Ezzy Rigging Clinic and Demo - La Ventana, Baja Jan. 5
If you will be in La Ventana (southern Baja) on Monday Jan. 5, plan on attending an Ezzy rigging clinic, and take the new Panther out for a free demo ride. We will be at the RV Park in La Ventana at 10 am to help with rigging of any year Ezzy sail, plus introduce the new 2009 Wave Panther. Ezzy sailors, Dan and Val will host the event at their site at the south end of the park. Demos will follow the clinic as the wind picks up, and continue throughout the afternoon. The good news is that the winds have been great lately with the past three days seeing sailors out on 3.5 to 4.5…and the nicest swell this season! Hope to see you there, Gary & Nancy
Last season’s clinic the beach.
December Winds Finally Arrive - December 11, 2008
After being treated to unusual great winds in October, Mother Nature was stingy with good winds for sailing in November. Big sails and kites were the call for wind sports, so if you didn’t bring down a 6+ meter sail and 100+ liter board you were searching for alternative activities…which are not hard to find here in southern Baja. There were few days for sailing on typical Baja sized gear, but since most sailors are here for a month or the entire winter, the warm weather and sunshine beats the change to winter north of us. Besides the prime season here is December through March.
First day of the Norte brings out the fleet!
A hint of change arrived Tuesday afternoon, as the north swells and winds increased signaling a more typical El Norte pattern. Today is the third day of stronger winds so everyone is stoked to be back on the water. One thing that really stands out with the new Panther is the range of the sail. When I got to the beach on Tuesday afternoon, most guys were fully powered on 4.2’s. Since the first day of a Norte can be a little gusty, I went with a 4.5 downhauled and outhauled to the maximum settings. Even though I weigh 160 lbs., the sail remained stable and balanced in the gusts (no pull on the back hand), even though I was thinking a 4.5 would be too big…amazing range!
Prime real estate on the beach in La Ventana.
If you will be in La Ventana over the holidays, I will be doing an Ezzy rigging clinic…for all years of Ezzy sails. And, I have the 2009 Panthers for demo at the RV Park, so you are invited to try Dave’s newest sail while you are here. I’ll post the time and date for the clinic on the Ezzy website, and on iwindsurf. But you are welcome to demo the sails on windy days until the end of March. We’ll be at the park from 1 to 4 every windy afternoon. You can find us at our fellow Ezzy sailors Dan and Val’s site on the front row at the south end of the park…just ask anyone for directions, or look for our yellow Suzuki Samari Jeep (the only one in La Ventana) parked behind their trailer. And please don’t hesitate to ask for help with rigging any Ezzy sail, we’re more than happy to help you get the most from your sails.
Ezzy sailor Gordy Ross from Manitoba holds Nancy’s Wahoo…her idea of a “no wind day” in Baja.
We’ll also be heading to North Beach in Los Barriles to demo the new Panthers…we’ll post the time and dates. It’s time to get to the beach, see you on the water. Gary & Nancy
Great Early Season Winds in Baja - October 29
We arrived in La Ventana the end of September, which is considered early for most sailors who spend the winters here in southern Baja. The fall weather is still hot and the water is warm, which means great snorkeling, fishing, and even the occasional windy day for sailing in shorts and a harness. Personally it doesn’t get any better than winds of 20 with the water and air temps of 85…it’s a great time to work on transitions and tricks that can lead to time in the water.
A night on the road headed south for the winter.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Baja Mexico, La Ventana is located on the Sea of Cortez about 100 miles north of Cabo (the southern tip of the peninsula) and just 30 miles east of La Paz, Baja’s largest city. Most wave sailors know of Baja’s premier wave sailing spot San Carlos, located on the Pacific Ocean side of Baja about 250 miles south of San Diego. La Ventana is another two days drive south on Mex 1, the main north/south highway. The windy season is from mid November to April and the conditions are bump and jump, with 5-6′ swells on the bigger days. The typical wind pattern is 4 or 5 days of sailable wind each week, but it can blow for 2 or 3 weeks straight. I usually can sail 90% of the time on a 4.5 to 5.0, (75 or 85 liter board) with a few days of 3.7 to 4.0 each season.
La Ventana Bay on the Sea of Cortez
Usually we’re treated to 3 or 4 sailable days in October, but this has been a bonus year…with over a dozen days on the water so far…thanks to some early season Santa Ana winds in southern California which set up our “El Norte” winter winds here in southern Baja. If you are coming to La Ventana this winter, I have the new Panther for you to demo at the RV Park. We will also do a couple of demo days at north beach in Los Barriles this season (35 miles south)…we’ll post the dates and times on the Ezzy website and iwindsurf. We’ll be posting updates as the season progresses. All for now, good sailing, Gary & Nancy
The La Ventana RV Park is where most sailors spend the winter.
Great Winds Send Off The Summer Season - Sept. 1
Labor Day weekend traditionally signals the end of the summer season here in the Gorge. Even though some visitors stay into September, the locals will have most sailing sites to themselves beginning this week. This Labor Day weekend brought outstanding winds and sunshine from Hood River and points east, with strong winds making it all the way to 3 Mile Canyon on Saturday and Sunday. I spent a day at Roosevelt, Celilo Park, and Doug’s Beach introducing the new 2009 sails to sailors who had been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to try them.
Bruce at Celilo
Sailors who are “Ezzy Sailors” are always eager to see and try David’s latest creation; providing us with feedback based on sailing time on past years’ sails. As a testament to the durability of the sails, it’s not uncommon to meet a sailor who has been on Ezzys for 10 or 15 years! Sure enough on Monday I saw a ‘95 and ‘96 Ezzy on the water at Doug’s. Sunday at Celilo I meet Bruce who has never sailed an Ezzy. He’s a veteran Gorge sailor from The Dalles, Oregon, who loves and lives for the summer high winds and swells. I welcomed the opportunity to have him try the new Panther and get his reaction and impressions. He first took out the 4.2 and then switched to the 3.5 when the wind increased to 30+. Bruce’s years of sailing experience showed in his ability to articulate his impressions of the Panther. “They have amazing power off the bottom and are so smooth and comfortable in your hands…no front or back pull, just balance. What really stood out for me was the power off the bottom…just smooth and steady acceleration. They are really handle the gusts differently; you could see the gust coming and when it hit you, there was no front of back pull on the hands…just acceleration. They are very easy to sail over powered.” And when I asked him if the Panther is a sail that he would own? “I’d buy them in a hot minute! They wouldn’t limit my style at all; they’re easy, comfortable, and fast.”
A close examination of the Panter.
I spent Labor Day at one of my personally favorite places in the Gorge, Doug’s Beach. I met several sailors who had been waiting to try the Panther…it was a perfect Panther day! Erin, a young sailor from Seattle, who had seen Graham on his Panthers a couple of weeks ago, was anxious to try one himself. Erin is a solid sailor who is working on some freestyle moves and getting bigger and more air. He’s looking for a more versatile sail that works well in the waves and transitions. Here are his impressions of the 4.7 Panther. “The sail is fast and powerful, but is still maneuverable like a wave sail. It planes up very easy, and what really surprised me was how well the sail rotates through in the jibes and transitions…and free styling is easy.”
Freestyle and Waves: A winner!
Thanks to Mother Nature for a windy holiday weekend in the Gorge. And I want to thank all the sailors we’ve met this summer who helped make our summer an enjoyable one. We’ve appreciated the opportunity to share the Ezzy name with you here in the Gorge. Nancy and I will be leaving in a few weeks for Baja and are planning some demos in La Ventana and Los Barriles this winter. We’ll be posting reports from Baja, so keep and eye on our blog. See you on the beach, Gary & Nancy
What Sailors Think About the 2009’s - August 25,2008
After a weekend of not much wind in the Gorge, Monday filled in quite nicely east of Hood River. Many of the Hatchery and Swell regulars made their way to Doug’s Beach which gave them an opportunity to try the new ’09s. Sailor feedback is an essential part of David’s goal of designing and building the perfect sail. Magazine tests with professionals are fine, but finding out what the grassroots sailor thinks and feels on the water is a vital part of his design process.
Stan returns after a test session.
The wind had been slow to come up at Doug’s as the remaining clouds from a passing front lingered till about noon. But with clearing skies from the west, the wind quickly filled in averaging in the mid 20’s. Stan from Colorado is a great sailor who loves sailing the Gorge each summer, particularly on windy days with big swells. He also loves being powered since slogging is something he would rather do without. He started on the 4.2 Panther, and after a short lunch break, went back out on a 3.5 as the wind ramped up. An hour later he shared his impressions: “I never felt overpowered, even in the gusts. It definitely felt comfortable and balanced from the beginning. What really stands out for me is the low end power in the sail…coming out of a jibe or from a turn on a swell the acceleration is smooth, just like stepping on the accelerator pedal. And talk about speed, I was passing people like crazy; the sail is fast too. And it’s so easy to jibe. It just feels like the power of the sail is in the right place. I really like the way it seems to hold the power through the jibes and turns.”
Colorado sailor Stan tests the Panther.
Another sailor who wanted to try the new Panther was Gunner from Salt Lake City, Utah. Gunner’s a Gorge regular here for the summer. He lives for the big days with big swells. He started with the 4.7 but as the wind average pushed into the mid 20s he switched to the 4.2. After a solid session he had these comments: “I was very impressed by how well the sail steers while riding swells…the power is very controlled; it was so easy to add or reduce the power in the sail. Also it handles gusts very well; it’s smooth and not twitchy at all.” He said that it has been his experience that many sails become narrow in their range as the wind increases…thus “twitchy” on/off feeling.
Bingen test pilot, Alan with the new Freewave.
My last test sailor was Alan, a Gorge local from Bingen. He took the new Freewave 3.7 and disappeared to his secret swell riding spot (not in view of the rigging area). An hour later he returned with a huge grin on his face, “What a surprising sail…it’s wonderfully effortless; you don’t even know you have a sail in your hands. It is so smooth to jibe, it’s like butter. Compared to my older SE it seems to have way more low end when it gets light. The sail’s a winner.” Thanks to everyone who joined in on the fun. If you’re coming to the Gorge for the holiday weekend, plan on trying the new sails, see you on the beach, Gary & Nancy
