The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report

[covesurfer]

I've got to search my go pro footage for evidence that PB is trying to kill me. I was shooting him in the drainpipe swell section when he nailed me. The waves were really nice and we had a good if somewhat gusty wind. Pretty nice run. It was so good by the drainpipe, I sat down on my board and put my paddle blade in the water and watched as the current magically took me back upwind so I could paddle through it again. Amazing. The waves were really nice in there and the wind was strong enough to help you get into them.

At the end of the paddle, Pono let me try out his Starby in the lagoon. At my weight, it is a hoot but it's only 26" wide and it is a lot of work to get it going. That board is a whole different animal for someone over 200#. PB's endurance is pretty remarkable.

Not surprised you crashed out after dinner after paddling that board over 8 miles into a stiff current. When you break out the F16, you're going to smoke me.

[headmount]

Ran you over huh?  I know the name of that tune.  sounds like you guys are having a blast.  Southside today over here and the first good run I've had since when PBill was here.  How's that SB surf the river?  Miss you guys.

[PonoBill]

I wouldn't worry too much about getting smoked, I'm not much faster on the F16. Endurance is all I've got. Boyum calls it my diesel motor. I think he's right. Lots of torque, plenty of noxious fumes, runs forever, but fast it ain't.

I'm having fun with that board, it surfs the swells better than anything else I've got, but I need to come up with a reliable way to get back up in the bumps. Probably have to pop up like a prone board instead of tottering to my feet. I used to be able to do that. Maybe I need to resurrect that skill.

And sheesh, you run over a couple of guys a few times and they won't let you forget it.

[PonoBill]

I did a little shakedown paddling on my repaired F16 (works good) and my Speedboard 19 today. Gregg showed up with his Garmin, so we paddled together some to get some benchmarks. I did 6.7 MPH on the speedboard and could hold 6.0 pretty well. I'm using the wrong paddle, this thing demands a wiki--got to keep the cadence up to make it work. Gregg got on it and did 6.9 MPH.

I think that's a good demo of what I've been talking about elsewhere. I suspect Greg would agree that I'm quite a bit stronger than he is, and my stroke is as good or better, but he weighs about as much as my legs so his power to weight ratio blows mine away, he's carrying no fat, and he's in better all around shape. But on the speedboard we're pretty close in performance, though he's still faster. On a 14' he'd just eat my lunch and take my dessert.

[headmount]

A new Covesurfer diet?

[covesurfer]

HM, you make me laugh. 

[headmount]

Pretty sure I'm coming in August.  Which 14 works that I can get my hands on?  Don't like Glides so X that one off.  Seen anyone use Gerry's 14 up there?  Is there a shop that rents 14s?

[PonoBill]

I got boards. You can use any one of them--probably the Bark Dominator 14 is the best choice, but I have a Starboard Open Ocean Carbon (ex-Dan Gavere) and a glide as well. . If they have a surfboard class I'm probably gonna do that on my 12'2".  Pure masochism, but it's fun.

[headmount]

Thanks

[covesurfer]

HM in the Gorge, you'll love it.

[pdxmike]

Does this mean headmount and stoneaxe will be here at the same time?

[PonoBill]

Challenging run today. Lots of wind, and the swells were big, but the current was HUGE. We had a big group, and there were a couple of guys that launched just before us. People were gabbing and catching up so John Wrenn and I got a head start and just jumped in. I expected to pull away from John, he doesn't go very often, but he was staying right with me and passed me a few times. I was impressed with both his speed and his control. Then suddenly he was gone and I was pretty much alone, with someone way out ahead. John said he fell and once he got up he decided to take it easier.

I put my head down and started chasing the big drops, but the river was just whacky. When I got to Mitchell point I wanted a breather, so I slid over to the eddy line next to shore, but it was actually worse than the main current!!  Seems like a violation of hydrodynamics, but the water on the edges was kind of pushed up and running like a millrace. I fell in rounding the point as was swept back around the point in seconds. I angled back out into the river and started catching big bumps again, and it was fine, but slow.

Jan came by looking like he had a motor. I've never seen anyone paddle so poorly and go so fast. we're all sworn to not show him anything. He's fast enough. then Josh came by in his OC-1, but he passed me pretty slowly. the Rod Parmenter came by, but I could stay with him pretty well. this much current is a good equalizer.

When we hit the Wells Express I was laughing and whooping. the swells were SO easy to catch, and I could stay in them for 30 seconds or more at a time--but it was like slow motion surfing. I could PLACE the nose in a specific spot and then SLIDE down into the trough, and the CUT across the face of the wave and then slowly reverse direction and cut the other way. ballet in slow motion. way fun. Chased rod all the way to Nichols. He was doing something weird when he got near the kiddy park, I couldn't see what he was doing. Turns out he was trying to get over the swim marker rope to see if his wife and kid were in the park, but he got his fin stuck.

that was certainly one of the slowest runs I've done in a long time, but everyone else was just as slow. I'm pretty beat. I did a twenty mile bike ride before the run. Would have been fine if it was a normal run, but battling all the current took me right out to the edge. got a massive ab cramp trying to get my booties off.

[covesurfer]

Between the current and the race hangover, it was a slow run. I had about an hour and 50 minutes of paddling time. That's 20 minutes slower than fast times I was turning in a couple weeks ago.

The current really was remarkable. PB, you must have had a much faster run than I did because you were completely out of sight. I took it super easy and had a social paddle with Cyril and Bob for the last 1/3. Working on using the rudder and just trying to figure the Bullet out. Had to go waaaay back on the tail at least half a dozen times to keep the nose up. A few times I thought the board had actual malice in it's EPS and carbon heart. I went in at least 3 or 4 times. Glad I wasn't the only one to notice that screaming current.

OC 6 tomorrow morning.   Ahy-ohh-river!

[PonoBill]

I punched the nose on my F16 a million times. that's usually impossible, but the current had the swells so steep faced that even medium-sized stuff was burying the nose. I fell three times with my nose down so far my shins were wet. I finally developed a simple cure of letting the nose bury and stepping to the back and waiting.

I went hard the whole way--I had Rod in front of me, and I wanted to stay with him. that f#@er is going to kill me. Race the day before, 20 mile ride when I got back to Hood River in the afternoon, 20 mile bike ride in the morning, 9 mile race against current in the PM. You'd think I'd be thinner. I might have to schedule lipo.

[covesurfer]

I went hard the whole way--I had Rod in front of me, and I wanted to stay with him. that f#@er is going to kill me. Race the day before, 20 mile ride when I got back to Hood River in the afternoon, 20 mile bike ride in the morning, 9 mile race against current in the PM. You'd think I'd be thinner. I might have to schedule lipo.

If you'd show up for OC-6 practice, you'd be as skinny as Conner.