyric from one of Craig's tunes - "Today was a good day, I didn't need to use my AK." There's something about vacation that just inspires absurd giddiness. Love it!
Here is the week's summary with some photos:
Arrived Saturday night after long trip through Delaware (slow, $30+ in tolls). Kicked it off with the usual trip to the Food Lion to initiate beer-o-rama. Beer quickly eliminating the frustration of arriving to a busted hot tub (a role it continued to fulfill adequately all week).
Monday - light winds to start the day but building by late afternoon. Sailed the Canadian Hole from about 3pm onwards on 5.3 Banzai with the 105L One (with MFC 22cm FS fin). Took a while to get 'er all figured out, but had some fun blasting around ironing out the winter kinks, getting the blisters started and giving the shoulders something to scream about.
Tuesday - strong southerlies (that didn't end up being that strong) - sailed the Cdn Hole again with 4.2 and the wave board. Tough finding any bumps to play with, but some fun nonetheless. Starting to pine for the ocean but Ego Beach looked nasty atrocious - just a trip out there would have been solely to stroke the ego. It was ugly. Didn't go. It was notably the last warm day of the trip! Rainy, but a balmy 22°C.
Wednesday - kept on nukering, but from the North this day. I think our house nearly blew over during the night, as we were hammered from the south, then the west, then the north. All I could think of during the night was my unsecured and uninsured SUP being blown around under the house down there... but not so much as to actually get my ass out of bed and do something about it. Sailed 3.7 in freezing 7°C at the Hole - damn - barely willing to sail those temps at home. Wind was from the north - checked out Izzy's but didn't go, just felt too cold for almost pure offshore winds with no land for a damn long way, with a touch of pansy. Froze bag off entire day.
Thursday - ahh, warmer, but not warm in any sense - about 12-14°C, but sunny! Sailed Izzy's in the morning with the 3.5 (should've rigged bigger, but it was honking). Waves were small and infrequent but I just had to try. Keith (local) joined me shortly after that to show me how its done, and Toeside was out there on his kite. Very interesting conditions. I've never sailed winds that much off-shore before - it probably had more off-shore in it than side... Caught about 5 waves over the course of 2-3 hours only and kooked out totally in the port conditions. Not my tack at all! This just gave me an extra dose of respect for Mr. Court and Mr. McCory who make Lyall Bay cross-off in Welly look damn good. Once you are on the wave and burning down the line, its pretty damn easy to hit the wave, but finding the waves and keeping on them were tough. Fun regardless. Followed this up with a sunny 3.7/105 (thruster mode) session at the Hole. Got back into freestyle and found some loop/shove-it ramps. 540's still going OK, grubs not so much. Still nursing shitty shoulders so didn't man-up and try anything new.
Friday - pretty windy again but still not exactly warm - sailed 4.7 with 105L in thruster mode in cloudy skies. Watched some guys from Quebec dominate with sweet freestyle trickery including Lopi and Luc from Iles de la Madeleine. Those guys are pretty solid! Saw Lopi pull out a super slow (barely planing) Flaka out of no where. Definitely the full speed ones are amazing to watch, but when a solid sailor can pull one out of their ass when barely planing, you know they REALLY know what they are doing.
Saturday - Back on the road via I-95 this time.
Other thangs:
Hatteras is just so much fun. Can't wait to do it again!
 |
| Sweet forecast, courtesy of WindGuru of course... |
Here is the week's summary with some photos:
Arrived Saturday night after long trip through Delaware (slow, $30+ in tolls). Kicked it off with the usual trip to the Food Lion to initiate beer-o-rama. Beer quickly eliminating the frustration of arriving to a busted hot tub (a role it continued to fulfill adequately all week).
Sunday - no wind, but warm, sunny and nice clean 1-2' waves on the ocean. Took out the SUP (with no rubber on yeah!), gawked at the pods of bottlenose dolphins swimming by me within 20-30 ft, surfed a few waves and had a blast. Makes me think again about picking up another smaller wave-oriented SUP, something like THIS in 8'6" perhaps? Yes please. Surfing really is a damn fun sport. Here's a wee vid of one of the waves:
Monday - light winds to start the day but building by late afternoon. Sailed the Canadian Hole from about 3pm onwards on 5.3 Banzai with the 105L One (with MFC 22cm FS fin). Took a while to get 'er all figured out, but had some fun blasting around ironing out the winter kinks, getting the blisters started and giving the shoulders something to scream about.
 |
| Craig ripping through a fully powered jibe on 3.7! |
Tuesday - strong southerlies (that didn't end up being that strong) - sailed the Cdn Hole again with 4.2 and the wave board. Tough finding any bumps to play with, but some fun nonetheless. Starting to pine for the ocean but Ego Beach looked nasty atrocious - just a trip out there would have been solely to stroke the ego. It was ugly. Didn't go. It was notably the last warm day of the trip! Rainy, but a balmy 22°C.
 |
| A little sand blasting never hurt a camera did it? |
 |
| Spockola. |
 |
| On a chest high wave at Isabelle's. |
 |
| One of many that got away... :( |
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| Perfecting my ducks at the Hole. |
Other thangs:
- Thanks to Andy at Wind-NC for giving us the spot low-down. Sorry we never got to sail together Andy!
- No thanks to Hatteras Realty for the lame hot-tub that they could not fix during our stay. Boo! We're old men now, we need that hot tub!
- Thanks to Bill Bell, author of the OBX Beach Life blog for an on-the-spot report from Nags Head. Didn't get up there, but thanks for taking the time! Much appreciated. Here's Bill's report of April wave sailing action.
- The Goya Banzai's are sweet and combo those with the 211 Carbon boom and bingo...
- Bummer to see Avon Sail House shutting down the doors. Best of luck to Margaret in future endeavours! S
- Never seen so much shitty reality TV as I did down there... Bizarre Foods? Deadliest Catch? fark... And if you were not into reality TV, you could always tune into the Forrest Gump channel that played it every night. My own fault though - brought down four books and didn't crack a single one. Too tired to read, so I let the reality TV dull my senses. My already dimmed IQ dropped a couple extra notches.
- SUP in good waves is awesome fun, especially with dolphins!
Hatteras is just so much fun. Can't wait to do it again!
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