The language that describes what we do with stand up paddle boards has been in beta for a few years now. Yeah we all know SUP, but then what? I've called SUPing in the waves SUPsurfing. Not too hard. But how do you say, for example: stand up paddle board windsurfing on waves? No less than Dasher (He Who Taught Me To Jibe) weighed in, with Wave WindSUPing, and who am I to argue?*
I finally did it (wave windSUPing). Took the AllWave with a 6.2 out at Ponquogue to join Jeff, George Pav, and Jonathan Ford in light crossshore winds for some well-spaced chest-high waves. I got about half a dozen rides before smashing my right wrist in the impact zone (a little two foot wave threw board into me)…ensuing numbness plus bleeding plus broken uni seemed like an excellent threesome of reasons to Stop. But before that it was so good!
Here is how George Pav described it in the Yahoo LI Windsurfing group: "Four to six turns on very clean waves. Could be one of my top wave riding days ever. Conditions were perfect."
My first wave windSUP sesh. May my second come soon!
*I never argue with Dasher when it comes to windsurfing. Well, I did once. The moment I stopped arguing and did what he said (in a jibe lesson, against my will) I had my first controlled planing jibe. That was in 1999. To this day whenever I find myself having jibing problems I flash back to my lessons in Aruba, and Do What Dasher Said.
(Top: Footstraps were very much wanted as I went off that wave. Middle: George Pav lines up his next turn. Bottom: Even I had a good day! Photos by Jeff Schultz.)
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