Author Topic: A quick, wing/surf story...  (Read 1014 times)

Wetstuff

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A quick, wing/surf story...
« on: July 07, 2020, 07:45:54 AM »
A friend bought Dwight's 4M WASP from me.  He's one of the salt-of-the-earth types that has surfed after church for decades and switched to SUP a few years ago. He and a friend—who is a graceful as a ballet dancer on an 11' SUP—hang in an area with all the knowns and wannabees. He wants to foil but thought starting with the wing would be best at first.  BUT - he really did not want anyone to see him; people at any break can be pretty damn judgmental ..and your homebreak is the worst.

He calls: Jimmy! He was out on the 4th weekend - east-facing beach w/SSE ...sounding like 10-12kts.  I think he only has 9 and 11' SUPs.  ' Said he took the center fin out - leaving two side fins and no leash.  He and his friend typically move off and do not use leashes. (I would swim 100mi a month w/o a leash) He tells me, he wings his way outside... and way outside a kind of dead peak comes in and the wing helps him pick this small swell.. ' grabs the center handle and 'surfs it in'.   ...a number of times.

The fun part: he's now 'Mikey' - the first to try it ..and like it.  I gather it was like if Tommy Curren showed up in the parking lot.  Rather than feeling 'the goof', he's a groundbreaker and they all wanted to know 'What is that?!'.  He's a nice guy: 'hero for a day' is well deserved.

Jim
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sflinux

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Re: A quick, wing/surf story...
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2020, 10:27:12 AM »
Nice story.  I find it interesting that your friend pulled his center fin out and rode it without a leash. 
I kitesurf with all kinds of boards (SUP, longboards, etc), and found that the center fin just adds drag, so twins is preferred over thruster.  With a kite, I also find I prefer a twinfin over a quad (unless I am totally juiced).  I have found that I don't like using a board leash while flying a kite in the surf, better to kick it out (in the impact zone) and use wind power to retrieve it.  Would be a judgment call for crowded beaches though.   
Quiver Shaped by: Joe Blair, Blane Chambers, Jimmy Lewis, Kirk McGinty, and Bob Pearson.
Me: 200#, 6'2"

 


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