2014 Year End

[Faceplant]

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

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

How could I leave that out!! LOL
I was thinking I left out La Ventanna as one of the locations.

For sure the boy being born is the highlight of the year by far. Not our first though.

[Alton]

For sure the boy being born is the highlight of the year by far. Not our first though.

Nice save Lucas.

Accomplishments included having our first baby girl - thanks to my wife on that one!

Nice work. Make sure your wife reads this post - it's worth a day pass.

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.

When I tell Abrielle, my first-born, "You're my favourite daughter" she always replies with a frown, "Daddy! I'm your only daughter!"

Dave/C36 - you've got the most impressive CV I've ever seen. Doubt if we can keep up with you next year - but we'll try.

Happy New Year WTF'ers.

[Slappy]

23 Logged session, probably 4-5 more I forgot to log.

https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A5532ODWJ6Av4X

Down from last years' 31

Most session in Squamish, a few in Boundary Bay and a few at Spanish Banks.

Two new launches, Iona Beach and Hood River Event Site.

I got a motorcycle this year which has been a lot of fun, over 10 years since I last rode.

Progression wise I came a long way on my strapless riding with tacks in both directions and small airs. TT wise sloppy backroll kiteloops and learning to load and pop instead of just sending it.

2015 goals:
- strapless backroll
- dark slides

[Brian C]

A good year for me too. Looking back at my sailing log I windsurfed 42 sessions (days or part-days) at Centennial, Jericho/Acadia, Squamish/Nexen, Nitinat, Nicola, and multiple Gorge sites. Not my most ever but still not bad for "the old guy with a desk job and kids". Also got out about a dozen times with the kayak, some on no-wind days and some preceding windsurfing sessions.
Most of the highlights either involved taking friends and family to special places, or using the new camper to extend sailing sessions into full multi-sport days. A few of these were:
- rediscovering the magic of Roosevelt in late June after 15-years away from it, on the inaugural camper trip with Mokka (my wife). Even on a 4.7 the swell on the far side was great.
- three days in a row at Nitinat with 4.2/4.7 wind, sailing with both Mokka and my 17-year old daughter who had a few days off her summer job and wanted to go to Nitinat with us!
- introducing old friends from California to sailing at the Hatchery, then getting Caro and Greg to go there for Caro's first ever day at the Hatch; nothing better than sharing a major windsurfing milestone with good friends!
- Having Mokka warm up to sailing Nexen again, now that she has a camper to warm up in after sailing Nexen.
- Scoring two amazing Nicola lake sessions in early October, including a perfect 4.7 outing at 830 am on October 6th in 19 C sunshine (the upside of climate change?) followed by a great afternoon mountain biking with Mokka on the Kane Valley X-Country trails before the drive home.

As always, the sport requires dedication and perseverance, but the pay-off more than compensates. Here's to a great 2015, full of windy days with good friends.

[AdrienGrelon]

Great to read about all the sessions and progress in 2014! This year was beyond any doubt my best year of windsurfing ever, and that's in a big way thanks to this awesome community - always looking out for each other on and off the water, and keeping the stoke-o-meter revving

My 2014 started very slow with only two sessions before April (Centennial + underpowered small wave riding in Tofino). Didn't have any time with a hectic semester, and I didn't have a car at that point. Got my trusty Pathfinder end of March, and then my windsurfing potential was put into second gear Total windsurfing sessions for the year: 58 (I'm counting that one planing run the other day so I can say I tied with Alton )

Windsurfing "Firsts" of year included:

- Driving my gear around, rather than farmers walking it or crafting up Chariots of Glory.

- "ankle dry" Vulcan (PS) - July 11th. Total of one year in the making for this one, but no attempts were had for 6 months between Sept 2013 - April 2014 due to hand surgery and then school. Definitely a big highlight.

- (SB) textbook Spinloop off complete flat in the Squamish "gybeatorium", exit with both feet in the straps - July 1st.

- Upwind 360s in the straps both way.

- "endo" forward attempts sent off proper waves at CNL on starboard side. One sailed out of with back foot in the strap and sail still dry.

- Backloop attempts - never even thought I'd be trying these anytime soon, let alone actually getting some sort of rotation!

Other highlights included:

- Freestyle Paradiso (super low tide) days at Squamish.
- Nitnat and Comox "expeditions" feat. Cam/Adrian/Joe.
- Night session with Joa.
- Two incredibly memorable sessions at Boundary Bay, the "Centennial Classic" and the "Storm Surge".
- Pushing my car and piloting skills to the absolute limit tailing Dave/C36 to White Rock in high wind and rain conditions

Goals for 2015:

- SB Vulcans
- PS Flakas
- PS Spocks
- Improve consistency on SB forwards, and start working on PS.
- Reverse duck gybes/duck tacks both sides.
- SB Backloop?! Who knows, we'll see how many days I get

Stoked to share so many great moments with all the gang, and looking forward to more great action in 2015!! Off to Capetown and Namibia tonight, so hopefully my sessions this year will start off with a bang!

PS. My brothers and I invented a better solution to light/no wind days than SUPing:

[C36]

I have really enjoyed reading these (oh to be young again and full to the brim with stoke like AG ), but surely there are a few more to report in (looks like there will be lots of time to do so before the next session ) - M? Jerry? Clay? Ryan? Jen? Maryam? Richi? DB? others?

[Lowesdown]

My Year in review

- Brad talked me into buying gear
- Posted and found some great people and gear
- Bought Chris K's gear (not beginner gear...)
- Learned to rig my gear
- Learned to uphaul
- Learned to beach start
- Learned to get my feet in the straps
- Got up and planing
- Learned to hook into my harness lines
- Met a great crew of people

Thanks for a great year of learning everyone.

[Chris Klohn]

My Year in review

- Brad talked me into buying gear
- Posted and found some great people and gear
- Bought Chris K's gear (not beginner gear...)
- Learned to rig my gear
- Learned to uphaul
- Learned to beach start
- Learned to get my feet in the straps
- Got up and planing
- Learned to hook into my harness lines
- Met a great crew of people

Thanks for a great year of learning everyone.

Hey Scott,

Learning to uphaul, beach start, plane, hook in and use the foot straps in a year is insane!!! I spent two years on a longboard in 10 knots before I knew what planing was. At your rate you'll be throwing clean back loops by this summer Glad the gear is holding up for you too.

Take it easy,

Chris

[Chris Klohn]

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

2014_Stats.jpeg

Hey Alton,

Glad Whidbey made it to the very top of your most memorable 135 sessions in 2014..........twice! As long as C36 stays away the trees will keep growing sideways I'm still waiting for you guys to catch it on a mast high day when the wind has blown for more than 4 hours. Here's to hoping all your days on Whidbey in 2015 are big.

Cheers,

Chris

[C36]

My Year in review

- Brad talked me into buying gear
- Posted and found some great people and gear
- Bought Chris K's gear (not beginner gear...)
- Learned to rig my gear
- Learned to uphaul
- Learned to beach start
- Learned to get my feet in the straps
- Got up and planing
- Learned to hook into my harness lines
- Met a great crew of people

Thanks for a great year of learning everyone.

Nice! Love the stoke pouring through this one! Super cool!!

Chris, your experience reminds me of Nanmoo's - another that AMAZED me when I first heard it, "Tony told me his story about learning to windsurf only three years ago; on January 1st no less, "I couldn’t figure out why this sport was so hard to learn, I had picked up so many other sports so quickly. I went straight to short boards; learned to waterstart (on Esquimalt Lagoon), learned to sail in the straps, learned to sail with a harness, and then learned to jibe (all at Cook Street)." And now he is sailing (ripping) sideoff conditions at Cape Sebastian and entering the Wave Bash - very inspiring storey! It just goes to show what a little determination and athletic ability can achieve."

You are in VERY good company!