High times at high tide

After a run of disappointing results I have finally I have got a good result in 2010. Over the weekend I managed to win the 2nd round of the Freewave series.  IN doing so I have recovered from 4th place to 2nd place overall with one round to go.

Just about to pull the trigger

And I very nearly didn't compete at all.

Saturday looked like it would be marginal plimmy at best and I also have got a lot of work on trying to finish our new house, so I was a whisker away from  not going at all. However I came to my senses in the end and was duly rewarded with possibly the best contest conditions seen at plimmy in a very long time.  High tide is usually not the best time for swell at plimmy.  However, today it was a super high tide and combined with a reasonable swell the waves on the beach were of a good contestable size, plus the wind was cranking, easy 4.0 weather for most and super steady (especially so for the inside at Plimmerton).

The body always follows the head 

With a fleet size reduced in size (but not quality) the event kicked off and was run smoothly and quickly over the next hour and a half by Eric (check out the WWA report). Sailing on my new Neil Pryde combats I knotched up wins in my heat and the semi.  As usual my jumping was feeling good but I knew I was going to have to pick up my waveriding to win in the final over Clayton, Tom Taylor and Klaas. In the final I managed to quickly latch onto a couple of great waves and rode them right through to the beach.  In the air I focussed on getting height and tweak and variation of moves.

Clayton, high and tweaked

This combo I think gave me my first win over an in form Clayton in a couple of years. Klaas came in third and Tom had to settle for 4th this time.

Clayton, even higher

Lessons learnt over the weekend.

• Lesson 1 You gotta be in to win - The best way to get over bad results is to keep on competing even if it means risking getting more bad results
• Lesson 2 Contest sailing is exhausting - 15 minutes heats seem to last forever when it is really windy.
• Lesson 3 Brand new gear rocks especially when it makes you sail better. I can't wait to get back out their on the new Combats.

Tom Taylor, shovin it

All pictures by Anton aka fuzzy hedgehog