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fourrunner
Joined: 13 Aug 2005
Posts: 24
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 Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Erik,
Love your vids. Short, concise with good footage (I don't have to play them at 1.5 speed!). I'm going old school here with my request of a Wymaroo how-to-vid. I'm talking regular stance on flat water or small chop. I hope that's not to specific of a request. Can't find any on youtube. Thx. |
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erikhakman
Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| isobars wrote: | Sailed less than 10 hours last year, but more because of generally horrible wind quality. It has been blowing under 18 or over 35 kts, with very little in between. I don't have gear for the former and no longer trust my body in the latter, especially considering that the gusts are pushing or topping 50. This year is shaping up no better. When even our best local sailors (not counting the pros) are sitting on shore in street clothes most of the day, I feel justified in joining them, as another injury could end my windsurfing. Just rigging a sail was exhausting last year and remains tiring this year, due to chemotherapy and now even more onerous cancer drugs.
Funny you should ask about watching from the beach. When I do that it's largely because what I've seen this and last year is a lot of good sailors rigging numerous sails, slogging across a nasty wind shadow, repeating that until they realize it's pointless. Many go home if they live nearby. 20+ good sailors in lawn chairs or packing up to leave and only one or two on the water when it's blowing holy stink is useful information. I no longer need to get hit over the head twice to recognize futility and -- in my case, risk -- when it's that obvious.
I got in one short but encouraging session at 33 kts gusting towards 50 last week, so there's still hope. Besides, I can't complain, as I retired 33 years ago to windsurf full time when work got in the way of windsurfing. I got my licks in, am cherry-picking my sessions, and am glad to see younger bucks like you carrying on the stoke.
As for "240L?! Bet you felt that in your knees!" ... Not that I noticed. I was a kid of about 38 then.
| erikhakman wrote: | | Gotcha! Are you still getting out on the water every now and then or do you stick to watching the action from the beach? |
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Still riding 50knt conditions, man that's inspiring! Must've been something else to be right in the middle of things as the sport evolved into what it is today...
I've never been one for small sails so 18-35 is definitely the sweet spot for me. Sure sucks that you're only getting the extremes of that. Have you've thought about getting into foiling? Not even having to pump to get going in 14 knts is pretty sweet, and a lot less taxing on the body than being stacked on the 4.0! |
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erikhakman
Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:53 am Post subject: |
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| fourrunner wrote: | Hi Erik,
Love your vids. Short, concise with good footage (I don't have to play them at 1.5 speed!). I'm going old school here with my request of a Wymaroo how-to-vid. I'm talking regular stance on flat water or small chop. I hope that's not to specific of a request. Can't find any on youtube. Thx. |
Thanks! Glad you like em! And that's some excellent feedback, I've really been trying to keep things short and to the point. Definitely guilty of using that 2x playback myself every now and then.
It's been a while since I did a Wymaroo but that would be a fun move to add to the series! I'll try to get some on tape next time it's windy. We're in a real light wind spell right now so it might take a minute before I can get a video together... |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
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| Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2021 1:38 am Post subject: |
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It's nice of you to inquire, but "riding" 50 kts is not WSing for me; it's just survival sailing as i head for shore and safety when the gusts build or gut it out if I think they're temporary. There are many specific techniques and gear design factors involved in the latter, but safety ultimately rules the roost for me.
I started to say that rather than being in the middle of it I was out in the boondocks of New Mexico, but that's not entirely true. In my 50s (the early 1990s) I was getting paid to test and review next year's best WSing gear in the Gorge and Maui. I met many of the movers and shakers of the sport, rode a lot of innovative gear, and sailed my ass off year 'round.
I bought a state of the art foil setup, tried it for a season, and had less success with each session. It requires balance I haven't had for decades. I planted a uni in my yard to practice uphauling, with minimal success. I sold the kit at the end of the season for $200 less than it cost me. Beats a demo ALL to heck. Besides, my whole point in WSing is the terrain; I don't want to suppress it until and unless I have no other choice.
OTOH, I had my most encouraging WSing session in at least two years on Thursday. Not only could I still windsurf in strong winds, but I FELT the best I've felt in 2-3 years. I had told my oncologist to get me back on the water at any cost short of killing me, and he outdid himself.
| erikhakman wrote: | Still riding 50knt conditions, man that's inspiring! Must've been something else to be right in the middle of things as the sport evolved into what it is today...
Have you've thought about getting into foiling? Not even having to pump to get going in 14 knts is pretty sweet, and a lot less taxing on the body than being stacked on the 4.0! |
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erikhakman
Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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| isobars wrote: | | It's nice of you to inquire, but "riding" 50 kts is not WSing for me; it's just survival sailing as i head for shore and safety when the gusts build or gut it out if I think they're temporary. There are many specific techniques and gear design factors involved in the latter, but safety ultimately rules the roost for me. |
Still impressive! Most people at my home spot would never even consider hitting the water in 40+ kts conditions. I bet they could put some of your tricks of the trade to good use!
| isobars wrote: | | I started to say that rather than being in the middle of it I was out in the boondocks of New Mexico, but that's not entirely true. In my 50s (the early 1990s) I was getting paid to test and review next year's best WSing gear in the Gorge and Maui. I met many of the movers and shakers of the sport, rode a lot of innovative gear, and sailed my ass off year 'round. |
That sounds like sweet gig! I wish that kind of thing was still possible in today's industry... Were you still based in New Mexico at the time or did you split your time between testing locations? The Gorge in the 90's must've been wild.
| Quote: | | OTOH, I had my most encouraging WSing session in at least two years on Thursday. Not only could I still windsurf in strong winds, but I FELT the best I've felt in 2-3 years. I had told my oncologist to get me back on the water at any cost short of killing me, and he outdid himself. |
Great to hear man! Good days like that stay with you. I hope you get a whole lot more of the same caliber this season!
It's been windy here as well and I finally got back on the water for some freesailing and even got a short filming session in. There'll be some new fun tutorials coming up soon! |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| erikhakman wrote: | Still impressive! Most people at my home spot would never even consider hitting the water in 40+ kts conditions.
I bet they could put some of your tricks of the trade to good use!
Were you still based in New Mexico at the time or did you split your time between testing locations? The Gorge in the 90's must've been wild. |
I seldom deliberately hit the water any more when it's gusting to 40 kts, but there are some scenarions in which I still do that occasionally:
1. It's averaging a nice manageable low 30s but gusting well into the 40s. We seldom get the former without the latter.
2. It's very common, especially in the last several years, to have the wind pick up by 10-20 kts within a session. Most sailors immediately head in to rig down, but some realize it may be temporary and gut it out for a while in the hopes of avoiding the wind shadow two or four unnecessary times, rigging down and right back up again, and wasting precious sailing time. That has paid off hundreds of times for me.
One of its payoffs has been learning to not only trust myself and my gear more, but also learning techniques which allow many of us to not only manage too much freaking power but actually enjoy it. I buy most of my boards with that in mind.
I bought the biggest new van Ford made in 1988, spent two years converting it into a full-featured motor home, and hit the road from New Mexico for the next 14 years. That included roughly 6 months in the Gorge and 6 months sailing in very windy New Mexico most winters. 4 of those summers included testing a warehouse full of next year's Gorge-level gear in the Gorge and writing the reviews for the magazine based on dozens of testers' and my own hands-on testing. (I was pleasantly surprised how very often my own reviews ran smack in the middle of our testers' evaluations, given that the testers ranged from intermediates to pros.)
Why does this still matter after two or three decades, or to anyone else? Because, for example, just last week I met another kindred soul who had also walked away from his lucrative career to go windsurfing full time. It was common in the '80s and well into the '90s, less so now. I published a magazine article full of techniques to help those who aren't willing to do that catch most windy weekdays without having to abandon their careers. (I'm also not the only person I know who was "fortunate" enough to quit the rat race early and be damned glad s/he did when cancer slowed them down years to decades later.)
Yes, the Gorge was a hoot in the 80s and 09s. The vast majority of cars parked and moving along Hood River's main street had boards piled on top; those are a tiny minority now. The woods and byways and boondocks were often actually crowded by people sleeping in their cars, vans, or just sleeping bags on the ground; that's also rare now. A few days most summer weeks were blessed with the REAL dawn patrol, when I and one or two other people watched the sun creep over the horizon through our 4.2s in big, clean Hatchery swell, getting in our licks for hours before the masses chopped it all up; those dawn winds and mid-morning (7:00) crowds are long gone.
I suspect I was extremely fortunate to be living in a van down by the river (and the coast) in those times. I was even more fortunate in that my wife not only tolerated but fully understood and supported that lifestyle and loved her career. |
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erikhakman
Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:25 am Post subject: |
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| isobars wrote: | | erikhakman wrote: | Still impressive! Most people at my home spot would never even consider hitting the water in 40+ kts conditions.
I bet they could put some of your tricks of the trade to good use!
Were you still based in New Mexico at the time or did you split your time between testing locations? The Gorge in the 90's must've been wild. |
I seldom deliberately hit the water any more when it's gusting to 40 kts, but there are some scenarions in which I still do that occasionally:
1. It's averaging a nice manageable low 30s but gusting well into the 40s. We seldom get the former without the latter.
2. It's very common, especially in the last several years, to have the wind pick up by 10-20 kts within a session. Most sailors immediately head in to rig down, but some realize it may be temporary and gut it out for a while in the hopes of avoiding the wind shadow two or four unnecessary times, rigging down and right back up again, and wasting precious sailing time. That has paid off hundreds of times for me.
One of its payoffs has been learning to not only trust myself and my gear more, but also learning techniques which allow many of us to not only manage too much freaking power but actually enjoy it. I buy most of my boards with that in mind.
I bought the biggest new van Ford made in 1988, spent two years converting it into a full-featured motor home, and hit the road from New Mexico for the next 14 years. That included roughly 6 months in the Gorge and 6 months sailing in very windy New Mexico most winters. 4 of those summers included testing a warehouse full of next year's Gorge-level gear in the Gorge and writing the reviews for the magazine based on dozens of testers' and my own hands-on testing. (I was pleasantly surprised how very often my own reviews ran smack in the middle of our testers' evaluations, given that the testers ranged from intermediates to pros.)
Why does this still matter after two or three decades, or to anyone else? Because, for example, just last week I met another kindred soul who had also walked away from his lucrative career to go windsurfing full time. It was common in the '80s and well into the '90s, less so now. I published a magazine article full of techniques to help those who aren't willing to do that catch most windy weekdays without having to abandon their careers. (I'm also not the only person I know who was "fortunate" enough to quit the rat race early and be damned glad s/he did when cancer slowed them down years to decades later.)
Yes, the Gorge was a hoot in the 80s and 09s. The vast majority of cars parked and moving along Hood River's main street had boards piled on top; those are a tiny minority now. The woods and byways and boondocks were often actually crowded by people sleeping in their cars, vans, or just sleeping bags on the ground; that's also rare now. A few days most summer weeks were blessed with the REAL dawn patrol, when I and one or two other people watched the sun creep over the horizon through our 4.2s in big, clean Hatchery swell, getting in our licks for hours before the masses chopped it all up; those dawn winds and mid-morning (7:00) crowds are long gone.
I suspect I was extremely fortunate to be living in a van down by the river (and the coast) in those times. I was even more fortunate in that my wife not only tolerated but fully understood and supported that lifestyle and loved her career. |
What a story! That would make for a great windsurf magazine feature.
Is your 'weekday warrior 101' available online? Or do you have a physical copy that you can take a picture of? Sounds like a fun read! |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| erikhakman wrote: | What a story! That would make for a great windsurf magazine feature.
Is your 'weekday warrior 101' available online? Or do you have a physical copy that you can take a picture of? Sounds like a fun read! |
Back when I had that much time to spare, I've had many articles published in various WSing magazines, and wrote most of a Gorge gear test magazine for years.
Ye shall regret that last request, for two reasons:
1. The answer is LOOOOONG.
2. I don't have time to parse it, edit it for typos, or even put most of it in context.
Here's a sloppy potpourri of ideas culled from quick forum searches that anyone interested enough to dig through it may glean some useful ideas.
See
http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=248064&highlight=windsday+sailing#248064
aka
http://tinyurl.com/kchbse8 .
That probably enters the picture lately, but I'm firmly convinced that much of it is habit or even subservience, and that's a shame. Example: hundreds of bosses, from lowest management to the very top, were ordered on very short notice to completely rewrite thousands of subordinates' detailed 3-page job descriptions. Every one of my peers worked straight through the entire weekend with minimal sleep. I phoned the small office to whom these documents were due on Monday and asked, "Surely you can't review thousands of these things overnight. When do you REALLY need them?" He laughed and said "We won't get through the pile for weeks. Take all the time you want." I windsurfed all weekend and wrote my branch's job descriptions the following week ... when it wasn't windy. There's a whole magazine article out there on the topic written expressly with windsurfing in mind, called "Windsday Sailing".
I can think of a few careers not readily amenable to some degree of flexibility, but not many. Let's see, there's ... um ... uhhhh ... well, there must be one …
Oh, you hit a sore spot there. In most jobs, the things you describe are about as self-inflicted as Type II diabetes. We owe our employers 40 hours a week; any consistent demands beyond that are abuse, and they can damned well hire more people (or pay extra and give us a choice) if they need more work than that out of us. I've had very little sympathy for the workaholics I've known; it's their own fault (or their own joy, if they really love their work that much; more power to people with jobs that good.)
There are many ways to find or make time off most jobs when it's windy; some are suggested in "Windsday Sailing" (Google it with the quotes).
Yes, my resistance to abusive expectations were viewed by two bosses and one of their peers as insurrection. And -- funny you should mention it -- all three were colonels. I didn't mind putting in extra hours or an overnighter or a weekend now and then for valid reasons (this particular job was peacetime, stateside office and lab work with little to no operational urgency, unlike some of my other military assignments) as requested or at my own volition, but when the commander who had just ordered me to work 20/7 for two years took off an afternoon to play golf, my 20/7 instantly dropped to 8.000/5 and stayed there. Many people, most of them civilians, who kowtowed to this jerk ended up in the hospital, as did I (literally blacking out from clinical sleep deprivation, in my case; people die from that). I fought back for the people who worked for me on that project, and intercepted any heat it generated. Shortly thereafter two of these abusive jerks were fired from government service and one resigned.
My relevant point, buried in the details I've skipped, is that there are often ways around abusive job demands. I have zero regrets about the career impacts of having stood up to (or sidestepped) abusive bosses, especially considering the number of times they recognized I was right and commended me for it. One example: even in a dismal job market like this one, there are solutions, including volunteering to work OT in return for flexible hours and voting with your head rather than your heart this November. I've gotten many windy and powder days off in return for working long hours in useless weather, both in the military and in corporate jobs, and those were in UT and NM and DE, not Maui or the Gorge. Any boss or job that demands I routinely work late under normal everyday circumstances on windy or powder days can go to hell. Giving up a season of windy evenings solely so a selfish CEO can get richer is not why I was born.
"Bulldozing" [bosses] must be reserved for extreme circumstances, but tiptoeing, using our heads to get the job done despite bad bosses, bartering, using advantageous laws, etc. will go a long ways towards relieving workplace abuse. There's a whole chasm between bulldozing and finesse.
Weather-dependent obsessions such as powder skiing or WSing certainly conflict with 9-5 careers, but they needn't be mutually exclusive. The interference can usually be mitigated. Of course, one could just switch obsessions; I was quite happy riding dirt bikes several days a week around 9-5 (often 6:30-3:00) jobs and skiing at night. |
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erikhakman
Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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Excellent stuff man! Windsday. You really had the whole thing down to science.
Having a good boss is crucial. Before I transitioned into windsurfing full time I was teaching at this school where the principal (great guy) offered to let me spend 3 months on Bonaire if I could run through an entire year's curriculum in a single semester. Definitely a win win! |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
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| Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 2:00 am Post subject: |
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| erikhakman wrote: | | Having a good boss is crucial. |
That, or one you don't respect enough to kowtow to even if he IS a colonel. |
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