Author Topic: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report  (Read 98891 times)

PonoBill

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The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« on: May 18, 2012, 10:53:16 AM »
Chime in folks as you do runs.

Had a bitch of a run Wednesday with Karen Wrenn, Dan Gavere, Lee Murray and Gregg Delion. Went from Stevenson to Home Valley, which is usually a nice go, but I unwisely tried my Bark 14 Dominator. As soon as I pulled into some swell I started looking for a way to abort and go get my old Glide 14, which was on the truck. The Bark rounds up when it catches a swell and every bump is a sharp whack and wobble. It was nearly uncontrollable and it was killing my bad knee. So I ducked in to the eddy line and settled down for a long semi-flatwater paddle with minimal help from the wind, against the current. Nice workout, but a lot of work.

Thursday I went from Viento to the Event Center with Gregg. Dan Gavere left his 14' Coast Runner on my truck (he wants to sell it, and he's using the "take the puppy home and see if the kids like it" technique. Bastard. It will probably work.

What a difference. Not fast, and it does a funny, slam the brakes on move when the nose touches in a big glide (I'm not talking about when the nose punches the wave in front, but rather when it simply touches down as it catches the wave), but generally smooth and fun. Conditions were good, lots of big bumps everywhere. After about 1/3 of the run my knee started acting up and I fell a few times from standing too much on my good leg. So I went to the eddy to recover. Only took a few minutes. Then back to the middle for some good bumps.

Gregg was going good on his Glide 14. I think I've made him nervous about doing Malikos but he'd be fine. This is his third serious downwinder and he's already pretty fast and gets into a lot of bumps. He has it bad. Ear-to-ear grins.

I started practicing reading the water in the Jeremy Riggs fashion, and it was marvelous. Completely screws up my stroke, I probably look like I just found out which way to hold the paddle, but I was constantly powered up, tiny, small, medium and large. I have to concentrate so hard that I can't watch where I'm going, but it will get better I'm sure.

Some really fun bumps downstream of Wells Island on the sandbar. Marvelous speed and long rides, then the usual crossed up mess when the current and wind splits and rejoins around the island, then a fairly flat hard paddle back to the truck at Nichols. I did the last mile at flat out race pace and Gregg was right behind. He's going to be a tough competitor.

Water temp is all the way up to 50F. Pretty soon it might hit Celsius.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2012, 10:56:26 AM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

headmount

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2012, 11:17:01 AM »
This is cool.  Maybe smokin reports will pop up at all the great downwind runs throughout the world.  I'd like to see it.

I'd like to bring up a situation where a powerful stroke isn't what's needed.  You're in a wash of counter currents or back wash where you know it's a temporary part of the course and it seems the best you can do is stay on the board.  For me on a Maliko run it's usually around uppers and remembering the Columbia from wndsrfng I know there can be weird areas as well.  I just try to make short stabs, mostly for balance and steering and be attentive for when the set-ups return.  Anyone else have this issue and how they approach it?

PonoBill

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2012, 11:27:35 AM »
Of course. I have found that increasing my reach in those situations helps some. But yeah, just dabs.

I'll tell you though, if you take a lesson from Kalama he'll have you initially doing just little light dabs at the extreme of reach as practice--and it's surprising how fast you go. I think what he gets across with that is that all the power is up front, and a hard pull doesn't do a lot more than a soft one. Completely counter-intuitive, in fact so weird that I still struggle to convince myself I should do it, but worth playing with.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

covesurfer

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2012, 11:36:44 AM »
Great report Bill!

I'm having withdrawals today watching the wind blow. Wednesday was tough for me too, even on the Glide. I seemed to be in unridable, confused chop for 80% of the paddle as I watched Lee, Karen and Dan get smaller and smaller out in front of me. My stroke felt awkward and not very effective and the current was really cooking. Yesterday, however, was about as much fun as I can imagine having. That section downstream of Wells was really fast and fun. I am looking very forward to the next time. I still can't believe how hard this sup bug bit me.

Bill suggested taking really short stabs with the paddle yesterday. I tried it and it seems to work well to keep moving forward, keep the board pointed the right direction and to help stay stabilized. My wife snapped a picture on her phone as we started out - you're already 100 meters ahead of me.

pdxmike

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2012, 11:39:52 AM »
Bill and Bill--once again I think about swimming.  Newer freestyle technique emphasizes pull at the front of the stroke.  Hand in, drop forearm down while leaving elbow up, and pull hard straight back.  Forget all the sweep in, sweep out, rotate here or there.  Karlyn Pipes-Nielsen is one of the best masters swimmers in the world and lives in Hawaii--her mantra is "Put the ooomph in front".  It also means (in paddling and swimming) you can get your paddle (or hand) out and recover more easily, because you do the pull up front, then let your momentum move you right into recovery.  If you pull hard at the second half of the stroke, your paddle or hand is way back behind you, stopped, then you have to use energy to lift it from a dead stop and get it back up to the front of your stroke.  Karlyn does a lot of surfing and said her swim stroke was influenced by prone paddling.

And I haven't done downwinders, but paddled all winter here and the currents are so weird that I spent a lot of time doing the short stabs.  When the water's being weird, the resistance you get on your paddle from the water can be completely different from one stroke to the next.  You can't lean on the paddle at all, because all of a sudden the resistance goes away and you fall.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2012, 11:41:45 AM by pdxmike »

headmount

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2012, 11:48:23 AM »
That pic looks sweet.  If I went anywhere, I'd go there.  When does the brown water go away?  I've seen blue and green there.

PonoBill

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2012, 02:03:02 PM »
It's not really that brown, the camera emphasized it. The sky was bright blue. Still, lots of glacial till going in the water from spring runoff, the water gets clearer as it warms.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

JonathanC

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2012, 03:20:37 PM »
Hmm have a trip later in the year going through LA sound like a detour may be in order!!
Bill, if the Coast Runner is anything like the Open Ocean, and I'm sure it is, that sudden brakes on thing will go away as you get it dialed. Very much about getting back soon enough to just make sure that nose touch down is more subtle, the 14 Glide with the banana nose doesn't slow. I find the 14 Starbies are far more tolerant of being ridden further back all the time. You can catch swells without having to move forward and when you are on just stay back there. The nice thing about the rounded nose shape is that you can turn it very early and not worry about the rails catching and tripping like the Glide. Once you get more experience with it you will find you can actually take off on an angle and maintain a really high speed cross crossing onto the steep faces without even thinking about tripping. They are different but super forgiving and actually very fast point to point when you get used to them, but the one thing they don't like is 'boofing' into the wave in front. Good fun!!
« Last Edit: May 19, 2012, 03:22:14 PM by JonathanC »

Old School

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2012, 04:59:44 AM »
JonathanC - Interesting comment about the Starboards being more tolerant staying back.  I've found mind to be tolerant of staying up front.  I suppose I don't get swells big enough to drop the nose in hard like Bill is saying.  Today I'll try starting in the back and see if anything happens. 

How much do you weigh?  I'm about 245, and the coast runner seems to handle it well, but I don't have wind often enough that I feel dialed in at all yet. 

Hopefully a little Beryl inspired blow this afternoon.  I'm cooking pancakes this morning instead of being out on my usual Sunday morning paddle, hoping for better wind this afternoon. 

SEA

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2012, 12:38:03 AM »
Video Bill , Video ???

PonoBill

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2012, 06:51:29 PM »
Everyone here is so camera shy, I swear it's like they're all in a witness protection program. Turn on a GoPro and they scatter like roaches.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

headmount

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2012, 07:23:45 PM »
Over here, they're not shy but real fast and no one wants to wait to reset a cam.

covesurfer

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2012, 10:04:41 AM »
Did a Viento to Hood River run late Tuesday afternoon with 5 others from the Big Winds crew in about 15 to low 20's wind. For some reason, the swell was letting me link up the glides like crazy! Good thing too, as I was completely wrung out by the time I was at the middle of Wells Island - only a mile and a half or so from the end.

For the most part, the swell was short period thigh high, with some occasional waist high rollers coming through. The small swell was easy to catch and keep your speed up which allowed for catching some of the bigger rollers. I had several rides where I was thinking that having this much fun can't be legal or tax free - especially on a damn river!

Yesterday, I did an upwind/downwind on my Jav, but it was still a brutal shlogg into the wind and no real bumps going downwind. Not the worst but not the best either. Ross Island is coming up again Saturday and I'm continuing to try and improve my stroke but in the process of trying to go more Tahitian and decrease my upper hand movement, I just feel uncoordinated and like I have no power. Hope something changes by Saturday. Word is, there will be more fast old geezers at the start line this week.

Gotta get a GoPro for the downwinders. Then learn to use it - hope its easier than trying to perfect the paddle stroke.

JonathanC

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2012, 03:33:53 PM »
JonathanC - Interesting comment about the Starboards being more tolerant staying back.  I've found mind to be tolerant of staying up front.  I suppose I don't get swells big enough to drop the nose in hard like Bill is saying.  Today I'll try starting in the back and see if anything happens. 

How much do you weigh?  I'm about 245, and the coast runner seems to handle it well, but I don't have wind often enough that I feel dialed in at all yet. 

Hopefully a little Beryl inspired blow this afternoon.  I'm cooking pancakes this morning instead of being out on my usual Sunday morning paddle, hoping for better wind this afternoon. 

Hey Old School, well I weigh 145! That might make a difference I guess, think the rocker just allows you to get away without moving too much if you don't want too.

covesurfer

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Re: The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2012, 10:09:39 AM »
We've been dealing with an extended period of unstable weather that messes with our normal warm season reliable wind pattern. It's been hit or miss, mostly miss for the last week. Got to paddle with Pono Bill, Karen Wrenn and Lee Murray for an ok downwinder a couple days ago in about 15 to 20 mph wind with mostly smaller bumps and swell. Wait, they were one zip code ahead of me but I was on the water at the same time! Putting a camera mount on the board today so I can try and shoot some video of Gorge conditions soon.


 


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