Wingaersheek the Machine
When:
Sun, 10/30/2011
Beach/Launch:
Wingaersheek Beach
Wind Speeds:
moderate 20-30
Had a truly amazing day today at Wingaersheek Beach with Dunoyer. I was still grumbling over my previous nights craziness and trying to determine if I wanted to watch a movie or kite.. felt really cold. What was I thinking.. I mean 42-45ish is not cold when you have 12-15ft waves and 9m winds on a sunny day. Its not Key West or Brazil but its perfect so I went. As I started driving to Nahant I saw Jeans texts and wondered why he wanted to make the extra trip to Gloucester so I decided to check it out because my last visit was 2+ years ago. When I arrived Jean was dressed and his kite was ready for a launch. I picked up his new 9m Taboo and gave him a launch.
In the parking lot just before we realized had it not been for the community and site it might not have been possible to expect to have the support to make the day a safe one. The wind was gusty at the beach and the waves were just EPIC large looking like a washing machine of faces and white walls.
Dunoyer headed out and by the time I got up on the rocks he had left the area over to Horse Shit Beach so I didnt get much for pictures of him. It was crazy out there and had my kite drag me twice after getting swallowed by waves. Rode some massive waves for some distances and didn't do much for boosting. It was easy to stay upwind in the zone so I make my tacks short downlooping and carving into faces while avoiding the wash. The sun was amazing! I wasn't cold at all. The beach grass, dunes, houses all reflecting this amazing shimmer and amber color. After hanging out after session the sun began to set and the sky on the way home now red, made me realize how important it was that Jean got to me. I would have missed such an epic session with one the guys I love to ride with most.. Thanks Buddy for getting me out there!!
Session Pictures:
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 11:39
#1
Nice write up, Johnny. Most
Nice write up, Johnny. Most memorable session to date.
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 12:28
#2
not for me
no thanks, this is not for me but hope it will be some day.
Great pics Johnny.
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 12:31
#3
We had a very good session in
We had a very good session in Nahant, very clean big waves due to side off-shore wind. Although the wind was not very clean as usual in Nahant, it is definitively a AAA wave spot in these conditions. There were left and right handers, I don't have many pictures but check this one:
[img_assist|nid=7766|title=Nahant Sunday 30th|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=480|height=360]
Wed, 11/02/2011 - 08:08
#4
I second Stef, Sunday Nahant
I second Stef, Sunday Nahant was Tha Spot. Jean, you can do it, next time you have to come with us.
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 14:25
#5
Nice pics Johnny, It looks
Nice pics Johnny, It looks like you could have used a Wainman Gambler out there!!! 
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 16:23
#6
@Jean,
How do you like the
@Jean,
How do you like the helmet and what kind is it? I don't notice the helmet when I bike or snowboard, does it interfere with kiting at all?
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 17:50
#7
Interesting you should
Interesting you should mention the helmet. I stopped wearing it a few years ago and I put it on just to keep the wool hat on my head in the cold. Having said that, I had a very scary moment Sunday when I found myself exactly where I knew I didn't want to be - amongst large rocks, and of course a wave crashed on me and threw me around. I thought I was going to get seriously pinged and wearing the helmet would have made a big difference.
I really don't notice the helmet. I don't remember the type. I'll look and let you know. I am starting to think seriously about wearing one all of the time now. Shit can happen so fast, and the serious injuries occur to riders AFTER they've been knocked unconscious.
Kite safe brother. And stay in touch, we never ride together anymore.
Wed, 11/02/2011 - 12:42
#8
A helmet can be useful
I wear a Bern helmet all the time. If it is tight enough it does not bother me, especially when I wear my neoprene beanie under, if it is not tight it will fall on my eyes and can be really annoying so make sure it fits well if you get one. It saved my head from bruises a couple times already.
Once I crash on beach, I was on the water close to shore and working the kite over the beach. Then the kite touched the sand and crashed, dragged me out of the water and I hit my head on the beach, it may have knocked me out without the helmet.
Second time, I was just walking with the kite up and the board in my other hand. While moving around the wind slapped the board against my head, I probably would have gotten a nice bruise that day if I did not have the helmet.
Actually the same thing happened during one of my first lessons in January, I did not have a helmet and it did hurt.
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 18:00
#9
Guys
You guys are awesome....very inspiring!
Tue, 11/01/2011 - 00:24
#10
Sick picts. I'm all lubed up
Sick picts. I'm all lubed up to by a dry suit. You could sell this report to Ocean Rodeo. What an effing sport!
Tue, 11/01/2011 - 10:22
#11
Ocean Rodeo should be
Ocean Rodeo should be sponsoring me, considering all of the comments I have drawn to the Mako 150 and Pyro Pro.
Wed, 11/02/2011 - 10:36
#12
Jean,
Have you ever gone for
Jean,
Have you ever gone for a long swim without a kite in big surf in your dry suit?
I did it once in a pyro pro and did not like it at all. felt like one of the drifters we put out to track water motion rather than a surfer/swimmer. there is reason surfers wear wetsuits: mobility and ability to swim under some waves. that beingsaid when it is really big (i.e huge tow-ins they wear flotation vests), but in moderate size, which is really big for us they dont
Anyway just a thought as you start to spend more time in winter big surf conditions.
it is all about personal preferences and what you feel comfortable in.
at some stage it would be worth trying a bit of kiteless swim with both a dry and wetsuit just to see how different it feels. It is not something one normally intentionally does but will give you a feel for the difference.
Also as you start to kite more and more in big conditions taking up a second sport such as surfing or supping is really pretty helpful. because in kiting hold downs are rare but can have consequences. In surfing/supping it happens often so you get more used to it and learn not to panic, nice thing about surfing is the gear is not so tricky like a kite down in the waves. Supping is somewhere in between as a SUP in big surf can tow you pretty hard, but not as bad as a downed kite