Yesterday I had a beautiful morning session at Port A on 4.7. Nice wind but no real waves to speak of.
Back at our place, enjoying a cup of char and watching Disney Channel, I checked the wind and it was still blowing 20. "Wanna head to Bird?"..."Yep". So we headed over there at 3ish and it was super good. Sailed my 5.6 Riot and 98L freestyle board, worked on spocks and finally got video of me making some. Yay!
It took me foreverrrrrr to start getting spocks. It was literally two years between my starting to make vulcans and spocks. I had good slide but was completely incapable of getting the board to spin the second half of the move. This was one of my better attempts:
And then I discovered the secret. Two words - "F2 Rodeo". Oh my goodness does it know how to spin! So that's my tip if you are getting vulcans but wrestling with spocks. Buy a Rodeo. You deserve it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wave Board Test
My last trip to Punta San Carlos in Oct 2011 I sailed a bunch of boards. I rode most of the quatro board range (Quad KT 83, Quad LS 85, 84 Twin and Quad LS 75) plus a goya quad 84. It was an interesting experience and helped me to better understand what I am looking for in good down the line wave sailing conditions.
I took the LS 75 out on a waist high 4.2 day. I actually own one of these but have hardly sailed it. There is no doubt it rips with a super nice drivy bottom turn and cut back. However, its smaller size requires more energy when slogging (I am about 80kg) and I seem to get a lot more waves with a bigger board.
Quatro LS 75 (Clark Merritt photos):
The 84 Twin was a bit of a disappointment considering it's reviews. I expected it to be fast and loose (fast rocker and twin fins..) but it actually felt kind of sticky when accelerating on the wave and the other boards turned so much nicer. Saying that, it planed up nicely when heading out and it was the only board I managed to vulcan.
Waiting to go on the 84 Twin:
The Goya felt a size bigger than the other boards. It did everything very well but it didn't 'feel' exciting enough. Not to sound arrogant but I had the impression the board would be perfect for an intermediate wave sailor.
The LS 85 was nice. I spent most of the week riding it. Definitely my favourite until I stepped on the KT 83:
Wowzers!! Me likey! It has bottom turn drive and top turns like the LS75 but the extra size helps keep your speed for more radical turns. It also seemed to go from zero to full speed instantly. I want one.
I took the LS 75 out on a waist high 4.2 day. I actually own one of these but have hardly sailed it. There is no doubt it rips with a super nice drivy bottom turn and cut back. However, its smaller size requires more energy when slogging (I am about 80kg) and I seem to get a lot more waves with a bigger board.
Quatro LS 75 (Clark Merritt photos):
Waiting to go on the 84 Twin:
The Goya felt a size bigger than the other boards. It did everything very well but it didn't 'feel' exciting enough. Not to sound arrogant but I had the impression the board would be perfect for an intermediate wave sailor.
The LS 85 was nice. I spent most of the week riding it. Definitely my favourite until I stepped on the KT 83:
Wowzers!! Me likey! It has bottom turn drive and top turns like the LS75 but the extra size helps keep your speed for more radical turns. It also seemed to go from zero to full speed instantly. I want one.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Early Planing Technique
A wind advisory had us heading up to Lake Belton for the second time in two weeks. After some rigging shenanigans I had missed the best of it. The key to having fun was making the most of the gusts with early planing technique. I still remember those wise words from a french windsurfer who could plane in the lightest of gusts.
"Mike, early planing eez like making love to a beeutifull woman."
"You start by gently caressing zee boom. Feel zee wind filling zee sail. Push through your toes, gently thrusting your ips. Stroke zee sail in and out, pumping it arder and arder and arder until the boards speed starts to build and build and build. When you feel zee sail pulling arder and arder and arder, gently insert your feeet in zee straps. Now you are planing and reddy to ride er."
"Mike, early planing eez like making love to a beeutifull woman."
"You start by gently caressing zee boom. Feel zee wind filling zee sail. Push through your toes, gently thrusting your ips. Stroke zee sail in and out, pumping it arder and arder and arder until the boards speed starts to build and build and build. When you feel zee sail pulling arder and arder and arder, gently insert your feeet in zee straps. Now you are planing and reddy to ride er."
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