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Diggy
Since 25 Nov 2006
342 Posts
Gorge to Coast
Obsessed
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 Mon Jul 28, 08 1:33 pm Blowout - What to ride? Any tips? |
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So I will be riding in my first Blowout this year and am thinking of riding my SRT surfboard with straps. Any opinions on this? What do most folks ride, twin tips or surfboard? or better questios, What do most folks who finish ride?
Any other tips or considerations from the blowout veterans?
I'll be riding with the Sports men and women and my goal is to finish, not racing anyone.
~dig |
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tinyE
Since 21 Jan 2006
2004 Posts
not really an
XTreme Poster
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 1:45 pm |
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straps will make your rear calf so tight by the end of the 20 miles that you will be hurting....
my tip... bigger board is better, but it will be windier when you finish than when you start, and there is one area where the wind is nukin'.
also....the biggest tip is....don't try to go straight downwind.... you have to tack back and forth...the longer the tack the better...in one direction, it will seem like you are going nowhere downwind, then on the way back, you'll be blasting downwind....
start as close to the oregon shore as you can...first tack downwind should be towards the graveyard.
stay away from spots that look glassy, or less choppy than the middle of the river... your kite will go down.
hydrate really well before the start... the top finishers completed it in an hour... but don't count on finishing that fast. it's hot, it's windy.... you get thirsty.
have some fun on the way down. I was in the middle of the pack...never even imagined I could win the thing.... I came upon some huge swells and had a blast...
help others. if you see a board floating in the nuking section and a kite downwind, chances are he isn't going to be able to get his board. I rescued one last year, would recommend everyone help their brothers out... it is a race, but it's also supposed to be fun (and safe).
thank the boats and jet skiers there to support you. They are passing up kiting to help out.
when you come upon the windsurfer sections, be courteous. Try to pick a line and stay with it... they are going to like you even less if you start cutting back and forth and they can't tell where/which way you are headed.
obey the right of way rules... if you are overtaking another kite, it's your job to stay out of their way.... same way with blasting down the river and happening upon a bunch of windsurfers trying to stay up wind... you should be the one adjusting.... lastly, if you're headed back to the oregon shore, and another kiter is headed towards the washington shore, you have the right away.
that's about it... oh yeah... lots of sunscreen! |
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 2:28 pm |
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| tinyE wrote: | | straps will make your rear calf so tight by the end of the 20 miles that you will be hurting....... oh yeah... lots of sunscreen! |
Thanks... I'm already scared.
Thinking my Fuse, or my Glide.
I know I'll be hurting no matter what I do.
Was I supposed to spend the entire month of July at the gym, getting ready for this?
And, how's the "out" at Viento for and option? Never have launched there.
Been wanting to do this "Bucket List" thing since I first came to da Gorge in '93
PS, I completed about 22 laps on the 2007 KB4C course, so I think that's 50 miles? Should mean I could handle this... but definitely a cruiser not the race division for me.
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Kip Wylie
Last edited by wylieflyote on Mon Jul 28, 08 2:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Spike
Since 13 May 2007
1414 Posts
Alameda
Spelling Expert
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 2:32 pm |
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Search button at the top...
| Spike wrote: | | It was rough on a twin-tip. Learn to ride backwards: put the kite on the opposite side of the window you would normally put it) and with a big enough kite it will allow you to edge while going straight downwind. This is FAR more relaxing. I didn't figure this out until the last couple miles of the race last year. |
It helps to sine the kite up and down too. I'd practice it if a twin tip is all you have, it gives your legs a break. With this method you can fairly easily rig 2 sizes up from what you would normall put up.
If you're not set on winning, you can just park you ass in the water for a few minutes every now and then and take a break, drink some water, eat a granola bar, etc. I think a glide would be a terrible idea.
I'll be launching kites at stevenson on saturday so I won't actually be participating in the event. |
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lance_k
Since 04 May 2005
565 Posts
Hood River
Photographer
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 2:35 pm |
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i'd say always plan a self rescue or escape to the washington side... it's alot easier to hitch hike back to stevenson from the north shore than from the south (interstate/speeding cars/bridge).
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Last edited by lance_k on Mon Jul 28, 08 6:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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pkh
Since 27 Feb 2005
6549 Posts
Couve / Hood
Honored Founder
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 2:56 pm |
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Ask Henry about his Glide experience last year 
Glide is good for going upwind, not down.
Surfboard with straps will be the weapon of choice for most I'd say, fuse wouldn't be bad either. Like Spike says though your back leg will take a beating unless you jybe a bit. |
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Kodiak
Since 01 Aug 2005
1114 Posts
Slidey
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 3:33 pm |
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| Yeah, glide is the worst idea you could do for going downwind. Surfboard or twintip. Each has benefits and drawbacks. |
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kss
Since 24 Apr 2006
614 Posts
pdx
Addicted
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 4:42 pm |
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| benefits and drawbacks?? |
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KITEADDICT
Since 13 Apr 2006
117 Posts
PDX west side
Stoked
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 5:00 pm |
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| surfboard would be better for keeping the tip up in the chop and twin tip easyer to jibe it seems like to me but I have 0 downwind racing experience. |
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Gman
Since 11 Feb 2006
4911 Posts
Portland
Unstrapped
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 6:31 pm |
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| wylieflyote wrote: | | tinyE wrote: | | straps will make your rear calf so tight by the end of the 20 miles that you will be hurting....... oh yeah... lots of sunscreen! |
Thanks... I'm already scared.
Thinking my Fuse, or my Glide.
I know I'll be hurting no matter what I do.
Was I supposed to spend the entire month of July at the gym, getting ready for this?
And, how's the "out" at Viento for and option? Never have launched there.
Been wanting to do this "Bucket List" thing since I first came to da Gorge in '93
PS, I completed about 22 laps on the 2007 KB4C course, so I think that's 50 miles? Should mean I could handle this... but definitely a cruiser not the race division for me. |
If you did 22 laps - this will be a piece of cake - the Fuse should work great
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Go Deep!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eu2pBpQolKE |
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dangerD
Since 27 Jun 2005
223 Posts
Bingen Heights
Stoked
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 7:09 pm |
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| 16m and waterskis... don't stop looping! |
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pdxmonkeyboy
Since 16 May 2006
6081 Posts
forever labled as the
retired kiter & motorhead Unicorn Master
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 7:32 pm |
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I can't decide between my strapped surf or the fuse?
I have never really gone fast on the surfboard... |
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bustingbladder
Since 12 Jul 2006
387 Posts
Seattle
Obsessed
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| Mon Jul 28, 08 9:04 pm |
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| I was on a Mike Hills Fuse last year and it was ON FIRE fast. My poor result was not the boards fault. |
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tinyE
Since 21 Jan 2006
2004 Posts
not really an
XTreme Poster
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| Tue Jul 29, 08 6:00 am |
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| pdxmonkeyboy wrote: | I can't decide between my strapped surf or the fuse?
I have never really gone fast on the surfboard... |
i rode the fuse last year... the only problem i had was i was using the ridiculous stock pads... i did fine otherwise...
i think the surf board is the best choice, for the rocker keeping the tip up, and the cushy feel in the chop...also the light wind ability if you run into it... but only if you have gotten time on it...don't change to something new the day of the race...go out and practice...
wylie... i've seen you kite, you'll be fine... there is no out for you a viento (there is an out, just not for you! )  ...
remember, it's ok to be a little over powered on a downwinder... the more you point downwind, the less power in your kite... spike is right... you need to sine, you need to do things on your board that you don't do going up wind.
do or do not, there is no try! |
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Onad
Since 04 Mar 2005
1435 Posts
Coast<<PDX>>Gorge
XTreme Poster
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| Tue Jul 29, 08 6:16 am |
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Hey TinyE, try putting TT (SX or Misfit) pads/straps on the Fuse. I ride this setup in the river and the stock pads/straps in the ocean. Keep your stance slightly back, but not all the way so you can still ride both ways.
This is a good option if you aren’t super efficient at jibing a surfboard. Riding both ways and or jibing is key to keeping the back leg from getting totally worked. |
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Tue Jul 29, 08 7:52 am |
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OK,
Fuse it is, and tonight I'm going to transfer my LF Luxury Pads & Straps for this Blowout.
Thanks All. Not scared now.
Kip Wylie (not Wiley of Wiley Water Sports Seattle)
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CGKA Member
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Kip Wylie |
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pkh
Since 27 Feb 2005
6549 Posts
Couve / Hood
Honored Founder
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| Tue Jul 29, 08 8:00 am |
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Re: Kite size
The front runners last year were all on 11m or bigger kites. I took an 11m but I'd probably have taken a 13m if I had one. Wind at Stevenson was 15-20, 15-25 at Sandbar, with probably higher gusts around the Hatch. |
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