The Chilly But Smokin Spring and Summer Gorge Report

[headmount]

Cove has been on Maui for a week or two now and got to warm up on PBill's V2 Bullet.  Conditions have been cranking up and Cove has really hit a great stretch.

  Yesterday I grabbed a F16 for Covesurfer to try since it was for sale.  It's a hollow Chinese model with the Aladdin nose, laid up with the autoclave high pressure high heat that makes a super strong board.  The board used to belong to me before I got a Bullet.  Now it's passed on to Cove.

On PBill's heavy V2 I had a pretty easy time keeping ahead of Cove.  Yesterday he did much better on his first try of the Chi-com F16 but I still was ahead of him.  But today we lined up outside and took off.  While I led for about a mile, Cove blazed by me and I never caught him. His bump riding skills have made a quantum jump.

Remarkable how a lighter board better suited for a lighter paddler made such a difference.  I knew he catch me one day but he sure did it quick.  Kinda stoked that I can have a push from him since he has moved here.  Paddling with fast paddlers is the key to improvement.

[covesurfer]

HM has been awesome with lots of aloha. Hooked me up with the perfect dw board. The Aladdin shoe nose on the F16 is super forgiving and the board is so stable at my light weight that I can get away with all kinds of less than precision shananagins. Today was screaming with big drops and long glides. Not in any rush to go back to cold water but it will be fun to paddle in the Gorge too. In the meantime, HM and I are likely going to continue wearing each other out. Conditions are too good to miss it.

[covesurfer]

First Gorge d/w in a while. Went with PB and Josh on his oc1. Good day, a little on the lighter side with the wind maybe 15 to 25 but smaller, groomed swells. Lots of glides and lots of connected bumps. Was bummed my Garmin died after only a mile and a half - I forgot to charge it up apparently. Was loads of fun to be back on a 14 and all the rudder work in the ocean seems to be helping take me from completely clueless to maybe I'll someday get a clue about how this thing makes linking glides up easier.

It was a really fast run, probably right around an hour and a half. I thought I'd gapped PB pretty good, and I had at one point, but he was right there at the finish. It ruined my plan to be casually hanging out with the board on the rack when he came in. Yeah, that didn't work out at all.

Really excited about Jeremy's upcoming clinic here. Hope the wind cranks!

[PonoBill]

That was a fast run, I was catching you pretty quickly after Mitchell point, not sure why. I got a big bunch of connected glides in a row--three to five, or should I say Chree to fi' connected swells at a time. It was just working. Then you went way outside at Wells and I picked up the express. I got into one very long, good size swell that landed me so far on the inside that I did the inside edge of Wells instead of trying to beat back out. That was a mistake, there wasn't any wind back there, and current was brutal, but it got me into humping mode, so I did that all the way to Nichols.

Fun run, one of the first in a while that I did completely dry. My shoulders are toast this evening though. OC6 in the morning and Downwinder in the afternoon with a bunch of painting and moving crap at the warehouse in between.

Advil.

[headmount]

Old age and treachery

[PonoBill]

Jeremy's clinic sold out weeks ago. Perhaps not as fast as the Apple developers conference (6000 people in 70 seconds) but pretty fast. I guess word is getting around. We'll probably have a fresh bunch of downwind addicts afterwards, and you'll be able to tell the Jeremy students by the intense way they look at the water and slide round like waterbugs.

[covesurfer]

Sure, sure, JR's clinic will crank out more d/w addicts. But what about shuttle drivers?

[headmount]

What about the divorce rate?

[PonoBill]

Sure, sure, JR's clinic will crank out more d/w addicts. But what about shuttle drivers?

DW addicts ARE shuttle drivers. Takes two to tango.

[PonoBill]

Fun fathers day, I tried to kind of hook up with Jeremy's thing, at least to snag a shuttle ride, but they were doing class stuff and it was nukin', so Rod and I wnet early, had a little lunch, and di a second run. Said hi to Jeremy and the crew after run 2. Good to see him, great guy. He's sticking around for a couple of days, so I might get in a run or two with him, but if the wind holds it won't matter who I go with, great fun.

Swell city was big today, we cut over and surfed some big drops the second run. Some of them were real nosebleeds--like a fold in the river. The hatchery was crossed up and just flat mean, but swell was fun. Thought about run #3, but I'm feeling cold which is the first sign of fatigue for me, and I'd hate to boink halfway.

[headmount]

Today would have been great for us to do two runs over here but we all were lazy.  Stoked that you're  pushing the bar old man.   Guess we better step it up.  I like the lunch break idea and with these longer days (not as long as yours) there isn't so much time pressure.  It's 6;30 and it's still cranking here.

[covesurfer]

JR's clinic was full up and really, really good. We had a forecast for moderate wind and it came up strong and was full rock n roll. Maybe a little more than some of the clients were counting on but everybody seemed to learn something and everybody finished feeling good, based on the conversations and expressions on people's faces that I saw afterword.

JR's tips were so solid and practical. He has a really nice delivery and was it was really amazing to watch him with clients, his coaching brings on immediate results. Everyone I saw him working with would improve when Jeremy would work with them. It was remarkable.

After the finish, Art from Seattle walked up and asked if I was ready for a second run. Hells yah! I could not wait to get back up there. Saw PB and Rod's rigs in the lot so we knew they were getting the goods too.

Even well into the evening, the wind was still filled in nicely for 95% of the run and we had an excellent swell set up, especially around Mitchell Point.  JR's tips came in very handy and I think I had the fastest Viento run with the least amount of extraneous paddling ever. The best tip for me was to wait until I see the nose dropping before taking two, three or four quick strokes. That advice alone rewarded me with more glides and less wasted energy than ever. I am tired and happy right now. Hoping for more good conditions this week. Happy fathers day!

[PonoBill]

Man, did I hurt last night. Glad I didn't do number #3 like I planned. Would have been fine, but we really cranked it up for the second half of #2, cutting across the river and getting into the big swells at Swell City takes a lot of heat.

[corlot]

Hood River Locals,

Looking to come up from Vancouver BC this weekend and do some runs. Wondering if anyone has an idea if the weather is going to work out, ie wind etc.. Looks like the temps are on the way up if that is an indication of good things. If you think this weekend will not produce, may change the dates for the trip. Any heads up would be great!

Thanks,
Corey

[PonoBill]

Looks pretty good for the weekend, but it's very hard to predict. Bring a mountain bike.