Hatteras Spring 09

[mikeyz]

Alright guys, Gary and I are down in Hatteras again. The drive down was rainy and at one point very stormy; the important thing is I am in one piece, all is good, and I am stoked. Tuesday was my first day out on the water, Gary has been here a few days and sailed a bunch of 6.0 and 5.0. Tuesday’s wind was quite strong. I started out on my 6.0 and 103L for a few runs until I was quickly overpowered. The rest of the day I was on 5.0 and Gary’s 86L (thanks so much Gary); I was a little overpowered, however I absolutely love that combination and that board is amazing. We took it fairly easy and wrapped things up with 3-4 hours of hard sailing.

Today was a BIG wind day. I started out 6.0 and 103L with everything tuned up just perfect. The board was perfectly balanced when chop hopping and it was really fun. The wind kept picking up and soon I couldn’t hold on any longer. I rigged a 5.0. Gary was about to go out on 4.7 and he realized that it would have been a lost cause. The wind just kept on building. He went for the 3.7 and 76L Quatro he was testing. As I made several rigging mistakes on my 4.6 he was blasting in survival mode on the 3.7. When he came in for lunch he called up Avon Sailhouse and asked if they could set him up with something smaller. Then he left to go pick up a 3.3 and 62L Quatro. It was then my turn on the new Quatro and new 3.7 Simmer Sail. I was salivating and not worthy of this gear.

What happened over the next few hours was very interesting. The wind was very strong and I was usually overpowered (iwindsurf says 22-35mph). The sail was twitchy, there were a lot of catapults, and some of them were the kind where you get pulled out of the straps. However, when I did get that board going it was aaammmaazzzing. Very nicely balanced. I was getting a few feet of air here and there. Everything was quite stable in the air and when on the water I could easily find the smooth path. I have no idea how anyone could do a planning jibe on that setup; there was so much speed and if you turned down wind the waves would send you bouncing out of control. Need more practice I guess! Gary was ripping it up on a 62L board!

I said something to Gary when we were taking a breather about that “maybe this was too much wind and that maybe we were being a little reckless”. I think he looked at me a little dumbfounded and we both went back out … I didn’t plan on being out too long but each time I passed the launch site and planned to turn in I couldn’t do it. I just kept saying, “one more reach” “one more reach”. Over and over again. This happened for a few minutes until things really started getting out of control (iwindsurf reports gusts up to 39mph). I took a few bad falls and realized what I said to Gary might have been true … at least it was true in my case because I didn’t own any of the gear I was riding and it wasn’t worth damaging gear. I headed in and Gary followed a few minutes after. Packing up was an interesting challenge as iwindsurf reports the gusts going up to 46mph (I personally measured 46mph with my anemometer).

So yea. It was a great day. Gary and I are a little bruised, we didn’t work on jibing, but stayed with it and sailed in challenging overpowered and gusty conditions. Oh did I mention I have been sailing without a life jacket? We observed some other great sailors as well. One big burly French Canadian was on a 76L and a 4.6. He was ripping! We saw Andy (who writes the www.lostinhatteras.blogspot.com blog) doing forward loops and attempting some other freestyle moves.

Tomorrow morning bright and early we hope to get some 6.0 before things die off for the next few days.

Stoked and suddenly very tired,
- mike

[ibex]

Hey Mike,

I was *just* about to ping you and remind you that you aren't off the hook for providing some trip reports for your adventure down there. Glad to hear you guys are having fun and (sort of) staying safe.

I predict the next report will be you guys sailing on a toothpick with a t-shirt for a sail or something...

All the best,

Shawn

PS heading to Dewey Beach tomorrow! That new JP is going to get wet... can't wait.

[Windydoug]

Wherever you go, be sure to spread the Rochesterwindsports.com love!
Sail and Kite safe and post often.
Windydoug

[mikeyz]

Holy friggggginnn crap what a day. Today Gary and I sailed like it was our job. Actually, we might have sailed like it was our job with a little overtime. The day started out by going to the Canadian Hole around 10-1030 am and we didn’t stop sailing until about 730 pm. I took two short breaks for food and re-rigging. How does it feel to sail for over 8 hours? Well … it feels nutsty-awesome. nutsty-awesome means that you feel like nuts because you sailed for 8 hours and it means you feel awesome because you sailed for 8 hours. Make sense??? If not let me tell you about it.

So I start out 6.0 and 103L. The conditions were perfect and it was just glorious. Things quickly started to pick up and I was getting over powered more and more often. Around 1pm or so I was heading full tilt over the sandbar near the launch. I knew it was shallow, but I also knew I was cooking and the board was hardly in the water. That fin would never touch the bottom. But before I knew it I hit the sandbar, flew out of my straps, and landed on top of my sail still hooked in. It was very violent and when I opened my eyes I couldn’t believe I wasn’t injured and that both my board and rig looked fine. I then decided to head in, eat half a sandwich, a Clif Bar, and collect my thoughts. While this was going on Gary headed out on his 86L with a 4.7 and found it to be too much (but not before I snapped a few pics which will hopefully make it on the flickr page sometime soon). I really love that 86L board and I happily accepted it when he decided to go for his new 76L Quatro. I headed back out on 86L and a 5.0 for some great chop hopping and a few successful gybes. After three hours or so it lightened up a little and I came in to switch back up to the 103L. At this time Andy McKinney (the dude that writes the Lost In Hatteras blog lostinhatteras.blogspot.com/) showed up to give Gary and I a gybe lesson.

So this was around 5pm. It was great, this guy sailed out with us and would either chase us around a gybe or have us gybe really close to where he was sitting with his board. He pointed out several mistakes with my gybe and made me work on a couple of things to fix it. Sweet! ANNNNDDD I flew out of a gybe on my 103L never coming off plane!!! I screamed! It was magical, totally amazing. Anyways, he kept giving me tips and made me watch him. It was great. Gary and I were really pleased with the lesson. That ended at about 7 and the sun was just about to get all red and orange. We all headed back up wind to the launch and did a few more reaches before heading in. Andy actually stayed out while the sun was going down.

After packing everything up I realized me entire body was feeling the workout. My lungs feel like they do after a really long run. My back feels terrible. My toes are sore from stubbing them on the foot straps. My hands are burning. The list goes on. When we got home (not too long ago) I couldn’t even eat dinner. Actually, I ate dinner just fine. I went straight to my room when I finished and now I am going to bed.

Oh I forgot to mention we got out on Thursday at the Salvo Day Use Area. It was a good 4-5 hours of 8.5 blasting and racing. Friday was a much needed rest day after 3 days of hard sailing (5 days for Gary). Yep so we are getting wind. How about you guys??? We heard it is nice up north.

- mike

[mikeyz]

it is after midnight. i can't sleep. I thought it was funny how the blog changed the word I used into 'nutsy-awesome'. It is funnier that way haha.

[ibex]

Mike,

I don't understand? You tell this great story of totally shredding it up on the water, really pushing yourself, putting in extra time and effort...

But the part I don't get is how this is anything like what you do in your job? I mean honestly, I don't think I've seen you at school before 11am and when I do see you, you are sitting in the computer lab staring at iWindsurf...?



(kidding)

Sounds like you are having a fantastic time, can I siphon some of those gybe pointers from you? I am totally jealous that you guys are having such a sweet trip!

All the best,

Shawn

[mikeyz]

Trip update time. So where did we leave off. Oh yes on Saturday when we had a lot of perfect 5.0 conditions. Well Sunday was basically a repeat of Saturday but just with a lot of perfect 7.0 conditions. Gary and I were on the water by 10am. I decided to tack up wind to Kite Point because the wind looked a little better up there. I started hitting sand bars so I decided to just hangout for a few minutes and stretch before heading down wind. I chose a good sport for this because I was right in the middle of the action up at Kite Point. I counted 30 kites in the air. It was great watching these guys up close.

I headed back after a few minutes. The wind dropped off during lunch and then came back around 3pm in a very perfect 7.0 or 6.0 kind of way. By 6pm I was getting pretty tired, but the idea of sailing into the sunset kept me going. Around 7pm I was just about finished when this dude comes blazing past me. He lays the sail down, banks into a gybe, flips the sail around, schlogs over to me with a big grin, and lets out a “hey dude!”. This guy was really stoked, but who was he? It was Stuart! from the Ocean Air windsurfing shop. Stuart and I have met several times and he and I are about the same age, except he can really sail.

Stuart was blasting like no other (maybe I have seen Steve Howie sail like this … maybe). The gear he was on was a 2009 104L Mistral Screamer, but it was the ‘Red Dot’ version, which is made of the lightest strongest materials available. For a sail he had a 2009 7.5m Ezzy Infinity which is a very nice lightweight sail that has 2 cams and no mono-film. The fin he was using was very small and very sharp.

I get really pumped up to see him with a sudden surge of adrenaline. Be both start sailing, and mind you I am almost over powered on my 7.0, Stuart takes the lead as we head for shore. He gybes, I gybe. He lets out a “wooo hooo”. I let out a “wooo hooo”. This continues for a while, gybe for gybe, "wooo hooo" for "wooo hooo". After 30 minutes the sun is almost touching the horizon I am exhausted and I can’t keep doing this. My technique gets sloppy and I fall in and Stuart pulls up. We have a brief conversation about what we are riding and he asks me if would like to try his gear. I was so hesitant, feeling not worthy, not capable, and certainly not strong enough after such a long day. I let out a weak, “yes” and we exchange rigs. I swim over to this beautiful gear, look at the 104L printed on the board, and ask myself, “what have I gotten myself into”. I water start expecting to catapult, hook in still expecting to catapult, start moving and get my feet into the straps. After that I was screaming at mach 3 with my hair on fire (to put it in Top Gun terms (this is for Doug because he is a child of the 80s)). I got it going as fast as I could. It was mind numbing; certainly one of the fastest experiences of my life and there was no way I was going to try and gybe that board. I just jumped off after turning the board up wind to slow down (I knew I would skip like a stone on the water going at that speed and I didn’t want to do that with the razor sharp fin). Then I water started and headed to shore repeating my not so graceful dismount. Stuart then pulls up on my gear all stoked that he got to ride the infamous F2 Xantos (apparently he has never ridden a board built during the 90s and he is into the old classics) and I thank him letting me try his awesome gear.

The next day (Monday) we needed a rest day and there wasn’t much wind to work with so that was good. Today I am pretty sure we are going to get some wind, but we’ll see. There is this low pressure thing over bermuda that creates afternoon thermals. Just need to eat lunch and do a little stretching before heading out.

- mike

[windkid]

Hey Mike,

I really love your posts but hey, it's 2009, Obama's president, don't you think you and Gary should come out of the closet?

Just kidding, I mean Gary rejected me so what could he possible see in you! ;D

[mikeyz]

You are funny Bill but I have to reply to this in a funny way that totally disses you.

What does Gary see in me that he doesn't see in you??? Well Bill, I can plane out of a jibe. BOOOM ROASTED!!!!



Just kidding man.

Yesterday we got out for some really light wind putsin around kind of sailing. Gary put up the formula gear and got some good time on the water.

Today was another good day of 7.0 for about an hour or two in the morning. The dude that writes the Peconic Puffin blog ( www.peconicpuffin.com/ ) is down here and Gary and I talked to him for quite some time after the morning session. Super cool guy. He used to produce MTV News and he is friends with the guys that made Bevis and Butthead (my childhood heros).

I hit the beach after that and then I got a call from Gary saying it picked up at the house. I rushed back and got an hour of 6.0 103L awesomeness with Gary and 3 neighbors. It was really glorious. There was a classic Hatteras sunset on the water and we were flying.

Oh and I made it onto the LostInHatteras blog. (www.lostinhatteras.blogspot.com). Here is a photo of me jumping off of Stuarts super fast racing gear. The photo was taken just before I hit the water.

1.bp.blogspot.com/_c1Dk88TLyuU/SfeujKZD79I/AAAAAAAAB7w/MfqzebWBTDg/s1600-h/4260032.jpg

Tomorrow should be light but Friday is gonna be awesome. I might have to stay another night for saturday too!!!

- mike

p.s. Bill I loved your posts and your photos are great. I wish I could say the same for your sense of humor. BOOOM ROASTED!!!!

[windkid]

Touche' Brother.

[windkid]

Hey Mikey,

Maybe you can plane out of a jibe but do you know how to skydive?

Here is a shot of me and my better half moments after a totally awesome free fall!

[mikeyz]

Bill, this is a windsurfing forum, not skydiving and better halving. Nuf' said.

Everybody, no wind today. Just chilling cleaning stuff up, and waiting for tomorrow's awesomeness www.windguru.com/int/index.php?sc=62. I am thinking about staying another day but I don't know ... my tendons in my elbow are not happy ... i'm too young for this. ugg.

- mike

[mikeyz]

I got to start this one out by saying Gary and I are famous!!!!
Checkout the April 30th post at www.peconicpuffin.com/
ANNNNDDD the April 28th post at lostinhatteras.blogspot.com/

I have to say things have been pretty darn cool this April and I have met a lot of well known windsurfing bloggers. At the beginning of the month I was at a job interview in San Francisco and I ran into Aaron "The Human Catapult" humancatapult.blogspot.com/ at Candle Stick. Unfortunately my schedule and the wind did not allow me to get on the water. I got to windsurf in Florida at Coca Beach with Shawn, who is super passionate and really progressing fast. Then down here in Hatteras I got to meet all sorts of nice people and the writers of two famous east coast windsurfing blogs. Sweet!!!! I have learned that it is not all about the wind and water, the people are really important too. I mean today there was a toothless grandpa out on the water and he was ripping! How cool is that?!?

Oh yea today. How about today? Today was my last day in Hatteras . Gary left early this morning and is about to get home as I write this. I headed to the Canadian Hole for some 6.0 103L fun. What I got was a little 6.0 and a lot of very very gusty and shifty 5.0. It was like a bad day at the pond. I had one really bad catapult just trying to get into my straps. My impact left a dimple in the X-Ply of my 5.0 ezzy SE wave sail.

Just as I was wrapping things up Andy (the dude that writes lostinhatteras) shows up with his girlfriend Anne. He asks if I am finished, I couldn't help but go out and sail a little more with him and Anne. He was doing really sweet freestyle. Anne who actually hasn't been windsurfing much more than 30 times was riding a 80L board and jibing. Amazing!!! Andy broke out his GoPro helmet cam and started filming. It was a beautiful session. The sun was going down over this cloud and painting the sky orange. He chased me through jibe or two and got me sailing into the sunset. Man I really hope it came out cause he said it would go on the blog if it did. Sweet!

We got to talking after the session. He asked me where I was from and I told him Potsdam, NY. He turned to Anne and said "thats where Kate Dewar is from". I couldn't believe my ears because I was best friends with her little sister Margaret. Turns out Andy went to college with Kate in Vermont. Life is so weird and the world is so small.

Well, it is supposed to be blowing 6.0 early tomorrow morning ... I might have to get up extra early for a little morning sesh before the drive. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

- mike

[mikeyz]

I'm home save. Does anyone ever have too much energy after/during a trip? Most nights during the trip I only slept 5-6 hours. I didn't sleep much friday night, then I drove 13 hours back to rochester, and last night I didn't sleep much. Usually I need 8-9 hours. This happened last October too. Weird.
- mike

[Windydoug]

..................So, it's official. What's official Doug? Is it good? Is it bad? It's both. Mikey Z has gone from getting slammed at Durand to nearly planing jibes (where I consider myself on a good day) in a couple short years. That's good, no awesome! Way to go Z! See the video evidence of a blasting Mikey Z on the Lost in Hatteras blog. I believe it is titled Sunset at the Hole or something like that. Now if you just stay in Rochester I will have somebody to sail with in 20 years.
It's bad because it took me 20 some odd years to get to where he is. It's bad because I now feel like an old man that he has been able to learn so quickly and it took me so long.
So what I will be doing is skipping work more often, and getting a paper route to pay for a baby sitter on windy days so that my wife can also get done what she wants to get done. Maybe I will drive the over night delivery truck for Springwater sprouts. No..............I will become a Windsurfing Ninja and chop the Z off his board.
Congrats Z, your sailing looks awesome! Your training is nearly complete young Jedi.
Doug

[mikeyz]

I would have planned through that one in the video if we weren't in a lull and if I were going faster. The initiation isn't even that good, I just kind of go for it without baring off enough. You can see me pumping on the exit and I still didn't make it on plane. We just schlogged back out until another puff came through. I also had to make the turn kind of tight so I wouldn't stall out. Actually that whole session was kind slow too, we weren't really ripping. There was a lot of weird chop that slowed the board down and made it harder to stay up wind. Anyways, I it was a really awesome session with the sun going down and sailing with Andy and Anne. I'm the second sailor featured here (Anne is the first):

vimeo.com/4471338

Oh and I can't wait to see what happens when I try and jibe at Durand or Hamburg. Probably gonna go back to the drawing board.

Did I tell you guys that Gary and I met a windsurfing ninja in Hatteras. Seriously the guy was decked out with a ninja face mask. It was hilarious.

When are we gonna get wind?
- mike

[windkid]

Z-man,

You rule I must admit it. Fantastic video. So was that one view Andy's version of a Duck Jibe?
I can't wait to see you and hear more!

Pray for wind,

[mikeyz]

Aww thanks Bill.

Which view were you talking about? I know Anne does a duck jibe at one point. Andy does all sorts of crazy stuff that I don't know the names of or really understand. Check out some of the other videos. There are a few really good ones from last October when the ocean was raging.

I am heading to my parents this weekend, I really hope I don't miss out on anything. Can't wait to see everybody soon too!

- mike