Cover Shot!

After writing more than half a dozen articles for the New England Windsurfing Journal, I finally made the cover, and I'm pretty stoked about that! Thanks to my wife for getting the shot, and to Peter Bogucki for putting it out there.

The shot is from an epic day at Assateague back on May31st.

You can find the NEWJ at you local surf shops like Sailworld Cape Hatteras




Also in this issue is a great story from Andy Mckinney of Lost in Hatteras about a recent sesh at the Cove. I look forward to sailing there with you Andy.

Dana Miller also has an interesting anecdote in this issue. Dana, send me a few of those stickers, I love it.

For those unable to get copy, here is the full reprint of the story I wrote for the July Issue:

Assateague Delivers!

I’ve sailed Assateague, Md. (the Federal side) many times. Some sessions, the surf was small with high wind. On other days, the surf was jaw dropping with hardly enough wind to make it past the break. I don’t think I’ve ever scored there in the summer, with most of those sessions happening in the late fall or winter. I’d paid my dues.

On Saturday May 31, 2008, Assateague delivered; warm temperatures, steady strong wind, and surf big enough to respect, but of the size that I could be aggressive, and not risk too much if I screwed it up. Because of the way the Delmarva coast turns to the southwest, Assateague works best on a SW. Those elusive side off conditions we all search for is the perfect direction for wave sailing at Assateague. I arrived around 10am to warm, sunny weather. More importantly, the wind was strong, in the 5.0 range. Also, low tide was about 11am, so the shore break was minimal, and the strong wind mitigated the effect of the current which is almost always an issue on the east coast. I rigged my 5.0, attached my 91 ltr JP fsw, carried my stuff down to the water, and blasted out into the kind of magic I dream of every night. 3-5 foot waves, perfect for blasting big jumps, and organized enough to make 2-3 turns off of on the ride back in. The steady strong SW wind blew in a pretty decent wind swell, and by 1pm, some of the waves began packing a punch. I had some great wave rides that day, my best and longest rides since my trip to Maui this past February. Also, those recent winter big surf sessions in Assateague and Maui, paid huge dividends this day. With the smaller surf, I had the confidence sail harder and get more aggressive. If I hit the lip a little late, no worries, I’d hit it with attitude and explode through with a burst of white water. If the ramp was pitching vertical, I’d hit it with speed and let it launch me into a back-loop rotation, although the few times I tried to rotate, I pulled out of the straps and bailed. So much fun! The conditions were absolutely fabulous, and the sailing reached a level that we later all agreed was epic.

Other sailors present where James Roe and Niko Iampieri. I sailed till about 3.30, or over five hours of pure ecstasy. It was without a doubt my best session ever on the Delmarva coast, and one of my best ever on the mainland.

A big thank you to my wife, who 10 days post-op for an ACL replacement sat on the beach all day getting sandblasted, all in the name of a good shot. As usual, she captured some fantastic shots. My only regret was that Ken Kellar wasn’t able to make it. He too has paid his dues there, and it killed him when he found out what he missed. Well, we all know how that goes.

I just love this sport and I can't wait to get back out there! I'm more fired up, more passionate, and more addicted than I've ever been. And thats saying alot.
Live2sail.