Pritchard Windsurfing

Check out my new MFC KOne freeride. We have had so much success with the K one wave fin, with everyone from Victor Fernandez, to Kauili, to Ricardo all using it in there single fin boards, that we went for the same concept in a freeride fin! I love it! Works great with the Futura, or bigger Kodes, also Matt tested it with his Rockets and 3S's so it is ready to rip in whatever you have. I will try and get it up on the shop soon!

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I guess new isn't always better.. Well maybe it is.. Just trying to figure it out.. Not the best day for taking photos...

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I got this note and decided to post it up..

The windsurfing at Lake Isabella as we know it is about to change forever. The days of camping at waters edge,being able to set up camp, rig your equipment and enjoy the convenience of being right there within a few steps of the water may be over before you know it. The latest proposal put forth by the Forestry prohibits vehicular travel to 300 feet from waters edge. You can still sail and you can still camp but no vehicles closer than 300ft.
Now that I have your attention I would like to post a letter sent to me by Chris Horgan, executive director of The Stewards of the Sequoia . A grassroots organization we can credit with bringing this whole issue to light .
The Forest service has combined the issue of trail travel management with the issue of vehicular access at the lake. Many of us windsurfers are also off road enthusiasts . This proposal affects everyone... windsurfers ,kiters,fishermen, campers ,anyone that enjoys access to our Sequoia Forest areas.
Thanks, WS

I wanted to give you an update on the proposed closure of traditional Lakeside Access at Lake Isabella.
Many people are not aware that earlier this year the US Forest Service released their Draft Route Designation Plan. That plan called for the elimination of ALL traditional lakeside access that has been enjoyed by windsurfers, boaters, fisherman and campers.

Fortunately Stewards of the Sequoia a local grassroots volunteer organization researched the 600 plus page Draft Plan and discovered the proposed closure. Stewards hired NEPA and other specialist to draft their substantive comment and organized local opposition to the closures.

WHERE ARE WE TODAY?
Due to Stewards efforts and comments, the Sequoia Forest Service has added a Modified Alternative 3 to the FEIS plan document (Page54), which now includes historical vehicle Lakeside access in the newly proposed 20 Recreation Areas around the Lake, including the Ghetto. This will allow the public to enjoy reduced access to the Lakeside compared to today. The public will still be able to drive down to the Lakeside, but they must then stay within 300 feet of the shoreline. Stewards further research has found that some of the boundaries of the new Recreation Areas do not extend down to low water.

Stewards will be submitting another comment to address the reduced Lakeside access that our research has brought to light. We feel the Forest Service will listen.

What has driven the positive changes we have seen in the planning process is the in depth research and substantive comments by Stewards of the Sequoia. It has cost Stewards tens of thousands of dollars to perform this public service including hiring NEPA and other specialists. Stewards are totally membership funded, but our funding has not been able to keep pace with our efforts. Our membership is made up mostly of off roaders and mountain bikers, yet we are effectively working to represent windsurfers, fisherman, boaters and the community.

HOWEVER THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL
This planning process must be followed through to the end and may require legal action to help defend the Forest Service access position from lawsuits by closure activists. Stewards also need to review, research and respond to the 1400 page FEIS planning document.

In order for Stewards of the Sequoia to continue our planned efforts to preserve Lakeside Access we need financial help from more people. I hope the windsurfing community will respond. I have been fortunate to windsurf for over thirty years and know how wonderful Lake Isabella is. I hope each of you will realize it is worth $50 or $100 to help keep it open.

We want to raise $10,000 in the next month from new members like you. All donations are tax deductible which may help. You can learn more, become a member and donate here:

http://stewardsofthesequoia.org

Please keep in mind that only stakeholders like Stewards can respond and comment on the FEIS document. We do not recommend that the general public be urged to contact the Sequoia Forest. While we successfully enlisted public outrage to the prior version of the Forest DEIS plan, that would be counter productive at this phase of the planning process. We need the Forest Staff to focus their limited time on working with organizations like Stewards on constructive solutions.

Together we can preserve our access, economy and way of life.

--
Chris Horgan
Stewards of the Sequoia
Division of CTUC 501c3 Non Profit

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So I am pretty excited about my photography stuff lately.. I managed to get a cool JP poster made up of Robby Swift with a cool watershot of mine as well as 3 photos in the JP brochure.. I was pretty stoked on that.. I have also seen my photos being run in the latest Surf Mag of the same shot!! Not too bad. I also am working on an article with Cowboys and Indians which is a mainstream mag in the US. I will let you guys know when that is coming out.

I also just got the new Canon 7d camera.. I will let you know how that goes. It shoots video and stills so I think it will suit me well. Hope everyone is enjoying winter coming with some good storm sailing. I have heard from my friends in Canada that there is some major shredding going on the Great Lakes. That must be cold.. But still looked fun. Enjoy it all cause winter is coming!!

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Well we got out another day on the water, this time with the big stuff. It was really light but we are still moving forward. We have really been working on the fine tuning of the shaping as well as the clew position. We have tried to flatten out the sail a bit, as well as putting grommets all over the sail now. Trying to figure out which is the right place to have it. We had Dan in a loft out in the middle of no where working on recuts for hours.

Our stay here has been pretty fun. The people here have been super nice and it is very cool to have the support of French windsurfers. They are very enthusiastic and really like to see what is going on. 

On another note, I got to see Baptiste, who was seriously injured surfing in Tahiti. He is in good spirits and was nice to see him smiling. We are all hopeful and support his long road to recovery. It was really heavy to go and see one of your good friends like this but to see him smiling, that was a good feeling. I hope the very best for him and his family.

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Well Finally an end to a rocky season for me. I have to say that I am pissed off, with myself, with my results, and I am bummed for my sponsors cause I feel like I let them down a bit. I have some of the best gear I have had in my hands, and for some reason I just didn't perform of how I know how to do it. I got into crashes, I got crashed into, I had bad starts, I don't know what happened. I trained so hard for it, put so much time into it and it was probably my worst season in 14 years. I had the speed most of the time, and just couldn't get it done. Was I worried too much about winning? Was I worried too much about losing? Did I not train enough, did I over train? I get these questions running through my head and trying to figure out what the problem was with my season.

Lucky for me, my sponsors still believe in me and are giving me another chance. Starboard has continued their support for almost ten years now and Gaastra has been there for a while as well. Dakine, an amazing brand has been with Matt and I really since the beginning, I can remember going into the offices in Hood River and talking with Pat Frodle and seeing Rob, and we must have been 12 and 15 at the time,, boy has time flown. What a great run we have had and we have been so blessed by the sport over the years! What a great ride. Looks like I will be doing it another year and now is the time to get back on the horse and work everything out and figure out what why when and how.. I am heading down to the south of France to test out the new Gaastra Vapors, and Remi, Tiesda and the Starboard boys are on the program working on the 2011 stuff already. So it is good. Push on and upwards!! 

I would also like to thank all you guys out there who read my blog and put up with my up and down results. I try to give you the inside stuff, not just the good or just the bad, but to get you to feel like you are there. To hear what is going on , to know what I am riding on, to give you the fin sizes, the sail and board sizes to get the feel of what it is like to be a pro on the road.. Hope you enjoy the ride!

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Well today we had a break in the wind. It was cold and crisp and they decided to go on hold for freestyle. I really wanted a shot at some more racing but hey, we have had 8 or so events this year so it is good to get the freestylers out there.. although I am not sure if they were quite so happy for the opportunity to get out there in the cold and not so optimum conditions. Anyhow, no racing or waves for me today.

I did get to go to the Four Dimensions premiere and that was a great film. If you are interested at all in windsurfing, and want to see the best of the best.. check out this movie. It is one to go down as one of the best films produced in windsurfing.. ever.. They put a lot of time and effort into it and it shows. Definitely a video you want to have in your video library.  I am going to put it in our shop here at Pritchard Windsurfing.. so check it out and get your copy now!!!

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Well the wind and waves came ripping in.. It was even starboard tack and the boys, and girls were out there ripping. I waas on my 5.3 Manic and Big Starboard Kode. I managed to sneak through one heat and then had a pretty good run with some good wave riding but just got ousted in the jump category..  So needless to say that I was pretty bummed. Well as they say there is always tomorrow. Big congrats to Alex Mussolini for his sailing. Lets see if he has what it takes to stay in the number one spot!

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