Windsurfing SA have a few events coming up on the calendar soon:
29 Nov 09 Summer Sunday Longboard Festival #1 at Kingston Park
6 Dec 09 Womens and Beginners Day at Goolwa (see separate posts)
13 Dec 09 Summer Sunday Longboard Festival #2 at Kingston Park
This post is to fill the details for the two Longboard Festival days. These days are intended for people who can already uphaul and tack a longboard, and beyond. It's all about a bit of light-hearted, light-wind goofing off on the boards that started the sport. Longboards are the new black! Beg, steal or borrow a longboard (old or new) and meet us on Seacliff beach by the boat ramp at about 9 am in the morning. There should be a lot of waist deep water with a mostly sandy bottom, and hopefully the wind will be playful. We will layout a small triangle course (200 m max), and then set up a few races with a standing start, say 2 laps of the course and back to the beach. There will be a handicap system for the next race - who ever came in first will be sent out last next time, or be required to perform a freestyle trick of their choosing on each leg of the next race. If they are still winning, the rest of us will choose a freestyle trick for them :-) This will be slow speed racing at close quarters where board handling could easily win out on board speed, so having fancy equipment isn't a big plus. It will just be an honour system - all fun, no sheep stations.
Further details to follow, but in the mean time dust off those longboards!
Regards,
Dr Duck for Windsurfing SA
Well, it looks like we have cracked the formula for making the wind blow - schedule an event that actually needs light winds!
I've been watching the predictions for this big front, and it looks like we will all be having fun on Friday and Saturday. The predictions for Sunday morning suggest that there will be a big chop and swell carrying over from the front, with 15 k SSW and I suspect a good chance of a seabreeze. More short board fun and totally not what I had in mind for the Longboard Festival
I will be on the beach at Seacliff with a blue and white dinghy at 9am on Sunday. If anyone turns up with a longboard, we can set a buoy or two depending on the conditions and carry on with the plan. But if everyone decides to leave the longboards on the roof and go short-boarding, I'm right behind you
.
Regardless, I might try and get a buoy out on the water for some gybe practice and a few videos if anyone is interested.
Regards, Dr Duck for Windsurfing SA
Just to finish off this thread, the weather didn't co-operate on the day, but most of the other elements were in place.
With this event we are hoping to provide options for people who are past the beginners stage but not yet into short boards - the wind was a bit strong and choppy on Sunday.
See you at the Womens/Beginners demon day at Goolwa on 6th Dec!
The next Longboard Festival Day is scheduled for this Sunday - 9am at Seacliff Beach Boat Ramp. The forecast looks spot on. A bit of longboarding in the morning and maybe a seabreeze in the afternoon so we can get the shortboards out. Everyone welcome.
Regards, Dr Duck
Looks like good conditions Richard - won't be able to make it this week - daughters got a Surfer Girl club competition at 830
Hope you get lots of crew down there - head down and support it - if it is anything like the race at Goolwa last week it will be a real laugh - I know I'd have the SUP with a sail on it if I could come down.
Hope it goes well
Just a quick note on Sundays event. We set a small triangle course, but the wind was fickle and offshore to start with. Luckily Pete from Onboard bought down some Naish SUP's to demo, and 3 of us (Dave Lane, Peter Bubner and myself) headed out to the point at Marino. Clear water with a few rays swimming around and a micro-wave to catch up by the old boat ramp made for laid back and fun paddle. Great exercise, and I could see myself owning one of these.
The wind settled in and Peter Bubner (Ten Cate Beacher) and myself (Exocet Kona) carried on where we left off at Goolwa the week before - very similar board speeds made for close and tactical racing. By midday, the seabreeze had filled in and I swapped my rig over to my shortboard. By 3pm it was gone and the rig was back on the Kona.
Thanks to those who made the trip down at a very busy time of the year. I think here and at Goolwa we have proved the concept of occasional longboard races on short courses for the Windsurfing SA calendar. No fancy equipment needed perhaps an option for events where the wind refuses to blow.
Regards, Richard
