Yea, so it blew Friday. Drew and I headed to Van Pugh and Drew was stoked. He was ready to go out and have some killer fun. When we got there I noticed is was blowing a little hard and that the waves seemed to be on the large size. I told Drew to be paitent and lets just watch what was going on for a little bit. I talked with anyone who would talk to me and I was basically informed that it was necessary to rig the smallest thing I had. I even talked to Scott and he said, "Man I'm not having any fun, I'm gonna rig a 4.0." Well, I thought the smallest thing I had was a 5.0 but low and behold I had brought the 4.5 ( a sail I don't believe I have rigged in 5 years ). So I rigged a 5.0 and a 4.5. Drew was ready to go so, I said, "get suited up and go". I knew that I had better keep an eye on him if he went out in that water, so I stayed on shore and took pictures.
Drew was at the launch site, sail at ready and waiting for a blast to take off. It finally came and off he went and then, splash, down he went. Well, did I say it was howling out there. Drew then went thru all the typical stuff of Up, Down, Up, Down, Splash, Position the Sail, Water Start, Get Launched, Try to Up Haul, Splash, Get Launched on a Water Start, DRINK LAKE WATER. Did I cover every thing. Well, this went on all the way to Bozo Island where he was finally able to swim the rig into shore. I carried the sail and he carried the board back to the car and then it was my turn to get slammed and that's what happend to me - I got slammed for about 2 hours but I made it back to the launch site everytime.
On the way home Drew asked me why today was so hard for him when just last summer he was on a 5.0 in Aruba and doing just fine. I told him to just "BLAME IT ON LAKE LANIER".
Any way I got a few good photos.
Yea, I like that - "BLAME IT ON LAKE LANIER".
That's why I always go to Galts when its really windy.
But Radny, the wind and swell is why some of us go to Van Pugh...
Drew, you aren't the first one to feel like a hero at Hatteras, Aruba, etc and then get humbled at Van Pugh. It's happened to all of us. The chop, fresh water (reduced board float), temperatures all conspire to expose the chinks in your armor. Friday was a "big" day, we all are bit of a kook on days like that.
Think of it as a way of getting more range out or your sails.
Radndy
Conversely, think of it as a way of getting more elevation out of your sails.
At Clark Hill (Lake Thurmond) on Friday it was a mixture of insanity, frustration, and absudity. Only Patrick Jenkins on a 3.7 looked like it was fun. I've never had equipment ripped away from me so violently when you got the slightest bit airborne. At one point I just gave up with my 4.2 and went SURFING. That's right -- grabbed my trusty 8' Hard Core Soft Board out of the trailer. I figured, heck, I've surfed smaller waves than these at the beach. Only rode one wave but that was my only goal. Too shallow and to close to rip rap to risk much more. No pictures but I have witnesses.
Chuck (Whitecap)
Chuck Hardin
Whitecap Windsurfing, Inc.
c:706-833-WIND (9463)
Isn't surfing the same as windsurfing, except you rig down to your 0.0 sail?
Anyway, all these horror stories are making me feel better. I was stuck sailing my carseat on friday. Looks like I only missed getting humbled (yet again.)
Radndy