Well another day at the office. I had two good races and then fell apart in the 3rd elimination of the day. Went into the first mark and BANG.. it happened like a car accident.. it was loud and hard crash, I didnt even know what hit me. All the sudden out of no where I was flying head over heals in the air around the gybe mark. I was amazed that no one was hurt. Peter Bjiel came flying through the gybe and I didnt even see him before the crash. So I was out after that one but then started catching up.. and fell again. Not the best race for me. To top it off Matt won the race making him slide back into second. Two more days left. Need to put the pedal to the medal.
It has been racing.. We have finally got in a couple rounds... And me I am doing good.. not great.. not bad.. just good. Consistantly good. I hope to start moving up into consistantly 1st but it is just a dog fight out there. The big boys just love the run.. and the small guys love the gusty light gybes. I am just right in the middle. I dont usually come to a dead stop in the gybes but I dont usually get that top end speed down the first leg. I am still on my 34 and my 5.9. I love my fin but I think it is a bit big. Anyhow, Matt and Ross both had a good day.. I am consitant.. it looks like it is going to come down to the end!!
Today was a nice and easy day. We had one race today and I finished third. Other than not too much else to report. Tomorrow the forcast looks so so and then back to real Pozo conditions. Only 5 more days so I am sure we will get some good racing in.
One thing that is nice is that they are keeping the races really high quality. It will be interesting to see if they keep that standard throughout the week.
Today was the first day of racing and we had conditions all over the place. In my first heat I was on 5.1 and just as we got the heat under way the wind died. We made it around the course and I even finished in second and everone else finished but after some moaning on the beach they called it off and we went back out with 6.6 and finished the heat off. By the time they got to the final I was back on the 5.9 fully wound up. It was windy. I had some great speed out there. I was running my 5.9 TR 3 with the Isonic 87 and my secret weapon 34 Debiochet fin. I definately had some speed just need to get a better start..The story of my life. In the first final I had a good start just got a little bit worse start than Antoine and Bjorn and they beat me to the first mark. IN the second final I got a TERRIBLE start, no excuses I was just 3 seconds late.. pissed me off... but with traffic and crashes I managed to squeak my way into 4th. Good finish for the first two races. We went in for lunch and when we came back out the wind had gone. Yep gone for the day.. So it was a nice early day.. Pozo is actually really nice when the wind backs off a bit!
Anyhow here is a short clip of the wave sailing. I have some more clips but these are the highlights of it.. and the guy on the green sail that is ripping up so hard... that is Victor Fernandez.. He rips. The guy is amazing!!! A big congrats to him for his second straight victory this year and Pozo two years in a row. That is pretty big!!
Well after a out first round loss in Portugal and an out first round here in GC.. I was starting to doubt myself. Anyhow I managed to win 4 heats before getting knocked out to Nik Baker. Not the best comeback ever but better than nothing. I was happy to get through one heat and that started to get the confidence rolling a bit. I had a close heat with Nik in a 2/1 decision and just lacked a little bit in the wave riding department. Nik is always a great competitor and a tough one to beat. That is all for today. Had an early day so maybe I will work on the video a bit!
Had a tough day at the office today. Not only did I have a really tough heat with local by Dario Ojeda, I went out there and my mast broke after a huge back loop. To top it off, my brother of all people was suposed to organize me a caddy..I know trust no one but yourself but I was just on my way to ask someone and he said I will organize someone... he was in contest mode himself so I guess the thought left his mind.. and I was out there for a couple minutes just letting the heat go by.. Pretty dissapointed in the old bro.. but it is just a contest right.. just one that your livelyhood depends on.. Anyhow.. SO I didnt advance and now I have a long long road to the winners circle. Sailed one more heat in the loosers round and made it through that, so that was a positive note.
Now to the winners. I can't wait to show you guys the video.. I am not going to work on it tonight but... WOW!! Those guys are ripping. I got some of the sickest video ever. Victor Fernandez and Kauli Saudi were head and tails above everyone else.. Leaving most of the beach speachless after the final. I was sitting there myself and going like.. WOW>> these guys are ripping.
Ok I am off to bed.. hopefully have a super long day with a lot of heats tomorrow.
Today is registration day and it is suuuuupppperrrrr windy.. 48 KNOTS tegistered at the airport today and it is usually even windier here in Pozo.. We are getting ready, rigging and getting everything ready for the week. Looks like we will be going straight into the waves.
Well I didnt win but super stoked! Not too bad of a finish considering at one point I was lucky to be in the top ten. I had a great opening race finishing second and then they changed the starting line and I had a hard time to get off the starting line in a good position... Anyhow I made the adjustment and went hard for the final round of the day. It was a close one. If I didnt make it into the final and Bjorn won then he would jump past me into second. And so I knew hzc go put the hammer down. In the semi final I almost didnt make it. I was in 2nd at the gybe behind Finian Maynard and he did a terrible gybe and crashed right in front of me. I was in last place and I knew that I needed to get into the final. I fought hard and some how managed to work my way into the final. I was stoked! Just by getting into the final I know that I would finish in second. Antoine had already sealed up the win and so I knew that I couldn't go forward or backwards so I was really happy. So for Lanzarote I finished second. I know it is not a victory but pretty good. Last year I came third here in the Super X so I guess it is a step in the right direction!
Tomorrow is a travel day to Gran Canaria and then registration day and then back on to more competition!!
What a day for me.. Finally a good one.. I am super stoked with winning 2 out of the three races we did today. I had good starts and good speed all day today. Went out with my 8.4 TR 3 and my Starboard 122 Isonic and a new Debiochet fin that was rocketing. It was a 42cm fin and was feeling really nice. It almost felt like I didnt have a fin on the board the way it just went forward without too much lift. I was loving it! Good starts and good speed. Just need another day like that tomorrow and I will be really stoked! One more day left here. Wish me luck!
Well when you get a day off in the Canary's you enjoy it. Today was set for Freestyle so I went back to the hotel and took a nice day of rest! Felt pretty good although I am hungry to get back on the race course and make up some well needed points. I put together some more clips for you guys and hope that you enjoy!
Man, I always feel like I am having bad days lately. Today was another tough day for me. In the first round, I was fighting to get into the final and just didnt have a good enough start. I managed to make up quite a bit of places but I just couldn't do it. I was pretty bummed out so I went back to the drawing board. I knew it was my starts so I just had to start really pushing it more. Everytime I thought that someone was overearly they weren't so I started to push the line more and more. The first race of the second round was a sucess with a good start and a win in the first heat. The next heat I got sucked over the line early and put me into the loosers final once again. Man I was bummed.
The next round started at 6:30 in the evening and went until 7:30 and that made for a hungry stomach. I went and was straight back in it.. Needed a good start. In the semi final I had a terrible start!! I mean terrible.. there was no wind in my sail, it felt like I was sailing under a helicoptor the wind was so bad.. It seemed as I was in last place and then the wind hit everyone that was in front of me right at the gybe. I come in dead last and come out in 4th, as we charge to the outstide the wind keeps getting stronger and stronger as we hunker down, I manage to pass Bjorn on the way out and went into 2nd! I was stoked! I just put in a new Debiochet 34cm fin and it was feeling great on the way out. All I needed was a good start and maybe just maybe I could get some sort of good result. SO for the Final there was no more messing around. I finally stepped up to the plate and went for a good start. I went for it but the only problem was so did Bjorn and he had a great start. He went flying over the top of me but still I was in good position and managed to get to the mark in third behind him and Albeau. I was stoked. Finally an OK finish to finish in third. I am still sitting in sixth but hopefully can pull something together!!
I am still fighting for it and hope to move up a couple of positions!
Well it started off about the same as yesterday! With chaos and bouys floating away.. Didnt get started until around 1 and then busted through 4 rounds of pretty hard racing. Antoine Albeau was the man today by only registering 7.8 as his smallest sail and it was a solid open ocean 25 knots. Pretty impressive that he can hold down a sail that big. I was on my 6.6 and was pretty dang powered up that is for sure. I had some bad starts and just couldnt get it together going fast enough. I dont know what it is but I was really trying hard. Taty Frans was on Maui Sails and was going really fast. He went over the top of me like I was standing still. Oh well. I just need to get it together, get better starts, and get more aggressive. I will be back tomorrow!
Day 2 and still no racing. Was a great for it but they could not get the boats anchored and all sorts of other stuff. It was going to be one of those classic surf slalom days but it just didnt materialize. Too bad. We havent had surf slalom for years and this would have been one of those days.. Hopefully tomorrow. In the end they had a good day for Freestyle and that was pretty cool to watch. There are some pretty good kids out there doing tricks that I could only dream of doing! Anyhow that is all for now!!
Well since I have been lacking in the photo department I figured I would put up a training video for you guys to check out. Not my best production but.. Good for a watch anyhow!!
Today was the first day of Lanzarote and was used for registration. Everyone had to make the decision for what to register today for the event. It was a bit of a lottery on what to register as it can be any conditions here. I registered my big stuff with 9.2, 8.4, 7.6 and 6.6 with a 122 and 101. I hope it is not too big but we will see.. Hopefully it will be the right thing to do!
Tomorow is the big day. When the flag drops the .... stops!
We are on the move to another Island. We are off to Lanzarote for a slalom event! I am looking forward to doing some racing and getting this summer series on the way! Gran Canaria has been pretty flat making for some nice slalom weather. I am
Today was another windy day. Went out slalom sailing and boy was it windy. Did some board testing with Taty and that was good fun. I was on 5.9 and he was on 5.1 and we both pretty powered up!
Went up to the mountains yesterday and had a nice touristy dinner on the cliff! Could have got some better picts but thats the price you pay for going with a group. It was fun nonetheless..
Well we had another good day at Pozo. Some waves still left over and some good wind too. Today sailed on 4.5 and was fun. The waves were alot smaller but still fun and good to get around and get the sore body out and about. These past 4 days of training are taking a toll that is for sure! Oh well..you play hard you pay hard!
Today had some of the best waves I have ever seen in Pozo!! It was some logo high sets with some closeout waves. I even got worked a couple of times and that is pretty rare for Pozo! Sailed on 4.2 Legend and that sail felt really nice. The new Maui Sails are really working great. It is always nice to have a 4.2 sail that is working great. Feels like a big sail but small. It breaths it opens up it isn't super twitchy.. all the things necessary for a good time in windy conditions!
Yesterday was super fun with some wind and waves. Was one of the most fun days I have had sailing Pozo for a couple years I think. The waves were up, it was nearly sideshore.. I am on my way to get a couple more waves before they dissapear!!
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