Re: MIA at 3rd: Litewave 145 board

From: Ken Poulton (poulton@zonker.scs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com)
Date: Fri Jun 22 2007 - 00:12:51 PDT

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Message-Id: <200706220712.l5M7Cp11014822@zonker.scs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
To: 3rdave-general@yahoogroups.com-DeleteThis.com, wind_talk@zonker.scs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com
Subject: Re: MIA at 3rd: Litewave 145 board
In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:59:03 -0000." <f5ee97+2qcb@eGroups.com-DeleteThis.com> 
Reply-to: ken_poulton@agilent.com-DeleteThis.com
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:12:51 -0700
From: Ken Poulton <poulton@zonker.scs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>

I bade a sad goodby to my Litewave 145 kiteboard just north of the San
Mateo bridge this afternoon. I was out around the 4th bridge pier.
If anyone finds it, I would like it back!

It is a Litewave 145 with yellow and black fish-skeleton graphics and 5
fins. My name and number is on it. It was floating upside down; the
bottom is a light gray color. It may still be drifting back and forth with
the tides.

Thanks,

Ken

+++++++++++++ Thu 21 Jun 07 - 3rd - 12/145 (200#) 4:10-~6:30

The good NW wind turned W and up and down at 3:00, shortly before
I arrived. I went out anyway.

At first it was quite marginal (~18g23) and I lost ground continuously
in the flood. I was wishing for my 17m. Around 5:00 it picked up in
streaks and at 5:30, the wind suddenly picked up (25g28) at the marker
and the 12m was quite powered. I had some nice jumping then. I even
landed some.

Then I came across Bryan Marshall with a broken mast about 1/4 mile
directly outside the channel marker. Rick was there already and Missile
Mike showed up soon after. Rick took in his boom, Mike his sail, and I
towed Bryan. Bryan was, unfortunately, only wearing a shorty, so I was
eager to get him in before hypothermia set in. It took a long time for
him to derig and get ready for a tow, but at last he tied my board leash
to his board and we started going. I was able to get up on my board,
but with all that drag, I had to sine the kite and the unsteady pull and
drag made it hard to stay up. So we just kite-dragged most of the way in.
The wind had turned west and it was flooding, so we were not quite
heading to make it to Last Chance Beach. (It turns out we were doing quite
well, cutting across the wind at 70 to 80 degrees, but the wind direction was just
not helpful.)

We were most of the way in, perhaps a quarter mile from the bridge
takeoff point and I was up on my board and sining the kite and
messed up and put the kite in the water. I fell sideways
so I did as I often do to get straight again: kick the board
off and get straight, then put the board back on. Whoops!
the board leash was being used as the tow rope! So Bryan
detached it to paddle the rest of the way in and I went sharking
after the board. I came within 10 feet on the first pass
and was never as close again. Maybe my skills could use some
work there. Sigh.

I eventually gave up and dragged in. I did not quite make it above the
bridge, so I dropped the kite in the water and started riding the C in
the water. (I did not fancy the prospect of being the first kiter to
land his kite in rush-hour traffic on the SM bridge.) I bumped into
the second bridge pier, and went under the fishing pier. It turns out
there is just enough space to go under that pier if you squash your
C-positioned kite down. Very important: reel in your lines first so
you don't get snagged there!

I dragged and swam to the Foster City shore soon after. (Not much wind
behind the fishing pier.) Bryan joined me for the Walk of Shame.
Turns out mast was new to him (bought used) and failed under steady
sailing. It now sleeps with the fishes.

Anyway, now I am missing my board: a 2005 Litewave 145 with yellow
and black fish-skeleton graphics and my name and number on it.
It was floating upside down; the bottom is a light gray color.
It may still be going back and forth with the tides.

Ken

"I was going a hundred and fifty miles an hour sideways and 500 feet
straight down. I was looking out for the cops. I *knew* what I was doing
wasn't, you know, legal." -- Arlo Guthrie, "The Pickle Song"

"I was going a mile an hour sideways and 500 feet straight downwind. I was
looking out for the whitecaps. I *knew* what I was doing wasn't, you know,
fun." -- Armlong Gutwrench (David Stuart), "I'm in a Pickle Song"

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