Thursday – July 23rd: beer can kite racing in ‘fukitsnukin’ conditions.’
I survive the night but don’t get anywhere close to getting around the course. Its blowing the dogs off their chains. Foiling in anything over 20 knots still comes with unexpected results at best and bodily or equipment injury at the worst. Do no harm is my mantra.
Friday- July 24th– downwind slalom windsurfing at the St.FYC.
The high wind course was set with 5 gybes from Anita rock to a finish off the St.FYC race deck. The key to slalom racing is getting a good start and coming out of the 1st mark in good position with speed. If you can stay out of trouble the rest of the 2 min race, it’s all good. We bang 5 races off in less than an hour and I get my 1st win of the season, capitalizing on the mistakes of others and staying upright.
Saturday- July 25th- Crissy Field Slalom Series.
Its blowing 25-30k+ with big ugly voodoo chop all over the course-perfect for slalom racing! 22 windsurfers take to the city front course again for a 5 buoy downwind race getting 10 heats off before calling it quits or retiring from sheer exhaustion. The biggest upset of the day came in the last race in the biggest breeze with recreation windsurfer, Olan Kenneally from San Francisco getting the last bullet on his wave board and 5.0 rig- proving that its not what you ride- but how you ride it.
By Sunday, I’m spent and decided to skip the SF Classic race, one of my all time favorite long distance race so that I can recover in time for next weeks bender- 4 more days of kite foil racing at the Kite Foil Gold Cup hosted by the St.FYC from July 30-August 2nd. I’m in no way ready for an event like this but all you can is try and hope you learn something and have a little fun in the process.
Sail on,
Steve Bodner
USA-4
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