myiW Current Conditions and Forecasts Community Forums Buy and Sell Services
 
Hi guest · myAccount · Log in
 SearchSearch   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   RegisterRegister 
Once upon a time...
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 14, 15, 16, 17, 18  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    iWindsurf Community Forum Index -> Windsurfing Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
GURGLETROUSERS



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2643

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For what it's worth, .... another dull, spotty rain, gusty iffy force 2 to 4 offshore flat sea day, with no other windsurfers in sight. (What's new?)

Interesting comparison session. 20 year old Bamba v Kona 1. with modern 8.0 metre twin cam, set with not a lot of twist for longboard grunt. Bamba, some planing but max speed only 18.2 m.p.h. Surprised. It used to be faster when I raced it with tight leeched sails. No G.P.S. but could hold a planing pal on his Fanatic Cat, and they WERE (stil are) fast. But he was no Jack Flash, I suppose.

Switched to Kona. Immediate impression was ease and comfort, and planing bliss. (23.2 m.p.h. 5 m.p.h. faster than Bamba. The French claim over 30 knots with 9.0 rig on Kona 1 and I can believe it.)It really is a superbly comfortable planing performer, for a long board. Only down side being less appealing sub planing glide than older board, and less able upwind with dagger down.

Now if only someone can combine the two and produce both great glide, and effortless planing performance, my piggy bank would be wide open for business! Come on Mr manufacturers. Stop sticking millions of extra unwanted fins in everything, and come up with the real deal!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GURGLETROUSERS



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2643

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You imagine that finally you have life sorted, then it kicks you downstairs!

Predominantly light winds on our patch of coast this summer have brought us longboarders (what few remain) back out to play. This, combined with a lot of mountain and road biking has rearranged the mind set. It's all been about going places.

Couple of days ago we had a 5.4 metre blow for a change, and at first, blasting and bumping and jumping was just fine. After half an hour, however, boredom set in. It was just fun, but with no real purpose!!! (Now what? What do we do next sort of thing?)

Taking the bike or the long board out sees maps being unrolled, and challenges planned. It's not tricks that count (you dont see yachtsmen piddling around doing Vulcans) but wher you go, and what you achieve.

Does anyone remember Arnaud De Rosnays big long sea journey custom board, or have any details of its dimensions? The more I think about it, the more such a board makes sense.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
outcast



Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 2724

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It made sense until it didn't
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=zw0MgkO7VXw
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GURGLETROUSERS wrote:
at first, blasting and bumping and jumping was just fine. After half an hour, however, boredom set in. It was just fun, but with no real purpose!!! (Now what? What do we do next sort of thing?)


My mind just boggles when I see good WSers sail back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth on water with bumps on it, connecting the dots (the jibes). One bud spent five hours doing that a couple of days ago, whereas it leaves me brain-dead within minutes. He did the same damned thing something like 200 times in a row almost non-stop, planing -- but NOTHING else -- virtually full time. He loves it, so more power to him, but you and I want more. Here are some options.


• Rig bigger and crank up the adrenaline.

• Set some new personal altitude records. (I’ve seen people get six feet of air under their fins on absolutely flat water less than knee deep.)

• Freestyle. There are whole books full of insane tricks. (I know; they bore me, too, but many people enjoy it.)

• Master a much smaller board. Sinkers are an amazing adjunct to big 90 litre boards.

• Slash the chop/swell/waves until your lungs are burning, pause to get your breath back, and repeat until the wind or daylight quits. When every single thigh-high bump on the water is a potential take-off ramp or hard slash initiation point, my stoke increases all day, peaking after sunset because I know pitch blackness will end another day within the hour.

• See how high you can throw a wall of water with each slash without losing your plane; that’s where excess power rules, especially when you link many such slashes in a few seconds.

• Learn to do those last two bullets hooked in so you can do it all day.

• See just how tight, fast, and hard you can jibe; it can be done in one tenth the time and space most people devote to it. Planing through a dozen jibes in a row tells me I’m not pushing the envelope hard enough.

• Buy a GPS widget so you can decide that night, on your computer, how much fun you had that day.

• See how high you can point at high speed, how high you can jump land while doing that, then scare the crap out of yourself doing the same thing on the return downwinder.

• Mix/match/combine all the above into almost every reach as rapidly and intensely as you can; if you aren’t crashing fairly often, you’re in a rut. Break out of it. If you don’t need an extra 5,000 calories of food and an extra several hours of sleep after a day of good B&J conditions, or if you even know where your beach chair is that day, or if you take off your harness, or if every bite of fuel and fluids isn’t expressly intended to maximize your energy recovery and production, either a) you’re coasting or b) the wind sucks (at our age we’re allowed to be picky with the conditions we sail).

After decades of riding and racing dirt bikes several days every week in wild terrain, I got bored one day. The problem, once recognized when a few buds passed me, was easily solved in one second with a big honkin’ twist of the throttle, to the point that a momentary mental lapse was once again dangerous. NOW we’re having fun again! Separate your longboard cruising mindset from your B&J shredding mindset, and the latter will come to life again.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GURGLETROUSERS



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2643

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the cheer up call Iso, but believe me I've been through the tiny board (ever smaller) high wind stuff, and wiped out too many times in surf as a result. It was high octane fun, but at our age we can at best just fight ever harder to keep somewhere near to our old standard, or look for a new challenging direction where improvement is still a possibility. (Don't all sportsmen face the same soul searching!)

That's where long board sea journeys come in. I used to do a lot of island crossings on the old boards, but my current Mahalo tandem is bigger and better for the job, and can carry a fair load of gear. Carefully planned longer sea crossings (as per sea kayak) could just be that challenge to pushing ever forward and building again. At least, I wouldn't then run the risk of of being called that silly old fool in the surf, who's still trying to prove he's a hot shot!! Laughing Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I get just the opposite: "You can WINDSURF at YOUR age?"

Mike \m/
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Arnaud, I don't remember so much, but Jenna gives me vivid visuals.

-Craig

GURGLETROUSERS wrote:
Does anyone remember Arnaud De Rosnays big long sea journey custom board, or have any details of its dimensions? The more I think about it, the more such a board makes sense.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
chas5131



Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 58
Location: Summit County, Colorado

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where is Jenna these days?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
drysuit2



Joined: 01 Apr 1997
Posts: 119

PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.jennaderosnay.com/index.php
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
GURGLETROUSERS



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2643

PostPosted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Checked out Mahalo tandem board today with a modern twisty 7.0 (smallish for board size) sail, on a glorious sunny day with a bit of a blow. Was trying to assess its potential for long crossings on a galumphing plane, with only a light safety load (paddles, spare mast foot and U.J., and food and drink) up front. Chose smaller than optimum sail size to allow for day long variations and surprises in wind speeds.

Clocked 19.2 m.p.h. on reach but was holding back because straps way too far outboard for comfort (size 12 feet with boots on dragging in water unless railing board) and 56 fin has too much leverage solo without camping load.

Sweet spot was definitely around 12 to 15 m.p.h. on close reach, out of straps. Lovely feeling, running like a train, and could carry on all day like that! Will remove straps and try with smaller 48 fin which should make it a superb carefree daylong cruising board. Nice one, Mr Exocet! (I've heard that others also use this board for long coastal cruises with lightish loads, but can't find any info. Anybody any links?)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    iWindsurf Community Forum Index -> Windsurfing Discussion All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 14, 15, 16, 17, 18  Next
Page 15 of 18

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum

myiW | Weather | Community | Membership | Support | Log in
like us on facebook
© Copyright 1999-2007 WeatherFlow, Inc Contact Us Ad Marketplace

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group