USA 4 Windsurfing Campaign update from USA National Windsurfing Champion Steve Bodner:
If I missed out on the Polynesian sailing canoes entering the SF Bay, I certainly found the stoke alive at the south tower yesterday. It absolutely went off.
Huge ebb, south swell and an 18-22k NW sea breeze.
The best day of the season so far... but that’s what I said Monday!
I've been a bit burnt out on windsurfing the past few weeks doing three back to back to back five day events. My energy level at last Friday’s race was at a minimum. No motivation.
But alas a good ebb tide will change everything!
Getting there was worth its weight in gold as I had to come back and finished down from 39 to 32 just to cope my way through that minefield of voodoo chop east of the gate. I've only seen the bay get that frothy a few times. Wicked sets of disorganized chop throwing in every direction but once up to the golden gate bridge it all changed.
I did the circuit between the south tower and ft point for 90 minutes before I was absolute mush.
More gybes yesterday than the entire season.
The standing wave just outside the south tower was just epic.
Three to four sets would line up and carry down past the tower. I had some double and triple dip rides getting me deeper than I’ve ever gone before. A few times I looked over my shoulder to see Bowen or Erin on their kites a few sets back but their kites in front of me. It was all good through as the stoke factor was way high and everybody was killing it out there.
The ml slalom board and north warp 7.0 were perfect getting me in position every time.
The sheets of velvety smooth silk water were unreal at fort point with the water moving so rapidly but the surface smooth as silk. You couldn’t ask for a more perfect complement to the standing wave just to the south of the tower.
My last ride I got greedy and tried to go for my fourth gybe at the tower shooting the eddy and pearled the front of my board in 5' steep face. I got shot out so fast and before I knew it I was water starting at the red nun. The friction on the water was so strong that it was almost impossible to get the leach of the sail free for a water start.
At the end of the day I was like a little kid returning to the beach after his first day in the straps or discovering what planing is all about. This sport will never grow old as long as there are days like these to keep me going. US M9 was certainly smiling down on us today!
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