Thursday, September 18, 2008

Out of Office

So I'm going to be traveling through the Southeast, mostly for work, a little pleasure for a week. I don't expect any windsurfing to happen, unfortunately. It's a shame because during my last session on Tuesday, I was starting to feel like my old self. This injury thing has been a real bear. It's been good to be back on the water, but it took me a while to regain confidence in my sailing. Finally on Tuesday, I felt comfortable at speed. I wasn't afraid to jump or crash. I was going for it with no remorse, just as it should be.

Things I'm looking forward to:

- Seeing pictures of Josh's epic great lakes weekend with Dave
- Maui
- Seeing pictures from my Team Dawg and other bay area buddies who are heading to San Carlos this weekend
- Maui
- Seeing old buddies and going to watch the Gators (hopefully) stomp the Volunteers
- Did I mention I'm going to Maui?

Hope everyone gets some! (wind)

Monday, September 15, 2008

15-20 is pretty darn fun, too

I've been sailing Coyote Point these last few days and it's actually been really great. I spent my first few months in SF driving around to where ever I could get the MOST wind, but I'm finding out that sometimes it can be fun just to go some place you like and sail pretty darn good wind. The water conditions have been far from "victory-at-sea-forced-air-insanity", but sailing in less-epic conditions is helping me figure out my jibe timing in swelly stuff.

Looks like my friends on the east coast having been getting some tropical action. Good stuff! Glad to see you made it through the crappy summer!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Self-Woo Factor

A non-windsurfer would never know how much "wooing" goes on out there on the water. I'm guilty of being a frequent woo-er, possibly an over-wooer. Some windsurfers are never-woo'ers, choosing to grimace and stare straight ahead as they pass sailors on the opposite tack. When I'm wound up, having a great time, and the water conditions are good you're damn right I'm going to woo at my fellow windsurfers. It's an odd form of communication but it universally translate into "I'm stoked!" and occasionally "nice crash, dude!".

The self-woo is a woo of a higher level. If you're alone out there, 50 yards away from anything but the sharks and seals and you woo, then your level of stoke is normal woo times a factor of four. I had a self-woo yesterday at Coyote Point that just kinda snuck up on me. I was planing along on my 5.7 and 104L board, the swell was small and really organized. It was actually the best and most smooth cruising I've ever done in the bay. There was no one around for hundreds of yards and I let out a "Woo!" that only I knew about. It's the equivalent of playing the air guitar in your underpants when you're home alone. It's the normal-woo's better looking sister.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Da Stick

Sailed at Candlestick (aka Candleshit) for about an hour yesterday in a tune up session. I was on 5.0 and 104L, which was a little underpowered, but it was still fun to get wet. The winds were gusty and shifty, probably 10-27 or so.

Amazingly, I made my first few jibes. Muscle memory blows my mind. I've always had a theory that a lot of the progress you make is due to sleeping on things; your mind sorts out your technique errors at night. Anyone else find that they make progress "off the water" frequently?

Everything feels pretty good... my right shoulder is a little stiff, but what better way to loosen up than windsurfing?

Also, I had dinner with another famous windsurfing blogger, Dave. He has a blog called Epic Sessions that he recentle seceded from his other blog, Cheeseheadtech. His blog is a lot like mine, other than the fact that he's a good windsurfer who has a good sense of humor, 15 years more experience, a better job, waterfront property, vendors who send him free stuff, and a family who loves him. Other than that, we're basically the same windsurfer.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

I'm Baaaaaack!

Yesterday I went to a physical therapist to find out if there was anything I could do to get back on the water soon. She dug around my ribs a bit and seemed to think that they were healing pretty well. She told me I ought get back into cardio so that it won't heal too stiff. I also was prescribed some exercises that will help me get my range of motion back (mainly lost due to me holding my arm like a broken wing these last few weeks). I also have been cleared to do some "light" windsurfing (whatever that means). But seriously I'm going to stick to the flat spots for a week or so in order to avoid stressing the injured area. Of course-- we're at the end of the season and the wind seems to be slowly going the way of the Dodo out here.

Maui is just a few short weeks away! I need to max it out at work now so I can relax a little more in the Pacific. I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm beyond stoked about this trip.

My buddy Mac just came back from a sweet trip in the Baja peninsula.
I was going to go this year, but his write up was so good it made me feel like I made it anyway :-D. My buddies from the bay are going to San Carlos these next couple weeks. I hope they scored like the rest did!

I'm running downstairs right now to make my car battle ready! Yee!