Family Board day in Boston

With the family all back in the house after various trips we woke up this Saturday morning deciding what to do on this beautiful sunny August Saturday.   The boys weren't up for the beach and I mentioned there the Red Bull Flugtag in Boston and we could go by the Lynch Family Skatepark afterwards and then show them Pleasure Bay (this place their dad has been going these last three years since he started windsurfing).  It was decided.

First the Red Bull Flugtag (German for flying machine) is the first I heard of it by why not.  We parked in Boston Common and Arthur Fieldman walk bridge was closed and when we got to the pedestrian bridge crossing by Longfellow bridge you would have thought it was the 4th of July.  On the Esplanade you could a line from the bottom of the pedestrian bridge.  I said let's cross Longfellow and watch from the bridge and continue to Lynch Family skatepark.   It was a bit hard to see but we saw a couple contraptions attempt to fly when jumping from the 28 foot platform.

They had contraptions like this

It was hard to see so we watch one fly or drop rather and continue on first stopping for lunch at the Galleria.

Then we arrived.  It was the first time for my wife and the boys at is one of the largest skateparks I've seen (and I've been to over a dozen in Calirfornia and 1 Oregon, 1 RI, 5 Mass).

The original plan was to watch Flutag then get the small boards before going the the skatepark but it was so crowded we just continued on.  Turned out the Kahuna Creations Bombora 59 inch board was a blast.  Great for the big corner turn and other mellow banks from the flats.  Lots of comments going through Boston with it was well.  "Right on man", "Where did you get that", "Look how big that is!".

And and old school backside hand slide.

And an old school wheelie (now called a manual) for which I still get cred for the longer riders.

Kilian did well on the scooter in the medium and big bowls

Dylan did well on the flats and drove his RC car.

We got to see a some locals really tear it up.

Finally we passed by Pleasure bay and Sullivans for ice cream and smoothies and walk and long board ride around the Fort Independence.

It was good to see some windsurfers out and the wind building starting to plan as well. 

All in all a good day!

Persevering through the Storm

It was a hot and humid day and I was tired after a late night seeing Dead & Company at the Fenway in Boston last night.   There wasn't much swell nor wind, though some wind was already exceeding expectation, which for a number of local spots was 9-10mph and it was blowing 14-15.  I checked the surf to maybe SUP but only Narragansett had a star on the surf sites and was likely to be so crowed I couldn't park (just made it last year) and a long drive.  Then Fogland jumped up to 18mph around 3pm.  I loaded the car and was off for the hour and 15 minute drive.

On the way there, the hot blue sky became ominous with dark clouds ahead as I was nearing Providence.  The rain started around 195 in New Bedford.  Then it happened, I saw lightening ahead.  I though am I crazy I'm driving to the beach right towards that.  No wonder the wind peaked!  At this point I could only hope the storm would pass and still have some wind left so I drove on.

I got to Fogland Beach RI to clear a parting storm and sun to the South and dark clouds and thunder to the North.


It was blowing a little, maybe 12mph though a little more past the point.  1 windsurfer on the water shlogging and another in the cove planing.  I was there so I rigged my 7.8m 4 cambered race sale, my largest and the 120l Angulo board.  To my surprize past the point the wind filled into maybe 15-16mph and I weighted my front foot only using my rear to flatten the board, pumped the sail and headed off downwind to catch a small swell and I was planing!  Mission accomplished.  I sailed for a about an hour, sometime having to get on the plan again.  The wind dropped after that and I came in.  I was lucky to get what I got but it was still twice the driving time for the sailing time.  Then I remember there's a skate park nearby.  Google maps didn't show it but I think I could find it.

I packed the car to find the skatepark stopping for ice cream.  I remember I found it getting lost going home one time.  I follow the way back then I remember the left on Fish Road is easy to miss so I skipped it and kept going then I found it.

Five skaters, one older with kids like me and the rest teens or tweens as usual.  One was quite good and let me take a video.   He's Riley a local rider who really tore up the park.  Here's a run.

It was a nice flowy park with easy to connect sections.  I don't try a lot of tricks anymore after a broken wrist and I want to get back on the water and also work but I made a couple of exceptions and had another rider take a video of me.  Yes you can rightly chastise for not wearing our helmets.  I usually do but figured it'll just be a quick ride.

After coming home I checked and it looked like I my choice of venue was sound.  More wind at Fogland than even West Dennis on Cape Cod MA, even if I only caught my hour of power (5-6pm), well make that two with the skate session.

Surfing

So never bored on a board - got back into surfing and everyone around me got to give it a try too.
At York Beach in Maine back in 2013, I brought a windsurf board hoping for wind but there wasn't any but there were little waves and everyone was asking to ride my big board.  So they did.

 My son Dylan

My son Kilian

Showing the gang how to rig a sail

Anthony

 David - determined to stand

Anthony not to be outdone by his brother David, stands on the short board!

We didn't have enough surfboards so a windsurf board will work in a pinch.  Joel learned from this why you wear a rash guard - but still had fun.

A clean little one
                       


So how did this happen?  Let's go back to the origins of my surfing (not to make it all about me but it is my blog ;-).  I used to surf when I went to high school in California and then college at UC Santa Cruz.  Here's a throw back of me and my brother in Santa Monica (pretty sure that's where we were).

So a friend gave me a homemade cedar surfboard in 2016.  A beautiful board.  I have to be honest, when I moved to the East Coast in 1998 I didn't see any waves so I stopped thinking about surfing until 2013 when I brought windsurf board in the photos above.  But I had this board so I took it to Matunuck, RI.  It was a bit heavy so I had to paddle early to get momentum but like a fly wheel it kept you going through mushy sections.  I forgot how fun this is! 

There is something about the simplicity of nothing but a board.  No sail to rig, harness etc etc.

It wasn't long before I got real board.  A CC rider.  Original design 9'4" from the movie Endless Summer.  Claude designs surfboard in Florida. 

I learned that you can have larger waves on the East if you watch for hurricanes, here's Second Beach RI after hurricane Irma.  Though with a longboard sometimes the small waves are the funnest.

The cedar board became a chair.   I didn't have room to store it and I need a place to sit!

So if your bored - pick up a board and catch a wave (or have seat)!

Cabarate

After Aruba I wanted to go back somewhere, preferably with waves.  I saw a post from Wyatt Miller on the iWindsurf Eastern forum.  So I called Vela and signed up for the CabareteProClinics.

 Just me this time as it was during school.  Tyson was out of the Country so Bryan Metcalf-Perez offered to help Wyatt with the clinic. I looked up Brian - he knows how to ride waves so I was in the right place.

The island is beautiful and for a dollar or two you could catch a motor cycle ride though I didn't go far.

Vela had lots of gear.

I had a day before the clinic so I got a 95l Starboard Kode and headed out towards the waves about 4-5 feet they said - small.  Not me in the picture but you can see the waves well.  I should have know small it relative.

I made it out past the waves, it's a reef so they break a ways out from shore then it's swell after that.

I rode a big roller, not too steep but breaking.  It was amazing.  I missed my gybe on the inside but luckily I had sailed past the impact zone so it was just big chop.  I went back out a few times and rode some more.  Sailing out past through the waves then gybe beyond the breaks since I was only making 3/4 of my gybes.  Then going back out a wave rose up about to break on me so I point upwind to to straight up it.  I made it over but then fell forward sail on the leeward side.  I fumbled to move the sail around quickly but the next wave came.  I just barely held on.  I got into waterstart position but there wasn't enough wind.  My calf started to cramp holding that position (had been out a couple of hours already getting up courage to go to the waves).  A larger wave came and pulled the board from my hands and it was over 50 feet away.  I began to swim towards with with waves crashing on my and trying to body surf but the harness is not very good for that.  Each time the board would get pulled further.  It finally got past the impact zone and after what seemed a long time I caught up to it.  I pulled my self over the board and rested - I was exhausted.  I was way down wind.  I sailed to shore but was too tired to sail upwind so I did a long walk of shame (actually two - the sail then the board).

The hot tub with a view then a nice dinner washed that away and I was ready for the clinic the next day.

The clinic went well and we did follow the leader on the water and through the waves.  Wyatt and Brian showed me how get through (I should have bared off and sailed in front the whitewater if the wave was too steep).  No pictures of me again on the water - they are hard to come by!

We had a no wind day so went inner tubing on a river.  He we are getting lunch and getting ready at a farm inland.

Some more pictures

A few people out

The bar waiting for you after sailing

Wyatt and Brian were great. If they give a clinic and you can go you should!

Aruba during Winter Break

After getting away to Florida last year and having a great time with the family but no sailing I thought this year I'll try to do both and my older son is trying out windsurfing and wife and younger son loves the pool.   So an ad from Vela in a windsurfing magazine was all it took and some calls.

We had a direct flight from Boston and the customs was easy then a cap to the Holiday Inn next to Vela Windsurfing.  The weather was amazing after the cold Boston Winter with lots of snow.

The water was warm and the wind was blowing day and night - It never stopped!

 So after setting in the boys took a seat in one of those big chairs.

The view from the hotel wasn't bad either

The next day after breakfast I went to Vela the windsurfing center.

They were nice and very chill and had plenty of gear.  It's hard to try gear in windsurfing so this was the place to do it.

The wind if off shore with the open ocean after that, the guy at Vela said, I'll keep an eye on you.

Just past Vela another place to rent.

The other side of the island is desert and with heavy onshore wind and waves.  Hard to imagine it's just 20 miles from the paradise on the other side.  Kilian was happy he could drive the quad.

Sorry no good pictures windsurfing on the water.  It was enough for my wife to let me sail but she didn't want to sit around and take pictures.  Not too much to see.  I've been making about half my gybes.  Kilian did a clinic and sailed and liked the water and did well just didn't like it when it got too deep.  Though Aruba is not none as a wave spot there was a long period swell about every 20 seconds about waist high that was very long (300 or more meters) and I managed to catch it and do long rides on it a few times starting past the shipwreck.  It started a new passion I still do today when I can.

It was pricey on the island - folks come here since it's outside the path of Cyclones and most storms and the hotels block the wind (it's why you sail offshore) so on the beach it's calm.  If  you can swing it I'd recommend it and if you stay off the beaten path and make you own food and it can reasonable I've heard.