Beauties Everywhere

Barbados season 2006 is a wrap, with Mike coming back a few days ago. This is a shot of the Windsurfing Direct Barbados gear....well used this winter for sure!




If you get sick of watching the great wave sailing in front of Silver Sands, there is never a shortage of sites to see!

Secret spot that's not so secret

Glenn and Evan took a little road trip to sail Long Point last fall on a rare NE day. It is a little off the beaten path, with the location a little bit a scene out of Deliverance. However shortly after starting to sail, a few others showed up. The conditions were nice, with 4-5 foot swell and lots of backside riding and some nice jumping.

Where do we sail?

Have you played with Google Earth? It is a great way to check out your local sailing spots.

Here is a file with some of the places we windsurf.

Google Earth File Lake Ontario Windsurf Spots

Tabou Windstyler Longboard

Length: 325cm, Width: 72cm, Volume: 220ltr














Erin (Mrs. Matt Pritchard) chillin' on the Windstyler!













We are starting to receive pictures of the new Windstyler from Tabou. After over a year of development by famed shaper Fabien Vollenweider (as he perfected many prototypes) Tabou has just released the optimal longboard shape .

Mike and Glenn sailed a prototype last fall in Cocoa Beach, and it is a blast. Feels like a classic longboard (including freestyle) in light winds, but planes and totally rips in next to no wind. We are dying to sail it in local light wind waves and will report as soon as we have! (note: Wahines in bikinis not included!)

Lakeshore Crew

The Lakeshore Crew of Vlad, Gord, Jim, John, Rob, Dave et al. sent this pic from the deck of the Hatteras house. Nice to see lots of Gaastra sails, and heard that good wind and good times was had by all.

However.....

Do I even want to ask about the Nyquil, Girls gone Wild stickers, and "Support Strippers", or does "what happens in Hatteras, stay in Hatteras"?

Sobering

A picture that will never be duplicated........

Evan took a couple of pictures of Glenn to show the conditions they had at the Outlet Beach on Sunday. Good waveriding and jumping. Strong winds when they were up. But the wind would back off for 20 minutes at a time after the clowds went through.

Time for Waves

Check out Windsurfing Direct customer Rich Tarsia's website at
www.timeforwaves.com. Rich does all sorts of acrylic sculptures and other art that is all surfing and windsurfing inspired. Plus, he is a great sailor and all around nice guy.

Lip Smack'in

Follow our blog and you have likely seen a couple of pictures of Amine Fadous. Well, he strikes again and here he is bashing his way through a nice set in San Carlos on the Baja Peninsula.

Not what I wanted to upload....

...but a funny picture none the less.

It will be really good....or a total bust

Not looking bad for the weekend on the homefront.....there is potential later in the day Saturday and early Sunday. East winds will either be a rare treat or a total skunk, but likely nowhere in between. With Glenn's sprained ankle on the mend, Evan and him are hoping to hit the water to finally initiate their new boards. Meanwhile, Mike heads south for Barbado-thon Phase 518 on Saturday, and the forecast looks better each day he will be there!

Ripping like a Veteran

Jared Mauldin of Pensacola, FL has not been windsurfing for very long at all....about 8 months to be exact. However, here he is sailing his Sailworks Retro and Bic Techno II like a veteran. He is planing, in the straps, using the harness, jibing, and asking questions about jumping. Way to go Jared, we are stoked to see you progressing so quickly!

Spencer on the mend!

We couldn't be happier for Brian and Kerri Casserio hearing that their son Spencer's battle with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is going well. Latest reports on the Casserios website is that Spencer is ripping it up on late season snow, much to their joy I am sure. I am sure that anyone who knows or deals with Brian and Sideoff Video will be glad to hear that Spencer is doing well, I am sure the last 700 days have not been easy for the Casserios. Continued best wishes from us.

....the keen windsurfer would notice that Spencer is sharing his sled with Kevin Pritchard.

Jibe School with Professor Greg

Need to see how to rip a laydown jibe in light winds? Look no further than this sequence of local sailor Greg Pucher tearing this jibe on his Starboard Carve and Severne S2 7.0.......note the lack of whitecaps on the water. Props to Evan for putting this sequence together!

Forgot the Vent

"Hi Evan,
Maybe you have a solution to my problem.
I sailed more or less 10 minutes with my RRD without the plug screwed tight. I just forgot. When I came back to the beach, I tried to make the water go out. Do you have some tricks to save my board? Do I have to heat it with a hair dryer, a radiator?
Thank you very much..."

Luckily 10 minutes may not be long enough to really fill up a new board.

Find out if your board is the right weight still. Take off the straps and fin and weigh your board. You can compare with what it should be, maybe you will find out the board is ok. If it is heavy you can use the weight to track if you are getting any water out.
In the short term store your board upside down flat on the deck with the vent open. Stuff paper towel into the vent hole. If it gets wet keep changing it until it stays dry. If the towel does not pick up any moisture maybe your board didn't take on any water, or the water has had enough time to spread throughout the entire board.
Ding King in Maui uses a board spinner. They drill a hole in the nose and tail and spin most of the water out, then plug the holes again.
Others use low air pressure to push the water back out the vent. Drill a hole at the far end of the board and pump low pressure air through your board. Be very cautious or you could blow up your board causing a delamination in the foam. Then your board would really be dead.

Here is a link to a conversation on getting water out.
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=251906;search_string=air%20pressure;guest=4641661#251906

Gook Luck

Hatteras Mystery

Local sharp shoot Craig Butler is just back from Hatteras, and snapped a lot more than just sailing shots (....I looked through your gallery Craig, and needed to "borrow" this one). Anyone who has ever driven through Nags Head towards Hatteras has likely noticed this castle in the sand, sometimes fully exposed, sometimes totally buried.

Sadly, the mystery isn't of a mystical city buried in the sand, but of a mini-golf course that was built in the wrong spot. The dunes here shift, erode, and re-deposit so much that the owners exentually had to abandon the course, but just left the castle standing. Just a bit of knowledge I acquired from a spring season a few years ago spent working mornings as kayak tour guide, and sailing afternoons!

Anyone for Head High Swell?

Glenn stands 6 feet tall, and all that is visible behind this just starting to break Patterson Swell is the the top of his head. 4.7 Gaastra Manic is nicely powered, swells lining up nicely......just didn't like leaving my wetsuit zipper open in the chilly waters!

Spring fling

Glenn and Evan got a quick 4.7 sail in Wednesday after work with winds blowing from 25 to 30 mph. Mike (who is off to Barbadothon 5 next week), stayed dry and relatively warm shooting the pics with the newly repaired shop digital camera finally back in action.

Evan was tearing it up and charging hard today after just getting back from 10 days in Hatteras with Gaastra sail designer Dan Kaselar and assorted friends. An early start that bodes well for a windy spring and summer!

Mast Mount Cam

Rob Born of So. Cal was out on his new Starboard Evo 70 with his camera this past Friday. This one is my favorite, but I wil put all his shots up in the gallery when I have a spare minute. Great shots Rob!

"Old Man Strength"

While he's not an old man, Evan has been known to say his ability to hold on larger than normal sails in crazy winds is because of his "old man strength". Here is Evan on a 4.1 in winds gusting over 50 knots, liquid smoke on the water, and he is still boosting big air. Where are the rest of sailors on this epic day? Blown off the water on their 3.5's long ago!

Happy Pappy

Long time customer Luc Genest of Florida sent a couple of pictures of his trip to Hatteras last week. His 8 year old Alex and 10 year old Pierre Luc were killing it, sailing hooked in, planing, in the straps, and handling the 20-25 knot winds like a couple of pros. Kids stoked, Dad stoked, all is well in the Genest world.

Hatteras

Evan is in Hatteras for the wedding of friends Dan M. and Seanna. The weather could not have been better. With the wedding over they can surf and sail all the time.

Here is new groom Dan Michaluk at Rodanthe after sailing his new 2006 Gaastra Poison 5.0. With Gaastra sail designer Dan Kaseler also attending the wedding (and honeymoon!), Evan used the red 4.7 Poison 2007 proto supplied by Dan K. in the foreground. The wind had just picked up (it must be really windy if Evan is on 4.7!) and the ocean was not pretty but they all had a good time.

















In the morning they had light offshores and small waves so they surfed the shorebreak in front of the house. This is the groom getting yet another of his many rides.

www.windsurfing-the-game.com

This game is pretty cool, even though I have only played the demo version. Definetly worth checking out if you have a couple of mintues for it to download.

Small picture, big commitment

Congratulations to Dan and Seanna (far left and middle), who are getting married in Hatteras this weekend. Dan joins us to sail at home or Sandbanks when it is good and is always ripping, and from what Evan says, Seanna is becoming a better sailor by the minute. Congratulations on the big day, and all the best for many years to come.

New Digs

From the star, which is Glenn's new house, to Patterson Park, local favorite sailing spot, is about 30 seconds. To Everitt, which I can see from the back deck, is about 2 minutes.

The saying "Its best in your own backyard" has just taken on a hole new meaning!

Countdown Started

Evan heads to Hatteras later this week for a a wedding (not his, but congrats Dan and Seanna), then Glenn and Dinah head out just after he gets back. Lots of wind and waves hopefully to come.

You have to look really hard to see Glenn in this picture from 2001, just off Ego Beach. This was a standout Hatteras wave day, with lots of wave rides but also a few long swims.

Not at all windsurfing related, but....

.....we all like a good deal.

These are on the "Must have" List....

Rarely do boards come along that offer so much. The Techno II 160 and Fanatic Shark 160 are two of the best offerings for 2006 that offer performance, durability, range of use, as well as value! With lots of volume and width for light wind stability, lighter weights novices who are quick learners can use either of these boards to learn on, but also progress to waterstarting, jibing, planing, footstraps, and beyond. For a first time shortboard for heavier weights, these boards plane quick, and offer fantastic performance. The ASA skin offers great protection against bumps and brusies like no other peformance contstruction can offer, and the price leaves lots left over for that new sail you have also been eyeing. With great pre-season pricing, these are certainly worth looking at and giving us a call with more questions on how either of these might work for you.

Done

As much fun as snowboarding is.....it isn't windsurfing. Dinah and I got a great last day of the season on Sunday....and as Dinah collapses at the bottom of Tremblant after a few top to bottom leg burners in the spring slush, so ends the snowboarding season which while great, is always the seasonal equivliantant of "the friend with the great personalilty" when compared to windsurfing.

Expertise through Experience

When Glenn or Evan give advice about entry level equipment, rest assured it is coming from experience. Both have spent years instructing windsurfing in all forms from private lessons, clincs to private windsurfing camps.

Here Glenn sneaks in a quick session while teaching at a private summer camp for kids. The classic head dip and soft sail may be old school, but there is no mistaking the stoke being spread.

Don't make'em like they used to.....

This is one of the rare occasions that Iwill say that they don't make them like they used to. I snapped this in the late 90's at Frisco Wood campground in Cape Hatteras.....and I thought my F2 Revolution had cool graphics!

What happens when.......

....local windsurfing die hards Vlad, Gord, Jim, and the rest of their pals get a hockey team?

Well, of course their jerseys are are covered in windsurfing logos like Starboard and of course, our own logo!

Since these guys are known to sail in the middle of winter......one must wonder if the Gord is at the ice rink in the middle of July wondering if he can get in a quick game?

Crazy for Windsurfing

What do you do when you have a hockey team of windsurfing addicts?
Put your favorite board brands all over your team shirt.

Dr. Jones strikes again....

Local sailor Gord Jones beat everyone to the punch this year and scored the first local session of the year on the 23rd. He reports being nicely powered late in the day on his Gaastra Remedy 6.9 at Everitt Park. Jim Biagi was in the shop musing how good it would have been on the water right about the time that Gord was hitting the water.

Sailing at Everitt Park and you need medical help? Well, with no less than 4 windsurfing doctors who all live with one block of Everitt, I don't think you have much to worry about!

Way to go Gord on getting the season underway, and once I kick this cold that Evan was so nice to give me, I'll be right out there with you.

Lightwind Trickery

Entry level boards aren't just for entry level, as Glenn shows by railriding the 100cm wide Starboard Start. They are great to learn on since they are wide, stable, and have an EVA deck, but boards like the Bic Nova, Fanatic Viper, Bic 293, F2 Discovery or Starboard Rio are also great for freestyle and light wind planing once you improve.

Longboards don't plane......

Our head instructor George would disagree as he puts the Hifly Motion through a nice carve jibe at full speed.

Cross Training

During Glenn's leg of Barbadothon 2006, days consisted of morning sail, chill out on beach with Dinah, afternoon sail, then evening surf session at South Point. Usually about 5-10 other people out, nice 2-4 ft. waves for some mellow longboard action as the sun sets.

Hardcore Award

We have been getting some great shots from some winter sailing sessions, the Lake Champlain guys have been getting out whenever they can, but.....

Mark Cann of Ontario, Canada get the nod for the most hardcore picture of the winter (so far.....keep the pics coming). I have sailed in snow, crunched a little ice on the shallow water to get out, had the water on my sail turn to ice, and generally froze to get a session. Evan has a great story of sitting on the nose of his board and sailing it across a pesky ice flow, however this shot of Mark pushing through this much ice just makes me cold just looking at it.

Barbadothon Part 4 starts Sunday

Silver Sands local Greg setting up for a bottom turn.
Another logo high day at Silver Sands reef. 2006 has been unreal!

Our endless summer continues on Sunday with Windsurfing Direct founder Mike heading back to Silver Sands Resort for a 10 day trip. Despite frustration with our new digital camera malfunctioning in February, the sailing was fantastic. 4.7 - 5.7 every day with head to logo high waves.

Mike was super stoked to nail some great down the line riding on the Fanatic NewWave 81 and FreeWave 88 (our new favorite board!). The 2006 Gaastra Manic quiver continues to impress as the best sails on the market every time we use them.

Warm Air and Warm Winds

Reports coming in today from VA and NC that the 2006 is well under way....air temps close to 80 in some spots of NC, and 20knots of wind.

Wonder if people in Hatteras are sailing? This is a satelite shot of the Outer Banks directly over head of the Canadian hole. Looks like there are a few sailors out!

Wonder why they call it Canadian Hole? The Canadian bit is that each spring hordes of sailors from Ontario and PQ flock to the warmer temps....but also look at the picture. When sand is needed for the beaches on the ocean side (to help build them back up after a storm), they will dredge sand out of the sound, and at one point did so directly in front of the launch site (the dark water). You go from about 3 feet of water to deep, and then back to 3 feet of water after about 200 years.

Express Progress

Is there a board that I can learn on, but still sail as I get better?

One of the best is the Bic Nova series, in either the 165 or 180. We have sailed the Nova in 2 knots and seen how stable it is, taught novices quickly and easily, but also blasted in winds up to 20-25 knots at impressive speeds. As well, if you need a board for light winds and a board for teaching on, the Nova series can kill two birds with one stone as it will handle up to 10m sails for light wind performance, as well let you teach your better half with ease (and comfort....the EVA deck is nice and plush)

If you want to fast track your progression, the Nova the sure way to do so.

Starting to look good!

Friday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the middle 60s.
Winds SW 15mph

Here's a nice forcast for the coming weekend in Cape Hatteras. Mid 60's and cruising on a 6.5 sounds pretty good right about now.

April Hatteras trips are coming up soon, and there are going to be a lot of forecasts just like this, plus many for warmer and windier!

Got Wind?

This shot was snapped by Amine Fadous after a Feb 17th session on Lake Champlain, VT. A freak bit of mild air and 30-40knots of wind got a few guys out on the water for a quick session....but from the other pictures he took it looks like they had to do a little ice dodging.