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.

9 comments:

Andy said...

I'm guilty, too.... Sometimes you just can't freaking help it!!

Outdrsmn said...

And here I thought I was the only one. I may be a Woo abuser because I do it often, sometimes in secret so I don't disrupt the natural sounds. But you can always tell because of the permagrin on my face. Shall we start a support group...Woooaholics anonymous.

SlideHappySailor said...

I'm guilty as well, my cause for woo is as follows in order of descending occurrence.. skating, kiting, and on that rare occasion fly fishing...Maybe woo is a term from before time was time, an expression of contentment, and in the moment satisfaction.. somewhat like "ahh" but with more enthusiasm..

Waterturtle said...

Had a self woo today when we had some surprise wind and I had a nice sesh on the lake. Nothing wrong with self wooing...those who feel it, know it.

Tim said...

Woo woo!

PeconicPuffin said...

When we had our first windy day after 8 weeks of nothing...when I got into the footstraps, leaned back and took off...the joy was overwhelming. I thought "this is what a junkie feels when he finally gets his drugs". I let a massive Woo fly!

When it's all too beautiful, you just have to say, even if nobody's listening.

DL said...

I'm a woo-er, she's a woo-er, he's a woo-er, we're a woo-er, wouldn't you like to be a woo-er too!

Daphne

DL said...

I wasn't thinking straight - Aaron's way to young to get my reference, unless he's a VH1 I Love the 70's junkie.

Aaron - check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQPN3UKQM-U

Daphne

DL said...

That was the elaborate version - here's the real one that most of us windsurfers know and love, cough, cough. So what is the average age of an American windsurfer this season?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvCTaccEkMI&feature=related