What up with the big Waddell Windsurf contest?

[Bulldog]

Anybody know anything about the three day (!!!) windsurfing contest this weekend that Godsey keeps yammering on about on Ikite?

Let's keep this p.c. so as not to piss off any "Windsurfers" (note the capital "W") who might happen to read this forum.

Are we going to be able to kite during the contest? Are they somehow going to try to establish a "windsurf only" zone for the competition during what would otherwise be a crowded main season weekend. There were weekends in May last year when there were 50 kites out at Waddell, plus windsurfers.

But my main question is: Waddell? Really? Very few windsurfers ride there, and most of them don't appear to be very good. Obviously Davenport is where the more serious riders go (and no kiters go), so why are they having the event at what is primarily a kite beach? And why have they apparently made no effort to let kiters know what is happening (On Ikite, here, etc.).

If they are somehow thinking that kiters with no clue about the event are going to show up and be copacetic with it, they are dreaming.

[jrg]

This is what they wrote in the April Windsurfing mag (they keep sending the mag although I havent paid in years?)
- The contest is part of the American Wave Tour
- Lots of pros showing up
- May 5-8
Thats all I know - except that its going to be a zoo....

[Bulldog]

http://americanwindsurfingtour.com/tour/waddell/

From the Q&A:

3) can non-competitors free-sail during the contest, or should they preferably choose an other spot (or at least stay outside of the contest area).

Non-competitors are more than welcome to sail outside the contest area during the event.

:evil:

[More Waves Please]

Considering that kiters basically took over Waddell and chased away (or converted!) all but a handful of windsurfers. Shoot, back when I was windsurfing in the late 90's, there would be 50 sailors out on a Sunday afternoon at Waddell. Now there's 50 kiters and only 8 or 10 windsurfers.

I'm pretty stoked about the contest. I was on Maui for the Aloha Classic a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed watching those windsurfers killing it at Hookipa.

Just like the kite contests that happened way back when, there will be plenty of room down the beach for recreational riding. The forecast looks good for the coast, so there will be lots of other places to ride if you feel that you can't deal with riding off the main peak or having some of the best windsurfers in the world ripping it up next to you. Hell, it might even be a good weekend to try that "D" place since all of the sailors will be at Waddell :)

I say stop by and watch the show. Sailors are coming in from around the world. If you haven't seen world class windsurfing in waves, you're in for quite a treat. And if for some reason you absolutely can't stand windsurfing, take a weekend off and spend it with your family. It's only 3 days. There will be about 150 more kiteable days between now and October.

Oh, and i case you're thinking that I'm a dork and that windsurfers are boring and just mowing the lawn, check this out -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Impu9kTu ... r_embedded

Unfortunately, the guy got seriously hurt on this wreck and won't be sailing at Waddell this weekend.

[tgautier]

I've got Thursday Friday off. Anyone have any suggestions for good family car camping nearby? (Not looking for 20 something's raging all night)

It doesn't have to be on the beach it can be 20 mins away.

[Loscocco]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk9SYy5RRkM[/video]

[Loscocco]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tTXXB0e6U8[/video]

[Bulldog]

Obviously I'm not planning on trying to ride there this weekend, just saying that there are going to be a lot of unpleasantly surprised kiters.

My guess is that the event organiziers consulted with the local windsurf community, who told them they didn't want the event at D-port and that "no one in the local community will care if you have the event at Waddell because none of us ride there."

Still, I'd like to see what would happen if the PKRA scheduled a kite event at Davenport without communicating their intentions to windsurfers. :shock:

Could be entertaining though -- there are always several kite kooks out there on weekends who can't seem to figure out wave etiquette. I'm pretty sure they will have no idea where the contest area is and will bomb right through...

[reyrivera]

Thanks for the heads up. I actually have a free weekend and planned on staying local and kite the breaks here, ... crap. Yup, its gonna be a zoo.

[WindMuch]

I kited at Waddell yesterday (Tues) and the windsurfer crew stayed upwind for the most part. Clearly there was some unknown forcefield keeping the kiters and windsurfers separated.

It looked pretty strange - a little stripe of windsurfers in a tight band to the North and the rest of the kiters ripping all over the rest of the place.

Kirk out