Durand Roller Coaster

[windkid]

Tuesday tales....

The wind was screaming all day at Durand so I headed out. I pumped into Lynn and apparently he had had a nice Kite session on a 7 meter early. I arrived in the afternoon and frankly the only thing I could see were rank after rank of gnarly white caps stretching out to the horizon. I decided between the temperatures and the conditions ....forget it.
Trouble is you don't forget it. Not really, so I suited up just for the hell of it and rigged a 4.2.,grabbed my trusted slotted fin and 93 JP and hit the water. Managed to get out past the break close to shore and really the cold wasn't too bad, but the waves were ....hmmmm ....imagine if you will what would happen if a Pit Bull was mated with a T-Rex and then magically transformed into liquid. It was just a little more intimidating than that. The waves offshore were mountains of wind-whipped spray and breaking caps that just did not relent. The back sides were as insane as the fronts. It was in fact more like riding a roller coaster than anything else. The frosting on the cake was that wind on the inside decided to be indecisive- which fed yours truly like a milk bone to the aforementioned T-Rex Bulldogs. Still it beat work.

So there it is. I heard Rick and Dan headed to Webster, for them it was probable a walk in the park.

wk

[mikeyz]

WindKid, a pit bull mated with a T-Rex! I love that! I think that beats a bear holding a shark. Rick/Dan did you see a bear holding a shark up at Webster? Or a pit bull mated with a T-Rex?

- mike

[waterauthorityrick]

Guys,

It was Pete Woodams and myself at Webster, Dan had a dinner engagement. Without Pete I may not have gone out, we both rigged 3.7's PRAYED and had to at least try it, even if we came back to shore with our (poodle) tails between our legs.

I talked with Lynn on the phone before I left the office this afternoon and it was great to hear his voice knowing he was still alive, he never mentioned Bill-ly-the windkid.

Kid, you have witnessed what ONLY a very few know about in Rochester and that is the indescribable sensation of being on a Great Lake on a 22 inch wide piece of EPS foam in Gale force winds and living to tell about it. I had sprouts on my salad again tonight to help celebrate, didn't know you were out there, Bill great job.

For us at Webster it was no walk in the Park. We got there around 4:30 and made about half a dozen runs before coming back to shore to rethink the decision. Webster was mostly west / northwest so the pier was not an issue unless the T-Rex was showing his white teeth and forced us off the wind to sail around the waves. Once back on shore we warmed our hands adjusted boom height and harness lines (don't get to use this size often) Pete even considered calling it a day but said he would stay and call 911 If I crashed and burned. He quickly changed his mind and was right behind me for the next session.

Since my mast is 400Cm's (13.12 feet) most waves were that height and the distance between the smoother large ones looked like sailing down the new three lane 490 gateway project before it was open to traffic. If we didn't plan our jibes by the wave forming behind, that forming wave (T-Rex) would eat you alive upon completion of the turn. Then it was chew, chew, chew and spit me out further down wind. Some call it the "washing machine" or getting "Maytaged" no use fighting it just hold your kit and weather the storm. Did Bill mention walk in the park?

It was the kind of day that Pete nor I even attempted a jump, oh yeah we both where in the air from time to time but that is because of ..... that's right you guessed it T-Rex. We finished up a little before dark as the wind picked up even more, I chose to end the day after a Maytag Spin Cycle on the inside near the pier so I turned for the shore.

We sat in the car afterward getting warm and having a beer watching T-Rex with the car headlights. No walk in the Park but we Came, we Sailed and we got kicked out of the Park. That's right we were the only cars there and the park guy said it was too windy and the park was concerned about falling trees so they asked us to leave so the gate could be closed.

H20 Rick

[windkid]

H20,

I can't believe I missed a chance for a beer! So it was Pete not Dan, sorry Pete. I must admit I'm glad to have someone to confirm the conditions on the lake. I am aware that I have a reputation of being a teller of tall tales and a nut case.
Thanks Rick.
One last note. Yea I got thrown, spanked, banged, tossed etc. but there was an undeniable beauty expressed by all that force and chaos that was equally humbling and awe-inspiring. Not many sports can claim to to be so exhilerating even when things go wrong.

wd

[waterauthorityrick]

Just for the record I stopped at Webster Park last night and there was more than enough West winds for sailing (not enough snow) It was 4.8m conditions so I went out till dark, my only witness since no other windsurfers were there was the woman who lives in the house next door, she gave me a zip while walking her (seriously) poodle. She also mentioned that us windsurfers provide plenty of dinner time entertainment.

Sure you can look at the meter results from the iwindsurf website and wonder how could it have been 4.8m conditions that late in the day. Well it was, and please don't refer to the website any more as I-windsurf because no one did but me. My thought is acceptable for me to use that name because I do windsurf. It would be best for you to refer to it as Rick -windsurfs.

H20 Rick

PS I can't make it to Hamburg tomorrow (looks like another website name change is in line) They-Windsurf?

[Pat]

I chickened out on Tuesday.
However, I had a "swell session" here in Sodus yesterday.
The wind must have been blowing into the 30s.