Author Topic: Be humble, asshole  (Read 2856 times)

PonoBill

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Be humble, asshole
« on: April 02, 2021, 10:23:35 PM »
It's painted on my oldest toolbox, but apparently, I don't see it often enough.

If I ever start holding forth on foil setups or tell anyone they are wrong on some theoretical point, please either punch me in the mouth, or if I'm out of range just say "downwinger" and I"ll STFU.

Today I did what has to be the slowest downwinger ever. Probably a stupid idea to start with--a new board I'm not comfortable on yet, and new wings that feel a little different from the hobo fleet. I suffered. I could go upwind, no problem, but as soon as I turned downwind my random foot position did me in. I over foiled on the face of swells and came off the foil on the backside. Both resulted in crashes, and getting back up was grim.

The reason getting back up was hard was my feet were in the wrong position as the board came up--because I'm an idiot that doesn't listen.

There was some discussion here recently about mast position, the center of gravity of the board, and the center of lift. I made dismissive comments that the center of gravity of the board was a trivial thing compared to the center of gravity of the system. The board weighs 12 pounds, the rider weighs 200, yadda, yadda.

What I didn't consider was that center of gravity is an analog for the center of buoyancy, more or less, and if you have your feet in the right position for buoyancy, and you simply shove your mast forward, as I usually do, having your feet in the right position to keep the nose of a shorter board from getting buried will probably (almost certainly) be the wrong place for flying the foil.

So yeah. I'm a dumbass, and I paid for it. My feet look like hamburger tonight from crawling back on the board 300 times. My apologies to the folks I said were wrong. I'd still say, not 100% right on theory, but in practice, a hell of a lot closer than I was. And that's what counts. Theories are just air if they aren't complete.

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.

Hdip

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2021, 08:18:47 AM »
Hahaha. I may not understand any of the math or how things work. I do know that learned alone 3 years ago in beach break that I now refuse to even look at when I have my foil. I learned the hardest way possible I think, but I did learn. 😀

Califoilia

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2021, 11:12:51 AM »
Yeppers. I think we've all come to find that there's quite a difference between "theory" and "reality" when it comes to all things foiling...I'm reminded of it out in the water on almost a weekly basis. :D
Me: 6'1"/185...(2) 5'1" Kings Foil/Wing Boards...7'10 Kings DW Board...9'6" Bob Pearson "Laird Noserider"...14' Lahui Kai "Manta"...8'0" WaveStorm if/when the proning urges still hit.

surfcowboy

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2021, 12:11:05 PM »
Humility, especially saying, I was wrong, is precious and rare in our society.

Most truly successful people mine it regularly.

I sweated the standing trim on my first board a ton. Hope I got it right on this one lol.

clay

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2021, 12:14:19 PM »
First time I wing foiled on my smallest board I pushed the foil all the way forward and felt out of control.  Then Dwight's comment about a small board loosing it's mind popped into my head.  So I went in and moved the foil back in the tracks, voila it flew normal.  Couldn't understand how that would be possible without experiencing it myself.
Aloha, I welcome and appreciate all responses of positivity and good feeling.

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Dontsink

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2021, 02:06:00 PM »
It's painted on my oldest toolbox, but apparently, I don't see it often enough.


Two weeks ago i cut a 3mm thick slice out of my fingertip with a box cutter.Well into  the fleshy bit.Healing nicely,thank god for that liquid band aid stuff.

30mins before i had been lecturing a friend on the dangers of hand and power tools...duh!.

Vancouver_foiler

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2021, 04:38:22 PM »
Humility makes the fall from up high a lot lower

PonoBill

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Re: Be humble, asshole
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2021, 10:04:24 AM »
I had a little time for a short session today prior to hosting friends for dinner so I went, and discovered I had transformed my new board from uncomfortable and spooky to a magic carpet by paying attention to what folks here on the zone say and moving the mast back to the middle of the track. What a moron!

I mowed the lawn for six very long reaches from the Kihei Canoe Hale to Haycraft park, doing lots of unnecessary dodging around to get a better feel for the new wing (5M F-one Strike) and the new board (5'11" X 30" 130L Flying Dutchman) with an 1150/390 Axis foil on the short fuselage and 76cm carbon mast. What pleasure.

I chased a lot of swells and rode some for a decent distance, pumping away with the wing flagged.

The Axis Strike does indeed go upwind a lot better than the Swing, so much so that it feels weird on anything less than a close reach. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but several times I felt like I didn't know what direction the wind was blowing because the wing pushed forward into a broad reach position while I thought I was close-hauled. I haven't tried a tack yet, but I think it's going to be over before I'm ready for it, not much angle to swing through.

I have a 1300 Axis wing in the van, waiting for me to try it out. I was too chicken to give it a go after the total fiasco of the previous downwinger.

I'm so relieved to find that I love this board--not just for its looks (damn, it's handsome) and that we're sure to become very used to each other. And that I haven't forgotten how to do this sport.

I finished the session in the light, swirly wind close to the beach by pumping a few hundred yards to the shallows--no problem. I needed that easy end. Especially since my knees look like they've been sanded. I really didn't want to have to paddle in. There's nothing like the promise of torture to enhance my weak pumping.
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.

 


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