Thanks to my fellow Windsurfers & Kiters

[Nonjibedude]

Thought you might be interested in this item - my wife sent it to Windsport Magazine.
It is nice to know that fellow windsurfers and kiters aid of a windsurfer in need of assistance. We have been visiting the Gorge / Hood River for 20 years and love the scenery and people. We plan to continue to visit for another 20 years. This is the first time in over 20 years that I needed rescuing - thanks to all those who came to my aid. (George saved me a half mile swim and enabled the other folks to spot my board.) Getting my rig back from Eric was just icing on the cake!
Tom Beale Calgary, Alberta

----- Start of Forward Message -----
Subject: My Hood River Heroes
From: Ellen Beale<beep222@shaw.ca>
To: letters@windsport.com
Date: 09/15/2007 15:53 -0700

On September 4th 2007 my family and I were sailing at the Event Site.
Eager to test his new 93L Starboard S my husband Tom went out alone that morning ahead of the rest of us. We watched him for a while up by the White Salmon bridge where he was having fun. About an hour later his board without the rig and most distressing without him was heading down wind fast. Our son in law Shawn grabbed the binoculars and said that Tom was swimming towards shore in the barge lane. My heart skipped a beat and one can only imagine what went through my head....my beloved husband of 39 years seemed to be in trouble! I needen't have worried as a rescue effort was already in the works. Dan, the Event Site host launched his kayak in an attempt to reach Tom but a handsome young Cuban dude named George sailed out, reached him first and towed him in.
Then our daughter Christine flagged down a New Wind kite school instructor named Mark from California who on his jet ski helped her retrieve the board from bozo beach where Dan had towed it. To our immense surprise, two days later a notice on the bulletin board alerted us to the fact that Eric, a Hood River contractor had found Tom's rig near The Hatchery and wanted to return it to it's owner. That's one honest dude!
It just goes to show you that we are all brothers on the water, kiters and windsurfers alike.
Thank you to Windsport for giving me the opportunity to thank Dan, George, Mark and Eric, my Hood River Heroes.
Ellen Beale, Calgary Alberta.

[bobgatpdx1]

So what happened to separate you from rig and board?
bobg

[Nonjibedude]

I likely hadn't fully secured universal into baseplate - had been sailing an hour before separated. The light board took off downwind and the rig stayed with the current. I am a pretty strong swimmer but plan more aerobic/swimming over the winter. Gotta remember those presail checklists too!
Tom