Looking Back at 2012

I'm very blessed and grateful in many ways.  I can't think of anything better than enjoying the outdoors with my family and friends.  Before we look forward to 2013, lets take a brief look back at 2012 - another fun year of adventure with family and friends. Tip: click on the arrows at lower right to watch it in big screen.

2012 Year In Review from WaterTurtle Productions on Vimeo.

Here's to a great 2013 for everyone.  Happy New Year everybody!

Early Christmas Gift

Winter windsurfing, Lake Norman style...



Lake Norman Windsurfing December 2012 from WaterTurtle Productions on Vimeo.

It was so windy, it was blowing dogs off chains

James

Alan airing it out

Alan - sail 360 sequence

Rigged my 5.5 sail first in what turned out to be a suckers lull in the wind and was quickly overpowered.  Rigged the 4.6 and was much better, although I got overpowered on it for a while too.  It's been a while since I've windsurfed in heavy wind like that....it was good to shake off the cobwebs.

Looks like some more wind in the forecast over the holiday break...hoping to hit the water hooked in to my boom again soon.

Son of a Son of a Sailor

This is a replica of an 1889 Herreshoff Coquina sailboat.  Nathanael Greene Herreshoff was best known as a very innovative sailboat designer and for producing a long successive string of winning America's Cup sailboats between 1893-1920.  The Coquina was his personal sailboat.  My dad built this Coquina replica, all by hand, including the wooden masts and booms.  It took him three years to build it - he estimates he spent an average of 4 hours per day, 5 days per week, and 10 months per year out of those three years.  He named it the "Dandy".  A friend was happening by the docks and asked what kind of boat it was.  Dad yelled back, "It's a Dandy!"

I grew up crewing with my dad in one design (Tanzer, then Flying Scots) dinghy sailboat races in NC.  That's how I eventually got into windsurfing.  One of my sons and I went out last weekend for a sail with my dad in the Dandy.   It was a perfect mild winter day for sailing - sunny and 10mph+ breeze.  With acknowledgements to Jimmy Buffett, this makes my sons a son of a son of a sailor...

It sails real nice - I love the way the water flowed out the back...very similar to how water flows out the back of a SUP race board.

Yes, you can even stand up paddle it!

As the son of a son of a sailor
I went out on the sea for adventure
Expanding the view of the captain and crew
Like a man just released from indenture

As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin man
I have chalked up many a mile
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks
And I learned much from both of their styles

Chorus:
Son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
Son of a gun, load the last ton
One step ahead of the jailer

Now away in the near future
Southeast of disorder
You can shake the hand of the mango man
As he greats you at the border

And the lady she hails from trinidad
Island of the spices
Salt for your meat, and cinnamon sweet
And the rum is for all your good vices

Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind
That our forefathers harnessed before us
Hear the bells ring as the tight rigging sings
Its a son of a gun of a chorus

Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends
If I knew I might toss out my anchor
So I cruise along always searchin for songs
Not a lawyer a thief or a banker

But a son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
Son of a gun, load the last ton
One step ahead of the jailer

Im just a son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
The seas in my veins, my tradition remains
Im just glad I don't live in a trailer

Black and Blue Friday

It was a Black (& blue) Friday because I took a nice shot in the ribs from my board.  Just about knocked the wind out of me.  But not before a day of pure sweetness in the waves.  Mostly lefts but snagged a few rights too.  Clean waist to chest high and bigger sets all morning, then it got bumpy in the afternoon as the wind clocked around a little earlier than expected.  It was very crowded and bigger at the pier but we surfed a few blocks south of there and had it mostly to ourselves.  Enjoyed the day trip to Topsail Island to burn off the turkey and stuffing with Ralph, Mark...and Ken T as he was able to join us for a little while later in the day.

That shot to the ribs was at the end of one my rare rights and one of my best wave rides of the day...just got a little greedy as the wave reformed on the inner sand bar and I stayed on it.  I knew I was in trouble when I could see the brown sand.  Too late as I tried to fall flat and cover my head with my arms but the board came up from underneath and slammed into my left side.  Being optimistic and guessing they're just bruised as I sit here icing them and taking ibuprofen.  Doesn't hurt enough to go to the doctor. Still buzzing from the awesome day and grateful my injury wasn't worse.

Enjoy the photo extravaganza of wave sweetness (click on each shot for best viewing in high resolution)...

Ralph on his small surfboard

Mark and our friend the pelican

Mark

Ralph

Mark and the shark chaser

Mark

Ralph

Ralph - Oh Boy!!

Ralph traded in the surfboard for his SUP surfboard & paddle when it got bumpy

Notice that Ralph goes both ways?  "Ambidextrous" or as NC State and NBA short-timer Chris Washburn once said "Amphibious", which is actually more appropriate here anyway.

                           

Here are a few more pics on Ralph's page.

When I came out of the water for a break, I broke out the telephoto lens and trained it on the guys at the pier a few blocks away....

Local Chris Hill was charging at the crowded pier on his SUP surfboard.  Chris was an early sponsored SUP racer with Surftech/Bark and is now an Infinity team rider.  He now has his own shop on Topsail Island along with his own SUP surf boards with Infinity that have a fascinating short, fast, and stable board shape.

Chris

local surfers at the pier

check out the toes on the nose guy on the right