New Go Pro Hero 3 Mount Ready

Last fall, the Zamboni destroyed another boom during a sesh at Broadkill. I was quick to pounce. "Hey Bob, whatcha gonna do with the broken boom head?" Long story short, he was kind enough to let me have it. One man's junk is anothers treasure right? So I've had this boom clamp for almost a year now, and today I finally dialed my new Go-Pro Hero 3 "clew-view" mount.

I worked out the kinks on my skate-sailing boom. View from behind:

I tightened the clamp right over the pin locks on my boom. It fits pretty snug, and while a solid wipe out will tweak the POV angle, I'm reasonably confident it wont fall off and will only require a subtle adjustment to re-align the camera angle.


Up until the "Clew-View" mount, I was somewhat limited with the angle I wanted to film. Both the helmet cam and the mast mount are excellent, but your pretty much fixed in terms of what your gonna beable to shoot for the entire sesh.

Cool thing about the clew-view is that it has more versatility. I cinch up the Go-Pro velcro strap over some plastic insulation material. So it fits tight (that insulation also deadens the background noise), but I can still twirl the camera to face backwards or sideways for that matter! Its easily within reach of the backhand, and I can change the POV on the fly while blasting with my firends. Ken if your on the next wave behind, I can just twist it to face back!
Front length view: All I need now is some duct tape to wrap around the end of the sawed off carbon boom arm so the gro-pro doesn't slide up and off.

Cant wait to try it out!

The Law Of Averages

After a surprising second half of July and pretty decent follow up for the first week of August, we've not had much action up here in Maryland/Delaware since early August. A drought that now stands at about 3 weeks. The calluses on my hands are getting soft for Christ sake!

While a windless streak is most certainly difficult to accept, I prefer to look at the glass as half full.

The streak is coming round, and we're due, if only based on the law of averages, for some honking wind. Have faith guys, we'll be blasting any day now. In the interim, I try my best to hit the gym at least 3 times a week (can't seem to be that consistent however) just to stay in shape. I most certainly visualize windsurfing maneuvers all day long. Especially looping. Hell, yesterday, I tossed over a hundred forwards, on both tacks, in my mind, and sailed away from all of em!

Headed out to the coast now to pick up the windsurfing van from the beach house.
I keep it there during the meat of windless-east coast summer. But now, with September two days away, and Wavefest two weeks away!!, I need my gear close at hand for rapid deployment.
Gotta run now.

Needs no introduction:

The Official Loop Fest Video

The final cut of the video from the Hatteras Loop Off Is ready! You can see it on Bill's blog and by clicking here.

Click here for bonus coverage of Loopfest in the new issue of Windsurfing Magazine

Mayo Beach, Maryland

Cruised on down to Mayo Sunday afternoon.


I've heard this is a great spot on a South. With no obstructions, you get clean wind


Absolutely beautiful venue:

Fabulous landscape:


Mayo Beach is where the South River feeds into the Chesapeake. I'm told you get very nice looplicious rolling swell here. Cant wait to sail this spot!


Maryland Crabs:


Line em up:


Grassy rigging area with picnic tables.
Great spot for SUP:


You need an annual pass to use Mayo, but after scoping the spot, it appears well worth it!



I suspect boat traffic will be less on the windy days. Thomas Point off in the distance:





Haven't been on the water for two weeks now, and I'm not happy about that. Fortunately, next week is Septemeber, and here comes the Hatteras Wave Fest!
Looking forward...

Wipe Out Shots

Everyone loves a good wipe out shot. Well I have enough of em to fill up a unique folder on my laptop. Here are a few of em. I never hurt myself in any of these crashes, so enjoy my suffering.

Oh, I've added subtitles but you need to put the mouse cursor over the photo to seem them..

Never Let Go Of Your Gear

You're told to never let go of your equipment. At a minimum, it saves you from a long swim which saps your energy. Also, floating gear is a hazard to other sailors, as well as the probability of it getting smashed into a sandbar increases when you're not holding on and able to at least resist the currents desire to take it where it shouldn't go.

These shots from the Old Lifeguard Beach session in Hatteras during Loopfest:






Well, sometimes there just no way around going for a swim! Nice Bill!


You especially don't want to let go of the boom while tossing forwards. Ken Kellar during the Main Event
Sprecklesville, Maui Feb '08


Assateague May'08

Live2sail

My wife is very involved with Savage, Maryland volunteer work, and she came up with a great idea which was to have stickers made up to give out as quid pro quo for those who choose to volunteer their time.


Long story short, I had a few dozen made up to promote this blog. Here is what they look like, from the back of my Jeep:



Not as catchy as "OBX" I know, but that's the best acronym we could come up. If anyone has suggestions for something more catchy, or if you'd like one, please leave a comment here. I'll carry them with me in the van, and next time I see you I'll hook you up!

Tropical Storm Fay Kitemare

This one is pretty scary guys.



Click here to read the details. Here is another angle.

This incident reminds me of my own personal close encounter with a kitemare, in that instead of a building making contact with the kiter, it was my parked van:


Pretty soon, an innocent bystander is going to get maimed or killed by a 180lb projectile. At that point, these sorts of horrible accidents are going to impact all of us. Most of the kiters I know on personal level are responsible and use good judgement. They are also aware of the threat to access that kiting accidents are increasingly presenting. Self policing can only go so far. At some point, mother nature will trump all.

I can't help but note that with a windsurfer, you come in and just set your stuff down. But with kiting, in most cases i've seen, you need someone else to land your kite. Its scary to put yourself in that guys shoes. What a helpless feelling it had to have been, to know you need to get that kite down on the ground, and fast, before your out of harms way. Kinda like a race against a ticking time bomb.

Here is another thought. What happened to the guys kite after it was seperated from this poor guy? I assume it is still a threat off the water as is was on the water in Nico's case back on May 31st?

Again, avoid putting yourself downwind of a kiter. Never park in the front row at any venue where people are kiting. And from what I've learned, never try to resuce the kiters equipment if it becomes seperated from the kiter. In an incident like this one, unless you are a kiter and are familier with the equipment, avoid the kite itself like the plague, and instead do your best to try and help the injured kiter.

Yeah, I'm Talkin Smack

This is a bi-lateral contest between my antagonist and I to see who "sails away clean" first.

We agreed to these terms back on 10/10/06. Yah, its taken a while to reach this point, but the end is near! I'm very close to sailing away from a forward loop. Another day of solid conditions is all I need.

I'm gonna attach my opponents canceled check to this scrap book page, after I cash it.



My oppoents name has been erased from the above photo so as to conceal his indentity, although most of my friends know who he is.

So there it is. Yah, I'm talking smack.

Here is a sequence of me looping off of Old Life Guard Beach, Cape Hatteras:

A New Spot!

So what do I do on beautifull windless day? Go exploring our national parks, and discover a fantastic new spot to sail. My friend Steve suggested North Point. The spot is about 28 miles from our Maryland house, which is equal distant to Sandy Point. But North Point works better when there is more east in it. So I'm looking forward to that next windy day!

Baltimore's Key Bridge spanning the Patapsco





Path leading down to the beach where small craft launch from. This is approx an east facing beach. Spot apparently works best on a NE or ENE, and also S and SE:

Cool fountain. This park was established back in 1906, and has a lot of rich history:






This was one skittish grasshopper


Cool tree:





Not sure which light house this is, but its directly out/across from the main beach

Lots of cool pathes to explore:



This is a spit of land juts out about 150 yards off of the right side of the main beach, which is visible off to the right. Will serve as a great vantage point from which to take photos!


To give a sense of where this spot is located, the Bay Brige is within view due south

On a side note, Fay is shaping up. Do I hear road trip wedensday nite?: