DC BWB 11m LIT OMFG

[ChrisPSherwin]

A small party turned into a big one at BWB today. Big ol whitecaps and even some swell in places. Rigged 11m pretty early, Alex was already out on a 10. I had trouble just making it to the water. For the first hour I almost wanted my 7. Had to completely depower the kite a few times to rest and get upwind. But the wind was pretty darned smooth. The huckfest continued, many more showed up and there was much rejoicing. Some of the gusts were just delicious.

I think the big balls award of the day has to go to Angie. She was on a 7 and it was cranking. Not sure how she even made it to the water.

I think I also saw Hot Toddie get his biggest air ever today. So many people just lit the f up...it was great. Top 3 DC days of all time for me.

And it can't be a top 3 day without an epic crash. I don't know exactly what I did, but it was something like big back roll to accidental kiteloop to total sideways/upsidedown asspounding to another kiteloop that sent me Supermaning through and then out of the water like a porpoise on mescaline. When I finally got control of the kite, my glasses were on a 45 degree angle across my face, both lenses blown out, helmet liner torn and bell somewhat rung. I was exhausted and headed in anyway, but holy crap. Hucked a few more times, headed in, went home, took a shower and promptly napped.

Pizza Rating: An Atlantic Street Pepperoni Pizza from the University of Washington's U District, with hot pepperoni that burns your mouth a little bit, but begs you to just eat more and more. It's a large and you eat the whole damn thing, not even feeling guilty about it. Later, when you verp beacuse you ate too much, even THAT tastes good.

What an awesome f ing day.

[Jason Klein]

Man! That Sherwin guy is so negative....

I watched the meters/cams fom my desk all afternoon and could see DC was cranking. i was planning to head out a little earlier, but got tied up at work. everything was still S, in the valley, and it looked like that would switch, but not early enough and maybe not strong enough (though it was plenty strong once it did switch), and i was too late to avoid the I-15 traffic. DC was still strong when i walked out at 4:45, so I headed there thinking if it shut down, at least i wouldn't have a long drive home.

Wind was still up when i got to DC an hour later, wiith the last day shift kiter, Mike Hill just coming in on (I think) a 6m. I rigged a 12m figuring it would fade and headed out for a solo sunset session. was fairly lit for the first hour and correctly powered for the second hour, all very smooth (by DC standards). Pull the trigger. Weeeeeee! Pull the trigger. Weeeeee! Pull the trigger. Weeeeee!

Maybe the first time I've ever seen DC like that in the evening.

[Brian Kelm]

Thank God someone "suggested" -- "you might want to consider your 7M", as I was walking to DCBWB with my 11M Switchblade in hand. FULLY powered on a 7! Yes, an all time DC day!!! To make matters better, I had an otter-body experience which I've never had in 30 years of various boarding at DC. I saw a torpedo looking thing poke out of the water and for a split second thought, oh that's cool, a Hawaiian monk seal! In about 1.2 seconds I realized I wasn't in Maui and deduced that it must've been an otter -- or figment of my imagination. Sure enough, an hour later, I saw it again so it is definitely there and s/he was BIG!!! DC Loch Ness monster lives!!
The only "bummer" (boo hoo) was getting to the water, walking backwards, w/a fully powered kite... took 10 mins. and I was exhausted by the time I got to the water. I couldn't "twist" my body and walk forward into the wind with a powered kite. But then again I'm old and decrepit.... But still, query... why don't we walk w/10 x's more ease down near the water's edge and carry our gear and THEN rig up there instead of near our cars and struggle to walk 500 yards to the water?! I get it, it's rocky at water's edge and grassy near cars but there's at least another huge grassy area that's at least half way to the water which would cut down the struggle a lot. If we rigged/launched closer to water, it would also make it more feasible to come in for a break and go out for another session. As it was, I did not want to come in and go back to the car area, take a break, and have to walk back out again to the water for the second session so I just stayed out for one long sesh (which BTW increases the risk of injury, etc...) wah, wah, wah...

[JimSouthwick]

[Leo Chan]

Shot! I should have skip work. . .

Brian, I have been rigging at the grass area closer to the water for ages now. I am even considering rigging at the tinny beach area closer to the water couple days ago.

[james holland]

With you Chris. That was definitely the best DC session I've ever had. Dialed on my 9M. I've never seen it so steady there. Some nice swells in the middle. Epic views, bluebird day.

[Robbie Flatt]

Chris you are superman even with the lens blown out of your sunglasses. Wish I had a camera.
First day kiting in Utah ever. Wow. What a day. Thank you Alex for holding on to my harness to walk me and my overpowered 9m to the water. Wind, more wind and swells. So this is the way kiting is at Deer Creek?
I had heard about a sketchy launch at BWB but this is cush compared to Holly Beach at SPI.
Great day with a great crew.