SPI 2009 video

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

http://vimeo.com/7530178

I didn't get a whole lot of footage but here's what I was able to throw together after the trip.

forrest · Tue Nov 10, 09 9:33 am

Nice, what time of year was this? Good song choice!

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

it was last week.

that damn hurricane was killing the wind so we were on big kites the whole time.

still we got some really nice sunny dry 80's weather

forrest · Tue Nov 10, 09 11:55 am

I did 10 days in corpus once where there were three low pressure systems that rolled through. Best I got was an 8 mph off shore breeze. Was fun to go 20 miles off shore for some fishing in glass flat water though!

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

haha yeah.....gotta remember what you did before you started kiting.

I still managed to get out every day.

Friday was pretty fun. went to the northern flats and the wind was side offshore at the launch and as soon as you went north it was due offshore. I got to do some touring around on a door in butter and 6in-2ft of water Smile

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

Just back from there...super light wind. How did you do with the red tide during your ocean session?

Really like your video...all you missed were 90lb girls on 14's & the very bored lawn chair posse checking ikitesurf all day.

Melo

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

haha....I almost got nailed by a couple of those 90lb girls on a 14m.....definitely fun to look at....a little dangerous to ride with :p

you know its bad when you have to dive out of the way downwind to avoid getting clothes lined by a kite. haha

ocean side sessions weren't too bad down by the jetty. 2 of my friends did a downwinder from access 4 and that didn't go so well, later on we had heard that the most concentrated red tide was between beaches 4 and 5. One of them was alright but the other one had to lay down with a wash cloth on his eyes for an hour afterwards. I guess he was spitting in his hands and trying to rub that in his eyes to stop the burning and help make it a little easier to see for half the downwinder.

to be fair when they were getting in the water for the downwinder there was also "fresh" dead fish washing up at the launch.

I got in the water twice down by the jetty and I've gotta say it felt no different from normal saltwater. which typically makes my eyes and throat burn a tiny bit but nothing out of the ordinary. I wear contacts too so I was especially concerned about getting that crud in my eyes.

shred_da_gorge · Thu Nov 12, 09 7:36 am

Yeah, my 14 got lots of use... mostly by 90 lb girls. I've been reminded (repeatedly) that the wind picked up literally just as soon as I left for the airport! That's me trying to keep the Rebel in the air around 1:52... sorry to saunter across your field of view.

Gotta get me one of those big foils!

Better wind next trip...

FunShui · Since 16 Jul 2006 146 Posts Really, really Stoked

Hey Chris,

Nice vid and good to meet your crew from Bellingham. We finally got the ocean goods we were looking for Sunday late, Monday (2 sessions), and a little Tuesday morning before we had to fly.

It was big and junky with NOAA calling ~ 8-11 and then 6-10 ft swell. First day 11m, 9m, then 9m and 7m on Monday. In our crew we had varying reaction to the red tide with all of us at least coughing. Contacts seemed to protect some from the eye burning but it mostly resolved in a few hours and we were back at it as soon as we could see.

There were four discrete sets of waves with the outside having probably 12-15 foot faces. Hardly any of it was well formed so it was a bit of a rabbit chase. The middle and beach breaks were slightly better formed but I mostly tried to stay out of the red tide foam. Lip and tongue numbness usually went away within a few hours Twisted Evil

I will go back but probably will hold out for a spring trip. We usually go to Maui but it was an interesting change and the red tide I can do without. The next time I go I will not only be looking at the weather and swell forecast, but the red tide forecast as well. Rolling Eyes

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

Yeah Maui is next on my list. I'm hoping I can do the whole trip on air miles too since alaska flies direct to there

After hitting Oahu for the first time this last spring I've decided Hawaii is one of the funnest places on earth Wink