Kiter charlie12 saves the bacon

burkely · Joined: 09 May 1998 Posts: 23

Tuesday afternoon I was tuning my medium wind slalom gear at the Berkeley marina. I sailed in close to the launch, moved the universal joint forward, tightened it (I thought), and sailed off toward Emeryville. I jibed and was left holding the sail as the board headed toward the rocks and freeway. About 100 yards to my left and 50 yards downwind I spotted charlie12 and started shouting and pointing toward the board. Charlie sailed up toward me, thinking I'd broken something, and hollered I'll get the CSC boat. I shouted back get the board. Charlie tacked back and forth downwind and intercepted my board. At this point, though I didn't realize it, he abandoned his kite board and holding a footstrap on my board tacked back and forth upwind with the kite only and gave me my board. He said time to get my board and porpoised directly downwind raising and lowering the kite to propel himself forward in repeated 10 yard surges.

Charlie is an old windsurfing friend from back in the early 80's turned kiter. Last year Bard Christman one of the earliest bay area kiters and former windsurfing national champion told me Charlie has gotten really good at this kiting thing. Yesterday I saw how good. Charlie I owe ya.

Guys don't knock the kiters.

Brian

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1661 Location: San Francisco

Yep, Charlie is always good for a smile and a hoot. Always nice to see him out there.

tsokat · Joined: 15 May 1997 Posts: 326

Good on ya Charlie!

human_catapult · Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 374

was he wearing shorts over the wetsuit?

VinceSF · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 249 Location: Maui, HI

charlie12 · Joined: 06 Apr 2001 Posts: 254

nope no board shorts over wetsuit i put them over my head......

Brain in hind site, I Wish i would have left you my board to help
you stay afloat...

and thank you for years of showing me how to speed jibe..
you owe not one thing.

charlie12 · Joined: 06 Apr 2001 Posts: 254

nope no board shorts over wetsuit i put them over my head......

Brain in hind site, I Wish i would have left you my board to help
you stay afloat...

and thank you for years of showing me how to speed jibe..
you owe not one thing.

VinceSF · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 249 Location: Maui, HI

[quote="charlie12"]nope no board shorts over wetsuit i put them over my head......
Brain in hind site, I Wish i would have left you my board to help
you stay afloat...
quote]
A kiter/rescuer with humor...I like that!
I wonder if you should have just used his windsurf board to sail back to him with your kite board on it...
would it not have worked?
anyway, thanks for helping a fellow wind-addict...

charlie12 · Joined: 06 Apr 2001 Posts: 254

hell ya i tried..
but without the mast and sail
i just tail walked all over,
and brain was in the water for a bit, he looked ready to stop swimming
he was holding onto to his rig witch was under water...
so i just dragged his board back to him
his board went to weather very well,with that 18 inch fin on it

i was riding a 5,9 POW surfboard witch could have offer him some float

windoggi · Joined: 22 Feb 2002 Posts: 2743

Thanks for watching out for Burkley. He's an older gentelman, and somewhat forgetful. He DOES use a diaper harness, you know.