Anyone sailing Third Beach tomorrow 9/10?

[tylermburd1533]

Or what beaches are good for this northeasterly? I'm coming from CT and am not really familiar with RI windsurfing spots

[ron.c]

If you all don't mind, I'd like to share the memory of a good time had at 3rd beach.

Back in '85?? on a day much like today, I was finishing up my first full season. I had a Sailboard 335 Masterclass, 2 sails and a cool Windsurfing Hawaii harness. I still think the WH symbol is one of the most enduring ever produced in the industry. I also had a 3mil Alleeda convertable wetsuit that was pushing the limits for the brisk NE wind. Nauset Sports was the supplier of my choice back then.

During that summer I made the most of 3rd beach whether SW or NE. I learned to hook in, there, and get in the straps. On the way home to Pawtucket, which can't be confused with Newport, I often took a glimpse of the "cool crowd" at 1st beach short boarding it.

Well on this day, the cool crowd showed up at 3rd and was tearing it up. I had mixed feelings - good because I held my own, good beacuse I got a first hand look at their skills, not so good because I new it may be one of the last days of the season.

At the end of the day, one of the "cool sailors" (short, stocky and a mop of blond hair) came over and struck up a conversation. I've never been part of the in-crowd, so I wasn't so sure that his friendliness was sincere. The guy was a showman, on the water and a real ring leader, someone who a crowd would follow. He had this white polypro board that was about 1/2 the length of mine. He said it was his girlfriend's. My thought was that it was cool enough be able to ride a board like that let alone a girl. Just having a girlfriend would have been great, and one that sails even better, and one on a shortboard - you can't get much better than that.

We talked about work. I had a job that required full time daily participation, which was OK. He on the other hand gave me glimpse into another world. He said he was gonna hang out in Newport for a few weeks then head out west. He said he'd (and friends) stop off in Colorado for the winter. He might have even hinted of going to some place called the Gorge afterward. He said he'd get a job playing his guitar. I couldn't believe that someone would have the balls to just head out west and "make it up" along the way.

On the way home, I wondered about my own future. More than once, wondered what it would have been like to able to come and go as you please.

A Year or 2 past and I got a shortboard, a beauty from Island Sports. I knew if I could get a girl to sit on my bed and view that work of art, which rested there, well the rest would be easy. It never quite worked out as planned but close enough!

More years past and working for that same company they offered me a 2 year stint in Oregon. My girlfriend / coworker / wife / and now mother of my kids hit me for accepting the job in 1 second flat.

While there I never did get to hear him play, but if I had to guess, he became a solid fixture around Hood River.

I still work every now and then at a job that requires me to wear shoes. But it's OK, because I think I've ended up with a little of that free spririt that Moe(????????? - I don't know - never confirmed) showed me.

To this day I still bevlieve he was sincere, a good role model for going on your own!

That's it - unedited for now -RC