The Optimistic Windsurfer gets the wind

"You gotta be an optimist to windsurf in New England!" This was parking lot wisdom from Juan. It's so true. What else would get us out to Chapin Beach before 9:00 AM on a grey Winter morning with almost no wind? Optimism. "It's gonna blow as soon as we rig and get out there." Igor rigged his 9.5. Optimism. The belief that it will be worth it in the end. Is it going to be windy enough? Am I going to be warm enough. Can I hold my pee until the end of the session? Yes, yes, yes. So what that I left the house at 6:30 to drive to this frigid windless beach? It's all part of the adventure. And on this particular Saturday morning optimism payed off. 30 minutes after we rigged, it was blowing up to the low 30's, the sun was sending shafts of light through the clouds on the horizon, and no one's hands were turning black from the cold, yet. We were 3 happy sailors, hooting it up like we had just won a presidential election. The wind had close to a 20 MPH spread between gusts and lulls but you can't expect everything to be perfect. Igor said it was his best windsurfing session ever, (his first time in waves), and I think he meant it. Igor Gets The Wind, Rocks, Snow I sailed 3 1/2 hours past high tide. 3 kiters kept me company at the end while I was scraping the edge off of my fin in shin to knee deep water. Windsurfed, Chapin Beach, WNW 15-32 MPH, 6.2 & 4.2, Acid94 & RW85, air temp mid 30's to 40 F, with Igor, Juan, and kiters: Jeff, Holly, Dave.