Awesome Speed-Sailing Catapults

Oh man, I can only dream of going over the handlebars like these pros.

The things you find on craigslist!

Vintage 1959 Gas Powered Surfboard. Surfing history! - $1550



This is a perfectly running 1959 Gas Powered Surfboard. $1,550. Very rare. Works great. Only a few left in the world.

I can't help but think... doesn't it kinda defeat the purpose?

How not to repair a modern windsurfer.

Here's my most frequently used board, a 2001 JP Freeride 275. It's obviously 275 cm long, 129 liters and 64 cm at its widest point. It's not perfect for me, it's really more of "big dude's" freeride board. The reason I say this is because it has a lot of volume for it's size, yet a pretty narrow tail. I think if I were to own another 130l board, it would have a wider tail for early planing purposes rather than the narrowish tail this board has. I say it's for big guys because it's really thick and floaty for it's shape...I weigh about 170 lbs (77 kilos) and I can easily slog a much less voluminous board.













But like my mom once said: "This is why you can't have nice things!"

I did not create the moniker "The Human Catapult" for nothing. It seems like my gear is broken just as much as it is fixed. I don't know of any good board repair places around here, so I've just been patching it up with a ding stick when I get a hole. I'm considering buying some new gear this year, but it would be more of a shame to break nice stuff, so I guess I'm still on the fence.



Below is a short tutorial on how to use the epoxy stick to patch holes.







1. tear off a chunk of the stick and smush it up in your fingers for a couple minutes. Please note "smush" is the technically correct description for this.

2. smash the putty onto the crack or hole. Make sure there is no space for water to leak through. Fill in the hole as much as possible.


3. (Most important) Entertain and impress your friends with the left over putty by making figurines of your favorite surfers.

From the Crunch Files

When Surfers and Mammoth Waves Collide, There are Definite Winners and Losers

Full Article and pictures here.

I gotta say, this would be fun to see from the beach, but no way in hell do I paddle out in conditions like that.

Taking the Plunge!

A bit of relevant background info: I'm from Florida. I don't like being cold.

But I gotta plane, I just GOTTA!










Soooooooooooooooooooo....


I bought a 5/4 wetsuit last week, the O'Neill Mutant with a detachable hood. I have no idea what kind of air/water temps will work good with this thing. The guy at the local shop told me it depends from person to person on the air and water temps they can handle... go figure.

And I still need to buy some gloves and thick booties. If any of my dear readers (hi mom!) have any suggestions on this front, it would be appreciated.