Steve had every right to clobber me. He whacked me in the hand with his mast when his helitack came undone. You may ask why he’s throwing a helitack so close to another windsurfer. The answer is the other windsurfer was believed to have already tacked, but instead was in fact crowding Steve. That other windsurfer (me) knew he was crowding him (a little voice in my head said “tack already and give Steve room”) but instead I sailed like one of those inconsiderate jerks.
So I got clobbered.
In the scheme of things windsurfing with Steve, this was particularly fair. The last time I crowded Steve, I rammed him. It was several years ago…he was resting in the water next to his board and I’d decided to jibe around him, except that instead I sailed right into his board.
Then I did the exact same thing again a year later. The idea was that by jibing close to him I’d remind him of my boneheaded move the year before, and that this would be amusing. It didn't work out that way.
And I’m supposed to be his friend.
So there we stood in the water at Mecox on Saturday, with one side of my hand in pain and the other side numb, Steve, ever the neurologist, was interested in the pattern of numbness. I was more curious about the pain bit.
I got better. And I’d gotten what I deserved.
The thing is, I still want to jibe near him…
(The knuckleheaded author of this blog displays said head shortly before the incident. Photo by Remy McFadden.)
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