Hatteras: April 2010

For the past 2 weeks we've been in Cape Hatteras. It was easily one of the best trips I've ever taken. Not only was I picking up a new board or 2, but the weather and wind were incredible. The first week I sailed 6 days in a row and 5 of the days were 4.2 or 3.7. All while only wearing board shorts in the mid to upper 70 degree weather. I was also using 2 new boards. I got the 89 ltr Jp Freestyle Pro and the F2 Rodeo 98. Each board has it's own set of features that is better than the other but that's for another post. We'll just leave it as the 2010 boards rock!!!

We had a huge freestyle crew this year. Chris and Sergey were down. Both of those guys have gotten so good landing super clean shakas along with a bunch of other tricks. Mike Jaimeson brought his wind buddha down proving it to work. Literally within minutes of Mike and his Buddha arriving the wind kicked in and didn't stop blowing until the Buddha left town. Of course there were the usual suspects like Nancy & Doug, my parents, and Ted. But there were also a few Hatteras virgins that had incredible trips. It was a great bunch of people that I hope return next year.

Stuart of Ocean Air had been a tester for the 2010 gear for Windsurfing Magazine a week or 2 before we got there and one day, a photographer and Real Kitboarding employee showed up. He was taking some great shots from the water while we were sailing 3.7s. After the shoot I found it slightly comical that after shooting us doing freestyle on a windsurfer, that a Real Kiteboarding (the "windsurfing has been canceled" company) employee was asking for windsurfing lessons.

I also got myself a paddle for that Mistral Pacifico I've had laying around. I had never bought a paddle in the past becasue of the price. Ocean Air Sports has carbon paddles for only $150.00! I was stoked on the price so I picked one up. The first few days of the second week were windless, so I decided to try some SUP action with joe Natali. The first SUP day was a piece of cake. I was a little worried about trying it in the ocean since I had never Paddled or surfed in my life. The waves were about knee to waist high but after an hour or so I was catching waves right down the line. I was now ready to go on the world tour. That is until the second day when we had some chest high waves. When a 11'4" board pearls, IT PEARLS! It's like standing on one end of a seesaw while someone drops a piano on the other end. Perhaps the most memorable part of the trip for me was paddling around outside the break with a pod of dolphins. I was the only one out there at that point and they were just swimming around and under me. The water was like glass and I could could see all of them playing around and slapping their tails next to my board. Then all of a sudden 2 of them popped up side by side about a foot from my board and just looked at me with one eye each for a few seconds. Then they took off and took the rest of the pod with them. Guess I was too boring for them.

After a few days of no wind, the wind kicked in again and it was back on the oh so familiar 4.2 and JP 89 setup. Our last day there, on Friday, the wind turned back from the southwest and I got to ride the 98 ltr Rodeo for only the second time the whole trip.

That is just a kick ass freestyle board. Even though the board was new to me, it was like an old friend coming back to serve me some air funnels and konos.

I can't wait to get back there in the fall, but for now I really want to build on the skills I've learned in Hatteras and just get back on that Rodeo again.