Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Up close and personal

« on: August 08, 2022, 03:33:15 PM »

Unfortunately....lesson learned for the future. It has been a complete zoo there since. 100's of boats jammed in there, and the narrow point road so jammed with people and cars taking pictures they had to have cops come and kick them out.

2

General Discussion / Re: Have any of you experienced vertigo?

« on: August 08, 2022, 03:28:27 PM »

It's strange. The only thing that worked to combat my vertigo was SUP. The whole reason I ever found it was because I came on here to get info to build a paddle for my brother.

3

General Discussion / Up close and personal

« on: July 28, 2022, 07:46:23 PM »

Whale action has been nothing short of incredible the last week or so at my local. 3 or 4 juvenile Humpbacks coming in close to feed on massive bait balls of pogies. 100 yards from the beach at times. I paddled out last Friday. Witnessed a boat being bumped and had a whale surface right next to me, check me out, and then dive and glide a foot or two under my board. My phone was on my chest in a transparent dry bag and I got it all on video.

I posted it on the local FB page and it blew up, I won't do that again. No fewer than 15 requests to use the video and get interviews or statements. I foolishly did 3 interviews that afternoon for local stations thinking I could tag along some marketing for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge (our 15-year anniversary). They made the evening news. It went from 25 boats on friday to 150-200 on Saturday. Sunday the same or even more and one boat had a whale come down on it while lunge feeding and many close calls. I told all the rest I wasn't interested. But between my posts and many others it was too late, created a zoo on the water. Reminded me of the scene from Jaws when all the boats are going after the reward for the shark.

My experience was pretty amazing and not something I'll ever forget. A few people on shore sent me pictures.

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General Discussion / Re: Have any of you experienced vertigo?

« on: July 28, 2022, 07:00:06 PM »

Late to the conversation. Glad to hear it's just a sinus infection. Vertigo was one of the early signs of my tumor.

5

Random / Re: Throwing in the towel

« on: June 09, 2022, 07:03:51 PM »

Hello Zoners....been awhile.

The towel has been officially recalled.

I just started a small business. Stoneaxe Woodworx...

The CNC has opened up all kinds of creativity. I've gotten pretty good with it and it's proven to be the perfect tool for my skill set. I still do some hand carving but I'm loving what the CNC allows me to do.

Easier just to show some of the work than writing. I've auctioned a bunch of stuff for charity prior to this and am planning on donating 10% of sales and continuing to make and auction stuff.

6

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Wing Foiling Maine Cove video

« on: July 25, 2021, 10:12:46 PM »

I'm bringing home a couple of Bill's old wings to use with my SUP. Not sure I'll ever be able to foil but I had a blast here in Hood River on the SUP with a wing.

7

General Discussion / Re: Is anyone just SUP Surfing anymore?

« on: July 06, 2021, 06:09:01 AM »

I only SUP surf. Though not as much as I used to. Has nothing to do with foils, just a more fucked up head....but I may try it when I visit brother Bill later this month. I'm more interested in getting a wing. Good surf is rare but we have a lot of sloppy onshore days. My daughter has an old Starboard cruiser with the drop down dagger board. If I like the wing I'll probably buy it from her.

8

General Discussion / Re: Tesla designs. Not really SUP friendly

« on: February 23, 2021, 11:59:20 AM »

And yes, that's the late, great Chris Economaki interviewing me. The blue car I came in second to is THE Meister Brauser Chaparral 1, probably somewhere between $5 and 10 million if you could even get the racer who owns it to sell his. Well driven with four times the horsepower of Peyote, and we finished on the same lap and I could still see him--just a blue dot, but still... Peyote punches WAY past its weight. The rest of the field was equally prestigious, and the Amazing Peyote spanked their butts. I paid $30K for this car and a trailer--it was a very nice trailer.

I'm so fucking proud to own and race this little car. If only because my late middle brother David who was a serious racing fan, came to see me race at Limerock, and was so blown away he couldn't say anything. He and Bob (Stoneaxe) helped me work on the car all weekend after the clutch came apart. We got it back together and raced the shit out of it. He kept trying to tell me what it meant to him, and he kept choking up and couldn't say anything. That was the same weekend I gave Bob my new Starboard 12' 6" because I thought it might help him with his vertigo--and a whole chapter of amazing Cape Cod Bay Challenge paddles and races began. I still can't read my brother Dave's comments at the end of this post without tearing up. Hey, I never cry. https://www.ponostyle.com/30-babcocks/

David drove up to Watkins Glen by himself a few weeks later because he just wanted to see me race Peyote on a track that he loved as a spectator, and slept in a leaky tent during a fierce rainstorm in the back of his car. Peyote got more or less destroyed (of course we rebuilt it!) in that race, but my brother and I had the best time, probably the closest and best weekend we ever had together. It was the last time I saw him. I miss him like crazy, but how lucky I am to have that burned into my memories.

https://www.ponostyle.com/punted-at-watkins-glen/

Crying here bro!

9

General Discussion / Re: I forgot how much fun it is...

« on: January 17, 2021, 07:16:57 PM »

I need to get back to it myself. I'm in terrible shape....Covid 20 anyway...and my head is back to being my own personal merry go round. Need to press the reset button.....again.

10

Random / Re: Brother Bob Was Right

« on: January 10, 2021, 08:12:40 PM »

Actually Death to 2020......
https://www.netflix.com/title/81332175

11

Random / Re: My action cam evolution

« on: January 10, 2021, 08:10:47 PM »

Great video...skillz for sure.

12

Foil SUP / Re: eFoilBoy

« on: November 30, 2020, 05:33:41 PM »

Sounds like fun. How long does the charge last?

13

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: SoCal Doldrums

« on: November 16, 2020, 04:30:22 PM »

Surfs been good here....I just can't get to it.

14

Environment / Re: Ventusky - the weather app got pretty!

« on: October 14, 2020, 11:37:42 PM »

That is cool....hadn't been on there in awhile.

15

SUP General / Re: Man cave photos

« on: September 21, 2020, 08:50:15 PM »

The twin to Bill's Speedboard is still in one piece here...... I'm having thoughts of turning it into a rowing scull though.

I'm about to completely reorganize and clean out my shop. Giving some stuff away and getting the rest of my boards racked on the ceiling. And all the bigger powertools will be consolidated onto two rolling benches. Most of what I'm doing these days is either on the CNC or hand carving so I'm setting it up to focus on that. Any tool on my workbench pegboard that I haven't used in 6 months will be stored away. I'm going for less clutter and more efficient workspace.