Sulfur Creek Campout - Friday to Sunday

[Josh Shirley]

This had to be one of, if not the best, campout weekends yet. Only had to rig two of my personal use sails the whole weekend 5.8 and 4.7.

Friday night, I arrived around 6:30pm. Andy Brandt (of ABK Boardsports) stopped by to say hi and give a quick demo of sorts. He gave a quick duck jibe and clew first sailing demo. Also helped Jerry rig his sailworks. Always nice to get expert advice. I hope that he helped someone out. Hopefully next year we can get him to stop for a day and give a half day clinic.
He happened to be driving from the left to right coast, so I was really glad he could stop by.

Saturday. I was on the water with my 5.8 and 100 liter JP for about 5 hours. Really great rides especially in the morning. In the afternoon it was more gusty.

Sunday. The morning session was pretty steady, I used my 5.8 again. Lots of 5.0's on the water at that time. By the afternoon the wind turned true South and really started going. After a few tail walking episodes I went in and rigged down to 4.7. The 4.7 worked well. Lots of screaming rides. I was pretty worked over from Saturday so Sunday didn't feel as productive of a sailing day, but I still had lots of fun.

And I can't leave out the Saturday night crawdad boil. Once again Rick H, put on an epic feast of Cajun crawdad boil. You had to be right next to the table when the contents (corn on the cob, potatoes, spicy sausages, carats, white baby onions, garlic, and of course sulfur creek monster sized crawdads) were poured out to get any. It looked like a bunch of refuges jumping onto a pile of food. Of course every batch turned out more and more spicy. Just over 15 gallons this year. No crawdads left over on the table thanks to Kobayashi and his apprentice.

Thanks to everyone for showing up. Thanks to all that put the weekend together. Thanks to Rick H for once again becoming a master Cajun chef. Thanks to all the kids who spent the day catching and re-catching hundreds of mud bugs.

Each year keeps getting better.

[duanekarren]

Thanks to Sarah for bring this all together again. Kudos to Rick for his crawdad cooking. Had to wait until about the 3rd batch to get a full plate. Kudos to Josh for getting Andy Brandt to stop by and to Josh for his Saturday morning clinic attended by many. Kudos also to Big Wave Dave for SUP board rescues of multiple blown down wind newbies and for hanging out across the little bay until he got a long enough puff of wind to get himself back on his kite. The beer drinkers at Jerry Giles trailer, me included, were cheering him on. He would get so close then the wind would let off and back to the other side he would go but finally his perserverance paid off. All in all a very fun weekend and a great time to get together with so many of the Utah Windsurfers.

[Leo Chan]

I told Sarah this was the best wind I had in Utah. . . of course it wasn't Utah.

I want to thank the kids for getting all the crawdads. I think that has to be the most fun I have had after couple hours of sailing.

Look forward to next year's event!

[RickHeninger]

As UWA President, I'm going to go out on a limb for a second and talk about the importance of having events like these careful not to screech on the seeming blackboard which is the "sentimentality" of windsurfing. It's become so easy for us in this day and age or should I say this ag-ed day to think that it's "old school" to go and hang out at the beach and wait for wind. Well, I guess it's time to make a point that... It's probably the most important part of our sport especially if we're thinking of the next generation. Although, now we only do it ONCE a year. (that is, as an organization)... We don't need to waste years like we did in the 70's and 80's waiting for wind (ha ha)... But definitely we can afford to risk "wasting" a couple days. There IS, in my opinion a point of diminishing returns for sure, but this last weekend (well, it's not a good example because the wind was EPIC, there was NO WAITING) it was ALL profit. I'd forgotten these things in my stresses about my business in the last year or two. I'm talking to me as much as anyone.

Thanks to everybody who came and made it such a fun weekend, to the food preppers (Sarah, Bim, Monica, Syd), Sarah and Linda for bringing up all your friends and going through the trouble to bring the E-Palace to stake claim on the marina, Gary and Jim for making the emergency run to the dam for back up crayfish, Duane and Syd for all your help and supplies, Jerry your cooler, John and June the water, Josh and Bim for setting up all the beginner gear so that I could paddle across the lake to rescue our new UWA beginner mascot of Russia, Slava, also, for getting Andy Brandt to make a drop in on friday on his way across the country... (Thanks to all who helped rescue the learners)... Dane and Liz for your help catching and Liz for being in charge of everything (here's your proof ). Jerry Giles for running Snowbird, one of the best ski resorts in the world and still cleaning the hell out of a picnic table when it needs to be done! Ira for being the UWA saftey whistle chairman and lifting everybody's spirits, Tom for assisting Ira in that whistle effort and for having those problems that result in "space shuttle" sitings and good belly laughs! ... Jeff Moore et al. for bringing Kaboyashi to help us finish the biggest Crayfish boil yet... Almost four batches and for spreading the sport of windsurfing to your whole crew... Oh, can't forget the Griffiths pack for helping catch the crawdads etc. and being so much fun, Chris Arnston for going to the east side of the lake with me, although he could do it in one or two reaches on his formula gear!, Rick McClain for all your help overseeing the poker night/whistle practice session and for unvailing the 2010 bionic red life jacket, Trip and Judy sailing/swimming (brrrr) with us, Monica for hittin' each session with gusto, Darren Fowler for showing up for the HUGE session on Sunday with some serious whitewater moments, Leo for the water back up and sailing sesh... etc. etc. Rob for getting some GO PRO footage, Mostly to all the kids who make us remember that life is supposed to be enjoyed!

Really the best part of the Sulphur Creek campout as it is currently for me is to see how much fun the kids have catching AND VORACIOUSLY EATING the crawdads. Memories that will last a lifetime. Windsurfing gave me enough as a teenager that I will never be able to pay it back.

My memories of sailing with a friend of mine's family at the age of nine have NEVER left me. That family would have smoked oysters and crackers after we'd go out on the 3 Bic Dufor Wing rigs exploring Bullfrog Bay in Lake Powell... I actually had smoked oysters and triscuits for breakfast on Saturday!

Also, I'd say, Doug, thanks for making a visit. It's always great to see ya. There's not too many kiters that can make sulphur creek work safely like you do. Marty, the Gorge is always a justifiable reason to miss the campout. What about Bob? where was Bob?!

I've missed a bunch of people above but thanks for being there... For those who couldn't come I'd encourage you to make room around this time in August next year... We/I missed you, for a second till it was whiteknuckle time... I used to miss the Sulphur Creek campout back in the day and probably will miss some in the future, but will try pretty hard not to miss... I honestly have to say, when the weather is good, ESPECIALLY, as it was this weekend, this has got to be one of the most fun times of the year as far as sailing goes. It is a riot. The company this weekend was amazing and I'm glad that I sacrificed what I did to make it there. Because, in retrospect, it was absolutely was not a sacrifice at all.

I am SO sore today... I pushed my body to the limit sailing BOTH days this weekend and the wind was still blowing. What a blast that was. All that said, if you feel a guilt trip now for NOT coming which I'm sure YOU'RE NOT, it's just that this was an amazing weekend and want to see you at the next one if possible. That's not to say what you did wasn't equally or more amazingly fun! Just saying, give the campout another chance in the future if you can and you'll be glad you did, again, especially if there's a good forecast... Done screeching, eh, it even hurts my ears... But it's my job.

[Emmanuel Pons]

All that said, if you feel a guilt trip now for NOT coming which I'm sure YOU'RE NOT

Well I do
I knew it was gonna be epic but I had to catch up with work.
Glad you guy had an awesome time and good on you to finally get to the water!!



(I have an excuse of course as my car died and i was stuck in Seattle -not even the Gorge- for 3 days earlier in the week )

[RickHeninger]

That sucks Manny... Your car died in what way? Do we need to have a wake? Is it on life support? What's the story?

Actually, the truth is I never blame people for not coming. I used to miss it until I found out what I was missing. That's the point I guess.

[Emmanuel Pons]

That sucks Manny... Your car died in what way? Do we need to have a wake? Is it on life support? What's the story?
Actually, the truth is I never blame people for not coming. I used to miss it until I found out what I was missing. That's the point I guess.

Well I blame myself for not coming. My Monday surely would have been better
The car is running again.. Only cost me a 1000$.. And a good weekend of windsurfing

[Steven Nyhus]

Thanks to everyone that put on a great event. I am just sad that I couldn't come up on Fri. and stay till Sun. afternoon with the entire family. Sat. was a great day though. 5.0 till about 3 and then a flattened 7 the rest of the afternoon. It was great seeing so many people out enjoying themselves. Next year I am staying for the entire weekend!

[bigwavedave]

Awesome event once again!! Thanks to all those involved - this has become a eagerly awaited family event and this year came with the bonus of wind. When you can windsurf, Kite, and consume lethal amounts of crawdads all with some of the most fun people you'll ever encounter, you know it was a good weekend. Thanks again!!

[Carl Christensen]

Thought about you guys. Kaerli and I talked about coming up with the twins and letting you all baby sit while we sailed but ... Anyway, sure glad you all got the goods. Who has the minutes on the ABK clinic?

[RickHeninger]

Ya know Carl... In this case the babysitting option would totally been a viable option.

I think you would have had some available babysitters... You should have come. The wind was epic Sulphur.

btw... I got up there too late on fri to catch the Andy Brandt visit.

[jason morton]

Where are all the pictures and videos???

[darrenfowler]

I missed Friday and Saturday but was able to drive up Sunday morning. Rigged a 5.0 with my 95 liter board and rode it all day. Really fun.
Here are some pics. (not very good though)

[darrenfowler]

I can only post 3 pics at a time so here are some more.

[darrenfowler]

Still more...........