Saved by Seal Team #6.

My drysuit is still being fixed. I'm taking it fine. Sunday- I'm going to sleep all day. I'm not brooding.There is no reason to open my eyes. Or get out of bed. I get a text from Walter at 8:00, wakes me up. We're going kiting and he's bringing 2 drysuits. Buddy! Life is good again! Horseneck was perfect, drysuit was perfect, wind was perfect, sun was etc. I guess I'm in a good mood. It even feels great to have sore quads walking up the stairs again. Absence from kiting either kills you or makes the love stronger. Horseneck, kitesurfed, 15-27, SW, 10M Rally/Mako150, with Walter. Also thanks to Paul for another offer of a drysuit to borrow! Kiters saving kiters.

Rethinking Kiting

I've decided to give up kiting. It's just the same old thing, over and over again. It's getting boring. Lately I've been getting a deeper satisfaction from doing work around my house on weekends. I had a great time replastering and painting my kitchen ceiling even though it took 8 coats of burn-your-throat Kilz to cover the rusty stains from the upstairs bathroom leak. For whatever reason, my passion for kiting, the excitement, is gone, zip, nada. It has nothing to do with my drysuit being out for repairs, (again!!), or lakes not being frozen enough for snow kiting. And I'm not harboring any feelings of jealousy towards all my ex kiter-friends getting the windy winter sessions whithout me. I've simply discovered that it's more fullfilling shopping for new toilet seats and regrouting the bathtub. You guys with good drysuits, out on the water, smiling and pretending to be having fun, you don't know what you're missing. P.S. Don't believe anything I say on this blog.

A Sweltering Winters Day

Man it was a scorcher today! 55 degrees in the shade. I thought the sun was going to peel the paint right off my truck. Another kiter called me a wimp for using a drysuit during a heat wave. I got even with him tho. I stripped down to my bottom layer of long underwear and was walking around barefoot in the parking lot when I was rolling up my kite, letting the sweat burn off. There was a certain locker room aura around my body, almost visible, extending out several hundred miles. The parking lot cleared out quickly after that. Skimboard- I was on my skimmy again today, in ankle deep tidal pools. It's a little dangerous if you fall hard so I was being cautious, going slow. Someone blasted by me on a twin tip, heading out to deep water. later I switched and found that if I keep the twin tip completley on edge it goes just as shallow as the skim board. The fins aren't even an issue when the board is that far on it's edge. But of course the minute you flatten the board out, the fins hit and you end up sitting on your ass in a bathtub. First Encounter- Very solid wind today. Nice flat water session at low tide. It seemed like the wind had to blow across land to be good- Duxbury, Chapin, FE. Kitesurfed, First Encounter, SSW, 12-20, 13M Octane/skimmy & Flx136, with Jermy, others.

Waving Craving

Skyrocket being skyrocket I've had a craving for waves lately. I guess it's cause my last few session have been at Chapin/Mayflower, in little teaser waves. Chapin waves don't really fill you up. An hour after the session you're hungry again. I've been wanting something big enough to really sink my teeth into. Horseneck satisfied! Ahhh, feels good. I just like being out there in head high waves. The curling lips, noise of the waves crashing, the foam, the hills to slide down, walls of water to go over, walls of water to go under, whitewater washing over my head, icewater cleaning out my sinuses. It's exciting! It's probably a genetic defect. Horseneck, Kitesurfed, W, WSW, 10-25, 10M Rally/Mako 150, with Frank, Brad, Jean, Johnny D, Brian, Stoke, Skyrock, Tim, Others.

Lucky strikes

Any day at Chapin is a lucky day Sometimes I'm struck by how lucky I am. Lucky- to have my health, family, friends, and a drysuit with a pee zip. These are the things that make my life rich. Chapin, Kitesurfed, W, WSW, 10-25, 10M/Skimmy, 17M/Mako150, with Dillon.

That's why they call it Boosting

Ben said, "Dad you never get sick!" He and Barbara just got over sharing a cold which I, luckily, didn't get. "It's the kitesurfing," I replied. "Every time I jump it boosts my imune system. That's why kiters call jumping boosting." Ben shrugged. He didn't say anything. It must be tiring living with a kitesurfer dad. Chapin gave me a boost today. I messed around in the waves on the sand bar then went into the marsh at high tide with Jean and a few others. I got a kick out of watching Jermy and Kristoff jumping onto a little dune on the sand spit and sliding back into the water. That should boost the immune system. Or break your legs. Chapin, Kitesurfed, NNW, NW, 17-39, 10M Rally/Flx136, with Jean, Kristoff, Jermy, Mike, Frank, Jamie, Andrey, Colleen, Joe, Brad, Brian, others.

Wishing You a Kiting Kristmas

The beach was crowded at Mayflower Kitesurfing to celebrate the day before Xmas is an ancient ritual going back thousands of years. I kited today to keep the tradition alive for the heritage of future generations. I was just doing my duty. New Old Skimmy- This home made piece of scrap actually works! I can't believe it. I tried this board when I first made it. It seemed all wrong, didn't go upwind, didn't go thru lulls, didn't waterstart, didn't jump. But that was a year and a half ago so I decided to pull it out again to see if it has changed. Has it! The board has really improved. I skimmmed up the Chapin pond until the water got down to the depth of my big toe. It still can't jump but it did everything else well. Good board. If I ignore it for a few more years, maybe it'll learn strapless back rolls. 2 sessions- Mayflower morning, Chapin afternoon. Mayflower, Kitesurfed, NE, 10-25, Mako150 & King/10m Rally, solo. Chapin, Kitesurfed, NE, 10-25, Flx136 & Skimboard/10m Rally, Mike.

Winterizing my Brain

Sunday 6:00 AM. I'm not looking forward to this kiting session as much as usual. It has something to do with it being dark, cloudy, snowy, air temp near freezing. It's the first day of the season with real Winter weather. The sane part of my brain questions getting into the ocean in these conditions. Luckily, that part of my brain is small and shriveled. My big surprise of the day? I'm really warm, even when the temp drops to 29 and the mouthpiece of my camelback gets crunchy with ice. I don't care. I'm in the zone. I can feel the sane part of my brain shrivel and atrophy to almost nothing. Now I'm ready for Winter. New Old Drysuit- I just got my O.S. Systems drysuit back from the shop. They repaired 3 small seam leaks, several pinholes, new wrist seals, new socks. I know, I know, it's only 1 year old. Don't forget, 1 human year equals 15 drysuit years. So that makes my drysuit a teenager. I've go to expect some erratic behavior. Some mood swings. But no more leaks for now please. New Mitts- 6MM Henderson/Hyperflex Oven Surf Mitts. This is the best cold temp handwear I've found. Even my dead lobster hands were only slightly numb in these. And I could still hold onto the bar a little. Mayflower, Kitesurfed, N, 10-29, Gusty, 13M Octane & 10M Rally/ Mako150, with Paul, Igor, Brian, Junior, Chriz. Air Temp 32 to 29. Paul took some video footage with my camera. Thanks Paul! I've just gotta figure out how to edit it.

Deer Son

My son is a deer, a buck. He is standing in a room with other deer, young bucks mostly. They are waiting for their chance to prove themselves. They look bold, proud, excited. Some are nervous. They stamp they're hooves and throw their new antlers around. My son, I used to be able to cradle him in one arm, stands tall, strong. This is where he wants to be. It's noisy. The deer are shouting, cheering. My son is called forward by the referee. The Ref blows a whistle and my son charges, head lowered, clashing antlers with his opponent. My body tenses as I watch. They fall, rise back up, fall again. The match looks fierce, brutal, yet no one is hurt. It's a symbolic test of strength. Then it's over. My son's first match. I'm relieved that he's O.K. He seems relaxed now, happy. This is all new to him, and to me. The primal arena of High School wrestling. It's a brave new world. Ben's First Varsity Match Wrestling is a tough sport but Ben seems inexplicably drawn to it! I wish I had his passion for a challenge. Oh wait...

Smorgasboard of Gear

Paul's 21 Meter blimp, a really really nice blimp! Smorgasboard of Gear- It's a warm, sunny day, for Dec. Wind is up and down, off and on, here and there. We have a good crew of salty characters plying the beach. It's perfect for passing some gear around. I loan some stuff out, borrow someone else's. We laugh at the crashes that ensue due to footstraps being too loose, gear unfamiliar, etc. Put a bunch of kiters on the beach and they quickly turn into one big happy dysfunctional family. Paul's Speed3 21M Silver Arrow- Sooo fun!!! Wind was 10-14. I was super powered up on this when my 17M Zephyr was struggling to go upwind. I loved the jumps and back rolls on this big boy, (but the line twists from backrolls aren't so good). It's so lofty! I almost needed to pull the depower strap. Cool feeling. Still a scary kite though. RealWind 85 Liter windsurfing board- Not as much fun as I expected as a kiters light wind weapon- not very turny and responsive compared to a kite surfboard, not as floaty in the lulls as it looks. Frank pointed out that the tail width is narrow. I like my 6' Caution surfboard better for kiting. Frank's Door64- goes upwind slightly better than my Mako King but such a different ride, rides on it's edge more, doesn't break loose in transitions, hard to get it to release from the water for jumps and back rolls. Upwind machine. Picture- Kristoff kites with helium balloons for extra style points. It looks like he's spawning. W Dennis, Kitesurfed, 9-19, SSE, 17M Zephyr/Mako King, also RealWind 85, Door64, Flysurfer Speed3 21M Silver Arrow, with Igor, Frank, Sandie, Kristoff, Matt, John, Paul, others.

Little Frank, Big Jamie

The wind didn't fill in until just before sunset so I squeezed every last drop of fun out of a brief dusk session. Packed my kite up in my headlights. Picture- Big Jamie about to squish Little Frank because Little Frank can kite in 10MPH. Frank was O.K. I talked Jamie down. W Dennis Beach, Kitesurfed, S, 11-19, 17M Zephyr/Mako King, with Little Frank, Big Jamie.

Deep Hole

Deep Hole launch at low tide I was a teenager the first time I went to Deep Hole. My older brother, Greg, was giving me surfing tips. "How do you avoid the rocks that are just under the surface?" I wanted to know. My brother impatiently replied, "they're easier to see when you're standing up on the board and riding down the wave at them". That didn't really answer my question. I rediscovered Deep Hole for windsurfing when I was in my 40's, trying to recapture some of that teenage bravado that I never really had. I had my best wavesailing days here. Now I'm in my 50's. I fart a lot and have hair growing out of my ears. It takes bravado to look in the mirror. But I forget all that when I'm on the water. And wave spots like Deep Hole require more focus and commitment, which makes forgetting easier. So I've been waiting for my kitesurfing to catch up to my windsurfing. I wanted to kite here when I was experienced enough to avoid endangering rescue personnel. I'm there, mostly. How was it? The launch is meaner looking for a kite than a windsurfer, but it's fine as long as there is someone there to assist, still sketchy at dead high tide. The kiting was fun! Easy waves today, didn't hit any rocks, farted some and still had hair growing out of my ears but it completely didn't matter. I loved it. Deep Hole, Kitesurfed, WSW, 17-30, 10M Rally/Mako 150, with Mitch, Steve, Chris E, Sergey, others.

Small waves, big crashes

Johnny D Horsing it up 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.

Another day, another downwinder

Prepping for adventure

This was a partial rerun of last weekends downwinder but in reverse, with a deeper tide, and a bigger crew. Same beautiful coast. Same fun.

We didn't get the tidal pools and speed trenches of last time cause the tide was high to mid. It was more about wave riding and bashing with an ever changing line up of different wave angles, shapes, and sizes. I bashed some waves. Some waves bashed me. I'll call it even.

Brian made the sacrifice of volunteering his car for the return run from Paine's Creek. We stuffed 5 dripping guys and all of our kite gear in his SUV, boards sticking out of windows and sun roof, elbows and knees digging into ribs. It's all fun and laughs until somebody farts. Sorry Brian. I hope the smell dissipates someday. Another great adventure! 6 miles. 2 1/2 hours.

Downwinder, Mayflower to Paine's Creek, WNW, W, 17-37, 10M Rally/Mako150, with Brad, Brian, Walter, Jean.

Eco Tourists

Beautiful Skaket Beach 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.