My trainer is going to be so pissed ....

 
 

   Yeah, the no jumping edict is hard enough to take but the bit about not hitting lips is impossible.  And I’m just gonna have to take the beating from my trainer.  It’s not like I’m not being careful and it’s hasn’t been very big out there.  The knee (an LCL sprain) is feeling stronger every day.  I’ve been icing.  And I haven’t jumped at all -- totally keeping it on the water.  So he can just get stuffed if he thinks I’m not going to at least have a little spray off some glassy green lips.    

    The featured rider this time is Sir Thomas of Burlingame in honor of not only his solid attack and massive stoke, but how good it was to see him out on fresh threads.  Kai has hooked him up with some 2015 Icons right out of the wrapper and they were looking quite sweet out there.  You could tell he was madd stoked on them.  He’s so stoked in fact that I thought I’d work him for some thoughts on the sails as well as a few other things I’ve been meaning to ask him about.

    How about another huge Mahalo out to Tom for granting us an interview and to Trudy for taking time out to shoot us all these most excellent photos. The late light was showing through the lips nicely and while I’m still obligated to be taking it easy on the injuries, it was crazy fun out there.  So grateful that I rallied and made it down in time for that.  And yes, that’s me with the red/orange 5.3 G4 on the 92 Pyramid.  And sure it was actually feeling more like 5.0 most the sesh but I rigged aggressively since it was so late in the day and as I was rigging, it was looking rather light on the inside.  Sure came back in though, and proceeded to blow solid right through sunset.  


                                                                                                                                                            With respect and gratitude.    _________________\_  

Kenny loving his quad. 

     And here’s Luke on what else -- 4.7.  At the Cape.  

Yohann was having a high time as well.

Jeff in the house and finding the good waves as usual. 

BI:  Yeah Tom, so what was the first thing you noticed about those Icons besides the ultra sweet vision of fresh windows?  


Tom:   “The new Icon still has that go-to grunt power that we trust anywhere to provide the range for up and down conditions. The one big thing I noticed was it did go neutral easier than previous year Icons and since we were sailing overpowered 4.5 that was a big deal. It is tough to bottom turn OP'd at the Cape in true side-off!”

BI:  Nothing like fresh sails to get a guy lusting after a new board.  So what are you thinking for your next ride?   

 

Tom:  “You know it!! I am seriously drooling over the new 85 liter Flywave with 5 fin boxes so I can go thruster when it gets mast+. I always want the Quad when it is logo or smaller but for the bombs a little more tracking would be great. I still have my 1st Gen Flywave in pure Quad set-up, as soon as I get the 5 box Flywave Trudy Lary is getting my 1st Gen as a gift so she can continue her bottom turn progression!”

Tom:  “I skateboardsailed once with you back in 2001 in the Event Site parking lot when I was learning to sail. I didn't know I was with Obi Wan at the time I just knew you were an aloha filled sailor helping a kook figure it all out. I was making jibes that I couldn't even attempt on water yet. Since then I haven't touched it and thats my bad, it is a great tool for training and having fun when we can't sail. My tack is a weak link in my light wind sailing and practicing tacks over and over again on a small board is in the game plan for this winter!!”

BI:  Man that’s awesome.  And speaking of shortboards, have you been doing any skateboardsailing lately?   Do you have any thoughts on that program to share?  

BI:  How about any other goals you want to share with us for the coming seasons?

 

Tom:  “My main goal is to continue to bring new wavesailors to the Oregon Coast and keep them safe, educated and stoked. Thankfully Trudy Lary is a teammate and Coach on that one. For my personal riding, it's time to land my backloops consistently and start really going for Wave 360s regularly. After years of trying I am finally confident punting aerials in mast high conditions or smaller, but I surely want to start doing my best Nat Gill impression boosting off the set waves on mast+ days/. I'm not ever going to be Mr. Goiter or Mr. Taka, but I am striving to be Mr. Massive Aerial.”

BI:  Any thoughts on what might make for an ultimate wavesailing contest format for an event on Oregon Coast? 

 

Tom:   “Yep! A contest in side-shore winds at a big venue. To this day I contend that Florence is THE spot for the event. Perfect side off Cape Sebastian is a small soul-sailing spot not a contest spot, and onshore at The Rock doesn't give pure wave riders enough time to do their thing and connect some sick sections. Florence has the side, side-on wind with connecting sections, the parking, the beach, the jetty and the protected areas to shoot some sick video and stills. Plus, it is closer to Portland and the Gorge so we'd get more people to come rock it.”



BI:  How do you feel about the state of the stoke between sailors and kiters these days?

 

Tom:   “Honestly, pretty good for the most part. I don't sail the Gorge much anymore so I am mostly exposed to kiters on the coast that totally get it. The bulk of them are either ex-sailors or current surfers so they get the etiquette and the rules. There for sure was an attempt of sorts to take over space and dominance around 2012 and that seems to have chilled out quite a bit as of late. I'd like to thank to educated local kite rippers, the CGKA and the area shops for helping spread surf rules and a true spirit of aloha. We really can all get along as long as people aren't snaking waves!”



BI:  In closing, what would you say to those that contend windsurfing has been canceled?

 

Tom:   “I just love this question, always have, always will. My answer is not even close. Ask Simmer Style that question, or Chinook Sailing Products, or Goya..... Their market share growing, even in America where windsurfing is nowhere near as respected as it is in Europe. Of course there is some consolidation but with the SUP crowd learning board skills and the ease with which sails can be attached to many SUP brands I think it is safe to say windsurfing is not dying, it is evolving and surviving. With the help of passionate sailors spreading the word and keeping the pedal to the floor in their circles I think we're going to do just fine. We have 4-5 new coast warriors already in 2014 with a few more ready to come get some next year....... if you show up locked and loaded with the right gear, we'll train you.”



BI:  Pure stoke there Tom.  And thank you so much for taking the time to share all this with us.  Feeling the love for sure.    


“Who's next?! We're here for you and ready to help you Kiss the Sky!   Aloha!”

                                                           

                                                                                                                        -Tom Burlingame

     The “Twister” set up, in place for starboard jumping and port riding on my 92 Pyramid. 

    And here you have the “Quadster” as seen still lined up for port jumping and starboard riding, on the 85 LS.   (The last sesh I had on her was a south wind at the north jetty of the Rogue.)

    On the gear front,  I have of course continued to work with alternative fin setups for the Quad and the Thruster.  My most recent experiment was forgetting to switch the asymmetrical “Quadster” (that’s set up with three fins instead of the stock four, with a block in place of the bottom turn thruster) set up on my 85 for the first Port session of the Fall season.  I remembered as I was walking across the beach to go out, and went ahead thinking it would be a good opportunity to see what sort of difference it made -- wondering if I would notice as much as I had when I had forgotten to switch an asymmetrical twin set up on my seventy something the year before.  (That board is sporting an 18cm under the heel on the way out with a 16 under the toes and the difference running them backwards was so profound that I didn't go long before coming in to switch them.) 


    This condition this time was sideshore with smallish waves at the North jetty of the Rogue -- a condition that is very reminiscent of lighthouse sailing on Hatteras.  Sailed about 45 minutes until I was blown off the 4.7 and upon rigging down to 4.2, I switched the fins around to find that I felt quite a difference with this setup as well, even in what was rather less than stellar down the line conditions. 


    I think the next thing I need to try is going back to using the 92 Thruster with both thrusters in place again, and trying some different center fins as well.  And I have no doubt forgetting to switch the “Twister” set up (running the thruster with just two fins, a larger primary center fin and just the top turn thruster in place) would be noticed large as well but have yet to try that. 


    One other observation I can offer is how surprised I am about the degree and amount of derision I've been fielding over how I've been running my fins.   I know people are inherently suspicious of anything different.  And that any sort of change can come hard.  That down through history, it seems that the novel ideas have all too often meet with heavy resistance.  But unless you've actually tried it and have some valid input, be on notice that I'm viewing any such disapproval as rather inappropriate.  


    Not that I don’t get not wanting to switch stuff around every time the wind blows the other way.  (Although most of the people that are looking at me sideways for running my fins asymmetrically don’t even sail the port tack days.)  Good thing I haven’t been running asymmetrical harness lines too (try them a little longer on the outbound tack and shorter on the wave ride side) as there happens to be an argument for that as well, at least in a down the line wavesailing environment.