2014 Year End

[Alton]

That's it for me this year. 58 windsurfing sessions and 111 kite sessions. All local sessions (day trips) from Squamish to Whidbey Island. No Gorge, Oregon Coast, Nitinaht or Columbia Beach trips this year.

Favourite 2014 sessions:
Mon Apr 14 - Big swell at Whidbey Island. Windsurfing with Michael and George (kiting)
Fri Nov 28 - Silky smooth swell at Acadia. Windsurfing with Dave/C36 and Thomas
Sat Dec 27 - Big swell at Whidbey Island double-session with AJ and Martin

Accomplishments in 2014:
Learned to kite upwind, downloop and ride toeside on a twin tip in Squamish
Learned to kite a surfboard in big swell and ride toeside

Goals for 2015:
Learn to switch my feet kiting and ride strapless on a surfboard
Learn to jump, backroll and kiteloop on a twin tip
Learn to tack, ride switch and strap-to-strap gybe windsurfing

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[Michael]

Learned to kite a surfboard in big swell and ride toeside

Nice work Alton! Both Dave and I commented on your surfboard riding the other day.

[Slappy]

How many of those are double sessions because 170 days on the water is insane if they aren't.

Keep up the stoke and happy new year!

[Alton]

How many of those are double sessions because 170 days on the water is insane if they aren't.

Keep up the stoke and happy new year!

111 kite sessions
+ 58 windsurf sessions
- 32 windsurf/kite double sessions
- 2 windsurf/windsurf double sessions

= 135 days on the water

[LeopardSkin]

Just over 40 days for me

[C36]

Nicely done Alton! As M mentioned it was awesome to see your pregression on the surf board this year.

Funny - I never thought I would see the day I would windsurf MORE than Alton in a year. As requested, here are my numbers and some personal highlights.

Windsurfing - photo credit: The Law (Mark)

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2014 Windsurfing Highlights (by the numbers)

• 3 countries (Can, USA, Mexico)
• 4 of top 5 launches are wave/wind swell spots (Centennial, PSC, Columbia Beach, Cape Sebastian, Long Beach)
• 5 west coast states/provinces (BC, Washington, Oregon, California, Baja California)
• 5.3 was average sail size
• 8 new-to-me launches (Comox AFB, Ebey, PSC, Long Beach, Crescent City, Locust, Gulf Road, Lilly Point)
• 12 months sailed (third time for this)
• 16 sessions at Centennial (top spot)
• 20 launches in total
• 59 OSR's posted
• 82 windsurfing sessions
• 92 sessions (including SUP-sailing)
• 110 litres is average board size (SUP-sail sessions @ 145 litres increased this)
• 2,000+ windsports photos taken and posted (more if you count 'B' roll)

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I find it really difficult to pick my 'favorite' session(s) of 2014 - it feels a bit like being asked to choose your favourite child. Funny part is I had a lot of four star sessions in 2014, but no stand-out five star sessions. I was told by a friend from Ontario that I was a 'hard marker' as the most any of my south Oregon sessions got was a four out of five stars (he was five stars all around), "The locals and BWD crew seem happy to sail but I am just trying not to giggle and laugh and jump up and down in front of them its so great here. C36 is a VERY tough rater of wind and stoke in my opinion. It's 5's allround for me so far." So here is a slightly different spin on it:

Biggest Bucklist "Done" of 2014 (in addition to PSC) - thanks DavidM and Eastside!

• June 13, 2014, Long Beach - "Lucky (Friday) 13"

Biggest Smack Down of 2014 - thanks M and BWD crew!

• June 29, 2014, Cape Sebastian - "Glimpses of the Outside"

Biggest Local Discovery of 2014 - thanks DB!

• Lilly Point, Nov 21, 2014

Toughest Local Launch of 2014 (high tide, storm surge, logs) - thanks Alton, M, RCR500 and AG!

• Centenial @ 3rd, Dec 9, 2014

Biggest Local Score of 2014 - thanks mutts!

• Dec 20, 2014, Columbia Beach

SUP- photo credit: Ethan C

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2014 SUP Highlights (by the numbers)

• 1st year with my own board
• 15 different launches
• 35 wave-SUP sessions (paddling)
• 40 SUP sessions (paddling)

SUP LOG 2014 summary - by months.jpg (145.77 KiB) Viewed 14763 times

Thanks to all who have made 2014 a memorable year!

[Faceplant]

Pretty awesome recollection of the year gang! This time last year I was you-tube studying kite board. Took the course in Feb.

Accomplishments - Bought 8 kites in my first year all used (two for sale)
Learned to ride strapless completing jibes and toe side transitions with ease.
Spots I kited - Chestermans beach, Nicola Lake, Ferry Terminal, Squamish, Boundary Bay and Nimpkish Lake (my fave).
20-30 sessions total

Goals for next year.

More wave kiting
Hit the Gorge
Tatleoko
Go Bigger on Jumps
Learn Tack
Backroll

Cheers to all. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!

[Alton]

Accomplishments - Bought 8 kites in my first year ...

Don't forget your first-born child ... perhaps that's your wife's accomplishment

[Alton]

Just over 40 days for me

Pretty good for a salary man. Welcome back to the real world

[Tony360]

I didn't keep a good session log for 2014, but I'm guessing about 40 total:

-Squamish Spit
-3rd Ave
-Terminal
-One classic day at Dog Beach, Spanish Banks
-Naish Beach/Lowers, Kanaha Maui

Accomplishments included having our first baby girl - thanks to my wife on that one! backroll kiteloop, some fun wave kiting in Maui and strapless straight airs. I spent most of the summer riding strapless because I was out of the twintip/boots combo after an early season concussion working on the backroll kiteloop. Lesson learned that kite loops are better on steady wind days.

Goals for 2015:

-Strapless roll tack or duck tack
-Ride more waves!
-Dial the S-bend and work on landing blind and handle passes

Thanks to Alton for running this awesome site and Happy New Year to all WTF'ers. See you at the beach.