Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes
7 months ago
Horseneck- Waves weren't big enough to be scary. It didn't keep me from getting knocked around though. I can't figure out how to do a fast enough bottom turn to shoot up the wave vertically, hit the lip just as it's breaking, but I am figuring out how to go over the falls and have some really fun crashes. My Rally 10M feels so good on the waves. I can make all the stupid wave mistakes possible and that kite will just sit up in the air, lines completely slack, patiently waiting for me to smarten up and fly right. I think it will give me the confidence I need to get in some real trouble when the waves are big. I'm looking forward to it. Horseneck, Kitesurfed, SSW, 15-25, Rally10/Mako150, With Walter, Jean, Johnny D, Tim, Paul, Others. |
Brad, Gabe and I roll the dice that the wind will last long enough for us to do a downwinda from Skaket Beach to Chapin Beach, 10ish miles. It does, just barely. We are excited tourists, gawking at the sights we see along the way. Flocks of birds ascend like a cloud as we kite through miles of waist deep water. Waves are breaking 1 1/2 miles out on the edge of the flats. We thread the interlocking maze of tidal pools on the inside, finding slicks, speed trenches, and endless sand bars to face plant on. Brad has to be home early. He kites with us for awhile then strikes out ahead. Gabe and I explore the seascape, taking our time, alternating between waves and flats, whooping it up like we'd hit the lottery. About 2/3 of the way in, the wind goes light, making us kinda nervous. No more whooping. We book straight past Cold Storage Beach and Corporation Beach, making a beeline for our destination. I can see the Chapin kites in the air from miles away like a beacon guiding us home. We have to sine our kites to stay afloat. It's a relief to pull into Chapin, 3 1/2 hours after we started. We are happy tourists. We had our adventure and nobody got stranded, nobody got hurt. The only sacrifice made was my cellphone which was in a waterproof case that wasn't waterproof. Also, my memory got short circuited. I forgot about the AMC windsurfing potluck that Barbara an I were planning on attending, got home too late. Damn! This downwinder took me to a foriegn country. It took me too long to come back. Bottom Photo- Brad warming up for our journey. Downwinder, Skaket to Chapin, Kitesurfed, NNE, 8-24, 13M Octane/ Mako 150, with Gabe, Brad. |