That was one mean loop. I remember the day well. For some reason a date sticks in my mind -- Dec 1, 1990. I had just moved here in Sept of the same year. It was damn cold that morning. A few of us gathered at Kook and contemplated the blowing spray and massive swell. Damn cold, like about 1 degree. Kurt decided to go for it. It was the very first run out that he went for it. Man, did he give-er. I'm pretty sure I'll never witness such a loop again. Bold, confident, brazen, irreverent, BIG. Sure would be nice to see the video. I also remember Grant Watson riding the biggest swell that I've ever seen at Kook. The swell stretched from the outer reef to about 20 feet from shore, and Grant was putting down a FAT laydown right in the middle.

ha ha ... that's funny that you guys even remember that day ... it was off tha hook! people were getting worked big time in the shore-break(gotta luv high tide @ cook), huge swell and liquid smoke

... and winddoc, i had know idea you knew kurt johl, did you know him in his whistler days? ... and where tha hell did you all see that vid?

it's been many 'safety meetings' since then and my memory isn't 100%, but seems to me i may have taken that vid and i still have it somewhere ... looks like i'm gonna have to dig it up and back it up to digi and post it ... actually i have lots of footy from the ol' days ... could be a project to tackle.

oh yeah, dunkin guy mentioned al (bundy)carlyle ... i forgot to give his well deserved props ... he didn't throw hate, but was one of the most style-ie wave rippers around with a sweet lay-down as well(usually unexpected and on a large wave face)

My favourite kook st memory is sailing in solid 5.0 conditions while my better half was on the beach in early labour. She said watching kept her mind off the contractions but I had to make eye contact every time I was near the shore and she would flag me down if the contractions were getting closer together. Luckily for me they didn't kick in 'till later ;).

~ pimp hand ~ wrote:... i still have it somewhere ... looks like i'm gonna have to dig it up and back it up to digi and post it ... actually i have lots of footy from the ol' days ... could be a project to tackle.

Hey Mr. Pimp Hand That would be amazing to see

"Bad Al "......

bean wrote:My favourite kook st memory is sailing in solid 5.0 conditions while my better half was on the beach in early labour.

That kinda explains this picture


now tell us, was your daughter born like that or all this stuff kinda developed itself later?

Just make sure you loop before she does

Sorry for drifting this thread - keep the kook karnage koming

funny hearing all those names again; bundy, bear, bergman, john reid, that drunk Prest/. I'm pleased to say I've never had a kook epic - all my best coast guard stories and near drownings are off Island View. will be out in nitinat sometime near June and hope to get in some hate stalled forwards with lawndart into water

winddoctor wrote:He was riding those old, funky, light PC boards. I'd have killed for one of those boards. Holy sh@$ I suddenly feel old!

here's kurt fresh off tha boat with some new sticks ... needless to say tha local shop[s] were none too happy

oh and even tho he was pushing his bro's PC's, kurt was actually riding a PreisterBuilt 7'6" during that infamous forward

Being the other half of downwind daves story - AKA 'Howie' . I think I should set the record straight. Dave, true to form had just entered the sport of windsurfing, and like all his other newly acquired sports was about to blow the doors off of it. It was a real pleasure to share the enthusiasm of a new arrival to the sport, and yes the occasional ride was also much appreciated. Literally within a year of Dave's early cook st. sessions I believe he was looping ! On the other hand, my 8 years experience of sailing prior to Dave seemed to pale into insignificance. My long mastered chop hop, or step gybe, was quickly destroyed by Dave's charging . It wasn't always a pleasant experience, to see how quickly he picked up new tricks, but in his quest for furthering his skills, he peaked early and left the sport for some time. I am glad to see he is back, but sadly I have left and am now 3000 miles away, back in South West England. Maybe next time we sail I can reciprocate some of his enthusiasm, and lay down some of my new moves. Until then , it will have to suffice my posting of pictures. Enjoy.

awww, c'mere and give me a hug howie boy you and your tiga 260 sure opened my eyes to the whole scene from my longboarding era. lookin forward to your pics!

What IS THAT I thought, driving home to be enveloped by a warm blanky and hot chocolate on this rainy, miserable late November day, trying to shake that damn flu I've had all week. I note a flag flying...hey that's a Westerly...more than the 10kn forecast, dood...the damn cell, takes forever to load, damn, damn, 1 block to Kook turnoff, ok there it is....Race 33...33 ?? I turn right...Change of plans...watching, wolfing down a Mac (yuk, all I could quickly find) can't resist the swell, the day I've been waiting, yes longing for I'm down and out there despite flu & busted/splinted finger all taped up (gee that didn't last long tho, crap, stuff the splint down my suit, figure it out later), soon I regret rigging the 4.8 (couldn't hold it with three fingers) & not carrying smaller board (well, this s#%t wasn't forecast now, was it?); apart from few nice clew first down the lines, talk about disabled sailor. WindDoc and Mark are ripping the place up, 3 kiters getting 4th-story airs; I'm all over the place, embarassing really so finally I decide to hero-duckgybe down a wicked face (not sure WTF I was thinking in near 40kn gusts, obviously not much apart from dreaming MY friggen name is Angulo, not my board's) only to be slammed into boom/mast/sail; after taking stock only a swollen wrist & bruised ribs, still sorta conscious, that hockey helmet is the cat's ass....AC later says: "hey, nice back loop, kus"....I figure he's mocking me) but: I'm a mess, what a loser, an old fart trying to do a young man's sport I was gonna eat these waves, rip them to pieces, maybe, just maybe try another forward without concern for consequences and now here I am drifting to shore with a broken outhaul I can't seem to fix w/ one hand, another slight washing machine session in the shorebreak later (I suffered a larger one earlier when a wave snagged my sail back in a moment of inattention when I tried to take a breather) & I'm licking my chops on the beach. Telling tales of woe to whoever will listen (only the sympathetic Camie ), using one of the shredded pieces of outhaul to afix the madly flapping sail. Yes, there are tons of excuses to be had: wrong board, too long a mast for the 4.2 (absolutely huge pocket), new wider booties not fitting in straps, buggered middle (driving) finger, that lingering herniated disc, the flu & meds but ... I'll be damned....here's Mark getting dragged over the rocks, I help him out poor bugger but hey, this somehow cheers me up (did I say poor bugger? yes I did); renewed energy, I set off to conquer once again, stepping off same said rock into the surf, I do a quick and dirty launch into the white. No sooner do I try to "lock in" I drag fin and board over the second rock which I forgot about (again, ok, this time it musta been the meds) doing a forward flip Nadia Comanecci has nothing on. Best not to look at the obvious damage (no large pieces hanging off...did I mention 3rd day on brand new board?), I do a few runs just to re-establish myself, peeing on wave faces, as it were, marking territory, makin' gybes, taking a few hops, daring those gusts. Yesssss, I'm back on track, redeemed myself, feeling sorrier for the equipment than me....Later in the hottub I almost drown passing out after pounding a tall Steinlager in what seemed like 30 secs flat. I bandage my wounds, pop those Ibu's and wonder how I got soooo many blisters in an hour and a bit of sailing....Kook Street Sweet Swell Gusty as hell and I love it Friday Night and I'm off.... to mix up some...well... a whole bunch of epoxy

um, no story for me except to say I witnessed all that Kus, and I am glad you are OK! A thought passed through my mind as I white-knuckled past you with my kite, and that thought was: we are all crazy for being out here!

Nice description, btw. As on onlooker I have no idea what you guys are doing in the water, so this fills in the pieces.

Rest up!

Paul

"Old fart trying to do young man's sport"? Hey, watch your language. The wrecked finger, wrong board, wrong mast, etc. obviously had everything to do with it. At least you were out there doin' it. It's too cold for me.

actually I thought it was the dogshit I rolled my 4.8 out into as I was rigging ....I shall heed the omen next time. No really, I was just sailing crappy and making the wrong choices is part of sailing crappy.
All fresh ropes on my booms today and the second batch of epoxy will hopefully set up properly this time (another bad choice, should probably chuck that old resin ) see ya out there JJJim BTW it was balmy yesterday but this Monday's SE may be accompanied with flurries