Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Beginner Experience
Janet Jay joined us a few months ago for a windsurfing adventure. She wrote a fun article (with cool photos!) documenting the experience.I think it nicely captures the experience of learning to windsurf. Best of all, I'm quoted in it! Ok, that isn't really the best part. I really liked her reasons for windsurfing. Try windsurfing, you will have fun.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Labor Day in Corpus Christi
September 4th - 6th in Corpus Christi.To preserve my mental health, I need a windsurfing trip ASAP. No more procrastination. No more excuses. Labor day weekend is now windsurfing weekend.
I'll be staying at the economical Motel 6 near the island again. Is it luxury? No! But it is a few blocks from excellent breakfast food. The big 6 isn't far from a big dinner at Ichiban either. And on the way back to the Six from Ichiban? A Spec's liquor. I'll leave the rest up to the reader as an exercise.
As always, Worldwinds will be hosting the beginners and the renters. Be sure to get your reservations for classes and gear in early -- it is labor day.
If you decide to come, you'll want to follow the 5 magically easy steps to prepare.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Upcoming Trip: May in Corpus Christi
The first windsurfing trip of the year was a blast. Jason, Julie, Janet, Mo, and I had a great time. Let's do it again. The second trip of the year is May 7th - 9th in Corpus Christi. I'll be staying at the Ikea-styled Motel 6 near the island again, but you can stay where you like. The Motel 6 isn't luxury, but it does bring back fond memories of dorm living. This time you don't have to worry about the RA catching you with beer in your room. Just try to keep it down when you demo your sail flip to us at 2 am.
As always, Worldwinds will be hosting the beginners and the renters. They treat us like family, but be sure to get your reservations for classes and gear in early.
If you decide to come, you'll want to follow the 5 magically easy steps to prepare for the trip.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Upcoming Adventure: April 2010
Wind Addict season starts on April second. No, not Wind Addict hunting season. Windsurfing season. This time we're changing a few things though.As before, we're staying for a three day weekend. Unlike previous trips, we're not staying downtown. Instead, we're staying closer to the island. We're staying at Motel 6!
Before you get too judgmental, this motel 6 has been remodeled to look like an Ikea commercial. Also, they are closer to the beach, cheaper ($42/night), and they let dogs stay free. We're going to give them a shot. You're welcome to stay downtown if you don't want to party with us.
No matter where you stay, you'll want to follow ...The five simple steps
Monday, September 14, 2009
Trip Report 7-9 August 2009
Friday
Aashish, Gordon, and Pern took their beginner Worldwinds windsurfing class Friday morning. By the time Jennie and I arrived, the wind was gusty, but strong enough that I could plane 80% of the time on the one sail I own: a blue 6.5 Meter.
The Three Amigos got a solid three hours of surfing in their first day, maybe more. All three of the newbies successfully fought the wind to stay upwind without taking the "walk of shame", the dreaded upwind stroll while towing the board. Not bad.
For dinner, the five of us met Freddy and Pamela at the Ichiban Buffet. We ate a vast pile of sushi and seaweed salad. For a nightcap, I passed out a few bottles of my homebrew Texas Blonde Ale.
Saturday
Saturday morning Jennie and I ate the complimentary Best Western breakfast before driving down to the beach. Aashish, Pern, and Gordon sipped coffee at Agua Java and ate at La Bahia.
The wind was strong and reasonably consistent at the beach. The beginner rigs were reserved for a new batch of beginners, so Aashish, Gordon, and Pern had to rent smaller boards with larger sails: two 4.1 meter sails, and one 4.3 meter sail. The Three Amigos took turns sailing with the larger sail, which felt a little out of control to them with 20 MPH winds.
Jay, Dana, Freddy, and Pamela rented boards too, and Jason arrived late in the afternoon to sail his personal rig.
All ten of us met downtown at the Waterstreet Oyster Bar for a huge dinner. This was our largest Windaddict crew to date.
Sunday
In the morning Jay, Dana, Gordon, Aashish, Pern, Jennie, Jason, and I attacked La Bahia for Sunday breakfast. As usual, we ate large amounts of food for small amounts of money.
All of us except Jay and Dana returned to the beach for a few more sailing sessions. Like Saturday, the wind blew in the 20 MPH+ range. I felt lucky to have such strong wind three days in a row. I love planing!
I had noticed on Saturday that my downhaul line was getting frayed near the knot which holds it to the mast extension. Having heard rumors of Spectra line, I upgraded at Worldwinds. I'm not sure if it was just the newness of the line or the magical properties of Spectra, but the new line seemed to make downhauling much easier. The stuff just slithers and slides over the pulleys with no resistance. I'm going to claim that a Spectra downhaul is worth every penny of $6. Why wrestle with rigging to save $2?
I was on plane the entire day, sometimes even a bit overpowered on my 6.5 meter sail. At the peak of the wind, I didn't have to work hard to make the fin lose its grip in the water. The slipping fin was a new experience for me, so it was a bit fun, actually.
I attempted a few chop-hops with varying levels of success, and also tried a little down-wind sailing in preparation for eventually learning a real high-wind jibe. One or two of the chop hop tries seemed to work, I think. I'm sure I'll be looping in no time...
The kind folks at Worldwinds surprised me with a gift before I left: a Worldwinds gift certificate. They apparently wanted to thank me for getting so many people interested in the sport of windsurfing. Don, Angie, Olivier, and Randy are great. I feel undeserving: the Worldwinds folks are so generous with their time and knowledge. All I do is point my friends in the right direction (Worldwinds!) and tell them tall tales about my adventures sailboarding. Thanks guys!
After spending some quality time on the water, Jennie and I ate dinner at Island Italian. The life-size cutout of Elvis on the way to the restroom still startles me. If you ever visit, you'll get scared by Elvis too. The food tasted delightful and filled us right up, a perfect ending to another successful Corpus windsurfing trip.
Aashish, Gordon, and Pern took their beginner Worldwinds windsurfing class Friday morning. By the time Jennie and I arrived, the wind was gusty, but strong enough that I could plane 80% of the time on the one sail I own: a blue 6.5 Meter.The Three Amigos got a solid three hours of surfing in their first day, maybe more. All three of the newbies successfully fought the wind to stay upwind without taking the "walk of shame", the dreaded upwind stroll while towing the board. Not bad.
For dinner, the five of us met Freddy and Pamela at the Ichiban Buffet. We ate a vast pile of sushi and seaweed salad. For a nightcap, I passed out a few bottles of my homebrew Texas Blonde Ale.
Saturday
Saturday morning Jennie and I ate the complimentary Best Western breakfast before driving down to the beach. Aashish, Pern, and Gordon sipped coffee at Agua Java and ate at La Bahia.
The wind was strong and reasonably consistent at the beach. The beginner rigs were reserved for a new batch of beginners, so Aashish, Gordon, and Pern had to rent smaller boards with larger sails: two 4.1 meter sails, and one 4.3 meter sail. The Three Amigos took turns sailing with the larger sail, which felt a little out of control to them with 20 MPH winds.
Jay, Dana, Freddy, and Pamela rented boards too, and Jason arrived late in the afternoon to sail his personal rig.
All ten of us met downtown at the Waterstreet Oyster Bar for a huge dinner. This was our largest Windaddict crew to date.
Sunday
In the morning Jay, Dana, Gordon, Aashish, Pern, Jennie, Jason, and I attacked La Bahia for Sunday breakfast. As usual, we ate large amounts of food for small amounts of money.All of us except Jay and Dana returned to the beach for a few more sailing sessions. Like Saturday, the wind blew in the 20 MPH+ range. I felt lucky to have such strong wind three days in a row. I love planing!
I had noticed on Saturday that my downhaul line was getting frayed near the knot which holds it to the mast extension. Having heard rumors of Spectra line, I upgraded at Worldwinds. I'm not sure if it was just the newness of the line or the magical properties of Spectra, but the new line seemed to make downhauling much easier. The stuff just slithers and slides over the pulleys with no resistance. I'm going to claim that a Spectra downhaul is worth every penny of $6. Why wrestle with rigging to save $2?
I was on plane the entire day, sometimes even a bit overpowered on my 6.5 meter sail. At the peak of the wind, I didn't have to work hard to make the fin lose its grip in the water. The slipping fin was a new experience for me, so it was a bit fun, actually.
I attempted a few chop-hops with varying levels of success, and also tried a little down-wind sailing in preparation for eventually learning a real high-wind jibe. One or two of the chop hop tries seemed to work, I think. I'm sure I'll be looping in no time...
The kind folks at Worldwinds surprised me with a gift before I left: a Worldwinds gift certificate. They apparently wanted to thank me for getting so many people interested in the sport of windsurfing. Don, Angie, Olivier, and Randy are great. I feel undeserving: the Worldwinds folks are so generous with their time and knowledge. All I do is point my friends in the right direction (Worldwinds!) and tell them tall tales about my adventures sailboarding. Thanks guys!
After spending some quality time on the water, Jennie and I ate dinner at Island Italian. The life-size cutout of Elvis on the way to the restroom still startles me. If you ever visit, you'll get scared by Elvis too. The food tasted delightful and filled us right up, a perfect ending to another successful Corpus windsurfing trip.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Trip Report 23-25 May 2009
Friday
Freddy and Pamela were just coming off the water as Jennie, the dogs, and I arrived at Bird Island Basin. We had just driven through an ominous rain storm on the mainland, but the island was dry and slightly breezy.
Since the wind wasn't enthusiastic, Jennie spend her afternoon working with Basil and Mouse in the water. I assembled my windsurfing rig and had fun with light-wind jibes and fooling around.
Once the wind picked up a little, Randy taught Freddy the jibe, and instructed Pamela in the intermediate windsurfing class. Freddy was kind enough to give me a few jibe pointers afterward.
Jennie and I got dinner at Waterstreet Seafood, but had disappointing service. Disappointment seems to be the trend in the Corpus restaurants I pick.
Sunday
Jennie and I drove to the beach early to find no wind. I purchased a copy of the Tricktionary II from Worldwinds so I could get some book learning done. Jennie took turns exercising each of the dogs in the water while I looked at the pretty pictures.
After about a half hour, the wind picked up to the 10-15 MPH range, allowing Jennie and I to enjoy some sailing. Noting the black clouds brewing on the horizon, I kept my tacks close to shore. After surfing for a half hour, I joined Jennie in the shallows to give her some pointers. This went on maybe ten minutes before distant lightning and thunder prompted us to drop our carbon lightning rods and get off the water.
I walked into Worldwinds to avoid the rain and noticed that they were listening to sever weather warnings on the radio station. Severe weather means business in Corpus Christi.
With some sense of panic, I ran back outside to re-evaluate the conditions. Black clouds: check. Forks of lightning: check. Gusty winds: check. OK, that might be severe.
I ran back to my board, detached my sail, and threw it on the beach. I could hear the occasional drop of rain pocking into the sail as the black clouds crept closer. I crossed my fingers that I could de-rig before the winds got too strong.
I unfastened the outhaul, removed the boom, and threw it aside. Meanwhile, the thunder and lightning had moved to within a few miles of us. I loosened the downhaul and started to pull the mast from the sail. The sail material crinkled and slapped in the increasing winds.
To prevent my sail from flying to Madagascar, I pulled the mast out in stages, careful to keep the sail close to the ground. I rolled the sail as I removed the mast to keep it from blowing away.
As cold rain poured on my back, I rolled my sail into a dirty tube, jammed it into the bag, and threw it into the back of the Orange Toaster. The rain mixed with tiny bits of stinging hail. I pulled the mast apart and jammed it next to the sail. Thunder thundered, wind howled.
I rolled up the Orange Toaster's windows before running to the Worldwinds building for shelter. The storm passed over us within a just a few minutes, clocking a peak wind speed of 40MPH.
Freddy and Pamela arrived on the beach not long after the storm hit, just in time to enjoy a little time on the water before dinner.
For Dinner, Freddy and Pamela met Jennie and I at a new restaurant for us: the Ichiban Buffet. This wonderful establishment probably didn't factor hungry windsurfers into it's $13 per person, all-you-can-eat price. It really is amazing how much sushi a sailor can eat after a day on the water. Freddy ate half his weight in crab legs, I ate three or four plates of Sushi, and we were the last patrons to leave that night. The staff was quite gracious considering our enormous appetites.
Monday
Jennie and I met Freddy and Pamela at La Bahia for a Mexican breakfast. As always, the food was tasty and inexpensive.
At the beach Pamela, Jennie, and I all windsurfed while Freddy spent the majority of his time kayaking the Laguna Madre with Gumbo and Bitsy. The winds started light and gradually increased until I could consistently plane. It grew to the point that Pamela and Jennie felt overpowered even after dropping to sails in the 3 square meter range.
On the bright side, this meant that Freddy got a chance to swap the kayak for a windsurfer. He sailed out and practiced his beach starts and harness work.
Freddy and Pamela were just coming off the water as Jennie, the dogs, and I arrived at Bird Island Basin. We had just driven through an ominous rain storm on the mainland, but the island was dry and slightly breezy.Since the wind wasn't enthusiastic, Jennie spend her afternoon working with Basil and Mouse in the water. I assembled my windsurfing rig and had fun with light-wind jibes and fooling around.
Once the wind picked up a little, Randy taught Freddy the jibe, and instructed Pamela in the intermediate windsurfing class. Freddy was kind enough to give me a few jibe pointers afterward.
Jennie and I got dinner at Waterstreet Seafood, but had disappointing service. Disappointment seems to be the trend in the Corpus restaurants I pick.
Sunday
Jennie and I drove to the beach early to find no wind. I purchased a copy of the Tricktionary II from Worldwinds so I could get some book learning done. Jennie took turns exercising each of the dogs in the water while I looked at the pretty pictures.After about a half hour, the wind picked up to the 10-15 MPH range, allowing Jennie and I to enjoy some sailing. Noting the black clouds brewing on the horizon, I kept my tacks close to shore. After surfing for a half hour, I joined Jennie in the shallows to give her some pointers. This went on maybe ten minutes before distant lightning and thunder prompted us to drop our carbon lightning rods and get off the water.
I walked into Worldwinds to avoid the rain and noticed that they were listening to sever weather warnings on the radio station. Severe weather means business in Corpus Christi.
With some sense of panic, I ran back outside to re-evaluate the conditions. Black clouds: check. Forks of lightning: check. Gusty winds: check. OK, that might be severe.
I ran back to my board, detached my sail, and threw it on the beach. I could hear the occasional drop of rain pocking into the sail as the black clouds crept closer. I crossed my fingers that I could de-rig before the winds got too strong.
I unfastened the outhaul, removed the boom, and threw it aside. Meanwhile, the thunder and lightning had moved to within a few miles of us. I loosened the downhaul and started to pull the mast from the sail. The sail material crinkled and slapped in the increasing winds.To prevent my sail from flying to Madagascar, I pulled the mast out in stages, careful to keep the sail close to the ground. I rolled the sail as I removed the mast to keep it from blowing away.
As cold rain poured on my back, I rolled my sail into a dirty tube, jammed it into the bag, and threw it into the back of the Orange Toaster. The rain mixed with tiny bits of stinging hail. I pulled the mast apart and jammed it next to the sail. Thunder thundered, wind howled.
I rolled up the Orange Toaster's windows before running to the Worldwinds building for shelter. The storm passed over us within a just a few minutes, clocking a peak wind speed of 40MPH.Freddy and Pamela arrived on the beach not long after the storm hit, just in time to enjoy a little time on the water before dinner.
For Dinner, Freddy and Pamela met Jennie and I at a new restaurant for us: the Ichiban Buffet. This wonderful establishment probably didn't factor hungry windsurfers into it's $13 per person, all-you-can-eat price. It really is amazing how much sushi a sailor can eat after a day on the water. Freddy ate half his weight in crab legs, I ate three or four plates of Sushi, and we were the last patrons to leave that night. The staff was quite gracious considering our enormous appetites.
Monday
Jennie and I met Freddy and Pamela at La Bahia for a Mexican breakfast. As always, the food was tasty and inexpensive.
At the beach Pamela, Jennie, and I all windsurfed while Freddy spent the majority of his time kayaking the Laguna Madre with Gumbo and Bitsy. The winds started light and gradually increased until I could consistently plane. It grew to the point that Pamela and Jennie felt overpowered even after dropping to sails in the 3 square meter range.
On the bright side, this meant that Freddy got a chance to swap the kayak for a windsurfer. He sailed out and practiced his beach starts and harness work.
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