I did a 20ft high Windsurfing jump?

20 feet high? Really?

Could winter already be over? It was 15c and a south wind was predicted, so I headed back to Carro beach. My board still isn't back from being repaired, so I rented a 91 litre wave board at the shop. The guy in the windsurfing store seems to recognize me now, and I'm able to speak a little French and communicate whatever I need.

I had my shadowbox with me, and was pretty excited to see some of my jumps being recorded in 3d. Did I really jump 20 feet high though? This one seemed like a good jump for sure, and some of the others were showing in the high teens. That being said, the waves were pretty big, so some of the "jump" is me riding up the face of the wave. Check out the video and let me know what you think, especially if you have a shadowbox.

Shadowbox recording of Carro, France windsurfing ride and 16ft jump from Canadian Guy on Vimeo.

Nice google earth image of the location
of the ride in the video below

There were 50 people out sailing, and I scored a great session. The water is 12c, but I didn't feel cold at all. My wife came along and sat in the car working on her laptop. I got tired too quickly, and only sailed for an hour and a half. My boys were happy about that though, we got back in time to pick them up as they got out early from school.

Snowboarding this weekend?

Here are some shots that my wife took from inside the car..

Some waves were smooth as silk

That's me jumping - very nice of my wife to take photos!

Ok, the waves are decent size when
you can see my sail numbers but not me

Coming back to shore after a good session

Last Session of 2010

All smiles in Dahab, Egypt

Dec 31st. The wind picked up again in Dahab in the afternoon, and the kids went out pretty eagerly for another lesson with Achmed. The boys were on a 3.0 ice with a Joker 108, a 3.5 kids sail with a Syncro 117, and my daughter was on a 2.0 with a nice 110 Mistral kid’s board (the one with an extra skeg box in the middle.) My wife took a big board and small sail for freestyle practice, and I took a Screamer 123 and a 7.8 slalom sail with my Shadowbox.

Did I really hit 42 mph? That would be 67 km/h. I’m sceptical but the flat water protected by the sand bar at “Speedy” certainly does inspire you to go fast. In reviewing my Shadowbox data on my laptop, I think that top speed reading is in error. I'll need to learn how to use that device out a bit better both on and off the water.

My top 10 windsurfing to do list
from Windsurfing Magazine 2007

It was a very nice way to end the year and the 20^th session of my sabbatical. I did the last upwind slog of this Egypt vacation with my wife and 2 kids (the 3^rd kid took the shuttle boat back since broke a boom and he hadn’t worn a wetsuit and was cold) and we all arrived back at the beach. (FYI, having my entire family windsurf with me was one of my top 10 windsurfing things to do from a few years ago. The red sea will have to substitute for Georgian bay for now.)

Happy New Year and may you have wind and good times sailing with family and friends in 2011. I'm hoping to saill at least once a month in France in Jan, Feb and March. Let's see how that goes.

More Windsurfing in Dahab

Smiling in Dahab!  Video down below

After 4 days without wind, and even a very rare day of rain in Dahab, I got back out on a short board. I had actually done some light wind freestyle and stand up paddleboarding on the no wind days.  The kids took advantage of the wind lull and explored the beach and reefs snorkelling on a pedal boat.

I tried out a Mistral Joker 108 which is a nice freestyle board. With a 5.8, I got planing every run, and tried over 20 vulcans and an assortment of other tricks. My vulcans are sliding well, but I still don’t get my hands to the other side. The tide was high, which means that you can get planing and then beach start in either directions in the bay after a failed trick attempt. I was having fun comparing moves with Hafaz, one of the club Mistral staff members. Most of all it was great to be out sailing.

Don't think about sharks while waterstarting in the red sea

The Mistral centre, and the other centres on the beach (Harry Nass, Club Vass, Planet Windsurf and a few Russian rental outfits) are all well stocked. I like how they take the boom off and on each time, which I think keeps the gear in better shape. In the Club Vass centre, I met Colin who, as it turned out, knew two Canadian windsurfers and a Dutch pro that I know. What a small little windsurfing world.

Dahab is a very nice place. It is a bit of a bubble, the resorts and many international guests keep you a bit isolated from the actual country you are visiting, like in other resort towns. The vibe when you venture into the town of Dahab is a bit more eclectic, and worth a visit for a relaxed lunch and stroll down the paved beach boardwalk on a no wind day.

The resorts seemed busy but not packed, I wonder what impact the shark attack 100km away in Sharm-el-Shiekh has had on tourism, or if it is a delayed result of the economic downturn from 2008?





Dahab mast view from Canadian Guy on Vimeo.


Here are some more images:

The Best Christmas Present EVER!

Christmas dinner in Dahab for 5 Windsurfers!

So much fun. Waking up on Christmas day in Dahab to see wind, and hearing my 10 year old daughter say on the way to breakfast, "Daddy, I want to go windsurfing with you today." My wife and one son were already keen to sail, so after seeing Santa walk through the hotel handing out gifts to the kids, we all headed down to the beach to pick out some rental gear.
As the 4 of us were almost ready to go, my other son said he wanted to sail too. Way cool.
My wife was planing, my one son was zooming back and forth on his 3.0, and my other son and daughter were doing pretty well to on their big boards and tiny sails. There were a few "I can't get back moments" from the kids, but eventually we all made it back to the Mistral centre. (The wind here is offshore, but there is a sand bar that collects the beginners letting them walk back upwind.)
Here is a picture from Christmas dinner. Being away from home at Christmas is weird, but to have all 5 of us out sailing at once is a pretty wonderful present for the luckiest dad in the world.

Christmas Eve Windsurfing - Dahab

I've never sailed on Christmas Eve, but today I had a memorable session. We've been having a great trip exploring Egypt. After an amazing Nile cruise, and a bit of air travel, we've arrived at Dahab.This windsurfing destination on the Red Sea is very popular with Europeans, and we are staying right on the beach.
We arrived at the hotel, had a quick lunch and then my son and I headed out to test the waters. He had a few problems staying upwind in the beginner bay at first, but then made it back to the Club Mistral centre under his own power. I headed out to the freestyle area, but with my 6.6m sail and 135l board, was limited to fine tuning my duck gybes and carving 360s.
I got back from session #17 as the sun was setting got showered and ready for Christmas dinner with my family. It was definitely a great way to spend the afternoon before Christmas Eve. Normally I'm out doing last minute shopping!

The Windsurfing Movie II

We are packing up to head to Dahab for the holidays. The family joined me in watching the Windsurfing Movie II, as part of me getting stoked for our trip.The production values and sailing in the movie are first rate. It was very cool to see Levi Siver, who we saw sailing, and if I recall doing well at the Gorge cup in the 1990's when he and his brother were kids. My son said he wants to go sail the gorge. Cool.

Crazy French Windsurf Park

Ok, these French guys are crazy. But what a good idea.


Wesh Center Crew Windsurf Park in Leucate from Julien Taboulet on Vimeo.

It is around 2.5 hours away from my place, I'll have to check it out in the spring (on my way to the Defi Wind?).