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Post by mikeyz on Sept 15, 2008 17:32:42 GMT -5
Ok Guys, today it was blowing pretty good up at Webster Park. I arrived a little after 11am to find Joe H. rigged up and about to go out on the water. Bill N. arrived while I was rigging up. Once I got my gear set up, headed out into 20mph conditions on my 6.0m2 sail and 144L board, and quickly proceed to get big air. I mean HUGE Rochester HUGE air. I threw more forward loops than I could count, many of them were doubles and triples. You should all be aware that I can’t count very high (30 on a good day) because the math department at RIT doesn’t teach numbers. Still though, there was all sorts of forward and backward looping going on. I was doing some of the cooler moves too where you like kick a foot out or do some crazy like forward loop half way, stall the loop upside down, and then go into a back loop. Joe and Bill were getting pretty excited about my little performance, they kept yelling things like, “Mikey Z, I knew you’ve been workin’ out!” or “Did you just drink a Red Bull!?!”. I kept thinking, “I better do something really special. Something that is gonna get my name marked down in the Rochester Wind Sports Hall D’ Fame”. I looked at that pier and I got a GREAT idea. I bared off the wind straight at it. I was going fast, actually I was absolutely ripping, I don’t want to pat myself on the back or anything, but my hair was practically on fire. As I neared I saw this perfect ramp about 30 ft in front of the rocky monster. When I hit that wave it looked somewhat like this - www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF-MZR4ccX0. Except there was a big ass rocky monster of a pier underneath me ANNNNNDDDD I was doing a sick ass forward loop. That’s right, I threw the biggest forward loop anyone has ever seen ever and I did it over a pier! When I landed there was no sploosh down into the water. No I landed perfectly on the back side of a wave and never came off plane. It was pretty much the best day of windsurfing I have ever had. - mike z |
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chris
RWS Contributor
Posts: 43
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Post by chris on Sept 15, 2008 19:14:25 GMT -5
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Post by Windydoug on Sept 15, 2008 20:02:31 GMT -5
The Kite video that Chris linked to is pretty unbelievable, watch it. Also unbelievable is that fact that Chris kited at Webster today....is this a first? Joe didn't remember it ever happening before. Chris, care to explain your launch? To balance Mikey's amped up caffeine beverage induced "red bull, it gives you wings" bit of Webster wrap up here is my bland "only sailed it for 30 minutes" take.
I guess no land based meter's were ever a good indicator of what was going on at Webster. Ontario (or Oswego) buoy's were closest.
Joe broke in his new 5.8 for nearly 4 hours, Bill sailed 6.5 long and hard with a bit of tennis elbow acting up....never imagined him the tennis type, but then nothing should surprise with Bill...he's world traveled and well read. As mentioned Chris kited for a while. Mikey (as evidenced by his "not sure what is going on out there, but it kicked my butt" message on the windline) sailed, regrouped, and sailed again..6.0. I got 30 or so minutes of 6.6 before I schlogged (or slogged?) past the pier and then the break wall to the grass. The water was going everywhere out there today..waves trying to set up, but lots of cross chop.
New Kite pics care of Brent are up on the photo page. Some good air by David, as well as a female kiter from Syracuse.
Windydoug
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Post by pat on Sept 15, 2008 22:43:29 GMT -5
yeah - It was super good, but the waves were confused today.
Unless you headed into the channel, where things were a bit more organized. Not to mention the 20 degree water differential between the bay and the lake. I forgot what a fifty mile per hour south wind would do to the temp. Brrr, I should've worn my suite to extend my time. Definitely a great evening session at Sodus point though. I caught the first real wind on a windsurfer last night - I was impressed. In fact Mikey, I had to stay out after dark, cause it was good. I was going faster than I have with the kite.
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Post by windkid on Sept 16, 2008 8:23:20 GMT -5
I just wanted to add that although I admired MikeyZ's loops I did get a little pissed when he nearly tore my sail when he nailed a "Shove it,"directly in my path. The Pier jump was Awesome!
Mike....let's see what happens...rubber ducks, rubber ducks rubber ducks.
I think it may take a rubber duck reply for the banner to kick in.
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Post by mikeyz on Sept 16, 2008 10:19:12 GMT -5
Ok all you rubber ducks, I hope you found last night's post somewhat funny. Seeing that I am youngest member of this forum I am considering taking on the responsibility of being the most silly … and the most asinine. What actually happened yesterday at Webster?  Joe H was rigged up (5.8m and 111L), I showed up, I rigged up (6.0m and 144L), Bill N. showed up (6.5m 116L), and then I went out. It was my first time sailing at Webster and I was well advised on my 144L board because I am far more confident on that than my 103L. The pier was a little intimidating, though if you walk up wind past a house or two and then out as far as you can stand it isn’t so bad. On my way in I played it safe and landed two or three houses up and then patiently let the wind blow me down to the put in. How was the sailing? Joe and Bill were having a great time. The wind was probably over 20 mph on the outside. The waves were very very confused. Picture Canandaigua but instead of 1 – 2 ft chop, 3 – 4 ft chop. I was having a rough time. Here is my problem: I felt very over powered. I had to sheet out most of time, which made me exhausted. Also, because of all this power I felt very uncomfortable getting speed. The board would simply bounce out of control, I felt like every piece of chop was a launch ramp. Whenever I started getting speed I would bounce around until I was almost completely out of control. I also couldn't lean back and get into a secure stance. I was also heading up wind like crazy, I felt like Irondaqoit Bay was easily within reach. The guys gave me some advice that I listened to but was too scared to implement. They said, I “just need to bare off, get speed, and find a smooth path”. They have given this advice before and I now use it all the time, but it is hard to do when I feel like I am driving a school bus on a dirt bike trail. In otherwords, that big board is heavy and those waters were unpredictable, cutting around waves is hard. 6.0 and that big board on Canandaigua or Long Pond was cake compared to today. This brings me to my most favorite piece of windsurfing advice, “Work with what you have”. In other words, work with what you have and use technique to compensate for what you don’t have. Perhaps I just need better technique. This same problem happened to me at Hamburg a little less than a month ago, except that day I was on my 103L with a 6.0 sail. Some of you guys were there to see it and I think the problem was mainly that my mast base was too far back, I also remember feeling very powered up that day. But maybe that wasn’t the problem. Maybe I am just not absorbing the waves like should be. Though everywhere else, on every set up I don’t seem to have this problem. We’ll hopefully we’ll get some wind soon so I can experiment a little. - mike p.s. two words … glow sticks. p.p.s. two more words ... rubber ducks |
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Post by Windydoug on Sept 16, 2008 11:51:28 GMT -5
So for all those that are curious or a little out of the loop, here is the low down on rubber ducks.
Evidently after Chris's post about glow sticks in the Sunday forecast thread...and Mikey's reply, it would seem that some website/computer program picked up our mention of glow sticks and a banner add appeared at the top of the forum selling you guessed it....glow sticks!
Rubber ducks are next.
WD
Also, Pat did I read that correctly...you are learning to windsurf? Psyched for you if you are. Good luck and stick with it. These are two awesome sports.
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Post by waterauthorityrick on Sept 16, 2008 11:57:00 GMT -5
I had a few family things to deal with yesterday and 6.3m conditions for me would be great with the little wind I've had lately however I need to save my "get out of jail free" card for a 4.8m or better day on the Lake.
I can answer a few questions for the group and for Mikey. There has been kite sailing at Webster in years past. I first thought that Chris did it once before moving to Colorado, he however informed me last night that he never has (he should know) So that leaves Dr. Tom who now lives in Buffalo and rides at Hamburg often. Tom did it so long ago he was using a bar that had a line reel on it, the idea was to allow a person to self launch by unreeling the line little by little and fly the kite higher and higher until fully extended. Good for Chris on yesterday, hope to see him there more often battling me on who gets the next wave.
Mikey,
You too like Chris accomplished a big task yesterday at Webster as a first timer your explanation is understandable and with a large board difficult but not impossible, you're using what you have. Answer me this, what size fin did you have on the board? From the sounds of it with all that bouncing around and sailing so far up wind I'm thinking it was large. I trust you were experiencing the start of what we call "Tail-Walking" or "Fin Walking" This is a very bouncy condition and once this begins to occur the windward edge of the board gets lifted and then affected by the apparent wind trying to force the board to take flight. You on the other hand try to compensate for it and the push and pull of the board which doesn't allow for a clean tracking thru the water.
Don't think you can go out into the water at Webster make a few adjustments and sail effortlessly, it will take time and a smaller board. There was a guy 20 some years ago who was sailing a Mistral Equipe with a 4.7m at Webster ( I think he struggled also but used what he had) Chris and I talked about another guy who sailed from his house on the Bay which is south of the bridge, sailed out of the Bay and all the way down wind with his Equipe and I think a 5.5m sail.
I think my last Webster day was the first day of Spring. I need it BAD.
H2O Rick
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Post by mikeyz on Sept 16, 2008 22:08:42 GMT -5
Hey Rick, yea, I was using a 42cm fin. Kind of big I guess. I have a 32cm fin for my Synchro that i might try sometime. I found a website with some information that seems to be helpful. Look at the last three items "Fine Tuning", "When to Trim Forward", and "When to Trim Back". www.boards.co.uk/articles/index.asp?ID_A=191&article_type=25Anything in the forcast? - mike |
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chris
RWS Contributor
Posts: 43
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Post by chris on Sept 17, 2008 6:37:51 GMT -5
Thursday and then Sunday look like potential with the current forecast for the lake. Saturday may work out to be decent SW but it depends on which model your looking at.
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Post by Windydoug on Sept 17, 2008 8:48:12 GMT -5
Arg. This guy is going on a wine tour with wife and friends on Sunday. Hopefully that will aid in getting things going.
Mikey, I remember feeling the way you are describing. As I was starting to sail more around Rochester (Not the familiar and relatively flat waters at my Canadian cottage) I remember sailing on the same size gear as most of the others (with a smaller fin and board though) but feeling like I was going to be way out of control if I fully engaged the sail and board. It took some mental work for me as well as sailing "lighter" on my board. Balancing my lines, and then taking weight off of the board by hanging allowed me to absorb the chop better. I was saling a zipper head style of sailing...locked in and blazing back and forth. That works on Canandaigua and the Pond but not the big lakes. As time went on I got more comfortable picking a line through the ever changing water.
My (still learning) five cents....
Doug
WD
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Post by Kel on Sept 21, 2008 18:24:55 GMT -5
Chris,
Can you share where and how you launched at Webster? Did you get a good ride?
Thanks
Kel
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chris
RWS Contributor
Posts: 43
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Post by chris on Sept 22, 2008 8:05:09 GMT -5
Great ride. Waves were pretty unorganized but when you would boost off one the height and hangtime was pretty nice. Occasionally there woujld be a couple of real nice ones to turn on. Definitely better than staying at Durand but not as good as Buffalo or Fairhaven where the waves are cleaner. Launch and land was pretty sketchy. Wind was onshore & Bill gave me a launch right off the grass. No issues with the pier. Wind downwind of the pier was not as good as I had hoped. The little waves by the point were nice. Landing was a little more dodgey than I thought. I was planning on just dropping the kite downwind of the pier and wrapping things up but there were a few people onshore so I came in and just dove the kite into them. Admittedly I didn't have a good plan at all but Doug was nice enough to catch my kite. I think I could have dropped it in behind the bushes in the protected area if Doug hadn't been there. Only problem with landing like this is if you don't drop your kite just right you risk having it repower and go into the trees, cars, posts, etc. I think the drop on the downwind side of the pier is a better plan unless there is someone on shore waiting to catch you.
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Post by mikeyz on Sept 22, 2008 10:41:40 GMT -5
It did look a little sketchy but you are pretty good at flying that thing so I think we all kind of knew that you weren't gonna make a mistake.
I am getting such a kick out of these helicopters. hahaha
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Joe H was rigged up (5.8m and 111L), I showed up, I rigged up (6.0m and 144L), Bill N. showed up (6.5m 116L), and then I went out. It was my first time sailing at Webster and I was well advised on my 144L board because I am far more confident on that than my 103L. The pier was a little intimidating, though if you walk up wind past a house or two and then out as far as you can stand it isn’t so bad. On my way in I played it safe and landed two or three houses up and then patiently let the wind blow me down to the put in.