Partner wanted for downwinder project 2017

[westender]

You will at least have grassy rigging areas and lawn chairs?,, Right??? Getting people to sail somewhere other than one of their favorite places is next to impossible.

[isobars]

It's not just about favorite sites. I've launched from over 70 different sites on the Columbia, and STILL do everything I can to avoid slogging, hiking cross country, and/or HOPING somebody picks me up before Kimmel comes on.

A major CON on my kiting pros and cons list was having to herd at least two cats to do it. DWers are even more hassle, with two vehicles and two launches.

Then there's the time factor. WSers are like regatta events in that when the horn blows or the destination site is reached, the fun ends. Pitch blackness is bad enough; I sure don't want to artificially DECLARE the fun over before the sun or wind gods say so.

My hat's off to people wiling to face all that and MUCH more to sail from Point A to Point B.

[biffmalibu]

[biffmalibu]

I know there is somebody out there besides me who is eager to utilize all this hot air as extra motivation to complete this project. I have good (smart) reasons for not doing it alone. I have a short list of "guest" shredders (some of whom I know will flake out) already but still need a solid partner I can rely on for all 6 bonafide downwinders.

Think how good each downwinder will feel. Think how good it will feel to complete all 6. Think about the memories, documentation, and stories you will have for the rest of your life.

[isobars]

[winfreak]

Potential solid partner right here!
I have been working with a company called Disruptive Wind that invents and tests windsurfing equipment with the ultimate aim of disrupting the market. I am their primary field tester and I can tell you that living the future of windsurfing is amazing.
Downwind runs are my favorite!
I have multiple prototypes that are specifically optimized for travel and all use the patented MoaB (TM) repositioner, which allows one to potentially do AN ENTIRE DOWNWINDER WITHOUT EVER TAKING YOUR FEET OUT OF THE STRAPS! The stronger the wind, the bigger the sail, the more off the wind, the bigger the swell, the better it works! Dead downwind (drop-hopping) not a problem! Here's an old video made from the first 20 minutes at 3 Mile a couple years ago.

https://youtu.be/VIxJ1OoN5g0

This year we got into the foil space as we wished to create a board that could operate in sections with almost no wind. Almost there. Secret.

Completed downwinders (with the MoaB)
Hookipa to Kanaha (Maui), among others
Bob's Beach to Wind Mountain (tacked back up to Home Valley exit)
Stevenson boat launch to Home Valley and back (east wind)
Viento to past Hatchery (wind died, floated back to Hatch)
Dalton Point to Rooster Rock (east wind), multiple times
Rowena to Dougs and back multiple times
Mosier to Bingen and back, mutiiple times
Event site to Swell City touring , multiple times
Swell City to Wells Island to Mitchell Point to Swell City (58 miles) touring
The Wall to Maryhill touring

Many of my downwinders start as upwinders, an essential skill.
I often "tour" from a base location to explore and find swell, blast downwind.

I never hitchhike, and sometimes bribe my wife into driving my giant Sprinter van (which can hold multiple boards/rigs/etc.) from start to takeout. I carry cell phone, food, and water in my small pack you see me carrying in the 3 Mile video. I just call her wherever i arrive, giving much freedom and peace of mind.

I find partners a challenge to keep track of, etc., so usually go solo. But I am warming to the benefits of partner(s) , especially for video possibilities, sponsorship, support, and stoke! There is great value to sharing an incredible experience.

I suggest we should do some compatibility testing next spring, and could probably knock these all out by June or so. My availability is greater than 80% of the time if I commit to the project, which would gave a very high chance of success. I am full time at Disruptive Wind.

[biffmalibu]

Win,

Interesting concept you have (I watched the video). I don't want to get into critique or debate about it here. We can do that in person or a different forum subject. I'm glad it helps you get into downwinders!

Win, check your private messages, because I think you would at least be great as a guest shredder (to compare and contrast feet/strap dynamics, for example), perhaps more. Thanks.

Biff

[biffmalibu]

Optimistic and somewhat daring (although not completely reckless) sailing buddy sought for downwinder mini-adventures and ongoing story feature, Summer 2017.

Requirements:
*Optimistic and positive attitude.
*Competence windsurfing DOWNWIND (i.e. doesn't crash often), often overpowered AND in control, with extended swell rides and making it look easy. Must be able to sail in close proximity fully-powered on broad reach and dead runs.
*Ability to sustain downwind sailing for 1-2 hours non-stop.
*Desire to do something different, challenging, and super-fun instead of "mowing" the Gorge, as usual.
*Some knowledge of typical downwind routes helpful but not required; I don't know them all. Examples: Viento to Hood River, Mosier to Rowena, Blalock Canyon to Arlington, T-Bird (or whatever car that is) to Roosevelt, Roosevelt to 3-Mile.
*Willing to sacrifice time, gas, and perhaps romantic relationship to make downwind sailing a priority and knock off several (if not all) Gorge downwinder routes. Maybe trailblaze some new ones.
*Must be willing to sacrifice a very good day of lawn mowing in the central corridor for an excellent/epic 1-2 hour downwind session plus 2+ hours of driving from Hood River.
*Believes that people who pick up hitchhikers are MOST likely to be the kindest and most generous people around.

Possibilities:
*Gear sponsorship (windsurf gear, Go Pro, free beer, etc.) (yeah, right!).
*Some notoriety.
*Advertiser/sponsor revenue.
*Super-fun experience before we are dead (or simply can't do it anymore due to age/injury).

Please respond with some qualifications via private message. Ideas welcome. All curmudgeons please refrain. Thanks.

P.S. Don't make me partner with a kiter. But I will if I have to.

[westender]

Oh for the days when you're on the winds schedule.

[biffmalibu]

There will be many many days to choose from between April and October to complete this project. Additionally, we are going to troll for Naysia, the swallowing monster of the Columbia. I will have to get correct pronunciations of names from some literate locals someday.
.............................................
From the book "Nch'i-wána, "the Big River": Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land" by Eugene S. Hunn, James Selam…

Page 163...

"Not all fish were considered edible. Curiously, mid-Columbia River people disdained the mighty sturgeon (as Lewis and Clark noted), source of fine caviar and sought after by Indian fishermen on the lower Columbia and Fraser rivers. James Selam considers the sturgeon to be a "trash fish", to borrow a term modern fisheries managers apply to native fish of little sport or commercial value. The fact that sturgeon had the nickname, naysia-nmi kakya, literally, the swallowing monster's pet, suggest another interpretation. The mythical naysia, the "Swallower," terrorized the River's residents in the myth age, lurking in the River's deepest hole and swallowing all who came near. Wily Coyote came to the rescue. He induced naysia to swallow him by taunting the monster with unflattering remarks and challenging it to a swallowing contest, which Coyote, of course, lost. Once inside the monster's belly--like Jonah in the whale--Coyote rallied the captive animals and built a fire beneath the beast's heart, then began to cut the heart from its moorings. Suffering great gastric distress, the Swallower evicted its tenants before exploding. Contemporary Indians of the River identify the Swallower's haunt as the deep pool in the Columbia opposite and just above the mouth of the Deschutes River near the tip of Miller Island, three miles above the old village of skin. Modern charts show a depth here of 164 feet, which puts the bottom a few feet below sea level."