February _______________________________________________ _2002
http://www.triadwindsurfing.com
Quite a bit has transpired
in the last couple of months:
1) The Annual Club Christmas Party was held on Friday, December 14th at Charlie Prewett’s house in Greensboro. Many club members attended and fun was had by all especially during the White Elephant gift exchange. Thanks for that awesome Winnie the Pooh Windsurfer, Mark Pace! My daughter loves it! Many thanks to Charlie and Kelly Pruett for putting on a great party! Some photos from the party are in The Gallery section of this newsletter.
2) During the Christmas Party, club officers were elected. They are as follows:
President – Don Wrenn (See Don’s comments and an event schedule in The President’s Corner)
Vice President – Karol Wolicki
Secretary/Treasurer – Keny Kirschtein
Trip Coordinator – Debbie Wrenn
Newsletter Editor – Mac Barnhardt
Webmaster – Jason Wohlgemuth
3)
Included with this newsletter edition is a member list. Some folks have had
email address changes and may have missed some past editions of this year’s
newsletter. Please email me at mbarnhardt@triad.rr.com
and let me know if you didn’t get any or some newsletters last year and I’ll
resend them to you. Also send me an email if your email or address has changed.
4)
I need material for the next
newsletter edition by April 25. Don’t forget: trip reports, stories,
pictures, whatever. Remember: this newsletter is only as good as what the club
puts into it.
5) Send me your ideas for a
new newsletter title/name before April 25.
6) This Spring’s Windfest
is being held April 18-20 at Frisco Woods Campground. Go ahead and call the
Campground to reserve your camping spot or cabin. Every year, several members
go and it’s always a great time. In fact, if you’re there or in the area, come
by and visit some of the other members and I in Cabins 10 & 11. Board &
Sail Makers will be there to let you demo all the latest gear. It’s a great
opportunity to try out some new equipment and hang out with other windsurfers
from around the country. You won’t believe how great the latest boards and
sails are until you’ve tried them.
Frisco Woods Campground’s phone number is (252) 995-5208 and their web
site is http://www.outer-banks.com/friscowoods/
7) See Don Wrenn’s
comments in President’s Corner for more, very important club news,
including an events schedule and information on Learn to Sail Day.
MAC
Club President – Don Wrenn 869-6256 iidbis@mindspring.com
Newsletter Editor – Mac
Barnhardt Phone: 545-6355
Send all stories, reports,
pictures, and whatever to: mbarnhardt@triad.rr.com.
Club Treasurer/Secretary –
Keny Kirschtein Phone: 854-9057 and
email: keny@elsouth.net
Club Web Site - http://www.triadwindsurfing.com
If you have some good
windsurfing photos for the web site,
please send them in “jpeg” format to Jason Wohlgemuth, Club WebMaster,
at jason@wohlgem.com
Trip Coordinator – Debbie
Wrenn 869-6256 iidbis@mindspring.com
- Equipment For Sale -
1)
1998 Pro Tech Convertible 273
93 lts. Great 6.5 –5.0 board
good cond. a few dings no major repairs
board , board bag , and fin $400
Contact Don Wrenn 869-6256 iidbis@mindspring.com
2)
Fanatic Mega-Cat board; 250 litres flotation, in
great shape, $350.00
North Sail; Infinity, 6.0 meters, good shape,
$55.00
North Sail; Spectro, 7.0 meters, good shape,
$75.00
Gastra Sail; 8.0 meters, like new, $50.00
Contact David Johnson, xantos@ols.net
, 727-5174 (day), 983-3606 (night)
3)
1999 Neil Pryde Sails-
4.7NR (Like New)
$250
5.3MPR (Like New) $250
5.7MPR (Great Condition)
$225
6.5V8 (Good Condition)
$200
7.0V8 (Like New) $300
7.5V8 (Fair Condition)
$150
1999 Neil Pryde Masts
(Fiberspar)…
430CM (55% carbon) $125
490CM (55% carbon) $150
Call Keny Kirschtein
854-9057 or email keny@elsouth.net
4)
Mistral Competition 12' 4"
Great beginner board, stable and fast.
5 sails, 2 masts, 2 booms
All for $495
490 Fiberspar 4200 mast, EC $125
7.0 Gaastra 2X, Very good condition $125
Contact Jeff Shanklin
887-4928
5)
Orca Landsailor - $100,
only used 2-3 times, like new. Land Sailing is a great light wind
way to work on your sail
handling skills. Call Mac Barnhardt at 545-6355 or email mbarnhardt@triad.rr.com.
If you have equipment for sale that you want listed in the newsletter, send Mac Barnhardt the details via email mbarnhardt@triad.rr.com.
The winds were still gusting into the thirty’s when the 2002 officers held their first meeting of the year. Never mind that the temperatures were falling into the teens for the night. The sailing season had officially begun at the lake two days before on Feb 1 with the majority of the officers enjoying their 5.5 or smaller sails and seventy degree temperatures.
The first order of business was noting the new club name and making preparations for the change. New signs for the site and new T- shirts were discussed. The problem is we need a new club logo for some of these to take place. So, the artistically challenged officers decided to invite the artistically gifted members of our club to submit some design’s they think would be nice to have on the news letter’s and T-shirt’s. We would like to have the design’s by April 15 so we can make a decision on which one to use. That way we can get new shirts printed before the first Learn to Windsurf Day. Please don’t be bashful about this. I have seen some of the things that you have done in the past, and they are great. Computer generated or free hand. It’s up to you.
Next we set our sites on the Calendar of Events for the year. Here is what we worked out so make your plans now!
Easter Weekend (unofficial club trip to Hatteras)
Club Social/ General Meeting April 6 (details TBA)
Windfest April 18 –20
Site clean up day May 18 10:00 till 2:00
Club Trip to Emerald Isle May 3-5
Memorial Weekend (unofficial club trip to Hatteras)
Learn to Windsurf Day June 8
4th July Weekend (unofficial club trip)
Labor Day Weekend (unofficial club trip)
Learn to Windsurf Day Sept 14
Club Trip to Emerald Isle Sept. 27-29
Club Christmas Party (TBA)
As you can see we have plans for quite a few events. The Learn to Windsurf Days require a good number of club members to pull off. So please plan to attend them. You don’t have to be an instructor if you don’t feel qualified. There are many other jobs that need to be filled (sign in, greeters, rescue kayak , etc..). I won’t tell you it is not a lot of work. But, everyone who has helped in the past has enjoyed the day, and gotten to know other members better.
Send your $80 to Keny Kirschstein by April 1 to cover your membership dues for the year. Keny say’s our membership has been holding around 40 members for the past few years, so there was no need for an increase. Remember, if we can increase our membership our dues can be reduced! (Learn to Windsurf Days provide our biggest new member potential)
Thanks to Jason Wohlgemuth we have a new club website. www.triadwindsurfing.com
I would like to see all the club members register in the
Forum section and check it out often. It
could help us all stay in touch with the club and the club to quickly get info
out on upcoming events. For example, If you are headed to the lake on a windy
day, take time to make a quick post on the board. It may encourage others to
join you. Same goes for a day trip to the coast. The events calendar is there also, along with
pictures from the site and the coast. Jason has done an excellent job of making
it user friendly. It’s easy, give it a try!
Debbie Wrenn will be taking
reservations for the May trip beginning March 1. A $50 deposit per person will
hold your spot. As usual the trip is no kids and no pets. The last few trips have had winds to suit
everyone. We can’t guarantee the wind, but we can guarantee the fun. Make your
reservations early! The cut off date is April 1 so we can book the houses.
After that there may not be any rooms left.
- Web Site Profile -
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Chris_k48/FORWARD.htm
If you ever wanted to learn
how to do a forward loop, here’s a great place to start. I haven’t seen anyone
in the club perform a forward loop, so here’s your chance to be the first. This
site includes text and video clips, courtesy of windsurfing pro, Chris
Calthrop.
Trip Report
Full Moons and Key Lime Pies
By Mac Barnhardt
We went to Florida and had key lime pie and saw a full moon. It wasn’t just any key lime pie, mind you. Nor was it just any full moon. It was the best damn key lime pie I’ve ever had. And yes, you guessed it...the full moon wasn’t bad either. Top it off with New Years Eve and that’s not a bad deal. Oh yeah...I windsurfed too.
Kris, McIntyre, (wife & daughter) and I flew to Miami, hopped in a rental car, drove to Orlando, and went to Disney World one day and Seaworld the next. The theme parks were for McIntyre to enjoy and for Kris and I to watch her have a blast and just smile.
After two days of more crowds than we could stand, we got back in the car and headed back towards Miami and drove further south. We ended up in Islamorada. Islamorada is almost halfway between Miami and Key West. It bills itself as the sport fishing capital of the world. If you ever watch ESPN on Saturday mornings, you’ll usually see some folks fly fishing for bonefish in flat bottom skiffs surrounded by Caribbean blue crystal clear water. They are doing this in Islamorada.
We found a little slice of paradise by staying at The Moorings Village. The Moorings Village is owned by a windsurfer and is very windsurfer friendly. It is the site of the nation’s longest running Pro-Am windsurfing regatta, held every year in November. Open up a windsurfing magazine in January or February and it usually has an article about the race and it’s host, The Moorings Village. What makes this place so special is it’s natural charm and beauty. The owner didn’t cut down any trees or build any high rises. The property is approximately 17 acres and the lodging consists of small, medium, to large size houses, each with it’s own style and appeal. Each of the houses sit among the palm trees. There is a large white sandy beach that is covered in palm trees and offers a lot of shade. Then there is the water...crystal clear blue water. It’s knee to waist deep for hundreds of yards out. There are many picturesque spots on the beach and elsewhere on the property. I have read in the past that this is a popular place for modeling photo shoots.
The afternoon we checked in, the wind started to pick up. Right in front of our beach front cottage was a windsurfing board and sail rack. There was some pretty good gear sitting there all rigged up ready to go. I had called a few weeks before to reserve windsurfing gear from the only place that rents performance gear on the island – Bump and Jump Windsurfing. The owner, Gilles, must have dropped my gear off before I got there. I picked up a Bic Techno 283 and an Aerotech VMG 7.5 and hit the water. I got in about an hour of good sailing as the sun began to go down. I came in for a breather. A guy came up to me and informed me that I was on his rental gear. Horrors! I couldn’t believe what I had done. I should have known better than to just grab a rig and hit the water without finding out if it was my rental gear. My starvation for wind clearly blinded my better judgement. I apologized profusely. He was very nice about it and didn’t give me any grief. As it turns out, he was from Norfolk and has his own place in Nags Head. I told him to hit the water before the wind died. The next day, I ran into him again. His name is Arthur and his son, Brian, was with him. We joked about my thievery the evening before and talked about windsurfing on the Outer Banks. Arthur’s place in Nags Head is just an hour and a half from his home in Norfolk and he goes there every weekend. I invited him to join us at Windfest and I got an invitation to his place in Nags Head.
This day didn’t have much wind, but it was the sunniest and warmest day we had all week. I did get out there on a big wide longboard with a small sail and just played around. I also took McIntyre out in a sea kayak and we paddled to wherever the birds were. As Kris, McIntyre, and I sat on the beach and basked in the sun, a small group of people were gathering at the water’s edge. We sat up and watched as a priest walked up to them and another person was carrying a small box. The priest said a few words and then a prayer. Some other people said a few words. A woman walked to each person in the group and poured them each a cup of what looked like lemonade. Then three members of the group walked out in the water, said a few more words, then one of them poured ashes out of the small box into the water. Everyone took a drink from their cups then poured the rest of it into the water. The memorial service ended and the group broke up. The man who poured the ashes walked by us and said “Another fisherman left to the sea…that was my dad”. The place is so beautiful, I could see why someone would want to have their ashes spread out there.
That night, we ate at Manny and Isa’s, a Spanish American eatery. The menu said they had “the best Key Lime Pie”. So of course, we had to see for ourselves. After eating our main course of Cuban style Yellowfin Snapper and Picadillo, we got two slices of the pie to go. We took it back to our place and ate it under the full moon on a hammock on the beach. The moon was so bright, it made huge shadows of the palm trees on the white sand.
The next day was cloudy all day with very little wind. We spent the day sleeping, reading, and just hanging out. That night, we ate dinner at the Moorings-owned restaurant, Morada Bay. Morada Bay is on the bay side of Islamorada across from the Moorings. It sits right on the water and has a big sandy beach right off the outdoor dining deck. They had a full moon party going that night. They had bonfires burning, a live band playing on the beach, and the ever popular glow sticks for the kids. The fresh fish was great and fun was had by all that night.
Our last full day consisted of rain. Again, we began the day sleeping and reading. But later in the afternoon, the rain began to subside. Between bands of rain, the wind would pick up. So I got out there for two separate sessions between the heavy bands of rain. This time, I was on a Seatrend Allstar 70 and an old Aerotech VMG 8.0 race sail that must have been 3-4 years old. This set-up used to belong to a professional PWA racer. They added a fifth camber to the sail and the flapper on the Seatrend board was modified to a hard plastic shortened piece, instead of the normal flexible rubbery flap normally used. It was amazing. The entire rig got me on a plane with almost no effort. When a gust came along, it didn’t tug on me like most other rigs. It just got faster with no effort on my part to stabilize it. I experienced first-hand what a real racing rig is like and it was pretty awesome. The one knock I had read about flapper boards was true though, and it’s that the board would slide out from under me as though the fin wouldn’t keep it in a straight line. I have read that this is just a matter of learning to sail that type board over time to get over that problem.
That night was New Year’s Eve. We spent a quiet evening at the house and hit the sack before midnight, but were awakened by fireworks when the clock struck twelve. The next morning, we left to go to the airport just as the sun was coming out from behind the clouds...figures. We had a great time and there was something for everyone.
Check out The Moorings Village and Bump and Jump Windsurfing at: