Did something killer the other day....

[paddlesurf.net]

Pretty funky and windy.... decided to dig through my deck pad and stick an old beater rig onto the Sean Ordonez Big Red that I bought three years ago. I'm hooked- putting around on that big old board was soooo fun. Now, we're planning a Punta San Carlos sup/wave sail trip in July.... and we've never wave sailed before.... can't wait to see the look on the paying guests faces when we come charging down the line! 

[K-541`]

 John I know your goofy but when you see the chili bowl on a nice south. Well you'll be in standup hog heaven but then it could just be windy normal and you will be forced to sail !

[paddlesurf.net]

I'm getting super excited just thinking about it- I went there about three years ago- back in my kitesurfing days- and one guy in particular was RIPPING the Chili Bowl on a windsurfer (always thought windsurfers flowed a little better wavesailing then the kite)... we stand up paddled it for a morning and then split for warmer water farther south... if you've got any rig advice let 'er rip. I'm only going to sail it on my 12' Sean Ordonez... so small sails and no footstraps... you tell me what's up- I'm a kook.

Yeah, I'm screwfoot but I've wave sailed switch footed with the kite before so maybe I can cobble a couple turns together.

Hey- just remembered here's a video of that first trip we took way back in '07. You'll see San Quintin, Conejo, La Bocana, Abreojos, Cerritos (the local guys were so stoked on stand up they all grabbed my board and were goofing around with it for hours), La Ventana, Muertos and some other spots in it. I'm the kiting on the yellow directional hitting the lip... STOKED!

[SUP Sports ®]

It's kewl to see folks discovering new fun being unlocked from their Big Reds by putting a sail rig on them...

http://surfingsports.com/isla_vista_longboard/index.html

http://surfingsports.com/cali_longboard_wavesailing/index.html

http://surfingsports.com/longboard_wavesailing_cali/index.html

Precursor to Big Red under sail on the Central Cali Coast...
http://surfingsports.com/cali_standup_paddleboarding/slides/cali_sup_windsurfing2.jpg

I started working with Sean Ordonez on this concept back in 2005...after going through several prototypes, in February 2006, Sean had the master plugs shaped for what would become the first molded epoxy sandwich SUP's...and, the first with mast tracks...

http://surfingsports.com/images/sos_paddleboards_1010_1111.jpg

It's amazing how progressive they look until this day...the definition of classic...

I had to be very persistent with Sean about this...;-)
I still have the first Big Red without a mast track per se...just a G-10 plate with threaded single bolt mast foot attachment...just two holes on the deck did away with that sailboard looking thingy...;-)

Now SUP manufacturers like Starboard and Naish do something similar to hide the multi-purpose aspect of the board...

My new 9'7" North Pacific has a hidden mast track under the pad...;-)

BTW, here are some shots from the Baja of the first time Big Red was ridden at PSC...

http://surfingsports.com/standup_paddleboard/slides/big_red_baja.html

BTW II, Sean was the first to paddlesurf a certain long right hander (2005) a few miles to the south...

http://surfingsports.com/images/sos_standup_paddlesurf0.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/images/sos_standup_paddlesurf3.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/images/sos_standup_paddlesurf1.jpg

[PonoBill]

You da man, Dog. I'm still surprised more people haven't tried this, I guess it's just a bit too counter-intuitive that it would be more fun than standard windsurfing or kitesurfing. I've tried many times to explain it and failed miserably.  Ah well, maybe it needs to spread virally (which people now equate with exponential growth, but I intend to mean by direct contact with someone doing it).

The wind is up on the Columbia, might not be enough for a downwinders, but could be just right for SUP sailing.

John, wax the pad heavily and stick it in the sun. Seriously, don't argue, just do it. Gecko feet. We don't need no steenking straps. Second suggestion--go find a superfreak sail. You can probably dig one up used, I bought two from Second Wind in Hood River for a hundred or so each. Perfect sail for this silliness. Lots of range, a steady pull instead of a mylar BANG, and light enough to do low wind waterstarts in a couple knots of wind.

[paddlesurf.net]

Hey Pono-

What size SFreak should I be looking for- I'm 235 and will only use it on the Big Red.... I'd probably be into a two sail quiver as long as I could use the same mast, boom and extension for both... and I'd like to use them in anything from 10 to... I don't know mid-twenties... or so (you guys tell me what it blows like at Punta San Carlos).

Stoked on the no footstrap reality.... thanks for the tip.

And... if I could buy another big red I probably would (and I know two or three others who'd do the same) don't know if they are still available though... best built board I've seen.

[SUP Sports ®]

We're definitely freakified...;-)

The wifey loves her "peace freak"...
I rock the "rasta"..."Hendrix"...and, at least six others...when I let the freak flags fly...

We all use 5.Xm2 sail sizing for wavesailing SUP's...makes it easy for the sail to go neutral on a wave...

Definitely don't need footstraps...except for aerials...and, they make a convenient handle getting in and out of the break in bigger surf and high tide...

PSC is a windy spot...but, you can get on it early and later for longboard wavesailing...

http://surfingsports.com/baja.asp
http://surfingsports.com/gallery_baja.asp?


Lots of Big Reds still around...had someone at the shop the other day who was a 3rd generation owner/adoptee...

[PonoBill]

Hey Pono-

What size SFreak should I be looking for- I'm 235 and will only use it on the Big Red.... I'd probably be into a two sail quiver as long as I could use the same mast, boom and extension for both... and I'd like to use them in anything from 10 to... I don't know mid-twenties... or so (you guys tell me what it blows like at Punta San Carlos).

Stoked on the no footstrap reality.... thanks for the tip.

And... if I could buy another big red I probably would (and I know two or three others who'd do the same) don't know if they are still available though... best built board I've seen.

Like Dog says, a 5 or a 5.5. You can get a really big one for light days. I have a 9.0 that's great for lakes. Weighs about the same as a 5M mylar sail.



My "great wave" sail in Door County Wisconsin, sailing in zero, none, nada wind. I had to pump my way back to shore. And this of course is a boater swinging by to take a claser look. Thanks, buddy.

[paddlesurf.net]

Thanks for all the info- I'm on the hunt now for some used gear!

Wax the pad, check.

5 - 6m Superfreak, check.

[laszlo]

I have always found that a slightly bigger sail (in my case a 6.3 Ezzy Wave) helps me catch waves much more easily. With the 5.2 or even the 5.8 I was missing waves that would go by beneath my board as I was pumping to catch up. I don't think the bigger sail inhibits me once I'm riding the wave; how radical can you get with a 12' board?

I am also the proud owner of an original, single fin, Big Red, from Wardog's first shipment. Someone recently had a thread about classic boards and I voted for the Big Red.

[uglysupper]

Oh MAN PSC is just about my idea of heaven. Well, for like two weeks at a time with a nice pumping S swell, anyways

If you're lucky, you'll get it glassy in the morning for some SUP action. Then throw a sail on your SUP to get clean waves all to yourself before the windsurfers can get going. Then it's epic shortboard windsurfing action once the winds up - although it's clean enough you can sail your longboard/SUP all day.

One thing: for most sailable SUP's, I rarely think there's a reason to go bigger than 5.7. Certainly not 6.5 or 7.5 SUP's are built to plane, all that extra sail and power goes to waste. The 5.7 effectively does the same job as any bigger sail in getting you on the wave. Once you're on it, you want as little sail as possible.

Oh man I can't wait to get down to PSC in September!!!!

[uglysupper]

Found this little gem from a longboard windsurfing sesh at PSC...

Can. Not. Wait.

[PonoBill]

You probably meant to do this