Sunday, November 17, 2019

Finding the way- a pilgrimage to Jeri


Like any seasoned sailor worth his own salt, I'd been to the most of the wind meccas of the world. Maui, Garda, Hood River, Baja, Tarifa and beyond. 
I'd raced in world championships, Olympic trials, stood on podiums and agonized in defeat.
But nothing quite could prepare me for the paradigm shift ahead. 
The road to Jericoacoara is not an easy one. It's about as far removed from the modern world as possible. San Francisco to Miami, then to Fortaleza and finally a 5 hour drive north along the barren coast.  It sits south of the equator on a remote stretch of the NE coastline of Brazil facing out to the Atlantic.  But once you're here, the magic happens.

Countless pilgrims come here every year, pirouetting themselves down the coastline riding liquid roller coasters, propelled by the gale force breeze and abundant sunshine. I was no different. Walking down the sandy streets of Jericoacoara after the first days' down-winder, I recognized myself in every perma-grined, sun-drenched, board short wearing wind warrior- tired and salty after a full day on the water. 


 We were all here to find a connection with the wind, waves and water.  

The big draw in Jeri is the down-winders. 
The coast extends as far as the eye can see and so do the waves.  


I'd come from a racing background where the goal was to get around the course the fastest, making the fewest mistakes.
You'd follow a set of rules within a limited playing field. The objective "was to become a 'master-player'- who is perfectly skilled at the game and who can play it as if they already know the outcome," according to James Carse of Finite & Infinite Games.

Now, the game, if you can call it that, was just to enjoy the ride & find the flow in the present moment.
There was no winning or losing.
This was the 'anti-race' where the most turns, cutbacks & gybes comes out with the biggest smile.

This was a fundamental shift in thinking.

Day 1- Finding the Flow.
After getting a few hours on the foil & 6m kite, I was ready for my first down-winder to Jericoacoara. We set off from Prea ducking in and out of anchored fishing boats in the shore break with the wind at our backs and the sun blazing overhead.  The crowds thinned and pretty soon it was just the four of us making our way down the coastline.  Fisherman's huts dot the sandy landscape every few miles- reminiscent of a simpler way of life.

I was still in the mentality that it was a race and I had to consciously slow down to take advantage of everything that was offered.
Rounding the point at Jericoacoara, the breaking waves turn to ocean swell pumping like some liquid uproar. The swell slowly sneaks up behind you until finally you're on the crest and soon enough, barreling down the face like an out of control freight train. 

I feel like I'm one with the ocean, tapping into the waves' energy.


A quick down loop and a carve of the board for port to starboard, sends you flying in the other direction jettisoning you deeper and faster down the line until you cut back and ride it all over again on the opposite tack. 

Again and again and again.    

The sun was getting low on the horizon, melting into the sea. Gradients turned from yellow to red to pink and finally purple.  Each passing moment and wave was like an eternity, totally absorbed in the here and now of the present moment.



We land just past sunset dunes where flocks of people line up to take in the twilight. I hardly notice their silhouettes atop the rolling hills of sand.  15 minutes later with the kites and boards packed up, we all had caipirinhas in our hands walking down what looked like shakedown street from some 1980 Grateful Dead show. 

Life is good.


Day 2- The Ocean is Love.
I awake at daybreak with the sounds of tropical birds and swaying coconut trees.
I greet the day with sun salutations and a few moments of meditation suspended on a swing, staring out at the sea.
My mantra of 'the ocean is love' melts me into a morning bliss.

Breakfast is a spread of fresh fruit- mangos, papayas, water mellows, passion fruits & kiwis.  
My hungry body takes it all in.

The late morning foiling session quickly turns into a frothy tizzy of white caps and blowing sand. I’m quickly over powered on my 6m ozone alpha single strut kite and moses foil.

Time for the next down-winder. 

If I did 1000 turns on yesterday's down-winder, I must have done 2000 today. I found the flow right away and got more in tune the shore break. Each wave was an opportunity to cut back, carving the board and throwing spray over my shoulder.  I took a wider surfboard & 8m kite which let me really send it. It was all coming together. I was learning to put a few maneuvers together to make some decent turns up and down an incoming set of waves. I see my 3 companions frolicking in the waves, spread out like some marching ants feasting on a surprise pick nick in the middle of the woods.

At the end of the line, waits our 4x4 buggy with a cooler of beer and fresh fruit. The mangos hit my parched salty, sun drenched lips like butter in a hot frying pan.


I could get used to this lifestyle.

Day 3 Rinse and Repeat

Day 3 is a repeat of the previous 2 days. Late morning foiling followed by a down-winder as the sun liquefies into the horizon. 
I'm humbled by the beauty of this place. 
It oozes with colors and smells.
I'm totally absorbed in the moment of it all. 
Waves seem to stand still, building up in slow motion and come crashing down in a flurry of white water spray. 
My confidence builds as I spend more time in the shore break riding endless sets.
Heel side. Toe side. Rinse and Repeat


Day 4- The Tatajuba Express

The wind is slow to build but get a quick session on the foil board with bigger front wing. It adds some lower end grunt like walking on water instead of flying over it. The real breakthrough today comes in the down-winder. We add a coach to our program and all of a sudden, I'm being fed instructions into my ear about proper board technique and kite trim.

I can't believe I haven't done this sooner.
Receiving good coaching is a game changer.
It's quickly becoming apparent kiting is all about one fluid motion and being in harmony with your board and kite. 
It's not three separate items but one fluid dance.


The 25 mile downwind run to Tatajuba seems to last forever as I'm riding like a completely different kiter with the help of Andreas of Uncharted Kite Sessions. I begin to carve the board from rail to rail with my knees bend and leading with the shoulders and following through with my hips. All of a sudden, my turns and transitions are fluid. I'm holding the bar with just my finger tips and trimming the kite with center line pressure & coming out of turns with pressure. The death grip I once had on my bar from years of windsurfing seems to soften with every turn.  I become one with kite and board as I dance gracefully between incoming sets.


We head back upwind in the 4x4 with the boards strapped to the roof and the kites packed away until we reach the river mouth of the Guriu river. It's inaccessible but crossable with the help of the most primitive barge I've ever seen. 2 wood planks are laid out and we drive up onto the barge for the crossing. 2 minutes later, we're on the other side and blazing up the hard packed sand just as twilight permeates the sky. 

 

 Day 5 Best Day ever on repeat

My mantra changes to 'best day ever' and it's on repeat.
Yesterday's down-winder to Tatajuba is replaying in my mind. I can recall every turn and cutback even though it all dissolves together into one dreamy hallucination. 

We line up to do it all over again.
Tatajuba bound from Prea on downwind express

If I did 2000 cutbacks yesterday, I do double that today. 
I began to enter the flow state. It's a feeling of full immersion and complete absorption of the process. Time and space seem to standstill.  I'm feeling at one with everything rather than a set of components.   Every wave is an opportunity. Every gusts is a blessing.
Crossing the Guriu river mouth on the downwind run is like some amusement park. Waves start breaking 1/2 mile from shore and I dance gracefully between every incoming set. I'm hardly doing anything at all but floating around like a butterfly. 
It's pure bliss.

I can tell I’m getting tired after almost 3-1/2 hours on the water when I start to revert back into my old habits. I'm quickly spat out and dumped on my head in the shore break. Life has a way of keeping you humble.


We stop for a late afternoon lunch in Tatajuba. It's nothing more than a simple fishing village with a few huts at the river mouth set above the high tide mark. Wind junkies sit on the shoreline waiting for their next session. We nod to each other as if nothing more needs to be said. 30 minutes later, we are feasting like kings on the local seafood, rice, beans & vegetables. The Bohemia pilsner goes down like water. 

I melt into my bed that night; still salty & crusty but completely satisfied. 

Day 6- The breakthrough.
I finally set my focus on tacking the kite board. It's something I've wanted to do for years but set up a mental block in my head. It's as if I've been standing on the edge of a diving board and not jumping it. I was paralyzed with fear. Something in my ego was not letting me overcome this.
With the help of Andreas, we broke down the tack into several understandable and easy steps. I watched him tack with ease.
Ok I said me self, just do it. I ran through the steps in my head. I was overthinking it. I stumbled. I fell. I picked myself back up.
I tried again and again until finally it began to click. I made it.


I was overwhelmed with joy, accomplishment & pride.
I was ecstatic, beaming and radiating with such a personal happiness.

Everything shifted when I changed my mindset from what could go wrong, to what will go right.

The kite floated overhead and to the other side in one fluid motion.
The board rotated under my feet.
I came out on the other tack with line tension.

OMFG, I got this, I thought to myself.

We set off on our afternoon down-winder and I was ecstatic. 
Still beaming, I began tacking on the down winder just to prove to myself I could do it.
It felt great knowing that you can set your mind to something and achieve it.

Don't let fear guide you. 


Day 7 Dreamy Bliss
By 10 am the wind was already a solid 20-25. I opted for the 4m ozone alpha kite on the foil board. It took me a few moments to get comfortable but oh, my, this was fun. The small kite pivots so easy in the big breeze and just whips you around. Some of the lessons on the surfboard translate easily to the foil board. Bent knees, foot switches. If you can do on one. You can do it on the other.


The down wind session on the surfboard & 8m kite to Guriu was dreamy- in and out of the shore break, gybing every 5 seconds to stay in tune with the waves. I switched my stance to put my back foot over the kick pad and really was able to snap the board around.  The flow really started to happen when I stopped thinking about everything and become the action itself.  I could have kept going forever except the sun was melting into the ocean.


Day 8- All tacks. All Day.
I put my focus on the tack and having had a lesson the previous day. I told myself I wouldn't stop till I got to 50 tacks. It took me 93 attempts but I made it. I'm simply amazed at the power of the mind when you put your attention to something. 


It's pretty simply actually- sheet out, bring the kite overhead, hold the bar with the back hand while opening up the body with the front hand, bend knees, rotate the kite to the new side, turn your back to the wind while turning the board through the wind and voila, you're on the new tack.

I had a huge sense of accomplishment after having hidden from this for so long. It's like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to unravel the duck tack. It's a bit different than the regular tack in that you keep your body facing into the wind vs turning your back to it. It took me several dozen attempts just trying to get the kite through the window and over to the other side without being totally disorientated. I'm a hot mess but on the path. With enough practice, I become the path. I keep trying. This one's not going to be as easy but I know it's achievable.

Day 9 Harmony
I get some practice tacking before the big down winder to Tatajuba. My confidence starts high after making a few tacks. 
Off we go, loosing ourselves in the down wind flow. I'm feeling more alive then ever. The 8m kite turns on a dime like an extension of my body and I seem to nail every transition. The board carves from rail to rail. My focus is intense with my mind and body completely absorbed in the process. Everything is in harmony.  The shoreline goes by like some blurry mess with all my attention on the waves in front of me and puffs above. 


Day 10-11 Lift off to the Mothership.
The days blend into each other. I’m pretty sure I achieved lift off to the mothership. Bliss, Kharma, Divinity I'm not sure what you call it but I got there. Everything I need is right here, right now. I sleep like a baby and do it all over again the next day. 

'Best Day Ever' is becoming a repeating mantra. 

Day 12- Ciao Baby. Obrigado.

It's the final day here but we manage to squeeze one final session in. We take off early and foil & upwind several miles where the wind builds quickly to 20-25 knots. The swell in unrelenting. I’m getting over powered with the 6m kite but then turn down wind where it all comes together again. I'm floating on a cloud. Everything that I learned the previous 11 days seems to all make sense. 


Something tells me this was more than your average surf trip. I’m humbled at the opportunity to have learned so much in such a short time. My mindset has shifted to all the possibilities of what could go right vs what could go wrong. It’s a simple switch but makes all the difference in overcoming obstacles we set for ourselves.
































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Saturday, June 1, 2019

The path to foiling enlightenment...

photo credit- C Ray

Just when you think you've finally reinvented yourself & got the foiling thing- the whole world comes crashing down. The trick is to the surrender to the flow and just trust the process.

I'm a few years into this foiling endeavor, starting with kiting and now windsurfing and the more I do it, the more I'm hooked. It's almost as if you get a brand new start to enjoy your most favorite thing in the whole world. For me, the process of learning to foil has been unlearning all the other things, which doesn't come easy after decades of muscle memory but then again if you trust the process, the fun will come.

For most, kiting is the light wind option, but for me, it's all about exploring the what the foiling windsurfer can do in the light breeze. When the breeze is under 15k, I opt for the foiling windsurfer as that's the best tool for the job. You can shlog to the wind line and not worry about the repercussions of dropping your kite and self rescuing a foil kite & board. Once up, it doesn't take much to keep going. All the power is generated from the foil and with a few pumps of a 8-9m rig you can get going in 10k and stay foiling in 7k, In anything over 15k, You don't need anything over a 5-6m rig to keep the power going, I  never though a year ago when I first got a foiling windsurfer that a foiling gybe would be possible but now I'm oh so close.

This year I up'ed my game and got a high aspect foil specific rig, It's a game changer with a long luff and short boom. The Severne hyperglide 2 8.0m rig locks in the ride both upwind and downwind and is very powerful around the race course.

Im running a mikes lab foil with an 83cm fuselage and 90cm front wing. Its a bit smaller than the standard 100-120 cm F4 and starboard fuselages but once lit, its f' fast. Most of the time it's me and not the foil that's holding my speed back. However, the longer fuselage is quickly becoming apparent to balancing out the weight of the rig so far forward.  There's not one magic bullet that gets you 100% up to speed but a combination of a bunch of stuff. The foiling board, believe it or not still makes a big difference. The rocker line makes it easy to pop back up once you come down off a foil. The starboard 177 foil board seems to be setting the standard. Lighter booms help as well making the swing weight less when you need to gybe.

At the end of the day, however, it's time on the water that's crucial to making all your foiling gybes light wind take offs and heeling the board to windward.
After 1 Friday night foil windsurf race race and a few Thursday night kite races , I remain humble and realize there's still much to learn for this grasshopper.

Racing is not the end all, be all of sailing. Sometimes you've just got to kick back and enjoy the ride.
After years of competition, I'm realizing its not necessarily about how you finish but how much fun you have.


When its 10-15k, I start thinking about the foiling kiteboard, Its so much fun, generating so much lift from for the foil with the upward lift of the kite. Straight line kite foiling is still like nothing else in the world, as if you were riding a powder board on a bog pow day in the mountains. The upward vector of the kite pulling lend itself well to foiling, Transitions on the other hand are still the death of me. On one tack I can make a foiling gybe, coming from starboard onto port. Switching my feet on the other tack feels like my legs are jello, my knees are wobbly and I'm a hot mess.

I'm still no closer to tacking the foiling kite board than I was 4 years ago when I began this journey. The process of turning the front of body into the wind vs turning your back does not come easy. Years of muscle memory tell me otherwise despite trying to do doing a foiling kite tack in the shower, in the grocery store line and even in my sleep. I look back the beginning of my windsurfing  journey 30+ years ago and and think about how long it took me to learn how to do a proper planning gybe- probably years until I really got it.

I've switched to the lower aspect and more forgiving Ozone hyperlink kites. Even now, 2+ years in, the simpler foil kites are the way to go. I'm actually leaning towards more of a free ride set up for next year as you simply dont need to go that fast all the time, especially as the SF breeze comes up. I see the recreational kite foilers ripping it up with the small kites, small boards  and bigger front foil wings and wonder if there's more than one way to get to this foiling dharma state of bliss.

As for now, I just try to enjoy the moment no matter what I'm' doing. When its 25k+, that means grabbing a small tube kite and surf board and really getting into the puffs. Power kiting with a 7m kite in the big breeze can be so exhilarating. I've gotten several days this spring in 30-40k  breeze playing in the tide lines as force 8 gales blow through the golden gate.

Nothing lasts forever, so enjoy the ride.




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Thursday, February 14, 2019

Waist deep in the promised land

Imagine your favorite pillow.
White and fluffy and as soft as a baby lamb's coat. Rolling contours envelope the surface creating a personal palace for your head to sink into.

Now imagine the same landscape but instead of a pillow, it's a wide open winter wonderland of snow covered meadows, subtle valleys and endless terrain. You are just a spec on it's surface.

Instead of your head sinking in, you're able to effortless glide across the terrain, riding in and out of valleys, across ridges and floating over streams below.

This is snow kiting.
No waiting in lift lines.
No over priced lift tickets.

Just you, the kite and a pair of skis or snowboard.


Happiness can be found at the end of a kite



This years mid winter adventure took me to the Big Horn mountains of Wyoming- east of Yellowstone National Park for the 2019 Snowkite Masters. It was a gathering of like minded kiters from the Rocky Mountains & East and West coasts at North America's premiere snow kite lodge- Wyoming High Country lodge.

Snow kiting combines the best of snowboarding, sking and kiting. It allows you to ride practically anywhere- up and down the mountain, across powder filled meadows, rolling terrain, gullies and ridges. You can glide down the face of the mountain as the updraft provides continuous lift for the kite. You can ride for miles in any direction exploring endless powder.

However, it ain't as easy as it sounds.

Just getting there and setting up in the cold weather can be a feat

Huffing around to set up kites and snowgear with 5 layers of clothes on and an harness at 9500' elevation takes it toll. So does postholing through the powder to get set up.

I'm not gonna lie. It was cold. -20 wind chill.
2 base layers, wool sweater, 2 downs & a shell + 2 kite mares on my first afternoon out left me wondering what the hell I was doing.

Just like there's no easy way in, there's no easy was out.




The lodge has a snow cat that pulls a trailer out to the best spot for that day's riding. About 15 kiters pack their gear in and ride out the either Terminal A or Terminal B, depending on the wind. It might take an hour or so but once you're there, it acts as base camp for the day. You ride till sunset when they come back and pick you up, towing the trailer back to the High Country Lodge, where the toastiest of toasty meals is waiting for you. The lodge has set the bar high with a full breakfast and dinner served in the great room and warm soup and sandwiches on the mountain.







For 4 days, we repeated the scenario. Each day got progressively better till the last day I was ripping around on my 9m Ozone hyperlink just as comfortable as I was on the water. I can't say enough about snow kiting to improve your kiting skills. I got some great lessons on kite handling, especially with the 12m foil kite in lighter winds. I switched line lengths from 15m lines to 25m lines and oh my, it's like a whole new performance level on your kite. While the shorter lines work well bringing the kite forward while racing, it doesn't allow you to get the full pendulum swing as longer lines in the lighter breeze.

 I was able to downloop the kite right up the mountain and get to even better winds. Coming back down the slope on a snowboard and kite is simply bliss. You can park the kite above you while you carve untouched powder. Skies seem undoubtedly more suited for snowkiting than a snowboard but alas, this dog can only learn one new trick at a time.





The organizer set up activities everyday from a snowkite race to poker runs. It really encouraged you to push yourself and have some fun. The camaraderie was outstanding. I got to know many new kiters- even legends of the sport. Noah Portiz- aka Captain Party- out of Bozman Montana was one of the instrumental pioneers of snow kiting in the Rockies. He's got stories to tell about every spot they've kited in a 1000 mile radius as well as a shot of whisky to share.





Besides the races and poker runs there were Ozone kite demos to try. The single skin foil snow kites have a huge advantage of simplicity. While they are not as performance orientated as the foil race kites, they do get you up, down and launched and landed all very easily.





I really can't emphasize how fun and accessible snow kiting is whether you're a  novice or a pro. The hardest step was committing and just getting there, after that the fun was non stop.









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Thursday, December 27, 2018

2018- THE YEAR OF THE FOIL



By all means 2018 was another hugely successful year on the water with 150 sessions on the kite and windsurf boards spread out over 3 countries. This year, I was finally able to dial in the foiling windsurf board, adding another set of tricks for this old dog to learn after nearly 34 years with a board under my feet.
By far, kiting still takes up the majority of my time on the water with 111 out of 150 sessions. As I get older, kiting is just easier on my body vs windsurfing; foiling even more so.  Out of 111 kite sessions, 79 were on a foil.


Kiting and windsurfing still  remain incredibly equipment intensive despite trying to scale down the gear I use. In 2018, I used 6 boards, 3 sails, 5 kites and 4 foils. My most used board was the kite foil board taking up 79 total sessions or 52% of all my sessions. The Camet race board has proven more than reliable.



As for windsurf foiling, it’s strictly a light wind affair. When the wind is less reliable and under 14k, getting out and back to the wind line is hugely important. I’m not interested in swimming with the kite so shlogging is the downside I’ll take to get a good session in.

While I’d probably be better off devoting myself to one discipline, I’m still having too much fun being the jack of all trades vs the master of one. Foiling has reinvigorated my passion for both sports. It's like learning the game all over again but this time, knowing all the rules. If you can wrap your head around being a beginner again, the fun is there for you to enjoy.

While I do love me a good high wind slalom race, it really takes a lot out of me but the reward of getting a few bullets still keeps me coming back for more. This year we had 4 Friday night slalom races and I was dialed in for 3 to end up on the podium at the end of the season. It’s probably more a testament to my past time on the water but if you’re good at something, you might as well exploit it for everything it’s worth.

Kite racing is still a mixed bag as my transitions are still the weakest link in my program, but that hadn’t stopped me from having the most fun I possibly can. I never focused enough attention to master the foiling tack or gybe yet but I all good time, I remind myself.


As I look back at all my sessions in 2018, I can honestly say that no 2 days were the same. Every day is a different set of conditions from breeze to tide to equipment ridden.

I know my quiver pretty well by now but there’s always something more to learn. I love the fact that I’m still in love with both sports after all these years. I wouldn’t do it any different. With that said, here’s a look back at the 150 sessions from winter, to spring to fall and back to winter again. The season never seems to end anymore but just blends right into the next session.


January: 12 sessions- 11 kite sessions and 1 windsurf session

The 1st session of the year ended in disaster as my favorite 89cm Mike’s lab board for the last few seasons ended up delaminating under the golden gate bridge on a big ebb. I was able to limp in and at least salvage the rig. It’s the end of an era is over as 15 years of sailing a formula style board is over just like that. I could probably replace it but time to move on...



It's always easier to move on with warm waters and a good breeze as I was baja bound for 8 days of kiting in mid January. The goal was to work on my foiling transitions but alas too much fun exploring on the foil- riding bumps on the Sea of Cotez, siestas and parties at night.
February: 9 session- 8 kite sessions and 1 windsurf session

Back to reality and chasing the clearing breeze after winter storms. There was still decent swell pumping through the gate and the slalom windsurf board was the best tool in the quiver for the job. I got a few good days of riding winter swell from Kirby cove all the way out to pt. Diablo.
Great data from @iwindsurf with an early spring like north pacific high.
March: 8 sessions- 7 kite sessions and 1 windsurfing sessions

Clearing breeze arrives- if it's blowing at 11 am on Tuesday morning you better go. More often than none, the winter breeze arrives earlier than the summer afternoon thermal breeze. I find my groove in the early spring with a few days on the kite foil and a few days on the surfboard in strong clearing breeze.
April: 15 sessions- 14 kite sessions and 1 windsurf session.
The North Pacific High and sea breeze arrive with regular occurrence again- predictable and reliable and a session almost every other day. I did an old school regatta at the Foster City lagoon racing up and down the canals with fleet 18 on an original windsurfer. It was lots of fun reconnecting with the original spirit that captured me almost 34 years ago but the real fun was getting out on the kite foil in the lighter breeze. The 13m chrono 2 is a great light wind tool but increasingly burdensome while trying to do a self rescue on the water.
May: 21 sessions- 20 sessions on the kite and 1 session on the windsurfer.






The breeze really turns on. The official start of the St.FYC Thursday and Friday Night Series. We had some really windy days with 10 sessions in 25k+ breeze and 11 sessions on the surfboard. This is where I have the most fun. After years of dedicating myself to racing, I realized I never really had the chance for back and forth sailing- or mowig the lawn. Chasing the ebb on a big day can be as rewarding as winning a race. I've dialed in my equipment on the big days that a raging voodoo chop is now really fun to kite in with a small kite and surfboard.


June: 15 sessions- 12 on the kite and 3 on the windsurfer.




I've still got it in slalom as I win the 2nd Friday Night Series race in the big breeze. The key is to win the start and don't look back.




July- 6 sessions- 5 on the kite and 1 on the windsurfer.
July is always a travel month with the family as we head abroad but this time we made arrangements to head to one of the most popular wind destinations in Europe- Traifa at the edge of the continent. It's amazing to see how the rest of the world does it as several hundred other kiters flocked the the beach at Tarifa as the summer sea breeze flourished.  I got 2 days on the water in great foiling conditions and got to try out some new gear. I try out the alpine kite foil. Super easy and fun but like having a governor on your car. #notfastenough







Back in SF, I catch the summer delight as the full sea breeze delivers the goods.


August- 17 sessions- 14 kite sessions and 3 windsurfing sessions.

The new 12m Ozone hyperlink arrived after great success on the smaller 9m hyperlink. It's not to much of a performance race foil kite but an easier to use foil kite. The bridle system is less complex and has all the advantages of a full on race kite with out the hassles. I like to compare the foil kites to a sharp knife vs that of a butter knife when sailing a tube kite. If you can keep it out of the water, it's one of the best kites Ive sailed.


On the foiling windsurfer, it all comes together as I finally dial in the settings and things become easier.




I get the whole family out sailing for the first time. It wont be the last.



Summer breeze continues through the golden gate as I find my sweet spot on the surfboard and small kite.



I line up for the annual bridge to bridge race on the foiling windsurfer but Im still not even in the game. Half way down the bay, I see the fleet in front all go down as the breeze diminished near the finish line. I bail early and make it back to the beach on my own. Sometimes I'm amazed at myself and the wisdom that comes with age.




It's never a dull day on the water as I continue to eat humble pie on the kite foil in the breeze.




September: 18 sessions- 6 on the kite and 12 on the windsurfer.

It's all about the foil as 16 of 18 session were on on a foil.




It's the first month in almost 4 years I put more time on the windsurfer than the kite.




I finally dial in the foiling windsurfer after trying endlessly different settings.

I humbly get around the race course on the windsurf foil but think Im still going about it the wrong way as the rest of the fleet has much longer fuselage and steadier rides. I’m running my windsurf foil setup with the same foil as I’m using on the kite but shiming the front wing to get more lift. Im slowly learning it’s possible but not the most efficient.

Last race of the season and disaster strikes again- I round Anita rock on the Friday night race and hit a seal. The foil is almost lost but luckily is embedded in the the bottom of the board. I limp in again and save face.











October: 18 sessions- 12 on the kite and 5 on the windsurfer.



16 of 18 session on the foil but now this month the kite gets all the attention. We get a few days of diablo breeze from the NE and I get the out on the 12m hyperlink finding good range from 12-16k. Above that, the 9m hyperlink works great up to around 20-22K. I dial in a new ml foil with better range that works well on both the kite and windsurf boards. The tilo windsurf foil board is finally starting to find its place in the quiver and I get comfortable going in 8-16k on both the 7.6 & 9.2 rigs.






Disaster strikes again on the foil. This time it's my own damn fault as I forget the most basic thing ever- fin bolts. Somehow my foil falls out just off Crissy Field. I search endlessly for 2 weeks, scouring the underwater contours off the beach to find the lost foil.  It's a lost cause as the current seems to have carried it away. I search in a grid pattern, use a fish finder, even get an underwater drone but alas- no luck. Im devastated but realize that it can be replaced, just not so easy. 







November: 9 sessions-8 on the windsurf foil, 1 on the windsurfer.






I’m officially a non kite foiler again and spend all my time except for 1 breezy afternoon on the windsurf foil. I manage to borrow a dedicated F4 windsurf foil and it’s a godsend as I find a new grove with the 100cm fuselage and 90cm front wings. I’m slowly beginning to appreciate the bigger setup but just when I thought I was done with all this big equipment, I find myself back on a 100cm wide board. The 9.2 rig is great at getting going in next to nothing and shloggimg to and from the wind line. The 7.6 rig is much easier to make the transitions with and my gybing radius is slowly getting bigger and I’m staying foiling through most of the turn. The bigger wings have 2 advantages- slower foiling speed and earlier liftoffs.




December: 2 sessions- both on the windsurf foil
Full on Diablo winds and if it’s windy on a Tuesday morning, you better go as it may not be windy again for a week. I can’t believe how little wind you need to stay foiling as I able to get my range down to 8k with the help of a big flood tide.






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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Just enjoy the ride

Friday, August 31- It may be the end of summer but the San Francisco Bay is lit up like a Christmas tree with white caps & voodoo chop. The NW breeze has returned with gusts of over 25 knots & I'm as giddy as a small kid on Christmas morning.

14 other slalom racers jockey for position at the favored pin end of the start line.
With 10 seconds to go, the fleet sends it, pushing speeds of 30 knots on the first beat set 1/4 mile north of the St. Francis Yacht Club for the final race in the 2018 Friday Night Slalom Series.
It's anyone's race as the top 2 are tied on points going into the series final.
Most racers have 2-3 rigs & 1-2 boards available at their disposal but I'm running tight this season with only 1 board and 1 rig used for the entire series. It works for 90% of the time. The other 10%, I hang on like hell and just enjoy the ride.
We round the first mark set deep in mounds of chop and a blistering breeze. I come in hot just behind the leaders and wait for a moment to pounce. Dr. Nick Mast is in full control just behind the series leaders, Soheil Zahedi & Jean Rathle. I wait for any opportunity but the leaders don't let up one bit.
2 more gybes, 3 more reaches and all I can do is hang onto 3rd for the 1st race
My approach is to sail as conservative as possible in the front of the fleet and not make any mistakes.
Race 2 starts and it's full mayhem on the 1st leg. I nail the start, getting a good jump on the fleet at the pin end but the steep chop and deep heading to the 1st mark make it almost impossible to control the 70 cm slalom board. My back foot goes into the leeward strap just to maintain some sense of control. We round in a tight pinwheel formation carving through the gybe and getting shot out to the next leg. Those that don't commit fully, go down hard and are left swimming at the mark. When you're out in front all you have to worry about is not screwing up too much. There's no head games except for your own.
I make it through the remaining 2 gybes, hang on like hell and get the bullet for the 2nd race of the night.
Race 3 goes by like some type of white flash. Wind, water, spray- it's everywhere. I find myself in 4th behind the series leaders going into the last leg. Local hot shot & chef extraordinaire, Andre Larzule demonstrates that you don't need race gear to get around the course fast, just fast gybe and the dude can gybe. I never get an opportunity to pass except to send it in the last 100m of the course. I put the petal to the metal and pass to windward with just seconds to spare and squeeze into 3rd again.



Race 4 is where it's anyone's game. The leaders both take themselves out in spectacular wipe outs. Soheil does a super man going into the 1st mark and is left swimming as the fleet scurries by him. Local wizard, David Bernsten has full control on his xs slalom board and small slalom rig. These are his conditions for the past 25 years and he's killing it tonight. 1 more gybe to go with David in the lead and Jean just a few board lengths ahead of me. We both go into the gybe like a pair of synchronized swimmers. I opt for the inside lane as Jean stumbles through his gybe and goes down. He's left a small room of opportunity for me to take. The lane is only a few feet wide. With my butt checks fully clenched, I send it. All I see are the whites of his eyes as I fly past his head bobbing in the water. I make it through by the skin of my teeth or maybe Jean's. I somehow keep it together the last leg to secure 2nd while Dave gets the bullet. Jean is slow to get going to amongst  the chaos of the rounding and takes his throw out for the evening in 7th.


Race 5. A quick tally of the scores in my head puts Jean and I tied going into the race and Soheil just 2 points ahead. Again, it's anyone's game to win or lose. Both Jean and Soheil have eaten their throw out so there's no room for any mistakes.  There's some fierce head battles between the 2 as whomever wins this last race, takes the series. The duo never let each other out their sights in the pre-race battle. Soheil is on his xs mike's lab 90l slalom board and 7.1 rig while Jean opts for his 100l bump and jump board and 6.3m rig. What ever gets you around the course faster.

I'm just about beat down. Holding onto the 7.6m rig and big board has me feeling the pain. My arms are stretched to their limit. My hands- barley able to hold on. Maybe I should have opted for my time on the water this season in liue of kiting but I try not to think about it and just enjoy the ride for the last race of the season.
I get absolutely buried at the start, failing to pull the trigger early enough as the top 3 boards fly off to an early lead. Soheil is in absolute control on his small rig and flies to an early lead. However, you can never count Dave out. He flies past Jean on the last leg and gets 2nd for the night while Jean and I fill in from behind.  That leaves us tied for the evening and the tiebreaker for windsurfers goes to whomever has the better throw-out. I have a 4th while Jean is sitting on a 7th. As I'm reminded for the umpteenth time, you're only as good as your worst race, even if it's a throw out.
A big congrats to Soheil for taking his first season series. He's been the man all season, always with the right gear and sailing solidly every race when it counts.
Ive been racing in the St.FYC Friday night series for almost 20 years now and it's never been as much fun as it is now. I don't take things as seriously as I used to but realize the reward comes in the process, not the results. No matter how you finish, just enjoy the ride.
Many thanks to the St.FYC, PRO Ian Mcclelland, Race office and many volunteers to make this possible.

2018 StFYC Friday Night Slalom Series Results
Photos: Tia Westeberg, Maxim Pantchenko





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Monday, June 4, 2018

Friday Night Slalom Series- It's all in the start

Friday night- June 1st.  Wind's up
We blaze into the 2nd night of our summer slalom series with 14 boards on the line.
I'm well lit on the ml slalom 70cm board, 7.6 avanti machine and 42cm Z fin as the building ebb & sea breeze pump through the golden gate and down the city front.

photos by Chris Ray
It's a civilized series series, where you can stand at the waters' edge till 1 minute before the start and still make the pin end of the start line. 2-1/2 minutes later, its all over and we line up to do it again.
I take a few practice runs before the start and realize its going to be a pretty heady 1st reach with the 3-4' voodoo chop, breaking swell and 18-22 knots of breeze.
I nail the 1st start at the pin, breaking out from the pack and immediately enjoy clear air down the first leg. The first gybe is hairy with the pack just behind me. I keep it together and lead the fleet to the A buoy. 'Wide and tight' is the rule for mark roundings as I approach mark 2 and close the door on the guys trying to sneak into whats left of "NO ROOM!"
The usual suspects go down as Jean and Soheil are left swimming.
I make it around 2 more blazing reaches and get the first bullet of the night.

Race 2- Wind's up even more with puffs closing in at 25k,  There's some confusion at the start with a late horn but I send it with my back foot in the leeward strap for control down the first reach. David Bernsten puts in into overdrive making the most of his narrower board and flying right over the top of me. He keeps up the pressure the whole race, not letting up and bit and grabs his first bullet of the night while I stay in 2nd. Later, on the beach, we all agree to abandon the race as the RC timing was off.

Race 3- Soheil and Jean are on a mission- getting a clean start and leading the pack. Im in a close 3rd, looking for any opportunity to take advantage of their mistakes but their smaller boards give them a real advantage on speed. My gybes are clean but not enough to make up for the difference. Jean puts the pressure on the last leg and reduces the distance till he and Soheil are overlapped at the finish with Soheil just edging him out. I settle for 3rd

video by Chris Ray

3 races- 3 different winners. This is going to be tight!

I line up for race 4, nailing the pin start again with speed and am immediate out in front. It's amazing what a difference a good start will get you. You've got clear air and able to make your own decisions. I play it pretty conservative and make all my gybes. In a 2 min. race, you really want to avoid any mistakes or else your shot out the back door. I sail to my 2nd bullet of the night.

video by Chris Ray
Race 5- Wind is letting up a bit to 16-20k as I jockey for position in the pre-start. I'm with a group at the pin end. At 10 seconds, I send it, almost sure Id be over early but come across the line clean and out in front. I nearly lose it at the A buoy with Marty Rosse sailing the best race of his life and playing bumper boats at the rounding. I come out unscathed but the fleet is right on my tail.
Soheil keeps up the pressure till the finish but I'm able to hold him off for another bullet.


We make up race 2 and sail the final race of the series in what looks like a dying breeze. I nail the start again getting a good jump on the fleet and nearly make it around the course planing until the final 20 feet to the finish. Soheil, on his larger board, comes in strong and stops in the same spot as me as we drift across the line overlapped. I edge him out for the 3rd time and take the evening with 4 out of 6 bullets. The rest of the fleet isn't so lucky and barely makes it around the course in the dying inside breeze.
video by Chris Ray

All in all, another great night of racing on the city front. The big lessons from this evening are the importance of a clean start. Without that, its all catch up and sailing in dirty air.
Huge thanks to the volunteers and rcers for coming out strong and supporting the series.

Results here

Chris Ray photos here


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Sunday, May 20, 2018

Friday Night racing- blowing the dogs off their chains

To say it was windy would be an understatement: It blew the dogs off their chains on the evening of Friday, May 18, for the first St. Francis Yacht Club Friday Slalom Race Series. Twelve windsurfers braved the conditions, rigging up anywhere between a 5.8 and 8.6 sail for the building ebb and 20-35 knots of breeze.  


An annual series started by StFYC’s Bill Weir and Staff Commodore Jim Kiriakis, it’s been drawing Bay Area windsurfers to the challenges of brisk summer onshores since the 1990s. This year, organizers are trying out a new course with just one mark set halfway between Crissy Field and the StFYC. The fleet starts on port tack just off the beach and immediately heads out to a mark set by the shipping channel. A quick gybe takes them back to the A buoy off StFYC, then back to Mark 1 and finally a screaming reach to the finish by B buoy and the Club. The whole thing takes less than 3 minutes if you can keep your board pointed in the right direction and stay out of trouble.



Race 1 caught a few of the fleet off guard with only 4 finishers. 
I remind myself of the most basic rules- make it to the start and finish line. The rest is arbitrary. 

Race 2. The breeze was filled in solidly to the beach and Soheil Zahedi, Jean Rathle and Nick Mast  quickly charged to a 1-2-3- finish making it look easy. 

Race 3 was an all-out fight to the finish. I was stupidly overpowered and in the leeward back strap to ease the fin pressure on the reach. I made a few conservative gybes and racers fell down around me like dominoes. The last mark saw a pinwheel of four racers stacked up and I came out in the lead going into the finish. I couldn’t turn my head to see where the fleet was, but I knew they were charging below me. One nasty piece of chop sent the nose of my board flying and I eased up: In that split second, I went from first to third with Mast and Zahedi passing me to leeward and grabbing the first two finishes. Lesson learned: Never give up, even an inch


Race 4 I was finally back in the game. Rounding the first mark in the pack, I pushed a bit too hard on the second mark rounding and went for a swim. Water-starting a 7.6 in breaking waves and 30 knots was not as easy as I remember. Vincent Fallourd showed a solid performance with a taking behind Zahedi and Rathle.


Race 5 was the final race of the night with conditions gusting over 30 knots and the building ebb making sedan size voodoo chop around the course. IN addition, the big boat fleet was using the A buoy as their starting mark to cross the Bay

Stay out of trouble, I reminded myself, then pushed as hard as I could, but Rathle and Zahedi walked away with smaller gear and were able to get to throttle up and really send it. We approached Buoy A in a cluster of monstruous ebb, big boats and too-little time for decisions. I sent it below one of the big boats while Jean head above, putting me just in front of him as we ground back up to Mark 1. The big boats were keeping the same line as us, but just another obstacle to get around. We all made it around Buoy A, but Rathle was really able to send it on his tiny bump-and-jump gear and got the final bullet of the night

Stay out of trouble, I remind myself. I push as hard as I can but Jean and Soheil walk away with smaller gear and are able to get to 5th gear and really send it. We approach mark A in all all out clusterfu%* of big ebb, big boats and little time for decisions. I send it below one of the big boats while Jean heads above. I come out just in front of him as we grind back up to mark 1. The big boats are keeping the same line as us but are just another obstacle to get around. We all make it around a buoy but Jean is really able to send it on his tiny bump and jump gear and get the final bullet of the night. 

All in all, more fun than I remember but a lot of work just to stay upright and moving fast. Thanks to all those who joined and thanks to the volunteers who helped make it happen. 

If you're interested in racing, our next Friday night race is Friday June 1st. 
New racers are always welcome and volunteers appreciated. 

Big thanks to Maxim Panchenko for the photos. 





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