First few Kona races

I decided that I'd join the Toronto Windsurfing Club Wednesday night windsurfing race series. Since there is never really enough wind in Toronto for shortboarding in the summer, longboard racing seemed like a good way to get on the water regularly. Silent Sports had a deal on Konas so I picked up a used board and 9.0 sail which is the size for my weigh class.

It is just a short drive from work, but I always seem to be late getting to the start line for the Wednesday night races.

Coming right from work to race

Indeed the first few races have seen a variety of conditions. May 20th was very cold. May 27 had nice conditions and people (including Vanessa) were shortboarding. June 24th was hot and stinky with the rain washing tons of stuff right into the lake.

And June 27th was the 2nd Saturday race series and I froze in the rain. At least the water was clean (and cold) again. Here's the race track from my first race.

Kona racing in the Toronto harbour - 2015 Pan Am Games will be here!

The neat part of the June 27th race was that the race committee members were actually the judges that will be running the Pan Am Games races here in Toronto in two weeks!

The small fleet at TWC is very friendly. I just need to stop colliding with people by accident - yikes. And it is humbling though to be near the back of the pack all the time, especially when the Konas start with the raceboards.


Oh well, lots to learn.

Check out the summertime wind stats for Toronto!

Father's day 10k

For mother's day 2015 we did a 10k run down Yonge Street.

For father's day I got to windsurf, and did 10.5 km in the 10-15 knot winds. I was barely planing on my 9.0 and Fanatic Ray 122. But I was happy to see Len out sailing for the first time in the last year and a half.

I hit 37.8 km/h and planed on almost every run. Of course the wind two days later was way better when I was back working in the city!  But not bad for my first Georgian Bay session of 2015.

Also, it was so much more fun than my Father's day 2013 session when I didn't bring out the right gear!

A bit of windsurfing for Father's day

California Dreaming - AWT Santa Cruz

California Dreaming - Surf - Palms - Cars

The second event of the American Windsurfing Tour successfully raised enough money on Kickstarter and so I booked my flight to San Francisco. I was looking forward to windsurfing the waves on the California coast for the first time. Little did I know I’d also discover some other great Bay Area windsurfing spots!

Arrival in California ‎- event registration:

Santa Cruz Beachfront and Pier

I collected my surprisingly good and roomy Chevy Equinox rental car and then the windsurfing gear I rented from Boardsports Coyote Pt. near the San Francisco airport and headed through Silicon Valley to Santa Cruz. (Drove my Chevy to the levee?)

Santa Cruz is the town that is eponymous with skateboarding, surfboards and mountain bikes. 20 miles north of the O'Neill wetsuit shops on Highway 1 is Waddell Creek. This mile long beach has long waves breaking on the sloping sand shore.

Joe's cool Davenport Surf and Sail shop

When I arrived at the beach the huge Red Bull tent was already set up and the pros were out for a demo session. I watched and said hi to a bunch of windsurfers I knew from past events. Cecelia from Toronto, who in a small windsurfing world way I had only met the previous week at Cherry Beach, was there too.

After the pros came off the water everyone headed to Joe's shop for the opening party. I realized I knew the sail loft from the Windsurfing Movie II. The barn is full of antiques and is a great visual history of the progression of windsurfing.

Selfie on the beach

Competition Day 1 - Thursday June 3
The Youth, Women and Grand Masters (over 55) were the heats that ran once the wind built. It was great watching the skill and perseverance the competitors showed. Seeing windsurfing legend Josh Stone's son Harley competing in the youth division was great fun. And the women included Toronto local Cecelia, along with Canadian pro and F2 team rider Ingrid Larouche!

The last bit of wind for the day

Late in the day I headed out upwind of the contest area to try out my rental equipment. The starboard Kode 103 and Mauisails Legend 5.7 were perfect for me. But the wind dropped (see chart) so my session was cut pretty short. The waves were reasonably forgiving as I floundered a bit in the very, very cold water. Even though it is California, most surfers wear booties and hoods along with 5mm wetsuits. The water in Toronto was warmer last week even though there was ice 2 months ago.

Competition Day 2 - Friday June 5

This is shark water

The beach was very quiet for the opening announcement at 10am. ‎I headed back to Davenport for a delicious breakfast. I came back to find even lighter winds. So the AWT hosted a blindfolded rigging contest. It turns out ‎I won rigging my rental gear with a 4:25 time!

A few of the competitors were out SUPing, surfing and body boarding in the waves which were almost glassy with the lack of wind.

The perfect waves at the SC Lighthouse and surfing museum

Meeting Josh Stone while watching the kids surf Steamer Lane

I decided to head to Santa Cruz to check out the boardwalk. On the way I stopped at Wilder Ranch State Park for a hike. Then it was off to the surf museum at the lighthouse. There ‎were Josh and Amy Stone and the Schettewi parents proudly watching their kids surfing and enjoying the famous lighthouse waves. I had to ask for a picture with Josh whose windsurfing and attitude I've admired for years.

Great wind for 4.7m sailing at Rio Vista

I spent the evening doing a 7km walk through Santa Cruz’s major sightseeing attractions. Those sights include: the boardwalk which has operated continuously since 1907, the old wooden roller coaster, the Pier with its friendly seals, and Pacific Ave - the main street which is mostly rebuilt since the 1989 earthquake. What a great town on a Friday night.

‎Competition Day 3 - Closing Ceremony 
There was very little wind and what there was, was coming from the wrong direction so the event site was pretty mellow. On the advice of a few west coast regulars (thanks Casey!) I decided to take ‎a long 2 hour drive up to Rio Vista to find wind. As I drove through the Columbia Gorge like valley, I saw hundreds of wind mills meaning I was heading the right place!

I dropped in on ABK Derek at Delta windsurf company and he pointed me in the right direction on Sherman Island. What a community! RV parks and the ‎state park and even overflow parking were full of windsurfers and kiteboarders and their gear. Of course I had missed the preferred ebb tide and so I found a parking spot as things cleared out a bit.

My roadtrip(s)

The view out over Sherman Island

But there was no absence of smiles for the people coming off the water. I rigged my 4.7 rental Naish sail and headed out. An hour and 45 minutes later I was done. I haven't sailed a 4.7 nicely powered in years! It was awesome! (And that was in the flood tide meaning the water was moving the same direction as the wind.) The kiters and windsurfers at Sherman island also seem to get along very well which is so nice to see.

The AWT closing party

The drive back to Santa Cruz had me smiling from ear to ear. Highway 880 southbound into San Jose is gorgeous in the setting sun. Now I know why people love the Bay area. ‎

The AWT closing party was fun and I got to know several windsurfers like Phil Soltysiak even better. It was a very fun way to close an event and I’m looking forward to seeing many of the regulars and new friends I met in Baja in August.

Crissy Field with the Golden Gate in fog

‎Day 4 - Sunday June 7th
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Better wind at Candlestick Park for 5.3m freestyle

With no AWT heats planned for the last day it was off to San Francisco in the morning to evaluate my options. The very nice guy Kipps at Boardsports agreed that going to Crissy Field was a must do. I checked out the formula sailors getting ready to head into the fog under the Golden gate bridge. At the same time my buddy Aaron replied on Facebook that he was heading to Candlestick for a session so I drove there next. We rigged there in the shadow of the stadium which is being torn down now. Another sailor was kind enough to lock my car keys in his car. (Note to self - remember waterproof pack or combo lock when travelling.)

=

Rigging under the crumbling Candlestick Park + rental Chevy

5.3 was the right call and I had a blast sailing with the SF locals who were showing off a very high level of freestyle. After an hour and a half and a successful donkey ‎jibe, a few downwind 360s, a few upwind 360s, a half dozen failed vulcan attempts and a very surprising short board duck tack it was time to pack up.

I returned the gear and headed to the airport hotel feeling great about my trip to central California and the neat number of windsurfing sites I got to experience. Spending more time in the Bay area and ‎a road trip down Highway 1 from Oregon all the way to San Diego are on my retirement bucket list now.

Thanks Aaron for helping me find the best wind

I visited a few of central California's parks!

AWT Cabo Verde Wave Event

Ever since I watched 'The Windsurfing Movie' and then later actually met Josh Angulo at the Aloha Classic in 2013, I've been looking for an excuse to go to Cabo Verde. My 50th birthday and the new 2015 AWT Goya Cabo Verde Pro event was just that excuse I needed.

My 50th birthday windsurfing farewell

My colleagues at work gave me a wonderfully warm send off as I started my birthday adventure. It was planes, buses and automobiles ‎as made my 3 flight connection through Frankfurt and the Canary Islands.

Sal is one of 10 islands that make up the Cape Verdian archipelago off the Atlantic coast of ‎Africa. Is is blessed with sun, periodic waves and the trade winds that eventually blow over to the Caribbean. I arrived and was surprised to see a Canadian military plane on the runway.

Sal from the air!
(with Santa Maria right and Ponta Preta centre)

Went for a quick sail at the Angulo Centre where I rented gear instead of bringing my own like most other competitors did. ‎I could definitely tell that I haven't windsurfed in 5 months. It felt like hard work as I struggled to sail for a full hour.

I was excited to watch Cape Verdian star windsurfer Josh Angulo being interviewed by his long time championship rival but clearly friend, Kauli Seadi.

Josh Angulo - Kauli Seadi interview on the beach

The town of Santa Maria is much larger than I expected. Great restaurants and vibe catering to the many European tourists many of whom arrive on direct flights and stay in 5 star all inclusive resorts.

Kevin Pritchard at Ponta Preta before I arrived on Sal.

‎First dinner with the AWT riders was fun. Kevin Pritchard et al. We ate at the pirate themed restaurant and I enjoyed meeting the international crew. Many of the riders had been in town for a while checking out the conditions and having an awesome expression session at Punto Preta on day one and two. My roommate KMac said it was the best wave he's ever ridden. Here's a shot of KP!

Official Day 3 of the ‎competition had us check out Ponta Preta in the morning but it was now flat. So we then convened at Little Ho'okipa / Secret Spot which has much smaller waves. The amateurs were up first.

I'm heading out..

Found one!

Oh yeah!

My 1st heat was OK, I got two or 3 waves but also swam for a very long time in the shore break.

Caught a big one...

Riding it in...

And made it!

Survived my two amateur heats in the AWT Cabo Verde!

My 2nd heat was better and I was starting to feel comfortable in the waves but still only placed 3rd so I didn't advance. But at least I could return my gear to the shop without any damage.  I was pretty happy!

Meeting Boujmaa after lending him my rash guard

Maybe the highlight of the afternoon was meeting world champion Boujmaa‎ on the beach. He was heading out for the pro expression session and needed an event lycra shirt. I ran to the truck and gave him mine.

FYI, Boujmaa is the Moroccan pro who almost landed a triple loop, was knocked unconscious, was rescued, won the Aloha Classic and had a great appearance in the 'Atlantic' windsurfing movie.

‎At dinner I met the windsurfers from Sardinia and another sailor Soufian from Morocco who was in the 'Atantic' movie. Gelato was followed by a showing of 'Don't Let Go' a great windsurfing movie at 32 club.

Great view of the action from the truck... (photo Si Crowther)

Day 4 of the event was back at Little Ho'okipa with the last brackets of the Amateurs. It was fun to watch amateur Patrick from Germany handily win our contest and then get to sail in the final open spot with the pros.
‎
The last pro heat of the day saw Kauli Seadi vs. Boujmaa and ‎Stephano from Sardinia. They had an epic session in the dying flight of the day. I enjoyed watching from the truck. It was fun to hear some of the Europeans asking, "who is that quiet guy Russ from Maui? - he's good!"

After our Italian dinner, we walked back to the Tropical Apartments. My cool roommate Andy and I helped update the AWT website with our balcony's access to intermittent internet.

Teaching at the local kids day on the beach at Ponta Preta

‎Day 5 saw the Cape Verde kids day at Ponta Preta beach. I brought my trainer kite and introduced a few of the local kids to the sensation of holding a kite. But in the 25 knot winds it was challenging without a common language to explain that keeping the kite up was the goal.

‎Then it was off to Little Ho'okipa to watch Kevin Pritchard, Joey Sanchez and Kevin McGillivrey warm up for the potential AWT final. ‎The rest of the fleet showed up and the decision to complete the final was made. Here's a good video from KP summarizing the action as the final 4 (all former world champions) fought it out.

Our dorm room.

‎That night the dinner party ‎was followed by great dancing and pub crawling. I learned a bit more about Morocco from Boujmaa and more about Guadeloupe from Camille.

Day 6 - A bunch of us headed to Little Ho'okipa. I had a great session sailing a 5.7 on the 109 Angulo wave board in the dying waves.  ‎I helped a French windsurfer who had broken his rental boom get back to shore. He didn't know the trick of turning your broken boom upside down to effect an emergency repair.
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Final AWT Cabo Verde 2015 results - I tied for 13th!

More dinner, ice cream, drinking and dancing followed - with Andy and me cheering Joey on in his salsa dancing quest.

Windsurfers against humanity

Day 7 was a very chilled day. After push starting our rental truck to get it going (thank heavens for standard transmissions) I went to the ‎Angulo Centre and stayed all day. I finished the first of 3 books I brought. I had an hour long 7.5 session on a 120l slalom board and enjoyed getting out to the big ocean swells but didn't ride any breaking waves.

Some super bock beer and local island booze 'Grog' and ‎cards against humanity rounded out the afternoon.

Pirate chicken dinner!

Dinner was back at the great Pirate ‎place and was followed by ice cream and a quiet night. Turns out my roommates and I share some OCD traits so our place is pretty nicely organized for a bunch of beach bums. My bed was set up out on the couch.

Day 8 was another low key day. I had an even more fun almost 2 hour sail on the same 7.5 and 120l set up. I spent more time setting up the harness lines and found it to be much more relaxing and enjoyable. I also stayed closer to shore avoiding the chop and big swells. ‎That also made riding and gybing much easier.

I picked up my freshly washed laundry and a few more groceries.  ‎Dinner wasn't at the restaurant we thought so a delicious burger was in order at Sal Beach Club. I set my alarm to wake me 10.5 hours later - what a treat.

The official AWT Amateur and women Video on Vimeo
There are a few seconds of me at timestamp 2:56!  Thanks KP!

Day 9 - I met Andrea D'Antonio the nice local photographer from Cabo Creative Lab for breakfast and found he did have a few shots of me in the waves. Yeah, those are the 6 pictures including the one with the big wave face behind me! I was very excited to see those.

Many of the other event photos were taken by internationally known photographer Si Crowther who did a great job with in the water shots of the pros (and me in the truck).

Broke my mast on a smaller wave day.

We headed to Little Ho'okipa again and played in the light winds and small sets of waves. I fell onto a wave on top of my gear and heard the snap snap of my mast breaking in 3 places. A first for me and an inevitable rite of passage. ‎Later that night I had fun chatting with Boujmaa about the risks and rewards of wave sailing.

Day 10. Anther solid day at the Ponte Lemme spot in front of Angulo. ‎I sailed for two 1+1/4 hour sessions and had a great lunch wile getting to know German Team Angulo member Martin. It turns out all three Germans at this event are from the former east side of Germany. Interesting.

Carl and world champion Boujmaa discussing gear breakage

I felt much more comfortable sailing again. In the afternoon  I moved from the 120 Release to the 112 ‎Magnum. I was smiling spontaneously as I windsurfed at pretty high speeds close to shore in the offshore winds.

I checked out some real ‎estate on the walk home and phoned my wife and mother back in Canada which was very nice.

An‎other fun dinner with the AWT regulars and then ice cream and a night cap at Oceans.

Day‎ 11 Groundhog day. ‎Breakfast at Angulo. Started my 2nd book. Had a mediocre session on a 7.5 and 112l Magnum with a fin that was too small. After lunch I went out on a SUP with a 5.0 did freestyle in the shore swells and had a blast.

Uploaded Andrea's photos of my wave ride to facebook!‎ And did some souvenir shopping for my family who I'm really missing.

Last dinner at America's was great again. But the crowd has really thinned out with people leaving the island now that the swell forecast is pushed out another few days.

‎Ice cream and a Caipirinha night cap at Oceans made for a nice end to the day.

Day 12 Last day. Helped Andy and Katie get loaded up for the airport. Packed a bit myself and then headed for my last session. Checked out kite beach on my way. There was a great vibe there with 60 kiters out‎ - vs the 30 windsurfers at the main beach.

This time I was on a 6.9 and the 112 Magnum which made for a fun fast sail. ‎It really does take several days to get your sea legs back.

Got back to the apartment, finished my second book, cleaned up and packed the rest of my bag.

At the closing party I was called up on stage and given an award for being the oldest guy on tour.

And then off the airport sharing a vintage W123 taxi ride with a cool windsurfing pilot I met from Austria; Joachim.

My flight through Lisbon wasn't as direct as I expected, so as I finish up this entry I'm a bit tired and looking forward to being back home in the cold of Toronto with my family.

Sam, Vickey, residents of Sal, fellow AWT riders and everyone else involved, thanks for making this an epic 50th birthday adventure for me!

Kiting in Grenda - Union Island

Boxing day 2014 was spent on a catamaran in the Grenadines. My daughter, niece and family friend Quinn all took beginner kiting lessons. I had a great refresher lesson and the next day had a great time kiting in the sound that I think is called Frigate Island.

Yes I kite! With my front leg too straight.

It is great fun.

But the hat is geeky

I even jump a bit sometimes

Ok, the hat is really geeky

But it is all fun.

There was no windsurfing that trip, and I only got around to creating this blog post recently. I think I now have all 3 of my kiting sessions from the last 5 years noted on this blog.