Spring has been buzzing:
230 windsurfers on the start line of the OBX-Wind long-distance race in Hatteras
The OBX freestyle contest
The OBX slalom racing
A week long clinic
US Nationals in Virginia
The first Gorge Cup of the summer
Getting settled in Hood River
The IWT Pistol River Wave Bash
I had not been sailing much leading up to OBX-Wind because I hurt my ribs in Aruba. My diet was heavy on ibuprofen and my workouts weren’t much more than a walk around the block! Luckily, by the time the event came around, I felt OK. We did the first long-distance race in lighter winds, and I opted for my 8.6m Sailwork NX and Starboard ISonic 117 running a 42cm fin. The course was around 12km long on four reaches. My set-up paid off as I managed to score a 2nd place. I was quite happy with my finish because my forte in racing is often jibing and strategy—both unimportant in long distance racing.
For the 2nd and 3rd races, it must have been blowing gusts close to 30 knots. I held onto my 6.2 and ISonic 97 and managed to take 6th and and 11th, respectively. This left me in 3rd place overall for the long distance racing!
In freestyle, I took second place behind Youp Schmidt from Bonaire. In slalom, I finished behind Tyson Poor.
The clinic I held was very successful too. We had sessions nearly every windy opportunity around the competition.
Straight from Hatteras I went up to Virginia for the 2018 US Windsurfing Nationals. Racing was held at the Kashy Fins property, a beautiful venue! I opened the first race day in 3rd place. Leading was Mateus Isaac from Brazil, Tyson Poor from the USA, and just behind me in 4th was Danish Jesper Vesterstrom. Generally, I can’t beat Jesper, so I was in a good position going into the 2nd day of racing.
In order to defend my 3rd place on the 2nd day, I had to keep Jesper behind me, and it looked like I was doing everything I could by crashing with Jesper at the first mark of the first race. I probably looked guilty as ever, but I swear I wasn’t trying to take anybody out! I could see frustration and anger in Jesper’s face, but after apologizing to him before the 2nd race he was his cool self and said “you owe me a beer!” accompanied with his “blue steel” look.
I was racing poorly and not having much fun on the race course that day. I’m not sure which was the cause and which was the effect. I finished the event in 4th place.
Since the event, I flew to Hood River where I’m working at Sailworks and enjoying Gorge winds and mountain biking. All sorts of cougar species have been spotted on the trails recently – even the ones that eat goats!
We had the first Gorge Cup race of the year which I managed to win three races on my 7.0, and then with gusts close to 40 knots I opted for comfort and took my freestyle board and 4.5. I surprised myself and won the next three races on that set-up too. It was a busy day as the race committee and Sheriff had to rescue three people (two of them racers) in between races!
This weekend, I was down in Pistol River for the IWT Pistol River Wave Bash. We had no wind on the first day, and some fun schlog and ride conditions with South wind on the 2nd day. Morgan Noireaux and Nathan Mershon put on a great show in the first 18-minute heat. In the 2nd heat, I was stoked to lead my heat with four wave rides. Antoine Martin went out for the 3rd heat of the day and threw down a sick goiter before his heat was cancelled. Although I completed my heat, upon returning to the beach I was notified that it was cancelled before it finished. I was disappointed to hear as in my opinion the conditions were the same as the previous heat that did count.
Luckily on Sunday the wind came back and we continued with the schlog and ride south wind conditions. Believe it or not I was riding my trusty freestyle board which won slalom races just a week ago. The conditions were fun, and as the heats progressed I felt I was riding better and better. In the semi-final I was in a 3 man heat with Boujmaa Guilloul (Morocco) and Antoine Martin (Guadeloupe), of which the top 2 advanced to the final. That was as far as I got losing to Antoine in a 2-1 decision.
I’m back in Hood River and already scored some sessions! Love this place! This weekend is another Gorge Cup race and the Arlington Throwdown, both on the same day, so I’ll have to see how I juggle those…and I just bought my ticket for the PWA in Fuerteventura at the end of July!
