Woof.
.. is bad enough, (and check Fish bowl diaries on facebook if you haven’t seen any recent action from those shores) but missing it right here too is really taking me out. This most cruel recent miss in question was a couple weeks ago Saturday. Sure the tide was dead high as it started to blow and the sets were washing all the way to the driftwood and beyond. Sure the models promised it would blow through late in the afternoon. Sure there was only about two minutes in between the larger sets. Sure the “box” was exceedingly small due to the considerable current. And sure it was looking like a very low probability of staying out of trouble out there. But I’m not consoled by any of that. While I did manage to stay out of trouble and I did get to grovel for a few whitewater reforms while testing the current a little -- not getting out to ride such tasty waves always spins me into a depressive episode and this particular miss was no exception.
And I really didn’t even want to blog about it. But Trudy’s photos were so etherial that I had to honor them with some words and offer both you and her my apologies that I wasn’t more totally on this chance to ride some of those most excellent waves.
So Stormsurf’s video forecast still holds some reasonably promising news as well as a thorough schooling on matters concerning the weather forecasting for the Pacific basin.
Missing it so unreal on Maui ...
10/27/14
All I can say is that it’s a good thing I have skateboardsailing in my life. Otherwise I’d be completely off the rails by now.
For it’s about the only satisfaction I’d gotten for most of October. The good news is that I do feel like I’m in reasonable skatesailing form. Been training hard with the goal of shooting some video in mind. And I’m so loving the 4.2 G4 / carbon boom / 385 skinny combo. Though I go back and forth between just as totally loving that 4.0 Banzai on the 370 as well.
Much love and gratitude out to Olaf for these shots. And it was so good to get to hang out a little as he was swinging through on his way to San Carlos. Something about celebrating his 50th. Yeah, what a sweet spot to be for that. And I so found myself wanting to pack up the van and follow him down there. Perfect time of year for such a trip and the models seem to favor him with both wind and waves so far.
“Otherwise I’d be completely off the rails by now.”
Madd stoke the waves are back for sure. Especially after going six weeks without any real satisfaction. So imagine my stoke to finally catch a little Bandon jetty last weekend. Further stoked to have a few shots to share with you in spite of how conservative I was being out there. The photos come thanks to Tigi and close out this latest offering.
Yeah, I thought I was on the brink of getting back into the zone of catching it too, but not quite. Not after totally blowing my shot at catching something on this last storm. But I’m right back on a mission to build confidence, eat for maximum performance, sort out my mental wa and get on my conditioning large.
While I was feeling way off form and still taking it easy, I was so grateful to catch a little port tack at the N. Bandon jetty last weekend. Sure it was light and swirly on the inside (as this jetty usually is on the more southerly winds) and the building swell nearly denied my second sesh, but it was so good to be out there again and to be getting what was my first decent port session on the 92. And I took the opportunity to try my latest fin experiment as the primary along with a stock thruster on the top turn side. The fin is something I refoiled from an old Enduro in the scaled up image of a shape Mr. Teboul was riding at the Wave Bash back in 2011. (See the photo to the right.) I like it.
Yeah, what horrendous timing on this one by me. I need more practice for sure. As well as more confidence, but I feel it coming back now. And so much gratitude to Tigi for coming out to shoot you these as well as for keeping Sheila company. So much better than napping in the van while I sail as Sheila seems to love getting wet and sandy every bit as much as I do.
Thanks again to Trudy for bringing it with these shots from a couple weeks ago at the Cape.
With so much respect and gratitude. ________________\_
And here’s the 4.0 Banzai on the shortboard another day.
My publicist has yet to forgive me -- I had a photographer on hand. Had waves. Even had wind for a little while. Where I messed up is not jumping right out there for the insurance sesh the minute it started showing real texture. That was a classic fool’s move.
At least my trainer isn’t that bummed, as he didn’t think I was quite ready to test the knee in such burly conditions. Guess I’ll never know for sure who was right. But I’m still going to go ahead and beat myself up over this miss in the hopes it will drive me to make better decisions and be better prepared for the next one. (Or perhaps the one after that as I only just missed yet another one this last weekend.)