Surfing the Northwest, Where the Winds Are (The Times tries to do damage control for Kerry)

New York Times ^ | September 24, 2004 | WENDY KNIGHT

[OESY]

The first thing you notice driving east into Hood River, Ore., is the neon-colored sails skimming across the mile-wide Columbia River, looking like fluttering butterfly wings as they catch the afternoon sun. It takes a moment to realize there are people with those sails, standing on boards propelled by the wind. And then it's clear why Hood River is the epicenter of windsurfing in North America: wind, water and sun.

Designated a National Scenic Area in 1986, the Columbia River Gorge, which separates Oregon and Washington, is the only east-west gap in the Cascade Range. The prevailing westerly winds in the summer can blow at 20 to 40 miles per hour through this narrow gap toward the desert, whipping hair into eyes and keeping flags aflutter. The river flows to the west against the wind, and the convergence of wind and currents can create swells as high as eight feet, ideal conditions for windsurfers.

Hood River was a sleepy agricultural hamlet known more for its pear orchards than its choppy water until the mid-1980's, when windsurfing enthusiasts were first drawn to its alluring mix of weather and topography. Board manufacturers, distributors and retailers followed.

Steve Gates, the co-owner of Big Winds, a board shop in town, estimates that 10 percent of the town's current population (or approximately 700 people) is connected to board sports — windsurfing and the related sport of kiteboarding, in which the rider and the board leave the water behind to catch the wind attached to a kite.

A typical day in Hood River begins with a check of the wind, and the monitoring continues all day. "We used to drive up and down the gorge checking wind conditions," said Sean Aiken, a real estate salesman and former windsurfing champion of the Gorge Games, a multi-extreme-sports competition held most years in July. "Now we all have pagers." The pagers, connected to www.iwindsurf.com, keep the sailors, as windsurfers call themselves, in touch with the wind data.

There are 30 public windsurfer launch sites along the 10-mile stretch of the Columbia near Hood River, in places on the river requiring varying levels of expertise.

Swells are often big on the Washington side, at spots called the Fish Hatchery and Swell City, for example, which are deemed for experts only. The high winds and waves require "water starts" — getting on the board from the water while flying the sail overhead.

The Hook, a protected cove on the Oregon side, is better for beginners.

At another point on the Oregon riverbank, the parking lot at the Event Site — the location of the windsurfing events for the Gorge Games — was crammed one Saturday in July with R.V.'s and campers, most from the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Middle-aged women and silver-haired dads seemed to outnumber the 20-somethings. Despite the snippets of board-related conversation ("After I finish my beer, I'm going back out"), the scene felt something like an extended family reunion. Dads with wet suits peeled to the waist swapped stories, Mom negotiated a walking path through a pile of boards, and Grandma rigged her sail alongside Junior.

The wind was noticeably stronger than usual that weekend at the Hatchery, and the atmosphere more serious. Sailors used the five- and six-foot swells as ramps to launch rigs into the air and ride the waves. Experts performed loops, flipping their boards, and freestylers — who like maneuvers rather than straight sailing — used the calmer inside waters to perfect well-choreographed moves with names like "Vulcan" or "Grubby."

Nearly 200 vans and campers were pulled tightly into the lot there, with people sprawled in the aisles between the rows or on the rocky shore affixing sails to boards. "What are you rigging?" was a common question; the sizes of the sail and board to use depend on wind speed and the sailor's weight and skill level.

Windsurfing isn't easy to learn, but recent changes in board design have helped. A novice must first understand the physics of wind and how to position the body, board and sail to harness its power (back to the wind, sail almost parallel to the body). The boom controls speed and, at the novice level, the mast controls direction. Tilting the sail forward and backward in a bow and arrow technique allows moving downwind or upwind.

After a rider learns some mechanics, sailing across the water feels aeronautical. It's as if the wind locks you in its powerful grip and lifts you across the water. Using a large beginner board, it is surprisingly easy to control the rig until a gust of wind blows in and you begin to rock back and forth in a peculiar tug of war.

"Don't leave wind to find wind" is a windsurfer's adage, meaning that if you've got it good, the search for better is often foolhardy.

A twist on that maxim might explain why so many die-hard sailors have opted to set up permanent residence in Hood River: Don't leave fun to find fun.

Visiting the Columbia River Gorge

THE windsurfing season in the Columbia River Gorge can begin as early as mid-May and run through early October, with the most consistent winds June through August. The Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association

(windsurf.gorge.net/cgwa) maintains a list of public launch sites. Typical parking charges are $4 to $5 a day and $25 to $50 a season.

Several shops in Hood River rent equipment, with a full rig with two to three sails running at about $55 for a one-day rental. Big Winds (207 Front Street, 541-386-6086; www.bigwinds.com) or Brian's Windsurfing (100 Marina Way, 541-386-1423; www.brianswindsurfing.com) can provide two-hour group lessons for beginners for $55 to $70, including use of equipment.

Pagers for checking wind conditions are available for rent at shops including Big Winds and the Gorge Surf Shop (13 Oak Street, 541-386-1699).

Ann and Pat Frodel, who are windsurfers themselves, own and operate the GorgeView B&B (1009 Columbia Street, 541-386-5770), a relaxed, homey place that caters to windsurfers with an outdoor shower, a computer on site for wind reports and ample parking.

There are three bedrooms with shared baths, one a bunk room that sleeps four, and one bedroom with a private bath, with rates ranging from $35 to $85 a night. There is also a two-bedroom apartment for $625 a week.

[OESY]

Windsurfing at Hood River, Ore., where the convergence
of prevailing winds and currents makes for ideal conditions

Thanks, NY Times, for reminding us of Kerry's windsurfing!

[fightinJAG]

see the "surfer dude" ad and a similar one at georgewbush.com

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1225700/posts

[fightinJAG]

oops wrong link - here's the correct one

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=any;o=score;s=surfer%20dude

[meema]

Spandex, anyone? Yuk.
and bump