Archive for July, 2008
Sailing With Graham At Doug’s – July 25 & 30
Graham (silver helmet) with new Gorge friends.
Graham Ezzy is not only Dave’s son; he’s a professional wave sailor, college student, and an outstanding young man who loves to share his passion for windsurfing with those around him. Graham joined me for two demo days at Doug’s Beach. He eagerly answered questions ranging from rigging to sharing the in’s and out’s of the latest freestyle move. Unfortunately I didn’t have a video camera to capture his energetic and entertaining sailing style.
Isn’t it front foot forward?
After rigging a new 2009 Wave Panther, he headed out and nailed a perfect forward off the first swell, and then a second forward off the next one. The transition on his return reach was equally amazing. Approaching the beach at full speed he cut hard up wind and in a flash was around the mast, hooked in and still on a plane heading back across the river. Graham’s first day in the Gorge was shared by several sailors who joined him on the water or just talked with him about the sport we all love. He will be joined by his dad this Saturday at Windance for a parking lot party at 7 pm. Come by and meet the Ezzy family. If the wind cooperates on Friday or Saturday, come sail with David and Graham and try the legendary sail that everyone is talking about. Watch the Ezzy website for an announcement of when and where. See you on the beach, Gary & Nancy
Chris from San Francisco sailed the new Freewave and SE…likes the locked in power of the SE.
Great Wind & Swells At Roosevelt Park – July 22
Roosevelt Park in the eastern Gorge
If you ask Gorge sailors to recall some of their best days on the river, most sailors will includea classic day in the eastern Gorge at Roosevelt. Roosevelt Park is located 75 miles east of Hood River where the river is wide, the wind unobstructed by high walls(steady wind), and a fetch several miles long which is perfect for big swells. With gas prices at well over $4, you want to be certain the forecast and set up for wind is perfect…like it was on Tuesday. Many of the sailors who frequent Roosevelt are from eastern Washington and Oregon; Spokane, Tri-Cities and other smaller towns.
Jeff tests the straightline speed of the SE
One of the first sailors out was Jeff from Bend, Oregon. He’s in need of a new quiver and was excited to try an EzzySE. Jeff’s a great sailor who loves to slash the swells, get big air, and generally RIP! He had a chance to try both the 3.7 and 4.0 SE in the classic Roosevelt swells on the Oregon side of the river. And even though I was standing on the Washington shore, I could see the walls of water as he slashed wave after wave. Sorry the pictures don’t do him justice, I need a bigger lens.
This guy can rip!
Before he went out he noticed the draft that the SE has after it’s rigged, and wondered if the sail would depower while wave riding…good question Jeff. I told him other sailors haven’t found it to be a problem, but he should get out there and see how the SE fits his style of sailing. And his comments: “…beautifully stable and smooth power. They really are easy to sail in the waves, just sheet in as you turn down the wave face and the sail de-powers. Super control in the waves or in the air…they are great.”
Roosevelt veteran Bud tests the new Freewave
The next sailor is a vetern sailor from Yakima, who has been sailing Roosevelt for more than two decades. It was fitting that Bud was my first sailor to demo the new 2009 Freewave. He isn’t an Ezzy owner, but his feedback and thoughts are still important to us. He took out the 4.2 for a 30 minute session and returned with an impression that he expressed as, “…very managable and manuverable. And it jibes like a dream!” Thanks Bud, you help make windsurfing fun. Watch for more reviews as more sailors get a chance to ride the new Freewave. See you on the beach, Gary & Nancy
Don’t forget to share the river with barges
Great Day For Canadian Sailors At Celilo – July 17
Jennie from Canmore Alberta.
The summer Gorge winds have returned! A group of loyal sailors call Celilo Park east of The Dalles home when the wind is blowing. On a day when the Hatchery was parked out by 8 am, it was easy to find a parking spot at this sailing site. The wind was averaging 20 by 11:30 in the morning, and the forecast was calling for it to build all afternoon. A few sailors were out on 4.7 to 5.5’s planing full time. I saw several older Ezzy sails dating back to 2001…I really enjoy getting feedback from sailors that have been riding Ezzys for several years. Who better to judge how the performance of our sails has improved than a loyal Ezzy sailor.
The first sailor to take out an SE was Jennie from Canmore Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. She and her family are Gorge veterans coming each summer to sail the mighty Columbia. She took out the 4.5 and was comparing it to her non-Ezzy 4.5. Here is what she said after a test session. “This sail has such a light and effortless feel, the power comes on so easy; there’s no pull on your front or back hand. When a gust hits, I just went faster!” She accurately described the feeling of the locked in draft forward design of the SE, “the pull and center of effort doesn’t move when a gust hits you”. Sounds like what a sail maker would say. Jennie is a solid sailor, we appreciate her comments.
The second Canadian sailor was Al from Penticton in eastern British Columbia. He and his wife Wendy are serious sailors who have sailed Ezzy sails for several years. I first met them in Baja last winter at my rigging clinic in La Ventana, Baja (see my first post in April). Al loves power and definitely rips. He wanted to try the 4.7 when most sailors were rigging 4.2’s and down…hey the customers is always right. It was apparent as I watched him make his first run across the river that he was immediately comfortable with the sail. When he returned, his first words were, “that sail is solid“. On the swells, “I could cut down the face and never feel over-powered“. The one comparison he made with his early SE was the solid feel in the gusts, “I felt like I could have taken my hands off the boom in the gusts”. Something I wouldn’t recommend and don’t plan on trying myself, but it leaves no doubt how he felt about the solid feeling.
A little blurry…Al, slow down.
I now have the new 2009 Freewave in the demo fleet. If you’ve been waiting to try this new sail from Ezzy, watch our site for the time and location of our next Gorge demo. See you on the beach, Gary & Nancy
Rowena Brings Hope For Wind – July 16
Look for the Offical Ezzy Demo site
Fact: The Gorge is a windy place, especially in July. But as most long time visitors know, heat waves on both sides of the Cascade Mountains are not a good thing. This past weekend and into Monday and Tuesday, the forecasters were struggling to get it right with predicting the return of wind after several days of hot, hot weather. At least it was cool in the shade by the river for a rigging clinic at Viento State Park on Tuesday. Finally the awaited change came on Wednesday, and Rowena sailors got a chance to demo the new Ezzy sails.
Richard from the San Francisco Bay area, and Ed from Santa Barbara, California took out a 4.5 and 5.2. The wind was a little up and down (like most of the time at Rowena), This was Richard’s first time on the new Ezzy SE…”they are great and immediately felt comfortable. They’re balanced and easy to jibe”. He’s heading to Maui next week and will be renting Ezzy sails so I gave him some quick rigging tips. I told him not to be surprised if Dave Ezzy stops to check out how his sail is rigged. After a second session, he was excited; “I’m ready for Maui now, these are great sails”.
Ed sailed the 5.2 and 6.0. He has older Ezzy sails so it was good to get his impressions of how the new sails compare. “They have great power throughout their range. They seem really balanced with no pull on either hand….even in the gusts.” Ed sails Lake Lopez during the spring and summer and loves the combination of his 6.0 Infinity and 105 liter board. He’s thinking the 5.2 SE would be a great addition for the bigger days at Lopez.
Women Riders Rip — Doug’s Beach July 6
It was another classic summer day at Doug’s on Sunday, winds 20 - 25 and 80 degrees. Several women stopped by to try the new Ezzys and happily contributed their valuable impressions. They were eager and enthusiastic to try the new sails, and I quickly rigged their booms on a 4.0 and 4.5. Each of our demo rigs has the matching Ezzy RDM mast. Ezzy sails have a first and second mast choice, and will rig on either regular diameter or skinny masts. It’s always best to use a mast that fits inside the sleeve; however each sail comes with a longer top strap to accommodate a longer mast if needed.
Christine Looking for Swells
Christine from Seattle took out the orange 4.0. I always tell sailors to make one run, and if the sail doesn’t immediately “feel right”, come back so we can make adjustments. I watched Christine make her first run across the river and knew the sail was perfect. Thirty minutes later, she came back to the beach with a big smile and said, “The sail is great“. She quickly explained, “The sail keeps its shape, feels light and is easy to jibe and water start, I love it”.
Betsy Taking Aim On a Doug’s Ramp
Betsy from Boise, Idaho took out the blue SE, and was spot on from the first water start. Her first words as she came back, “the sail is a blast!” “It is so smooth ever though it was up and down…I never felt overpowered“. She definitely looked dialed as she played on the swells…it was a perfect fit. It was a great day as everyone that stopped by was excited to have a chance to try the new Ezzys. Hope to see you on the beach soon. Gary & Nancy
And She Rips a Duck Jibe On a Demo Sail!
Doug’s Beach Demo, July 3
The summer season is here along with windsurfers who make their annual pilgrimage to Windsurfing Mecca. And what better place for them to start the season than Doug’s Beach just 15 miles east of Hood River. Most sailors were on 4.0 to 4.7 as the wind was a little up and down, but pretty solid. Among the sailors that tried the new ‘08 Special Edition Waves were two brothers from British Columbia, Canada, Jamie from Penticton and Dave making his way from Whistler. They are both solid sailors who are always looking for swells and big ramps, but simply had a great time pushing themselves and each other.
Jamie Looking Solid
So what did they have to say about their first rides on the new SE? Jamie had several impressions, starting with, “it feels smooth through the full range of the sail, from down low to the top end. The draft has a locked in feeling and doesn’t move back in the gusts, or pull you over. In fact, in the gusts there is no jerk, just smooth forward power”. Dave was comparing the new ‘08 with his older Wave SE’s and, “they really have more power coming out of the hole, and feel steady and smooth”.
Dave Carves Hard
It was great seeing old friends from past summers and meeting new sailors who had never tried an Ezzy. Hope to see you on the beach soon. Gary & Nancy
A hot Windfest has a windy end.
Sunshine greeted sailors on Saturday as temperatures reached over 100 and only a light breeze rippled the mighty Columbia River. There were some sailable easterlies in Stevenson, but barely a breeze in Hood River. Everyone was thinking the same thing, “another windless Windfest”? But sailors did come to check out the newest boards and sails which were rigged and ready in anticipation. The big hit on this windless day were the SUP boards which were enjoyed by both kids and adults.
Sunday morning the forecast was for a chance of west wind by afternoon, and that was all that most sailors needed to stay around. By 2pm a light west wind was starting to fill in, giving the Freestylers just enough to get out and do their thing. Finally, by 3pm an occasional white cap brought out the formula gear and big sails. With eager anticipation sailors headed to the water. The Ezzy Zephyr 7.5 and Infinity 7.0 were some of the first sails out, and local sailor Chris Boston was looking solid and powered on the Zephyr.
The wind continued to build, and in classic Gorge fashion, sailors were soon looking for 6.0’s, then 5.0’s and finally 4.7’s. With everyone focusing on the water, we didn’t notice the clouds building on Mt. Hood behind us. The gathering came to a quick end as the first crack of thunder echoed from the hills and lightning flashed in the distance. Everyone scrambled to de-rig and load up gear as the first drops of rain fell. The season started with a bang and with wind forecast for this week, we are off to a great start. We will be out on the river later this week with demos, so watch the Ezzy website for the locations and times, or check with Windance and Isthmus West in Hood River. See you at the beach, good sailing, Gary & Nancy
