Lost White Surfboard

[Alton]

Lost my white 6" Slingshot Verve surfboard at Spanish Bank. Could have washed up in Kitsolano or English Bay. My email and phone number are written on it. Reward for return.

[decman_r]

What happened Alton?

[Chuck]

Oh no!!!!

That sucks

[youtube]http://youtu.be/Of8JOVXYU0Q[/youtube]

[Alton]

Happy ending

Since I recently starting riding my surfboard with straps, I mess up my transitions way more often than riding strapless. After an awesome hour at Spanish Banks on 9m, I blew a gybe and the surfboard landed upside down. After 5 minutes of unsuccessfully body dragging upwind to fetch the surfboard, I abandoned the board and body dragged back to shore.

Searched the shoreline from Spanish Banks to Jericho without any luck. Left to check the Kitsilano Yacht Club, when I got a phone call from the Vancouver Police. They asked if I was "Alton Ing" who lost his surfboard. I answered "yes". They replied "Thank god. We're so happy you're alive because we found your surfboard at Sunset Beach (between English Bay and the Burrard St bridge)".

The VPD also picked up another surfboard at the same spot which belonged to Rob W who lost his board just after I did. In fact, 2 more kiters lost their twin tips. An hour later, the VPD hand delivered the 2 surfboards to Rob and I at Spanish Banks.

There's more ... the coast guard hovercraft landed at Spanish Banks looking for me (the owner of the surfboard). I wasn't aware what was going on but AJ told the coast guard I was alive and back onshore.

Lessons learned:

1. On your board write (with permanent marker) "Reward for Return" with your name, number and email address. Because I did my surfboard was returned within a few hours.

2. If you lose your board, immediately call the coast guard (*16 on your cell phone) so they don't send out a search party for the owner of the abandoned board.

3. Be very grateful to VPD and coast guard.

4. Consider returning to riding strapless.

[Roxstock]

Glad you got it back, I just took a walk down to kits to have a look to see if it had washed up and obviously it hadn't. There was a canoe and a small yacht though if you know anyone who lost one of those.

[Tony360]

Why did you go strapped to begin with

[Alton]

Why did you go strapped to begin with

Straps actually help at Spanish Banks because

1) with the swirly wind close to shore, I can focus on flying my kite without the distraction of mounting a strapless surfboard

2) often the chop at Spanish Banks is so bad I fall off my surfboard pitching upwind riding strapless. Riding with straps I make it upwind in 1 tack. Riding strapless, I lose ground every time I fall off and fetch my board.

I think it's good training to be proficient at both riding with and without straps. So far I find riding with straps to be very challenging especially in transitions trying to put my back foot back in the straps.

[Tony360]

That's a good reason. Another I suppose is that sent jumps are way better with straps.

[Alton]

Do you know if that was Rob's board that was drifting just upwind of mine (orange-ish).

I saw the cop car around kits beach headed for spanish banks with a white surf board sticking out the side window, I figured you were in luck.

I told the VPD the orange surfboard belonged to Rob and they delivered our surfboards to us at Spanish Banks.

[Slappy]

It's odd you have more trouble going upwind strapless Alton. I find that by moving my back foot forward 8-12 inches I can get upwind much better. I know guys who ride strapped will even take the rear foot out of the strap when they want to haul upwind.