Archive for July, 2009
Heat Wave Grips Gorge – July 29, 2009
July in the Gorge is prime time for sailing. Just count the number of empty parking spaces at the Hatchery on a windy day…there aren’t any! I did a rigging clinic with some sailors which was at 10:00 am and had to park across the highway in the over flow lot. Last week with temps in the 90’s the summer pattern of wind in the central Gorge was in place. From The Hatchery to Dougs the winds were 20-30 for several days.
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall swells
in a single bound…our Saskatchewan sailor on the Wave Panther.
I met a fun group of Canadian sailors from the prairies of Saskatchewan who were here for their annual windsurfing holiday. Doug was excited to try the new Panther and took out the 3.7. It was quite entertaining listening to his buddies’ critique his moves on the water. The Canadians I meet on the beach always seem to be having a great time. Doug was impressed with the balance and power of the Panther, “I liked the older Ezzys I’ve sailed, but these are definitely a sweet ride, I love them!”
Ed is styling on the 5.2 Freewave at Dougs Beach.
Another sailor on his annual trip to the Gorge was Ed from southern California. He put the new Freewave to the test at River Front Park in Hood River. He found the power and range of the new Freewave to his liking. His 92 liter board and the 5.2 were perfectly powered in the gusts with enough float to get through the lulls. It’s only one reach across the river to the swells at the White Salmon Bridge…and much less crowded than the Hatchery. The City of Hood River has done a great job of adding access with a dedicated swimming area, rock climbing wall, windsurfing rigging and launch, plus new restrooms. It’s located just west of the Event Site and the Luhr Jensen building.
The hottest days of the summer have a strangle hold on the wind in the Gorge this week, so hopefully I’ll be back on the beach with demos this weekend. The southern Oregon coast has been the place to escape the heat and sail. Check Russ’s blog for some great video and report from his trip to the south coast. See you on the beach soon. Gary & Nancy
Blow’n Smoke On The Columbia River – July 11 & 12
Blow’n Smoke here in the Gorge means that the wind is blowing the tops of the waves horizontally up river. It happens when the wind speeds are averaging near 40 with gusts to 50+. Few places in our windsurfing world provide sailors an opportunity to test their skills and equipment in these conditions, but isn’t that why sailors come here in the summer? It can be a rewarding and humbling experience at the same time.
This past weekend, as a cold front approached the Oregon coast from the Pacific Ocean, low marine clouds filled the valleys west of the Cascade Mountains. Saturday the wind was centered in Hood River and moved east late in the day. But Sunday with temperatures in the high 90’s over the east side deserts, the pressure gradient was off the charts. Savvy sailors headed east of Hood River on Sunday for an expected epic day…no one was disappointed. From Doug’s to 3 Mile Canyon the winds started the day in the low 20’s and steadily increased all day…by 5 pm Arlington was averaging 45.
Sail selection for the demo at Doug’s was simple; just rig the 4 smallest sails Ezzy makes. It was the perfect day for sailors to test the 2.9, 3.3, 3.5; and the 3.7 Panther was never off the beach after noon. The answer to the most asked question of the afternoon: “sorry Ezzy doesn’t make a 2.5″. Shelley (see the last blog post) from Hood River brought out her new quiver of small “Creamy Smooth” Panthers, and rigged one sail for the day: 2.9. She’s a quick study and had it rigged perfectly in just a few minutes. She told me that one thing she’s noticed after sailing them is that she’s more relaxed and comfortable on the water, which has increased the length of her sessions.
Eric doesn’t have a chance to use a 3.3 in Minnesota very often.
I had a chance to reconnect with Eric a long time customer from our days at Windance Rentals. He lives in Minnesota and spends most of every July sailing the Gorge. He took out the 3.3 Panther for a long session and returned to enthusiastically report that, “I was perfectly powered on a 3.3…and that has never happened before. In the past sailing a small sail has always been a struggle…not very relaxing and fun.” Another sailor to try a small Panther for the first time was George from Utah. He took out the 2.9 and joined Eric for a late afternoon session in the huge swells and blowing smoke. By 5 pm the crowds had thinned and in typical “Doug’s fashion”, the wind jumped to the peak of the day. Half a dozen hard core sailors shared the swells and ramps of a classic Gorge evening. Eric’s impression of the 2.9 Panther, “This is the first time I haven’t been thrown over the bars on such a small sail…it was so controlled and nice!” What can I say; it was an interesting and truthful assessment. There are a couple of things that I would like to pass on about rigging the Panthers for Gorge conditions. I’m finding that most sailors like the downhaul rigged more towards the high wind setting, then set the outhaul between the middle and longest string (depending on wind strength). A couple times sailors have come back after the first run and told me the sail felt a little heavy…which it shouldn’t. But by adding just a 1/4″ to 1/2″ seems to always make the sail feel balanced again. Adding a little outhaul can make a big difference in performance and give you a balanced feel (David’s goal).
Utah sailors can rip. George puts the hammer down with the 2.9.
Great sailing, see ya on the beach soon, Gary
Let The Season Begin! Windfest Demo Days- June 27, 28
Even though local sailors and a few early visitors have been sailing the west winds of the Gorge since April, the official start of the summer season is celebrated with Windfest, the weekend before the July 4th holiday. The week before Windfest David Ezzy was in the Gorge for a week of skiing at Mt Hood in the mornings and joining me for demo’s in the afternoons. Doug’s beach and Celilo Park provided winds of 25 to 30+ in the late afternoons, which enabled sailors to get out on our smallest sails. For most sailors survival is the goal when the conditions require a 2.9. (I doubt that many sailors outside the Gorge even own a sail of 3 meters or less.)
Sunday afternoon at Windfest – Event Site, Hood River
Shelly from Hood River gave David an insightful evaluation of the smallest Panthers. I think that demo’s work best when a sailor can sail their sail and immediately come to the beach, switch to the same size Ezzy and head back out. This is what Shelly did with the 2.9. And when she came back to the beach, her reaction was simple but telling, “creamy butter!”. Of course David asked her to clarify her reaction. “They had a smooth and balanced feel on the water. The power was smooth turning down the face of a swell, and continued after jibing…the power up was very smooth. They are much more predictable and controlled than my sails.” David appreciated her feedback and spent several minutes talking with her about tuning the Panther for optimum performance … one of his favorite things to do. If you’re a high wind sailor the new small Panthers are definitely worth a test ride. I’ve got them in the demo fleet, so let’s connect in July and August.
Windfest
The Columbia River Windsurfing Association hosts the gathering of manufacturers and sailors at the Hood River Event Site. The light winds on Saturday provided an opportunity for sailors to check out all the gear, attend clinics, and even get on the water on a SUP. Little did we know that the mellow wind on Saturday was going to be followed by a perfect Windfest demo day on Sunday.
Ezzy sailor Rolf from Puget Sound shows David Ezzy the adjustable outhaul he designed for his Freeride. David is always interested in making tuning and rigging easier.
Sunday morning was sunny, warm, and the wind was building. Anxious sailors were waiting for demo sails when I arrived at 8:30 … you have to love the enthusiasm of early morning sailors. Starting with the 7.5 Zephyr in the morning and ending with a 3.5 Panther in the afternoon, sailors kept us busy until 5 pm. The Infinity, Freeride, Freewave, and Wave Panther were all taken to the party. Even the kids joined in on the fun and put the Ezzy Kids Rig to the test. It was a great day on the beach and water for the whole family, and with 50 to 60 sails ripping across the Columbia, the sport we all love seemed healthier than ever. Thanks to David, Tim from Groundswell, and Dave Nunn from Windance for making Windfest the perfect start of the summer season. Hope to see you at the beach soon. Gary & Nancy
The next generation Ezzy sailor
Just part of the learning curve. Actually mom was on the other end of the safety rope tied to the board. He was fine and was back on the board in a flash.
