Summer 2016

Summer 2016

This summer has been a very good summer for me, In Between working at the beach For Jamie Knox Watersports I got some pretty nice sailing at home not that much of it but some good fun sessions, I also went to Pozo in Gran Canaria for my first time for some jumping training, and then I returned to Tenerife for more onshore training ad for the PWA Event at Cabezo. In this blog I'll talk about my first experiences at Pozo and how Tenerife went for me.

Sticking up my new 2016 GA Sails

Pozo

Pozo was my first excursion of the year, I went the week after I finished school. I traveled by myself  I planned on renting kit in Pozo, I flew from Dublin to Gran Canaria which again is the typical very boring and uncomfortable trip to the Canarias ! For the first 2 nights I had an AirBnb appartment to myself which was nice (Ps. Thanks Adam Lewis for teaching me how to use a gass cooker) and then for the other 4 days staying at the Windsurfing Hostel.

Not a bad view from the front door eh 

Pozo was a pretty funny place. there is so little there ! Two small shops (didn't even sell chicken !) and then big windsurfing centres but one thing that isn't lacking there is Wind, There was a whole lot of wind ! Everyday there was 4.0 or 3.6 weather but it was as flat as a lake, So pretty interesting sailing for me as that was the first time I would of sailed 3.6 ankle high onshore weather. But that's what I got to try get good at if I want to make it. It was nice getting to meet up with mates like Brawzinho, Ben Profit, Julien Taboulet and Felix Spencer ! I'm looking forward to going back there and really pushing my self there and trying to get as good at that type of sailing as I can.

I made it to Ben Profits Training Diarys ! 

Tenerife
I went to Tenerife on the 28th of July and the PWA Event started on Aug 3rd so I had a few days to get back into the onshore Groove which is normally quite awkward for me as I never sail onshore but this year I was super happy that I almost had no adjustment time as I was straight into getting really nice waves off the block. It was great to meet up with all the Tenerife Guys and the PWA guys again before the event. I love sailing with the top guys as their standard is so high it just pushes my own sailing level.

PWA Opening Ceremony

This year I was using my new 2016 IQ GA Sails and my new 85L Super Quatro Mini, the kit worked so well, the Super Mini is the best onshore board I have ever used (Also the only onshore board I have had !)  I sailed it every day whilst In Tenerife from every wind strength to holding on 3.6 to sinking 5.0 weather, such a good board for onshore sailing ,I only used my 77L Pyramid once because the mini was so good ! I very definitely recommend you trying one !

During the event I got to Caddy for Brawzinho (Winner of the Single Elimination) and for Robby Swift, it was a good learning experience into how they sail their heats and how I can improve my heat strategy.
Two days before my first heat I managed to pick up an Ear infection during some free sailing, It was really annoying as it kept me off the water for one day and then on the second day I had to go in for my heat, I blocked up my ear to make sure I kept the water out.

I had two heats, my first one I had an absolute shocker against Loïck Leasgue and local Tim Van Dam ,I was really disappointed in myself and how I had sailed as it was probably the worst I had sailed all week long. I was thrown out of rhythm by the fact I had to change my kit just as the heat had started and I was having to use an old boom which I don''t like using and a sail I hadn't yet sailed, So I was already pretty stressed and off my game which I believe is why I sailed such a poor heat. After my heat I was hoping I would get another attempt to actually show how I can sail.

Pic from heat 1

Two days later my chance came and before my heat Mark Hosegood came over to me and gave me some advice which helped me so much, it was just to breath, it sounds too simple but it really did work. My second heat was much much better. I was really pleased with how this heat went, It started off with a solid forward loop and then a sick front side air which I was pretty stocked to get that in my actual heat. Ben Profit seemed pretty impressed by it hah ! Sadly the only thing which I lacked in that heat was that I didn't have a second jump, Myself and Tim Van Dam were both looking for a back loop ramp in the last 6 minutes but just couldn't find the right ramp. Still i think that was a good note to end it for me, I am really looking forward to coming back better and smarter for the trials !

Here is a pic from Heat 2

Check out the full heat here Starts at the 50minute mark.

Siam Park was really cool, Slightly disappointed I missed my chance to Sail in the pool, But instead I got to watch Adam and Diter and Antoine rip it up in the tow in and got to livestream on Facebook with Robby Swift which was fun.

Once the event had finished I still had 5 days left In Tenerife, I spent those days hanging out and Sailing with Australian Felix Spencer, We got quite a lot of sailing,nothing special though.

Home
After that I returned home and got some super sailing with Dad and Tom and Ollie from the ChookJournal.
Here are some pics from home at the end of summer

Pretty stoked with this sequence !