Saturday, September 6, 2008

Tropical Storm Delivers An Epic Two Venue Day

Hana came thru today with epic conditions. Tropical force storm force winds blew all day, and we all were sailing with mid-3 meter sails and tiny boards.


We started the day at the Canadian Hole, and wrapped it up with and ocean session at The Point (Old Life Guard Beach) in some damn big waves. Waves at the hole were probably 2-4 foots, especially in close right where the hole bumps into the shallows.

Heres what Ego Beach looked like

Stuart gives us a sense of the scale. It was at least mast high



It was huge, with a raging current. Can't believe later in the day we sailed just around the corner at The Point. It was pretty big today.




WRAL News-Coverage you can count on!


Donny Bowers was a stand out today. He was throwing some huge forwards.





Keith MuCulloch getting vectors from air traffic control




Pete Lewando



Martine McCulloch



The McCullochs


Just a stroll in the park for some

Donny and Keith


While the Hatteras locals where putting on a show, I was just trying to keep from exploding. It was one those days where it was so windy you're stoked just to make your gybes. Funny, I found tacking easier today



My smallest kit, 3.6 and 77 ltr board


Yeah, it was windy today




I could barely hold onto my 3.6 in the gusts. If not the windiest day I've ever sailed, it was up there at the top.
Here are some shots from the session at The Point



Bill Bell was awesome today.
He's inspiring to watch. Pretty fearless.



This is a great sequence. Nice ride Bill!




Me, I was super stoked to finally make it out today. There was alot of water moving out there. The good guys make it look so easy



Emo and some carnage

But it didn't stop him from rigging up with us at The Point.



Here he is in front of a nice one

Charles Lategano

Great to meet you this weekend Charles.



Keith is the man. Thanks for sportin one of my stickers.



Wrap up to an epic day in Hatteras


I feel very blessed to have gotten to know Bill, Keith, Stuart, Donny, and all the other Hatteras locals. I've learned so much from them, and Keith your encouragement today meant alot. I still have a long way to go, but sailing with you guys is awesome stuff.

Shot some helmet cam action so check back for that. I'll be back next week for Wavefest. Aw yeah

11 comments:

Bill said...

Awesome pics George, they really sum up the action today. Your two day reporting is a great Hanna summary!

Congrats again too for your efforts today, and "making it out!" That was some challenging surf at the Point today.

EC said...

Sorry to say but Lifefeguard beach was the crappiest wavesailing conditions i encountered, by the time i went out, too much chop, undefined waves reforming on the inside and dumping.... Short rides, one to two turns tops....
Anyway glad to see Bill got his wave as he didn't stay out long!

Boilers raged, should of would of, know better...

Keith said...

George, awesome job with the blog and reporting! note: photo just above the couple shot of me and martine together on the beach is a shot of mark or pete on the naish sail. martine was on a green simmer (same sail I was using). great to sail with you, glad you made it down and looking forward to wave fest! -K

George Markopoulos said...

sorry bout that Keith. I'll put some up of Martine shorly. My bad.

George Markopoulos said...

Emo-I hope to soon have my wavesailing skill to the level where i can say that a wave is crappy or good. As you could probably tell, I'm new at it.

I'm just trying to watch, learn, pay my dues, figure it all out.

Anonymous said...

While I have to admit that taking my wife to Pittsburgh this Saturday to see the play "Wicked" for her birthday was fun, you guys may have had just a bit more fun than me! Aaaaarrrrggghhh!!!

Bill said...

Ken, great comment!! Had me laughing this morning while doing the morning coffee blog rounds.

Andy said...

Man looks like a sweet day! and with sunshine to boot! That's just about as good as it gets for a tropical storm... Nice pics!

Anonymous said...

EC, if boilers raged.. where's the photos? i'd love to see it. every time i drive there its a total waste of time and gas money, never seen it epic like i hear about!? Bill stopped by on the way home and reported that it looked awful and no one was out. glad i didn't get sucked into road surfing all day. -K

Bill said...

Yea, I think that the sand at the Boiler is just not what it was in 2005. This year there is a huge "hole" with deep water leading directly to the beach, creating a huge shore pound. In previous years like 2005, the Boiler had a nice set up with two distinct bars and a gradual drop off to the first bar. That set up lessened the shore pound off the beach and moved it out to the first bar, providing an easier launch (similar to Lifeguard beach this year).

However in 2008, the Boiler just does not have the setup. Actually, the parking lot north of the Boiler has a better set up, especially the sand bar just south of the lot. I wave sailed there a few times this year, and it was not too bad. Though, I have not sailed it in bigger conditions (head high+).

All in all, popular spots one year, often do not work that great the next. The beauty of sand bar breaks. That is definitely the case with the Boiler in 2008. For me its a bummer, since I do have to use more gas to get to Lifeguard Beach or the Point, but the wavesailing is much better there this year!

EC said...

Hey,

Just ask Charlie to email the pictures !

I don't doubt one second it was better than Lifeguard beach, which just utterly sucked!

Anyway, thursday-friday, NE plus swell, here we go!