VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

well its a slow afternoon here at work. i decided to post this story when I read some sailors might be a bit apprehensive to sail there. i also thought some great tales might get posted.

in the spring of '93 I had been sailing almost a whole year on my bic calypso (I bought it because at 10’ it seemed more sporty than the 12’ mistrals). I had pretty much mastered some of the hairiest conditions elk lake could throw at me. Anyway my buddy howard convinced me it was a good day to check out cook st- in reality he probably just needed a ride down there. I felt like a total hero just getting rigged up on the grass there. I remember the two of us packing that whale of a board down the stairs, me on the tail and him on the nose.

so howie rigged a 5.0 and sat on the beach with the other dudes while I uphauled my 5.7 (the only sail I owned) and zoomed off. Once I realized you have to pull up your daggerboard when you get planing I had a pretty good time as I recall, tacking back and forth in my neon orange and blue steamer. I couldn’t waterstart or jibe but at least I knew not to sail too far out. Due to my unbalanced harness lines i didn’t last long and eventually made landfall down by the spiral stairs. We drove the truck down to pick up the gear rather than haul it back up the beach.

Anyway in the following months I started hitting nitinat regularly and pretty much mastered the basics. The next time out at cook st I had a sweet new 5.0. I beach started my e-rock, hooked in and planed right out into the reef, breaking my fin half off. good times!

1997 or 98...having lived in Victoria for a couple of years and sailed at kook a few times and Willows experience during some winter sessions behind me, I decided to check out kook in the first week of January. It was incredibly cold, not sure what I was thinking and pre-drysuit time. My arctic steamer was pretty good but not good enough for this day....so I notice it's a tad windy, kinda big logs flinging around, spray flying everywhere . I decide having only used my 3.5 once in the Gorge, it must only be around 4.0. I take the sinker waveboard Hitech which does not float my lardass and already have premonitions of incoming waves wiping me off the board B4 I get going. The shore break is nasty , everyone's got 3.5-8's on, never seen anything like it until again last Tuesday maybe. I see a group of sailors huddled on the beach, not knowing anyone I join them sorta on the outskirts, nodding hello to the shivering person next to me....they must know something I don't so I huddle...After turning blue(er) around 15 minutes later, and, tho being widely known as an incredibly patient guy , I've had enough: I came here to sail not freeze my nuts off I count the waves, spot an opening, give'er a run and....sink with my glass piece up to my waist, hop down, back up only to notice time has passed, a roller and incredible gust comes in, wipes me off the board (see premonition) and flings my rig outta my hands I do a header into the surf, slam my shin on a log , surface and run after my gear which is airborne toward the sailor group. It finally comes to a halt past the people gathered, lying on the beach fin stuck through the main panel . As I gather up my stuff to go home (as it seems the session is over), the wind drops a bit, everyone grabs their gear and off they sail jumping and wahooing.....Took me a while to get over that one....I think I cried that nite Yes, Bobson, Kook is awesome, go for it doood!! Ya just might wanna go along with the local crowd tho and not rig a 9 when everyone else is on 4.7's

good one, sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from my story.

Well Fella's(Kus/DWD) your stories must have worked as I survived my first Kook St experience on Friday and neither myself or my gear being any worse for wear . As well today with a windy forcast set for IV, instead of going to Bazan Bay where it would be nice and safe for me and my big gear, I took the chance at IV and had the time off my life on a 6.5m...who woulda though. I think I am over my scardi-catidness of HIGH-WINDINESS!!! Good news is that I think that my 6.5m will be as small as I need for awhile as the waves were pretty darn big at IV today!!! With the wind and tide fighting it out for IV supremacy, the washing machine effect chewed on me for what seemed like minutes but was probably less than 1 minute.....lots of fun and kept my fear (mostly) in check all day and just enjoyed the exhilaration of trying to keep my board on the water while going Mach 2 over the cresting waves...YAHOO!!! Good times!!

How the heck did you play regby, dude?!

And, man, once in a while you just have to push it. I was scared of Cook street for about 8 months, so I just went out in 40+ knots. Just to break the fear. It wasn't a long session, may be just 15 min of soiling and wetting my wetsuit, but it did the trick for me.

My first time at Dallas RD was the spring of 1977. After windsurfing for half a year, I went down to Dallas Rd. with David Ezzy. We launched at the breakwater on our Windsurfer One Designs ( teak boom , no harness) in a 15 + southerly . David took off towards Trial Is , so I followed. Got to Trial Island then David headed out to the Fairways marker, so I followed. Got to the Fairways maker then David headed to Esquimalt Lagoon, so I followed.From Esquimalt Lagoon he went back to the breakwater, so I followed. What a rush , daggerboard out , planing all the way with a big rooster tail coming from the daggerboard well. Thanks David. I was so spooked about being out that far that I stayed as close as I could to David, constantly worrying that my boom or universal would break and I`d be stuck out there. We were only wearing farmer john wetsuits with a sweater and windbreaker so you definately didn`t want spend much time in the water.
For the next couple of years the breakwater became the alternative site to Elk lake.It`s funny to think back to the crew on long boards playing in the waves next to the breakwater and then all of a sudden have a diver surface in front of them. Lots of close calls , but no casualties.Then in the early eighties we moved to Clover point , and would launch from the west side . Then as our numbers increased we moved to Cook St. and would launch from below the turret.Anyone remember the Cook St speed Slalom event that Brian put on, complete with scaffolding and giant PA system. You could hear the music way out on the water .This area has the best waves (and shorebrake). The only downside was carrying your gear down the turret cause you had to do a 180 with your sail or it would get caught by the wind. Then in the 90`s we moved to the present spot.
It`s a special place for me and I`m glad to see that it still provides that rush and excitement for others.

Cook St. has humbled kiters many times (me among them), and actually broken the bones of a few and egos of many. But is it as dangerous for windsurfers as it is for kiters? Have their been many injuries?

Morbidy Curious,

KSKK

Ross - great story - thanks for posting it

I remember that event Ross..The first day Richard phoned home & his dad told us it was blowing S.E. in Sidney, so we all headed for I-view...(Side note: I blew out a uni. on my Wally board swam in with my rig...sans board! Drove up to the reserve & found my board washed up in the bay!..In the dark....Then off to beer & ribs with the w-surfers.(cherry bank?))....Next day the big event @ Cook st....Ricky (ocean wind) & I bailed on the le-mans start & took off upwind to watch the race....Won by Walt Van-brugen on his malibu ! Good times...Good tunes!!...P.S. If anyone gets a chance to see it Grant M. has got a groovy Kite Video he made using the 'kite line cam'....Kook st lives..............

is that the same Walt thats up at nimpkish? hes out there every day holding down a big 8.0 while im out on my 5.

Nope!

props to all tha OG's that were around when i first arrived on these island beaches back in 87 - whoop ! whoop !

ross H
andrew B
john L
john R
don L
sam J
richard M

+ many more

I here you Pimp hand. When I arrived at UVIC in '93, I was instantly welcomed by the old school Kook St. crew. I have many fond memories sailing with Victoria legends like The Bear Man, Bundy, Pimlotte, Reid, Watson, Campos, Myerscough, Harrington, Macpherson and others who I know were shredding Kook St. years before me. Keep shredding folks, whether it be on a kite or a windboard.
Who remembers the video of Kurt Joehl doing that insane endo loop in about 40 knots probably around '93. He launched, popped over one of the biggest shorebreak rollers you can imagine; then hit the next set -probably a six foot face anyway; then sent the hate in the most perfect eno you can imagine. That was pure HATE. Wouldn't it be great to see that clip again!

I remember that clip clearly, D-guy! I'd love to see that clip dug out from the archives!! We all figured he was ready to challenge the world tour with that one move ! I remember asking him how to huck and he just grabbed my shirt and arm and sheeted in like I was a rig and said "Like that, dude!". He wasn't the greatest loop instructor but he could certainly throw down the hate. He was riding those old, funky, light PC boards. I'd have killed for one of those boards. Holy sh@$ I suddenly feel old!

Just middle aged!