Short and sweet

While closing up the cottage for the season I headed out to see if I could get one last session in. The rain and clouds had cleared and a strong but gusty WNW wind was blowing.

I rigged up the 4.7 first and then it looked like it had backed off. Then I rigged the 6.2 as backup. But as I walked my Skate 108 out it looked windier again. So I grabbed the 4.7 and walked all the way to the point of the island and launched with the 4.7. I basically hopped on the board, was planing immediately and had a great comfortable run.

Short and sweet session on Georgian Bay from Canadian Guy on Vimeo.

I headed back and forth, slogging a fair bit but also doing some nicely powered transitions including carving and duck jibes. My first vulcan attempt was pretty good, it is easier to do with a 4.7 than a 6.2! The second vulcan attempt was a hooked in disaster!  You can see both attempts in the GPS map trail. My GPS didn't get a signal till part way through my first run, but you can also see my jibe close to shore where I found a recently submerged shoal.

GPS trail - two vulcan attempts, one jibe on a shoal. Map facing west into the wind.

Great wind, a bit gusty. First frost the next night.

The water was insanely warm at 16c for October 8th. I was comfy in my new 4/3 wetsuit and compared to last year's Thanksgiving session I actually didn't mind falling in. I can't recall another Thanksgiving that was so warm - and searching my blog since 2010 I can find only one other October entry back in 2011. Nor can I find any other days in the last 6 years at all where I windsurfed on my 4.7 at home.

Happy about my luck! Thanks Jen for the photos and video.

Top speed was 46.9 km/h. I only sailed for half an hour. Looking at the chart I spent most of the time slogging, but the times I did get planing were worth it.

Top speed 46.9 km/h. Lots of slogging but still worth it.

A wonderful way to end the season (12 sessions at home in total) and the gear is now stored for the winter. I'm off to Maui for the AWT in a few weeks.

Gear is stored for the winter now.

PS, Congratulations to nice guy Canadian Phil Soltysiak who came in 5th in the Professional Windsurfing Association 2016 freestyle rankings. I posted about him - and Martin Van Oochten in one of my first blog posts in 2010!

That's fishy

I saw a bear swimming between islands a few years ago while out windsurfing on Georgian Bay and also a snake swimming in the water many years before that.

Today I saw what I first thought was another snake, but in hindsight am pretty sure was a fish. The body was small, cylindrical, and around 6cm in diameter so I thought it was a snake due to a dotted / diamond like pattern on its skin. But it jerked out of my way as the tip of my board went over it and it was shiny, reflected the sun back at me and so it must have been a small northern pike. It certainly surprised me as I zoomed over it at likely 35 km/h, but I'm sure I scared it even more.

Heading out and about to windsurf over a very surprised fish!

I'm pretty sure what I saw shining under surface the was the middle of a small pike..

The rest of my 1st session was fun, 5.4 on the Skate 108 mainly blasting but with a few wave rides, carving 360s and a vulcan attempt. The wind started at 22 knots from the SSW under sunny skies.

Heading into a smooth jibe

I had some German family friends sitting on the island where I launched from. They've never been to North America let alone the 30,000 islands, so they really enjoyed being out in the 22c weather even if it was blustery. The wind eventually died as it clouded over, just as my buddy Scott came out to see me on his SeaDoo. (I still have some video he shot from earlier this year on my edit to do list.)

Thanks Scott for giving our tourists a ride!

We all headed up to Scott and OJ's island, where my German guests were treated to a tour and wonderful hospitality. I rigged up the 6.2 and had a quick second session while they chatted. I attempted 3 vulcans, but had much more success with duck, donkey and jump jibes. Overall a better day than anyone (except the fish) likely expected.

Session 1 speed chart, a lot of slogging at the end.
Fastest moment 47.45 km/h at 11:55

Session 1 map, the fastest moment is heading downwind at 11:55

Same map but viewed in Google earth

Session 2 speeds, fastest point again going downwind 46 km/h at 20:13

Session 2 map - a lot of jibing and tacking

Any given Sunday

It is great when someone wants to come hang out on a tiny island in Georgian Bay. My cousin was happy to sit on the small rock I launch from and bask in the sun and warm west wind.

She got some photos and was super patient while I windsurfed for 2.5 hours. I covered 36 kms but was not fully powered for around 1/3 of the time. The 5.4 was a bit small with only around 18 knots of wind so I only hit 43 km/h. The Freewave 116 was nice and comfy though.

After my session I went to visit my friend Bill to say goodbye - he's heading back to the States for the winter. I'll keep an eye on his island in the interim.

A nice west wind Bay Day.

My GPS trail looking west into the wind.

Thanks for the beer Bill!

Nice Island Bill!

The view from Bill's island out to the windsurfing...

Wind archive - I caught it when it was nice and westerly.

Unusual Wednesday Night Race Visitor

I've been making it to the occasional Wednesday night race at the Toronto Windsurfing Club.

This evening was unusual. The wind was fairly strong and the course was laid very close to the shore of Cherry Beach. So we were waiting on shore between races right near the main public beach.

And then I heard someone calling my name from shore. My cousin from Germany was down swimming at the lake and had been tipped that I might be there.

Pretty wild to have someone from Europe who I haven't seen in 5 years waving to me from shore!

The TWC Wednesday race series

There were only a few Kona racers but I was doing better in keeping up with the fleet than a year ago...

Quick Bay Day

I wasn't really expecting wind, but it was wafting from the SW around 17-22 knots. So I went out and rigged up the 6.2 with the Skate 108.

The wind was nice but a bit more gusty than a normal SW. The ups and downs reminded me of the post frontal north winds we get. But it was so warm I didn't mind the odd slogging periods.

I tried two Vulcan attempts, one had a good slide. Many chuckles as I did planing jibes and some speed runs. I hit 44.5 km/h which is pretty good for a mildly powered day - and on the Freestyle Skate which isn't a speed board.

I started thinking that I'm going to be windsurfing out here for many years to come. And smiling about that.

Overall 29.5 km over 1.5 hours.

View of the session looking SW into the wind.

Speed chart shows some longer slogging periods.

The best day I've ever missed?

I knew that I was going to miss the strong warm west wind predicted for Sunday Aug 21st. All of SW Ontario was going to get sun and wind. In fact the windstorm blew 1,500 Americans across the St. Clair river into Canada.

And I was missing it. But then I got a text message with a picture that was even better than being on the water myself. My wonderful wife had snapped shots of my son Phillip blasting right in front of our cottage.

He'd rigged my 5.4 perfectly (even strung the downhaul lines elegantly without any crossing) and was enjoying the JP Young Gun. I think it was the first time he rigged and sailed without me and I'm so happy he had a good time, even if I wasn't there.

Phillip dialed in during a gust while his buddies watch from shore

Phillip making nice ground upwind

Ready to tack in the narrow channel

The wind I missed - Georgian Bay buoy data

My first drone footage - perfect waves

At the AWT event in Baja there were several cameras running during our heats. Getting some nice windsurfing photos is always bonus of going to an AWT competition.

But this was the first time I've had footage taken of me windsurfing by a drone. I can't stop watching these 3 wave rides and remembering all the other nice long rides I got.



Carl Baja Drone Waves from Canadian Guy on Vimeo.

The waves at Punta San Carlos are world famous for being long, slow, gentle and consistent. I can't wait to get on some more.

Thanks Joey Sanchez for the footage, and Clark Merritt, Solosports, Dawn Pooley, the AWT and my wife for coming along with me!

Le windsurf, c'est relaxe... Longer blog post with results and photos is here.