Fredstem

I had my first date with Lolita's youngest sister yesterday (see http://www.blogkite.com/claude on Lolita:-)). It was a very pleasant evening. She is petite, with volume at the right place and very easy to be with... She is just moving a little bit slow (While I was riding her, I felt like I was watching Claude looking for a swell :-)) but everything else was great and she even jumps like a pro...

I went out kiting yesterday evening with little motivation and a sense of emptiness. I had some fun anyway trying to catch Jay's spirit somewhere over the bay...

I know it is time to move on now but this one was for Jay...

I was in France when I unfortunately learned the very sad news that you were gone forever...I came back home yesterday with a lot of anger, sadness and sorrow, so my first move was to drop by 3^rd Av (this time without my gear) to pay you my respects as I missed the farewell party...

When my daughter asked me about you seeing your picture and the flowers, I just answered that you were gone kiting in the sky forever...

You were the first windsurfer that I was able to quickly identify when I met you in Palo Alto back in ‘98 (thanks to your cool look) and one of the first locals to welcome me to the spots...

I saw you thousands times in our beloved channel (both windsurfing and kite surfing) and you kindly launched my kite so many times at the upper launch...I am proud that I went two times in the water to help you when you were still learning how to kite on my way from Inktomi...3^rd av was a better and safer place knowing that you were around...

Jay, I am very sorry that we were unable to help you that day...We owe you a beer forever...

To my mind, you were not only the mayor but the soul of 3^rd avenue!

I will always remember your kindness and your warm smile.

Au revoir JAY!

Donate for Jay's memorial at http://www.sfba.org/jay/jay.shtml

No wind, no kite but still a backroll on the Seine, Paris - France.

I just learned today that our good friend Jay is gone forever...Jay was simply the best of all of us and we will miss him very much at 3rd...I am too sad to put a word together...Life is so unfair...

The wind was south west this week end, so after a very good kite session at Waddell on Saturday, I tried Palo Alto on Sunday. It was ebbing and blowing way over 20. I rigged my new 5.0 and headed straight to the little channel. Claude came along and we had a blast surfing the small but well formed swell.
I had fun throwing some duck jibes, surfing clew first, one handed, and sailing switch stance. My hip was hurting me a lot so I had to be reasonable. But it felt very good to be out there, at the marker 17A, like the good old days at PA.  

Ok, I agree Claude...You can blame me...I bought my new gear just before the week end and now the wind is gone south west! :-(
But you should be proud of me...After 24 consecutive years of windsurfing on a European and most of the time French boards, I am now part of the Naish Team!!!
I will miss my pure old school wave board, its design and color but mostly the logo! You know what "Tabou" means and how it suited me perfectly! But it was about time for me to switch to a new school wave board to replace my old time broken friend before I am starting to think that a Pushloop is a kitesurfing move :-)
Even if the Wave 78 is not my favorite board on the market today, at least, they got the color right!!! 

I am feeling better...still unable to windsurf but able to kitesurf smoothly...My hip still hurts a lot but with a loosen harness and some gentle touch, I can kite! I even threw some painless table tops as long as I land smoothly.

Thanks to Kiyong for taking this shot this last week end.