The Peconic Puffin

Driving home following the most magnificent session I’ve had in recent memory, I felt high.   I go to yoga classes these days, and after a good one there’s a distinct blissfull buzz and a heightened awareness of life.   After Saturday’s wave session at Tiana I felt that way x5.

No less that John “he only sails when it’s perfect” Natalie said “we’ll be talking about that session for years."  Bill Barber said the same thing.    On 4.2-4.7 sails (me on a 4.5) the waves were clean and organized, four to five feet.   The inside was forgiving, the outside was serving up perfect swell to jibe off of, the outbound ramps (starboard) were so well mannered that port-jump only chumps like me were catching good air, and it all hung together beautifully.   We don’t get WSW winds often, but it’s a good bet that the next time we do, we’ll be at Tiana.

This will be a short post because I’ll nauseate readers with more “it was so freakin’ beautiful man” blather.   Some personal moments of note include having Scott say “nice jump” after one of my starboard jumps.     I’m not being humble…I suck jumping on starboard.   I was thrilled to catch what seemed like decent air, but I thought it might have been mostly in my head.  

Of course there was another jump, after which John Natalie asked what unusual freestyle trick was I attempting, because he’d never seen such a prodigious mess.  I told him “no, that’s just me trying to fly the board on starboard."  A reality check.

Lastly, I had one jibe off of swell on the outside (I’d swear it was eight feet, but I’m sure it was five max) in which the wind went away but a year of SUP surfing (and Fisherman’s advice: “get out of the footstraps and work that board”) lead to my surfing down a steep, muscular wave that sent me shooting  down the line.   Adrenaline stoked bliss.

The sesh was exquisite.   In a state of near exhaustion I said “one more run” no less than eight times.   Who caught it?   The blessed, in alphabetical order: Bill,  Bruce, CD, Fisherman, John N, Jon Ford, Peconic Jeff, Scott, and your humble editor.  The Wolf came by with his fractured rib to watch.     

Sometimes the wind and wave gods giveth most generously.  Thank you thank you thank you.