6-5 Sulfur/Saratoga Slugfest, 5.5,4.7,3.7

[kenonstott]

I had to burn 2 vacation days and was determined to find some wind. With the front hitting early and NOAA giving this long explanation of how the surface front had way outrun the main front, I felt Sulfur looked like the best bet. Oh well, should have gone straight to UL MM19 and Saratoga. Got to Sulfur early to lots of whitecaps but got blown off the 5.5 by very high gusts. I can’t believe I turned around and made a 2nd pass. Rigged the 4.7 and was still getting yanked around between lulls. My wind meter was all over (does straight south ever work at Sulfur?). Dennis also tried his 5.5 and had a wicked crash and quit. My 63 year old body was too tired from 5 hours of sailing Monday to survive an extreme rip and schlog Sulfur day so I headed to UL.

Dodged tree branches lying on Pioneer Parkway and new I would have my hands full. Got there at 4:00 to the 1st group using 3.7’s coming in shaking their heads. Looking at the water it looked like a team Ibuprofen time so I went straight back to the car and wolfed down a handful before even rigging. It was Retro day with a ’96 sail and a ’97 board. I don’t usually carry the old 75L glass board and 3.7 but I always try and throw them in for the ever unpredictable UL. Wow, that was some big water for us Utah boys. I went airborne on a number of occasions in spite of it being forbidden by my back surgeon. I made every jibe in spite of the fury which is better than I can do on any of my modern boards. I went down once in a lull and almost washed into the dike and one other time when I was dumb enough to zoom up a wave face into a monster break. By 6:00 my legs were giving out and I decided to quit while I could still grin through my gritted teeth. Great sesh, great 2 days, great 2 weeks. If you are going to live inland and try to be a windsurfer UWA land is pretty sweet.

[Craig Goudie]

South winds at Sulfur are exceptionally gusty. Dead West is best!

-Craig

(does straight south ever work at Sulfur?).