2008 Blowout Results

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

That's awesome, Bard. Is there anyway to tell the total distance? Not just the straight shot down the river, but including all the reaches? We were trying to figure that out yesterday as we were just playing on twins as well.

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1735 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

just got back to seattle. congrats to all the participants and finishers.
great to be involved in another quality Gorge event.
Anyhow I was riding the 14m Thruster and the LF mission 138.
I was pretty easy to spot as I rode the kite pretty much at noon while it was folding and wingtips clapping together from viento to the sand bar.
good time regardless. Thanks Jeff and all the volunteers. Grady and Hunt did a great job getting everyone off the aqua dock that afternoon.

bardrichmond · Since 30 Mar 2007 3 Posts magnolia, Seattle Kook

Yes!

The totals on the water for my course (which includes all reaches) were:

26.25 miles in 2:36:29 for an average speed of 10.1mph with peak speed of 22.7mph. I'm pretty sure I started the GPS within a minute of the actual start of our group (2nd group) so, the mileage for me is accurate.

However, the better riders probably were able to make the course shorter with more downwind pointing. Of course I felt like I was going straight downwind on my tacks towards Oregon, but that was just the feeling...or maybe just hoping that it would reduce the force of the kite!

It would be fun to put a GPS on some of the fastest people next year and see their reach angles.

Bard

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

weighing 170 pounds i rode a slingshot rev 13 and a custom 5'8" north pacific to finish in 1:13:02.

i botched the time early on by being lazy doing a kiteloop- catching a wingtip, downing the kite. the relaunch was abit slow and i was swearing like a sailor at myself. i made another mistake by getting pulled off my board in a gust. body dragging two long reaches to catch my board was agonizing.

i did not sheet the kite. i found the best way to control my speed was to run with the gusts, catch up with the kite and that would slow everything down.

a little anyways... reminded me of snowboarding valdez Twisted Evil

4Stringer/KipWinger · Since 27 Apr 2005 541 Posts Hood River Addicted

BO war story here;
http://www.nwkite.com/forums/post-69016.html#69016

j-rod · Since 04 Aug 2008 4 Posts Seattle Kook

War stories? Thankfully I didn't have to contend with any barges. But, after going thru most of the heaviness of Viento/Swell, I took a big gust which snapped my bar in half, broke the sheeter strap, and ripped my 14m Torch in 2 spots. Self rescued for an hour & half back to WA.

Joined this forum mainly to give BIG THANKS to Motorcycle Jeff for the ride back to Stevenson after picking me up off the river. The dude even chucked down his flipflops from the road so I could hike up the rocks! Your karma is fully maxed!!

Jeff

CrazyC · Since 07 Apr 2007 174 Posts P Town Stoked

Thanks to Diggy and Ken for helping me out, after blowing up my LE 10 ft from the finish Shocked

Onad · Mon Aug 04, 08 10:46 am

Mark · Mon Aug 04, 08 10:56 am

I credit all my years playing on my Skurfer (early wakeboard/surfboad) behind the boat. We use to have a few adult beverages and see how fast you could go on the skurfer. Could hit speeds of 45-50.

It all payed off as I was on my surfboard going as fast the wind/gusts. There were times I would skip over the troughs and just touch the tops of the waves.
What a great adrenaline rush! Didn't realize it was so windy until I tried to stop at the finish line and had to have someone help hold on to me so I could land my kite!!

Can't wait till next year.

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

Wow - Trevor and Jake at 5 & 6 - VERY nice.

kitebroad · Since 01 Apr 2008 16 Posts San Francisco

Huge thanks to all the organizers and volunteers of the blow out. I am stoked I got to participate and hope to actually finish next year, preferably in the top ten. Very Happy

I had a bit of a sketch start while I worked out my methods for downwinding. By the time I got to Home Valley I was much more comfortable and looking forward to the journey. The wind had picked up a lot and the lines of my 11m Waroo tensioned while going up the side of monster swell resulting in serious accelleration. I have to assume (memory gets hazy at this point) my twin tip board pearled. I ended up being dragged across and through the water while spinning like a top which in retrospect was pretty fun. (Note to self: Be more present during wipeouts instead of worrying about board ending up in Uganda by the time I get sorted.) My bar was out but the spinning looped and tomahawked my kite with enough force to knock out the deflate valve. I wish I had video of this! Any rate, end of downwinder for me but I was very fortunate to get picked up by Pat on a jetski right after I had finished wrapping my lines and to get a ride back to Stevenson from a couple picking blackberries on the shore where I came in.

Pat, you absolutely rock - thank you so much I owe you many cold ones. And if anyone knows a Josh Samms that lives near White Salmon let me know, I want to thank that couple again if possible.

Great to meet so many quality people at the barbeque afterwards too, was lovely listening to the stellar music and enjoying the view. Thanks muchly to questionable-use-of-sock-puppet-monkeys-boy too for the much appreciated beer. Hopefully see everyone next weekend at KB4C or on the water sooner than later. -jane

kimkiteboard · Since 23 Jan 2006 19 Posts

I rode the 07 Sol and 10m Rebel lite same as everyone else. I got about 1/4 mile from Swell City and lost my board and body surfed through the swell to arrive safely and exhausted at Swell City. I was greeted by two fabulous windersurfers who approached with a beer in hand for me and a freshly baked frosted cupcake. They helped drag my kite out and gave me a ride to the Event Site. The board was also waiting for me at the Event Site : ). Thanks to those fabulous windsurfers and blowout volunteers for finding my board!!

carolb · Tue Aug 05, 08 11:22 pm **Swell city t-bagging**

Tony and I did the Stevie to HR downwinder 4 times last week. Of the 3 trips on the 12, 2 were in nuking winds including the race and 1 was perfect. So on the 4th downwinder on Sunday with the same Stevie wind conditions, we went on 9's and ended up swimming/self rescuing across the Columbia to Wa. Absolutely no wind in the canyon and everyone at HR was on 7's and 9's. Climbed a really steep embankment, waited for the train, climbed the retaining wall for the tracks, hitchhiked back to Stevie but Grom had taken the car home, begged a 2nd ride from the last kiter on the beach (thanks Igor) and jumped in the hot tub with a beer!

In the race, I got t-bagged off my board in a huge gust at swell city and did the ankles only in the water trick, so I put the kite to the side of the window and filled my wet suit with about 20 lbs of water then porpoised through the huge swell until I finally found my surfboard. When I got up, there were a lot of kites in the water and a red one was rolling down the river. Then I thought the finish line was the boat and 2 buoys that was the start of the windsurfers so I went through there just as they were starting. Then that crazy Stringy cut through the finish line 2 seconds ahead of me and had to rub it in. Very Happy

Shannon had a huge crash near me that took her out and is still missing her LF board. Alex boosted about 30 ft over head so fast evasive action resulted in an accelerate crash. Gman and I were rocking out of control side by side past Viento together.

Crazy, out of control ride. Can't wait to try it again next year, hopefully on the right size kite.

Onad · Wed Aug 06, 08 11:33 am **Re: Swell city t-bagging**

Yah, imagine how I felt coming through Hatch/Swell and then trying to land at the sandbar while hooked to a 17m Fuel!! Shocked

I probably owe my life if not at least serious injury to Jim Bison for keeping an eye out for me as I came though the finish line and Mark Barns for catching my kite the second it hit the beach. Thanks a lot guys... Thumb's Up

Looks like I have the justification (to the CFO – Chief Female Officer) for a 15m kite and surfboard now…. Wink