Jason Polakow windsurfing at Jaws – Podcast 1

The pros are good

First off, I have added Gran Canaria to my wish list of places to go before I kick the bucket.  The pros sailing on the PWA tour make it look so easy.  Watching them sail in 3.2 conditions in Pozo you realize windsurfing has very little to do with brute strength and everything to do with technique.  Amateur sailors forget about this whenever we are in crazy condition.  Next time I go out in 20+ knots I will think of this video of Phillip Koster and how he never fought the rig and board despite throwing huge airs and turns.

Live streaming of the next event in Tenerife.

Think back to windier times

Here are some shots from Cape Hatteras.  Since we are all going insane in the northeast I thought I might as well think back to windier times.  This particular day the wind picked up to 25+ as the sunset.  I was on a 4.5 and trying out a 95L Fanatic free-wave.

Graphics on the Fanatic boards are sweet

Best Sunset Session Ever

The trip to Hatteras has come and gone.  It was nothing short of epic.  The trip started off mellow with no breeze and some small waves left over to get some SUP rides on.  It was a refreshing chance to get away from it all and appreciate everything Hatteras had to offer. 

Taking words of advice from the local sailors we headed to Ocracoke Island for a day that was forecasted to be light.  To our amazement the ferry was free for both cars and passengers.  After a trip through a precarious channel we were dropped off on the corner of the island that is uninhabited.  We chose a random turn off to setup shop and catch some waves.  The conditions were perfect for some first time paddlers to try the waves.  After 3 hours on the beach we headed to the end of the island where there was a small town.  Taking advice from local sailors once again we tried of all things the local Thai restaurant for lunch.  Delicious and spicy.

The next 3 days were full of wind and heroics.  Many of us were taking kiteboarding lessons which meant getting up at sunrise to do as much windsurfing as possible before the lessons.  The only time we were able to all sail together was at sunset and we sailed hard.

During one epic sunset session I realized how many different ways there are to have fun on the water.  When you are around the water enough you look at everything differently Ken (from Ocean Air Sports) took out a Hobie Wave catamaran with a SUP board with the intention of getting someone skurfing behind the boat.

Not the windiest day we had but probably some of the best fun we had all trip.  Most of the time we were weaving in and out of each other: Garth-kiteboarding, Nat-windsurfing, David -windsurfing, Sarah Flow-windsurfing, Ken-Sailboat, Spike-SUP and all of the other sailors out there who had no idea what we were all doing.

3 ways to use the wind

Garth ripping

Easy airs all day on the inside

Lining up to buzz the boat

Special thanks to Ken and Sarah for sharing their stoke and local advice as well as the shops they work at Ocean Air Sports and WindNC.  I wish I could be there right now.  I think everyone in the Northeast has been watching the wind reports in Hatteras with envy.