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Karma….It works!

 

On this overcast muggy day, the wind was not really\y in good mood either.  Although a few new young eager faces showed up to try their new kites. The wind picked up enough to launch, so I joined the “dragging” crowd.

The new blood was a bit raw as I had to educate them a bit.  Kind of funny to think of myself as an experience kiter !!

While rigging, I kept an eye on the “newbie’s”.  Sure enough, one of them left his board on dry ground and was drifting in the water.  He was practicing going upwind without a board and doing well I must say.  But since the wind was light, and he would have taking him a long time, I decided to help him and walk his board to the closest shore where we could meet in the water since I had my wetsuit on.  Done, it worked.

Then I had to help someone else, and without paying attention to the wind, when I launched it was very week to the point I could barely water start.  And that, it’s something I can do.  Well, to keep this story short, I was not able to ride with all my efforts water starting.  I would get up but drop during the up stoke.  Finally, during a more aggressive dive of the kite, it went down in the water and with the very weak wind it was swimming time for me at high tide.  I was going to face my fear of the rocks.  Needless to say that the dragging newbie’s had a much better time that this so called “experience” kiter ;-(

So I am approaching the rocks, the kite under control, winding the lines and just when the critical time is near, dealing with the board, kite and bar guess who is there to offer some help:  Rolland, the guy that I helped with the loose board at the start.

Karma man, it works, Jay would have been proud.

Good Bye Jay,

 

Many familiar faces, regulars as we call each other, came to celebrate the life of Jay Runge.  We laughed and we cried and I am still darn mad.  It is tough, but we have to go on and keep our spirit up.  As several speakers said yesterday, there are lessons to be learned from this.  Jay showed us the way, now we are all responsible for each other and Jay’s old kingdom.  Keep it safe, clean and fun for everyone.

With your eyes peeled……

That’s how you sail Treasure Island. I am used to look for windsurfers, but those speed boats come quickly and of course from blind spots.

Yesterday, dropping on a swell, I suddenly was facing a big boat coming right at me. Back in the harness, I aborted the surf and sailed away in a hurry, an easy feast under the fog in 4.5 conditions.

What an exhilarating place.

Here is Jerry, my ‘traffic patrol’ companion back from a tearing out Maui journey.

Jay Runge , the Mayor

 

Here is Jay helping someone, (could have been me), giving him, the latest, ‘so important’ wind readings.

Feeling empty.

 

Gutted, very sad, this is how I felt when I first heard the rumor of Jay missing

It seemed weird that someone so conscious of safety would be the unlucky one.

So many times he was the one staying late making sure everyone got back to shore safely.

So unfair.   I knew Jay since 1996 I guess, very often we were parked next each other.  We had time to exchange stories, beer.

He let me use his gear, and even loaned me one of his kiteboard for quite some time in order for me to progress.

Jay, I’ve got your pump, I will cherish it, but I want to give back to you.  Please come back.

There will always be an empty parking spot next to mine for a big bleu van or a small red car.

Come back Jay.

Foster City CSI

After further investigation, I have found the gust that perturbed my gentle trot kitting a few days back.

Now can you tell what caused it?  I have the answer.

Got smacked…

 

…….and did not see it coming!

With the heavy chop created by the flood, I was not at my most stable stance when a gust slingshoted me over the handle bars. Suddenly I was flying and going up.

Way too much time to think about the landing….hum, crashing would be more appropriate.

What is that knock? Good, I still have a helmet.

Oh…and where is the kite? ….still flying. Oh, wait a minute we are going up again and this time it’s for vertical landing!

How would you like that hair cut ?

Fred suspended !

You would think that after receiving a yellow caution card (not from Santa Cruz ;-), since we are in World Cup fever, Fred would have stopped mixing forecast and desire.  He committed a Cardinal sin (hint on the color), by stating, I will kite and windsurf in 24 MpH in the channel today you’ll see.

What I saw was the wind decreasing as soon as he showed up and turning SW as soon as he started pumping his kite (not without any glitches I have to say).

I am glad I had my session before he showed up.

So after the first warning, you know the rules Fred, I have no choice but to send you off with a second card.  And guess what color it is: RED. Your favorite.

Just a detail, you are suspended and can’t show up to the field of play.  You are banned for a week.  I had to it as an official wind referee.

Fred moves to Naish

After numerous tests borrowing gear from famous sailors seen below and trying their moves,

 

 

Fred decided onto a new board.  The specs were very tight and specific……It had to be red!

 

He still has a lot to learn, like this move previously shown:

how to hold a board,

 

then not to overshadow the color with an even brighter red (not his face, his shirt what did you think!

 

Anyway...We have hope and wish him luck especially in adjusting foot straps width 

Blame it on Fred !

He jinxed it by buying a new sail.
And of course he wanted to try it today. Thank you very much indeed for clocking the wind SW.
Yes we are blaming you. Don't you know the rules? Don't buy anything before a week end. And don’t even plan to use it.
In a new fashion statement the old worn down yellow seen below is been replaced by red.

I can tell you the weekend is shot!
Now ….it’s getting worse, the rumors from the modeling runway is that he is getting a new board.
Can you guess the color?
I can predict the wind

Happy Jack.

Our lucky charm, he only shows up when it’s nuking. So far he brought two 3.7 days.

 

Come back Jack 

 

And get this, his smallest sail is 4.7 !   He was happy because “we got good wind”  !!!

 

I am afraid to see what Jack labels very good wind

 

Never happy windsurfers!!

Someone rigging asked:

 How was it?

 Claude responds:

 Brutal !

 Hunt said:

 Intense!!  Claude, what are you on?

Claude replies:

I was on 4.0

 Hunt adds:

 I wish I was on 4.0   (he was on 4.5)

 Claude to add:

 I wish I was on 3.5   

Break on through…...to the other side..

I was asked to post this dramatic picture. 

Notice the very interesting texture.  Fortunately it was deep enough that day.

 

Swell searching

Not an easy job!  But someone's got to do it.
Today we patrolled the channel with patchy wind (5.0) to find surf.  Bob seen below in the picture jumping describe the session as “crappie”!  I can’t really disagree for most of the time. 

 

Some gave up, went inside, I stayed way outside of the channel where the wind was stronger to get upwind.  After an hour it finally built to feel more consitent, and I had maybe 20 minute of fun stuff where I could ride the rare swells.  The prospector had found his nugget 

 

And a mud bath to finish…

 

That’s how my old 11m Slingshot, thanked me!!

 

After a gentle ride, not too fast, giving way to early windsurfers, practicing smooth turning, visiting the marker, I brought it back still dry.

 

The stronger wind was close to shore, so controlling the speed I crossed that congested area with the kite high only to realize that I was a bit too soon as the tide was still out.  No problem, step out the board in 4 inches water ! _that was a surprise_ and started the slow slide to the beach.  Sure enough, while I grabbed the dragging Dragon (North), the clean kite decided to drop.  No big deal I thought, I am in the wind shadow and the kite is down, I have plenty of time to grab it.  Not quite.  On that very thin film of incoming muddy water, the kite went south and, and just when you don’t want to relaunch, it was in perfect position to do just that.  And it did, launching me in the process giving me that invigorating good smelling mud bath.  I even had sample of it in my ears, I discovered later.  The comprehensive package I was treated to.  Of course, the cleaning station was out of water.  So if you see me crashing my kite out there, do not think it is lack of skills, it’s payback time baby.

 

Almost fatal attraction

It must be the red helmets that attracts those two rippers...





Carefull out there Toro Rosso