Waddell AWT Contest

While a giant SW swell didn't hit the west coast the same time the pros descended on Waddell there was plenty of wind and ramps for them to show off their skills. Because of the less than mast high conditions this year I mostly sailed rather than spectate. I had a great session sailing Shotguns even though it was very crowded at times and learned a lot about the other breaks at Waddell while exploring the area.

Shotguns
In mostly small 2-3 ft and occasional 5-6 ft NW swell Waddell was not up to its full potential but I found Shotguns to be an easy wave that breaks slow enough to get a few turns on if you are lucky. There are plenty of bigger peaks breaking further out in other areas but nothing was as consistent and user friendly as Shotguns. Because the sand has filled in nicely the couple times a wiped out were not a big deal. The one draw back is there seems to be a small wind shadow on the inside that can get you in trouble and makes it hard to get speed if you are looking to hit ramps on the way out.

Parking Lot
The Parking Lot sailing area was off limits because of the competition and I suspect it was the best place for jumping that day.

The Hole
There were some big sets coming in here that completely closed out most of the time. I launched from here and watched a fellow windsurfer get wrecked by a wave a narrowly escaped. The few rides I took were either small one hitters or a big guy that started to close out as soon as I got the courage to go for the lip and I put the pedal down and ran from the explosion of whitewater every time. I am sure a good sailor could make it work but I doubt anyone could hit the lip more than twice.

View Waddell Creek Area in a larger map

Here are some pics a friend was nice enough to take while rigging.

Some video highlights of the event.