Thursday, February 10, 2011

When You Mess with the Bull

... you get the horns. I broke my first mast the other day on my first ocean sailing session of the year. The wipe out wasn't particularly spectacular, the wave not particularly big, the swim not particularly harrowing. She was a good mast, lasted me two seasons. Her life probably could have been much longer had I just used her on flat water. But can you really call that living?

In any case, it was a pretty expensive day. I had a few memorable down-the-line wave rides that *almost* made it worth it. The thing that is creeping around the back of my mind is if I continue visiting the coast, how many masts could I break this season? At $500 a pop, these things are a pretty expensive speeding ticket. At what point do you take away your license?

Anyhow, here's a quick video from that day. Jacob getting worked, a couple local heroes doing their thing, and a huge dead elephant seal.



ps. yes, I know this video doesn't fit here, but I don't have the time or patience to fix that right now, so just click through to the youtube link and save your concerned email for a late rebate payment or something not punctuated properly in Windsurfing Magazine.

4 comments:

David said...

Sweet! Perhaps we can grab a quick sesh next week when I'm in SF. I'll bring a wetsuit with me.

Just remember when you are swimming that the Waddell Warden is out there somewhere. ;-)

Sergey Menshikov said...

Video could use a tripod,
Aaron could use new mast,
Jacob needs a rapier!

Great soundtrack, don't listen to envious snobs!

Andy said...

Cheers, to the next 5 or 6 decades of chasing wind and waves!

PeconicPuffin said...

I broke my first mast in the waves too a few years ago. I'd actually felt unmanly until then, having never broken a mast (now I have different reasons for insecurity).

everyone says busted masts are part of the wave thing. I've done well with wave skinnys since then (had an extension explode, but that's much cheaper, and the sail doesn't get damaged.)